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 P.O. Box 670, Lopez, WA 98261 USA
TITANIC MODELERS - SCROLL TOWARD THE BOTTOM OF THIS PAGE FOR THE LATEST NEWS ON GMM TITANIC-RELATED PRODUCTS!
To provide you with detailed information on the qualities and accuracy of our 1/350 scale Titanic photoetched detailing sets, we've set up a special section on this page. To find it, use the arrow at right to scroll down until you see "News for Titanic Modelers."
GOLD MEDAL MODELS NOW TAKES PAYPAL!
Overseas modelers can now order directly from us using PayPal. To qualify for PayPal orders, you must add 3% of the total cost of your order for this service. If you don't do this, your order will be delayed. Send your PayPal order to our e-mail address: goldmedl@rockisland.com
SPECIAL DISCOUNT FOR MEMBERS OF THE MILITARY!
As an American manufacturer, Gold Medal Models is particularly grateful for the courageous service being rendered by all members of the U.S. Military in the war against terrorism and tyranny. We also honor the service of military members of nations allied with the U.S. in the war on terror in Iraq and Afghanistan. Their efforts make it possible for the rest of us to live in a country where we can enjoy modelbuilding and other activities in peace.
As our way of saying "thank you", we will allow a 20% discount against the purchase of all GMM products - for model ships or model railroads - to any active duty member of the United States Armed Forces which includes the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard, regular or reserve, enlisted or officer, male or female, deployed or stateside. Simply add up your order including postage and multiply by 80% (or .80) to calculate your discounted price. All we ask in return is that you provide us with verification of your active duty status such your APO or FPO address, or in lieu of that, your rank and unit.
For active duty military members of America's allies in the war on terror, your discount is 10%. To qualify, your home country must be currently providing active military assistance to U.S. troops in Iraq or Afghanistan, and of course we require your rank and a military mailing address.
This offer is effective now and will last indefinitely. This is the very least we can do to honor your bravery and express our sincerest appreciation for your sacrifice.
GMM'S PRICES TO BE INCREASED NEXT YEAR.
As you all know, everything is getting more expensive these days, mainly due to increasing oil costs. Price increases will be a way of life for the foreseeable future due to higher transportation costs for anything that has to be moved from Point A to Point B. We here at Gold Medal Models have a built-in resistance to price increases because we fully realize that building models is an expendable luxury. So we work very hard to keep our prices as steady and affordable as we can. But sometimes we, too, are forced to react to the changing market.
We've therefore reached agreements with our two photoetch suppliers to hold our prices steady for the remainder of 2008. They are absorbing some of the price increases as are we. All GMM products will therefore retain their present prices until January 1st, 2009.
We expect a general price increase on most of our product line in the area of $1.00 to $3.00 per set, although our largest sets (1/200 Yamato PE, etc.) will likely rise $5.00 per set.
This is the plan. But as a wise man once said, "if you want to make God laugh, tell Him about your plans."
GMM'S NEW 1/350 IJN BATTLESHIP PE SET NOW ENTERING FULL PRODUCTION!
This new set is intended to fit all the new 1/350 scale kits of Imperial Japanese Navy battleships now being released by various manufacturers. What's different is we're taking a new direction with this project.
Because these new kits are of exceptional quality and feature enormous numbers of parts (nearly 1,000 pieces per kit), we've decided to produce a PE set that provides the most needed details such as railings, ladders, catapults, cranes, doors, radars, boat and aircraft details, mast details, bridge details, cable reels, and so on. All of these items are of standard IJN design and are common among these ships. In addition, the installation of these parts will not require major surgery to the plastic kit parts in order to use them.
This approach will allow us to produce a detail set that provides about 75% of the fittings found in a premium dedicated PE set for about 1/5 the cost, ie. $42.00 vs. $200.00+ which is the price now being asked by several manufacturers of PE detail sets. In this day of high fuel costs and related expenses, this will help the modeler cut costs and still produce outstanding scale models. The high quality of the parts in these fine new plastic battleship kits makes it less necessary to create more expensive brass replacements for them.
