Thank you for these videos, especially this one. I have started building scale models again after a forty year hiatus. I love it for all the reasons you stated. Your work is appreciated.

Wonderful video! You are one of the finest craftsmen I’ve seen. Those model parts are incredible. I’ve been doing metal work for 50 so years. Everything from small to large pieces. I appreciate what it takes to do that kind of work. 👍🏼👍🏼

Maybe this is why I inherently stick to sci-fi kits. Where there is no real right or wrong. Especially if they're not supposed to be some hero ship like the Millennium Falcon and the like. It's so freeing to just change things on the kit as the fancy strikes, add a fin here, or some extra antennas or another rocket pod.

I was Paasche Airbrush Demonstrator for several years here in Australia (I'm a Yank still on R&R). The AB was a basic super brush that was designed for photo retouch work in around 1904. I still have 3 of them...LOL ... Love the post. Sadly Paasche has quality control issues this past year and they are no longer in Chicago. Jars often have too much chrome as does the set screw holding the fluid nozzle assembly. Iwata makes a single action, but none are sold in Australia. It looks like we are going to drop the single action lines. Good information, nice post.

For me the beauty of the model is also in how it's displayed. Nice lettering for it's name. A submarine beneath plaster Ice. A ship with crew on the deck. My Kursk submarine has pictures of the crew and the families. 🇺🇸/👁️\🇷🇺

This is some tour de force modeling, bravo.

True. It's just like taking a long, hot shower and having a nice dinner, then relax reading a book and go to sleep. Sometimes, one has to take time for itself and clear the head. Will take this next weekend off to clean all the clutter on the workbench and the studio. Thanks for the wise words, Paul.

My personal life and modeling are connected to my mental health. If I am modeling my health for me is amazing. Yet when my mental health is low, I find myself not able to envisioning, imagination and creativity are hindered. If I can think it, I can draw it, I can create it, being from paper, plastic, wood, metal, epoxy resin, your video on dental use of

In decades of modeling back to 1970s. I have to thank you for years of sharing amazing experiences, skills and knowledge that can be found from a beginner to in my case, 50 year old experienced modeler. I believe an old saying about a school teacher, the day they stop learning is the day they limit their teaching. I have the same belief in modeling, I am always open to learning new skills and tools to help me create my level of modeling projects. In short, I am glad you are still sharing and thank you. Keep up the great work.

As young boys me and my brother built all kinds of models back in the sixties and seventies. BUT my sister also got into the act because she LOVED the SHAPE of the P38! I think the only other kit she built was a Spitfire because it is aesthetically pleasing (and she painted it overall glossy dark green.)

Aviation artist Mike Machat had an episode on his YT channel about model kit box art and it's role in getting us to buy the kits. In probably all of his Celebrating Aviation vids he would sneak in box art from kits related to his subject 😊 I have a lot of inspiration from reading history or attending airshows (I have hundreds of photos I took at Airventure in Oshkosh) While researching a local WW2 ace I read every copy of the local newspaper from the time and found a LOT of inspiration! I would love to honor an Uncle who survived the sinking of his Destroyer Escort by building a model. However the only kit I have found is very Small scale and very complex! My stock of unbuilt kits keeps me from giving up on life😂

My last employer was an electronics manufacturing company. Our manager was committed to "Lean Manufacturing" and continuous improvement. We were required to get rid of waste. That could be clutter, too many unnecessary tools, parts, documents on our workbenches. Waste is also not having tools close and being able to quickly locate when needed. It was kind of painful to make the changes and it helped but it's a continuous process. I think though that we are all different and some of us are just more organized. I used to be relatively organized. I inherited a bunch of kits a tools from a very disorganized model buider. He had kits and books in a rented storage unit but his brother (also disorganized) never followed through with me to save them. The stuff got auctioned off by the storage business before I found out😣

Greetings from Nanjing, China. I distinctly remember the name of the barber shop that I visited while going to the universities in the United States years ago. The name of the barber shop was "A Cut Above".. That just popped into my mind while watching this channel. I thought it aptly describes what this channel is ... being "a cut above" ... Really enjoy the unique perspective and content.

thanks, i finally started to declutter my room. I saw an advice for people with ADHD( yeah, i struggle with cleaning a lot cause of it..), but i guess everyone can try it. Devide you space into a parts. Cupboard Bed Desk etc. If you find it it overwhelming, focus only on one shelf. Then start by working through it, and you get a feeling you are able to do it. Then repeat, i hope it helped someone : )

My dad used to fly the p-38 it was an amazing aircraft.

I can't believe this is such perfect timing for my head and hobby..🤔🧐😏

100%…

Paul, How right you are regarding our inspirations for modeling. We probably are the same age, as I too was into plastic models and HO trains in the 1950s, however, in 1953 when I was 6, I lived on the south shore of Long Island, New York where homes were built on canals that were dug out with drag line crawler cranes. During the summer that year when school was out, I would sit and watch a Bucyrus Erie model 22 dragline all day, each day that summer and subsequently developed a fascination for crawler mounted cranes. Fast forward to 1971 when I was employed by a large food manufacturing company as a machine design engineer, I started to use my spare time to research and design a 1/12th scale model of a P&H model 1015 crawler crane. Eventually, after retirement, I finally completed the detailed design and fabrication of this radio controlled model as can be seen in my first of several YT videos @cranemodelbuild3236. Actually during the build I used some of your recommendations, such as 50/50 soldering brass components. Thanks for ALL you do to promote modeling👍. Best Regards, Tom Garing, Rocklin, CA.

perfect timing for these words. thanks for sharing .

In my opinion the original Stylo was a much better tool. Replacing the LitION battery in mine. Why Bosch dropped it is a question. Poor sales?

