Plastic Model Mojo

Snow may slow travel, but the calendar is heating up. We swap plans and call out standout events across the map, including BlizzCon in Columbus, AMPS Atlanta, 4M Mayhem in Michigan, Rochester’s Hope It Don’t Snow, and the Old Dominion Open in Richmond. For planning and entries, IPMSUSA.org remains the essential resource, with listings that stretch well into spring. That rhythm—research, build, show, repeat—keeps the hobby humming even when the weather says stay home.

Community is the thread. The Plastic Model Dojo has surged past 5,600 members, and the feed is full of show flyers, build logs, and finished models that show serious skill. We highlight a new Gemini book, and we touch on current work heading to Kennedy for Artemis, a reminder that the same care we bring to scale builds echoes in real-world engineering. It’s all connected: precision, patience, and the joy of making.

We also set up two upcoming topics that need your voice: what stops us from starting, and what do we truly get from this hobby—calm, community, challenge, or something else entirely? Share your story and help shape the conversation around motivation and meaning at the bench.

Subscribe for more modeling insights and show news, share this with a friend who needs cleaner canopies, and leave a review to help others find the pod. Got thoughts or tips to add? Send us a note and join the Dojo—your build might spark someone’s next breakthrough.
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What happens when the hobby you love starts feeling like a chore? We go straight at that question with Jim Bates, exploring how burnout creeps in, why favorite subjects can become fear targets, and what it takes to rediscover honest joy at the bench. Jim shares how a demanding year pushed modeling to the margins, why armor felt freer than aircraft, and the simple mindset shift that turned “perfect or quit” into “finish and learn.” Along the way, we unpack airbrush avoidance, photoetch dread, and the tiny victories that rebuild momentum—like stripping a botched primer, repainting, and choosing progress over paralysis.

We also get practical. You’ll hear how keeping short journal notes, and accepting weekend-only bench time can remove friction and make modeling sustainable again. We talk about the limits of step-by-step boilerplate articles, why video excels at teaching technique, and how personal writing can spark creativity in ways a camera can’t. Jim’s revived blog, A Scale Canadian, is his sandbox for that approach: short, thoughtful posts that value honesty over hype.

There’s fresh inspiration too. We walk through Model Mania at the Museum of Flight—a display-only, public-forward event with seminars, demos from Rick Lawler, and zero contest pressure—plus a quick tour of new kit announcements that caught our eye, from Airfix’s Canberra and JU 52 to MiniArt’s Opel Maultier. To close, we share bench updates: Shermans and Cromwells, a Hellcat edging toward weathering, a T-33 off the shelf of doom, and a KV-85 waiting on brass.

If you’ve been stuck, second-guessing, or saving “the good kit” for a better version of yourself that never seems to arrive, this conversation is your nudge. Build for you. Finish something small. Protect your joy. Then tell us what you’re tackling next. Subscribe, share with a friend who needs the push, and leave a quick review to help others find the show.
Model Paint Solutions
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SQUADRON
Adding to the stash since 1968

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Please check out the other pods in the modelsphere!

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A snowbound Kentucky chat meets sunny Jacksonville plans as we sit down with Bob Tate from IPMS First Coast to explore how JaxCon reshaped the classic model show into a warm, community-first experience. Think Friday evening setup and a pizza social to slow the pace, then a crisp Saturday run with registration at 9, judging at noon, and a focused awards wrap by 5. It’s efficient, friendly, and designed so builders, vendors, and visitors all get time to breathe and actually talk models.

We dive into the heart of their approach: an open gold, silver, bronze system that evaluates each model on its own merits. No podium pressure, just recognition for quality work. Bob explains how initial resistance gave way to buy-in once people saw honest standards and consistent results, and why they still zone tables by genre for judging flow and easier browsing. The result? Strong turnout with 150+ entrants, 600+ models, and a calmer show floor where learning beats rivalry.

JaxCon’s extras add real value. A sold-out vendor hall arrives early on Friday, three food trucks keep lines short, and the raffle is both exciting and strategic. One-dollar random draws every half hour keep the buzz going, while five and ten-dollar targeted tickets let you aim for high-value kits. That structure raises enough to offer free public admission, which brings new eyes to the hobby without raising participant fees. This year’s theme, 80 years of the Blue Angels—rooted in Jacksonville’s history—anchors special awards alongside memorial trophies that honor club members and their passions.

