Snow may slow travel, but the calendar is heating up. We swap plans and call out standout events across the map, including BlizzCon in Columbus, AMPS Atlanta, 4M Mayhem in Michigan, Rochester’s Hope It Don’t Snow, and the Old Dominion Open in Richmond. For planning and entries, IPMSUSA.org remains the essential resource, with listings that stretch well into spring. That rhythm—research, build, show, repeat—keeps the hobby humming even when the weather says stay home.
Community is the thread. The Plastic Model Dojo has surged past 5,600 members, and the feed is full of show flyers, build logs, and finished models that show serious skill. We highlight a new Gemini book, and we touch on current work heading to Kennedy for Artemis, a reminder that the same care we bring to scale builds echoes in real-world engineering. It’s all connected: precision, patience, and the joy of making.
We also set up two upcoming topics that need your voice: what stops us from starting, and what do we truly get from this hobby—calm, community, challenge, or something else entirely? Share your story and help shape the conversation around motivation and meaning at the bench.
Subscribe for more modeling insights and show news, share this with a friend who needs cleaner canopies, and leave a review to help others find the pod. Got thoughts or tips to add? Send us a note and join the Dojo—your build might spark someone’s next breakthrough.
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SQUADRON
Adding to the stash since 1968
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Episode Transcript
Kev, tell everyone why you started Kit
Mask.
Kevin (KITMASX) (00:02):
Well, manually masking canopy sucks, and
somebody had to step in to savethose countless kits from the
shelf of doom.
Janelle (KitMasx) (00:10):
And now we've got over 400 sets and counting.
We've got old kits, new kits,forgotten kits, you name it.
Kevin (KITMASX) (00:15):
Yeah.
And if we don't have it, justask.
Janelle (KitMasx) (00:17):
Yeah, people don't realize we take custom
requests and we even have aservice that gets you canopy
masks for free.
Kevin (KITMASX) (00:22):
We do.
Janelle (KitMasx) (00:22):
Our masks are precision cut, they fit well,
they're easy to apply.
Kevin cuts and tests every set.
Kevin (KITMASX) (00:29):
Several times.
Janelle (KitMasx) (00:30):
Yeah.
Precision is kind of his thing.
Kevin (KITMASX) (00:32):
And Janelle, she does everything else.
She cares about each customerand is the heart of our
business.
Janelle (KitMasx) (00:37):
If you ever reach out, you're talking
directly to us.
Real people, real modelers.
Kevin (KITMASX) (00:42):
And if you don't love your masks, we'll
refund or replace them.
No questions asked.
Janelle (KitMasx) (00:46):
Visit kitmask.com, join the mailing
list, and treat yourself toeasier, cleaner masking.
Kevin (KITMASX) (00:52):
Kitmask, made by a modeler for modelers.
Janelle (KitMasx) (00:54):
Hey, what about me?
Kevin (KITMASX) (00:55):
You're not a modeler.
Kentucky Dave (01:16):
You know, I was reflecting on that today.
I cannot believe that we'realready 112th of the way through
2026.
Man, it's flying by.
Mike (01:27):
Well, I won't miss this snow and stuff.
I'm ready for this to be overwith.
Kentucky Dave (01:32):
No, and they're talking about another inch
tomorrow.
Mike (01:35):
Maybe.
Hope we get rain instead.
Kentucky Dave (01:39):
Yep.
Mike (01:40):
Melt the rest of these side streets, man.
This is a pain.
Kentucky Dave (01:42):
I'm telling you what, this stuff ain't gonna go
away anytime soon.
Mike (01:47):
Well, I'll tell you what is gonna go away soon, Dave, and
that is the 30% off your orderfrom KitMass up until
HeritageCon, which is March29th.
So Mojo 30 at checkout will getyou 30% off your order from
KitMass up until HeritageConkicks off.
So, folks, order some KitMass.
Support the business.
It's a good company, and uhthey'd like to hear from you.
Kentucky Dave (02:10):
Yep, and they'll go be at HeritageCon, and I've
got a couple of things alreadyI'm gonna pick up from them.
Mike (02:16):
Well, he may have something for me.
We'll see.
I don't know.
He didn't say it, but he sent mea box art picture of a kid I'd
been talking about.
He says, Is this the one?
I said, That's the one.
So we'll see what happens.
Kentucky Dave (02:28):
All right.
Mike (02:30):
Well, you know, we talk a little bit about where we're
going and where we've been.
We've not been anywhere becausewe've been snowed in our houses.
Yeah.
I'm not going anywhere inFebruary, I don't think.
What about you?
Kentucky Dave (02:42):
Skippy and I may run up to the Columbus show,
BlizzardCon, if there's noblizzard, because I'm sick of
this stuff.
But we he came over and wemodeled for a couple hours the
other day and talked about it.
We may do an up and back in aday run to Columbus.
(03:04):
We'll see.
Mike (03:04):
Well, that sounds fun.
Hope we get to go.
Kentucky Dave (03:07):
Yep.
Yep.
And then, of course, the big onewe're anticipating in March that
we are gonna go to isHeritageCon.
Mike (03:15):
That's next week's, though.
Our next month's.
Kentucky Dave (03:17):
You mean next month?
Yeah.
Mike (03:20):
Well, folks, don't forget the shows we mentioned in the
February model show Spotlight.
We we pitched Jackson.
We we mentioned Amps Atlanta andthe 4M Mayhem in Michigan.
And you just mentioned BlizzConhere in Region 4 in Columbus,
Ohio.
