About
Hey there! Thanks for checking out Doogs’ Models!
About Me
I’m a thirtysomething creative director who develops and executes content marketing and social marketing strategies for some of the world’s largest brands. I’m married with two wonderful children and four mostly wonderful dogs. I live in Austin, Texas and enjoy breakfast tacos and caffeine.
About the Site
My tale is far from unique in the modeling world. I grew up building models – mostly aircraft with a few tanks and ships thrown in for flavor – only to drift away when I discovered cars and girls.
In the summer of 2010, I got the urge to take the old hobby up once more. With two young kids, it seemed a perfect way to decompress and enjoy some much-needed “me time”. And it’s been exactly what I’ve hoped for.
This site is intended to chronicle my all-new adventures in modeling and to share some of the thoughts, knowledge and techniques I’ve been picking up along the way. I’ve been floored to see the impact that the internet has had on modeling, and hope in my own small way to give some of that back.
Hi Doogs, satch_ip from the forum. I’m just down the road in San Antonio. Really nice work. See you around town.
Satch
Your story of scale modeling at a young age is similar to mine. Until I discovered cars and girls I spent every dime I made (washing dishes at my Dad’s restaurant) on models. Squadron Shop (Hazel Park, MI then Silver Spring, MD) were my main suppliers. Yup, this was late 60′s early 70′s.
Badger airbrush connected with a large Co2 tank with regulator. VacuForm toy for those scratchbuilt parts and canopies. Pages of decal sheets, boxes of scrap parts. I was the only kid in town who could buy glue/paints at our local hobby shop without a note from parents.
I have a an awesome wife and 2 equally awesome kids. After being out of scale modeling for a fracking long time I am getting ready to resume. Am already stashing kits, decals and tools. Future for scale modeling applications? I love it!
Have enjoyed mining your site and have it bookmarked. The information you share is valuable and I thank you for all your posts and recommendations as this data is saving me a load of time on researching.
My first project, which got me hooked again, was by a unique path. My Father passed a few years ago (WWII vet, Navy South Pacific 58TF, 7thFleet…always said the B29 saved his life) and I inherited 2 models. Both were assembled in the early 80′s by a good friend of his. These models adorned his HAM Radio office for over 30 years. They were covered with dust and years of a heavy smoke. Pop was a chain smoker.
Recently I successfully cleaned and removed decals from the TBD-1 and purchased Starfighter Decals Devastors In War Paint. Have photographed several stages and when I finish I will create a website and post my accomplishment. The other model is a P38. Both are 1/48.
I look forward to complete these projects and preserve a keepsake of my Dads in a special way.
Sorry for the long winded memo. But, I wanted you to know how happy I am to have found your site.
Best – Rick
I just recently decided to get back into modeling. I’ve always loved building these things, but now I’ve decided to take my modeling a step further by getting serious with it; taking my time and learning how to get the model how I want it to look. I absolutely love your site. Helps me out and gives me inspiration to get better. Also love the fact that you’re from Austin. I live over in Houston; it’s nice to see local modelers.
Love Your Blog Doogs. Just getting back into modelling at 38.
Hey there Doogs it’s darson from the forum here. I just wanted to that you’ve got some great looking models here and your site looks fantastic.
See you around FSM.
hello doogs – your point of view and clarity of communication stand out like a beacon on the fsm forums…i thought that must be someone in the ad business. i made my way over to your blog and am thouroughly impressed by your photography and the content of your site.
I too am in the ad business..for now. 25 years of art direction in the detroit area working on car, pizza, baseball and pet food advertising. I have a family too and was sorry to hear about your job, hopefully things will work out.
anyway, i don’t normally participate in forums and blogs, but I do like to read and learn from those who are knowledgable and passionate. It seems you are both.
Keep up the good work.
p.s. i was in austin last winter for a shoot and really enjoyed it. then again, it wasn’t 100 degrees.
mike j. (airedale)
Mike – thanks! If you’re coming down to Austin again anytime soon give me a shout – I know of several fantastic little dives that often fly under the radar of visitors. We could grab some Tijuanas (massive hot dogs wrapped in bacon, deep fried, served on hoagie rolls with jalapenos, cheese, and chipotle mayo) at the Jackalope and talk shop! Of course, yeah, not in the middle of August!
Hey Doogs, I’m really loving what you’ve got started here! I just got back into kits a couple of years ago after nearly 20 years of miniature army painting. Gotta say kits are a whole new world for me and have come a long way since i was a kid. I noticed you’re a FSM member, me too, although I must admit I hardly ever use the forums and only just recently realized that one of my builds made the gallery ( OOPS!) I’ve found that I like the structure over at Kitmaker network quite a lot, are you a member over there too? Just want to say thanks for the Wingnuts log. I’ve been scared to death to give it a go, mainly because my first and only attempt at biplanes ended in disaster… Although the risk of destroying a beautiful kit is daunting, I think your approach of just taking your time will be the route I choose also. Keep the good stuff coming, your fellow builders appreciate it!!!