If you’re planning to attend regional shows or thinking about how to evolve your own, JaxCon offers a practical blueprint: reward excellence, encourage connection, and make the logistics work for people first. Enjoy the insights, steal a few ideas, and share your favorite show innovations with us. If this spotlight helped, follow, rate, and leave a quick review so more builders can find the show.

In addition to JaxCon,  a couple of other shows we would like to promote are:

4M Mayhem hosted my the Mid-Michigan Model Makers on February 7th

and
AMPS-Atlanta 2026 on February 20-21

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!

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Bump Riffs Graciously Provided by Ed Baroth
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A storm with a name is bearing down on the Ohio Valley and mid-south, and that changed everything. We hit record to get a clear, direct update out fast: Winter Blitz moves to Saturday, February 28, 2026. Same venue, same plan, just smarter timing so no one risks a long drive on icy roads. Consider it a bonus window to finish your build, refine that finish, or finally try the stencil set that’s been staring at you from the bench.

We walk through how the decision came together and why venue relationships matter. A flexible museum partner meant the organizers could pivot without losing momentum, vendors, or goodwill. Along the way, we open our Model Show Spotlight calendar and invite clubs with February, March, or April dates to pitch their events. Tell us your categories, your surprises, and the small details that make your show easy to love. When information is clear and personal, more modelers show up, and the scene grows stronger.

Community recognition fuels the hobby, so we update our lighthearted “agent” roster to thank the folks who keep this thing moving—from the Indy connector who solved the famous patty run, to the straight-shooting blogger who pressure-tests our ideas, to the Winter Blitz leader who keeps raising the bar. We also tease an ambitious 1/32 SBD Dauntless build headed to the dojo, loaded with aftermarket and stencil work that will spark questions and copycat courage.

If the storm keeps you home, cue the kettle, sharpen a blade, and make progress while the snow stacks up. Then spread the word so no one makes a wasted trip: Winter Blitz is February 28, 2026. If you enjoy these updates and the community love, tap follow, share this with a friend who needs it, and leave a quick review—what are you building before the new date?
Model Paint Solutions
Your source for Harder & Steenbeck Airbrushes and David Union Power Tools

SQUADRON
Adding to the stash since 1968

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

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

Give us your Feedback!
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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.

A slow start, a full heart, and a clear plan. We kick off 2026 by resetting our modeling habits, sharpening the skills that matter most, and putting dates on the calendar to turn ideas into finished work. HeritageCon is pulling us forward, but it’s the day-to-day that will make the difference: tighter bench time, better canopies, and bases that finish strong instead of phoning it in.

One photo sent us down a rabbit hole—captured Soviet armor at Kummersdorf with mysterious inventory rectangles. We trace similar markings across other vehicles and share why the rectangle’s color might be yellow, then ask armor specialists for hard provenance rather than AI guesses. That curiosity fuels the whole episode. The dojo keeps paying dividends, from canopy wax tips and stencil-cutter know-how to encouragement from modelers solving the same problems. We celebrate KitMask extending mojo30 for 30% off through HeritageCon and spotlight how small breaks in cost and friction can nudge more projects across the line.

We lay out our goals for the year. Aircraft need spotless canopies—polished clear parts, confident masking, and frames that sit sharp and true. Speed is focus: fewer distractions, more finishes without losing joy. Armor projects get a base upgrade with cleaner edges, smarter terrain transitions, and groundwork that complements the model instead of competing with it. On the adjacent front, we commit to mastering a Cameo stencil cutter for crisp markings and layered paint effects, and we push to launch phase two of our website so the community can learn and share even more.

On the bench, the Hellcat weathers the tiny-stencil storm, the Moosaroo rally build earns custom decals and a clever mixed-material interior, and the KV-85 stacks sub-assemblies toward primer. Our 2026 wish list is ambitious but grounded: MiniArt T-34/76 variants, a modern JSU-152, an early D3A1 Val, a 1/72 Privateer, and a 14-meter Daihatsu for Pacific dioramas. If you’ve got insight on Kummersdorf markings or a kit rumor we should track, jump in. Subscribe, share the show with a modeling friend, and leave a quick review—then tell us your top skill goal for 2026.
SQUADRON
Adding to the stash since 1968

Model Paint Solutions
Your source for Harder & Steenbeck Airbrushes and David Union Power Tools

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

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

Give us your Feedback!
Rate the Show!

Support the Show!
Patreon
Buy Me a Beer
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Bump Riffs Graciously Provided by Ed Baroth
Ad Reads Generously Provided by Bob "The Voice of Bob" Bair

Mike and Kentucky Dave thank each and everyone of you for participating on this journey with us.