It’s time again for another update of the MMFS. First, since there
has been no confirmation about our alternative meeting location for our July meeting the
meeting scheduled for July 14th will be held at the regular location (Fleming Field) and
time, 7:30 PM.
Our last update has been delayed and there will be updates for both the May and June
meeting this month.
May Meeting
Those that were adventurous enough to attend our May meeting were Ed, Wayne, Curtis,
Scott, Don B., Bernie, Mark, Chris, Merrill, Jim and Rick. We were most fortunate to have
John Larson return after a long absence. He treated us all to his rendition of the Fine
Molds kit of The Millennium Falcon. Wow what a kit and of course John adds his own
fantastic flavor to the kit. Another surprise visit was from an old member from back in
the 1980s was Jack Anderson. Very few of us remember when Jack was the main publisher of
the old Sword & Saddle monthly newsletter that used to be published by the MMFS. Nice
to see Jack after such a long absence.
Items for discussion at the May meeting were:
-April militaria show- all agreed that the show was a lot of fun and a good way to put out
news of the club. Though we are always looking for new members we seldom get any from the
show. Still the militaria collectors enjoy our efforts and we always get a good response
from the crowd. Yogi Pusch is always a crowd draw as well and it is great to hear all his
stories.
-Nordicon 2006- Our friend Bob Maderich will be in charge of the show this year. Official
date of the show will be September 23rd. The TCAH are always looking for ways other local
clubs can help out so contact Bob if you are inclined to assist with the show.
-Logo- Everyone in attendance voted to confirm our logo. All material concerning the MMFS
from this point forward will use the accepted logo. This of course does not mean that on a
future date the logo could be changed or modified.
-Club history- with Jack Anderson at the meeting a goodly part of the evening was going
over history of the MMFS. It started out in the1970s as a history club and figure painting
group located at ‘Little Tin Soldier’ shop located on Lake Street in
Minneapolis. During the 1980s it evolved into a gaming/figure painting group. With the
demise of the ‘Little Tin Soldier’ the group moved to various parts of the Twin
Cities and evolved from just gaming and figure work. It was interesting listening to Jack
and giving many of our current members some insight of the founding’s of the MMFS.
May Demo
Bernie gave us a very informative demonstration about how he goes about finishing and
weathering his military vehicles. Bernie was kind enough to submit a written format of his
technique that is attached to this newsletter.
May Photos
01. John digs out his version of Fine Mold’s Millennium Falcon. Everyone is in awe.
02. Closer inspection of John’s efforts on the kit. As always he has done some
modifications. Takes a lot of guts considering the cost of the kit.
03. This is Jim’s next figure creation. A lot of people have been helping Jim out
with feedback on his creation and Jim is executing a very nice pose. The figure is a
modified DML figure.
04. Back view of Jim’s newest creation.
05. Mark’s DML Sd.Kfz 250/1 Neu. It looks like a great little kit and Mark has once
again done a very nice job finishing the vehicle.
06. Scott’s Princess Lea is really starting to fill out (wink..wink). Scot has
challenged himself with quite an effort for his first try at sculpting a figure. Some of
the detail in the hair is quite stunning.
07. Bernie later in the evening demonstrated how he comes by finishes such as this ISU-152
vehicle. The kit is the Zvezda kit straight from the box.
08. Another Zvezda kit by Bernie this time the Italian M13/40
09. Bernie threatens the crowd with discipline using the turret of a Tiger as a whipping
stick.
10. Before the start of the demo Bernie blesses the crowd. All are quiet with respect.
11. A view of the materials and tools Bernie will use for his demo.
12. Bernie prepares the vehicle for using watercolor washes.
13. Here Bernie applies a watercolor wash to the hull of an Italaerei Tiger I.
14. Applying washes to the turret.
15. For worn areas on the vehicle Bernie uses a pencil to show worn paint and metal
exposed.
June Meeting
As usual for summer meetings attendance was down. Those that did decide to attend were
Chris, Gary, Ed, Merrill, Don B., Jim, Bernie and Scott.
Topics for discussion:
-Meeting at pat Gallagher’s- An old member from year past, Pat, has offered to host a
meeting of the MMFS at his home. It was decided that the July meeting would fit. If no
confirmation from pat is heard the meeting will be held at the normal location and time.
-Membership cards- They are still coming. Locating the new logo has been the holdback. As
soon as the new logo is master is found the cards will be available for paid members.
-Awards- Gary Anderson attended the model show in Faribault. Once again he took several
high awards for his sailing vessels and figures. He compared the Faribault show to being
similar to the Zumbro Valley show.
-Paint-in- Jim announced that when his house is finished being remodeled he plans on
sponsoring a paint-in at his home.
-Nordicon- A reminder of the Twin Cities Aero Historians Nordicon in September. Assistance
is always welcome.
-IPMS Nationals- There was mention of the IPMS National Convention to be held in Kansas
City August 2 –5. Some members of the MMFS were planning of attending. Contact Don B.
or Rick for further information.
-Scottish Festival- Gary reminded the people at the meeting of the Minnesota Scottish
Festival to be held at the Dakota Fairgrounds on July 15th. Gary is part of the Clan
Tartans that will be in attendance at the festival.
June Demo
Chris was our guest as the demonstration master for our June meeting. His topic was
“I’ll come up with something” which turned out to be metal finishes on
figures. His preferred method is to use metal cast figures that he prepares the surface
using glazes and washes. He starts by brushing the surface with a brass brush to start the
polishing effect. Once the figure is cleaned with the brass brush a printer’s
burnisher is used to smooth and polish the surface. Using a glazing medium and oil paints
Chris uses various colors to coat the surface of the burnished metal to create various
metal effects. Payne’s Gray and Winsor blue were a couple of colors he mentioned to
create steel effects. When the glaze is still wet he rubs the surface with an old sock
(preferably washed) to highlight the surfaces. The finished effect is quite stunning.
June Photos
01. Chris grabs the attention of the crowd.
02. Chris demonstrates why he uses a brass brush to clean his teeth (it’s those darn
braces).
03. Materials used to create the metal effects. Notice the Payne’s Gray, Raw Umber
and Winsor Blue oil paints.
04. Using a brass brush to clean the figure.
05. Using the burnisher to polish the metal.
July Update
Our meeting will be held at Fleming Field, Inver Grove Heights July 14, 2006 at 7:30 pm.
Main topics for discussion will be upcoming shows and our August meeting. At this point
and time our August meeting will be a summer social affair held at Chris Barrett’s
home on Saturday August 12th. Demonstration for our July meeting will be on using Vallejo
paints. Even though it’s summer let’s see all of you people there at the
meeting!
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