Un-boxing: AMT 1/25 Scale 1976 GMC General Semi Coca-Cola Plastic Model Kit

Posted: March 2, 2020 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

This is a highly detailed special Coca-Cola version of the 1/25 Scale 1976 GMC General Semi Truck Plastic Model Kit made by AMT.

The skill level for this model kit is a skill level 3. It is normally recommended for ages 12+ but can be done at any age with adult supervision. Assembly is required for this model kit.

There are over 300 super-detailed parts that are molded in white, chrome, and transparent. There are ten black vinyl truck tires. This model is made for a sliding 5th wheel trailer. You have the option for tilting the hood/fenders or gluing them in place.

The kit comes with authentic Coca-Cola decal graphics with optional schemes. The special Coca-Cola packaging art is created by Don Greer. The decals come in a plastic bag with a protective yellow sheet over them and the other side gives directions about application of the decals.

The instructions for this model have diagram part numbers and assembly numbers. Each section of instructions state assembly of different parts of the truck. The instructions include sections for engine, wheels, basic chassis, front suspension, rear suspension, chassis, cab assembly, sleeper, hood, interior, and final assembly.

There are also 4 small sections of assembly information for the following items. Attaching oil filters and oil coolers to the engine, attaching roof lights to the cab of the truck, full assembly of the wheels, and the battery box. You can choose to keep the cab stock or attach the roof lights to it. This is up to the modeler’s preference.

Information is given on what tools are needed, what should be done before beginning the model, and a paint guide. Modelers have the option to paint the model identical to the box art.

There may be some spots on the part trees with over molding plastic not removed by the manufacturer, but it comes off with no issues. Some parts may need some extra care to clean the plastic off.

TAMIYA M4A3E8 SHERMAN MODEL Kit Review By Jerry Dean

Posted: December 17, 2015 | Author: | Filed under: military model kits, Plastic Models | Tags: | Leave a comment

The Tamiya M4A3E8 Sherman tank model assembles very easily and the parts fit together very well, typical of Tamiya Armor Kits. The lower hull is made up of individual parts, but they go together very well.

The suspension and road wheels are very nicely detailed. I had to do a little extra sanding on half of the road wheels, almost seemed like the mold was slightly offset when produced. It was not very noticeable and was very easily cleaned up. The turret is molded in two separate parts, and after gluing together, it leaves a seam line around the lower rear of the turret that should not be there to be accurate. I carefully sanded this line down and used Mr. Surfacer 500 Primer stippled with a large brush to reproduce the cast look the turret should have.

For painting, I used Tamiya Acrylics sprayed through a Paasche airbrush. I added several thin layers of different shades to get the final look. Weathering was done with Tamiya Weathering Master sets. Washes and filters were completed with oil paints. This was my first attempt at using oil paints, which I think turned out very well.

All parts and supplies used to built this kit can be purchased at Mark Twain Hobby (except for the oil paints at this time).

Overall a very nice kit with excellent detail, very good fit but not overly complicated. I built this kit straight from the box, but it would definitely benefit from some additional details such as photo-etch straps on the tools and a set of individual piece tracks.

I want to thank Kevin Thompson for letting me build this kit, Brett Avants for the tips and advice during the build and John Welther for being a bad influence by getting me back into building armor models.

Jerry Dean

Sending you a lil’ Love

Posted: February 11, 2015 | Author: | Filed under: SPECIAL OFFERS | Tags: , , , , , | Leave a comment

We choo choo - choose you! coupontemplate
Sending you a lil’ love. Jump on this deal before it’s too late!
http://www.hobby1.com/coupon-and-specials.html

24th GSL International Scale Vehicle Championship Contest Photos

Posted: May 15, 2013 | Author: | Filed under: Die Cast Models, New Stuff, Plastic Models | Tags: , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Peter Go’s 1/16-scale 1908 Rolls Royce Silver Ghost features incredibly delicate wire wheels and many other fine details.

If you’re a male of a certain age, chances are you built at least one model car kit in your younger days . . . maybe several. You got a kit from AMT, Monogram, or Revell and some paint and glue from Testors, put down some newspaper on the dining room table, and did your best. Maybe your finished product turned out good enough to occupy a spot of honor on your bedroom shelf, or maybe it ended up being fodder for firecrackers in your driveway.

