Hello from Central California

[djuggie]

Greetings to all,
After a few years of non-posting, I have ventured out to look for my people, World War One builders.  I have built 1/350th scale ships, painted a good number of 1/10th scale busts and even a dragon named Emily.  (No clue why I named a dragon Emily, but I did.)
I have noticed the thread in the group to many of you succumbing to the ravages of age and failing eyesight and shaky hands.  I know my time will come but not yet.  Over the past few years I too have built 16 1/32nd scale kits, with WNW leading the pack at 13.  A customer I have had since 1997 eyesight is failing so I am building bigger and bigger for him.  I have three WNW kits on the shelf with who knows how many to follow.
However, I went back to my main love and that is 1/72nd.  In the last month I have built 2 Pegasus kits, one Phoenix vacuform, with another vacuform on the table; a DH-1A.)  I have added shelves to my display cases and should be able to build for another 10 years.  (We can't die until until the kits are gone, right?)
I will post some completed shots and in progress photos as soon as I break the code on this sight.  I have seen at least one name I know, Dave 11.  (We had a lot of Daves)
Dennis

[Davos522]

Dennis! Great to see you here on the Forum! I was always amazed by the work you posted on the WWI List, both by the consistent quality of it and the variety of (sometimes obscure) subjects you always picked... glad to hear you're still building professionally, and as for your own collection, there's a stalwart band of 1:72 folks here who will welcome you with open arms.

Again, it's great to see your name again. I'll look forward to seeing what you're working on!

Dutch, AKA Dave #11

[djuggie]

Dutch,
Good to see you are doing well here as a Sr Member.  Me, below newbie.
I am still building obscure models.  There is now a Girigorovich M-5, a Russian kit that I do not even know the name of the manufacturer.  My latest scratchbuild, the Bezobrazov Triplane, is well, not one of my better models.  It leans a little and the alignment is not good.
My collection is at home now that Hobbytown closed.  That leaves us with no hobby shops in Fresno.
I counted the collection and it sits at about 225.  I will send some photos as soon as Tech Support (my wife) has some time.
I look forward to meeting everyone and sharing photo of builds.  So nice to hear from you.
Dennis

[Davos522]

For those of you who weren't members of the WWIMML, Dennis is not only an incredibly talented modeler, he's also kind of a missionary and mentor spreading his knowledge and enthusiasm wherever possible. For a long time he organized modeling groups at various venues in his area, the last at Hobbytown, where (if I remember correctly?) a large part of his vast collection was on display as well.

Dutch

(Sorry, Dennis, but give credit where credit is due. The hobby needs more folks like you :-)

[djuggie]

Dutch,

You are too kind but I appreciate your words.  Hobbytown was my last venue in a hobby shop.  My collection is now at home for the first time in over 30 years.  Where ever I taught, my collection followed.  I now meet at a Veteran Hall and the average age of my workshop is about 73 years old.  I slowly watched the young people leave the hobby.  What I have seen over the years is young modellers leave the hobby when they discover girls and cars.  Life then takes priority and they head for college, the military or marriage.  30 years later they remember modelling and return.  Many then become true plasticaholics, modelling until age ravages the abilities but never the joy.  I dread the day I can no longer pick up my X-acto knife but I have had a good, long run.  At 81 I see my skills diminishing but there is always the thrill of opening one of my cases and adding another model.

I will be posting  some of my completed kits and work in progress shots.  The DH-1 is proving challenging.

Dennis

[djuggie]

To All,

Tech Support has performed her magic and I would like to introduce you my avatar, Murry.  He is my modelling supervisor and oversees my work.  You will see him from time to time, doing his job.

Dennis

[lcarroll]

   Welcome to the Forum Dennis, you've got a lot to offer the Membership here. Never give up, I'm less then two years behind you on the age scale and acknowledge a deterioration in skill level but as you point out the joy never seems to diminish! Looking forward to your contributions here!
Cheers,
Lance

[djuggie]

Lance,

Thank you very much.  Now I have to live up to the hype.  No pressure.  Breath deep, seek peace.Dennis

[Davos522]

Use the Force, Dennis... :-D

d.

[ScottJ]

Hello Dennis, I'm also quite new to the site and also remember you from the WWI Modeling page.  You may not remember but you were kind enough to send me some very helpful information for the Siemens D.I I was converting from an old Revell Nieuport 17.  I made a good start on it but like many other projects, it got put back in the box when overridden by interest in another subject/project.  I've still got big plans for it though... (although, I've now also picked up the BAT kit).
I've still got a lot to explore here but this site looks like an excellent place to land for those who used to be on the old WWI Modeling web page.
I look forward to seeing your finished projects as you post them (which if I remember correctly, seems like it was almost weekly!).
Take care
Scott...

[djuggie]

Scott,

Good to hear from you again.  Like you, I have only touched the surface of this group and the information and knowledge runs deep.  It is going to take me weeks to go through even a portion of what is on this group.

Do me a favor.  Go find the SS DI box and complete the kit.  It is a very easy conversion, and one of the first that I did.  I have just pulled out kits that have been on my shelf for 30 years.  So, go to your "shelf of doom" and finish the kit.  Then do what I do:  Find something dead simple and knock it out in a week.  As you said, it can be done.  It also feels good.

Dennis

[KiwiZac]

Welcome aboard Dennis, it's wonderful to have you here!

with another vacuform on the table; a DH-1A.)

Colour me very excited!

[NigelR]

Hi Dennis, I didn't realise you were new here.... Nigel from the WWIMML here. Nice to see you on here and I am indeed one of the ones that has succumbed to old age and moved up to 1/32 scale. I just can't manage the 1/72 ones any more!

[djuggie]

Hey Nigel,
Good to hear from you.  I joined just a couple of weeks ago.  I am still holding on to 1/72 as long as I can.
Dennis

[DaddyO]

Hey Nigel,
Good to hear from you.  I joined just a couple of weeks ago.  I am still holding on to 1/72 as long as I can.
Dennis

Hi Denis and welcome on board
(I'm also sticking with 72nd at the moment while my eyes and hands allow me. Fiddly but satisfying and I rather like the description of 'Gentleman's scale)

Paul