John A. Martini
@johnamartini.bsky.social
Historian, author, retired National Park Ranger, former museum curator. Proud native San Franciscan.
Here he is in closeup.
December 2, 2025 at 8:28 PM
Here he is in closeup.
#histscalemodels #scalemodels Second attempt at a British X-Craft sub. (My first one got binned after a shattering fall to the floor.) The overall grey scheme didn't allow for any creative camo. Instead I added restrained rust effects at the drain ports and where seawater would pond on the decks.
December 2, 2025 at 4:34 PM
#histscalemodels #scalemodels Second attempt at a British X-Craft sub. (My first one got binned after a shattering fall to the floor.) The overall grey scheme didn't allow for any creative camo. Instead I added restrained rust effects at the drain ports and where seawater would pond on the decks.
Four days in for us. Cabinets and counters all installed. (On Monday the room was just bare walls.) Today the quartz countertops arrive. Workers are amazing guys.
November 14, 2025 at 5:25 PM
Four days in for us. Cabinets and counters all installed. (On Monday the room was just bare walls.) Today the quartz countertops arrive. Workers are amazing guys.
#sanfrancisco #gratefuldead SF then and Now. 1965. The newly-renamed Grateful Dead (formerly the Warlocks) took a series of PR stills at Battery Boutelle in the Presidio of San Francisco. Still there today..
November 9, 2025 at 7:10 PM
#sanfrancisco #gratefuldead SF then and Now. 1965. The newly-renamed Grateful Dead (formerly the Warlocks) took a series of PR stills at Battery Boutelle in the Presidio of San Francisco. Still there today..
President Trump in July: "[The ballroom] won’t interfere with the current building. It won’t be. It’ll be near it but not touching it – and pays total respect to the existing building..."
Kinda looks like touching to me.
Kinda looks like touching to me.
October 21, 2025 at 5:41 AM
President Trump in July: "[The ballroom] won’t interfere with the current building. It won’t be. It’ll be near it but not touching it – and pays total respect to the existing building..."
Kinda looks like touching to me.
Kinda looks like touching to me.
#scalemodel #histscalemodels Trying again with a photo. This will be the "A" side of the finished M36 tank destroyer. All in all, very happy. (Good old Tamiya fit and quality!) I could probably do some additional weathering but will hold off for now and not mess with success.
October 14, 2025 at 12:49 AM
#scalemodel #histscalemodels Trying again with a photo. This will be the "A" side of the finished M36 tank destroyer. All in all, very happy. (Good old Tamiya fit and quality!) I could probably do some additional weathering but will hold off for now and not mess with success.
#histscalemodels #scalemodels Well, this is the best I could do with the gap in the track links. It's visible but doesn't jump out at you. Not too much, that is. Again, this will be the "B side" of the M36. On the positive side, the post-shading and turret detailing came out pretty well.
October 12, 2025 at 6:05 AM
#histscalemodels #scalemodels Well, this is the best I could do with the gap in the track links. It's visible but doesn't jump out at you. Not too much, that is. Again, this will be the "B side" of the M36. On the positive side, the post-shading and turret detailing came out pretty well.
Not much room to tighten up here.
October 11, 2025 at 8:44 PM
Not much room to tighten up here.
#histscalemodels #scalemodels Help! Almost finished my Tamiya M36 Jackson and ran into track glitch: the kit appears to be one link short. No idea how this happened. Directions followed explicitly, no remaining links on the sprues.
This the second Tamiya model where this has happened. Argh.
This the second Tamiya model where this has happened. Argh.
October 10, 2025 at 7:51 PM
#histscalemodels #scalemodels Help! Almost finished my Tamiya M36 Jackson and ran into track glitch: the kit appears to be one link short. No idea how this happened. Directions followed explicitly, no remaining links on the sprues.
This the second Tamiya model where this has happened. Argh.
This the second Tamiya model where this has happened. Argh.
#scalemodel #histscalemodels I gave a talk at a high-end yacht club last night. Venue was loaded with gorgeous, scratch built models. Almost made me want to to give up model building and switch to a hobby like tatting or stamp collecting. Keep repeating, “it’s the process, not the product.”
October 4, 2025 at 1:07 AM
#scalemodel #histscalemodels I gave a talk at a high-end yacht club last night. Venue was loaded with gorgeous, scratch built models. Almost made me want to to give up model building and switch to a hobby like tatting or stamp collecting. Keep repeating, “it’s the process, not the product.”
#histscalemodels #scalemodels The X-class submarine is assembled and primed. A German tanker is temporarily standing in to give the model scale, while awaiting a proper British officer (on backorder) to take over the watch. A short breather, then start pre-shading.
September 26, 2025 at 5:41 PM
#histscalemodels #scalemodels The X-class submarine is assembled and primed. A German tanker is temporarily standing in to give the model scale, while awaiting a proper British officer (on backorder) to take over the watch. A short breather, then start pre-shading.
