Plastic Model Mojo

A Scale Modeling Podcast
  • 4.9 (249)
  • Hobbies
  • Biweekly

Plastic Model Mojo, a podcast dedicated to scale modeling, as well as the news and events around the hobby

  1. 3d ago

    1/72 The Gentleman's Scale and Some News From ARMA: Episode 172

    One seventy-second scale is often referred to as “The Gentleman’s Scale” but the reasons behind it are serious: it has deep history, it fits real life homes, and it lets you build the kind of varied collection most modelers only dream about. We dig into where 1/72 scale modeling comes from, how it became one of the first truly standardized scales across manufacturers, and why that early momentum still pays off today when you want your aircraft, armor, ships, and oddball subjects to sit together in a cohesive display. Then we bring in two builders who absolutely live this scale. Jeff Groves, the Inch High Guy, talks about what a 600-plus finished model collection looks like when it is done in 1/72, why the subject coverage is so hard to beat, and how batch building multiplies your output without multiplying your stress. Steve Hustad shares how 1/72 unlocks aircraft dioramas that would be physically huge in 1/48, plus the nuts-and-bolts of “scale fidelity”: thinner details, smart use of PE and scratchbuilding, better lighting, and magnification that makes small parts feel manageable again. We close with a major guest segment from Arma Hobby, featuring Marcin Ciepierski and Wojciech Bułhak, with exciting news for 1/72 aircraft fans including a new-tool P-51A Mustang and future A-36 Apache, along with a genuinely fresh beginner-friendly idea: acrylic paint markers and an AllSet starter approach meant to remove the friction of airbrush setups and tricky brush painting. If you care about plastic model building, scale accuracy, or finding a faster path to more finished models, this one is packed. Subscribe, share the show with a modeling friend, and leave us a review with your pick for the best modeling scale. Model Paint SolutionsYour source for Harder & Steenbeck Airbrushes, Mixing supplies, and great advice!SQUADRON Adding to the stash since 1968Model PodcastsPlease check out the other pods in the modelsphere!KitMasxCustom Canopy Masks for the Scale Modeler. Bases By BillYour source for custom display bases, laser engraved airfield and carrier decks.Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Send us Some Mail! Rate the Show! Support the Show! Patreon Buy Me a Beer Paypal Bump Riffs Graciously Provided by Ed Baroth Ad Reads Generously Provided by Bob "The Voice of Bob" Bair Mike and Kentucky Dave thank each and everyone of you for participating on this journey with us.

  2. Nov 3 ·  Bonus

    Fall Modeling in Full Effect: November Twelve Minute Modelsphere

    Dave recaps the Cincinnati Scale Modelers show at the Tri-State Warbird Museum, including why the vendor mix is so strong and how the atmosphere makes you want to build the moment you get home. We also look ahead to Murfreesboro, Tennessee, and the fun of turning a contest trip into a hang with friends, good conversation, and maybe a few carefully chosen kits and books.  We close with what’s next for the podcast and the community: upcoming releases, a 1/72 scale themed show, and another big-idea visit from recurring guest Jake McKee. Then we talk about the Dojo’s growth and a new tool we’re building for modelers who want more than likes: PMM Model Review, a peer feedback app that helps you get specific notes on your work, plus a new sharing update that makes it easier to send a private link instead of wrestling with QR codes. Subscribe, share this with a modeling buddy, and leave a review so more builders can find us. Model Paint SolutionsYour source for Harder & Steenbeck Airbrushes, Mixing supplies, and great advice!SQUADRON Adding to the stash since 1968Model PodcastsPlease check out the other pods in the modelsphere!KitMasxCustom Canopy Masks for the Scale Modeler. Bases By BillYour source for custom display bases, laser engraved airfield and carrier decks.Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Send us Some Mail! Rate the Show! Support the Show! Patreon Buy Me a Beer Paypal Bump Riffs Graciously Provided by Ed Baroth Ad Reads Generously Provided by Bob "The Voice of Bob" Bair Mike and Kentucky Dave thank each and everyone of you for participating on this journey with us.

    Fall Modeling in Full Effect: November Twelve Minute Modelsphere

  3. Oct 29 ·  Bonus

    You Want Feedback?: A Model Review App and Other Changes at PMM.