For the modeler who wants to build up a collection of IJN battleships in this scale, this will not only mean vast savings in money, it will also help the modeler avoid the "burn-out" problems being alluded to in the model press and on several websites due to excessive numbers of less-than-necessary parts being included in the more costly PE sets.
The quality, accuracy, and level of detail on the PE parts our set will provide is of the same high standard now seen in existing sets; nothing has been compromised. The catapults are the same as those currently available in our highly successful IJN Takao cruiser PE set as are the rails, ladders, and other fittings.
This new set is scheduled to be available by the end of August.
GMM'S NEW 1/350 USS SAN FRANCISCO PE SET NOW IN STOCK AND SHIPPING!
This set is intended to fit the Trumpeter 1/350 scale kit of the U.S. Navy WW2 heavy cruiser USS San Francisco and her sisterships.
This new PE set is now in stock and shipping. Price is $42.00 plus the usual postage and PayPal fees.
GMM'S NEW 1/400 USS WARD/FOUR PIPER PE SET NOW IN STOCK AND SHIPPING!
GMM's all-new No. 400-10 1/400 scale USS Ward/Four Piper PE set for Mirage's new destroyer kit and its sister ships is now in full production, in stock, and available for immediate shipping.
This new set is available now. Price is $14.00 plus shipping.
GMM'S NEW 1/350 IJN TAKAO PE SET and GOLD PLUS TAKAO EXTRA DETAILS SET NOW IN STOCK AND SHIPPING!
GMM's all-new No. 350-42 1/350 scale IJN Takao PE set for Aoshima's new cruiser kit and its sister ships is now available and shipping. Also available is the 350-42A Gold PLUS Takao Extra Details set.
Both Takao sets are in stock now and shipping. The main Takao set (350-42) is priced at $42.00 and the Gold PLUS Takao Extra Details set (350-42A) is priced at $32.00, plus the usual postage fees.
GMM AWARDED "MODEL OF THE YEAR 2007" BY DER SCHIFFSMODELLBAUER MAGAZINE!
GMM's 1/350 scale photoetched detail set (No. 350-41) for Trumpeter's USS Alabama & Massachusetts U.S. Navy battleship kits has been awarded "Modell des Jahres 2007" (Model of the Year 2007) in the Accessory division by the German model ship magazine Der Schiffsmodellbauer. The Nurnberg-based publication polled its readers in the annual event and the GMM product was selected as the winner. This is the sixth year in a row that a GMM product has been judged the Model of the Year winner in this class by German hobbyists.
The award itself is a beautiful 4" by 5.5" plaque featuring a metallic blue engraved metal plate trimmed with a sculpted gold border and enclosed in a blue felt box with a hinged cover. It arrived here on February 21 with a cover letter and copies of the latest issues of Der Schiffsmodellbauer.
GMM'S NEW 1/350 USS MASSACHUSETTS/ALABAMA PE SET NOW AVAILABLE!
GMM's all-new No. 350-41 1/350 scale Massachusetts/Alabama PE set for Trumpeter's new battleship kits and their sister ships is now in stock and shipping. It contains custom fitted main deck railings, two pairs of midships boat cranes in two different styles, aircraft catapults and aircraft crane, details for 20mm and 40mm guns, all radar types carried by all ships of the class, fold-to-shape bridge assembly with see-through window frames, accurately detailed yardarms, plus the usual assortment of ladders, handwheels, turnbuckles, watertight doors, and many other fittings.
The set is priced at $42.00 plus the usual shipping fee and is available now.
GMM'S NEW 1/700 USS NIMITZ PE SET NOW AVAILABLE!
