The Walk-Thru of the 2023 International Paper Modeler's Convention (IPMC); the 25th

[THE DC]

Joe’s very generous with his time and very proud of his work. He had a hard time deciding his favorite model; and the reason is clear. There were not only a varied type of builds to choose from, but the detail and skill level across each demanded different types of effort.

He was pretty pleased with his work on a tiny B-17, WWII US bomber that he’d completed. The small, olive camo-painted craft sat on a tiny base with fuel tanks and support vehicles around it, creating a diorama in the round (see pic 1). A detailed little jeep sat to one side of the tiny build (see pic 2). A pallet of bombs sat ready for micro ground crew to load (see pic 3). Two pin-head sized fuel barrels rested on the other side of the fuselage (see pic 4). The final product was a striking as it was authentic.

Remember, this tiny set of builds created a diorama; very unusual for micro-building.


Picture 1: Detailed micro bomber with base…

Picture 2: Detailed micro bomber with diorama…

Picture 3: Detailed micro bomber with vehicles…

Picture 4: Detailed micro bomber with finger comparison…

[THE DC]

Joe’s pride in the tiny B-17, with the camo-painted hull, was understandable, given the size and detail, but there was another reason to admire his detailed work. The craft has four tiny, accurate propellers (see pic 1). Though a tad difficult to see here, all those props spun when stimulated by his finger (see pic 2) as evidenced by the different positions of the props on the second picture.

A second, silver bodied civilian craft, as tiny in scale, that he’d completed, also boasted movable tiny props (see pic 3). A third mini, WWII bomber also had rotating props. (see pic 4). The final product was a striking as it was authentic.




Picture 1: WWII bomber c rotating props…

Picture 2: WWII bomber c rotating props 2…

Picture 3: Civilian plane c rotating props…

Picture 4: WWII bomber plane c rotating props…

[THE DC]

Joe’s pride in the tiny B-17, with the four tiny, accurate, movable propellers was not his only build achievement. He had also simulated the movement of props with some planes, using circles of clear plastic (see pic 1). Though the props on this build were implied, and not moving, the turrets were highly detailed (see pic 2). A second feature of these tiny gun turrets was that they could be swiveled on the silver bodied craft, despite being so tiny in scale (see pic 3). A third feature of these tiny turrets was that the guns could be repositioned up or down in the turret housing; just as they would move on the real thing. (see pic 4). The final product was as striking as it was useful in demonstrating the actual craft’s capabilities (see pic 5).

Keep in mind; builders in larger scales often do not go to the trouble of accurate movement of craft parts.


Picture 1: WWII plane c false props…

Picture 2: WWII plane c false props 2…

Picture 3: WWII plane c moving turret…

Picture 4: WWII plane c false props & moving guns…

Picture 5: Bomber WWII…

[THE DC]

Joe’s pride in the tiny bombers was well founded but he had builds of other aircraft and vehicles; all coin sized. He had a NASA test craft that sat near a pair of Sabres from the Korean era; all nickel sized (see pic 1). He was particularly proud of how the Sabre was made of a foil paper, and accurately decorated with mini-decals, appropriate to the craft. (see pic 2). Other jet-test craft sat near his penny sized WWI tank (see pic 3). Not far from these were a mini Space shuttle, an early NAZI experimental jet craft, and even a PT boat, complete with torpedo launchers (see pic 4)!



Picture 1: 50s-60s aircraft 'an inch…

Picture 2: Tiny Korean era fighter…

Picture 3: WWI tank and half-inch sized jets…

Picture 4: PT boat, jet WWII Nazi jet and shuttle…

[THE DC]

Joe is passionate about his work; his pride in the tiny builds related in detailed descriptions of his techniques, the object’s history or social meaning, as well as the extra features that he included into the build (whether it be propellers that turn, turrets that swivel, or guns that track).

The effort and movement in his bombers was rivaled by the detail and functional potential of his tanks. Joe shared how he had designed into a small tank buld movement of a rotating turret (see pic 1).

Joe demonstrates in his tiny tanks, not only detailed movements that other builders often do not attempt, but he went farther by telling a story, with his tiny tanks, through stamp-sized dioramas. One diorama depicts a checkpoint near where two tanks start to face off (see pic 2). In another, two tanks pace at close range amongst some antiquated ruins (see pic 3). From another angle, the diorama seems to change the story, as the perspective changes, intimating an urgency not conveyed from the other angle, possibly intimating a surprise encounter (see pic 4).



Picture 1: Fingernail sized tanks c rotating turret…

Picture 2: WWII tanks in diorama in millimeters…

Picture 3: Stamp sized diorama…

Picture 4: Tiny tank battle diorama…

[THE DC]

Joe’s craft is inspirational. His skill, despite being new to exhibited at IPMC, is clearly long developed and well thought out.

