If you read my review of UMM’s 0.8mm Beveled Tip Chisel, you’ll have a general idea of the quality of these fine tools. That being said, UMM offers a wide variety of chisel shapes – 14 different tip shapes and sizes by my latest count. UMM 35 is a 2.5mm (0.10 inch) chisel blade affixed to a high quality plastic handle. The tip on this tool is elliptical, and while it will perform a wide variety of tasks (ejector pin removal, opening intakes, etc.) one unique use for the tool is for figure modelers to create or emphasize clothing folds. My figures are cartoonish and I’ll probably never get to that point but the tool is perfectly sized and shaped for my purposes.

Our thanks go out again to UMM-USA and John Vojtech for his generous support to the review team here.

So, before we get into the specifics of the book. Here is a little about the author, Angus Konstam is an internationally renowned historian and one of the world’s leading experts on pirates and pirate history with well over 100 books to his name. 60 of his publications have been written for Osprey with 3 of his books being best sellers. He is a formal Naval officer and has worked as an underwater archaeologist, he now lives and works in Edinburgh, Scotland as a fulltime author.

Here we breakdown the contents of the book.

This is a pictorial book that uses photos to illustrate the history of the Fallschirmjäger during the pre-war and early war years. Each chapter includes brief text that chronicles the history of the Fallschirmjäger campaigns, but the story is mostly told in photos and their captions. Black & white photos illustrate the exploits of the paratroopers, and the publisher says many of the photos are rare or not previously published. The photos are low contrast and not too sharp, consistent with wartime photos. Illustrations are provided to illustrate events that don’t have photos.

German Fallschirmjäger (paratroopers) were considered elite troops and regularly engaged in front line combat during the Second World War. Their campaigns such as the fighting in Scandinavia, the taking of the Belgian fortress Eden-Emal in May 1940, and the Battle for Crete just a year later, proved them to be determined, courageous, and loyal soldiers.

Having been building models for quite a while, I have seen things progress a lot. And with my over 400 built kits, photoetch still can baffle me like no other modeling medium. So when the opportunity to review this latest book from AK Interactive came along, I jumped on the opportunity to review it. A quick over view shows this is a fairly comprehensive guide with a section dealing with what photoetch is, how its made and what tools you’ll need to work with it. It then progresses to several simple examples and also using colored photoetch and finished with advanced techniques and soldering. Another nice fact is that the book covers aircraft, armor and ships as well as trains and can be easily transitioned into genres.

A quicker review of the Index looks like this:

The “press release” on the Mig website states, “In this special issue of The Weathering Magazine, we present a collection of the best articles about weathering techniques for model trains available. Through each inspiring page of 14 excellent chapters, you will learn how to use weathering products with the guidance of some of the world’s best railway modelers. Create all kinds of wear and dirt effects on locomotives of all eras, as well as on freight cars, coaches, tank cars, and more.

Upon turning through the pages of this book, you will quickly realize how entertaining and easy transforming your stock train models into hyper-realistic wonders is. You can bring any rail subject to life by applying any type of weathering effect you choose including rust, chipping, streaking, dust, accumulated dirt, soot, fuel stains, and much more, you'll even learn how paint the most intricate graffiti!”