Hello

[calcmandan]

Just joined the forum out of curiosity about the hobby. I've modeled on and off throughout my adult life—my last real stint was about fifteen years ago.

After my time in the Navy, I oddly grew sentimental about tugboats—those beat-up floating engines wrapped in tires. I built a few, but never got around to painting them. I didn't have the right equipment, and most of them eventually got destroyed once my nephews got their hands on them. Boys will be boys. I didn't lose sleep over it—but it does mean I don't have anything finished to show for it.

Looking back, I approached modeling all wrong. I treated it like something to get through and complete, the same way I would have as a kid. I wasn't building with patience, and I definitely wasn't treating it like a craft. I bit the bullet and bought a high quality ship witih metal parts and, once it was opened, I closed it instantly out of sheer indimidation. I didn't want to ruin the thing.

Recently, I stumbled onto a YouTube modeler whose work is on another level—highly detailed, almost photorealistic car builds. His projects take a year or more, and watching him completely changed my perspective. It's not about how fast you finish—it's about how well you do it. It's a legitimate artform if you let it.

What also clicked for me is that this hobby doesn't demand constant attention. You can set a project aside and come back to it anytime. The whole thing fits in a small box—it's not exactly intrusive.

So now I'm on the fence about diving back in. I still have some old tools tucked away in a fishing box from my last go at it. I'd need to pick up a few things, but nothing major.

Plan is to start simple—something cheap—and focus on learning how to paint properly this time.

And yeah… a little tough to admit, but I got pulled back in by a YouTuber.

I hope to:

Source supplies from my normal hardware store
Learn airbrush technique
Learn from the experts on this forum
List goes on.

It's good to meet you all,

Daniel

 

[urumomo]

Welcome Aboard !

 

[BarleyBop]

Welcome to the Addict!
We all come at it a little differently, and happy to support you on your modeling journey!

 

[TimM63]

Welcome to the madness.
There's are a lot of good people here. Feel free to ask questions, someone will have the answer.

 

[calcmandan]

Thanks guys.

Umm, I'm sort of a retro computing nut. Are there any known good newsgroups that have some active participation involved?

I've perused a few obvious ng's but they've been rather inactive the last decade or so.

I know it's a bit esoteric but thought it would be worth asking.

 

[Pantherman]

Just joined the forum out of curiosity about the hobby. I've modeled on and off throughout my adult life—my last real stint was about fifteen years ago.

After my time in the Navy, I oddly grew sentimental about tugboats—those beat-up floating engines wrapped in tires. I built a few, but never got around to painting them. I didn't have the right equipment, and most of them eventually got destroyed once my nephews got their hands on them. Boys will be boys. I didn't lose sleep over it—but it does mean I don't have anything finished to show for it.

Looking back, I approached modeling all wrong. I treated it like something to get through and complete, the same way I would have as a kid. I wasn't building with patience, and I definitely wasn't treating it like a craft. I bit the bullet and bought a high quality ship witih metal parts and, once it was opened, I closed it instantly out of sheer indimidation. I didn't want to ruin the thing.

Recently, I stumbled onto a YouTube modeler whose work is on another level—highly detailed, almost photorealistic car builds. His projects take a year or more, and watching him completely changed my perspective. It's not about how fast you finish—it's about how well you do it. It's a legitimate artform if you let it.

What also clicked for me is that this hobby doesn't demand constant attention. You can set a project aside and come back to it anytime. The whole thing fits in a small box—it's not exactly intrusive.

So now I'm on the fence about diving back in. I still have some old tools tucked away in a fishing box from my last go at it. I'd need to pick up a few things, but nothing major.

Plan is to start simple—something cheap—and focus on learning how to paint properly this time.

And yeah… a little tough to admit, but I got pulled back in by a YouTuber.

I hope to:

Source supplies from my normal hardware store
Learn airbrush technique
Learn from the experts on this forum
List goes on.

It's good to meet you all,

Daniel

Hi and welcome to the forum. Pantherman

 

[Jakko]

Umm, I'm sort of a retro computing nut

How retro? Are we talking iMac G3-, or Amiga-, or ZX-80-level retro?

(I've got a Mac Plus, an early-90s Mac whose exact type I forgot, two Amiga 500s, a ZX Spectrum 48, a Commodore 64, and both G3 and G5 iMacs, plus a collection of 1980s–2000s operating systems and some other software )

 

[kevin]

Welcome to the forum.

 

[BarleyBop]

How retro?

Geez Jakko, way to make me feel like a dinosaur!
Not only remembering, but also having used many of those... My first house purchase actually came with a Commodore 64!
I would have liked to try a Sinclair, but never did.
Was the un-remembered Apple a Lisa or LC?