In another diorama, Joe shared a close up of another set up (see pic 1). The two tiny tanks are set here amongst the ruins of a building; one tank seems covered in detritus (see pic 2). Fuel cans litter one side of the set up, fencing and debris on the other (see pic 3). From another angle, the poster on the wall, the detailed debris, and devastated stone walls (see pic 4). The simple story of battling tanks amongst the ruin of the battle, is anything but simple in execution…or in skill.



Picture 1: Tiny tank battle diorama 3 …

Picture 2: WWII dioramas in centimeters …

Picture 3: Tiny tank battle diorama 4 …

Picture 4: Tiny tank battle diorama 6 …

[THE DC]

Joe’s dioramas are as clever as they are well crafted. The dioramas depict well executed vehicles, with rotating turrets and tight builds. The little stories in the builds are compelling and fascinating.

Another diorama depicts a very detailed, old European church building, blocking two tanks, just before the vehicles will be revealed to each other (see pic 1). A small wall provides a bare obstacle to the vehicle about to face off with a parallel traveling tank, who’s turret is not at ready, but in the same direction, permitting a close battle.

The two tiny tanks in the next diorama, are separated by a wall that rises above their line of vision, yet both set in very different experiences on their own side of this wall (see pic 2). One of the tanks rolls down a cobblestone street, hemmed in by the thick, afore mentioned wall, and a lighter, yet restrictive wooden fence. The other tank, blocked from visual connection to its counterpart, rests casually amongst the tomb stones and crypts. The clever setting contrasts the probing, hunting green tank with the yellow-cammo, resting vehicle.



Picture 1: Less than matchbook sized diorama WWII tank scene…

Picture 2: WWII tanks at a church...ant sized…

[THE DC]

Joe’s interests are not confined to terrestrial or airborne vehicles; he shares my passion for spacecraft. Like all of his models, though, he operates at a different scale (in size, as well as quality of build, compared to my accomplishments). It is in space vehicles that some of his artistic talent really comes through.

The table that Joe manned provided a wide variety of non-atmosphere craft. In addition to the NASA X vehicle pictured early in this Thread, he had a sampling of other space vehicles (see pic 1). Note the blue pen added amongst his kits, to provide the small scale of the build. The collection of builds includes different scale space shuttles and rockets, as well as a Gemini capsule (see pic 2). He seems to had a special affinity for the shuttle Atlantis.

There were even tiny Soviet era capsules docking with a space station. (see pic 3). One of the more impressive builds was the tiny Saturn rocket complex, with tower and base (see pic 4) Note how much bigger the pen is to the rocket! From another angle, the detail and clean process of the build illustrates the skill that was invested.



Picture 1: Space kits that are pen sized…

Picture 2: Bic sized space models…

Picture 3: Soviet space station in an inches…

Picture 4: Pencil sized Saturn rocket…

Picture 5: A toothpick sided Saturn 5…

[THE DC]

Joe’s builds are filled with detail and skill. He was most generous with his time to share what he had done, and even tips on how to mirror his efforts (more on his build tips later…).

He shared a space shuttle, in process of completion, showing how much effort that he put into the command deck, despite it being enclosed and visible only through windows (see pic 1).

He also shared the detail of his precision, curved folding, that created the shape of the rockets that he built (see pic 2). In this case, that precision was added to another feature; the tiny rocket was constructed to blast off, and fly a few feet, through an air bladder.

He also showed how many of his rockets separated into the various accurate stages (see pic 3). This made his kits both aesthetically detailed and informative, when he described the actual vehicles that he modeled.



Picture 1: Pen sized shuttle...in progress…

Picture 2: Flying rocket in progress…

Picture 3: Tiny rocket breaks into stages…

[THE DC]

As mentioned before, Joe builds the shuttles with care, and the craft Atlantis seems prevalent. In one of his small builds, the shuttle appears mounted upon the booster stacks and external tanks, all colored as typical of early shuttle configurations (see pic 1). In later shuttle flights, the external tank appears unpainted because NASA saw the benefit of saving both the cost of the white paint and the weight of the covering material. The loss of weight made the vessel more fuel efficient (though it did appear a brownish hue!).

Another pic shows Atlantis next to one of my favorite shuttles, Columbia (see pic 2). Again, ever the one to detail his builds, Joe provided opening bay doors for this tiny replica (see pic 3).



Picture 1: Pen sized Shuttle Atlantis c booster rockets

Picture 2: Opening the shuttle doors; finger sized…

Picture 3: Shuttle c opening bay…