Cheers! Reamon
Hey Reamon – thanks for the comment! I’m not a member over at Kitmaker – so far just Large Scale Planes and FSM. I’d sign on for more but I’m not sure I’d have the time.
Glad you liked the Pup log – I’ve got a second in the stash I’m going to get to one of these days…have some really cool plans to build it in night trainer markings (complete with stars painted all over the wings)!
H
allo , my Email adress is wrong. it must be jimmyjohannsen@freenet.de NOT jimmi . I would like to show the members some of my Model Photos. How do I do this. Thank you Im Heinz Johannsen from germany.
Hey Heinz – unfortunately, short of guest posts, I don’t have a way to host others’ work here. But if you have a modeling blog (or start one…they’re a blast!), I’d be happy to add it to my links in the sidebar. The comments can also handle URLs if you want to post a link or two.
Hey there, thanks for your reply, I thought it could be from interest, to see how the P51 Tamiya looks like in the Air ? have a look at Flicker ! Thanks again Heinz keep the spirit
Hi Doogs,
I have to thank you for inspiration, some weeks ago I found your blog and it has inspired me to start my own. I’ve been playing with the idea for some time, but your site was the experience that made me realize that idea…
Also congratulation on the quality of models, given the time you’ve been modelling, the model are impressive. I also found your post on techniques very helpful. keep on..
so – thanks again
Vlad
Hi Doogs,
I enjoyed reading your build up of the Tamiya 1/48 Mustang. Thanks for posting your build up, the photo’s are amazing and your writing style is clear and fun to read.
Cheers
Rez (Melbourne, Australia).
Just saw your P-47 Hairless Joe in Finescale Modeller. Good going!
Thanks for the report on the Monogram P-47D build. I was looking for something like that, even though the end was not the best. Unlike most, I kept some of the model aircraft I had when young (this must have been sometime in the late 60s, early 70s) and one is a Monogram P-47D Thunderbolt. I even have the build instruction sheet (as I do for most of the models). Now, almost 40 years later, I’m redoing the model in what I hope is a more “polished” manner. Thanks for giving me some tips.
Gary
(Longview, Texas)
Doogs,
Habeñero sauce on breakfast burritos was my fave until I had to have stomach surgery for, well, having habeñero sauce on too many breakfast burritos !
I’m like a lot of the people here, started model building in the 1960′s and by high school left it for photography, girls, work, girls, cars, girls. I got married, raised two kids. Around 1987 I built a C-46 Commando, a plane my father flew in the USAAF, in 1/48 scale I believe. never could figure out why some Commando’s had that big open hole underneath the nose/cockpit, some have it, some don’t, and was no addressed by the model maker.
I didn’t build another model until this year, 2012. I’m nearing retirement and decided to pick up model making again as a hobby (duh). My brother asked that I build a model of RB-50G Elint, in 1/72 scale made by Academy, for him as this was the last big engined aircraft our father flew when he was in the USAF in the 1950′s. The RB-50G was an upgraded B-29 built to spy on the Russians, Dad flew it out of Ankara, Turkey, flying a circuit pattern by Lake Van to spy on Russia’s military in Soviet Armenia. The idea was to coax the Russians into lighting up their air warning system and the GIBs (Guys In Back) running the ELINT gear would electronically document the Russian order of battle. The downside was that the Russians would enter non-Russian airspace and come after Dad or any others in his 7406th Suppron “Support Squadron” (re: spooks) flying for the first iteration of the NSA. Dad said MIG 17′s came after his plane one day, he said he dove down to treetop level, balls to the wall full military power past the firewall full tilt boogie and “lost” the MIGs because back then they didn’t have Look Down / Shoot Down radar and lost him in ground clutter. One of his squadron’s planes was not so lucky, a then new C-130 ELINT WAS shot down by MIG 17′s and a replica resides near the NSA commemorating that crew’s sacrifice that fateful day.
The Academy RB-50G is built so that the bombay doors remain open, but this was not a bomber, so the doors’ fit when closed left a lot to be desired. The interior detail was phenomenal but once the fuselage is glued shut, you can’t see any of it unless you do a cutaway model, which at this point I don’t have the skill to eviscerate at $40 model which I wold most likely screw up.
I like Doog’s “screw it” philosophy as well as not going all out on Eduard’s PE stuff that gets “lost” once the cockpit is enclosed within the fuselage. The only way I could justify Eduard for cockpits is if it were 1/32 or 1/18 scale, otherwise 1/48 and below is just too small, model dependent of course.
I look forward to reading/learning more from Doogs and others. Glad to be here.
Bob
Hello,
I am also from Austln. Long time luftwaffe model builder. I came across your post while searching for a better way to apply Eduard masks.
Figured I would drop a line an introduce myself.
Duane
Hey Doogs,
I am from Austin as well. I came across your site while searching how best to apply Eduard cockpit masks.
I am always thankful to have a true hobby shop like Kings Hobby.
Figured I would drop in and introduce myself.
Duane
Hi Mr.Doogs
Thank you for sharing your builds with us
Your technique s very useful for me
Cheers!