Mig Productions, AK Interactive, and now AMMO of Mig Jimenez

Over the years I’ve accumulated quite a few titles in my collection of hobby-related books. Among my favorites are FAQ and FAQ 2 from Mig Jimenez. His online venture - The Weathering Magazine - is pretty great, too. Mig’s techniques have long been very inspirational to me and I certainly owe him my gratitude.

Mig has been the public face of several hobby businesses over the years, including Mig Productions and AK Interactive. Each continue to produce a range of weathering products for armour models. However, he left these companies with some fanfare.

In 2009 Mig wrote that he was tired of the business side of things and departed from Mig Productions. It didn’t seem particularly amicable since Mig noted he was resentful the name did not change. After a several year hiatus, Mig was back in business and started AK Interactive. But in the fall of 2013, it all came tumbling down again. Mig and his business partners had a falling out that ended with Mig leaving the company. Again Mig took to his blog to tell the story, although this time in a rather legal-like manner that gave the impression of a bad break-up. Without much delay, Mig started a new company called AMMO of Mig Jimenez which sure looks and feels a whole lot like AK Interactive.

I really enjoy building models. Whenever I read Mig’s work in books or magazines, I feel like he’s sharing his secret tips and tricks. Mig is a wonderful artist and it’s always been a joy to learn from him. I certainly don’t know much of anything about the business side of hobbies, but it breaks my heart a little to bit read of these public struggles.

Since the company began, the products distributed by AK Interactive have been top-notch. However, now that Mig has left AK, it appears the product manufacturer has chosen to do so as well. I suspect the manufacturer has now partnered with Mig’s latest company but I have not found anything online to confirm.

So here we are as mere hobbyists wondering what to do. I’m not a fan of all the drama so I think I’ll just wait for the dust to settle. I’ll try to figure out who makes the best products after my current supplies run out.

Or I could always go back to mixing my own enamel filters and washes. Perish the thought! :)

Wanna read more? Check out this story for another perspective.

Team Durango DEX210: My complaints while building

For the past several weeks, I've been assembling a Team Durango DEX210 2WD buggy for my son. I have built quite a few RC cars in the past but I must say that this kit has been a real challenge. Although the parts fit together quite well, both the kit's organization and mislabeled instructions have made construction pretty rough.

Finding Parts

So far I've spent more time trying to find the parts than actually putting them together. I'll openly admit my complaint is rather petty but this really is annoying. Most manufacturers label parts trees alphabetically (i.e., A, B, C) but Team Durango uses a non-sequential 6 digit code. I had no idea that such a small thing like this could be so frustrating. Since there is no diagram of the trees within the manual (Tamiya's kits have clearly spoiled me), it can take several minutes to find each part. Bagging plastic and metal parts together (like Team Associated) would have also made things so much easier. If you have a lot of space to lay out the trees - like a dining room table - take advantage of it.

Poor Manual

Perhaps even more frustrating is the poor manual. On several occasions I found incorrect part numbers. While I'd much rather have a paper manual to guide construction, you can download an updated file from Team Durango. I would've appreciated a list of errors so folks like me could update the manual - well, manually!

Even with the updated file, you'll still be at a loss to find any meaningful description of the numerous choices you must make during assembly. One of the biggest selling points of the DEX210 is the amazing amount of adjustments you can make to suit your driving style and track conditions. However, some of the ways Team Durango offers these adjustments are unique and difficult to figure out on your own. I found myself spending a lot of time in online forums and various web sites to learn what I believe should be in the manual.

Aftermarket Shock Caps

Stay away! I learned my lesson the hard way on this. I bought a set of STRC Aluminum Upper Shock Caps but quickly learned that they did not fit the stock plastic pivot balls in the kit. After scratching me head, I realized that the pivot balls on the base of the rear shocks would fit. But this is a metal-on-metal connection and there's a lot of play in the joint; a properly sized bushing would be a better choice. I found some others online have tried the metal pivot ball solution with mixed results. After all that time I spent loading the shock oil, I decided to go back to the stock plastic parts.

Steering Plate

It sure didn't take much force to break the stock part. While I was connecting the steering turnbuckles, I snapped the plastic steering plate. I guess I should be happy this occurred during construction rather than seeing my son break the part while driving on the track. As soon as I did a search for a new part, I discovered Team Durango makes a metal replacement. Gee, I guess even the manufacturer realized this was a weak point.

Links

If you've stumbled across my blog looking for tips to build the DEX210, here are a few of the places I visited to help during construction. Good luck!

• PetitRC's Guide to the DEX210
• RC Car Action Build/Review
• Team Durango's Guide to Motor Configurations: Rear vs. Mid, 3 gear vs. 4 gear
• Team Associated's Guide for Building a Ball Diff

Holding Miniatures While Painting

Seems like everyone has a different way to hold miniatures while painting. My favorite is attaching a model to a wine bottle cork. I find that holding the miniature is comfortable and that my hands are not fatigued after a painting session.

I start by trimming the ends of the cork square (as best as I can) with a razor saw. A few passes with sandpaper knocks off the loose bits. From here, I can insert a pinned model directly into the cork. For larger models, I glue a piece of balsa between the model and the cork. I like balsa because it's soft enough that you can press a model into the wood and it will take the shape of the model. For adhesive, I found that a hot glue gun like you find at an art store will work great. Use only a small amount of glue so that you can easily remove the model later when your painting is complete.

Hope that helps!