Today, there are passionate groups of adult model-car builders who have taken a hobby that started as a 1960s fad and elevated it into a true art form. And the place to see the best of these miniature wonders in person is the GSL International Model Car Championship—a prestigious contest that was created back in 1979 for the upper echelon of automotive-modeling artisans. It’s essentially the Academy Awards of hand-built scale vehicles. GSL stands for “Greater Salt Lake” (the contest is held biannually in Salt Lake City, Utah), and this year’s running was the 24th edition. More than 300 models from 80 or so builders were on display in the Salt Lake Sheraton Hotel this past weekend.

Though the competition is intense and judging is taken very seriously (a trio of expert judges spends over eight hours painstakingly analyzing the entries), the atmosphere is wonderfully congenial and welcoming. Builders happily share techniques and genuinely enjoy each other’s company. The contest is the main event, but there are plenty of other attractions over the course of the four-day show. Master modelers explain their building techniques in instructive seminars (this year’s show included demonstrations of 3-D printing, metal shaping, and cobalt plating), and shuttle buses ferry attendees to the nearby National Model Car Builder’s Museum for tours (both GSL and the NMCBM are brainchildren of Salt Lake City-area attorney Mark Gustavson).

The best of the models on display at GSL reach a level of craftsmanship and precision that rivals that of the premier full-size car restorers and fabricators. Here’s a sampling of the amazing works of art that were on display. For more information, check out http://www.gslchampionship.org.

The big winner at GSL this year was Greg Nichols’ “Backdraft”—a completely scratch-built, T-bucket-inspired hot rod chock-full of hand-machined metal parts. It took home the coveted “Best in Show” award, along with several other honors. The “Backdraft” name is inspired by the model’s rear-mounted radiator, which is positioned just behind the driver’s seat.

Mike English brought several amazing motorcycle models, including a 1/9-scale Bianchi 350CC (background) and a 1/9 one-off custom bike. Note the leather riding gloves on the saddle.

Advanced modelers use ultra-thin “photo-etched” metal parts for extra-fine detailing. Gary Kulchock crammed several projects’ worth of his own custom-made pieces onto this jam-packed sheet, which measures roughly 11 inches by 17 inches. It’s a work of art in and of itself. A Jeep grille, a manhole cover, various gaskets and brackets, speaker grilles, and a myriad of tiny bolt heads are just a few of the precision-crafted bits.

Master modelers utilize advanced painting techniques to make simple plastic-kit parts look like weather-beaten old steel. “Hollywood” Jim Fernandez built this 1/25-scale 1950 Oldsmobile 88 drag car to look as if it had spent the last 40 years decaying in a junkyard. Did you notice the robin’s nest (with egg) in the rear carburetor’s velocity stack?

Jimmie Harris’s wondrously weathered 1923 Ford Model T “peddler’s truck” looks like something out of “The Grapes of Wrath.” It’s complete with pots and pans, a bulb horn, and a rooftop chimney.

“Hollywood” Jim Fernandez’s heartwarming 1/25-scale diorama “Making Memories” makes fantastic use of color: The under-construction pedal car and ’32 Ford coupe are finished in full color, while the cluttered garage backdrop is rendered in muted black-and-white-photo tones. The level of detail here is breathtaking.

My, How Time Flies at Mark Twain Hobby Center

Posted: April 17, 2013 | Author: | Filed under: Die Cast Models, Flying RC Airplanes, Model Boating, Model Railroading, New Stuff, Pinewood Derby, Plastic Models, Puzzle, Games and Things, RC Cars and Trucks, SPECIAL OFFERS, Train Pictures from Our Collection | Tags: | Leave a comment

My, how time flies. Dan McEntee, our longest part timer (32 years) stopped by yesterday and showed me the first Mark Twain Hobby Center newsletter. It was dated November 1980. Since it was only 2 pages I thought that it would fit into this post. What is really interesting are the products and prices from 33 years ago. One great example was the Lindberg Blue Devil Destroyer plastic model kit. Back then we had it on special for $17.99. Now they retail at $129.95 with a street price of about $80.00. Or how about the Kraft 6 channel sport series radio with servos and receiver for $235.00. Those were the days.

One other thing that you don’t see much of any longer is the fact that I typed this newsletter on an electric typewriter. I know, some of you that are quite young are asking what is an electric typewriter. Heck, sometimes we didn’t even use correcting fluid, we just typed right over the mistake.

Anyway, I hope that you enjoy going back a few years in time.

