Home of the modeling savants....Celebrating forty years of modeling fun, education, and history in 2024!

DALE YONKERS

Tom Howard has been modeling since he was eleven.  His favorite scale is 1/35 with his favorite subjects U.S. and German armor and figures.  He really likes adding details to make a model look combat worn.  What he is not crazy about is painting.  His favorite model is the Sherman M4A3E8.  He says he has won no awards but hopefully we can change that in June!  He joined TRIAD in December 2017.  Tom says he has no modeling skills but I think his modesty has gotten in the way of honesty!

Bill Leger was born at a very young age in the small town of Acushmet, MA right next to the city of New Bedford, (famous for Lizzie Borden) and just 31 miles from Plymouth where the Pilgrims decided to have their first major party with the natives, in North America. My father was in the Navy so I got to move around some, settling in a small town in Maine, where I graduated in ’67. Then I went into the Army spending two years in Viet Nam. (No: I was not a hero and have no medals to prove it, which was just as well, since the Greatest Generation was only too happy to tell me that I hadn’t been in a real war like them, anyway. I guess it was all just an unfortunate misunderstanding...) Over the years, I worked as a professional firefighter (9 yrs) and 31 years in the Federal Gov’t; first as a machinist making some of the guns used in Desert Storm and later inspecting and buying transmissions for the Bradley Fighting Vehicles that helped win it and all the fights since. I spent 50 years of my life with (arguably) the most beautiful woman in the world before God took her back and retired 5 years ago from the Gov’t Ofc. at the Getty Street Plant. My favorite color is red (I hate yellow). I like working on armor, love chocolate; can’t stand onions and history is my passion (much to the annoyance of most, who know me; I’ve even written three books about it!) I have been in the club since 2000 (anno domini) and am proud to have known some of the best modelers (outside IPMS) Dan Jayne and big Tim Rideout.

Another old time TRIAD member has returned…Doug Seekman.  He started modeling at age 8 and his scale of choice is 1/48.  Favorite subjects are Luftwaffe and Israeli.  I like his favorite aspect of modeling: adapt, overcome, and improvise!  His favorite model is his Contrail 1/48 Halifax MK I series III in vacuform.  Jeez…that means he has to be good!  He has some cool special modeling skills: vacuforms, resin conversion, and resin casting. Welcome back, Doug!

Our President, our Supreme Leader, He Who Must be Obeyed…JR Burggren, started modeling at age seven.  His specialty and first love are 1/24 & 1/25 dirt track race cars.  (And he’s good at it!!...Ed) His favorite aspect is being able to recreate famous or not so famous race cars.  He doesn’t like reengineering kits that have parts that don’t fit or line up.  His favorite model is his scratchbuilt U.S.A.C. midget.  His awards are many: Tim Ridout Challenge first place six times!!  Lavonia CanAm 2nd place 2016, K-Zoo contest two firsts and one second.  (He’s also been published…and on the cover…of the January 2008 Model Cars magazine…ED)  He’s been a member of TRIAD for 14 years (And been President for what seems like thirty!!  ;-)  Ed)  He has an extensive collection of race car magazines and a ton of model car decals.  His special modeling skill is scratchbuilding his own parts and hand painting numbers and sponsors.  His favorite quote is “We the willing, led by the unknowing, are doing the impossible for the ungrateful.  We have done so much with so little for so long we are now qualified to do anything with absolutely nothing.” 

ADAM BURNS:  Hi all I’m Adam my family owns a restaurant in Whitehall so you probably haven’t seen me if you have ever worked in the restaurant biz you know I don’t get weekends and holidays off that being said I’ve been building for 2 years I build anything that I can get my hands on 2 years ago I bought a kit on an end cap at Walmart it came with a kit,some paint and a tube of model glue and I was hooked I’m self taught  and watched some YouTube vids I love the rush of getting a kit and opening it up my dopamine’s just start flowing down side I over glue and then burn my finger prints on windows and nice paint jobs I got into a little of custom stuff wiring,brake lines,hinges ext I’m more about building a clean model I like a semi quick build I’ve seen some great scratch builds that take 6 to 9 months to build that’s not for me at this time I look forward to meeting you guys in person 
Quote: “Some people feel the rain. Others just get wet.” 
― Bob Marley

FELLER DEWITT


Our first ever TRIAD biography is of Stanley Virgil Carrier.  He started modeling at the ripe old age of 15.  He enjoys 1/35, 1/72, and 1/2500 scales.  His favorite modeling subjects are tanks and armored vehicles 1930-1980.  He enjoys the story told by the detail, weathering, and the damage on the vehicle.  His least favorite aspect of modeling is overly complicated kits for no reason….Dragon models in particular!  His favorite model is his Tiger 1 with full, weathered interior with extra ammo…see photo.  He has been in TRIAD for two years and has been a very welcome addition.  His favorite quote is, “I have only one rule.  Everyone fights, no one quits.  If you can’t follow that rule, I’ll kill you myself” (Rico of Starship Troopers).  Stan says he doesn’t have any special skills but the rest of us recognize his highly developed skill with weathering.

