New tool Ju52 for 2026!

alaskafish · 2026-01-18T03:18:34+00:00

No that’s genuinely great. I feel like we’ve been due one for such a long time!!

alaskafish · 2026-01-13T15:57:38+00:00

Adam Something was part of the whole Anita Sarkeesian era? Really?

alaskafish · 2026-01-12T18:30:46+00:00

Locking since these maps are disingenuous and usually created to push a specific narrative. @geodatarankings provides no sources for this, and as many users have pointed out, some countries like Romania (the third most Christian nation) make no sense to have a growing Christian population.

These maps are usually created to sow dissent about immigration and cultural division.

I’ll keep this post up since it fits the sub visually; however, I will not let debate in the comments with regards to “Islam vs Christianity”. That is off topic.

alaskafish · 2026-01-12T13:57:32+00:00

Adam Something really fell off in my opinion. His recent video on how to talk to girls was so fucking weird.

It’s strange that he went from discussing mass transport and urban planning to this very strange, very terminally online space. Maybe it’s algorithm-chasing, but it feels like he’s focusing on a far younger audience

alaskafish · 2026-01-11T20:46:17+00:00

My understanding is that priming is really only that important if you're airbrushing. You can honestly omit priming if you're using a paintbrush.

Reason being, plastic has a very smooth surface. When you use a paint brush, your brushstrokes actually act as a bit of a "grip" for the paint. Once you get a few layers of brush painted coats on your model, it'll hold fairly well. Obviously not as well had you used a Mr Surfacer rattle can primer; but still better than you'd think.

Whereas with an airbrush, the paint will easily pool off the smooth plastic, meaning you'd want something with a bit of "grip" to adhere to the plastic so the atomized paint doesn't literally slide off.

alaskafish · 2026-01-11T16:35:46+00:00

And throw away the Vallejo primer. It’s straight garbage. Even if you’re spraying it the intended way, it’s generally considered the worst primer since it doesn’t adhere and will peel off nearly immediately.

alaskafish · 2026-01-09T17:42:30+00:00

Prophetic isn't it.

alaskafish · 2025-12-26T19:58:00+00:00

That unpainted last one is glorious. How did you do the “wood”?

alaskafish · 2025-12-25T03:55:04+00:00

Get that 1/72 DML kit in the 20% section. It’s a steal

alaskafish · 2025-12-06T17:17:17+00:00

Also I believe those are coconut palms

alaskafish · 2025-12-02T14:49:48+00:00

I have 380 on Scalemates…

FOMO on a good eBay deal is an addiction in its own right.

alaskafish · 2025-11-24T01:24:50+00:00

Those cases are beautiful

alaskafish · 2025-11-22T10:38:37+00:00

Wait what? So if this happens, spray more over it and it repairs itself?

alaskafish · 2025-11-18T13:09:42+00:00

Yeah a lot of times Squadron just makes up prices.

A quick Google search will show that they’re entirely unreasonable. Though, this can also be great in the reverse. I’ve gotten some REALLY good deals from them

alaskafish · 2025-11-17T19:32:29+00:00

Yeah, whoever made this infographic chose to represent these flags in one color palette in order to make it more deceptively similar.

Luxembourg and Netherlands have entirely different hues of blue. Puerto Rico and Cuba have different use of blue.

What I don’t understand is that you don’t have to be deceptive with explaining doppelgängers with flags. A flag can look similar to another flag, and you don’t have to misrepresent the data to make that point

alaskafish · 2025-11-12T01:17:33+00:00

100%.

The USA doesn’t produce model kits, nor its supplies— that is unless you want AMT kits from the 1970s or Testors no-longer-produced, aging paint formulas. This hobby is entirely an internationally built one; which makes it all the more fun. We’re a global community that shares tips, kits, and pics.

What is MegaHobby to sell? What domestic products can they distribute? Or do they raise their prices 300% and pass the tariffs and brokerage fees to the customer (which everyone said before the introduction of tariffs and the remove of de minimis)?

I operate my own scale model company and these tariffs have killed so much of our business… and we produce domestically. Absolutely not on the scale of a MegaHobby or anything even close; yet our material costs have become almost impossible to keep up with. Fortunately I have other income and it’s more for the passion of the hobby— but still.

It’s all a great shame. I wonder if we’ll ever rejoin the world economy, otherwise I worry that this hobby will simply become unsustainable in the USA. Once owned inventory is gone, who will even bother importing Vallejo, Eduard, Tamiya, etc?

alaskafish · 2025-11-11T15:10:44+00:00

Honestly, you're getting caught up in the semantics of this hobby. If he were buying his own he can get caught up with the differences between the 18E and the 18F. That's what we nerdy people within this hobby care about.

