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As a one stop shop for information about our club, we have added this frequently asked questions page (FAQs). If there any unanswered questions that you have, please feel free to e-mail any of the club members listed on the "About Us" page.
Joining the Club
Who can join the club? The club is open to anyone in the South Wales region and beyond. As an example, we have members from Carmarthen, Newport, Caerphilly, Bridgend, Cardiff, Port Talbot and more besides.
Do I need experience? No experience required, just an interest in making scale models of any type or any scale.
Is there an age limit? No, we don’t have any age limit for members of our club.
(However, at club events and activities, children under 16 must be accompanied throughout by an adult over the age of 18 who not only brings the child but also takes the child home again afterwards. Young people aged 16 or 17 may attend unaccompanied if they bring the written consent and mobile telephone number of one of their parents.)
How much does membership cost? We don’t have a membership fee, but we ask for £2.00 at each club meeting to cover the cost of hiring the Church Hall that we use, and for teas, coffees and biscuits.
Can I attend before joining? Yes, you are very welcome to come along to one of our club meetings to see what we do before committing yourself to any sort of membership.
Meetings
When and where do you meet? We meet on the first Monday of each month (or the second Monday if there’s a Bank Holiday on the first Monday) at St. Johns Church Hall, Rachel Close, Danescourt, Cardiff, CF5 2SH.
How often do meetings take place? Monthly
What happens at a typical meeting? We start each meeting going through what model shows we are lined up to attend, and working out who is going, and what car sharing we can do. We then cover any other admin things such as ordering any more polo shirts or hoodies with our club logo on them, and we usually end with an update on how our plans are going for our annual model show in Pontyclun in January. After this we usually have another cup of tea or coffee and then chat with various other club members, taking a look at what models they have brought, asking how they did various bits on their models, or asking others for any help with details on a model or what markings it should have.
Do I need to bring models or tools? No, you don’t need to bring anything to a meeting. However, if you would like to, you can bring along a new kit to show other club members, either unmade in its box, as an assembled model, or you can ask for help if you want to modify it into something a bit different. Or you can bring along a scratch build or conversion that you are working on, or your latest 3D prints. The choice is entirely yours!
Modelling Topics
What types of modelling do members build? Anything and everything! We used to be a branch of the Miniature AFV Association (MAFVA) and so a lot of us still build armoured fighting vehicles, in scales from 1/300th right up to 1/16th. More recently though we have more aircraft and helicopter models being brought to our meetings, as well as 1/72nd scale submarines, 1/350th scale frigates, racing and rally cars. Again, no restriction, whatever you fancy doing😀.
Do you run demonstrations or workshops? We don’t usually have any demonstrations or workshops, but we have had some in the past. If anyone offers to do either, we will fit that into a meeting.
Do members help beginners learn techniques? All members are always happy to show anyone else at a club meeting how they have made a model, showing construction techniques or painting styles, such as building up layers of washes to gradually weather a vehicle, or how to paint a figure. We also encourage club members to post articles on how they built a model to our Members Models page.
Competitions & Events
Do you run competitions? At our annual show in January in Pontyclun there are various different competition classes for members of visiting clubs at our show. We also have two categories just for our own club members, one for scratch built or converted models, and another for models “straight out of the box.”
Does the club attend model shows? Yes, we attend far more shows than many other clubs. At present we have club stands at 11 shows throughout the year, from Haverfordwest to the west to St. Ives in Cambridgeshire to the east. All club members are encouraged to attend any of these shows.
Can members sell or swap kits? At our December club meeting we always have a selection of nibbles to eat whilst we sell off any surplus kits to any other club members. We also occasionally have other people in South Wales who bring their models to us to “find a good home” for them. Otherwise, there is nothing to stop any club member from bringing along a kit that they want to hand over or sell to anyone else.
Practical Questions
Is parking available? Yes, there is a car park by the side of the church hall, plus on the road next to it, and a large public car park on the other side of the road. All are free car parking with no time limits.
Is the venue wheelchair accessible? Yes, there are large double doors by the entrance, on the flat, and more double doors inside the hall. There is a slight rise from the car park, but there are no steps.
Are refreshments available? Every meeting we have tea or coffee and biscuits twice during a meeting.
Do you have online meetings or a Facebook group? Whilst we have our own Facebook group with over 330 members and regular postings, we do not currently offer the option to join our meetings remotely. If there was sufficient demand for this, we would consider offering this as an option.
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