This week we open up with a new segment, our Patron questions of the week! We’ve got three good questions to kick off this new part of the show, all three are great ones that we all run into every time we start up a new project.

Patron Questions:

• Do you prefer cast metal or resin detail parts?

Want to submit a question? Visit our Patreon Page and become a part of the show!

We’re also excited to announce some news about next week’s show where we’ll have 4 great modelers who’ve created the Model Rail Expo and turned it into a must-attend event in the fine scale modeling community.

Happy Labor Day Weekend to our fellow Modelers! This week’s Bench Time Podcast we are joined by special guest model railroad specialist Ken Anderson! Ken does it all! From structures to scenery, fine detailed scratch building to rail operations His work is beautiful, creative, and has a touch of Southern U.S. charm that you don’t often see modeled. The normally obvious in real life detail, Ken brings to you in miniature and it will make you stop and ask yourself, “Hey! Why didn’t I ever think of that?”.

A member of the Sippers and Switchers of North Carolina, a teacher of the hobby and art to many with his involvement with shows and local, regional events, Ken is always giving back whatever he can so that that others can better enjoy model railroading! Particularly, our youth.

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Good Friday Morning to our fellow Fine Scale Freaks! Join us this week on the Bench Time Podcast with expert ho scale vehicle modeler Dan Raymond! We had a blast this week speaking with Dan about how he achieves the amazing details and artistry of vehicle modeling. His trucks and cars are virtual masterpieces in transportation miniature. His vehicles can be found on countless famous model railroads across the country including the world famous Franklin, South Manchester by George Sellios.

But there is more to Dan than just his ability to make you feel like you could grab a set of keys and drive away in these works, he is an amazing teacher of his craft and gives us a lot of his tips and tricks to getting the best possible look from your own vehicles.

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TGIF fine scale modeling friends! On today’s Bench Time Podcast, HO Scale Customs hosts special guest and fellow structure modeler Ron Poidomani. Ron is a super detailer when it comes to building fine scale structures and scenery and has won several noted contests including the NMRA’s best structure at the NMRA convention last year in Orlando and the Railroad Model Craftsman awards with a photo spread of his Waterbury Pen Company in one of their issues that will blow your socks off! We discuss with him what is involved with preparing for a contest and the criteria that the big shows look at when judging models We also exchange with him some of his great modeling tips and tricks and he even gave us a few awesome ideas that we are going to try out ourselves! He has some pretty interesting and funny stories involving his experiences in modeling and the awesome friends he has made in the hobby who have helped him along, a common theme in this hobby! Finally we chat about the clinics he will be giving at the Fine Scale Model Expo in Albany NY, Nov 1-3. An event he has also won several contests!

This Friday we have another extra special treat on the Bench Time Podcast.

We take you international to the UK with our special guest Master Fine Scale Modeler, Artist, and expert on scenery, Kathy Millatt of Kathy Millatt Modeling and her YouTube Channel filled with some of the very best videos we have seen on techniques in all aspects of modeling, and in particular fine scale modeling and scenery! But not just model railroading! She does military modeling, science fiction, and so many other niches. We discuss the differences of modeling between the UK and North America, her thoughts on modeling,inspiration, layouts, and what is on the horizon, including being a judge on a television show for building model railroads. Exciting stuff and she is exciting to listen to because of the passion she exudes when talking about it. She has inspired us so many times with her YouTube videos and is a natural at teaching others, this show is no exception!

enjoy!

You can see more of her work, and watch her videos on the links below.

Happy Friday to our modeling friends! This week on the Bench Time podcast we go old school! Back to the meat and grits of fine-scale modeling like when the show began! Just Brett and Todd talking about the projects on our benches, structures getting those special or final touches, and some chatter about our take on trackwork and what works and doesn't work for us. So sit back, grip onto that hobby knife tightly, drybrush those boards or just grind your molars if you must! And have a great weekend on your workbench!!!

Below is the link to Foggy Mountain Models where you can find the textured paper rock and brick Todd spoke of in the cast: foggymountainmodels.com

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And the photo for this week's cast shows the two turntable style tool caddies on Todd's bench that we talk about as well.

TGIF Modeler friends! Check out this week’s Bench Time podcast Episode 31 with Jimmy Deignan owner of Railroad Kits fine scale craftsman kits! We talk with him about the many facets of his business, The acquisition of all the Fine Scale Minatures (FSM) detail castings, his love of the hobby and the many many inspiring modeling friends he has made in model railroading. And you will get to hear about his acquiring of legendary ho scale layout Pennsy Middle Division (originally built by modeling great Dave Frary) and it’s restoration and modifications that they made to bring it back to life! Also we rap a bit about the Fine Scale Expo, and how it began as he is one of the founders of this great show for craftsman builders and all modelers and this year held November 1-3 in Albany NY!

But there is more! This week, Brett and Todd have guest host and fine scale model artist Jason Jensen join them to talk with Jimmy, and grill him with a few questions of his own! Of course there is the laughs we always have on our show! So settle into your workbench stool, grab something cold to drink, and chill out with your fellow Bench Time Fine Scale Freaks! Enjoy the weekend!

Railroad Kits Website: RailroadKits.com

As discussed in the show, the downloadable PDF book by Dave Frary, The Pennsy Middle Division in HO Scale for a steal at $4.99.

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On this special extra episode #30 of the Bench Time Podcast our guest is super size, large structure, urban scenery fine scale artist Frank Varga. His structures are a marvel of extreme detail, and his city scenes on his layout are jam-packed with everything your mind and eyes can think of. On his tall ho-scale buildings that borderline skyscrapers in scale, there is no details spared. We’re not just talking about on the roof or on the ground level, but from top to bottom, the walls come to life, his streets and alleys you can almost hear the sounds, feel the textures.

Join us as we discuss with him how he adds the kaleidoscope of detail and creativity to his art. Listen as he explains how he views a scene as he recreates it from his eye. Plus we share some of our modeling techniques, how to use some very simple everyday materials to achieve great results, and you will feel the passion he has for his work. This podcast is a Cornucopia of inspiring ideas, and we had a lot of fun, as usual trading views on the finer points of modeling. Modelers talking with modelers about modeling!

You can find many of Frank’s builds on the Facebook Group: Model Railroading Structures and Scenery so make sure to go there and join the group and check out his and many other outstanding modelers work!

This week we are very excited to have world-renowned modeler Dave Frary on the show. We go over everything from his modeling past, his work with George Sellios, some of his photography work with model railroading and Model Railroader magazine, and a little bit about his past outside of model railroading which included set building on movies, Construction and a whole lot more. This week's episode is a long one and we were just absolutely excited to get Dave on the show, and I'm sure many modelers out there listening have seen some of Dave's work whether it be in a magazine or online or even from some of his self-published books so we hope you're just as excited too.

Dave Frary's Links:

• The Trackside Modeler

This week we get back to what's going on on our personal benches. From both of our busy workbenches, we record this episode and go over the projects we have going on including some scratch builds, new kits and some layout work on a bridge installation.

We also go over a couple topics from an user email about downspouts and chainlink fences. We encourage your feedback by sending us an email at [email protected].

This weekend we'll be doing a lot of work on our model railroad layout and we plan to share a lot of it with you all on our Facebook & Instagram so stay tuned!