Quote from: zenrat on February 24, 2023, 02:50:40 AMWhen my nephew was 14 I sat him down and showed him Thunderbirds hoping he would like it.
After 5 minutes he turned to me and said "but Uncle Fred you can see the strings" and returned to his video game.

Philistine child.

My kids were introduced to Thunderbirds when they were little.  No.1 was already entranced by Thomas the Tank Engine from an earlier age and the others were used to that so were quite prepared to enjoy Thunderbirds.  I enjoyed watching it again as well, but i tended to notice their 1960s cavalier attitude to such matters like Atomic power and safety. It was of course appalling but that was a 1990s attitude showing through.   

I grew up watching Thunderbirds and all the other puppet based shows and I loved it ..ive still the first two Thunderbirds movies on one of my hard drives.
I did build my first kit when I was 8 and I'm pretty sure Thunderbirds was on TV then and my dad being a engineer I was farting around with dad in his workshop and dad building model ships from scratch you could say it in my blood and I'm the only one in my family who does this stuff.
I think part of the problem with the youngers is their parents possible line of work...so many these days work in an industry based solely on computers or cellphones and they sit all day punching buttons in some office somewhere and as kids their parents did nothing like our hobby so theres no connection with models or anything like what we do or interest.
Funny thing I still shock my mum when I tell her I brought a model purely for parts or to cut it up for a wiff build and I'm quite to remind her this is all her fault    

The club I was in did have a Junior Modellers sub-club at one stage.
They didn't by the time I left, but that was more due to no-one being willing to put in the time and effort to host and recruit.

There were shows here in Wellington, and further afield, but covid seems to have people still running scared and I haven't heard of any in a while. Maybe this year?
They had a 'make and take', usually run by the Juniors.
Course, - again - it depends on folk being willing to get off their rear ends and spend the time organizing. Folk are all willing to come along and attend/show stuff, but expect 'someone else' to do all the work.
One of the reasons I left.

Phill, the club had lots of armour modellers at the time I pulled the pin, also aircraft - about evenly split. And cars, lots of cars... though due more to the output volume from the ones that did them, than the number of car modellers as such.
There were a few of us that did the more esoteric, but only a very few that did what-ifs... though strangely, sci-fi was accepted.

And there are some interesting things online you can print - do a search for 'Dads against Daughters Dating', or DADD.
The '10 Rules for Dating my Daughter' you can print onto a business card-size thing to hand out to any that make it through the selection process...

Many yrs ago there used to be a model show in Henderson..in Auckland..I never went as I was always out of country doing ..ummm other things ...that's all I can say about that.
But from what I heard it was based more towards RC and model engineers with few being plastic models but they would have been there for sure.

I know what you mean about everybody wanting to go but nobody willing to do it...that's something ive come across many times from ppl with illusions of grandeur but no ability to achieve it so nothing happens ..it's like something we'd say in the army ..same thing..different place.
At my LHS I do see good things when a father and son or grand dad and nephew buying a kit for the little dude and when the kid is really happy at what he gets then I know we got a winner here and I've been lucky enough to see the same father and son in the shop 3 times now..yup we got a winner for sure 

Get your clubs to start putting shows on again!

SA Scale Model Expo recommenced (in 2021 - I missed that one) & last years was excellent.

Biggest issue is getting the word out into the general public, many of whom got (back) into modelling during COVID, & keeping that interest going is, frankly, in out interest.

Ya know ive never been a member of a model club ..me being me it's either I rather just build and not worry about club or if it's like most club based clubs here to much bickering..I had to much of that when I raced RC on road cars.. I went off road in stead with a much better club and nearly an hour away from home 

Well this thing is built chaps and undercoated..I'll be throwing paint at it later today when I can figure out what colours I'm gonna paint the frickin thing and as I sit here..ive got no idea at present but ill think of something.
Pics up tomorrow .

Yeah, ModelEx is what you are referring to.

A good friend and I used to display our... eclectic... mix of models and props there, but it went away in 2018 - and I have never heard anything other than 3rd-hand reasons why.
There was a really good mix of stuff there; it was organized by a Model Railway club, but any interested club could put their name down, and when you got to the top of the list, you were in.
Doll Houses, gemstone polishing, warhamster, R/C boats and others, meccano, shoes turned into planters, working steam engines are just some of the stuff that was there, off the top of my head.

I have heard there is still a regular one in Taupo, but the logistics of getting myself there are on the order of 'yeah, nah'.

Looking forward to seeing this thing. 

Yeah ..nah! is right ..Taupo is a bloody long drive from here and with today's fuel prices..nope..not gonna happen .
I've no idea why modelex went bye bye and like ya said..third party hearsay..which I tend not to believe anyway..of as I've likened it to in the past..BS and jellybeans.
Wouldn't surprise me if the hall upped their prices or the dude who organized it all gave up ..no bloody idea .

Well it's got paint on it now..olive drag is the main colour but it's getting another colour which I've just decided on 
I want to make this look used up well looked after ..im going to experiment with a faded paint camo scheme...desert based exercises with fast paint jobs.

The fella had been looking rather frail the last couple of meets, so anything is possible.
Taupo is even longer from here, and with accommodation in a tourist town and all that means, another strike against. Pity, as I have a few things I want shot of, but there you go.

I think you've just coined a name for a Military-Themed RuPaul-type character...    (the mind doesn't boggle, it simply refuses to go any further along that path!)

That could be the reason Rick..the dude ain't up to it anymore or it's a more serious reason...like his wife 
Luckily for me I could drive home but it would make for a long day ..not saying I haven't done it before but fuel was cheap and I was picking up a friend...
What's the stuff ya want rid off mate..me being nosey 

Hi guys!


Meet Olive Drag!



    

Sometimes I'm quite glad I have dodgy eyesight 

Yeah I took my glasses off to look at that   

Righty then ,,,heres a pile of pics for you guys ...i dont know what it is but im starting to like this thing and it might be cause its got paint on it now ,,,still hasnt made it any bloody smaller tho .
I wanted this to look like its a last minute paint job and who ever sprayed it had an idea of how to paint but wasnt given enough paint to make a proper job of it .
But first heres some build pics and i want you guys to see or identify  what ive used on the turret 
DSCF3992 by Phill Harrison, on Flickr
It shouldnt even test chaps like Guy 
DSCF3993 by Phill Harrison, on Flickr
DSCF3994 by Phill Harrison, on Flickr
DSCF3997 by Phill Harrison, on Flickr
DSCF3999 by Phill Harrison, on Flickr
DSCF4001 by Phill Harrison, on Flickr
DSCF4002 by Phill Harrison, on Flickr
DSCF4003 by Phill Harrison, on Flickr
DSCF4005 by Phill Harrison, on Flickr
DSCF4006 by Phill Harrison, on Flickr
DSCF4007 by Phill Harrison, on Flickr
DSCF4009 by Phill Harrison, on Flickr
Ok heres the beginning for the painting side of things ,,like i said first off ...Olive Drab.. thats the base colour and now its got a lightish coat of light desert sand just to ruin the OD
DSCF4011 by Phill Harrison, on Flickr
DSCF4012 by Phill Harrison, on Flickr
DSCF4015 by Phill Harrison, on Flickr
DSCF4018 by Phill Harrison, on Flickr
DSCF4020 by Phill Harrison, on Flickr

Merkava base for the turret, not sure about the rest...
Looking good.

I'll have a hunt around for my disposals and get back to you.

And Wombat... oh dear, oh dear... AIEE!! MY EYES!!... (in best Neddie Seagoon-type voice: "You Swine!")