Jeremy Olsen
Milton, Wisconsin
Jeremy took this Fantasy Flight Games 1/48 scale AT-RT Unit Expansion to the next level! He modified it extensively with a new rider and head, control panel, antenna, and pedals, fixed up the front armor, and added feet detail. Jeremy finished the model by chipping with hairspray, airbrushing Tamiya, AK Interactive, Vallejo, and Turbo Dork acrylics, and weathering the model with oil paint.
Kaleb Hartjes
Deforest, Wisconsin
Kaleb, 12, built this Revell 1/25 scale Audi R8 out of the box. He said he built it in a hurry because he was really excited about it! Awesome job, Kaleb!
Kaiden Hartjes
Watertown, Wisconsin
Another entry on the Juniors table was this AMT 1/25 Batman Batmobile (1989 movie version) Kaiden built. He painted with Testors and Mar-Hyde paints and weathered it with pigments to make a Batmobile after a long day of crimefighting. So creative!
Vic Rood
West Allis, Wisconsin
Vic’s AMT 1/25 scale 1936 Ford five-window coupe street rod has no shortage of modifications. He wired the motor and added a 1953 flathead V8, dual Stromberg 97 carbs, bomber seats, a 1937 Ford grille, resin wheels and tires, and homemade headers. Vic also removed the front fenders. He airbrushed the body Auto-Air Iridescent Brite Blue acrylic, used Metalizers, marked it with Slixx decals, and topped it with Pledge Floor Gloss.
Richard Sliwka
Warrensburg, Missouri
Coming all the way from Missouri, Richard brought his Iron Shipwright 1/350 scale USS Laffey. He replaced the mast from the kit with a scratchbuilt brass one and added a White Ensign Models 1/350 Gyrodyne QH-50 DASH helicopter. He primed it with auto primer and painted the model with PolyScale acrylics.
Michael Gosda
Madison, Wisconsin
Michael modified a Revell 1/32 scale Messerschmitt Bf 109 to turn it into a dieselpunk doom racer. He added Hummer wheels, brush-painted the racer with acrylics, and weathered it with acrylic washes to give it some dieselpunk style.
Rick “Doc” Buikema
Clinton, Iowa
Rick kitbashed five kits into this 1/25 scale truck he calls “Scrappy Doo.” He painted the pickup with enamel rattle cans and weathered it with acrylics to make it look like his buddy’s mud truck “with all different rust-free panels.”
Bret Dillenbeck
Janesville, Wisconsin
This Tamiya 1/35 scale M10 Achilles belongs to Bret, who modified it with resin stowage and added Scale Colors 3D-printed tracks. He airbrushed Tamiya lacquers and weathered the tank with enamel and artist oils.
Anzo Lee
Madison, Wisconsin
Anzo took his HobbyBoss 1/350 scale Soviet navy Victor III-class submarine to the next level by making a sea base from polystyrene foam and air-hardening clay. He painted the sub with airbrushed Gunze and Tamiya acrylics and weathered it with oil paints. To top it all off, he hand-painted the realistic sea surface.
Ed Doering
West Allis, Wisconsin
Ed customized his Tamiya 1/12 scale Yamaha YZR-M1 ’04 No.7/No.33 as a MotoGP race bike with a Spider-man theme. He wired the spark plugs, clutch, and brakes, added a photo-etched metal radiator grille, and Scale Motorsport Spider-man decals to model Marco Melandri’s Fortuna bike from the 2004 Portugal MotoGP race.
John Clancy
Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin
John is a paper model master and this time he brought his paper X-Wing from Uhu02 Paper Craft. On one side, it’s cutaway to reveal the Incom fighter’s inner workings, while the other still has all the outer sheathing.
Jasper Hartjes
Watertown, Wisconsin
At just 6 years old, Jasper built this AMT Snaptite Slammers 1/25 scale Street Heat 1998 Chrysler Concorde out of the box. He hand-painted the custom designs with Testors enamel paints.
Troy Riley
Janesville, Wisconsin
Troy started with an AMT/Ertl 1/25 scale 1992 Ford F-150 XLT and turned it into this crew cab monster, kitbashing three cabs to make this one. He added aftermarket wheels and tires and converted the pickup from two- to four-wheel drive. Troy used Krylon Satin Red enamel paint for the finish and weathered it with black pastels over a flat coat.
Hadrian Zielinski
St. Michael, Minnesota
At 14 years old, Hadrian modified his Tamiya 1/48 scale Vought F4U-1A Corsair with a resin seat and a Yahu Models photo-etched metal instrument panel. He airbrushed on AK Interactive Dark Sea Blue acrylic over black primer.
Tony Hartjes
Deforest, Wisconsin
Tony built a Revell 1/25 scale 1959 Chevy Impala hardtop as a custom. He modified it with scratchbuilt parts, including a tuck-and-roll interior with chrome wire trim, CAD-designed air filters, a 1000-watt amplifier, and custom-sculpted taillights. Tony also decked the hood, added front chrome trim on the rear quarters, smoothed the roof, molded side pipes, and modified the bumpers. He added the headlights and grille from the AMT ’59 El Camino and aftermarket parts from Z-man, a Jaguar XKE kit, and MAD Industries, then finished the car with Createx Pearl Blue, Pearl White, and Dupli-Color 1K clear.