The P-38 may have an Art Deco vibe but it was not designed to have one. The early models certainly look more elegant but the later models with the enlarged chin intakes were installed performance went up. Greg's Planes and Automobiles has a good video on the P-38 and its induced and parasitic drag. The airframe was draggier than people think.

I still love the look of gear-up aircraft models, especially fighters.

1/32 scale ( Revell 1970’s series ) seemed “too big” when I was 8 or 9, 1/48 scale ( Monogram aircraft series ) seemed like a logical approach and of course 1/72 scale ( all the Revell WWI “photograph box” series in the early 70’s ) held the real “charm” for a 9 year old - in Kresge’s or Woolworth’s ( across the street ) the Nieuport 28 and Sopwith Camel. The “photography” on the boxes was so good, you didn’t need “box art” anymore. Then came the Cox .049…… and the world changed again.

It is a lovely shape and gave the Germans fits....from wikipedia: "The Lockheed P-38 Lightning, which was the scourge of the Luftwaffe who's pilots respectfully called it the "Gabelschwanz Teufel" (Literately "Devil with the double tails") but more often just evened out to "Fork tail devil."

You have a wonderful warmth to your presentations which other modellers would do well to take note of.👍👍👍

Hi Paul, nice to hear from you. Glad to see that you still model. A dear greeting

This reminded me of Philip K. Dick's 'kipple' from 'Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep'...

Finally, someone who explains it concisely in under nine minutes. Awesome video, thanks man

i'm 54 this month and i credit my elders with what my children call my very special ocd :) every thing has a place and a place for every thing. . . when you treat your tools well life returns the favor . . . everything in life is a resource. . . be it a person, place or thing it's your toolbox. . . .treat your tools well, use them as they were intended and they all will take care of you.

This is exactly why models are art-they are an expression of the builder, their interests, their tastes, style and skills, stories and messages and not those of somebody else. It does not matter whether it pleases somebody else and whether they like it or not. The moment you start trying to please somebody else (like a judge for example) you are not building for yourself anymore and you are designing (creative problem solving) for them.

I think Kelly Johnson would have agreed with you.

I think ( IMO ) that the Republic aircraft of the same period exude the very similar “esthetic”, starting with the P-35 all the way through to the P-47N. I believe it has the same visual effect of the “shapes” of those classic Republic planes. Especially the harmony of the wingtips, and the tips of the horizontal & vertical stabilizer, that just look fantastic with the fuselage proportions. Well said. Keep your videos coming they are vert educational and inspiring.

Great video... again. And I'm very impressed with the Poirot series art deco reference...

Years ago I was told a tidy workspace leads to a tidy mind and thats how it is for me at 78 and still modelling and enjoying it 😊 Cheers

I wish kit makers use more valuable reference photos on box art images rather than inspiring but inaccurate drawings. Though I must admit I enjoy airbrushed boxarts by Akira Watanabe (Tamiya 1/24 supercars), his paintings are referential up to the smallest nuances.

Yes... But... Sometimes I have to add very minute details to a model to make it look aesthetical enough otherwise I feel something is missing. It can be hair thin black trim around blinker lights on trucks, or green tinted border around HUD glass in cockpit. Looks like we modellers are obsessed with details we first saw on prototype so the image got imprinted and later we use that as imaginary reference while modelling.

You scared me a little bit, as you said, you looked around. Because everything you said about how it looks, sounded like you was in my hobbyroom. 😅 Too many projects, far to little time.

I see that in the -38 & -39.

I once built a P-38 model by carving it in basswood. It is a beautiful shape as a tactile as well as visual experience. Great fun getting the shapes and grain and sharp cutting tools in harmony.

Brilliant analysis!

I am in that Zone Thank you- Doing it now Found 12 empty paint pots already

I have often had to stop, spend 30 minutes cleaning my bench and putting things back in order - it's the only way to feel good and calm about a build. Building or painting in a clean, orderly workspace is just so much nicer!

Thank You

This certainly chimes with me Paul. I've come to realise that I want my models to tell a story - even if it is only a simple story, and that the research and preparation that goes with that is as pleasurable as the build itself. Right now my problem is that I'm an 'incompetent perfectionist'; so I have to be careful when looking at a finished project to focus on how well I've done given my lack of experience, rather how short I've fallen against my aspiration.

Cool series of thought, especially the first one. Re: WW2 era planes, we're fortunate to have a group of flyers out of Burbank we call "The boys". I can always identify them in flight from their sound, and sometimes race to a window to get a glimpse. One of the planes looks to be a P38. Also, when flying a group of fighters, they always take on the missing man formation. Inspiring and emotional. Thanks for tying the streamline modern aesthetic applied to planes, never quite thought of it that way. Love that aesthetic as well, unfortunately short lived in our history. Still see a bit today, though. See the railroad engine in the latest Oz iteration. Unfortunate so many model kits are based on war. As a would-be conscientious objector, I refuse to model anything designed to kill. Still looking for a 1920s or 1930s motor yacht kit in wood and brass...

A very satisfying essay. Thanks.

For me, building/having a model was always about getting closer to a shape/form that was functional and pleasing to the eye. Details and weathering was always less important to me.

I'd never thought of the P-38 in terms of an Art Deco aesthetic but you are spot on, it absolutely oozes it. Now I shall have to devise a paint scheme that makes it look like a 1920's racer or speed record breaker!

I currently have 8 projects sitting on my desk and I find it hard to get motivated to get any of them done. I always seem to cleaning and clearing my desk even if I'm doing anything on my projects thinking that will get me motivated but that hasn't worked. lol Thanks

So true, the workspace now has to compete with the desktop computer, and at so many levels. Thanks