PLASTIC SURGEONS

IPMS WEST DES MOINES CHAPTER

JUNE/ JULY 2008: Well, we had our annual BBQ. This is the last BBQ at the store. Don provided us, once again, with mouth watering and gut stuffing delicious BBQ'ed meat. I know I stuffed myself. We'd like to thank all who came, and of course those who brought goodies. Well, the store is starting to look a little bare. Fewer and fewer shelves, less and less models. But, there is a ray of sunshine peeking through the clouds of despair. The club will survive!! We have decided to remain independent. We will remain....SURGEONS!!!! We haven't yet found a permanent meeting place, but we are getting close. The next meeting, JULY 31st, will be held at the Kinko's Fedex on University, across from Home Depot. This is Kevin's workplace, and he was able to reserve us the conference room. So if all goes well, this might be the new home of the surgeons. Of course, there is no display case, so y'all will have to stop using the store case as an overflow case. LOL, oh, wait, was that just me? Anyway, we are all looking forward to seeing the place. We have also reserved the Point of Grace church for next year's contest. Well, that's it for now. Stay tuned for the latest developments with the new meeting location, and happy modeling!!

MAY 2008: Ok, I know, pictures from the contest still aren't up. They're coming, I promise. My Computer doesn't seem to like them. Anyway, in other news, The Surgeons held their annual election. Greg Metge is still the Treasurer-4-Life. Kevin Nelson is now our new Secretary. A position I'm sure he'll do great work with. Dave Clarke remains our Vice-President, and Ed Sarnecki is now the new El-Presidente. Plans have been made for the club's annual BBQ. It is scheduled for July 17th, which is a normal meeting night. And speaking of meetings...the club is currently discussing options for a new meeting location. Greg has decided to retire and close the store, and we wish him all the best. This means we expect to see much more modeling from him in the future. LOL Current options under discussion are possible new meeting locations, including the Aviation Museum in Ankeny, the WDM public library, Hobby Haven, and Dave Clarke's workplace. There is also a standing offer from the Hawkeye Modelers to merge the clubs, and possibly rename them. We have till the end of August to decide, so if you have any thoughts or preferences, please let one of the officers know, or come to a meeting and voice your opinion. That's about it for now. Time to get back to sandbagging! No where did I put the boat....

APR 2008: Well, the 14th Annual Contest is now complete. This year marked some changes for the Surgeons' Contest. A new venue, new categories, and the addition of all vendors made for some tense days leading up to the event, but our fears were put to rest. The morning of the event threatened to destroy everything, with snow and temperatures in the low 30's. But by 10am, the registrations were pouring in, and the vendor room was packed. With over 200 entries, and about 10 vendors, the Contest was a success. We had a great raffle, with three tables of prizes, and everyone had a great time. A complete list of winners can be found under the contest section, and pictures should be up soon!

MAR/FEB 2008: Not a lot here, everyone's been working on contest prep. We did participate in the Revell National Make-n-take day. It was a great success, with about 16 kids showing up to build a 2009 Camaro Concept kit. Everyone had a great time!

JAN 2008: As I'm sure everyone has noticed, there haven't been any updates in a while. I must apologize. I have been working double, and sometimes triple shifts at work. And currently I am laid up after a tonsillectomy. So I have some time to do updates. We had the annual Christmas party, this year with a gift exchange. The Exchange went off pretty well, with some real nice gifts being given out. There is are new contest and meeting schedules up in the events page. And all the contest info is now up, as well as the online registration forms. its that time of year again, and dues need to be paid. Well, more updates to follow!

July / August: In an effort to save time and web space, July's update has been merged with August. Not much has happened over the past couple of months. A little more work on the contest preparation, but otherwise its been fairly quite around the operating room. But lets face it, scale modeling IS primarily a winter hobby. Summer is when we emerge from the workshop, get a little sun, cut some grass, and then return to our winter hibernation. We finally have the categories for the upcoming contest nailed down, and the contest section of the site will soon reopen with all the updated information.

