As we slide into fall show season mode. The weather is turning, the hobby calendar is filling up.  We’re talking about where we’ve been and where we’re going next including a recap of the Military Modelers Club of Louisville show in Shepherdsville and plans for the Cincinnati show at the Tri-State Warbirds Museum. We also share why vendor tables are part of the fun, even when we absolutely do not need more stuff (and still find something we “need”).

We preview what’s coming on the podcast feed too: a feature chat with John Ferdico of Hawaiian Air Depot, focused on aircraft markings files for the DIY masking community and Silhouette mask cutting, plus a 1/72 scale extravaganza we’re already excited about. We also tease our next model show spotlight with a new expo style figure show in Orlando and a veterans-focused model making workshop in College Station, Texas.

Finally, we give a quick update on the Plastic Model Mojo Dojo as it closes in on 5,900 members and we spotlight the jaw-dropping miniature painting posts that are inspiring our own use of color, highlights, and shadows. Subscribe, share this with a modeling friend, and leave a rating or review so more builders can find the show.

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Model contests can be a blast, but they can also mess with your head if winning becomes the point. We dig into a listener question that hits a nerve for a lot of scale modelers: do you need to compete to be recognized, and what happens when you start building with “beating other builders” as the goal? We share our own experiences with competition, dopamine hits, and disappointment, plus the guardrails we think keep plastic modeling fun and personally rewarding.

Then we shift into the nuts and bolts of staying grounded in the modern golden age of modeling. We talk about why kits have improved so much since the 1990s and early 2000s, from 3D CAD and CNC tooling to instruction sheets that finally make sense. We also address modeler burnout and bench motivation: how work stress and mental fatigue knock you out of routine, and how simple off-bench habits like reading, focused videos, and low-stakes tasks can pull you back in without forcing it.

Shop talk goes deep on two creative topics: in-flight aircraft displays and genre changes. We cover “plane on a pole” basics, judging reality (pilot included), and smarter presentation ideas like box dioramas, controlled viewing angles, blurred backdrops, and hidden supports. We wrap with why switching genres, from armor to cars to Gundam to figures, can add new tools to your skill set fast, from gloss finishes to metallic effects to decals.

If you enjoy honest hobby talk with practical takeaways, subscribe, share this with a modeling friend, and leave a review so more builders can find us.

Check out Jeff Groves' ARMA Hawk 81-A!

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The Cincinnati Scale Modelers are becoming the scale modeling equivalent to "The Big Red Machine"!  Join us as we discuss their upcoming show, and then pivot to a conversation regarding their Junior Modelers Chapter!

A model contest inside a warbird museum is already a strong idea, but Cincinnati Scale Modelers are pushing it further with the kind of details that make a show feel effortless for builders. We sit down with club president Will Kurt to get the full rundown on the upcoming Cincinnati show at the Tri-State Warbird Museum in Batavia, Ohio, including what time the doors open, how the museum space stays accessible all day, and why that setting makes the contest tables more inspiring. If you’ve ever wanted to study real aircraft shapes, finishes, and markings while thinking about your next build, this venue delivers.

We also get practical about how to attend and compete: online registration versus on-site paperwork, clear fee structure, and the on-the-ground improvements like prominent signage, a front-door greeter, and club members in branded shirts so you always know who can help. Then we dig into what makes the awards special. Alongside the returning Boss Hog Award with Mission Barbecue, Will shares the story behind a brand-new Colonel Robert Rogers “Little Buckaroo” P-38 Lightning award that will be presented by the pilot’s son, plus the Spirit of Cincinnati Award sponsored by LaRosa’s Pizza, built around local pride and local history.

The second half turns into a bigger conversation about the future of the hobby: how Cincinnati Scale Junior Modelers became a free youth model club, why a public library is a perfect meeting spot, how donated kits and supplies keep costs out of the equation, and what kids learn beyond glue and paint. If you’ve wondered how to start a junior chapter inside IPMS, this is a real-world playbook, complete with recruiting tactics, mentoring lessons, and a reminder that mistakes are part of every build.

Subscribe for more scale modeling talk, share this with a friend who needs a fall show to attend, and leave us a review if you want more interviews like this. What would you bring to the contest table, and what story would your model tell?

https://www.cincyipms.com/show
https://www.cincyipms.com/juniormodelclub

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Your hobby room can either pull you into the build or quietly push you away from it. We talk through a real-world reset that many scale modelers are facing right now: replacing doom scrolling with model reading, building a simple nightly routine that feeds ideas, and making smart changes to the model room so the bench feels focused again instead of scattered.

Listener mail takes us into two topics that keep coming up for plastic model builders: health and access. We dig into air quality monitors, ventilation habits, and even surprising CO2 spikes during airbrushing, plus the bigger “golden age of modeling” question. Kits, 3D printing, decals, and aftermarket detail sets are better than ever, but local hobby shops are closing, evolving, and shifting toward different audiences. We also share encouraging stories about modeling as living history and the youth programs that help new builders discover the hobby.

