You mean construction and not paint job? I have seen many good painted models fail basic construction and the modeler surprised they didn’t win.
Yes that’s what I meant. As long as the basic construction is sound like no glue marks, gun barrels lined straight , wheels aligned properly etc etc.
1 Like
@metalhead85, thank you! Appreciate you taking time to look!
Agreed in the IPMS contest world basic construction is the cats 
meow if the judges follow the standard as written. We used to joke at any contest you pay your $$ and take your chances:)
Have to share an amusing story about an OOB Dragon/DML JSU-122 from back in the day. The model had a good run winning 1st or 2nd at several local shows. One guy we’ll call him CCB had a major issue with getting beat seven times in a row by the same JSU-122 & he was PO’d.
He approached after the show and torn into me about how’d “YOU’D NEVER BEAT ME if it wasn’t for the $100+ of AFTERMARKET goodies in that JSU-122 like those Fruil tracks, Aber main gun barrel & and ALL THAT PHOTO-ETCH! Every model you build is loaded with aftermarket parts and that’s the only reason you beat me.”
Explained, I had $12 in the kit plus some glue and paint so maybe $15 total and it was 100 percent OUT of The BOX. Poured salt into the wound by explaining I hadn’t built a model with any aftermarket parts in like three years.
He argued and pointed at the engine deck screens saying that was clearly photo-etch and I was a liar.
Whipped out the old mini-mag flash light and shined it straight down into the screens. Told him you can plainly see its not PE, its the kit screens - its a dark wash plus dry brushing. Touched the tracks showed him they were kit link to link & glued in place. Likewise kit gun barrel.
He argued it can’t be because there’s no seams, no flat spots and no seam inside the muzzle brake!
Me - That’s because it was filled then sanded… No seam inside the muzzle brake because it was filled with thinned Molak Stucco putty applied with a paint brush.
He turned crimson red and walked off.
He never spoke to me again.
We laughed about this encount for months at our local club meeting because one of the tracks on the JSU was on backwards. Both he and the judges had missed this critical blunder on many occasions.
Of course, I didn’t tell him the kit gun barrel was turned in a lathe…
The lathe…
3 Likes
HA. Exactly what I was talking about. One of the guys in our travelling group was dinged because there was a seam on the barrel. Judges couldn’t be convinced otherwise. The guy used a metal barrel. Turns out what they saw was a shadow. Head judge apologized and confirmed there was no shadow.
As for rounding barrels I don’t have a lathe but careful sanding and refined techniques can work as well. It just takes a bit longer. Nice set up.
2 Likes
@Armorsmith, judges finding seam in turned metal gun barrel and it ends up being a shadow ouch!..lol that unfortunate…but it also has an element of humor in it. I bet they was some apology on that one.
My “basic model” skills are some what lacking, I sand flat spots into gun barrels sometimes. Friends have made fun of this many times in a friendly way.
Another fun story…long long ago at a IPMS Nationals far far away … my pet OOB Tamiya T-72 won the OOB award. I asked the nice friendly judge what they found wrong with the T-72 and he promptly told the model had been in strong contention for 2nd place until they found that a flat spot in the main gun barrel. I turned crimson red and stammered OH with major egg on face. He showed me the error and suggested I either buy a lathe or a drill to spin the barrel and avoid sanding in flat spots…it was a good learning experience:)
On judging…once at a medal show (bronze, silver, gold) using the points system of 1 to 10. A fellow judge commented…this model is terrible…I’m not giving it a ZERO but I should…check out this mess…what a POS…
I LOOKED UP from the model I was scoring…the offending POS was my pet favorite ambush scheme 1946 IR Panther II LOL!!!
Needless to say it didn’t place. It had won my first Best Armor award at another show three months before. The capitol offense was it had the cupola hatch open for the IR set up without a commander and no interior. Shining a flash light down the hatch it was possible to find unpainted plastic inside, likewise with the engine deck screens under the flashlight.
My early Panther G which I thought was a weak model placed bronze iirc. Those skirtzen were for protection from anti-tank rifles in real life but they had also provided major protection from the judges flashlight 
for the model:)
3 Likes
Judging is always a crap shoot. Our group has been travelling to shows, IPMS and AMPS, for going on 10-12 years now. We always show strong but we’ve learned never to have expectations. Two years ago I went to my first IPMS Nationals in Chattanooga, TN. I ask a friend if I should take a piece I had recently finished. I had only taken it to one show Armorcon in CT an AMPS show where it earned a best USMC. I was hesitant to take it to an IPMS Nationals as I didn’t think it would pass IPMS judging muster. To my great surprise it earned 1st Place in the NATO category. The kit was the then rather recently released TAKOM M60A1 ERA. It was OOB except for the external stowage. While I was pleased with the result it also meant that I couldn’t show it at any other IPMS event. Covid kept me from showing it at AMPS Nationals that our club was supposed to host this year.
2 Likes
I immediately looked up CMK razor saws on Ebay. My question is what blades do you use? I also saw a saw blade recommendation in the old forums to use for building Bronco kits, would anyone remember anything about that recommendation?
Take care and stay safe friends,
Don “Lakota”
1 Like
@Lakota, Don I’ve only used the CMK razor saw blades with it so far. They’ve worked very well. I’m unsure about other brands.