    You can feel it when your modeling mojo slips: the bench sits cold, your phone stays hot, and the hobby starts to feel like homework. We dig into that problem from a few angles, starting with a listener question about “palate cleansers” and whether they actually help. Our take: the label can be wrong, because it implies you disliked what you built. We prefer “genre change” a deliberate switch in subject, scale, or materials to learn a new skill, finish something sooner, and bring back the fun. We also get practical about what “still counts” as modeling, including a chat into 3D printing a Halloween costume crown, troubleshooting a finicky printer, modifying fit, and finishing it with lacquer metallics and clear color. Along the way we talk paint choices, airbrush tip dry in brutal heat, and why many builders reach for systems like Tamiya acrylics with Mr Leveling Thinner, Mr Color, or AK Real Colors when conditions get ugly. Then we share a big set of Plastic Model Mojo website upgrades built for the scale modeling community: a better Community hub, easier ways to contact us (including voicemail), a new Model Sphere blog for visual content, and our biggest experiment yet, the PMM Model Review tool. It lets you generate a QR code for a contest entry so other modelers can leave constructive feedback, praise what worked, suggest improvements, and even request a follow-up conversation. If you’ve ever wanted real feedback without chasing judges across a show floor, this is for you. Subscribe, share this with a modeling friend, and leave us a rating and review so more builders can find the show and keep their mojo strong. Check out the web upgrades at the Plastic Model Mojo website! Model Paint SolutionsYour source for Harder & Steenbeck Airbrushes, Mixing supplies, and great advice!SQUADRON Adding to the stash since 1968Model PodcastsPlease check out the other pods in the modelsphere!KitMasxCustom Canopy Masks for the Scale Modeler. Bases By BillYour source for custom display bases, laser engraved airfield and carrier decks.Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Send us Some Mail! Rate the Show! Support the Show! Patreon Buy Me a Beer Paypal Bump Riffs Graciously Provided by Ed Baroth Ad Reads Generously Provided by Bob "The Voice of Bob" Bair Mike and Kentucky Dave thank each and everyone of you for participating on this journey with us.

    You Want Feedback?: A Model Review App and Other Changes at PMM.

  4. Oct 19 ·  Bonus

    Brand New Workshop and Figure Show: November Model Show Spotlight

    The Model Show Spotlight is brought to you by The World of Armor A free model kit, a folding table, and someone patient enough to coach can add up to something bigger than a hobby. We’re joined by organizers behind Scale 41, a veterans-focused model making workshop hosted at the George H.W. Bush Presidential Library in College Station, Texas. They walk us through the plan: an unjudged public display, a hands-on classroom build session, and enough donated kits and basic supplies that participants can start building on the spot and take a kit home. We also talk candidly about why scale modeling can be powerful therapy for stress, injury recovery, PTSD, depression, and anxiety.  Aggieland Modeling Club Scale 41: A Model-Making Workshop Then we head to Florida for a first-year event with a very different twist: Figure World Orlando, a juried exhibition style figure show at the Renaissance Orlando Hotel near SeaWorld. Show chair Randy Riley explains how open judging works, why simple scoring makes judging smoother, and the clever upgrade they’re using to prevent a classic show nightmare: exhibitors provide photos of their entries so judges can verify they’re scoring the right piece. We cover the two-day painting workshop, display-only options, vendor plans, and what to expect across the weekend.  If you care about scale modeling events, IPMS club outreach, AMPS partnerships, miniature painting workshops, or better contest formats, this conversation is packed with ideas you can steal and adapt for your own community. Subscribe so you don’t miss future spotlights, share this with a builder who needs a nudge to get involved, and leave a review to help more modelers find the show. Figure World Orlando ModelCon/EagleQuest 2027 Model Paint SolutionsYour source for Harder & Steenbeck Airbrushes, Mixing supplies, and great advice!SQUADRON Adding to the stash since 1968Model PodcastsPlease check out the other pods in the modelsphere!KitMasxCustom Canopy Masks for the Scale Modeler. Bases By BillYour source for custom display bases, laser engraved airfield and carrier decks.Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Send us Some Mail! Rate the Show! Support the Show! Patreon Buy Me a Beer Paypal Bump Riffs Graciously Provided by Ed Baroth Ad Reads Generously Provided by Bob "The Voice of Bob" Bair Mike and Kentucky Dave thank each and everyone of you for participating on this journey with us.

