Chris Vandegrift

When Chris isn't modeling he's restoring old cars or doing home remodeling in his spare time. Both have helped improve his modeling. "Having learned to paint cars, quite a few of those techniques apply to priming and painting my models," he says. Chris used to build aircraft exclusively, but has expanded into ships, science fiction, armor and cars. A member of multiple IPMS clubs in Ohio including Akron's Ed Kinney Chapter, Wright Field and Cincinnati Scale Modelers, Chris started building models when he was about 7. Chris lives in Cincinnati Ohio; a Mechanical Engineer by trade, he's the head of Operations and Engineering for a company that makes pumps. He's been married to his wife Jane for 30 years; they have four kids ranging from 20 to 34.

IPMS Number
50312

Reviews By Author

Oliver Hazard Perry Class Frigate

Oliver Hazard Perry Class Frigate

Published:
Company: AFV Club

Overview

This is a new tool kit that they did it right. 6 options for anti-submarine and anti-aircraft fits. Accessories include a small photoetch fret that adds to the model, harpoon missiles, and three different SH-60B Seahawk models as well. I think AFV Club has put together a nicely detailed ship. Plenty of options, plus the instructions have good call-outs for those options that are well organized. I had a few quandaries as I went but nothing that I couldn’t resolve between multiple photos from the instructions and art. The fact that the microscopic pin and hole alignment for the masts actually functioned said a lot for the way they molded this kit. I found the hangar bay doors and the hangar bay itself didn’t fit without trimming and my original boxing had 2 B sprues… more

ICM Acrylic Paint Set for Animals

Acrylic Paints Set for Animals

Published:
Company: ICM

ICM has an expansive line of these acrylic sets and I was anxious to try them out. To see how they apply and what sheen they have as they dry, I pulled out a Saber-Tooth Tiger to paint for my son’s D&D games. Getting started I applied a dab of paint to a strip of white Styrene to determine how the colors would dry. Everything matched the color swatch on the box except the light flesh. It was definitely lighter than the swatch. For the tiger, I darkened it up with the deep brown for several layers. I also struggled to create pink. Originally given the pig on the box, I thought this would be possible. However, I couldn’t get this color with the orange. I intended to use it for the inside of the tiger’s jaws. Doing a figure gave me the opportunity to try a few different styles of… more

Yahu models instrument panel

Instrument Panel IP Spitfire Mk.VIII/IX Early

Published:
Company: Yahu Models

These sets from Yahu Models have intrigued me for a while now. This opportunity to do the review through IPMS was the perfect opportunity to try them out. I just happen to have a 1/24 Spit in my stash.

Each of the parts was made of a thicker piece of metal than the usual photoetch. That made removal from the fret less likely to bend any of the corners or edges. The detail is crisp and legible. The whole IP has a variety of color and metal tones in addition to the black background, making it an interesting piece to the eye upon installation. The lever for the flaps looks like it has enough metal on the mounting point to create the hinge assembly but alas, in this gauge metal, I could not bend the very narrow tabs. I installed it flat to the panel and it gives the requisite look to… more

Package

USS Midway Pt 3: Flight Deck & Island

Published:
Company: Trumpeter

Intro

This last part has only 2 key elements really, the flight deck and the island. However, there are a lot of individual steps that make this as long as the other 2 parts of the ship already completed (hull and hangar bay). The fine details really come together around the flight deck. Take note of the order in which you want to handle the assembly. For instance, doing some of the PE on the flight deck would be best done before attaching the island so you can flip the carrier over for ease of assembly. With that, let’s head for our home port...

Flight Deck

The real story here has to be the fit. Two perspectives drive that conclusion, 1st is that after all those individual hangar bay walls were fit and glued in days ahead of time everything aligned… more

Cover

USS Midway Pt 1: Hangar Bay Deck

Published:
Company: Trumpeter

Intro

Shore Patrol is mustering everyone back to the ship, time to start our 2nd leg of this journey...In this review we’ll install the flight deck, all the armament and ancillary pieces from part 1, build up the hangar deck walls, and fit out the ship with railings, ladders, and nets. This is a really extensive, and sometimes repetitive part of the build. There are probably several ways to do it, I have a different approach in mind for the next one I build as a matter of fact. So let’s see how it came together.