August brought us the IPMS Nationals from Anaheim, CA. And while none of our members made the 2,000+ mile trip, photos and news of the contest has made its way to the Midwest. We've heard of some extraordinary models, as well as the normal happenings. On a local note, the first meeting of Sept. will bring a bit of a change. Our own Don Barry will be conducting a seminar on panel lines. He will be covering both pre-shading and washes on both raised and recessed panel lines. I, for one, am definitely looking forward to this one. So we hope to see everyone there!!!

JUNE 2007: Another month has passed, and we come to another update. There have been some changes to the website. All the pictures have been moved to a Photobucket account to free up some bandwidth. The new picture link takes you direct to the album, where you can choose from several albums, most with sub-albums. All of the site's photos are now on there. Progress has been made on the preparation for the 2008 Contest. A new venue will be used this year. Members voted to move the event to a new location in Waukee, which gives us more room and the opportunity to bring in outside vendors. This will be a test of the new venue, and if everything goes well, it may become a permanent location. Plans are also in the works to trim down the categories. Preliminary trimming has given us some new categories, while eliminating others. There will also be several category mergers. Show and tell this month brought out some goodies. Joe brought in several models in various stages of completion, including his finished 1/35 Leopard 2A4 with camo nettings. LOTZ of camo netting! Ray showed us his latest A/C. This time its was a Ruskie! Rob brought in a couple models including his 120mm Guard of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. He also brought in his finished WWII "Douce" fuel tanker and his Vietnam Memorial. Greg showed us his finished Tiger, while Don showed us a rather small demolition's vehicle. Overall it was a good month, and we cant wait for the next one. I can almost taste the BBQ!!!!!

MAY 2007: In an effort to make the website more streamlined [its getting big on the servers] updates will now be done Monthly. They will take place the weekend following the last meeting of the month. Now, onto the update. May is election month around the Operating Room. This years new Chief Surgeon [Pres] is Rob Folden. The Assistant Chief, Payroll Dept, and Secretary [VP, Tres, Sec] remained the same. With this change came a lot of talk of further changes. Namely, to the contest. A committee was elected to looking into changes for next years contest, including trimming of the categories, possible new venues, addition of vendors, and new trophies. The contest is tentatively scheduled for April 12, 2008. The Regional's are coming up. They will be held in Ottawa, IA on June 8th and 9th. It was also decided that this years BBQ will be members only, and will include a $5.00 per person cost. This month's show and tell brouht forth a lot of armor [imagine that]. we had a several repeats as well. Ross brought in the new DML Panzer IV F2-G smart kit. He says it is and excellent kit, with superb fit. The kit comes with some PE, and in Ross's words "you can't build it wrong!" Thats the type of kit we like. Don brought in his "finished" Marder III from DML. It is another excellent kit, and comes with WAY more stowage than would be carried. But thats a good thing! Don did an excellent job on this one. Joe brought in more small stuff. This time was an ICM made 1/72 BM-13/16 Katushya. Joe didnt have many kind words to say about this one. We had several other models this month. Ed brought in his finished M977 Ambulance. Rob broght in his 1/72 MC-130E Combat Talon. We also saw a great 1/35 105mm Howitzer Sherman with a dozer blade. Overall, it was a great month of May. And remember, the next update will come at the END of June.

16 April 2007: At long last, the contest has come to a close. It was a good contest this year. With 55 participants entering over 220 models. We also had 13 Junior entries this year. We had several vendors, as well as, a great raffle. This year was the first time we've had both a regular and a super raffle. Prizes varied, with an Iwata Airbrush, Pasche Compressor, and a 1:48 B-1B making up the super raffle. This year also marked the beginning of the Gill Wheeler Memorial Award. This award was formerly known as the Judge's Grand Award. Earlier this year, the modeling community lost one of its own. Gill Wheeler was one of the founding members of the IPMS- Hawkeye Modelers. He was also a member of the Surgeons. Gill was an excellent modeler, and a good friend. He had been dealing with illness for a long time. Gill's grandson, Brett Stewart, presented the award at this years contest to Joe Teleczan, for his beautifully done F-86-D Saber Dog. This award is voted on by all the judges. Also new this year, the return of the Plastic Surgeons Traveling award. This award is given out each year to member of the surgeons. This year it was awarded to Rob Folden, for Club Member of the Year. Rob has been a Surgeon for about two years now. In that time he has been very active in the club, taking the initiative in creating and maintaining the Surgeon's Website. Rob also instituted online registration this year, which helped alleviate some of the registration congestion this year. Rob is an accomplished modeler, who's skills have grown and earned him several awards throughout the state. Congratulations go out to Joe and Rob for their awards, as well as all the other winners this year. A complete list of winners can be found HERE.

