On Wed, Dec 7, 2011 at 2:51 PM, Bill Welch <fgexbill@...> wrote:
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Regarding the proposed Friday Night Panel Discussion, this is my take on one of the possibilities. With the number of models in styrene and resin, a number of possibilities have been created to modify these existing kits with new additional parts and expanding the modeling possibilities. A good example is the styrene Half-Door kit offered a few years ago by Standard Car Company, an offshoot I believe of New England Rail Service, and meant to be used with Accurail's 8-panel SS boxcar to create a GTW model, now one of my favorites. Sunshine Models has done several Mini-Kits taking advantage of existing kits. Sunshine also offered four kits years ago under the Uni-Body banner and Speedwitch is a more current example of using existing styrene kits combined with resin and other media.
Using resin and other media to make small runs of parts to alter other existing kits is a natural followup to these examples. I am currently working on a small project, with the help of Tom Madden, that will involve one resin part, a fret of photo-etch and decals. I think everyone has a similar project in their head but keep waiting for someone else to do it. I think one of the potential outcomes of this discussion is that we can begin to see and understand that each of us is "that someone else." It is difficult to transfer our passion for something to someone else. With projects of limited scope or interest or limited profit margins, or with too many fiddlely steps to interest the usual sellers of kits, what Clark and Chad have demonstrated may be the way to go with variations to deal with different levels of complexity or simplicity. It is premature to worry about outcomes. I would suggest showing up with an open mind instead of wanting to make sure each of our agendas will be satisfied before we go to bed that evening. In the course of the evening anyone of us may have an "Ah Ha!" moment if we keep an open mind.