#histscalemodels #scalemodels Did some poking around and found a 1/35 figure of a British sub commander standing lookout. He looks very much like the salty dog in the newsreel footage of an X-class sub. This will help give scale to the model, which was only 51.25 ft (15.62 m) long.
September 25, 2025 at 3:37 PM
#histscalemodels #scalemodels Did some poking around and found a 1/35 figure of a British sub commander standing lookout. He looks very much like the salty dog in the newsreel footage of an X-class sub. This will help give scale to the model, which was only 51.25 ft (15.62 m) long.
#histscalemodels #scalemodels. This is turn into a nice build. Cool details like weld lines. And I’m really looking forward to the weathering stage. I see lots of opportunities for rust streaks from those drain ports.
September 24, 2025 at 10:46 PM
#histscalemodels #scalemodels. This is turn into a nice build. Cool details like weld lines. And I’m really looking forward to the weathering stage. I see lots of opportunities for rust streaks from those drain ports.
Yep, it's a mini-sub. Three man crew. I'm looking for a turtleneck-clad seafarer to put on deck. Apparently they lashed themselves to the periscope housing.
September 24, 2025 at 8:34 PM
Yep, it's a mini-sub. Three man crew. I'm looking for a turtleneck-clad seafarer to put on deck. Apparently they lashed themselves to the periscope housing.
#histscalemodels #scalemodels Very glad I invested in a slew of new clamps before starting on the X-class sub and its long, long keel.
September 24, 2025 at 2:06 AM
#histscalemodels #scalemodels Very glad I invested in a slew of new clamps before starting on the X-class sub and its long, long keel.
I wonder if Jerry Garcia ever saw this publicity still?
September 23, 2025 at 3:43 PM
I wonder if Jerry Garcia ever saw this publicity still?
#histscalemodels #scalemodels Some anonymous modeled maker created a diorama of National Guard “policing” Washington D.C.
September 10, 2025 at 4:05 PM
#histscalemodels #scalemodels Some anonymous modeled maker created a diorama of National Guard “policing” Washington D.C.
#sanfrancisco Nudged by two tugboats, the historic ferryboat EUREKA made it safely from San Francisco to Mare Island today. Originally built in 1890, she's reportedly the largest wooden ship still afloat, with a total length of 300 feet.
August 29, 2025 at 5:23 AM
#sanfrancisco Nudged by two tugboats, the historic ferryboat EUREKA made it safely from San Francisco to Mare Island today. Originally built in 1890, she's reportedly the largest wooden ship still afloat, with a total length of 300 feet.
#sanfrancisco The 105-year-old ferryboat EUREKA just left her home at Hyde Street Pier, headed for a long-term stay at Mare Island. Here's a view from the Pier 39 live cam. She looks tired and old, like her feet hurt and doesn’t want to leave the house, but the grandkids are making her take a walk.
August 28, 2025 at 6:00 PM
#sanfrancisco The 105-year-old ferryboat EUREKA just left her home at Hyde Street Pier, headed for a long-term stay at Mare Island. Here's a view from the Pier 39 live cam. She looks tired and old, like her feet hurt and doesn’t want to leave the house, but the grandkids are making her take a walk.
I know I'm not the first to see this...
August 28, 2025 at 3:41 PM
I know I'm not the first to see this...
#histscalemodels #scalemodels Trying out various ways to display and photograph my collection. Picked up this 1/48 US carrier deck for Navy aircraft. I tried to emulate the early war color scheme of wood deck painted overall dark blue w/gray striping. Not sure if the weathering worked.
August 26, 2025 at 4:50 PM
#histscalemodels #scalemodels Trying out various ways to display and photograph my collection. Picked up this 1/48 US carrier deck for Navy aircraft. I tried to emulate the early war color scheme of wood deck painted overall dark blue w/gray striping. Not sure if the weathering worked.
Strongly agree Vlad. Here’s a P-47 fuselage sprayed with AK’s aluminum.
August 23, 2025 at 3:43 PM
Strongly agree Vlad. Here’s a P-47 fuselage sprayed with AK’s aluminum.
#scalemodels #histscalemodels Finished! The P-47D came out looking pretty good, but like all of my models there's an A side and a B side. Here are some views of the A side. This kite has so many protruding features I'm almost afraid to touch it: antenna, pitot tube, MGs. Now for a plexiglass box.
August 22, 2025 at 12:04 AM
#scalemodels #histscalemodels Finished! The P-47D came out looking pretty good, but like all of my models there's an A side and a B side. Here are some views of the A side. This kite has so many protruding features I'm almost afraid to touch it: antenna, pitot tube, MGs. Now for a plexiglass box.
Just put them on this afternoon!
Tomorrow the canopy, prop, and bomb load.
Tomorrow the canopy, prop, and bomb load.
August 20, 2025 at 1:18 AM
Just put them on this afternoon!
Tomorrow the canopy, prop, and bomb load.
Tomorrow the canopy, prop, and bomb load.