.png)
Plastic Model Mojo
Plastic Model Mojo, a podcast dedicated to scale modeling, as well as the news and events around the hobby
Episodes
242 episodes
PMM Twelve Minute Modelsphere: May 2026
We zoom out to the bigger modeling hobby community. We recap our trip to the AMPS International Convention in South Bend, Indiana, from standout vendors to the simple joy of photographing great models without hovering too close with a phone. We...
Two Can’t Miss Scale Modeling Events In Sacramento And Salt Lake City
Two model shows, two very different philosophies, one shared goal: make the scale modeling hobby feel bigger than your workbench. We’re in the thick of show season, and we’re shining a light on events that are actively evolving what a great mod...
Housekeeping at Plastic Model Mojo: Episode 162
Your bench time is precious, so when something starts sabotaging it, like CA glue fumes wrecking your sinuses or a half-finished kit stalling for months, we want fixes that actually work. After two big shows in three weeks, we finally do some m...
.png)
Kicking off a Special Feature on the Plastic Model Dojo: A PMM Special
He beat a brutal stretch of chemo, got the all-clear, then asked the question every craftsperson quietly fears: do the hands and the mind still work the same way? Our friend Ed Bareth is back, and he’s turning that question into plastic, paint,...
What If The Golden Age Of Modeling Makes You Freeze: Episode 161
Staring at a perfectly organized workbench and still not touching plastic is a special kind of frustration. A listener writes to us after a 30 year break from scale modeling, and the problem is not motivation, it is overload: canopy masks, weat...
PMM Twelve Minute Modelsphere: April 2026
We’re back from HeritageCon feeling the best kind of tired, the kind you earn after a weekend packed with great people, hobby shop stops, and a contest floor full of inspiration. We share highlights from the trip, what stood out about the quali...
The Golden Age Of Modeling And 44 Pounds Of Cheese: Episode 160
A simple lunch-break experiment turns into a genuine “wait, what just happened?” moment: we take AI prompting seriously, generate photorealistic figure concepts for a WWII Eastern Front diorama, and push that workflow toward a printable 3D resu...
Three April Model Shows Worth The Trip: April Model Show Spotlight
April is stacked with model shows, but not all scale model contests feel the same once you walk into the room. We line up three very different events and get into the details that actually matter when you’re deciding where to spend a Saturday: ...
.png)
From AI Prompt To Printable Figure with Jake McKee: Episode 159
An AI prompt that becomes a real scale figure you can hold in your hand sounds like science fiction, but the gap just got a lot smaller. We sit down with returning guest Jake McKee to walk through the exact, messy, real-world workflow he is usi...
.png)
Twelve Minute Modelsphere: March 2026
Ready to watch text turn into tiny people you can actually paint? We kick off March with big plans, bigger shows, and a hands-on look at a workflow that converts AI prompts into resin-ready 3D figures for your next diorama. It started with a li...
.png)
Why We Build: Friendship and Focus Episode 158
When the days are short and the bench time is shorter, what keeps us building? We open the studio door on a fast, funny, and honest ride through the parts of scale modeling that actually matter: a workspace that invites you to sit down, a ritua...
.png)
Inside HeritageCon: Dates, Registration, Vendors, And A Flying Lancaster
The Model Show Spotlight is brought to you by The World of Armor!A flying Lancaster overhead, rows of models below, and a sold‑out vendor hall buzzing with deals—
Fear Targets and Finding Fun Shop Talk: Episode 157
Ever stalled on a “dream build” because you’re afraid to mess it up? We went straight at those fear targets—perfectionism, PE jitters, bare‑metal dread, and the myth that pros are “just fast”—and came back with practical fixes that make the ben...
PMM Twelve Minute Modelsphere: February 20206
Snow may slow travel, but the calendar is heating up. We swap plans and call out standout events across the map, including BlizzCon in Columbus, AMPS Atlanta, 4M Mayhem in Michigan, Rochester’s Hope It Don’t Snow, and the Old Dominion Open in R...
.png)
Finding Joy At The Bench Again: Episode 156
What happens when the hobby you love starts feeling like a chore? We go straight at that question with Jim Bates, exploring how burnout creeps in, why favorite subjects can become fear targets, and what it takes to rediscover honest joy at the ...
Turning Competition Into Recognition: February Model Show Spotlight
A snowbound Kentucky chat meets sunny Jacksonville plans as we sit down with Bob Tate from IPMS First Coast to explore how JaxCon reshaped the classic model show into a warm, community-...
Snowmageddon Forces A Pivot: Winter Blitz Moves To February 28, 2026
A storm with a name is bearing down on the Ohio Valley and mid-south, and that changed everything. We hit record to get a clear, direct update out fast: Winter Blitz moves to Saturday, February 28, 2026. Same venue, same plan, just smarter timi...
2026... New Year, Fresh Bench: Episode 155
A slow start, a full heart, and a clear plan. We kick off 2026 by resetting our modeling habits, sharpening the skills that matter most, and putting dates on the calendar to turn ideas into finished work. HeritageCon is pulling us forward, but ...
PMM Twelve Minute Modelsphere: January 2026
A fresh year deserves a fresh bench. We kick off 2026 by trading the “dark time” for bright, practical momentum: a clearer plan for January, two focused releases on the calendar, and an open invite to help shape what comes next. We look back at...
.png)
Year-End Mojo: Models, Moves, And Memories: Episode 154
A good year in modeling doesn’t happen by accident. It grows out of small bench wins, a few brave skill pushes, and the friends who show up at the right time. We wrap 2025 with a clear-eyed look at what worked, what changed, and how to carry th...
Texas Kicks Off Model Season: January Model Show Spotlight
Texas decided January should belong to scale modelers, and we’re not arguing. We map out two can’t‑miss events—Model Fiesta in New Braunfels and Winter Blitz in College Station—so you can plan builds, book time, and show up ready. From streamli...
.png)
From Listener Mail To 2026 Plans: A Scale Modeling Year In Review: Ep 153
A surprising theme ran through the last part of our year: when modelers stop chasing perfect and start building what they truly love, everything clicks. Your letters proved it. We heard from builders paring down stashes, organizing tools, and f...
PMM Twelve Minute Modelsphere:December 2025
Show sponsor KitMasx has big news—they solved their US shipping headache so hobbyists can actually get the product they want. To sweeten the return, there’s a December-only Mojo30 code for 30% off. Please support Kevin and Janelle at KitMasx.
Shipping Resumes To The U.S.: KITMASX Update
Big news for modelers who’ve been waiting on cross-border orders: Kit Mask is shipping to the United States again, and the process is finally simple, transparent, and predictable. We sit down with Kevin to unpack how tariffs forced a pause, why...
Conquer Fear By Doing, with Tim Nelson: Episode 152
What if the fastest way to level up your modeling wasn’t waiting to “get better,” but picking a fear and building straight through it? That’s the heart of this episode, where we sit down with Seattle modeler Tim Nelson to explore an intentional...