Bill Nichols
Sun Prairie, Wisconsin
Bill’s plane started as an ESCI 1/72 scale F-100D Super Sabre. He added engine intakes and leading-edge flaps on the wings from a Trumpeter F-100D kit and Aires resin cockpit and afterburner/nozzle aftermarket details. Bill painted the model with AK Interactive Xtreme Metal enamels and added panel line washes to represent an F-100 flown by the 79th Fighter Squadron in England in the late 1950s.
Ronald Neuendorf
Waukesha, Wisconsin
Ronald took this AMT 1/25 scale Chevy van and added a hood scoop, rear spoiler, CB, side pipes, and fog lights from other kits. He scratchbuilt the diamond pattern headliner, curtains, and chain steering wheel. Ronald finished the model with Testors Color Shift spray paint.
Robert Raver
Crystal Lake, Illinois
Robert 3D-printed this Grogu figure and painted it with acrylics. He added cotton for the hair to add a nice, textural touch.
Cal Wood
Hudson, Wisconsin
This Lindberg 1/25 scale dirt modified racer marked for Parnelli Jones came from Cal, who modified it with parts from other kits, including an engine from an AMT 1925 Double ‘T’ Lincoln kit. He airbrushed on custom-mixed PPG lacquer and designed decals that he printed on an Alps printer.
Phil Kirchmeier
West Allis, Wisconsin
Phil scratchbuilt a bomb cart for his Wingnut Wings 1/32 scale RE.8 “Harry Tate” kit. He airbrushed it with Vallejo acrylics, added acrylic washes, and weathered using pastel weathering pencils. Phil made the base from a picture frame and pink insulation foam and dressed it up with AK Interactive ground products.
Steve Hustad
Eden Prairie, Minnesota
Steve made this stand-out diorama with Heller, Preiser, and scratchbuilt 1/72 scale items. He calls it “Lost at Sea!”
Matt Key
Wauwatosa, Wisconsin
Inspired by a Hot Wheels car, Matt turned an AMT 1/24 scale ’66 Nova pro street into this asphalt aggressor. He added Detail Master wires, fuel lines, and plumbing. Matt painted it with Tamiya Orange spray lacquer and airbrushed Tamiya Flat Black over Tamiya primer.
Edward St. Denis
Rochester, Minnesota
Edward brought his OKB Grigorov 1/72 scale M24 Chaffee with added stowage and scratchbuilt .50-caliber machine gun. He airbrushed it with Tamiya acrylics, pre-shaded, post-shaded, and weathered the model with washes and pigments for a U.S. Army tank in January 1945.
Mike Klessig
West Bend, Wisconsin
A big Le Mans racecar fan, Mike added Studio 27 decals and Renaissance mirrors to his Tamiya 1/24 scale ’82 Le Mans-winning Porsche 956. He painted the model Tamiya Pure White before masking and airbrushing Tamiya Blue for the sides.
Paul Johnston
Adell, Wisconsin
Paul built a Hasegawa 1/24 scale 2000 Ford Focus WRC and added 3D-printed hood pins and red ribbon for the seat belts. He masked the window trim with Parafilm M and airbrushed it and other small parts. He used Tamiya Pure White from a rattle can for the main body. Paul said this was a shelf model he has worked on for over 10 years and finally finished.
Marek Rogal
Madison, Wisconsin
Marek built his Dora Wings 1/48 scale HB-155C-1 out of the box. He primed with Stynylrez Black, airbrushed Gunze lacquers, and weathered with Flory Models washes. Marek modeled his aircraft after one from the French Campaign in 1940. “Probably a rare sight in the sky!” he said.
Stew Edwards
Grafton, Wisconsin
Stew made lots of modifications to his Monogram 1/24 scale 1949 MG-TC. He shortened it by 8 scale inches, cut the body into three parts, and scratchbuilt the firewalls. He pre- and post-shaded the model and painted it with airbrushed Tamiya lacquer.
Bruce Williams
Oshkosh, Wisconsin
To model a tank near the edge of a trench in World War I, Bruce used a HobbyBoss 1/35 scale French St. Chamond heavy tank. He used wood and popsicle sticks to make the trench and modeled the rest of the base from gardening Styrofoam and Tamiya paint. Bruce painted the tank using Tamiya and Vallejo acrylics.
Dean Hervat
Kenosha, Wisconsin
Dean built his Eduard 1/48 scale Macchi C.202 Folgore and airbrushed the camouflage with Tamiya colors.
John Tokarewich
Bartlett, Illinois
John brought his Trumpeter 1/350 scale USS Texas (BB-35) to the show. He modified it with scratchbuilt yard arms for the main mast, UHF antennae, flag bag covers, floater net rolls, and flash bags made from epoxy putty. John also removed the torpedo blister strakes, corrected the blister depth and forward hawsepipes, and added Eduard and White Ensign photo-etched metal and Black Cat Models resin weapons and bridge equipment. He painted the ship with Model Master and LifeColor acrylics, weathered it with artist oil and AK Interactive weathering colors, and put it on a wood base from Hobby Lobby with basswood keel blocks.