Dennis

PS Don’t expect these prices to be valid today. (That’s a disclaimer)old newsletter

old newsletter-1

Free Movie “RUN SILENT RUN DEEP” One of the Best World War 2 Films

Posted: March 6, 2013 | Author: | Filed under: New Stuff, SPECIAL OFFERS, Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

RSRD-Blog

Our friends over at the Gateway Military Historical Society are presenting a FREE showing of the classic World War 2 submarine film RUN SILENT RUN DEEP. This will take place at the Galleria 6 Cinema on Saturday March 16th at 10:00 am. This movie is open to everyone.

A movie’s lasting value can often be measured by its influence in the years and decades following its original release, and on that basis Run Silent, Run Deep is certainly a classic of sorts. It remains one of the seminal World War II submarine pictures, and its intelligent script and tautly executed action are clearly echoed in such later submarine dramas as Das Boot and especially Crimson Tide, which borrows liberally from this 1958 film.

In one of his best and final roles (he appeared in only four films after this), Clark Gable plays a submarine captain without a command, having been saddled with a desk job after his previous ship was destroyed due to his overzealous pursuit of the enemy in dangerous Japanese waters. He finally gets another boat–this time with a vigilant first officer (Burt Lancaster), who stands poised to assume command if Gable puts his crew in unnecessary danger. The tension and mutual respect between these two principled men is superbly written and directed (Robert Wise was just two years away from his triumph with West Side Story), and the crucial inclusion of a strong supporting cast (including Jack Warden and Don Rickles) enhances the movie’s compelling authenticity. Based on a novel by former submarine commander Edward L. Beach, Run Silent, Run Deep is rousing entertainment with the added benefit of paying honorable tribute to the men who navigated through the most frightening and claustrophobic channels of the Pacific theater. –Jeff Shannon

Grab your friends and take a bit of time to remember what our fathers and grandfathers went through during the war in the South Pacific.

Enjoy the film,

Dennis

 

Early Steam Locomotive Pictures from Mark Twain Hobby Collection

Posted: February 28, 2013 | Author: | Filed under: Model Railroading, New Stuff, Train Pictures from Our Collection | Tags: , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Wabash Steam Locos circa 1905 in the yards around Union Station

Wabash Steam Locos circa 1905 in the yards around Union Station

Good afternoon all,

I am posting today some images of trains around the St Louis area circa 1904-05. These images come from a group of glass plate photographic negatives that Mark Twain Hobby Center has in it’s collection (also spelled accumulation). These were scanned on an Epson scanner. Each negative is 4 x 5 inches and show some wear and tear from the last 100 plus years. The date that I am using is based upon one image of a rare experimental locomotive that was used by the Pennsylvania Railroad for a couple of years. It was in the St Louis area and exhibited at the Louisiana Exposition of 1904 leaving the area in 1905 at the conclusion of the world’s fair. Click on the image at the top of this post and it will take you to the Flickr site where you can see all of the images.

Each negative is shown as it would have been printed. From all indications the railroads represented are MKT (Missouri Kansas Texas), Cotton Belt (St Louis Southwestern), Wabash, Pennsylvania Railroad,  CB&Q (Chicago Burlington & Quincy), Frisco (St Louis San Francisco Railroad). There are a few unidentified locos as well. There are also a couple of images of street scenes in the City of St Louis. This group of negatives came to us a number of years ago following the passing of another long time hobby store owner in St Louis, Bill Henze. While cleaning out a box of things that came from Bill’s estate these negatives were noticed. Bill was a collector (and seller) of all things trains, it was in his blood. Bill owned Henze Hobbies with his wife Thelma for nearly 45 – 50 years. Thelma would typically work the day shift while Bill held down his regular job and he would join her in the evenings and on Saturdays.

I hope that you enjoy these as much as we do. As a side note Mark Twain Hobby Center is de-acquisitioning a number of items from our collection due to space limitations and we have placed a lot of photo images out for sale in the store as well as some time tables.  Please take the time to stop by and see what we have.

Keep on railroading,

Dennis

 

Are You Immersed In Your Hobby?