GMM's all-new No. 700-33 1/700 scale Nimitz PE set for Trumpeter's Nimitz and her sister ships is now in stock and shipping. Basically a scale-down of the GMM 1/350 scale version, this new set is custom tailored to precisely fit the Trumpeter kit's parts.
Also available is the accompanying 1/700 scale CVN 1/4 Air Wing Details set (GMM No. 700-33A.) It, too, is basically a scale-down of the 1/350 version with adjustments made for size and metal thickness.
GMM'S NEW 1/700 USS SARATOGA PE SET NOW AVAILABLE!
GMM's all-new No. 700-34 1/700 scale Saratoga PE set for Trumpeter's USS Saratoga (CV-3) is now available. Basically a scale-down of the GMM 1/350 scale version, this new set is custom tailored to precisely fit the Trumpeter kit's parts.
Also available is the accompanying 1/700 scale 1930's 1/4 Air Wing Details set (GMM No. 700-35.) It, too, is basically a scale-down of the 1/350 version with adjustments made for size and metal thickness.
GMM'S 1/700 USN SUPERCARRIER DECAL NOW AVAILABLE!
GMM's all-new 1/700 scale USN Supercarrier decal is now in stock and available for immediate shipping. It is a six-color single-sheet decal (White, black, red, yellow, blue, and green plus clear) and furnishes island and flight deck numbers in a wide variety of accurate styles for all USN supercarriers beginnning with the Forrestal and ending with the George H. W. Bush. Special markings such as a wide variety of boatswain's mates wings, "E" efficiency markings in two sizes, multi-color flight deck warning stripes, combat score markings, weapons warning circles in two sizes, "Beware of Jet Exhaust etc." signs, ordnance jettison ramp stripes, ships' names, and more are also included. Flight deck numbers are executed in both solid and hollow versions, and island numbers are in both shaded and non-shaded styles.
Available now. See No. 700-4D in the Decal page of the 1/700 scale page for a photo. Price: $9.00 plus shipping.
GMM'S 1/350 1930'S SARATOGA PE SET NOW AVAILABLE!
GMM's all-new No. 350-39 PE set for Trumpeter's USS Saratoga (the 1930's version) is now in stock and shipping.
The 1930's Air Wing set (No. 350-40) is also available now, and is being marketed as a 1/4 Air Wing Detail set, much like our modern Air Wing details (GMM No. 350-26.) The details include wing struts for biplanes, wheels, propellers, and tailhooks for all eight types now being made by Trumpeter.
SEE PHOTOS AND A REVIEW OF GMM'S 1/350 SCALE HMS HOOD PE SETS!
See the IPMS review of GMM's new 1/350 scale HMS Hood PE sets:IPMS/USA.com
GMM NOW CARRYING 1/350 SCALE B-25 DECALS BY GENERAL QUARTERS DECALS!
Gold Medal Models has reached an agreement with General Quarters Decals and is now the sole source of their superb B-25 decals in 1/350 scale on a limited basis. The markings are intended for the bombers included with Trumpeter's 1/350 scale USS Hornet WW2 aircraft carrier kit. These decals are printed by Cartograf of Italy and of the very highest quality.
The decal provides full color markings for all 16 B-25 bombers of the 1942 Doolittle raid on Tokyo as carried by the USS Hornet (CV-8), including national insignia in two sizes, "U.S. ARMY" for the underside of the wings, red propeller warning stripes, all 16 tail numbers in yellow, complete and accurate nose art, and even Hamilton Standard markings for the propellers. Extra markings are also provided in case of accident or loss. A full-color instruction sheet is included which provides historical data on the aircraft markings as well as information on proper positioning of each marking.
This decal will only be carried for a limited time and will not be a permanent part of the GMM decal range. Price is $6.00 plus the usual postage fee. Order GMM Number GQ-1D. These fine decals are available now. Sorry, no dealer discounts.