Dave Mezera
Hobart, Indiana
Dave added gas cans and a sleeping bag to his Tamiya 1/35 scale Challenger 1 (Mk.III) British main battle tank. He pre-shaded in several areas with three shades of tan before airbrushing Tamiya and Vallejo colors. Dave weathered with Warpigs pigments and put his tank on a picture-frame base with foam insulation.
Scott Palmer
Oconomowoc, Wisconsin
Scott built this Revell 1/25 scale’41 Willys gasser out of the box. He sanded the body before and in between priming, painting, and polishing to get the smoothest finish possible. The color is Testors Dark Red enamel.
Steve Shaffer
Hastings, Minnesota
Steve 3D-printed his 1/48 scale Star Wars LAAT/i gunship from a Gambody file and created an Old Republic ship and a scene to go with it. He made a base from a wood plaque with Vallejo Earth Texture and added 3D-printed troopers from Dark Fire Designs. Steve primed the LAAT with Mr. Surfacer, base-coated with black paint, and used MRP paints to finish. AK Interactive watercolor pencils and an airbrush helped make scorch marks.
Jacques Duquette
Bovey, Minnesota
Jacques built the Trumpeter 1/35 scale BMP-1 and modified it with an SP Designs conversion set and a 3D-printed mast antenna. He primed and painted the camouflage pattern in layers, starting with the darkest colors and gradually lightening. Jacques said he trained as a forward observer in the Minnesota National Guard to identify these, so the subject is personal to him.
Andrew Hill
Cottage Grove, Minnesota
Andrew’s B2-EMO model comes from CGTrader.com, but he added his own flair with some modifications, like vacuum-formed clear lenses for the droid’s eyes. Andrew primed with Mr. Primer Black, masked, airbrushed Tamiya and Mission Models acrylics, and weathered with Tamiya Weathering Master and AK Interactive pencils.
Emilio Rich Diaz
La Porte, Indiana
Emilio modified his Classic AirFrames 1/48 scale Heinkel He 112 with photo-etched metal details for the cockpit, added retraction jacks to the landing gear, cut open the vacuum-formed canopy, and added an antenna. After verifying the camouflage colors, he custom-mixed Vallejo acrylics and masked the plane using Post-it notes and Tamiya 2mm tape. Emilio weathered the faded look with chalks.
Scott Primeau
Harris, Minnesota
Scott scratchbuilt the base and background for his Games Workshop Deathrattle Skeleton. He used Citadel and Vallejo acrylics to paint the model, freehanded the background, and airbrushed the clouds.
Keith Koene
Janesville, Wisconsin
Keith brought his colorful Games Workshop 28mm Magnus the Red figure to life with black primer and white zenithal highlighting topped with Cuttlefish Colors acrylics. Keith used PVA glue, sand, and broken bits of Space Marines for the base.
Rob Zielinski
St. Michael, Minnesota
Built out of the box except for twisted metal wire tow cables, Rob primed his Meng 1/35 scale Mk.A Whippet black before painting it different shades of green and weathering with oil-paint washes and chipping. He made the base from a wood plaque bought from a craft store. He roughed up the surface and covered it with groundwork made of grout and sand painted muddy brown. The tree stumps are bits of real branches.
Rick Hoffman
Racine, Wisconsin
Rick airbrushed his out-of-the-box Tamiya 1/35 scale Panzer IV Ausf J with Tamiya acrylics. He weathered the tank with a black wash.
Randy Kidd
East Dubuque, Illinois
Randy built his Ace 1/48 scale Soviet GAZ M415 World War II pickup out of the box. He airbrushed it three shades of green from Aero Master and Testors and used a mixture of Pledge Floor Gloss and rust pigments to achieve the weathered look.
Hayden Hoffman
Racine, Wisconsin
Grandpa Rick Hoffman was very proud to bring and show off his grandson Hayden’s Bandai 1/144 scale Star Wars AT-AT, and we don’t blame him! Rick said Hayden built the model out of the box, airbrushed it with Tamiya acrylics, and completed the sci-fi model with a black wash.
Deven Lehst
McHenry, Illinois
Fourteen-year-old Deven built this cool Revell 1/25 scale 1970 Plymouth ’Cuda AAR out of the box. He primed the car black, airbrushed two coats of water-based, custom-mixed paint, and finished it off with two coats of clear. Nicely done!
Mat Mathis
South Beloit, Illinois
Mat built a Wave 1/20 scale Maschinen Krieger P.K.A. Ausf. M Melusine kit out of the box. He primed the model with Mr. Surfacer Black and pre- and post-shaded with AK Interactive Real Color paints. Mat weathered his model with artist oils and placed it on a 3D-printed base.
Bill Read
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Bill brought this ICM 1/35 scale Model T 1917 ambulance he built out of the box. He painted the model with Model Master acrylics and weathered it with AK Interactive washes and pencils.