Feller began modeling when he was only five.  He has a love of 1/72, 1/48, and 1/32 aircraft.  He loves to decal…and it seems he rarely uses the kit decals as he prefers aftermarket.  His favorite models are the P-51 Mustang and the F-4U Corsair.  And he has built a record number of Mustangs!  Under awards won, he just says, “Ha Ha Ha Ha”  (Feller, you can’t win if you don’t enter!  Ed.)  He has lots of reference material he is willing to share.  His favorite quote is…get ready for this…”A king is always a king but once a knight is enough”.  Good one!  He says he has no special skills but he hand paints all his models…

​STANLEY VIRGIL CARRIER

Chris also started modeling at age eleven and originally joined TRIAD in 1987.  He is into 1/35 and 1/32 scales and enjoyed building WWII German and American tanks.  Chris says, “Modelling is relaxing for me as I am able to lose my cares in the detail work”.  What??  He must be doing it wrong!  ;-)  What can get him down is too much detail to the point that the model becomes more like work.  His favorite model is the one he is currently working on.  He is also active in the Historical Reenacting Society.  Welcome back to TRIAD, Chris!

BILL LEGER

TOM HOWARD​​

CHUCK "SKILL LEVEL 1.55" STEWART​​

Dale Yonkers has been at it since he was eight.  He has a bunch of favorite scales: 1/48 aircraft, 1/35 armor, and 1/144, 1/192, 1/200, and 1/350 naval.  His favorite subjects are modern aircraft and armor.  He has no one favorite aspect of modeling…he loves it all.  What he doesn’t like are the high prices for today’s kits.  His favorite models are from Kaster Aero 1/48 Ju188 family of vacuum formed kits (see Jan 2018 S&T Report).  He was one of the founding fathers of TRIAD… 1984-1991 and then from 2013 to present.  He says he has more reference material than you can believe.  I say, how can he have any left after all he has so graciously donated to TRIAD!!??  He says vacuum formed kits are his specialty.  I’d say kit collecting kits is another one!

Jerry started modeling at the tender age of 6 or 7.  His favorite scales are 1/48 and 1/35 focusing on armor and aircraft.  Like many others, he’s no fan of individual track links.  His favorite model is his MK IV WWI tank.  Awards?  None worth mentioning he says…liar!  ;-)  He has been in TRIAD for the full 34 years and was one of the founding fathers!  His favorite quote: If you take the road less traveled, it’s a good idea to find out why it’s less traveled….  Good one!  His special modeling skill….”my good looks”.  Once again let me say….liar!  ;-)  Actually, that is a great photo of Big Daddy!!

JERRY "BIG DADDY" BRIDENSTEIN

Type your paragraph here.

Alan has been modeling since he was 9 years old and he is now….holy moly…didn’t know they had kits that far back!  ;-)  His favorite kits are 1/48, 1/144, and 1/72.  He has no favorite modeling subject…he says any and all.  The only subject he hasn’t tried yet are ships.  His favorite aspect is painting and decaling and seeing a finished model project.  He also loves going to contests, conventions, and public events involving plastic modeling. (He attends many events each year and will travel great distances…Ed.)  He tends to favor special aircraft with unique colors and markings.  His least favorite aspect is taping off canopies and clear parts.  Alan has been a member of IPMS for over fifty years!  He also belongs to the GR and Novi chapters.  Need reference material?  See Alan!  His favorite quote is “Move on from today”.  Alan says he has no modeling skills but that is just blatant modesty.  And he has about 1,500 kits at home!