Bow

Overall the bow went together rather nicely. I was worried about how the deck above it would fit. These two assemblies are done separately and then joined together with 6 struts on top and 2 on the bottom. Given the upper deck isn’t done… more

Package

USS Midway Pt 2: Armament & Ancillaries

Published:
Company: Trumpeter

Intro

I was excited to see the upcoming launch of Trumpeter’s USS Midway and jumped at the chance to do this review. The DKM H-Class was a terrific ship to build - if the Midway is as good as that, or better, this will be an enjoyable build for sure. As I got into the build the 3 characteristics of Trumpeter’s ship kits that I think set them apart from others showed up right away: first sprue gate locations are strategically placed so that whenever possible they are on a surface not visible in profile thus requiring no sanding, second the PE is very forgiving with a distinct “snick” when cutting the PE from the fret along with a softness that allows it to be re-bent at least once without breaking, and third a level of detail on even the smallest part that requires a macro-lens… more

Cover

DKM H Class Battleship

Published:
Company: Trumpeter

Intro

I have to tell you that I bet there will be a couple jealous reviewers out there after they see this ship, wishing they had jumped on the review opportunity! The quality of this kit is really worth it, and it was an exciting ship to build based on the detail level and the overall engineering. Trumpeter has thought through a number of significant elements that make the build feel easier. For instance, thoughtful orientation of sprue gates such that almost no marring occurs on visible surfaces, and error proofing orientation by using 2 different sized alignment pins on parts. You’ll find top-notch photo-etch in the kit, easy to nip off the sprue and not so hardened that it breaks if you bend it the wrong way the first time and have to reverse the bend. Lastly you’ll have… more

Product

RAAF Fighter F/A-18A Hornet NO.77SQ 77th Anniversary

Published:
Company: Platz

Intro

WOW, I’ve always loved the Platz kits and was I surprised to find 2 kits in the box! Initially, I was thinking about what a hard choice it would be to decide on wheels up or down. Not with this kit :D So, I love the box art for the 40th Anniversary livery and decided that had to be the in-flight version and the low-vis aircraft would be parked.

The Kit

Two things stand out, the way parts are designed to fit together and the detail. Engraved panel lines were clear everywhere except the nose of both aircraft. Some sanding and a fine scriber will clear this up. Parts are practically a snap fit I noted. A unique element in a kit this small is that both retracted and extended gear doors. No cutting and trimming to get a set to fit. And the ordnance! Wait… more

eCover

Marmo Method Out-Of-The Box Kenworth Aerodyne

Published:
Book Author(s): Richard Marmo
Company: Richard Marmo

Right off the bat, I was drawn into the book through Richard’s writing style. I felt like we were having a conversation over the modeling bench, discussing the history of big rigs on the road and what was available to build. The discussion on available kits is quite extensive, covering the origins as a snap-tite kit through the different re-pops as a glue kit, even covering box tops which are an interest to many in the modeling world.

The contents of the book include:

  • Introduction
  • Start Building
  • The Tires
  • Fuel Tanks, Etc
  • The Engine
  • The Cab
  • Final Assembly
  • If You Like This Ebook
  • Join IPMS/USA
  • About The Author

The eBook

The book runs through a classic… more

Cover

Texaco Bug US Refueling Vehicle

Published:
Company: Hauler

History

Back in 1935 Texaco was thinking of the future. Commissioned to help market the company it is believed there were 6 Doodlebugs produced. Coincidentally it was the smooth streamlined look of it that drew me in and motivated me to build this for my 1st IPMS review. It was only 6’ tall, carried 1500 gallons of fuel, and featured a unique compound curved glass windshield. I think you would be hard pressed to find a car in the 30’s with this kind of silhouette, let alone a heavy tanker truck.

The Kit

Hauler packages the Texaco Bug in a stiff little box, perfect to protect the delicate parts inside. The resin is crisply detailed, especially for the size of the Texaco Bug in 1/120th scale. There were a few small pinholes that required a very fine… more