Local master modeler to speak

The Friends of the Sisters Library are kicking off a new speakers platform on October 16, at 1:30 p.m. in the Sisters Library Community Room, in memory of Sisters teacher Diane Jacobsen. Roscoe Creed, master modeler, will talk about his 70-plus years of building models. He will cover the history of model-making, why it's important to him, and show several of his exceptional models.

Roscoe built his first stick-and-tissue flying models in the late 1930s and early '40s. Later, he built solid models of pine, from kits purchased at a model shop. Then, there was a long hiatus leading into the mid '70s, but he picked it up again when he had a lot of time on his hands, recovering from back surgery.

In time he began publishing how-to articles for Fine Scale Modeler magazine. A few years later the editor asked him to write a book on how to build plastic model airplanes. Published in 1985, it was on the market for 10 years.

"Model-building is one of the most rewarding things I do - and at the same time it is one of the most frustrating," Creed said. "The injection-molded kits are marvels of engineering in themselves, but even so, sometimes the parts don't fit, are erroneously identified, or the instructions were written by someone who had never built the plane.

"For the most part, I have learned to deal with superglue," he said with his trademark wry humor. "Still, there are times when I glue my fingers to the model."