Terry Trautman
Columbus, Indiana
I build models in a finished room in my basement, where I spend a lot of time during the winter months. Normally, I build WWII planes and armor; I've completed four dioramas to date. Right now, though, my desk is adorned with a partially constructed Pocher 1/8 scale Mercedes Benz, which I've had sitting around for about 20 years and finally decided to get at.
I'm 70, blissfully retired, and have built models off and on since childhood - it all started with balsa wood airplanes and Monogram pinewood planes. I took a 40-year break to get educated and raise a family, and have modeled in earnest over the past five years.
My construction surface is simple: a hollow core door sitting on two file cabinets. The door's large surface works well. My paint rack is made from Styrofoam, providing stair-step efficiency for easy access.
The vertical display cabinet houses my WWII fighter planes as well as a couple automotive models. My most recent project is a Luftwaffe diorama, made from eleven different kits (mostly Tamiya's). Also on display is Revell's 1/48 scale B-29, which I modified by closing the wheel wells, opening the bomb bay door, and adding falling bombs with a fishing line. There are 25 planes in my WWII fleet.