The work on your Trumpeter U-552 is beautiful. That is a very nice kit from Trumpeter.
Bill
Bill
Hi Kurt,
You are way to modest. Those ships of yours belong in a prestigious museum. 150 plus model kits! That is very impressive, I guess that's what us northerners do with our long winters. Your other hobbies sound very cool. The Iron Cross in the photo is just a replica of the Knights Cross with Oak Leaves Swords and Diamonds. If memory serves me only about 27 were awarded, 3 to U-Boat commanders. Could you imagine the value if a person had a real one? The medal with the blue ribbon next to it is authentic. It is a 25 year civil service award that my dad brought back home from WWll. Long story short how he acquired it. A German soldier gave it to him as a token of thanks for helping him as a POW. Being a civil service award, non military, kind of strange that a soldier would have had it. Air brushes are very cool tools when you get on to them, I have 6. Keep playing with yours and have fun.
Talk Again sometime
Steve
You are way to modest. Those ships of yours belong in a prestigious museum. 150 plus model kits! That is very impressive, I guess that's what us northerners do with our long winters. Your other hobbies sound very cool. The Iron Cross in the photo is just a replica of the Knights Cross with Oak Leaves Swords and Diamonds. If memory serves me only about 27 were awarded, 3 to U-Boat commanders. Could you imagine the value if a person had a real one? The medal with the blue ribbon next to it is authentic. It is a 25 year civil service award that my dad brought back home from WWll. Long story short how he acquired it. A German soldier gave it to him as a token of thanks for helping him as a POW. Being a civil service award, non military, kind of strange that a soldier would have had it. Air brushes are very cool tools when you get on to them, I have 6. Keep playing with yours and have fun.
Talk Again sometime
Steve
Hi Bill
Thank You so much for the kind words. I added a sound and LED light kit to it. The silver box is the control unit. It really comes to life when turned on. Are you familiar with that kit? It is a great kit that I highly recommend to all U-Boat lovers.
Steve
Hi Kurt,
Thank You so much for the kind words. Truth is I have no idea how to post things or how to do a follow along log. I had to have my daughter take the pictures and get them on the computer for you. I still have a land line and no smart phone. I will have to leave that to modelers that are a lot smarter then me.
Thanks again for your kind words!
Steve
I can imagine the value of a real KC/oak leaves/swords/diamonds. Out of this world rare. My air brush is a simple 1990's Badger 150. I'll keep practicing.
We can help with the new age computer media basics. It does help us on the forum to take digital pictures, import them in one's computer, and post them using the
button at the bottom of the screen while writing a message. First, click on the 
. After you attach the photo, there are controls on the photo icon that let you insert either the full sized photo, or a miniature of the photo into where ever you left your blinking cursor: 
on the screen. That way, you can insert a photo anywhere in your text after writing a page and a half of stuff. You'll pick it up after a few times and get fast at it. It's how we all learned. Don't worry about screwing up, because you can EDIT and correct any message you post, including ones in the past by clicking the
button at the bottom of your post.The sequence of steps to attach photos (where to click) is shown below:
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Hi Steve,
I am somewhat familiar with the kit. There was a build on another forum that I followed. Your work really accentuates your skills.
Bill
Your museum showcases your Great builds! Do you make the display cases also?
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Greetings and salutations from land-locked Calgary, AB. I'll be down in your neck of the woods this coming week, as I need to do a run to Great Falls. I won't make it to Helena this time around, but perhaps during one of my drives south I can buy you a coffee and talk about the hobby. I must say, I am most thoroughly impressed by both the magnitude and quality of what you've built. Often I see folks that have skills in building plastic kits and doing the excellent paint work to make them look realistic, and there are so many excellent wooden ship modellers here on this forum... but I don't often see folks who excel at both styles of model building. Again, I am thoroughly impressed by your work. Saying "well done" just doesn't seem adequate.... welcome to the forum! 
Greetings and salutations from land-locked Calgary, AB. I'll be down in your neck of the woods this coming week, as I need to do a run to Great Falls. I won't make it to Helena this time around, but perhaps during one of my drives south I can buy you a coffee and talk about the hobby. I must say, I am most thoroughly impressed by both the magnitude and quality of what you've built. Often I see folks that have skills in building plastic kits and doing the excellent paint work to make them look realistic, and there are so many excellent wooden ship modellers here on this forum... but I don't often see folks who excel at both styles of model building. Again, I am thoroughly impressed by your work. Saying "well done" just doesn't seem adequate.... welcome to the forum!
Wow! Thank you for your interest and such kind words. Sorry the images are so poor with all the mirror reflections. I would love to have you over for a coffee and a look at the collection. Ironic, I will be in Calgary Tuesday, Then off to Banff to start a bike adventure for a month plus. I have been to Calgary many many times with my job before retirement. Yes, please contact me again when you are headed down this way again after I return home from the ride. Again Thank You for your interest as I really have no one in my circles that care or appreciate what goes into these things.
Talk Again
Sincerely
Steve Reich
Talk Again
Sincerely
Steve Reich
Hello
Thanks so much for the kind words. Love your cover photo and the Bay Area. Two of the cases is by a guy called Grandpa's cabinets in Florida (He does great reliable work). 3 of the cases came from Model Expo and then I provided the glass and assembly. The 2 large curios are from a local furniture store.
Thanks so much for your question and interest in my collection
Steve
Thank You for your nice words and interest. Yes there is a lot going on in such a small room. Ships of sail, WWll ships, armor, rockets, F-1 cars, motorcycles, figures, diorama's. The aircraft is all in another room.
Thanks again for your interest.
Steve