 

[BarleyBop]

grew sentimental about tugboats

... Wasn't in the Navy, but I can see how that could happen... Tough workhorses that tend to more glamorous vessels, indispensable but often overlooked.
Kinda like my fascination with soft skin trucks and tractors in North Africa campaigns.

 

[Jakko]

Geez Jakko, way to make me feel like a dinosaur!

Heh The first computer I can remember using, is a Sharp MZ-80K, that my father still owns even though it doesn't work anymore Apparently, before buying that he borrowed a Commodore PET from his office a couple of times, but I don't remember it (being about five years old at the time will do that to you).

I would have liked to try a Sinclair, but never did.

My brother and I got a Spectrum+ ca. 1985, and several of our school friends had Commodore 64s and 128s. At that time, our house also had an Apple II clone.

Was the un-remembered Apple a Lisa or LC?

Note that I wasn't talking about computers I used to use, but about ones I currently own (In addition to a 2019 iMac that I use every day and a 2008 MacBook that never gets used anymore.) The Mac whose type I don't recall is of the original Mac design, but a newer model than the Plus. Anyway, I wish I had a Lisa … I think I came across one at a flea market about 25 years ago, but I had to leave it there because there was no way I could take it 10 km home on the back of a bicycle

 

[Blackbeard]

Welcome @calcmandan glad you joined us!

 

[locomotive]

Hi Daniel. Welcome.
This is a great forum. I was out of the hobby for about 20 odd years and this bunch of lunatics encouraged me .
We'll do the same with you.
My advice, having been in the same place, is dont over think it.
Pick up an easy kit to get started. My missus bought me a revell 1/24 Land-rover.
Nothing too complicated, easy build up, painted by brush.
Dont worry about tools and airbrushes yet. You need a sharp craft knife, some of those fingernail sanding sticks, superglue and some paints and brushes.
Just get your mojo back first and enjoy it.

 

[Eagle-1]

Y'all come on in!

Rob.

 

[Airborne01!]

Welcome aboard mate!
Steve

 

[user 22148]

How retro? Are we talking iMac G3-, or Amiga-, or ZX-80-level retro?

(I've got a Mac Plus, an early-90s Mac whose exact type I forgot, two Amiga 500s, a ZX Spectrum 48, a Commodore 64, and both G3 and G5 iMacs, plus a collection of 1980s–2000s operating systems and some other software )

Man I'm jealous - I'd love an old Commodore 64 or even an Amiga.

I do miss 8-Bit. I owned both of the above back in the day, along with most versions of the Spectrum and some other random computers that I can't remember the name of. The only one I never got my hands on was an Amstrad CPC 464. My First Computer was an Atari 65XE - some great games on that - Dizzy and Spy vs Spy!

I used to get a monthly BASIC game magazine that had programs you could type to produce your own games.

 

[Jakko]

I used to read Your Sinclair in the mid/late '80s. Fun magazine, no other computer magazine ever came close

 

[user 22148]

Well that was back in the days when Computing was fun. I really must get an old 8-bit machine one day, my 22 year old is fascinated by the fact you had to load games via cassette or even GASP type in the program yourself. I'd love to get her to have a go on one.

 

[Jakko]

You can get pretty close without needing to buy a computer if you install an emulator on your PC If you then go to a site like worldofspectrum.org or … eh, I can't remember the C64 equivalent … you can download pretty much any old game you like and run it on the emulator (For my Spectrum and C64, I bought SD-card readers then wrote a quick script to download the whole games archives. Both of them fit on the same SD card with tons of room to spare …)

It's not quite the same as loading it from tape (or a 1541 disk drive, which was just as slow) but you/she will a lot of the old experience anyway.

 

[calcmandan]

How retro? Are we talking iMac G3-, or Amiga-, or ZX-80-level retro?

(I've got a Mac Plus, an early-90s Mac whose exact type I forgot, two Amiga 500s, a ZX Spectrum 48, a Commodore 64, and both G3 and G5 iMacs, plus a collection of 1980s–2000s operating systems and some other software )

I have a few tandy laptops and a tandy pocket computer pc-2. I'm a big fan of Tandy and, otherwise, intant-on boot-to-basic style platforms. Growing quite fond of CP/M and it may be my next OS. My daily driver for writing is the tandy laptop. If it weren't for the vibrant community they would be rotting in my den closet.

I'm currently designing a keyboard matrix and some keyboard logic to serve as a docking station for my pc2. I want to turn that bad boy into a desktop computer once we get a video interface developed.

But I wasn't asking if there were any retro computing newsgroups, I already have a few that are active. I was asking if there are any good modelling newsgroups anyone may be aware of. I spend so little time on the world wide web these days. I only go on to check forums like this on occasion.

