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Archive for March, 2016
Lindberg Model kits: New Attitude, New Logo!
Since acquiring Lindberg, one of our main goals at Round 2 has been to do right by the rich history of the brand and the people that grew up building Lindberg kits. We are celebrating that history by bringing back many of the vintage illustrations and feel of the old packaging while giving Lindberg a new look, improved tooling, new instruction sheets, and more versatile, historically accurate decals. We want to revitalize the brand and put out products that we can be proud of and putting right what once went wrong! With this new attitude comes a new logo.
In 2013 we brought back the vintage yellow rectangle logo that everyone knows and remembers. We wanted the new logo to be reminiscent of that logo but have a fresh feel, representing a tribute to Lindberg’s past while moving into the future.
And a trip down memory lane…..
Coming off the Shelf – An Introduction
Beginning next month, in an effort to spread the word about our classic AMT/MPC automotive/big rig model kit lines, I’ll be posting a monthly sneak preview of a selected kit which is scheduled for release in the not so distant future. As you may or may not know, our main focus in the model kit segment of Round 2 is to take vintage kits that have not been released in many years, sometimes decades, and bring them back to life – as they originally existed, packaging and all. This process begins by literally taking the vintage kits “off the shelf” and opening the box up to see what’s inside. Thus, the theme of this blog.
We do this because we truly care about the model kit culture. Where it’s been, where it is now, and where it’s going. We do this, in hopes of giving all the faithful modelers out there a chance to relive their past experiences . To be young again. And to all the new modelers out there. Welcome. Hope you enjoy the previews to come.
Round 2 Models: Please welcome a special guest
Hi guys. A while… a long while now… ago I was approached by a new, but respected modeler by the name of Michael Scarola. He was working on modifying a couple of our sci-fi kits and was pulling out all of the stops to make his buildups as accurate as the kits were iconic. We chatted a bit and we decided to have him document his process on the builds and post the results on our blog. We have had these in the can for some time now, but I’ve just come across a sliver of time to schedule them to publish.
Mike did some magnificent work to transform our classic 18″ AMT Star Trek U.S.S. Enterprise and our 12″ MPC Space:1999 Eagle. We’ll be starting with posts about his Enterprise model to coincide with our recent re-issue of the kit that commemorates the 50th anniversary of the television show. You should find the kit available now along with our re-issue of the Klingon Bird-of-Prey. Each series of articles will be three parts with some follow-ups showing beauty shots of his finished models. Off we go with part 1 of “My Enterprising Journey”. Enjoy!
My Enterprising Journey: Building the Classis AMT 18” Enterprise – Part 1
Round 2 has been doing a wonderful job bringing back classic models that we love. The classic AMT 18” TOS Enterprise has been released several times over the past few decades but Round 2’s release breathed new life into it. To start, the original box art was a real treat and the best part is under the lid. The raised grid from the earlier releases was removed from the saucer’s top and a new, and very accurate, set of decals is provided.
Onto the build!
My original intent was to build this kit mostly out of box with the addition of a few resin parts. I started by downloaded a set of blueprints from Charles Casimiro which I sized to the AMT saucer’s diameter. I figured once the saucer matched the blueprints all the rest would start falling into place. The profile of the dorsal (neck) matched the blueprints and I found that the secondary hull and warp nacelles also sized up nicely. At this point I decided to attempt to go all out and try and make this build resemble the 11 foot long Enterprise studio model that was seen in original Star Trek throughout the whole series.
I started by removing the bridge and B/C deck structure from the top of the saucer. I replaced it with a part from Don’s Light & Magic (DLM), which I lengthened by 4 mm.
I re-shaped the Linear Accelerator using a razor saw and various files.
A new bridge dome was made using a spare nacelle dome from a Polar Lights 1/1000 TOS Enterprise kit.
The bottom of the saucer proved to be a bit of a challenge. I glued strips of 1 mm styrene inside the saucer’s edge so I would have enough plastic to re-shape the outer edge’s contour.
