The Winning Continues…
RoR Project 032 – Prep for a Contest
Building models for (and entering models in) contests is a great way to improve model-building skills. Contests are also shows – shows where other modelers and the general public get a chance to enjoy viewing (and for modelers, learning from) all of the pieces of scale plastic art on the tables.
Here are a few things I have done to emphasize the “show†side of a recent contest using my Revell Ferrari F10.
In Figure 1, I added fastener details using a mechanical pencil (with a sharpened point) and aluminum duct tape. I’ll often “finish†models with the intent of adding some final touches, such as license plates and these fasteners, at a later date. Contests are great at setting deadlines and giving me an excuse to complete these little details
One other thing I typically do for my models is provide them with a display base. The base serves two purposes – it provides a nice, professional-looking pedestal and keeps judges’ fingers off your models if and when they have to move your piece. (Note: outside of the diorama categories, bases are typically not judged – again, this is about the “show†side of things.)
Mirrors and wood plaques are two common types of bases I’ve seen at shows. For my F10, I used a wood base I made from a scrap piece of oak a few years ago. It was already the proper width, so I cut it to length, routered the edges, stained, and varnished it. A word of caution – don’t put this off till right before the deadline! You don’t want the tires of your masterpiece becoming permanently bonded to the un-cured varnish of your display base.
As an added touch, I made a name plate for the wood plaque. As shown in Figure 2, I created a name plate with clipart and printed it on regular copy paper. This was then affixed to 0.010†Evergreen black styrene using spray adhesive and cut to shape. The edges of the paper were then touched up with a black permanent marker. With its styrene backing, this name plate was temporarily attached to the wood plaque using rubber cement.
On some models, such as the F10, certain details are hidden. I like to provide a printout with pictures of these for both the judges and other modelers. In this case, the engine is not visible once the body is assembled, so I included a picture of that. I also did not necessarily want anyone picking the model up to see the wood skid plate on the underside – I included a picture of that as well.
I also filled out the table entry form ahead of time. Most contests will include these on their websites – filling the form out in advance saves time the morning of the show. I like to document the kit used, the paint brand and color, and anything special I’ve done to the model. Figure 3 shows the F10, the plaque, pictures, and table entry form all ready to take to the contest.
Figure 4 shows the model on the contest table.
Added time spent on display details may not improve your entry’s chances at scoring a medal – the contest is still about the model itself – but remember, it’s also a show!