NOTE- Updates for the end of March and the beginning of April are not available due to switching over the website servers.

16 Mar 2007: Okay, after a LONG hiatus, I finally have access to the site again. So let the updates continue. This is the second meeting of the month, one to go. And we are closing in on the April 14th Contest. This weekend is the contest in Omaha, and that kicks off the series. Now, a little info over the past couple months....We are nearing the end of the kit drive for the soldiers in Iraq. The deadline was supposed to be March 1st, however due to the weather and injuries to yours truly, I haven't picked them up yet. I will this weekend. We've also had a lot of models come through the meetings, so make sure to stop in the gallery and take a look. I have uploaded some pics from the past few meetings, as well as the most recent. Now, this meeting we got to see a plethora of models. So many, in fact, that I just cant remember them all. I suppose I should start taking notes. anyway, see you all in Omaha!

4 Jan 2007: Well, as we embark on a new year, we find ourselves faced with business to tend to. To begin with, we find ourselves with a new regional director. We have elected Chris R to write our new director a letter outlining who we are, and what we do. This should be interesting. Have they ever blacklisted an IPMS chapter before? We also voted to donate to the WWII Submariner's Memorial Fund. this fund will go towards a WWII Submarine's Memorial near downtown DSM. And continuing with the giving spirit, we have decided to take up a collection of kits and supplies to send overseas to FOB Diamondback and the 399th Combat Support Hospital. They are looking for supplies, as well as kits in the form of 1/48 and 1/72 modern aircraft, helos, nascar, and modern armor. Donations can be made at Great Hobby Adventures. Please help out our troops!! In show and tell this week, we had a good showing, with some big models. First up was Don with his now finished 1/72 Sherman VC Firefly. The model looks great, Don! Next up was Ross withi his 1/35 Hummel. This time, in technicolor!! Just kidding, but the paint looks great. Next up was, um, well it was some parts. Kevin brought in the cockpit to his 1/48 Fw-109-5, featuring color PE from Eduard!! Can't wait to start some of my color PE cockpits. Rob was up next, and in his usual fashion, he brought in the big boy. His 1/72 KC-135A Stratotanker featured resin and PE details, as well as custom decals for the 185th ARW out of Souix City, IA. Ray brought in a fictional A/C. A Battle of Britain 'Movie' 1/48 Buchon HA-1112 in German markings. Joe was up last. First up was his 1/48 Spitfire 5B. This is Joe's first FINISHED A/C. And it looks good. Next up was his 1/35 AIFV [Armored Infantry Fighting Vehicle] YPR-765. It was still a WIP, but was quite different looking. Last up was his well built and nicely detailed 1/35 Ariete Italian Main Battle Tank. This was built OOB, with the only color choice available....green.

21 Dec 2006: Well, normally there would be an update here, but...there isnt! The final meeting of the year consisted of show and tell and a big party and BS session. This years X-mas bartender, Chris R. Models were fairly scarce this time around. Starting things off was Kyle with his 1/48 P-47 Thunderbolt. The model was well built, however Kyle had some trouble with the kit decals. Next up was his grandpa, Ray, with a 1/35 SDKFZ Half track mounting a 30mm AA gun in the "drive-by" position. It was well built, and well detailed. Next up was Rob with the Battle Bus, a Vietnam era 1/35 LVTP 5A. The model featured a resin interior, and tons of PE details and resin stowage. The base was custom made to resemble that good ol' Vietnam red clay. Last up was Don with his tiny 1/72 Sherman Firefly. the model was well built and VERY well detailed for its small size. Don also had his 1/35 King Tiger on hand. Well folks, that ends the year for us. We'll be back in January 2007!!!!

