While at this year's National Contest and Convention, Jeff Johnston of MMD-Squadron was kind enough to provide several sample sizes of this new product. As implied in the name, the thinner is designed to work with all brands and types of enamel paints. While my paint collection isn't extensive enough to prove this, I did try the product with several brands of paint (Testor's traditional ¼ oz bottle, their 1 oz Model Master, and an old Humbrol tin). The instructions state to mix a 3 part paint/2 part thinner ratio for gloss colors, and 3/1 for flats. I tried these ratios for airbrushing and found them to work great. I typically use Testor's Lacquer Thinner (black can) for much of my enamel and lacquer spraying. The Squadron product dries a little slower, which may help to level out the paint layers a bit more – or the airbrush gods were smiling on me the day I tried it out. Who can say <grin>.

At this year's National Convention in Columbus, master modeler John Vojtech provided us with a number of new product samples from his company UMM-USA. UMM, Unique Master Models, lives up to its name by offering an extensive variety of tools, aftermarket detailing supplies, decal sets and the like. (Be sure to peruse John's National Award winning models when you enter the site) .

The Multi-Shape Punch Set is a unique approach to manufacturing small detail shapes with multiple modeling applications. The set comes with a beautifully machined, truncated cone aluminum base that incorporates a soft rubber pad used as the striking surface. Several brass punches (one each of square, round and hexagonal cross section) and a sample sheet of soft, 3mm thick aluminum. At the time this review is being written, John is offering the Punch Set for $20.95, a substantial discount from the $29.99 list price – but I don't know how long this pricing will last).

Osprey is a publishing house in the United Kingdom that should be familiar to most modelers, historians, and military history buffs. Osprey continues to expand their product line and one of their newest series is combat. The books examine the relative strengths and weaknesses of two adversaries across the historical timeline, from ancient empires to modern conflicts. This particular volume turns its attention to the Vietnam War. Rather than examine the entire conflict, this volume examines the critical years of 1967-68, through the eyes of the United States Marines and the North Vietnamese Army.

As with all Osprey series, regardless of the topic, they follow a particular format. For the combat series, the chapters are organized as follows:

Thank you to Unique Master Models (UMM) for generously providing an excellent tool for “field testing.” Thank you as well to the IPMS Reviewer Corps for letting me be an evaluator.

The gluing is a two-part aluminum block with 90-degree intersections. The two parts are screwed together with two flat-head machine screws on the smaller end. The whole unit is about 2 ¼ by 1 3/16 inches.

There are many uses for the jig. I used a simple frame assembly example to show how a complex joint could be quickly glued. Three parts were placed on the jig and one application of CA glue secured the assembly in one step. The first attempt was a failure, since glue was applied a little too heavily, with the assembly being firmly attached to the jig! But a light application of thicker CA worked well. I suggest waxing the interior jig surface a bit to reduce glue adhesion.

Hauler, a small company out of Czechoslovakia, continues to add to its list of quality aftermarket and modeling supply products; this time with a package of eight U.S. Army 75mm ammunition boxes in 1/35th scale.

The package contains a single baggie containing all the resin parts needed, mounted on backing blocks. Four of the boxes are empty with separate lids, with the other four made of solid resin. All contain fine wood grain and represent standard USA ammunition crates. Delicate ‘rope’ handles are included for all of the crates, but stencils and/or decals are not.