About me

Name:: Disaster|Magnet
Nickname:: Jbe
Country:: United Kingdom
Town:: Birkenhead
Member since:: April 26, 2020
Communities:: scalemates.com (Scale modeling)
papermates.net (Paper modeling)
gundammates.com (Gundam modeling)
railwaymates.com (Train modeling)
diecastmates.com (Diecast models)
rcmates.net (RC modeling)

I've just joined (so I'll have to come back in a while and rewrite this bit) after finding the site while looking for an Enterprise 1701-D that I could buy. The site, its contributors, database and project management really appeals to the nerd in me, so joining was a no-brainer.

My main interests, model-wise, are Star Trek, science fiction, autos, Knight Rider and yes, I'm a child of the 80s.

Formerly an IT Manager in London (former-formerly Tech Support in Devon), I'm now living in the North West in semi-forced retirement. I built a load of Star Wars X/A/Y/B Wings in 1884, and I remember making a Mazda RX7 at about the same time. Fast forward to 1997 when I built the U.S.S. Voyager from Star Trek (birthday present) and that was the totality of my model making experience.

That was until 2018 when I started perusing eBay and other sites, and now I'm buried under boxes, paints, subscriptions to YouTube model-makers and How-Tos, more 'grits' of sandpaper that I never imagined were possible, 24v/12v/5v transformers and a deep, deep desire to get both a 3D printer and a vinyl cutter.

I should state for the record that I'm in no way an expert, or experienced, and my models are not exactly 'canon' - from my perspective most of what I build was released 20 years ago and is due for a refit or at least a new paint job, and I feel no guilt when applying a lovely speckled turquoise topcoat to a much-loved and venerated original series Enterprise.

It normally takes me one model to learn what to do, and a second model to make a decent build, so don't be surprised if you see multiple versions of the same ship (I have 3 Voyagers, 2 Enterprise Ds and 2 Enterprise Es). I'm currently learning about lacquers - who makes the most suitable for my needs, how to thin and airbrush with them, and the inevitable pitfalls and hurdles (and I have found many when it comes to my own attempts). At some point I WILL get my 1:24 BMW Z8 to actually shine like a star, instead of merely looking a bit wet.

I don't have a homepage as such, but every now and then I hope to link to a gallery of a build with a detailed account of the nightmare it most likely was for me to finish it.