Posted: January 28, 2013 | Author: | Filed under: Die Cast Models, Flying RC Airplanes, Model Boating, Model Railroading, Pinewood Derby, Plastic Models, Puzzle, Games and Things, RC Cars and Trucks | Tags: , , , , , | Leave a comment

World War 1 Soldiers in France with a Bee Suit

World War 1 Soldiers in France with a Bee Suit

While this picture is not related to any of the hobbies that we carry at Mark Twain Hobby Center, I am using it to ask you “Are You Immersed In Your Hobby”? This fellow certainly is. This is a group of World War 1 soldiers in France obviously taking some needed rest. The “Bee Suit” that the one soldier is wearing is actually a swarm of honey bees. To do this he took the queen from the swarm and placed her on his clothing up around his neck. When the rest of the swarm located her they lit onto his clothing and neck and hung out forming the “Bee Suit”. Obiously, this soldier had the hobby of beekeeping back in the states and was used to being around the bees as he is very comfortable with them. Do you take the time to show people your hobby, or spend time telling others about the neat things that you do? Do you get really excited about the things that you do or build and want to share it with others? I certainly do and think that if you were to put out a survey it would show that those that enjoy their hobby the most are the same ones that share their excitement and joy with others about that hobby. Clubs are a great place to find others that have the same hobby interest and passion as you. How about sharing with others through such outlets as nursing/adult day care centers or at the library or in the schools?

Over the years that we have been in business, we have put different groups in touch with hobbyists that would go out and spend a little time with others sharing their interest and passion. One such event dealt with older men in an assisted living facility that enjoyed building balsa stick models. Dan McEntee spent time with them talking about the models and showing what was available and tips on building these models. The feedback from the facility was phenomenal as each person shared their memories of building models as a kid. Or about the times that were spent with Cub Scouts giving tips on building better Pinewood Derby cars.

Check with your church or local community center to find out the possibility of setting up a beginning model building class or take a youngster out to the field the next time you fly. You will be surprised at the effect that your enthusiasm will have on them.

Take a look at the soldiers that surround this bee hobbyist. Want to bet some of them will go back to states and set up a bee hive.

Spread the word, hobbies are fun

Dennis

110St Tactical Fighter Squadron “Lindbergh’s Own” Missouri National Guard

Posted: January 23, 2013 | Author: | Filed under: Die Cast Models, Plastic Models, SPECIAL OFFERS | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

110st TFS MO ANG Photo

Members of the 110st Tactical Fighter Squadron

The 110th Observation Squadron was established by the Militia Bureau on on June 23,1923, which authorized the immediate organization of the 110th Observation Squadron, 35th Division of Aviation, Missouri National Guard. The units first headquarters was located in a filling station on Manchester Avenue. From this location it was moved to a small room over a grocery store on Olive Street Road In St Louis County. Meetings were held at the Airport, which at the time was little more than a pasture, there were no airplanes and no uniforms for the enlisted men.

Through the years the unit grew in equipment, men and stature while serving the country in WW2 as a fighter/reconnaissance configuration and winning the Presidential Unit Citation for action in the pacific. After being re-designated as the 110th Fighter Squadron in 1946 the unit’s service also included the Korean War, Berlin Airlift Crisis and many of it’s members served during the Vietnam War.

Keeping watch over the Saint Louis skies in F-100, F-4, and F-15 fighter jets the unit was slowly moved from the local Saint Louis area with the new designation as the 110th Bomber Squadron in 2008 and now flying B-2 bombers out of Whiteman Air Force Base in central Missouri.

F-100 of 110st TFS Missouri Air National Guard

F-100 of 110st TFS Missouri Air National Guard

A full history with additional information on the linage, assignments and aircraft can be found here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/110th_Fighter_Squadron

Mark Twain Hobby Center has commissioned one of our manufacturers to provide a souvenir to this great group of men and women. We now have available a 14 inch full color sign that has been distressed to look old that resembles the patches of the 110th Tactical Fighter Squadron from about 1960 to the early 1990’s. This is a great new wall hanger for your den, aircraft collection room or garage and will compliment any memorabilia or model collection. The design is the same as that shown on the side of the aircraft in the photographs.

Lindberg's Own 131st TFS Sign by Mark Twain Hobby Center

Lindberg’s Own 131st TFS Sign by Mark Twain Hobby Center

These are in limited numbers so don’t wait.

Happy Flying,

Dennis

Radio and RC Airplane Setup Class by FUTABA Sponsored Pilot

Posted: January 7, 2013 | Author: | Filed under: Flying RC Airplanes, RC Cars and Trucks, Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , | Leave a comment

radioclass

← Older Entries