Who Is Into Scale Modelling?

[steiner]

I have been looking for the website that had instruction sheets from kits online. I went back to Tony Matteliano's Scale Model Index, a site I explored about five years ago because this was where I found the website:

 

http://www.scalemodelindex.com/

 

Now I can't find it anymore and I suspect it was taken down due to possible copyright infringement issues. Anyway, this led me to another thought. I know there are two modeling clubs locally, the IPMS BAC and the IPMS Philippines. I have been invited to both and I try to go to the comps of both. For me, building models is a private thing, I build for myself and I can get angry or be happy at the way my builds turn up. But now that I need copies of the instruction sheets, I was wondering if maybe it would really be a good idea to join the formal modeling community. It has its pros and cons, especially now that we have two local clubs to choose from. So now, I'd like to get your opinions. Would you recommend me joining a model club. And if yes, which one?

 

Sir, I hope you don't mind if I chime in with my two cents worth.

 

First off, I need to mention that I am aware of two IPMS clubs in the PH - IPMS BAC and IPMS Manila. I will also note that I'm a member of IPMS Manila. :thumbsupsmiley:

 

Concerning the pros and cons, I would say that so long as you know how to deal with people, the advantages of being with a hobby club outweigh the disadvantages. That's really what joining a hobby club is about -dealing with people, and it just so happens that they are all modelers! A hobby club has the potential to significantly accelerate your learning process and net you some really great friends in the process! Therefore my answer to the first question is, it depends on whether you are willing to socialize with some new faces and deal with all the accompanying intricacies of human interaction.

 

Now on to the second and more sensitive issue... which club should you join? Obviously, since I am from Manila I wont be going around endorsing IPMS BAC with a big red flag, but allow me to be fair to them. I think the best answer is, you should go to both and discover which one squarely meets your needs - as a person and as a modeler. Both groups will have their strengths and weaknesses and it will be up to you to determine which one you like more. Each group will represent a different set of people, personalities and ideologies that shall also be a factor to consider.

 

It's just like the age old question - Coke or Pepsi? Answer: Try both and you shall find out which one you like more!

 

If you are interested in "trying out" IPMS Manila, you can log on to our website www.ipmsmanila.com or www.ipmsmanila.proboards34.com.

 

Our group is just about having fun, we believe that skill in the hobby emerges from that fun and camaraderie. We make no distinction between experienced modelers and beginners because in the end we are just MODELERS plain and simple.

 

Thanks and Ill get back to you when I have your Tamiya manuals!

[bugoy2004]

try going to both clubs meetings doc. get a feel first and see which one you feel comfy and at home with. happy modeling folks!

[smvillalon]

Dr. Pepper,

 

Actually there are several clubs in the Philippines that are into scale modelling. One of them is called IPMS Philippines Bert Anido Chapter (IPMS BAC for short). They used to just be called IPMS Philippines but changed their name to honor the late Bert Anido (who I would consider a pillar of the modelling hobby in the Philippines). This club has been around since the 70's but has mostly kept to itself till the late 90's where they tried to spread their wings and show their stuff to the general public. They are the poeple who you see holding exhibits in SM Megamall. They hold meetings at the UP Fine Arts Bldg. every secod Sunday of the month.

 

Another club is IPMS Manila. This club is a rather new club but has been a chartered member of IPMS USA since its inception. IPMS Manila has been very active in promoting the hobby for the past five years and they have won the coveted IPMS USA Chapter of the year for three straight years now because of their advocacy. This is the club you see having regular exhibits in other malls such as Robinson's Galleria and Pioneer, Ali Mall, Festival Mall, Alabang Town Center and lately SM City North EDSA's The Block and Annex as well as Fairview and by July, Mall of Asia. IPMS Manila has been contracted regualrly to provide consultation in the creation of museum collections and regularly contributes models to museums like the Philippine Ports Authority, AFP Museum just to name a few. This club also regularly teaches the art of plastic scale modelling to kids everywhere but more notably at the Ateneo (who has an in-house club called the Hobbycraft Club). IPMS Manila holds meetings and lecture and demo sessions every 3rd Sunday of the month at their clubhouse in Pasig.