7 Dec 2006: "A day that will live in infamy!" -President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Yes, my fellow surgeons, today is Pearl Harbor Day! And what better way to celebrate, than to have the first meeting of December, and the first meeting in over a month! And being it has been a month, a BIG MEETING it was. First up was information on the forthcoming WWII US Submariner's Memorial which will be here in Iowa. Chris has been in talks with some of the Vets spearheading the memorial about possibly building some WWII naval ships. Rob brought news about the website registration, and plans were made to continue the registry through May of 2008 [for now]. And continuing along the path of renewals, we now have confirmation. We are renewed with IPMS has a chapter, and are on the IPMS site for our upcoming contest. We have also received the gift certificate to Meteor Models, courtesy of IPMS, and have decided to put it to use on raffle prizes for the contest. Plans were also made for the next meeting, which will double as this years X-mas party. Food will be provided by Subway, and there will also be some libations. SOOOO, with all business concluded, onto the plastique!!! With the Russians building up for a return to the table, we kick things off with Bill and his 1/35 3cm Jaboshreck and German troops. The troops were very well done, as a couple of the pics from the meeting show. Next up was aircraft central with Rob bringing 4 different models this week. first up was his pair of F-111's. The first was a 1/72 EF-111A Raven. Rob built this OOB with subtle weathering and great exhaust. Well one for a Monogram kit. the second, was an F-111E Aardvark. This was done with aftermarket decals depicting the 48th TFW. The camo and weathering were spot on. Next up was a perfect find, given the date, a 1/72 WWI PT-13 Navy Stearman. The model was well done, and very detailed for its small size. Last up, nicknamed the espresso machine, was a 1/32 Glencoe Models XV-1 Convertiplane. This was the great grand daddy to the XV-22 Osprey. The finish was superb with multiple shades of metalizer and chrome. Next up, a rare find on the table, a car. A 1/24 1967 El Camino, to be exact. Expertly built by Don as a gift for his dad, the original driver of the 1:1 El Camino. Don also brought in his 1/35 Tiger I with real chipped paint!! The figures were well done too. Greg brought back his finished 1/35 Tiger I with Porsche Turret. The weathering and white wash looked great. Kyle brought in an M3 Lee. Its weathering and paint looked great. Cant wait to see his builds in a few years. Show winning for sure. His Grandpa, Ray, brought back his now finished P-61A Widow Maker, now named the "Bat outa Hell". The a/c was well done, and no one would have guessed it was 26yrs old. Ross brought in a WIP 1/35 German Panzerjager Elephant. And lastly, Joe brought back his 1/72 Tornado, still not finished. He also brought in a finished 1/35 M-551 Sheridan in Vietnam configuration. The weathering was very, um, red dirt.

26 Oct 2006: And October comes to a close, just as fast as it began. A heads up though, there will only be one meeting for November due to Thanksgiving. November 9th will be the only meeting, then we jump forward to December 7th. Which as we all know, is Pearl Harbor Day. Now, on to meeting notes. Not much really, we got an extensive listing of upcoming releases from the major manufacturers, including my favorite THREE Strykers. As for models this week, Greg brought back his 1/35 Tiger I with Porsche turret. He's got a lot done, including a ton of PE details. Still no paint though. Don brought in a SDKFZ Radio car [missing an aerial], but oddly enough it was in gloss grey and looked VERY clean. Don also brought in his 1/72 Tornado RAF fighter/bomber. Which was beautifully done and worked in comparison with British Dave's WIP tornado. This was Dave's first real use of his airbrush. Welcome to the air club. Bill brought in some expertly done Dragon 1/35 Gen 2 German figures. The splinter camo was perfect. Rob brought in his 1/72 RAF Hawker's Siddeley Hawk which, admittedly, wasn't the best. He also brought in a 1/48th UH-1D AirCav Huey on a rather interesting display base. Lastly [you know they come in threes] Rob brought in a WIP A-1H Skyraider in USAF Vietnam colors.