Our friends up in Minnesotamight be taking in the Hope It
Don't Snow show in Rochester.
Kentucky Dave (03:40):
They are.
Mike (03:40):
And then we'll know plenty of folks at the Old Dominion
Open in Richmond, Virginia.
So that's a lot going on inFebruary.
It's about when things reallyget kicking in the uh show
calendar.
Kentucky Dave (03:50):
It used to be that there was just rarely a
show in February.
Now the calendar's full of them.
Mike (03:57):
Well, folks, you can get a list of these at present or at
any time you want, just atIPMSUSA.org under the events tab
on the IPMS USA website.
And they got them listed outthrough most of the year, and it
kind of grows as the year goeson.
So but I don't know, February,March, and April are probably
pretty pretty fully populated atthis point.
Kentucky Dave (04:16):
And that just another service that your
national organization, IPMS USA,provides to the modeler.
Mike (04:28):
Well, Dave, we got two episodes in February, 157 and
158.
Kentucky Dave (04:33):
And I'm looking forward to both of them.
Mike (04:36):
Well, I think in 157 we're gonna go back and talk about his
fear targets topic.
We kind of skiddeb by on in whenwe were talking to Jim, but
that's okay.
That episode ended up prettygood in the end.
And uh this didn't quite getquite the traction I'd hope, but
it's gonna be talking about whatkeeps us from starting and what
keeps us what knocks us off ourtracks or stops us in our
(04:57):
tracks.
So uh I think that'll be aninteresting topic.
Kentucky Dave (05:00):
I agree.
Mike (05:01):
And 158 is gonna be what do you get from this hobby?
And we're gonna talk about uhwhat we get out of it
personally, and there'll be acall to action at the end of
this short episode to hopefullyget some input from from you
folks out there, what you getout of this hobby.
Kentucky Dave (05:16):
So I'm looking forward to both of those.
(05:42):
Well, we continue to grow as ofthis recording.
The dojo now has 5,664 members.
We'll be at 5,700 probably bythe end of February.
There are a lot of peopleposting their show flyers, and
of course, we're alwaysencouraging you to do that.
(06:04):
Now that February's rollingaround, and we mentioned all the
shows, people have done a reallygood job in the last year of
when they go to a show postingphotos in the dojo.
So I'm I'm expecting we're gonnaget a lot of show reports and
show photo features in the dojo.
(06:28):
And finally, I gotta say I'mimpressed with the amount of
modeling that is getting done inJanuary and getting posted to
the dojo.
People are posting a lot ofin-progress and finished models,
and man, there are some darngood modelers out there, man.
(06:51):
I'm telling you what, I amimpressed to to no end.
So keep that stuff coming, guys.
We really enjoy it.
I'm loving the interaction.
I never fail to page through andevery day see a post that
fascinates me in one way oranother, whether it's a new
(07:13):
product or a new new techniqueor or just somebody building a
kit I've always been interestedin.
Mike (07:21):
Well, in addition to the show flyers you mentioned, Mike
Bukowski out in Arizona postedhe's released a new book, Space
Related Book.
I think it's on the Geminicapsules?
Yep.
Or maybe the whole program.
I I don't know.
I didn't look at it yet, but Iwill.
It's certainly interesting.
And he had sent me an emailearlier if we minded him posting
that there.
And uh I appreciate asking aheadof time.
(07:42):
But if you got a book project orsomething you're working on or a
new product, go ahead and throwit up there and uh see what kind
of reaction you get.
And we appreciate Mike uhposting that up because we don't
get a lot of uh real spacecontent, and he's one of the
primary guys who does.
So if you're into that, check itout, check out his links and uh
see if that's something youmight want to pick up.
Kentucky Dave (08:01):
Yeah, and Gemini holds a special place for me uh
in real space simply because uhI was born in '61, so the
Mercury stuff was just a littlebit before my time.
But Gemini is the program that Ireally first remember and and
(08:25):
fell in love with space fromthat program.
And always thought that theGemini capsule looked really
cool.
So I can't wait.
I can't wait to get eyes on thatbook.
Mike (08:38):
Well, speaking of space, we just sent a load of stuff
down to KSC for this Artemis.
Artemis thing, so lookingforward to that.
Mike is sending stuff around themoon, man.
I hope.
We'll see.
Yep.
We'll see if it's on time ornot.
Let's hope.
Well, I don't want to I want itto be ready to go, not just
(08:58):
because they want it to go.
Exactly.
That might not end well.
Well, we invite you folks tojoin the Plasty Model Dojo over
on Facebook and uh look forwardto your contributions.
Well, folks, uh we want you toparticipate on the dojo.
(09:19):
We want you to participatethrough listener mail, and we
want you to contribute to ourepisodes too.
So we got a little call toaction here to let us know what
you get from this hobby.
There's lots of things you getout of the hobby, relaxation,
mental health, you name it, butuh, we'd really like to hear
from some of you folks to let usknow just how the scale modeling
hobby helps you out, helps youget your enjoyment and what what
kind of enjoyment you do get outof it.
(09:39):
So you can email us atplasticmodelmojo at gmail.com or
you can send us a direct messagethrough Facebook's uh direct
messaging system.
So uh we look forward to hearingfrom you folks.
Kentucky Dave (09:48):
I'm just looking forward to February, man.
Uh I'm I I think there's gonnabe a lot of great stuff going
on.
Mike (09:55):
All right.
Well, I'll see you in the restof the month, man.
Kentucky Dave (09:58):
I will too.
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