Introducing Jacob Russell & Jon Fincher

Unlike many of you, I never finished any models as a kid. I inevitably got to a point in a model’s construction where my skills and patience were overmatched and I would blow up the model with a firecracker, or lacking incendiary devices, stomp on it. I returned to the hobby about twelve years ago and began building airplane models, and later, armor kits. I have only recently turned my interest to auto models. I realized that I had always been interested in them as a modeling subject so I regard this as a return to my roots. I belong to the Seattle chapter of IPMS/USA and two other local model clubs, Northwest Scale Modelers, and the Puget Sound Auto Modelers club.

If you are a regular visitor to Internet Modeler, you will notice, as have I, that there is very little automotive content on the site. I aim to change that. I like all types of automobiles-racing cars, hot rods, drag racers, classics, customs, etc., and the models in my stash reflect this. However, I do not want my own preferences in subject matter to guide the website’s automotive content. I think that IM visitors expect the same variety in car models that they find here with ships, armor, and airplanes, and this is what I plan to provide. This will not happen overnight; this will be an ongoing process. I am recruiting model builders who are interested in a wide variety of car models, and who would like to contribute build articles to Internet Modeler. If you are interested in submitting such articles yourself, please contact me at automotive@internetmodeler.com. Thanks for taking the time to read this, and I look forward to bringing you some exciting auto model articles.

Jon Fincher has been modeling seriously for ten years, after being introduced to the hobby over 30 years ago. Like a lot of modelers, Jon's father taught him how to build models when he was a child, setting up a work table in his garage workshop for Jon to build models. The hobby took a backseat for a while to real cars, girls, college, and work, but became current again in the mid 1990s. Jon, now married with an adopted daughter, got back into the hobby when his then 12-year-old daughter asked him to help her build a model car (the Revell Firebird). A visit to the local hobby shop re-kindled Jon's interest in model building, and with help from his father and approval from his wife/banker (currently a novice modeler herself), he now maintains a garage workshop of his own, complete with spray booth, model and reference storage, and good lighting.

Jon's modeling interests have grown with his new interest in the hobby, and his skills have improved due to his active participation in IPMS. His current modeling interests are wide ranging - GP racing motorcycles, replica stock muscle cars, custom rat rods, and European sports cars make up the bulk of his collection, but he also likes to "stir the pot" with oddball kit-bashes and "inappropriate paint schemes" for militaria. Non-military aircraft make up the rest of Jon's unbuilt collection. Jon's uses lacquers and enamels almost exclusively for painting, with acrylics reserved for washes and specialty uses. Jon also enjoys painting figure models, which he currently paints with artist oils.

Jon is active in Big Brothers Big Sisters, and passes on his love of the hobby (and a portion of the garage workshop) to his Little Brother. He is also a current member of IPMS Seattle and the Northwest Scale Modelers clubs in Seattle, Washington, and can be reached at jfincher42@ hotmail.com.