12 Oct 2006: Yippe! We've finally entered October!!! Ok, so I'm a little biased as this weeks meeting falls a couple days after my birthday. But enough of that, on to the good stuff. First off, the Hawkeye Modeler's contest was this past weekend. And several of the Surgeons were in attendance. Bill took home a 3rd place medal in the Armor category for his 1/35 OIF M2A2 Bradley at the Baghdad Int'l Airport. The model was well done, and the base looked spot on. Rob also took home some awards: 3rd place Aircraft for his 1/35 CH-47A Chinook, 1st place Aircraft for his 1/35 MH-60L DAP Blackhawk, 3rd place Automotive for his 1/25 CHP Cruiser, and 1st place Armor for his 1/35 Fall of Saddam diorama. The highlight of the day was definitely the vendor tables, with several people getting some good buys. Still no reports from AMPS. Oh well, on to the models!!! Starting off this week, Rory brought back his 1/35 Merkava III. Still in the WIP stage, but at least it has tracks now. Don brought back his finished 1/16th German figure. The painting was unbelievably done. Don also brought in a 1/285 scale Russian Scud Launcher. for something only an inch long, it still packed a ton of detail. Greg brought in a WIP 1/35 King Tiger with Porsche turret. Rob dusted off and brought in his award winning 1/25 CHP Crown Vic. Rob also brought in his finished 1/12 F-16C Cockpit featuring the ACES II Ejection seat. The detail on the cockpit was very superb straight from the box. Kevin also dusted off and brought in a 1/35 British Cromwell tank, as well as a dusted off 1/35 German Tiger I with white wash. In the theme of the night, Bill pulled a 1/35 SDKFZ 222 Armored Car off his shelf and brought it in. Bill, however, did not dust his model off.

29 Sept 2006: Well, we've closed out another month, only 3 to go. And with the new year approaching, it comes time for planning. And this weeks meeting begins the fun. We started off with information on the chapter's renewal with IPMS-USA, as well as a reminder to all members to renew your membership!!! We also received confirmation on next years contest. It will be held on April 14th, 2007 at the Valley Church on Mills Civic Pkwy. We lost the vendor room this time, but we've received permission to use the hallways for vendor tables. So it might be better. Upcoming at the beginning of October we have the I-CON Swap meet/contest held by the Hawkeye Modelers. It will be at the Senior Center on Aurora Ave [7300 block] in Urbandale. On the same day, however, is the AMPS Contest in Omaha, NE. Decisions, decisions. And now, the main event!!!! Startng off this week's show and tell, the Ruskies are back, and Rory leads the pack with a 1/35 Prototype Merkava III WIP featuring a few Legends details. We received a lesson in chrome from Rick, who showed us his experiment in metals. It features a grouping of plastic spoons comparing Alclad, Dupli-color, and Testors Metalizers. It was VERY valuable to all, who were able to see the difference not only in the products, but their reaction to different primer coats. Greg brought back his 1/35 Captured British truck, featuring a German Flak gun. The model is now complete, with a dioramic base. Greg's weathering was well done, and shows that Bragden powder can be sprayed through an airbrush. Good info to know. We welcomed a new-comer this week. John joined us and brought in his 1/24 Mellow Yellow #42 NASCAR. The model featured a wired engine, and was John's first use of an airbrush. Don brought in some small armor, starting off with a 1/72 Challenger II. He also brought in a 1/72 Panzerhaubitze [PzH] 2000 and a 1/72 Tiger with Zimmerit. Rob provided us with the heavy firepower. First up was his USMC 1/35 LVTP-7 [AAV-7] featuring a desert camo scheme and a ton of stowage. Up next was his 1/35 M109A6 Paladin. The model featured a Legends M2 MG and a Trakz resin interior. All the hatches were working, as well as the gun and breach. We think Rob may be a little insane now. And to provide air support, Ray brought in a P-61A Widow Maker that he bought over 26yrs ago, and is just now getting to. Makes me wonder when I'll get to some of mine. The P-61A is still under construction, but we all know its going to look great.