This was done using a razor saw, sanding sticks and lots of sanding. The 3 raised circular lines on the cone were removed and filled in as well as the 3 dimples by melting bits of plastic with liquid cement. The stepped area along the outer edge was removed and I added styrene sheet on the inside center of the cone and sanded down the raised area where the planetary censor attaches. The rest of the work involved sanding the bottom until it was even which seemed to go on forever. To scribe the 3 rings into the cone I used a compass cutter.
The above pic shows the completed work on the bottom of the saucer with the ‘triangles’ scribed in. For the navigation lights I used pieces of clear sprue from a Polar Lights 1/1000 TOS Enterprise kit. They are made to go in like pegs when the model is finished
The kit’s saucer does make an excellent platform to add details and modifications. The overall shape of the saucer is somewhat close to the studio model and just takes a bit of elbow grease to start looking the part. From the time I started my research this seemed like the most logical part to start on for the build.
In my next installment I’ll cover the secondary hull, nacelles, nacelle pylons, bussard domes and the base…
Michael Scarola
AMT Modern Muscle Car Madness!
Look what arrived at our offices: First test shots of our newly-tooled AMT 2016 Chevy Camaro SS. There’s still plenty to be done before it’s release, but for now we’re reviewing the test shots for fit and other factors to make sure the final kit is great!
Sneak Peek! AMT Double Dirt Bikes • 1/25 Parts Pack
Here’s a quick photo, sent by our production facility. It’s a pre-production sample of the upcoming AMT “Double Dirt Bikes” parts pack. (AMTPP014/24, June release.) It features a pair of 1/25 scale motorcycles which originated in certain MPC Dodge Pickup and Van kits during the 1970s. While under normal circumstances, I really try to avoid re-branding items, all our parts packs thus far have been done under AMT. So I followed suit on this one.
The production parts will be molded in silver, making it easy to build these without the need for a lot of painting, if desired. The die-cut viewing window of the packaging will be slightly different and the custom PVC blister that holds the parts will be black. Overall, final presentation will be greatly improved!
The parts build into nice looking replicas for the scale. Now you won’t have to scrounge parts or pilfer vintage kits to enhance your next diorama or custom off-road build project with a sidekick dirt bike!
Grab the glue, it’s all you…
Lindberg Model kits: Mystery Sword Tool
As we dive deeper in to the Lindberg/Hawk tooling collection there is occasional a tool that we can find no information on. This one is stumping me more than normal. We have a MYSTERY SWORD!
At first glance the tool looks like one of the 1:1 gun kits from Pyro (also released by Life-Like). Part of it looked like a rifle barrel however the gunstock was missing. Test shots revealed that it was a sword. It is very decorative with an eagle-shaped pommel, armor on the chape, a knight and lion head on the scabbard, a knight and axes on one side of the cross-guard, and an AOUW Shield on the other. There are several places where gems would attach. So far in our research I have found Lindberg and Hawk kits previously released under O-lin, Pyro, Life-Like, Eagle/Eaglewall, Palmer, IMC, and a few others. I can not find any sword model kits release under Lindberg or any of those brands.
While I have not found any evidence of the model being released as a kit I have found the real life sword it was patterned after. And here. The AOUW on the cross-guard is for the Ancient Order of United Workmen, a fraternal organization founded by John Jordan Upchurch, a Mason, after the Civil War in 1868. Swords like this would have be used during ceremonies and given to a member of the society often with his name scribed on the blade. This info, while interesting, has not help me track down the origin of the kit. So I call out to you, modellers, and your vast knowledge of vintage kits. If this seems familiar or you know any of its history, let us know in the comments.
UPDATE 3/4/2016
Thanks to Craig Bennett for this. The sword was released as Palmer Jeweled Renaissance Sword & Scabbard. I am not sure what year. The box design is done in the style of some of the cannons. I found this small image.