 

These are the two largest clubs around (by large I mean a membership of over 50). There are other smaller clubs in the metro like MotorModelers, IPMS South, IPMS Felix the Cat, etc. They are normally groups of friends who share the same passion for the hobby or a specific niche of the hobby. Also, there are provincial clubs but are few and scattered around the Philippines.

 

My advice to you is like all others here who have advised you earlier. Check them out. See what they can offer you in terms of growth in the hobby as well as an individual. See if the membership is much like you in most respects. I took this same route you are taking now about 10 or so odd years ago. I started modelling when I was 14 and have been on m own till I reached my 30's. That's when I heard of the exiatence of these clubs. I found that being in one not only provides you with the necessary skills to grow in the hobby but also the collective strength to exhibit your skill through your work as well as promote the hobby to others.

 

My criteria in p;icking a club has always been .this - THE CLUB I CHOOSE SHOULD ACCEPT ME FOR WHO I AM BUT AT THE SAME TIME TRY TO MOLD ME INTO A BETTER MODELLER AS WELL AS A BETTER PERSON.

 

Best Regards,

 

Jun

[Dr_PepPeR]

Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts gentlemen. I actually know several people from IPMS BAC, even before it was known as BAC. I know Supermario and Tony Feredo, and I even have a personal autograph of the late Bert Anido when I purchased his book on the PAF. I also know at least two of the IPMS Philippines members, and one of them of course is Winston.

 

I have in fact attended one of IPMS BAC's meetings in the UP Fine Arts a couple of years ago, and while I was welcomed by a few, I still felt like an outsider, which may be normal, but for the most part, I felt I was ignored.

 

What was I looking for? I really just wanted to talk shop, it can get lonely not being able to bitch about how many tubes of putty I needed to fill the seams of a Zvezda kit, or how frustrating it is to work with teeny weeny photoetch parts. I like to look at other people's builds and ask them - "wow! how did you get that realistic rust on the exhausts and the tracks?". I want to do trades on kits that I bought not knowing that I already have them. I want to trade extra decals, look for some resin stuff, etc. things I do with a couple of friends that also do modelling on their own.

 

What bothers me is the travel time to the meetings, being ignored at those meetings or at the other extreme, being forced to listen to someone explain how he drilled out each individual rivets on the model and why my model is not realistic. I am time-challenged, and I have enough trouble trying to squeeze in some modeling time in between my regular day job and part time teaching job.

 

I also don't like politics, and I have heard some stories concerning the competitons which led to the creation IPMS Philippines, but I admit I only got one side of this issue.

 

So I still don't know.

[bugoy2004]

then maybe you should try visiting an IPMS Manila meeting doc? so you can have a comparison. where do you live ba doc? i'm from las pinas and frankly, there are only 2 or three modelers down here. there are also some from laguna area.

[smvillalon]

I agree with the distance issue especially if you go there for nothing. I was a member of IPMS Philipines (BAC) for several years until the politics issues you mentioned got the better of me. I know Tony Feredo personally (we just had dinner a few nights ago). He's one of the other "pillars" of the modelling community. It is a pity he's no longer with them too. I'm not saying politics can totally be eradicated in any club as I believe that it is a "necessary evil" for a club to run.

 

I do believe though that whenever you go to a meeting, you MUST be able to "bring" something home with you. In IPMS Manila, we make sure it is knowledge, maybe a few kits but most of all, the feeling at the end of each meeting that "I have learned" and that "I belong". I believe that this is very important so that as many members remain satisfied and active. Of course not everyone can be satisfied but we try to reach the most we can.

 

My advice to you still stand. Since you've already seen how things are in the other club, you may wish to pass by the IPMS Manila club meeting this month to see if we can resolve the issue of "learning" and "belonging" with you. Just let me know if you will have difficulty getting there. We can arrange something for you. We do not expect you to be a member of our club, though. We normally have many visitors who are not members but they are treated just like everyone else. Our meetings are normally on the third sunday of each Month at Octagon Subdivision in Pasig (near the back of Sta. Lucia) from 1:00pm onwards - give or take an hour or so...

 

We hope to see you soon...

 

Best Regards,

 

Jun

[Dr_PepPeR]

then maybe you should try visiting an IPMS Manila meeting doc? so you can have a comparison. where do you live ba doc? i'm from las pinas and frankly, there are only 2 or three modelers down here. there are also some from laguna area.