14 Sept 2006: September is half over, and another meeting has come and gone. Meetings notes include discussion of the upcoming Nordicon and Rockford Airfest, both the weekend of the 23rd. We got some updates on upcoming and new releases: sorry Joe, you'll have to keep waiting for that Transal C-160. Show and tell brought in the big guns, starting off with Wade Beck's 1:16 Weideco Peterbilt Semi, built almost entirely out of metal. The Peterbilt is still a WIP, but is still stunning in its bare metal state. The Semi will eventually be RC, with a matching trailer. Bill brought back his now finished ODS M2A2 Bradley IFV. It features a great paint and weathering job, as well as "Verlinden Style" stowage! [Its an inside joke] Rob brought in a 1:6 RC Lead Sled, which was stripped down and rebuilt from a West Coast Choppers RC car. Not exactly a model, but still fun to look at. Rob also brought in the new Dragon 1/144 UH-60L Blackhawk. For being such a small helo, it still packs a lot of detail. And speaking of helo's, we finally got the chance to see Trumpeter's new 1/35 CH-47A Chinook. Rob brought in a nicely built 1st Air Cav [AirMobile] Hook, and the detail and paint was exceptional. And no, he did not build it in a day. It took him 3 months. British Dave and German Joe brought in their partner builds, 2 1/72 Tornado fighters. Joe is doing the German AF anniversary Tornado, while Dave is doing an RAF Tornado. Both were supposed to be done 2 weeks ago, and as we saw, they haven't even finished the cockpits. Never set deadlines. You'll never meet them in this hobby.

11 Sept 2006: In addition to being a national day of remembrance for those lost in the attacks of 9/11/01, this day also marks the launch of the club's renovated website.

31 Aug 2006: Well, we finally have the website back up and running!!! Information on the upcoming Rockford Airfest 2006 is now up on the main page. I know I'll be going. We also welcomed a newcomer to the group, Bill, who is a Drake Pharmacy student and brings with him an impressive modeling resume as he has been published in the 2006 Walther Catalog. Way to go, Bill!!! The Show and Tell table was full to the end this week. British Dave brought in his 1/35 GAS Assault Diorama. The scratchbuilt building was amazing. Those IPMS judges need glasses. Army Rob brought back his finished MH-60L DAP Blackhawk. The detail is almost scary. He matched it this week with a 1/35 AH-1W Super Cobra, sporting a custom US Army Sky Soldiers Cobra Demo team paint scheme. He has stated that the paint scheme has upset several USMC Cobra Pilots. I say, "Toughen up, Marines!" Don brought in a WIP, a 1/16th German Figure. The detail and superb fit of the resin figure was almost hard to fathom. Greg brought back his 1/35 captured British cargo truck, this time sporting a 20mm AA cannon in the bed. Ross brought in his slow WIP 1/35 SDKFZ 234/1. Rob brought in his WIP 1/35 german flatbed railcar, as well as a 1/35 Tiger 1 [late]. And our new addition, Bill brought in a 1/35 ODS M2A2 Bradley IFV, oddly paired with a 1/35 German Tiger 1 [early]. Keep an eye out, if all goes well, the website should be getting a facelift soon!!

3 Aug 2006: Another one bites the dust! First let me say, to those of you lucky bastards who went down to nationals, you'll never know what you missed. And to the girls at this weeks meeting, THANK YOU!!!! Now onward to the battle. This weeks meeting brought back the long awaited "Doc Talk" newsletter. The meeting was kept fairly short due to a lack of attendance, those SOBs that went to Nationals. The meeting was pretty much just a show and tell session. It started off with Dave brought in a 1/72 field artillery WIP. I still say he's nuts for building something so fichen small. Ray brought back his 1/35 Panzer III WIP. Its looking better every time we see it. Kevin brought in a finished Pacific Theatre P-40E in 1/48 scale. The paint and decals looked crisp and well weathered. Rob brought in a 1/35 scratchbuilt 70ton heavy transport trailer. Its still in its early stages, but we can already see the possibilities. He also brought back his WIP 1/35 diorama of the fall of Saddam. The groundwork, M88 and statue are done, as well as several of the US Marine figures. We all know who to ask about desert camo. And at the end of the table [usually the beginning] Greg showed us his 1/35 WIP British Artillery transport truck. Its looking good so far, for a Brit.

