May 2005 FineScale ~ What do you think?

Congratiulations on the great article on "Resin casting". I believe that the best thing that we as modeler's can pass alojng, or share with one another is llearning new techniques. The other articles are well written and photographed as needed, but the learning helps us beome better at what we love doing. Would like to see more technique articles on vacuum forming, seam filling and rescribing etc. etc. etc.

Thanks so much

Michael Ellis,
In regards to the Airbrushing (?) guide included with newsstand issues, it has no relevance whatsoever that subsribers save a few dollars and have the issue delivered to our doors. If FSM includes some supplement in its newsstand issues, then FSM is telling its readers that the issue in question by definition includes said supplement. Now then: we subscribers, by paying our subscription fee, have entered into an agreement with FSM to have the issues delivered to our doors, whatever form the issues may take. If a particular issue includes a supplement, then that is the form that issue takes, and for which we subscribers have paid, and which we should have delivered to our doors, as with any other issue. As subscribers, we are exactly the customers whose loyalty you need to retain, and who should therefore receive the issues with all bells and whistles attached.
Brian Willard,
Physicist

Afraid I have to agree with those saying we, as subscribers, should be entitled to receive all the information/material published with any given issue. I'm in Canada, not near a store that carries FSM, so the timing issue isn't a factor for me. I subscribe to the magazine because I want to read it and it does irritate me to know that I'm being short-changed in what I'm able to read because of my subscription. As somebody said, we as subscribers are the ones you should be trying to please the most because we buy EVERY issue. If we don't subscribe, we may not buy any.

QUOTE: Originally posted by Foster7155 I guess I'll be the "Devil's Advocate" on this issue. My basic subsciption copy was okay and the resin casting article was by far the best item in the issue. However, the rest of the mag was quite thin in terms of "hardcore" modeling information. As mentioned, armor was hardly covered at all and even those aircraft model articles that generated some minor interest for me were extremely watered down. My biggest concern was discovering that once again (as with the sample microbrushes last year), loyal subscribers were not provided with the FSM supplement on airbrushing. Only those individuals who purchased the magazine in plastic wrap at the newstand (or perhaps overseas subscribers?) were fortunate enough get this valuable information. Oh, well...

what!?!? there were sample microbrushes?

has to be the CBI mustang................
although it's always difficult to, at best, to pick a favourite.........(the reader gallery is always high on my list) in this particular instance, i can identify with with the CBI mustang and the beautiful results............
back in the early '90's i attempted a rendering of a CBI aircraft for a friend.......(with very very little reference material) and via this venture, prior to Accu. Min's contributions, the only way to install a CBI "A" model mustang in my collection was to backdate the Monogram "B"..........whewww........what a project...............
and what to my awe......here.......is featured a much more contemporary rendition...........
too cool

oh......by the by.......the wee airbrush thingy attachment mentioned.......was absent from my subscription issue

Loved the article on resin casting, and have one tip. To make sure that the mold halves align correctly for a two part mold. Take your item to be cast and press it into the Kleen Klay. Take the eraser end of a pencil and make little craters in the Kleen Klay around your part. Pour your RTV silicone/rubber over the mold and when cured, remove only the Kleen Klay. Flip your mold over and you will see it has alignment 'nubs' sticking up. When you pour RTV over the mold now, each half will have alignment marks. This will make sure that the 2 halves don't slip that much and you have funny off center seams on your parts.

This is off the topic again, but I wanted to respond to the question about the premium booklet included on single copies of the magazine. As Michael said previously, our intention with the booklets is to attract newcomers to the hobby. Much of the material included the premium booklets we create has already appeared in the regular issues of the magazine.

Unfortunately, in order to take advantage of the postal discounts we receive in mailing the copies to our subscribers, we are unable to polybag any items with the subscribers' copies. Our first concern here is keeping the subscription price at a reasonable level for our customers.

That being said, our subscribers can still recieve the premium booklet. All you need to do is call our Customer Service department and they would be more than happy to send you one. Call 1-800-533-6644 Mon. through Fri. 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Central Time.

Elizabeth Runyon
Group Circulation Manager

I got FSM at a hobby shop yesterday. The M60 article is a brief history on page 82.

Paul

Mrs. Runyon,
Thanks for posting the phone number. I appreciate that you guys have a balancing act in terms of cost. The premium booklets you produce are first-rate, so I shall call that number at once.
Brian

fantastic ! like all your issues, keep it up and i,ve extended my abilities because of your mag . go modellers around the world regards stoo

Dear Finescale,

I felt the article on resin casting was very imformative although I don't actually cast my own pieces yet...Maybe it will become more useful to me in the future. I always enjoy looking back on older issues of Finescale for inspiration.