 

 

I agree with the distance issue especially if you go there for nothing. I was a member of IPMS Philipines (BAC) for several years until the politics issues you mentioned got the better of me. I know Tony Feredo personally (we just had dinner a few nights ago). He's one of the other "pillars" of the modelling community. It is a pity he's no longer with them too. I'm not saying politics can totally be eradicated in any club as I believe that it is a "necessary evil" for a club to run.

 

I do believe though that whenever you go to a meeting, you MUST be able to "bring" something home with you. In IPMS Manila, we make sure it is knowledge, maybe a few kits but most of all, the feeling at the end of each meeting that "I have learned" and that "I belong". I believe that this is very important so that as many members remain satisfied and active. Of course not everyone can be satisfied but we try to reach the most we can.

 

My advice to you still stand. Since you've already seen how things are in the other club, you may wish to pass by the IPMS Manila club meeting this month to see if we can resolve the issue of "learning" and "belonging" with you. Just let me know if you will have difficulty getting there. We can arrange something for you. We do not expect you to be a member of our club, though. We normally have many visitors who are not members but they are treated just like everyone else. Our meetings are normally on the third sunday of each Month at Octagon Subdivision in Pasig (near the back of Sta. Lucia) from 1:00pm onwards - give or take an hour or so...

 

We hope to see you soon...

 

Best Regards,

 

Jun

 

Allright gents, let's see if I can attend one of your IPMS Phils meetings. I live in Paranaque so you can understand why I wasn't too keen on going to the meetings of IPMS BAC. Bugoy2004, do you have some sort of sub-chapter for us people from the south? On a side note, one other IPMS Phils member that I know of is an MTC member, although I have not met him personally, we have a mutual friend here and he lives over in Marikina. I also used to be active in Hyperscale and Missing-lynx, and I have done some trading with fellow modelers in Australia and have met Dave Gibson, a Brit who lives in Jordan, who used to do some of the masters for Paragon resin stuff, as he has a filipina wife and visits the Philippines every two years. I endorsed them to IPMS BAC but I don't know now how that turned out. Again, thank you so much for your insights and comments. I hope you will continue to bear with me.

Edited May 28, 2009 by Dr_PepPeR

[bugoy2004]

well doc since you're from paranaque area, maybe we could meet sometime. where exactly are you from pque? i live just across LTO Las Pinas. and i work in bicutan. we don't have a chapter here in the south but me and some friends of mine (2 actually) want to meet with modelers from the south. have a groupbuild and share model techniques etc. there's 2 from laguna but i got no reply when i sent sms. either they're busy or changed phone no.

[floppydrive]

well doc since you're from paranaque area, maybe we could meet sometime. where exactly are you from pque? i live just across LTO Las Pinas. and i work in bicutan. we don't have a chapter here in the south but me and some friends of mine (2 actually) want to meet with modelers from the south. have a groupbuild and share model techniques etc. there's 2 from laguna but i got no reply when i sent sms. either they're busy or changed phone no.

Doc, Sir Bugoy,

 

Hope you can post here when you plan to meet up. Sama din ako! Taga-"south" din po!

[Dr_PepPeR]

well doc since you're from paranaque area, maybe we could meet sometime. where exactly are you from pque? i live just across LTO Las Pinas. and i work in bicutan. we don't have a chapter here in the south but me and some friends of mine (2 actually) want to meet with modelers from the south. have a groupbuild and share model techniques etc. there's 2 from laguna but i got no reply when i sent sms. either they're busy or changed phone no.

 

I'm in Marcelo which is midway between Bicutan and Sucat. OK let me know if you want to meet up, I'll let you know if I can get away for a chat.

[Dr_PepPeR]

Doc, Sir Bugoy,

 

Hope you can post here when you plan to meet up. Sama din ako! Taga-"south" din po!

 

Hey Sir Floppy I'd be happy if you could join in.

Edited May 28, 2009 by Dr_PepPeR

[bugoy2004]

seems like south guys are here. doc i work in ACSIE. stones throw away from your place hehehe. well let's see na lang when we have free time and meet

[Dr_PepPeR]

Kewl Sir bugoy2004, maybe you could set up a local chapter for us Southerners :upside:

[juzamm]

might be of interest to you

http://warmachineph.blogspot.com/

[bugoy2004]

Kewl Sir bugoy2004, maybe you could set up a local chapter for us Southerners :upside:

 

let's see how it turns out doc andsir floppydrive. the important thing is we south boys can have time to build together, share tips, and b*tch about how some nice models aren't available here and the fact that only 1 hobby shop na lang ang natitira dito sa south , plus other stuff.