We sometimes get so engrossed with our hobbies that we forget to stay in touch with "The Man Upstairs". It can easily be said that He is the greatest builder of all. He made you entirely from scratch. So the next time you're waiting for some glue or paint to dry, tell God and Jesus that you're still here and thinking of them. And thank them for everything good that's happened to you and your loved ones. Never forget, we're only here on Earth for a relatively short period and we could be taken away without warning at any time.
If that happened to you, would you be ready?
PHOTOETCHED BRASS 1/350 SCALE TITANIC RAILINGS SETS - WHICH BRAND IS MORE ACCURATE?
From time to time, an occasional claim is made that "Brand X" or "Brand Y" has more accurate brass railing for Minicraft's 1/350 scale kit. At the same time, these sources often supply no facts to back up their claims. So what's the truth?
Let's start with railing height. The real Titanic had rails measuring 42 inches in height. Gold Medal Models' rails measure 0.12 inches tall, or 0.12 times 350 (for scale) = 42 inches, a precise match that's easy for anyone to verify.
The real Titanic's railings around the aft boat deck and the aft ends of both promenade decks featured closely-spaced pairs of stanchions at the corners where the rails make 90 degree bends. These show up clearly in numerous photos of the prototype as well as in several key scenes in the film "Titanic". The GMM rails include this distinctive feature as do the GMM-designed photoetched brass rails included with the deluxe Minicraft kit. No other brand of photoetched brass railing has this important characteristic.
The real Titanic had cutouts in the lower edge of the forecastle and poop deck railings for access to chocks and fairleads on the decks. GMM has captured these features and they actually line up properly with the Minicraft moldings. One other brand has included this in their forecastle rails, but they don't provide it in any other railing sections.
The real Titanic had railings with integral "kickplates" (narrow strips of steel plate running along the bottom edge of the rails where they meet the decks) on 2-bar, 3-bar, and 5-bar railings in several areas of the ship. The GMM set has included this feature on all three styles of rails where required. Another brand only includes the kickplate on one style of railing. They overlooked the other two.
The real Titanic had a wooden caprail (uppermost horizontal railing) on railings for the aft boat deck and at the aft end of both promenade decks. GMM's rails have simulated this wooden caprail in the form of a slightly thicker top rail, and in only the sections that require them. No other maker of photoetched railing has included this feature.
GMM has actually provided the correct number and spacing of vertical stanchions in railing sections for the forecastle, poop deck, boat deck, both promenade decks, well decks (one exception - see below), and docking bridge. This means that the rails, when formed to shape, will have stanchions placed in each corner and in the correct locations elsewhere. Another brand has this feature only for the forecastle. They've substituted generic rails for all other areas on the ship. (Exception: the Minicraft kit's forecastle is slightly too narrow in scale. GMM's aft forecastle railing section has been slightly modified from true prototype configuration so as to fit the kit while allowing this rail section to "look right" when compared with adjacent railing sections.)
Because of the above discussed features, the GMM rails actually fit the Minicraft moldings precisely, without cutting or any other extra work involved, other than for a few of the smaller upper decks and platforms. No other brand can make this claim.
Some other differences between the GMM set and the competition: The GMM Titanic stairways include exclusive etched-in 3-D horizontal treads as well as correct handrail and side frame configurations. No tedious bending of stair treads is required by the modeler to achieve a realistic 3-D effect. One of our competitors provides twist-to-shape stair treads (over 200 in all!) that must be precisely formed to shape with tweezers by the modeler while maintaining uniformity, a nearly impossible task for most modelers. Furthermore, the manufacturer has accidentally placed the twist axis on the wrong edge of each tread, which forces the tread to hang far behind the side frames instead of between them as required by the prototype. It also interferes with placing the stairway against a bulkhead, holding it slightly away from it. The only way a modeler can avoid this is to twist each tread almost 150 degrees, again virtually impossible. The GMM stairway design prevents these problems and provides a very neat and uniform result with only two simple bends per stairway.