    Brand New Workshop and Figure Show: November Model Show Spotlight

  5. Oct 15

    Paint Masks from Paradise: Episode 171

    Decals can be the moment a build turns from fun to stressful, and we have all watched a perfect marking fold onto itself or silver at the worst possible time. That’s why we were excited to finally sit down with John Ferdico from Hawaiian Air Depot, a Hawaii-based aftermarket brand with a smart twist: instead of shipping pre-cut masks, John sells digital downloads (SVG and DXF) so you can cut your own paint masks at home with a Cricut, Silhouette Cameo, or similar cutter. We get into the real nuts and bolts of paint masking for scale models: how John researches markings using factory drawings and period photos, how he corrects photo distortion to nail proportions, and why his sets include kit-specific placement masks that align to panel lines so you can hit the right location without guesswork. We also talk materials (Oramask, tape, vinyl), what cutters do best, and where the limits still are especially in 1/72 scale and with multi-color nose art. Outside the interview, we catch up on fall modeling season, bench time reality, and a flood of listener mail about contest judging and the bigger question behind it: when does chasing trophies start steering your hobby in the wrong direction? We also share updates on Chattanooga ModelCon and Eagle Quest planning, plus a quick round of faves and yawns from recent releases and new manufacturers. Bonus: Hawaiian Air Depot offers 10% off through October 31 with code mojo dojo, and we’ll point you to a free download so you can test the workflow if you already have a cutter.  If you enjoy the show, subscribe, share it with a modeling friend, and leave us a rating and review so more builders can find us. Hawaiian Air Depot Chattanooga ModelCon/EagleQuest Chattanooga ModelCon/EagleQuest 2027 Video Series Intro Video Feature Video #1 Feature Video #2 Model Paint SolutionsYour source for Harder & Steenbeck Airbrushes, Mixing supplies, and great advice!SQUADRON Adding to the stash since 1968Model PodcastsPlease check out the other pods in the modelsphere!KitMasxCustom Canopy Masks for the Scale Modeler. Bases By BillYour source for custom display bases, laser engraved airfield and carrier decks.Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Send us Some Mail! Rate the Show! Support the Show! Patreon Buy Me a Beer Paypal Bump Riffs Graciously Provided by Ed Baroth Ad Reads Generously Provided by Bob "The Voice of Bob" Bair Mike and Kentucky Dave thank each and everyone of you for participating on this journey with us.

  6. Oct 1 ·  Bonus

    As Autumn Cools, PMM Heats up: October Twelve Minute Modelsphere

    As we slide into fall show season mode. The weather is turning, the hobby calendar is filling up.  We’re talking about where we’ve been and where we’re going next including a recap of the Military Modelers Club of Louisville show in Shepherdsville and plans for the Cincinnati show at the Tri-State Warbirds Museum. We also share why vendor tables are part of the fun, even when we absolutely do not need more stuff (and still find something we “need”). We preview what’s coming on the podcast feed too: a feature chat with John Ferdico of Hawaiian Air Depot, focused on aircraft markings files for the DIY masking community and Silhouette mask cutting, plus a 1/72 scale extravaganza we’re already excited about. We also tease our next model show spotlight with a new expo style figure show in Orlando and a veterans-focused model making workshop in College Station, Texas. Finally, we give a quick update on the Plastic Model Mojo Dojo as it closes in on 5,900 members and we spotlight the jaw-dropping miniature painting posts that are inspiring our own use of color, highlights, and shadows. Subscribe, share this with a modeling friend, and leave a rating or review so more builders can find the show. Model Paint SolutionsYour source for Harder & Steenbeck Airbrushes, Mixing supplies, and great advice!SQUADRON Adding to the stash since 1968Model PodcastsPlease check out the other pods in the modelsphere!KitMasxCustom Canopy Masks for the Scale Modeler. Bases By BillYour source for custom display bases, laser engraved airfield and carrier decks.Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Send us Some Mail! Rate the Show! Support the Show! Patreon Buy Me a Beer Paypal Bump Riffs Graciously Provided by Ed Baroth Ad Reads Generously Provided by Bob "The Voice of Bob" Bair Mike and Kentucky Dave thank each and everyone of you for participating on this journey with us.