[Dr_PepPeR]

let's see how it turns out doc andsir floppydrive. the important thing is we south boys can have time to build together, share tips, and b*tch about how some nice models aren't available here and the fact that only 1 hobby shop na lang ang natitira dito sa south , plus other stuff.

 

We can bitch about the other things here in MTC too. :hypocritesmiley: I seem to recall that there are two hobby shops down south, Winston's Special Toys and Hobbies in Festival Mall and Lil's Accurate Miniatures in SM South. Was the latter already closed?

[bugoy2004]

sad to say Accurate Miniature closed down 2006 i think. then Winston's STC at Alabang Town Center closed down last January. so we now only have STC at Festival Mall. next stop would be JMN at Harrison or Lil's at Park Square.

[steiner]

Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts gentlemen. I actually know several people from IPMS BAC, even before it was known as BAC. I know Supermario and Tony Feredo, and I even have a personal autograph of the late Bert Anido when I purchased his book on the PAF. I also know at least two of the IPMS Philippines members, and one of them of course is Winston.

 

I have in fact attended one of IPMS BAC's meetings in the UP Fine Arts a couple of years ago, and while I was welcomed by a few, I still felt like an outsider, which may be normal, but for the most part, I felt I was ignored.

 

What was I looking for? I really just wanted to talk shop, it can get lonely not being able to bitch about how many tubes of putty I needed to fill the seams of a Zvezda kit, or how frustrating it is to work with teeny weeny photoetch parts. I like to look at other people's builds and ask them - "wow! how did you get that realistic rust on the exhausts and the tracks?". I want to do trades on kits that I bought not knowing that I already have them. I want to trade extra decals, look for some resin stuff, etc. things I do with a couple of friends that also do modelling on their own.

 

What bothers me is the travel time to the meetings, being ignored at those meetings or at the other extreme, being forced to listen to someone explain how he drilled out each individual rivets on the model and why my model is not realistic. I am time-challenged, and I have enough trouble trying to squeeze in some modeling time in between my regular day job and part time teaching job.

 

I also don't like politics, and I have heard some stories concerning the competitons which led to the creation IPMS Philippines, but I admit I only got one side of this issue.

 

So I still don't know.

 

 

Sir, you do have to take into consideration that IPMS BAC is "the home of the best modelers in the Philippines".

 

If someone claims to be the best, chances are they are only looking for the best.

So if you are just a happy-go-lucky modeler like me, then you may not be what they are looking for.

 

Anyhow our doors are open 24/7 as long as you aren't an axe murderer! hehehehe

 

Take care mate and happy modeling!

[bugoy2004]

Metro South Modelers? model kits, booze ang girls! :thumbsupsmiley:

[Dr_PepPeR]

Sir, you do have to take into consideration that IPMS BAC is "the home of the best modelers in the Philippines".

 

If someone claims to be the best, chances are they are only looking for the best.

So if you are just a happy-go-lucky modeler like me, then you may not be what they are looking for.

 

Anyhow our doors are open 24/7 as long as you aren't an axe murderer! hehehehe

 

Take care mate and happy modeling!

 

I admit that I have met some really good modellers in IPMS BAC, Mar and Jay often come to mind. I am not even a modeller, I'm just a kit collector, and if I finish 2 kits in a year, that is an accomplishment. So you guys are open 24/7? Well, I hope to meet you guys sometime!

 

Metro South Modelers? model kits, booze ang girls! :thumbsupsmiley:

 

Yeah, I'll be happy with model kits and girls. I get tired of fondling plastic sometimes.

[bugoy2004]

well dr pepper maybe you can finish more if we have groupbuilds. mas masarap mag build pag may kasama sir floppydrive, san exact locatin nyo sir?

[steiner]

I admit that I have met some really good modellers in IPMS BAC, Mar and Jay often come to mind. I am not even a modeller, I'm just a kit collector, and if I finish 2 kits in a year, that is an accomplishment. So you guys are open 24/7? Well, I hope to meet you guys sometime!

