Fine Scale Miniatures' "Dexter's Dead End" Paper Model - 1:87 Scale

This is a copy of FSM's "Dexter's Dead End" in paper models at 1:87 scale. I followed the Fine Scale Miniatures plans pretty closely, adding the berm and track at the front and adding the "American Biological" building in the back corner. It's a freelanced building based one of the businesses on "Cannery Row" in John Steinbeck's novel of the same name. It replaces an auto repair shop in the original FSM scheme. \

All of the buildings are paper built from the drawings and templates in the FSM kit. Loading docks, the bridge, and other details are basswood dimensional lumber. The road is cardstock.

I was able to purchase the FSM instructions, drawings, and templates on ebay. The textures come mainly from Clever Models with a few from Scalescenes. Scenery materials are from Woodland Scenics and Scenic Express. The base and contours are foam. The diorama measures about 15x24 inches.

I tried using Berkshire Junction's "E-Z Line" for power lines. Never again. I know some modelers swear by it, but the stuff is so fine that it's nearly impossible to see, much less handle. It just goes wherever it wants to. Trying to tie a knot in it is an exercise in frustration. The few times I did get it to cooperate, it was so fine that it disappeared on the model. I ended up using sewing thread on this diorama. I've since purchased fine grey elastic thread from a craft shop. It's a bit thicker than scale but the grey color makes it less conspicuous. It's easy to work with and it stretches if you bump it, so your power poles don't get pulled over.

McKinnon Beverage Co. - 1:87-Scale Paper Model

 This is a fictional building & tenant that I built for a diorama I'm working on. I started with just the archway -- a photo of a larger-scale model that I found on the Web. I used several copies of the photo to create three-dimensional detail, then added the rest of the building to fit the space I needed. The brick walls are from Clever Models' textures. The windows and wall signs are from my "digital parts box." The window grills are from Tichy Train Group. I didn't detail the back wall because it won't be visible on the diorama.

Pinzgauer Heavy Shuttle Paper Model

This is an older build. The VT-3 Pinzgauer Heavy Shutte is a free download from Genet Models. The file includes three different color schemes. I repainted it as a United Nations vehicle and added 3-diimensional panel detail. I created a base from sci-fi textures available on the Internet. Other models on the Genet Models site provided the ground vehicle, repainted as a UN ambulance, and other details. At 1:60 scale, the shuttle model is about a foot long. It is a nice kit with an operating (or posable) cargo bay and ramp. Both models are begging for scratch-built interiors. And both files have enough resolution to be scaled up. The shuttle flight deck could be an especially interesting project.

M-25 Quad Mount with Scratchbuilt Trailer - 1:25 Scale Paper Model

The .50-caliber quad mount comes from an M16 MGMC US Halftrack paper model kit published by WAK of Poland. I scrapped the guns in the kit and scratchbuilt the .50-cals in paper from line drawings of the gun found online. I substituted my own sling seat and built the trigger post from plastic rod.

The trailer is scratchbuilt in cardstock using wheels & tires from another paper kit (the water trailer described in my earlier post). The heavy tow bar is Plastruct tube, the tow ring is brass rod, and the jacks are scratchbuilt from cardstock. Photos from Google were used as reference.

I used Photoshop to apply the "Kilroy" graffiti. At 1:25 scale, the model is 5 inches long and about 3 inches tall. Build time was about 35 hours, I think.

Midwestern Model Ships & Boats Contest - May 2025

I attended the 2025 Midwestern Model Ships & Boats Contest, held at the Wisconsin Maritime Museum in Manitowoc. I gave a 45-minute workshop on paper scale model ships. It was well-attended and well-received.

Two and a half years ago, I convinced the contest organizers to include contest categories for paper models. They created two: for kitbuilt and for scratchbuilt.

This year, I entered three kit-built paper models in the contest:

— David Bushnell's "Turtle" from Heinkel Models

— CSS "Pioneer" from Heinkel Models (more than 600 individual rivet heads!!)

— "Molch German Midget Submarine from GPM

I took home three Gold Awards.

US Army Water Trailer -- 1:25-scale paper model

 This is a 1:25-scale paper model from a printed kit published by Orlik (Poland). I'm waiting for the 1:25-scale Dodge WWII ambulance paper mode kit from WAK (Poland). That kit has British markings. I will scan it and change it to an American ambulance. I want a trailer to haul behind it, so I went looking through my stash of paper model kits.

I found the Orik kit of a Zis-5 water truck and trailer. I scanned the trailer into Photoshop and added LAR ("looks about right") U.S. Army markings. Then I built the kit according to instructions . . . mostly. It's a Russian prototype, but it's what I had in 1/25 scale, and LAR.

I scratchbuilt the jackstand to hold up the trailer until I can hang it on the back of the ambulance. Construction of the trailer was fussy but only moderately difficult. I made some substitutions for some parts and ignored the ridiculously small stuff. You'd need a magnifying glass and an attitude to know they are missing. The build took about 18 hours.

"Clyde Puffer" - 1:87-Scale Paper Model from Scalescenes.com

I reduced Scalescenes' "Clyde Puffer" from 1:76 to 1:87 scale and added four figures. I rate the difficulty of the model as "moderate," although the rigging was "difficult." Overall, it builds into a very nice model. At 1:87 scale, the ship is9-3/4 inches long at the waterline.