FineScale Modeler

Aaron Skinner joined the FineScale Modeler magazine staff in July 2006. The first issue he worked on was for November of that year, and soon he became a staple, appearing in FSM’s pages with reviews, how- to features, and taking on the renowned "Airbrushing and Finishing" column. Over the years, the number of models Aaron finished was astounding, and quickly filled up all of the display space at his home and much of the space we had at the FSM offices, too. Between 2007 and 2020, he was a prolific builder. So much so that I often joked he left no display room for anyone else. It was with no small amount of joy and pride, tempered with sadness, that I learned Aaron would be moving on from his duties…

Although similar looking, poster putty (top) and Silly Putty (bottom) provide two different masking results. For softer edges to your camouflage paint scheme, roll out poster putty. If you are looking for hard edges, Silly Putty is the mask for you. A putty for your thoughts What is the best putty to use to make paint lines. I’ve tried Play-Doh and that didn’t end well. It semi-dries and sticks to the model. Since I couldn’t remove it until the paint was drier, it was really messy. There’s got to be something better. I’ve seen it before but never got the name. Any help you could provide would be greatly appreciated. I enjoy [FineScale Modeler] and learn from it even when it’s on a subject I don’t enjoy building. Please keep…

Plastic Undercover photo gallery Cleveland’s North Coast Automotive Modelers (NCAM) hosted the 2nd annual Plastic Undercover model car show. Modelers showed up to see friends, get inspired, and acquire materials for future projects. More than 400 models filled the display tables with builders traveling from as far as Iowa to attend. Don’t miss any of the models that caught our eye. Visit FineScale.com/show-galleries and enjoy! Let FSM help you build better scale models Visit FineScale.com for all your scale-modeling, how-to needs. No matter if you’re wondering whether to buy that latest kit you’ve heard so much about, how to achieve better results from your airbrush, paint figures, model shattered glass, or get that perfect look for your model’s base, FSM has you covered. It doesn’t matter if you’re new to…

AIRCRAFT 1/48 SCALE Junkers-Larsen JL.6 military service No. 48013 $75 from MiniArt. Junkers F13 Float Plan Early Prod No. 48004 $TBA from MiniArt. P-47D-26RA Thunderbolt No. 48003 $75 from MiniArt. ARMOR 1/35 SCALE SdKfz.3b with Flak 38 Truppenluftschutzwagen No. 35455 $82 from ICM. Raupenschlepper OST RSO/01 Early Production No. 35478 $TBA from MiniArt. SdKfz.234/1 Schwerer Panzerspähwagen (2cm) Late Modification No. 35413 $TBA from MiniArt. M3 Stuart Diesel Early Production No. 35417 $68 from MiniArt. M3 Stuart Light Tank, Initial Prod. No. 35425 $68 from MiniArt. German 3T Cargo Truck 3.6-36S Mid Prod. No. 35456 $TBA from MiniArt. SdKfz.234 with MG151 Drilling No. 40014 $80 from MiniArt. SdKfz.234/1 Schwerer Panzerspähwagen Early Mod. Interior Kit No. 35410 $76 from MiniArt. Big Set Kharkiv 1943: Tram & StuG III Ausf G with Crew…

Consider, what if the Berlin Crisis of 1948-49 had escalated into a full-scale war between the West and its former ally, the Soviet Union, culminating in a nuclear exchange. The conflict left much of Central Europe a radioactive wasteland with only a few habitable areas left. With the belligerents off licking their wounds and rebuilding their core territories, the survivors in these zones have been left to fend for themselves. Petty warlords and bands of people fight to control the scarce resources. In my imagining, these combatants made use of vehicles and armament leftover from World War II and WWIII and whatever else they could find. Imagine Mad Max with 1940s vehicles and you get the idea. Having fun with the concept, I modified the new MiniArt 1/35 scale Opel…

Do you ever find yourself snoozing over a Spitfire, getting ennui over an Enterprise, or daydreaming over yet another Camaro? You need a change. You need to build something completely different. You need to be “going merry!” One Piece is a Japanese manga (comic book), anime (cartoon), and video game (video game) that’s been around for 25 years. The main character is Monkey D. Luffy who wants to be the Pirate King and search for the treasured One Piece on the last island of the Grand Line. He leads the Straw Hat Pirates and captains the ship, Going Merry. Bandai produces a nicely detailed snap-together kit (No. BAN965509) of the vessel. Yes, I said snap together. And, yes, I know these kits have a long history of being shunned by…