GMM's Titanic benches are as accurate as possible in this scale while being as easy as possible to assemble neatly, given their small size. The seat back and armrests form one part while the seat bottom and end legs form the second. A separate center leg is the remaining piece. When folded and assembled, the intricate design of the wrought iron ends of the real Titanic's benches is perfectly replicated. In fact, the design was precisely duplicated from underwater photos taken of the real ship's wrought iron ends found in oceanographer Robert Ballard's books. The GMM design allows the modeler to apply a tiny dot of glue to the center rear of the assembly, joining the upper and lower halves with virtually no risk of clogging the delicate "wrought iron" parts with glue. A second dot of glue holds the center leg under the seat. A competitor's bench set, while acceptably accurate, and despite its basically one-piece design, still requires a little glue to hold it together and the glue has to be added to the "wrought iron" ends with a high probability of clogging. Without the glue, the ends will tend to break free or become distorted during handling. The GMM design results in a relatively rugged assembly able to withstand normal handling during painting and when installing them on the model.
One further observation: A Gold Medal Models 1/350 scale photoetched Titanic/Lusitania detail set (No. 350-3) was purchased in 1996 by the model shop staff of Digital Domain (film director James Cameron's special effects house) for use as a guide when they were designing the large scale miniatures used in the 1997 film "Titanic". In addition, the GMM 1/350 scale Titanic products are to this day still being ordered repeatedly by a large professional model shop in Coral Springs, Florida that produces high quality finished models of all types (including of course the Titanic) for clients around the world. We've never asked why they order so many of these sets, but we assume they're getting good results and they know the quality is uniformly high.
Finally, over 12,000 of Gold Medal Models' upgraded 1/350 scale Titanic-related detail sets have been sold since the film Titanic was released and the sets continue to sell steadily. More fine models of the Titanic have been built using GMM's detail sets than all other brands combined. And the latest upgraded GMM detail set is currently the most recent of all similar products currently available, having benefited from the latest discoveries concerning the real liner.
So who makes these claims that Brand X or Brand Y is more accurate? It really doesn't matter. Remember, just because a manufacturer had access to and approval from a Titanic-related historical society doesn't guarantee the final product was properly executed. But if you happen to have any doubts when such an absolute claim is made about another brand's railing accuracy, ask them this simple question: "Can you prove it?" We're betting they can't. And, as always, the final choice is yours.
1/350 TITANIC SKYLIGHTS STILL AVAILABLE!
The Limited Edition 1/350 scale Titanic Skylight set is still available priced at $10.00 plus postage. This is a set aimed at expert modelers knowledgeable about
the Titanic's appearance. No instructions are provided but all parts are
identified with etched-in labels. Skylight covers and related parts are provide
for both First Class skylights, the crew's galley skylight on the forecastle,
the officers' washroom and wireless office skylights aft of the No. 1 funnel,
and replacement skylight covers for the engine room casing. Other items included
on this set are tie-down chains for the lifeboats, railing gates for First Class
areas on the upper decks, and special railings for the platforms on the electric
cargo cranes. This Limited Edition set will eventually be discontinued due to
the inclusion of corrected skylight patterns on the upgraded Minicraft kit.
SEE PHOTOS OF GOLD MEDAL MODELS' BUILT UP 1/350 SCALE MINICRAFT TITANIC WITH ALL GMM PRODUCTS INSTALLED!
Loren Perry's fully assembled model of the Titanic complete with all GMM photoetched brass fittings installed (including over 200 painted and detailed ocean liner figures, a full set of lifeboat davits, and all skylights) can be seen in the Finished Model Kits section of the Titanic Research and Modeling Association's website (formerly known as the Official Titanic Scale Model Page.) Go to: Titanic Model
Most of the other models on the list also employ GMM fittings.
To visit this website, go to:
The Official Titanic Scale Model Page
This may well be the world's finest source for research when building your own
scale model of the famous ocean liner.
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What's New as of 8-9-2008