I also frequent a good number of active listservs across the spectrum of intersts. Would there happen to be one for modelling I could join? The less I"m on the web the better.

Thanks,

 

[Jakko]

Even more retro than I had expected Tandy was never big here in Europe — not unknown, but I don't think I ever saw one in the flesh except maybe, perhaps, at the big annual computer convention I used to go to with my father in the 1980s. But if so, I don't remember it. Same with CP/M, really — IIRC my father tried it out on our Apple ][(-clone) but on the whole we kept using DOS 3.3 on it.

Unfortunately I never got into USENET — tried it a couple of times thirty years ago, but I never really found my way on it. Mailing lists, yes, but they're pretty much dead where they relate to my interests, so I'm afraid I can't point you to either where modelling is concerned.

 

[user 22148]

You can get pretty close without needing to buy a computer if you install an emulator on your PC If you then go to a site like worldofspectrum.org or … eh, I can't remember the C64 equivalent … you can download pretty much any old game you like and run it on the emulator (For my Spectrum and C64, I bought SD-card readers then wrote a quick script to download the whole games archives. Both of them fit on the same SD card with tons of room to spare …)

It's not quite the same as loading it from tape (or a 1541 disk drive, which was just as slow) but you/she will a lot of the old experience anyway.

I've had a go at that before but with not much success (I'm not overly tech savvy). but I'll give one another go - it would be fun.

 

[calcmandan]

It is a bit off topic, but there are online emulators if you're not really into the hobby but like to poke around. I was researching zork the game and found out that it was one large game written for the pdp-10 at MIT. well, there's a PDP-10 emulator online you can telnet to, login as guest, and play zork in its original, rough-around-the-edges glory. You'll be glad infocom split it into three games and refined it.

There are emulators for effectively any pocket computer as well. If you want me to send links, give me a PM. Otherwise...

 

[Jakko]

I've had a go at that before but with not much success (I'm not overly tech savvy).

All you generally need to do is download the emulator, install it if you're on Windows, and run it. You'll also need to download the games you're interested in, and then the main thing you need to figure out is how to make it load files from "tape" or "disk". If I try the ZX Spectrum emulator Fuse, for example, it has a Media menu that allows me to open a file with a tape image:

…and then just use the tape loader menu option:

It then takes as long to load as it did from tape, so your daughter would get pretty much the whole experience other than actually putting the tape into the deck and pressing (In the emulator's settings, it also has options to speed up the machine or load tapes faster.)

 

[Ron2]

Just joined the forum out of curiosity about the hobby. I've modeled on and off throughout my adult life—my last real stint was about fifteen years ago.

After my time in the Navy, I oddly grew sentimental about tugboats—those beat-up floating engines wrapped in tires. I built a few, but never got around to painting them. I didn't have the right equipment, and most of them eventually got destroyed once my nephews got their hands on them. Boys will be boys. I didn't lose sleep over it—but it does mean I don't have anything finished to show for it.

Looking back, I approached modeling all wrong. I treated it like something to get through and complete, the same way I would have as a kid. I wasn't building with patience, and I definitely wasn't treating it like a craft. I bit the bullet and bought a high quality ship witih metal parts and, once it was opened, I closed it instantly out of sheer indimidation. I didn't want to ruin the thing.

Recently, I stumbled onto a YouTube modeler whose work is on another level—highly detailed, almost photorealistic car builds. His projects take a year or more, and watching him completely changed my perspective. It's not about how fast you finish—it's about how well you do it. It's a legitimate artform if you let it.

What also clicked for me is that this hobby doesn't demand constant attention. You can set a project aside and come back to it anytime. The whole thing fits in a small box—it's not exactly intrusive.

So now I'm on the fence about diving back in. I still have some old tools tucked away in a fishing box from my last go at it. I'd need to pick up a few things, but nothing major.

Plan is to start simple—something cheap—and focus on learning how to paint properly this time.

And yeah… a little tough to admit, but I got pulled back in by a YouTuber.

I hope to:

Source supplies from my normal hardware store
Learn airbrush technique
Learn from the experts on this forum
List goes on.

It's good to meet you all,

Daniel

Welcome to the forum! This is my favorite forum with good people on it and I've never seen any nonsense. I started out last year buying kits on sale at hobby lobby and tried a different technique or skill with each build. Had fun and didn't worry about how my work compared to others. There are guys that get hyper involved in details and upgrades and guys that just build oob, guys that research and aim for historical accuracy and guys that don't worry about it. Find what works for you and have fun with it!

 

[BarleyBop]

and guys that don't worry about it

Hahaha, and guys that try to do all the above!

 

[calcmandan]

/snip

Find what works for you and have fun with it!

Well that's what I'm doing.

Anyway, thanks.