Then we bring on Dr. Michael Polin from Knoxville, Tennessee, fresh off winning Best Aircraft at the IPMS National Convention with a jaw-dropping 1/48 F-16. He breaks down the full “Magnum opus” process: brutal resin fit issues, black CA glue as a gap-filling workhorse, sanding and rescribing, integrating 3D printed parts and photo-etch, choosing decals and clear coats, and solving last-minute canopy and stabilizer disasters right before travel. We also get into a clever QR code build log, transport foam strategies, and how figure painting with Citadel colors sharpened his brush skills for avionics bay detail work.

If you enjoy deep-dive scale modeling talk with practical takeaways, subscribe, share this with a modeling friend, and leave us a review so more builders can find the show.

Model Paint Solutions
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SQUADRON
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Model Podcasts
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KitMasx
Custom Canopy Masks for the Scale Modeler.

Bases By Bill
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The fall model show season is here. We talk through upcoming events like the Military Modelers Club of Louisville invitational in Shepherdsville, Kentucky, plus an early nudge to start planning for the Cincinnati show in October. If you’ve been itching to get your work on a table, see new builds up close, or just hang out with other builders, this is the stretch of the year where local contests and club shows really deliver.

We also lay out what’s coming next on Plastic Model Mojo: an interview with Dr. Michael Polan from Knoxville, Tennessee, fresh off winning Best Aircraft at the 2026 IPMS National Convention, along with more listener-driven shop talk and a model show spotlight. And because the hobby is better together, we check in on the Plastic Model Dojo’s rapid growth, share what kind of posts are lighting up the feed, and offer a simple guideline that keeps everyone’s work from getting buried.

If you enjoy scale modeling podcasts that mix community, events, and real bench-top problem solving, subscribe, share this with a modeling friend, and leave us a review so more builders can find the show.

Model Paint Solutions
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SQUADRON
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Model Podcasts
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KitMasx
Custom Canopy Masks for the Scale Modeler.

Bases By Bill
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The best model shows are not just contests, they are proof that a hobby can feel like a community. We’re back with Model Show Spotlight to share what’s coming next after Nationals, starting with our own Military Modelers Club of Louisville (MMCL) and the practical choices that make a local plastic model show run like a well-oiled machine.

Alex Restrepo joins us to break down how MMCL pulled off a raffle that scaled up smoothly at the IPMS Nationals, from sponsored closeout kits to a barcode-based system that scans, projects, and posts winning ticket numbers online. We talk volunteer coordination, contingency planning, and why convenience for ticket buyers is not a “nice to have,” it’s what keeps the room moving. Then we hit the details for the MMCL show at Paroquet Springs in Shepherdsville, Kentucky on September 26, including registration timing, vendor support, nearby hotels and food, and the club’s push to welcome youth builders and fast-growing genres like Gunpla.

MMCL Show Info

Next, Doug Reed returns to preview the Oregon Modelers Jamboree in Albany, Oregon at the Linn County Expo Center on September 12, which also hosts the IPMS Region 7 contest. The Jamboree approach leans into an expo feel: club tables, demos, display-only space, and social time that makes the event more than “enter, shop, wait, leave.”

Oregon Modelers Jamboree

We close with quick early bench impressions of Arma’s pre release Hawk 81-A2,  P-40B kit and what we’re seeing so far.

Subscribe for more model show spotlights, share this with your club, and leave a review so more scale modelers can find the show. What’s one change that would instantly make your local model contest better?

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Model Podcasts
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KitMasx
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The best part of a national convention is not just the stacks of kits and the contest tables, it’s the moment you walk in and realize you are surrounded by your people. We’re back from the 2026 IPMS National Convention and talking through the full comedown: the unpacking, the reorganizing, and the small but important truth that some “solutions” in the model room (looking at you, retail paint racks) just do not work at home.

Then we get into the conversations we recorded on the floor. We sit down with Jay Chadwell of Mojo Model Works to talk 3D design and 3D printing for the stuff nobody else makes, from real space hardware to pop culture subjects that instantly hit the nostalgia button. We also talk with Randy Chisholm about his USS Texas turret project, a scratchbuilding rabbit hole where scarce references, mechanical realism, and clean construction matter as much as paint and weathering.

We also catch up with Keith Zimmerman about building a striking 1/48 B-24 Liberator for a show exclusive release, including what it takes to handle huge decals and tight timelines. And we’re thrilled to talk with Arma Hobby about how modern injection-molded plastic kits get designed, why 1/72 scale is having a moment, and how a company stays grounded in what modelers actually want to build. Finally we close with our show host and sponsor, Brandon Lowe of Squadron

Top it all off with a “what broke our wallets” recap from the vendor room, and you’ve got a convention debrief that feels like sitting at the bench with friends. If you enjoy this, subscribe, share it with a modeling buddy, and leave a review so more scale modelers can find the show.

Model Paint Solutions
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SQUADRON
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Model Podcasts
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KitMasx
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Fort Wayne set a new bar for what an IPMS National Convention can feel like: busy without being crushing, loud without being unbearable, and packed with modelers who actually have room to stop and talk. We’re fresh back from Nationals, and before we dive into the “juicy bits” in our next feature show, we wanted to put the spotlight where it belongs, on the people who made the weekend work and the small, practical choices that made the whole event comfortable.

