An exclusive modeling column of the MODEL CAR  HUB

   Our second columnist is Tim Powers, one of the famous MAMA's Boyz, the very active Maryland Automotive Modeler's Association club. Many of you will remember Tim's informative column "The Parts Box" in Car Modeler magazine, and he has also been in the resin casting business.

   Tim brings the same skill to his new column, Modeler's Spoke, here at the Model Car Hub, but with a new twist. He'll have more space here, and is not limited in scope. We think that Tim's new column will become one of the most popular pages on the Model Car Hub!

Modeler's Spoke by Tim Powers

03/10/00

I've often heard modelers bemoan the Internet as a great waster of time, as something that keeps us from our real hobby, modeling. It certainly can be that, but if used well, it can be so much more for us. I've found it to be a great way to affordably keep in touch with other modelers around the world, a terrific and fast research resource, a tool for learning about new techniques and products, and a way to find hard to get kits at something resembling a reasonable price.

One of the best aspects of the Internet for me as a modeler has been the ability to maintain with little expensive or effort friendships around the world. It used to be that keeping in touch with someone on the other side of the earth meant very expensive international phone calls or spending hours writing letters that would take weeks to arrive. And if you wanted to show your friend some pictures, you had to have duplicate copies made. Then the cost of the letter would skyrocket because the pictures were heavy.

Today e-mail has replaced the phone calls and letter writing and jpeg or gif files have replaced those heavy photos. By shopping around, Internet access can be cheaply obtained (if you work for a computer-oriented company, you may even get free internet access through your job). You can literally hold a conversation via e-mail rather than waiting weeks for a handwritten reply to your last letter. And with a low-cost scanner (I bought a used scanner for $50) you can make image files of your photos that are perfectly suited to viewing on a computer monitor.

I have a friend in the Netherlands with whom I keep in contact as described above. We've met in person a couple of times at some modeling events and he's visited with members of the model car club I'm in. But we routinely stay in touch, discussing kits and aftermarket products. Beyond that we share an interest in custom cars, so we spent a good bit of time discussing and critiquing automotive designs. We share thoughts, plans, and advice on our project model car projects and help each other figure out how to resolve problem areas and where to find parts. He has even used his considerable graphics/design experience to help me design a business logo and taught me how to use certain graphics software effectively. All this was done through e-mail.

As a research tool, the Internet is fast and holds a lot of detailed images. Run a web search for a particular car and you'll quickly have plenty of images to view. Recently, I had to write a kit review on AMT/ERTL's Dodge Concept Car kit (Call it what you want, just don't call it the Dodge Copperhead) and I could not remember in which magazines I had seen photos of it. I tried flipping pages in some of the more likely titles, but there were just too many of them to leaf through. So I turned to the Internet, ran a search on the name we aren't allowed to use for the car and in moments found a wealth of sites. I visited each one quickly to glance at the images presented and pared the list down to just nine web sites that featured more than enough images to allow me to evaluate the accuracy of the kit and enough technical data with which to pepper my text about the car. I maintained these nine web sites in my browser's bookmark folder so that when the time comes for me to build the kit for my collection, I'll have all the images I need too see how the details should appear.

Though I don't get to spend much time wandering the net, I do on occasion get to lurk in a newsgroup or chat room and to surf web sites posted by model car clubs. I've found these activities to be great way to learn about new tools, supplies, and ways of approaching modeling tasks. The news group rec.models.scale is a large and all-encompassing news group for model builders. Most of the time I skip past the postings related to armor, planes, ships, figures, and whatnot to get to the car-related items. But now and then, I'll read items in the other categories if the subject line indicates that they may be discussing how to do something. It might not be directly related to replicating or modifying a car part, but it may be and adaptable method, so I learn. Then there are the car-related discussions where in I have learned details about certain cars or kits or how to make a part look more realistic. In general, I've learned in the newsgroups about working with different types of paints, alternative sources for supplies (like who makes super glue formulas that work the way super glue used to), and nifty materials that may have an application in model car building (like a holographic film sold in auto part stores for decorating tire letters.)

Years ago, I made a list of kits from my youth that I had built and wanted to build again, or that I never had and always wanted. I set out to find and purchase these kits. The Internet recently helped me purchase the last kit on that list at a slightly lower than average cost. I had found a mint example of the kit about 8 to 10 years ago for what was then a hefty price. I passed on it after hearing of the manufacturer's intent to reissue it under a special program. A few weeks later, they stated that they would be unable to reissue the kit as they discovered portions of the mold were missing. The cost of the original kits seemed to double overnight. Two years ago, I found another pristine example of the kit for three times the price of that first one I'd seen. I couldn't afford it at the asking price and the seller wouldn't budge. Missed out again. Then, in January, I spotted a third unbuilt example listed for auction on e-Bay. Making good use of their proxy bidding capability, I was successful and now have the kit in my possession. Problem is, now I'm thinking of other kits and items to search for (I guess it just never ends).

I know there are other aspects of the Internet that I have not yet exploited to the benefit of my hobby. I'm looking forward to the new model car Intranet sites that the Model Car Hub is setting up for us (the Stock Car Modeling Intranet site is already up and running.) I'm mostly looking forward to the Intranet site for Rods and Customs.

So, what's your story? How has the Internet been an adjunct to building model cars for you? Email me at tepower@toad.net.

      Let us know what you think of this column, or anything else of a model car nature. And let us know if you have any questions or need a little advice.

Tim Powers
tepower@toad.net

Tim's previous columns are available in the Archive - Click Here For Info

Your thoughts, feedback, comments, criticisms, beefs, boasts, and bodacious rumors are welcome! Please send them to tepower@toad.net

All content is the property of The Model Car Hub, an may not be legally reproduced, except in short reference. All references must include mention of the author, Tim Powers, and links to http://www.modelcarhub.com

Lighten Up - Fun Stuff - What the heck - This has nothing to do with model cars, but here's a great page for jokes and fun! This has become one of our most popular pages!

New Title!!!

Books For Model Car Building & Collecting We've selected the best model books, as well as the best photo-reference books for you. Take  a look at our selection!

BOOKMARK US AS A FAVORITE PLACE NOW!

All content on this site, including the site design, is copyright Scale Sports 1998. May not be copied or reproduced or redistributed in any form without written permission of the copyright owner.

Back to Model Car Hub Home Page

Yes - it really works! Step 1) Surf Model Car Sites... Step 2) GET PAID!...click here