I enjoy the sections detailing the workbench reviews and the step by step model builds and conversions with photos like the F-5 article.

It would be nice to include more custom work articles with explanations of how they were conceived and built...and where a modeler can find the parts or decals needed to do the job...

The resin frigate some piece of modeling and great for anyone who wishes to build resin ships.

To be honest, although the articles were very imformative and well written I think this particular issue dealt with several advanced techniques which many modelers like myself don't find as immediately useful...

In the future such articles would be appreciated but I thought you might be able to diversify the articles more...Some painting techniques...maybe weathering, photo etch or super detailing....In general though you do this fairly well...some magazines just hit the spot better than others...but I am generally pleased with the information given. That's why I've subscribed for the last two years...I think you should also offer magazines all 12 months...as many international customers have winter when we have summer...

Just my thoughts...
Thanks for asking..and continue the good work

Tank

I'd like to see the on line poll come out a bit later after the issue to be polled has been out for a while. And again if the next issue is any indication, LESS PLANES and more armor, pleeeease.

I always enjoy FSM. I am a "Charter Subscriber" including the "Test Issue" and have yet to get any extras like the microbrushes or airbrushing booklet. I don't mean to whine but a little something for the hard core subscribers would be nice.
The other thing I have noticed is that the local bookstore sells FSM sealed in polybags and yet my copy gets beat to @#%* by the postal service as each issue is unprotected.
Oh well, at least the pages aren't stuck together by closet modelers in the mail room out back.

Keep up the great work folks, I appreciate it. Just remember the faithful masses.

I was always afraid to try resin casting. After reading the story on resin casting I am ready to try my hand at it. It now looks simple to do.

im not subscriber but soon will be and i think that its ok to give a little extra to new readers but it is good to know that a subscriber can call up and have the extra stuff sent to them but what i want to know is will this booklet cost me to have it sent as a subscriber i dont feel we should have to pay for it because then the money we spend on the extras will equal out to what it would be if we got FSM from the news stand.


---Fatman---

I think its a great issue but I think for the next issue put more armor stuff in it because I love building armor things

I thought it was good enough to expect more great issues like this in the future, so I subscribed. It's all new to me and I thought that it would be an equal mix of armor, figures and planes. I hope to see helpful articals from past issues in upcomming ones. The resin casting has inspired me to really get into my dioramas. I think that you should keep up the great job and don't dissapoint me and I'll gladly renew again.

As always, an outstanding read.

Great article on casting parts; I learned to build a box using sheet styrene and sealing the seams with accelerated superglue. I can see how legos would be quite as good (but I'd have to steal them from my kids!).

Max

I had trouble voting because I used to be an M60 crewman, I love multimedia ship models and the P-51 Mustang, plus I've actually gotten a ride in an F-18, so I love that, and then the T-34 is such an historic tank as well. But I voted for the resin casting article because that's a skill I want to develop and use. So, altogether, this issue had a hell of a lot of great articles that hit me just right.

BTW - I also enjoy reading the ads and going to the vendors' websites. Nice extra for us obsessed modeling fans.

I think the article on resin casting was very informative. However, the article on biulding the C.B.I mustang was my particular faverite as USAAF pacific theater are my prefered modeling subject.

It was up to the usual standards of the magazine. I really love seeing the portfolios of other modelers work such as Mr Brandt's. And the airbrushing extra came in handy to me as well. I am a National Guardsman, activated and forward deployed , who was able to bum an airbrush off a fellow trooper here of a type I was not familiar with. Your extra helped me troubleshoot the airbrush and get it working so that I could use it on a kit during my downtime here. Keep up the great work!

The magazine was great, as usual. I concur with some of the other readers as far as subscribing, though. By getting mine at the hobby shop, I get the extra goodies, I get the magazine before the subscribers, and the price isn't that much different. The magazine is in better shape, too. My Scale Auto looks like it's been read by a dozen people when I receive it in the mail.

I loved seeing the unusual subjects in Brandt's collection. One of the things missing from kits available today are some of the more obscure and short lived cold war subjects.

I voted for the Resin Casting article, and I see it is by far the favorite. I am always amazed at the quality of the workmanship that is displayed in FSM, but I get the magazine to help me learn better methods and techniques. So, I was, shall I say kindly, slightly insulted that Foster7155 mentioned that we loyal subscribers did not get a tutorial insert! Ok, I understand you're trying to lure new subscribers, but don't shaft your loyal base! At least make it available online.

Secrets of Resin Casting.

I'm very Proud to see in FSM the work of Manuel Guajardo,a Companion from San Luis Potosí...FAM of Course! and Resin Casting show Me Another way of modeling, Congratulations!

Outstanding! Great Info which over the years I learned a lot from the articles..I just renew my subcription. the f5 article was great. jj

Thank you very much!!!!