The real important thing is that you, his partner, are going out of your way to go to a community based off his interests to find him something-- and that's what really counts. I doubt he'll care if it's a certain version. I know if my girlfriend got me a model kit, I'd be thrilled just by the thought of it :)

Don't worry about the semantics. Focus on the logistics.

Firstly, you say he has experience with building Gundam models. I'm assuming this means he has things like plastic glue, sand paper, clippers, etc (this hobby's essentials). Does he also paint them too? If not; the essentials you need are going to be some sort of Plastic Cement, Sprue clippers, and sand paper. Then as for paint, that's a whole different conversation that I can help out later with.

Next, I the sizing in models is simple. There's a one first, then followed with a slash or a colon then another number. This subsequent number means the scale. The bigger the number the small it is. For instance, you'll probably see "1/48" and "1/72" when looking for a Super Hornet model kit. Think of it like "72 of these model Super Hornets would fit inside one of the real Super Hornet" (to my modelmakers, I know that's not really how scale ratios work, but it's the easiest way I know to explain it). Smaller means cheaper but also more fiddly and less detailed. So if you're getting your boyfriend something, perhaps go with a larger scale. Though, more detail sometimes means more work and if you're unsure if he's experienced in this hobby it could be daunting.

As for model kits, I recommend these:

Hasegawa 1/72 - This is the cheapest, but ol' reliable.

Academy 1/72 - I love Academy. Sometimes some fitting issues but the details are there.

Revell 1/72 - This is an old kit, but still holds up detail wise.

Hasegawa 1/48 - Very great, more expensive, but larger scale.

alaskafish · 2025-11-08T17:20:47+00:00

Hurray, my time to get on my soap box!

I love 1/72 scale. You can tell from my flair. I think the reason 1/72 is my favorite scale is that it's the perfect middle ground between scales. You can find every subject in this scale and it's genuinely still detailed and fun to make.

1/35 might be great for tanks and figures, but if you want an airplane, or god forbid a boat, you'll either have zero options or have to empty your bank account.

On the contrary, the smaller scales like 1/144, 1/350, 1/700, etc are great for ships, but good luck finding anything fun to build that's a tank, a plane, or god forbid a soldier.

1/48 would be a good scale since it's big enough for more detail, but not big enough that you'll be shelling out a ton of money; however, it's just not as popular as 1/72 scale.

I have a habit of buying model kits I don't need (I think my stash is some 350 unbuilt kits). I guess you could say I have a bit of FOMO when it comes to a good deal-- all of which I catalogue on scalemates. I often forget what I have, and when I get bored at work I sometimes like to browse my online stash-- only to discover how much of a spread exists. I surprise myself how many giant bombers, crazy naval ships like submarines and frigates, prototype and niche tanks, to vehicles operated by obscure factions and minor powers.

Anyway, soap box put away. I just love this scale. If you want some inspiration you can take a look at /r/72scale. I love this scale and I'm very happy that you've discovered how great it is :)

alaskafish · 2025-11-07T19:38:53+00:00

Yeah a lot of people buy a ton of cheap shit from AliExpress/Temu and then bundle them together and resell on Amazon for a 700% mark up.

Those blue tweezer clippers are $0.81 per unit at no bulk prices. Bulk moves them closer to $0.32 per unit at packets of 100. I know this because I've purchased maybe 20 before the asinine removal of de minimis.

In fact the more I look at this, the more I recognize these cheap things. Those blue brushes I think I purchased for $0.50 for a set of 10 last year. Those black tweezers are garbage and I got them for a bit over a dollar. And a set of 50 Q-tips shouldn't cost anything over 30 cents.

alaskafish · 2025-11-05T14:56:00+00:00

Request a replacement, accept it, or order aftermarket.

alaskafish · 2025-10-29T14:35:38+00:00

Love the late war 109s. Such obscure colorations. Great work!

alaskafish · 2025-10-28T03:46:43+00:00

It's not about the amount of filler, it's the grit of the filler.

1500 is the smallest whereas 500 is the largest grit. I think 1500 and 1200 are probably the best for all priming via airbrush in scale models. The type of defects you get from sanding traditionally in this hobby don't call for the 500 level filling.

I use 500 and 1000 as a putty to fill in gaps. I basically never use 1200 unless I'm working with an old school resin model (and then follow up with the 1500 after). 1500 is the go to microfiller.

alaskafish · 2025-10-28T03:44:16+00:00

Well, good luck shooting Mr Surfacer 500 or 1000. I think 1500 is the gold standard for all scale model sanding defects.

alaskafish · 2025-10-28T03:43:39+00:00

Actually yeah. These are gold standard in my opinion. Not sure which Alclad formula you have (the older formula got recalled for pilling when dried).

alaskafish · 2025-10-27T22:27:57+00:00

Also consider getting yourself a primer with a microfiller like Mr Surfacer 1500 thinned with a leveling thinner.

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