Reviews of general scale modeling products such as paint, glue, etc.

Review Author
Mike Van Schoonhoven
Published on
November 5, 2014
Company
UMM-USA
MSRP
$48.95

When the name John Vojtech is mentioned in the Modeling community, one of the first things that comes to mind if you are familiar with him is the level of detail usually associated in his models. Through John's desire for a higher level of detail he has created his own tool line to make it easier for modelers to achieve this level in their own models.

The Mini Punch and Die set is made with hardened steel and will allow you punch plastic and metal discs in sizes of 0.6, 0.8, 1.0, 1.2, 1.4 and 1.6. I found the punches to be very sharp so you don't have to apply a lot of pressure and makes a nice clean cut. This set is great for adding those little details found in many different types of models.

Review Author
Floyd S. Werner Jr.
Published on
September 21, 2014
Company
Eduard

Scratch building, who does that anymore? Well I do and the latest releases from Eduard are exactly what you would need. The mesh screen is 6x6 which is 5 1/2 x 2 ¾ inches. The uses are limited to your own imagination. I could see this being used for flooring screen doors and radiator faces in a larger scale. Again your imagination is your only limitation.

Highly recommended.

Thanks to Eduard and IPMS/USA for the review copy. You can obtain your copy by contacting them directly at www.eduard.com . Let them know you heard about it here. They are also available from your local hobby shop or online retailer.

Review Author
Dave Morrissette
Published on
September 6, 2014
Company
AK Interactive
MSRP
$24.00

AK Interactive makes all sorts of very nice modeling materials from books to weathering items to paints. This review covers their Luftwaffe Camouflages from their Air Series. Inside you will find eight 17 ml eyedropper bottles of paint specifically matched to WWII Luftwaffe colors. The following colors are included:

  • Interior Colors - RLM 02 and RLM 66
  • Bottom and Base Colors - RLM 65 and RLM 76
  • Top and Mottle Colors - RLM 70, 71, 74, and 75

These can be used on many Luftwaffe planes, for example, Bf 109s, Fw 190s, Me 410s and He 219s. Most of these are early war colors. The paints are acrylic and are made by Vallejo. They are very fine grained and result in a medium-flat finish. AK recommends their AK712 thinner. Not having this, I tried a few other brands. The best substitute I found was Createx thinner/airbrush cleaner.

Review Author
Pablo Bauleo
Published on
August 23, 2014
Company
Eduard
MSRP
$9.95

In recent months Eduard Models has been releasing some very useful tools for the modeler, like this series of templates. I have previously reviewed three other sets in the range: http://web.ipmsusa3.org/content/shapes-templates

This first set reviewed in this article is “Ovals and Oblong,” part number 00031, with a total of 25 shapes. There are four subsets of shapes: two oval subsets, a teardrop subset, and a circle with a flat edge subset. The last shape is very useful when scribing fuel/oil caps onto airplanes or vehicles.

The next set is “Ovals,” part number 00032, with a whopping 60 oval templates. Their dimension ranges from 1x1.8 mm to 2.8x7.6 mm. You will be hard pressed to claim there was an oval shape you couldn’t find in this template set.

Review Author
Dick Montgomery
Published on
August 23, 2014
Company
Creative Dynamic LLC
MSRP
$12.00

How does one apply glue in a small area with maximum control over the quantity applied and with precise application? Glue Looper has provided a tool that addresses both location and quantity.

Please note that Glue Looper provides very clear and specific instructions for the use of the product, so you won’t see a lengthy repeat of those instructions in this review. Also, please note that Glue Looper provides a “how to” video on their website. We all know that a picture, in this case a “moving picture,” is worth a thousand words, so take advantage of this video prior to using Glue Looper. Go to http://www.creativedynamicllc.com to view the video.

Review Author
Mike Van Schoonhoven
Published on
August 18, 2014
Company
Eduard
MSRP
$10.00

How many times have you sanded away the detail on a model and then had to rescribe it by hand? Well over the past several months Eduard has released several photo etch templates of different shapes to make your scribing a little easier. This set is one of those and it is used for access panels.

The set comes on one photo etch fret, but then can be cut down into three separate templates that will then conform to the rounded surfaces of your model kit. To get the examples of what the different panels look like, I chucked a needle in my pin vise and just started working around the template lightly at first and increasing pressure to get depth in the scribing. Once this was accomplished I sand the raised edges and then applied a wash to show off the new panel.

Review Author
Dick Montgomery
Published on
August 6, 2014
Company
AK Interactive
MSRP
$14.00

AK Interactive provides a set of three clear colors in this set. AK 267 Clear Orange, AK 265 Clear Red, and AK 266 Clear Green. These colors are perfect for navigation lights on aircraft, turn signals on cars, lighting on armor, lighting and windows on spacecraft, and even jewerly on figures.

In tests, all three colors did precisely what AK advertised they would do. When applied, the end product is a very realistic approximation of a color tinted bulb, or light cover. AK states that a new formula prevents the issue of a ring or rim of “Paint” around the area to which the colors are applied, and my tests verify this claim.

These tests consisted of the application of each color on an un-prepared plastic surface. In some tests I applied each color to the tip of a thread of stretched sprue. The Paint dried in a matter of minutes and has a smooth Surface and a transluscent appearance.

Review Author
Pablo Bauleo
Published on
July 13, 2014
Company
Gator Masks
MSRP
$5.00

Gator Masks had a happy accident. Gator glue ordered the wrong products when planning to make a batch of their regular “Gator Grip” glue and accidently made a thinner product, which like the original glue. Gator glue is water based and non-toxic. After testing the new thinner product, they decided to add this “happy accident” to the catalog as the “Thin Blend” version of the Gator glue. This product is called “a perfect blend for Photo Etch”.

So I tried the thinner Gator glue with some PE seatbelts and a scrap piece of clear plastic and this is what I’ve discovered:

Review Author
Dick Montgomery
Published on
July 7, 2014
Company
AK Interactive
MSRP
$14.28

AK Interactive offers a wide variety of items for the modeler, from paint and weathering sets and books, to model kits. The website is easy to navigate and offers a button to provide an “English” translation. Another button offers a currency exchange calculate from Euros (the posted pricing) to US dollars.

AK is on Facebook and has a You-Tube presence. To quote the AK You-Tube link, “AK's Official Youtube Channel (will) show Advanced Techniques, Tutorials, Tips & Tricks and many more things. Currently working on it :-)”

AK provided IPMS-USA their Aircraft Landing Gear Weathering Set, AK 2030, to review and I was pleased to take on this review. The AK 2030 set contains 3 bottles of “wash and weathering” liquids.

Review Author
Steve Collins
Published on
June 7, 2014
Company
UMM-USA
MSRP
$18.96

The UMM Micro Mitre Box is a useful little tool if you’re scratchbuilding or adding detail to a model. Made of aluminum, it’s designed for cutting wood, metal, or plastic using their JLC razor saw. As an aside, it also works with other brands of razor saw, so long as they’re not over .12” thickness. This version of their box allows cuts at 45°, 60°, and 90°. They have recently released an updated version of the box (Micro Mitre Box II) which has a brass rule imbedded in the box that is marked in 1mm increments. There is an adjustable stop device that is screw-mounted in the bottom of the box. It has a flat end and a slanted end to be used to hold the material in place. There are several screw holes to allow the stop to be almost infinitely adjusted for length.