20 July 2006: Inching closer to the Nationals!!!! The last meeting prior to the big event was held this past Thursday night, and you can feel the anticipation in the air. The next meeting will actually be held during Nationals [for those not attending]. A note to those who purchased club shirts, they are in and need to be picked up at the earliest convenience. Remember, we know where you live, and we will hunt you down. And on to the models. First up, Kevin brought in a 1/35 Panzer IV-E done up for the Africa Corps. The weathering job was quite unique, but extremely effective. Don brought back his 120mm Airborne Vietnam figure. Its now finished, and WOW! I think he has gone voodoo and is shrinking people instead of just heads. And speaking of heads, Rob brought in a rather rare sight, a 1:1 scale T-800 terminator skull, complete with glowing red eyes. Rob also brought in a 120mm Mk19 Grenade Launcher and his 1/35 M88A1 WIP with its 1/35 Saddam Statue. Can wait to see that diorama finished. Kyle brought in a nicely done 1/25 Hummer H2 Custom. The interior looked great and the window tint was awesome. And at the end of the table [its funny, one end is always Rory, and the other end is always Joe] Joe brought back his finished M2A3 OIF Bradley. Subtle weathering gave this one that desert combat feel. See everyone next time, whether at the meeting or at nationals!!

6 July 2006: Well, another meeting down. Just a short and sweet meeting. We recapped the election results and discussed the upcoming IPMS Nationals in Kansas cIty, MO, August 2nd through the 5th. We've learned they have opened up more rooms in the hotel, so hurry and get yours!!! And onto everyone's favorite part of the update....drumroll please.....SHOW AND TELL!!! Rory started us off with his almost complete 1:35 Char B and his WIP 1:35 Russian T-80. Still cant get over that green plastic. Don brought in his 120mm Vietnam Airborne trooper [well, part of him]. The airbrushed detail and shadowing was amazing. Rob brought in the Army, well, part of it anyway. He started off with a 1:35 M997 HEMMIT with scratch built cargo pallets. The camo job was excellent. He also brought in two parts-box build-ups: an M47 Patton and a M48a2 Patton, both in 1:35. And finally, Rob brought in a vintage kit. A Kaman HH-43b Huskie made by Hawk, circa 1960's. The model was in 1:32 and was well built, however the 40yo decals were a little yellowed. finally, Joe brought back his Marder III, this time finished! It looked great. He also brought in two WIPs: a 1/48 Spitfire and a 1/35 M2A3 Bradley OIF.

22 June 2006: Man am I stuffed after that last meeting! What a great meeting. Don's BBQ was excellent and I'm not quite sure there was any left-over's. The elections were held and the results are in [Florida didn't vote]. The five new officers are: Webmaster [for life]- Rob Folden, Treasurer [for life, lol]- Greg Metge, Secretary- Dave Beatis , Vice-President- Dave Clark, and the new "el-presidente" - Joe Lotz. Greg brought in a well detailed diorama of 1/35 German WWII vehicles in a wooded area. The figures were way above excellent. Rob brought in a beat up 1/35 Iraqi T-55 diorama which was modeled after a captured T-55 on display at Camp Dodge in Johnston, IA. He also brought in a 1/72 Lockheed AC-130A Spectra gunship known as "Azrael". The aircraft was well done, and features handmade nose art decals featuring the Spectra skeleton firing a minigun. Ray brought in a 1/48 P=38 Lightning that was well built and paid homage to a great WWII pilot. Thom brought in an excellent Chinese Auto gyro [not sure about scale] which featured a custom made stabilizer. And Joe brought back his 1/35 Marder III, this time with paint!

8 June 2006: Hey guys, another meeting in the books. And another week closer to the elections and the Party!! This meeting was more of a show-n-tell and story time meeting. Rob gave us the run-down on the recent Quad City Air Show. We discussed the new website and its corresponding forum. And then we got to the fun portion - models. Tom showed us his WIP Ferrari F430, and its one sleek car. Rob brought the US Army with him this week. He started off with a 1/35 M163 Vulcan, which featured a scratch built 20mm cannon, actuators, and ammo belt. Rob also brought a 1/35 Howitzer convoy: and M35A2 "Duce and a half" towing an M322 ammo trailer towing an M102- 105mm Howitzer. Detailed included moveable sections and tons of cargo. Joe brought in a 1/35 Marder III WIP. He also brought in a 1/72 King Tiger [Tiger II] which was wonderfully built and a 1/72 ZSU 12-1, which in Joe's own word "a pain in the ***". But he still did a heck of a job. Remember, June 22nd!!!

