"Sakrison Supply" from Carolina Craftsman Kits -- HO Scale Laser-Cut Wood

 A few years ago, I drew up a plan for a mill that I wanted to scratchbuild for my HO-scale model RR. I based it loosely on a diorama I'd seen on the Internet, and I shared the drawings on this site. I didn't get around to building it, but someone out there in the Chronosynclastic Infindibulum saw it and built it. Someone else saw the drawings or the build or both and contacted Jeff Grove, owner of Carolina Craftsman Kits to say, "Please, please, please offer this as a kit!"

Jeff contacted me, and I said, "Hell, yes!" and sent him the original drawings. This morning, in my mailbox was a copy of the CCC's latest kit -- "Sakrison Supply." As Andy Warhol once said, "Everyone gets 15 minutes of fame." I could do a lot worse. Thank you, Jeff! Thank you, Scott Alvord for a beautiful and inspiring test build! And thank you to all of you who begged for the kit.

 Here is my original drawing. (Feel free to share it.)

Here is Scott Alvord's outstanding test build of Jeff Grove's pre-release kit. (Wow!):

And here is the kit:

I guess now I really ought to build it.

Ma.K. (S.F.3.D) "Jerry" 1/20th Scale Plastic Model (Nitto)

I have mostly sworn off plastic models. This is a "shake the box" build from several years ago. The "Jerry" model stands about six inches tall. I'm guessing that it's a scout, lightly armed and fast-moving.

The Ma.K. gear fascinates me, but the prices for the models have gone through the roof. I'm still looking for paper models of the S.F.3.D fighting suits. So far, aside from a few scratchbuilds (with no kit offered), the only one seems to be for the "Snowman" Super Heavy Fighting Suit. Some kitbashing might be in order. 

So many projects, so little time!

Martin Baker M7 Ejection Seat, 1/12th Scale Paper Model

This was a challenging build due in part to some fit issues and to the instructions, which were often vague and occasionally wrong. Still, the results were worth the effort, if not exactly contest quality. At 1/12 scale, the seat stands 4½ inches tall. The build took about a week of evenings. The kit is available at ecardmodels.com.

U-Boat Type VII-C - 1/72-Scale Paper Model

The kit is designed by "Kooklik." It is an excellent kit with detailed construction drawings. The finished model is just over three feet long. I built it several years ago, and at the Midwestern Model Ships & Boats Contest held 19-20 May 2023 at the Wisconsin Maritime Museum in Manitowoc, my U-Boat received a Gold Award.

2023 Midwestern Model Ships & Boats Contest

The contest was held on 19-20 May at the Wisconsin Maritime Museum in Manitowoc. I took six paper models for entry and one for display. I brought home six Gold Awards. The photos were taken by museum staff. These are the paper models I took to the contest. 

Click on any photo to zoom in.

Australian paddlesteamer Alexander Arbuthnot, 1:100 scale

Siluro a Lento Corsa Italian manned torpedo, 1:18 scale

Australian paddlesteamer Adelaide, 1:100 scale and New Bedford whaleboat, 1:30 scale

1:200-scale battleship Bismarck and 1:72-scale U-Boat Type VII-C

Contest models by other modelers:

•  photos by museum staff:  Photos - Google Drive

•  my photos: https://www.flickr.com/photos/198476792@N04/albums

USS Cobia Gato-Class Fleet Submarine -- paper model - 1/50 scale

“I love deadlines. I like the whooshing sound they make as they fly by.” — Douglas Adams

     My "paper model" of the USS Cobia fleet submarine resulted from two factors:   too much time on my hands and too little adult supervision. The base is 5x7 inches, the periscope (rolled paper) is about 4 inches tall. The "water" is from an online texture library, and the wake is from a cotton ball. All told, it serves as a reminder to not take my hobbies (or myself) too seriously.

Australian Paddlesteamer "Adelaide" -- paper model 1/100 scale

Built in 1879 as a towboat on Australia's Murray River, the Paddlesteamer "Adelaide" today plies the Murray as tourist boat from Port Echuca, Victoria. She is the second oldest wooden-hulled paddlesteamer still operating anywhere in the world. While she mainly towed rafts of logs to a lumber mill, she did have some space for freight and a few passenger cabins.

Built in 1879 as a towboat on Australia's Murray River, the Paddlesteamer "Adelaide" today plies the Murray as tourist boat from Port Echuca, Victoria. She is the second oldest wooden-hulled paddlesteamer still operating anywhere in the world. While she mainly towed rafts of logs to a lumber mill, she did have some space for freight and a few passenger cabins.

The model is one of three Murray River paddlesteamers from World of Paper Ships, all in 1/100 scale. The kit comes printed on smooth card stock with excellent artwork.There are parts for two versions, a simplified model and a more detailed model. The latter includes detailed engine, pilothouse, and paddlewheels. The optional laser-cut set is a must if you want a truly detailed model.

The kit presents the boat as tourist boat. I wanted a working boat, so I omitted a few modern fittings and added some freight to the foredeck. I scratchbuilt the stand with "water" from an online texture library and texture papers from Clever Models.

At the Midwestern Model Ships & Boats Contest held 19-20 May 2023 at the Wisconsin Maritime Museum in Manitowoc, my Adelaide earned a Gold Award.