It was probably me, they are called JLC micro saws. I use them all the time.
If using CMK which look to be the same, I would get the double, ultra and smooth.
http://umm-usa.com/onlinestore/product_info.php?cPath=21_28&products_id=5251
With a micro saw, I have seen less breaks of model parts for Bronco and Miniart kits that have small parts and many sprue gates. It allows for cutting plastic without pressure on the other attachments which for me usually means a broken part. Sometime you have to get creative on cuts to remove sprue gates that are in the way to use the saw. The JLC saw blade have some flex to them but you can break them. I chuck the broken pieces in a pin vise for the harder to reach attachment points.
HTH
1 Like
Just to back up what everyone has said … Since I got mine its been a godsend. Shame it only took me over 20 years to get one lol … I got the Tamiya razor saw which is fine for me, no issues with it at all …Im sure there may be better out there, but for under £10 it seems a good deal.
1 Like
That’s all that matters. I try to only pimp what I have used.
2 Likes
Thanks for the info on the razor saw blades. I’ve been frustrated for years using the saw blades from a different company that fit into a no.11 handle.
I should have been following this thread earlier. I have an old Italeri Pz IV ausf H kit I’ve had in my stash for about 40 years. I still want to build it.
Take care and stay safe friends,
Don “Lakota”
@Armor_Buff @Armorsmith I’ve got an ultimate judging horror story for you guys. You might know that I run Armorcon, the Northeast AMPS Regional show. We are in our 21st year. One year, a 16 year old entered in Juniors and brought a KIFV, which was about 30% scratchbuilt from the tracks up. This young gentleman had done tons of research and detailed the snots out of this model, all scratch, and done a magnificent job. I saw the model when he was registering, and went back to admire it during the show. I pointed it out to the Chief Judge and staffers. This kid was going to get a gold, I could feel it.
After the awards ceremony, the kid comes up to me with his score sheet, which in AMPS has the 4 judges comments on it. He says, “Look what somebody wrote on my sheet.” I looked and one guy had written, “A lot of work, too bad none of it’s good.” The kid won a Gold as that low score was thrown out, but that comment wasn’t going to sit with me. I left the kid with my Chief judge and found the ACJ, who I thrashed soundly. No more ACJ’ing for him. Then I found a guy I knew from the judges initials on the sheet and he ID’ed the judge who wrote the comment. I charged up to him, filled with an Infantry Sergeant’s fury.
“Did you write this?!” “Yeah” “What the F*** is your major malfunction? You never write something like this on someone’s sheet! I don’t care if they dumped a bottle of glue in a kit box and entered it! And this is a JUNIOR! See, it’s checked right here! You wrote this on a KID’S sheet! You’ve got no brain and no heart! Not only are you never judging again, but you’re never going to an AMPS event again. I’ll be there to make sure if you try you have a lonely drive home. Get the F*** out of my show.”
I went back to my Chief Judge and the young gentleman, who were both smiling since most had heard the exchange, and apologized profusely. I took a big black marker and crossed out the judges line. “You’ve already got a Gold medal, I hope you come back next year.” He shook his head yes, and he did, with and even better model!
We never saw that guy again. It’s been 18 years.
6 Likes
Sadly, the world is full of complete arse hats Matt … they just need bringing down a peg or three 
3 Likes
@SSGToms Who the hell does that to a kid. But I know exactly what you are talking about. I take the AMPS judging philosophy very seriously, especially the part about constructive/positive criticism emphasized textIt really frosts me when a judge cant say something good about someone’s effort or just dumps on a piece. As a head judge I usually try to catch that stuff before the sheets are turned in. Like you I usually have a few stern words for the offender.
I really miss all the AMPS guys. And I’m sure you know you run a really first class show.
4 Likes
Thank you so much. I can’t tell you how much compliments mean to us. We have honed the show to a razor’s edge. The secret has been running it like an Infantry platoon; having the same 10 guys doing the same 10 jobs for 21 years. We start in May and when the show goes off in September, it runs like a Porsche. We are already booked for September 24 - 25th, 2021 and we are holding this show.
1 Like
@SSGToms Matt, that one takes the cake & ice cream 
on judging stories! Wow!
Have been to three AMPS shows all when the Nationals were at Harve de Grace, Maryland. The shows well well ran & well judged with only a minor glitch or two.
Amazed an AMPS qualified judge would write that. You were quite correct in giving that one the boot out the door.
1 Like
Now if you could only fix the elevators so they run a bit faster.
If the show runs the Central PA contingent will be there!
1 Like
Ugh… who the hell does that ? To anyone ?? Good for you to thrash that guy.
One of the things I love about AMPS is the constructive comments. Tells you where you need to improve.
I miss all the shows, you guys run a great show btw!
Rich
3 Likes
Big day today for the old Italeri Pz IV G…
Worked on detailing the housing, added welds, flat screw heads and other bits.
Test fitting & assembly of the housing for main gun
My prior project a Tamiya Pz IV H kindly contributed a new main gun barrel. The L48 had to be shorted to L43 length. It also had to be shorted to fit the housing as it was way too long.
All glued together and placed on hull for evaluation.
If you see stuff that needs fixed feel to point it out and I will see if its something I can address.
Thank you for looking and commenting, its much appreciated.
4 Likes