25 May 2006: Wow, has it been two weeks already? Well this week turned out to be the week we've all been waiting for, patiently I might add. The Surgeon's shirts are in!!! Tom finally got the shirts dropped off to the shop, and not a minute too soon. I was already getting the hunting rifle ready. T-shirts are $11 and polo's are $13, unless you eat well, like me, then its $13 and $15. Shirts can be picked up at the shop, with checks payable to IPMS. There was more discussion of the upcoming elections and BBQ, but still no nominations for officers. Seems like we might be electing however fails to show to the meeting. There was also discussion of the newly launched website, and the new domain name: www.ipms-plasticsurgeons.com. Show and tell time brought a surprise, a car! Thats right the military mix was polluted by a 1/24 1966 Buick Riviera Custom brought in by Rob Folden. Don Barry brought back his 1/25th Panther G, and wow does it look good. Greg Metge brought in a nicely detailed 1/35 SDKFZ 250/1. Great job on the interior, Greg. Joe Lots brought a couple workbench models: a 1/700 USS San Diego and a 1/72 WWII 1-12 gun truck. He also brought in his finished 1/35 Japanese Type-90 battle tank with mine rollers. The most impressive part to the Type-90 was the mine roller, which included assembled chains.

11 May 2006: This weeks meeting brought forth discussion of the upcoming elections, and of the annual "Post-contest Bash". This years elections will be held on June 22nd, which coincidentally will also be the annual bash. There is talk that some officers may not be running for re-election due to work schedules, and there is already some speculation as to who the new government will be. The annual bash will be catered by the amazing BBQ master himself, Don Barry. And its expected to be one hell of a shindig! The show and tell portion brought out a lot of workbench models, including a great WWII tank with metal tracks. We also got to see a real good WWII German jet, and a modern day US Army recovery vehicle [aptly nicknamed the paperweight]. After the meeting, some boastful bragging lead to a weight contest between Rob Folden's M578 Recovery Vehicle and one of Rory Martin's expertly built Russian tanks. The Russian weighed in at an impressive 648grams, but the M578 took top bragging rights with an astounding 932grams [over 16oz!].

27 April 2006: The Surgeons held their bi-weekly meeting today. The recent contest stats were announced. This year's contest had an awesome turnout of over 200 models with more than 50 individuals participating. This year's raffle also did good with donations from several area vendors and club members. The club also discussed the new club shirts, which are currently being printed in two styles, t-shirts and polo shirts, and should be available soon. Also discussed was the new club website. The new site is being designed and hosted by club member Rob Folden. The "Show and Tell" portion of the meeting gave club members a real treat, their first look at the new Revell of Germany 1:72 German U-boat. The U-boat was brought in by Francisco Melendez, who also brought in a 1:48 F4F-3 Mosquito. Also on display at this week's meeting were a 54mm 18th C. British Carronade brought in by Rob Folden, and a 1:35 British AS90 Self-Propelled Howitzer and two 1:72 armor pieces by Joe Lotz. The next meeting is scheduled for May 11th, same bat time, same bat channel.

22 April 2006: The West Des Moines Plastic Surgeons held their 12th Annual model contest today at the Valley Free Church on Mills Civic Pkwy, in West Des Moines. The turn out was great, with several tables full of contest entries. Contest categories included Juniors, Dioramas, Figures, Space, Ships, Misc., and various categories of Aircraft and Armor. Contest participants came from all over the Midwest including Omaha, Kansas City, Indiana, and all over Iowa. The vendor area looked like most club members' garages and workshops, with models stacked almost to the ceiling. Several raffles were held throughout the day, with a couple of members making out like bandits [you know who you are]. The Judges' Award went to a scratch built corn shucker [built entirely of brass from measurements from and original machine!]. And Best of Show went to a WWII Ford Quad tractor and artillery trailers. To see some of the amazing entries, click here and visit the gallery.