 

 

 

Yeah, I'll be happy with model kits and girls. I get tired of fondling plastic sometimes.

 

Mapaiba ng usapan...

 

Just some photos of a recent build.

 

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b40/9723761/DSC_0019.jpg

 

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b40/9723761/DSC_0020.jpg

 

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b40/9723761/DSC_0022.jpg

 

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b40/9723761/DSC_0023.jpg

 

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b40/9723761/DSC_0024.jpg

[bugoy2004]

wow! :cool:

[smvillalon]

Doc,

 

Mar and Jay are not the only ones there... IPMS Philippines BAC has a lot of very good and talented modelers who are good enough to do contracting work in fact. Honestly, all clubs have some of them in varyng quantities. IPMS Manila has their share... so does Motor Modelers and the others.

 

The monicker "Home of the Best Modelers in the Philippines" seems a little too boastful for my taste. I honestly believe that if you must put a statement out, then you must have something to back it up. IPMS Manila for instance posted on their site that they are "IPMS USA's Chapter of the Year". This is because, in truth, they really are and have been for the past three years... and have the trophies and evidences to prove it.

 

I'm not saying that IPMS BAC is boastful. I am just saying that the statement is. I have a lot of friends over there and they are ordinary people like everyone here. I still get to meet up with them in the hobby shops and we talk "shop" or have dinner or coffee together.

 

I guess what I am saying is, joining a club is a personal thing. But more importantly, it's there to enhance your skills and broaden your horizons. Any club will have its share of politics and miscreants from time to time but if the relationship of its members are strong, the club will as the great S'chn T'gai Spock (of Star Trek fame) and any Vulcan will say, "Live Long and Prosper"... hehehe

 

Jun

[Dr_PepPeR]

well dr pepper maybe you can finish more if we have groupbuilds. mas masarap mag build pag may kasama sir floppydrive, san exact locatin nyo sir?

 

Groupbuilds? I always thought of modeling as a hobby best done when you are alone. Besides, my idea is that if I am in a group, the primary activity is socialization, anything else is secondary (except when young pretty things are part of the group). But hey, I'm open to the idea of trying at least everything once.

 

Mapaiba ng usapan...

 

Just some photos of a recent build.

 

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b40/9723761/DSC_0019.jpg

 

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b40/9723761/DSC_0020.jpg

 

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b40/9723761/DSC_0022.jpg

 

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b40/9723761/DSC_0023.jpg

 

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b40/9723761/DSC_0024.jpg

 

That's very impressive! I like the finish and the weathering, really excellent. I especially like the detailing done on the instrument panel. Is that the Revell 1/48 kit?

 

Doc,

 

Mar and Jay are not the only ones there... IPMS Philippines BAC has a lot of very good and talented modelers who are good enough to do contracting work in fact. Honestly, all clubs have some of them in varyng quantities. IPMS Manila has their share... so does Motor Modelers and the others.

 

The monicker "Home of the Best Modelers in the Philippines" seems a little too boastful for my taste. I honestly believe that if you must put a statement out, then you must have something to back it up. IPMS Manila for instance posted on their site that they are "IPMS USA's Chapter of the Year". This is because, in truth, they really are and have been for the past three years... and have the trophies and evidences to prove it.

 

I'm not saying that IPMS BAC is boastful. I am just saying that the statement is. I have a lot of friends over there and they are ordinary people like everyone here. I still get to meet up with them in the hobby shops and we talk "shop" or have dinner or coffee together.

 

I guess what I am saying is, joining a club is a personal thing. But more importantly, it's there to enhance your skills and broaden your horizons. Any club will have its share of politics and miscreants from time to time but if the relationship of its members are strong, the club will as the great S'chn T'gai Spock (of Star Trek fame) and any Vulcan will say, "Live Long and Prosper"... hehehe

 

Jun

 

Well maybe it would be much better to look past the politics and the rivalries. Honestly, I have no intention of joining any competition but I immensely enjoy looking at other people's work so I can try it out myself. I would probably enjoy talking shop over coffee or dinner with a few friends rather than doing club activities. Thanks for the insights, I'll probably just wait and see first since I really don't have that much free time. When I retire that will be a different matter altogether. May the force be with you.