We get specific about what made the venue shine for a scale modeling convention: vendor spaces that stayed compact even when split up, aisles that didn’t turn into a slow-motion traffic jam, contest and squadron rooms with real breathing room, and acoustics plus carpeting that saved our feet and our ears. We also talk about why Fort Wayne is a sneaky-great convention town, from easy food options to a memorable minor league baseball night that turned into one more shared story.

Then it’s a gratitude tour of the community: Mark Copeland dialing in lodging, Aussie friends traveling halfway around the world, Canadian friends choosing camaraderie over and unfortunate political climate, listeners stopping by the table, and the MMCL folks who keep raffles and local shows running like clockwork. We celebrate wins for the Septemberists, congratulate award winners we’re proud of, and close with a huge thank-you to Brandon Lowe and the entire Squadron team for going above and beyond.

If you love plastic model kits, model shows, and the best parts of the IPMS USA community, hit play, share this with a friend who needs a Nationals nudge, and leave us a review telling us what makes a convention unforgettable for you.

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Model Podcasts
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Digger Dave Goldfinch joins us for some brief travel talk, from recent events to what’s ahead, including the 2026 IPMS National Convention in Fort Wayne. There’s a full-on side quest too: a road trip to the U.S. Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville, plus essential Americana stops like Waffle House and Buc-ee’s. 

Look for National Convention show content along with another listener submitted topic "Shop Talk" episode. In addition we will have a Model Show Spotlight in August as well, so stay tuned.

Come find us at the Nationals, say hi at the table, and if you like the show, subscribe, share it with a modeling buddy, and leave a quick review so more builders can find us.  

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SQUADRON
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Model Podcasts
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KitMasx
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The fastest way to lose your modeling mojo is not a bad kit, it is a workspace that fights you every step of the build. With the IPMS Nationals in Fort Wayne around the corner, we keep things “Mojo Light” but pack in a ton of practical shop talk driven by listener messages, real bench mishaps, and the kind of small changes that add up to better results.

We start with what life looks like when guests are arriving, the yard needs attention, and the hobby room is mid-revamp. Then we share a true walkaway moment at the bench: a full waste-solvent spill, dead digital calipers, and the mad scramble to clean up safely. That leads to a bigger conversation modelers often ignore until it bites us, indoor air quality. We talk VOCs, why fumes can linger after you stop spraying, what an air quality monitor can reveal, and how extraction, respirators, and even dedicated VOC filtration can make your hobby room healthier.

From there, we dig into fun “what if” questions for history and research nerds, the missing records and photos we wish we could recover, and the extinct military subjects we would save for a museum. We also tackle a classic scale modeling debate: historical accuracy versus artistic license, and why the best-looking builds often balance accuracy, scale fidelity, and a tasteful finish.

If you enjoy scale modeling workflow tips, hobby room organization ideas, airbrush ventilation talk, and Nationals energy, you will feel right at home. Subscribe, share the show with a modeling buddy, and leave a review so more builders can find us.

Model Paint Solutions
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Model Podcasts
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KitMasx
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Vendors sold out months early, a Star Trek 60th anniversary category on the awards table, and a full day of plastic modeling in one of the most visitor-friendly spots in north Alabama. We sit down with Tom Clark from the Huntsville Plastic Modelers Society to get the real details on their 49th annual show at the Huntsville JC’s building on Airport Road, including what to expect if you’re traveling in right after the IPMS Nationals.

We walk through the schedule step by step: when vendor setup starts, the registration window, how long judging runs, and when awards are handed out. Tom also explains how their electronic forms work, why the club prefers online paperwork, and how they keep things simple with classic IPMS 1-2-3 judging. If you’re searching for an IPMS USA model contest, a scale model show in Huntsville, or a plastic model event in Alabama with strong vendor support, this is the planning guide you want before you pack the car.

Then we get into the fun stuff: category options across aircraft, armor, automotive, dioramas, real space, sci-fi, ships, and a dedicated Gundam and giant robot section, plus a juniors category that makes it easy for younger builders to jump in. We also talk about the on-site food trucks, nearby restaurants, and why the venue is comfortable for a full-day hang. You’ll even hear what the club is previewing as they recruit volunteers for next year’s big Nationals workload.

Subscribe for more show spotlights, share this with a friend who builds, and leave a review with your best contest tip so more modelers can find the community.

Huntsville Plastic Modelers Society Facebook

Show Info and Entre Forms

Model Paint Solutions
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SQUADRON
Adding to the stash since 1968

Model Podcasts
Please check out the other pods in the modelsphere!

KitMasx
Custom Canopy Masks for the Scale Modeler.

Bases By Bill
Your source for custom display bases, laser engraved airfield and carrier decks.

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

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Bump Riffs Graciously Provided by Ed Baroth
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Mike and Kentucky Dave thank each and everyone of you for participating on this journey with us.