I probably started modeling around 8 years old.  After they built a shopping mall a few blocks from our home, I would walk to the drug store and purchase plastic kits…constantly!  I don’t have a favorite scale or subject as I like to build a wide variety of highly detailed and complex models in addition to unusual and fictional models. I enjoy working with photo etch, resin, and wood.  My least favorite aspect of modeling used to be CA glue but that has been supplanted by my old nemesis…the rattle can.  My favorite models are the ones that make people laugh, e.g. as my FART and GROSS.  I’ve been in TRIAD for around twenty years and hope to last another twenty years.  I have won more awards than I deserve.  I also belong to AMPS, IPMS and the NMRA.  Special skills: stripping a bad paint job off a car model (because I’ve done it so often!), photography, maintaining the TRIAD website, and making the TRIAD President look good (nearly a full time job!)  ;-  I love quotes…here’s one from Charlie Chaplin…”A day without laughter is a day wasted.”

Age Started Modeling : I was born with a tube of glue and a paintbrush in my hand. (OK, age 5 to 6)
Favorite Scales : 1/24 1/25 , others as applicable
Favorite subject : Cars, Planes, Sci Fi, Anything Weird &Interesting
Favorite aspect : (1) Hopefully getting better with every model. (2) Hanging out with a bunch of old guys who talk about war all the time.
Least favorite aspect : (1) With the exception of Tamiya , Japanese modeling companies wont put engines in their incredible sports cars. (2) So many interesting models, so little money and time.
Favorite Model : My next one.
Awards : The most prestigious of all.    The Triad Certificate Of (barely) Acceptable Model Building.
Years in Triad : 5 models on my wall = 5 years in Triad.
Other club affiliations : there's other modeling clubs ? no one said anything to me.
Reference Material Available ? : slow internet, many modeling magazines, a moderate collection of Hot Wheels for design ideas.
Decal collection ? : only whats left over after a build and some ugly 70's ones that I refused to use.
Favorite Quote : "Atomic batteries to power, turbines to speed" The 60's Batmobile kick started my love of cars and interesting design.
Special modeling skills : I can mess up a paint job in an instant and leap small dioramas in a single bound. (when no ones looking) 

NOW THAT IS WHAT I CALL A BIO!!...skill level 1.55

ALAN VANDAM

DOUG SEEKMAN

Hold on a minute.  I just found this bio secretly submitted by Camryn Burggren who is twelve years old.  Get a load of this:  Name:  I don’t remember.  Age started modeling: 16.  Scales: I don’t know what this means.  Favorite subject and aspect of modeling: None of it.  Least favorite aspect: All of it.  Favorite model: The only one I ever made.  Awards: All of the ones that have ever existed.  Years in TRIAD: 1,560.  And finally, her special modeling skills:  A lot of them.
This is the same smart aleck who once said, “TRIAD is nothing but a bunch of old men who sit around and talk about war.”  JR: I think your daughter can sit in the car during the January S&T…..  :-)

JR BURGGREN

KEITH LEMKE


Keith Lemke is one of our newer members and has really been racking up the awards.  Here is Keith’s bio:
His nickname is Campa and he started modeling when he was eight years old.  His favorite scale(s) are 1/24 and 1/25 which would make cars, trucks, and dioramas his favorite modeling subjects.  He is a builder by trade.  His favorite aspect of modeling is the finished project, creating something a little different and personal from what it looks like on the box.  His least favorite aspect is dust and losing interest in a project and not finishing it.  His favorite model is his SS Chevy Gasser…big car, big motor, and big tires!  He has won over two dozen trophies (including a first at the Tim Ridout Challenge last year!).  He has been published in a miniature magazine and had features in Hot Rod and Car Craft magazines.  He has been a member for only one year and has already made a huge impact!  Keith says reentering the hobby after twenty years and building his large garage diorama in a short time and had more fun doing so than ever before.  His favorite quote: “If you can dream it, you can build it.  Nothing worthwhile is ever achieved without effort but effort has to be directed by a dream”.

​MARK JAHSAN


CHRIS CHALUPA

DARRIN WATTS

CAMRYN BURGGREN.

Mark began modeling at age seven and he loves 1/48 and 1/32 scales.  Does anybody need to ask...he loves aircraft modeling!  He enjoys challenges and figuring out how to solve them.  Like many of us, he dislikes canopies.  His favorite models are big vacuum formed aircraft...e.g. the Mavis, XB-35, and the Sunderland.  When it comes to vacuum formed, Mark is THE man.  He says he has won a couple of awards along the way…I’m guessing it’s more than a couple.  His favorite quote, edited, is “Hey, you screwed up; you trusted us!”  And obviously, his most special skill is vacuum formed kits.  One of the most interesting things about Mark’s modeling is that his focuses on unusual aircraft, air forces, and locations.  If it is obscure and long since forgotten, Mark has made a model of it!  We love his modeling themes!