    As Autumn Cools, PMM Heats up: October Twelve Minute Modelsphere

  7. Sep 29

    What If Winning Ruins The Hobby: Episode 170

    Model contests can be a blast, but they can also mess with your head if winning becomes the point. We dig into a listener question that hits a nerve for a lot of scale modelers: do you need to compete to be recognized, and what happens when you start building with “beating other builders” as the goal? We share our own experiences with competition, dopamine hits, and disappointment, plus the guardrails we think keep plastic modeling fun and personally rewarding. Then we shift into the nuts and bolts of staying grounded in the modern golden age of modeling. We talk about why kits have improved so much since the 1990s and early 2000s, from 3D CAD and CNC tooling to instruction sheets that finally make sense. We also address modeler burnout and bench motivation: how work stress and mental fatigue knock you out of routine, and how simple off-bench habits like reading, focused videos, and low-stakes tasks can pull you back in without forcing it. Shop talk goes deep on two creative topics: in-flight aircraft displays and genre changes. We cover “plane on a pole” basics, judging reality (pilot included), and smarter presentation ideas like box dioramas, controlled viewing angles, blurred backdrops, and hidden supports. We wrap with why switching genres, from armor to cars to Gundam to figures, can add new tools to your skill set fast, from gloss finishes to metallic effects to decals. If you enjoy honest hobby talk with practical takeaways, subscribe, share this with a modeling friend, and leave a review so more builders can find us. Check out Jeff Groves' ARMA Hawk 81-A! Model Paint SolutionsYour source for Harder & Steenbeck Airbrushes, Mixing supplies, and great advice!SQUADRON Adding to the stash since 1968Model PodcastsPlease check out the other pods in the modelsphere!KitMasxCustom Canopy Masks for the Scale Modeler. Bases By BillYour source for custom display bases, laser engraved airfield and carrier decks.Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Send us Some Mail! Rate the Show! Support the Show! Patreon Buy Me a Beer Paypal Bump Riffs Graciously Provided by Ed Baroth Ad Reads Generously Provided by Bob "The Voice of Bob" Bair Mike and Kentucky Dave thank each and everyone of you for participating on this journey with us.

  8. Sep 22 ·  Bonus

    Cincinnati’s Great Show, and now Jr. Modeler Chapter: October Model Show Spotlight

    The Cincinnati Scale Modelers are becoming the scale modeling equivalent to "The Big Red Machine"!  Join us as we discuss their upcoming show, and then pivot to a conversation regarding their Junior Modelers Chapter! A model contest inside a warbird museum is already a strong idea, but Cincinnati Scale Modelers are pushing it further with the kind of details that make a show feel effortless for builders. We sit down with club president Will Kurt to get the full rundown on the upcoming Cincinnati show at the Tri-State Warbird Museum in Batavia, Ohio, including what time the doors open, how the museum space stays accessible all day, and why that setting makes the contest tables more inspiring. If you’ve ever wanted to study real aircraft shapes, finishes, and markings while thinking about your next build, this venue delivers. We also get practical about how to attend and compete: online registration versus on-site paperwork, clear fee structure, and the on-the-ground improvements like prominent signage, a front-door greeter, and club members in branded shirts so you always know who can help. Then we dig into what makes the awards special. Alongside the returning Boss Hog Award with Mission Barbecue, Will shares the story behind a brand-new Colonel Robert Rogers “Little Buckaroo” P-38 Lightning award that will be presented by the pilot’s son, plus the Spirit of Cincinnati Award sponsored by LaRosa’s Pizza, built around local pride and local history. The second half turns into a bigger conversation about the future of the hobby: how Cincinnati Scale Junior Modelers became a free youth model club, why a public library is a perfect meeting spot, how donated kits and supplies keep costs out of the equation, and what kids learn beyond glue and paint. If you’ve wondered how to start a junior chapter inside IPMS, this is a real-world playbook, complete with recruiting tactics, mentoring lessons, and a reminder that mistakes are part of every build. Subscribe for more scale modeling talk, share this with a friend who needs a fall show to attend, and leave us a review if you want more interviews like this. What would you bring to the contest table, and what story would your model tell? https://www.cincyipms.com/show https://www.cincyipms.com/juniormodelclub Model Paint SolutionsYour source for Harder & Steenbeck Airbrushes, Mixing supplies, and great advice!SQUADRON Adding to the stash since 1968Model PodcastsPlease check out the other pods in the modelsphere!KitMasxCustom Canopy Masks for the Scale Modeler. Bases By BillYour source for custom display bases, laser engraved airfield and carrier decks.Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Send us Some Mail! Rate the Show! Support the Show! Patreon Buy Me a Beer Paypal Bump Riffs Graciously Provided by Ed Baroth Ad Reads Generously Provided by Bob "The Voice of Bob" Bair Mike and Kentucky Dave thank each and everyone of you for participating on this journey with us.

    Cincinnati’s Great Show, and now Jr. Modeler Chapter: October Model Show Spotlight
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Trailer

4.9
out of 5
249 Ratings

About

Plastic Model Mojo, a podcast dedicated to scale modeling, as well as the news and events around the hobby

Information

  • Creator
    A Scale Modeling Podcast
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2026
  • Episodes
    267
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Plastic Model Mojo
  • Show Website
    Plastic Model Mojo

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