Scale Modelers
Kent Barnes gently places masking tape onto a small piece of the scale model of a World War One airplane he is currently building on Wednesday July 15, 2026, at his residence in Columbia. “This is the one part of scale modeling that is my least favorite thing to do,” Barnes said. “Regardless of how precise I try to be, it never works out the way it should”
Various pieces of the scale model of the World War One airplane Kent Barnes is currently building are spread across his workstation on Wednesday July 15, 2026, at his residence in Columbia. “I don’t build World War One planes at 1/48th scale very often,” Barnes said. “Because it’s small, very small.”
On a shelf in his basement is the inventory of projects Ken Barnes hopes to complete in the future on Wednesday July 15, 2026, at his residence in Columbia. “I like to say building models kept me off the streets,” Barnes said.
One of the completed World War One models sits on display in Kent Barnes basement on Wednesday July 15, 2026, at his residence in Columbia. "I was an aviation nut in high school,” Barnes said. “But I wasn’t going to have the time or the funds to learn how to fly so I got into building models.”
The various paint and tools that Kent Barnes uses to build his scale models at separate worktable on Wednesday July 15, 2026, at his residence in Columbia. “It can be an expensive hobby,” Barnes said. “But I have a wonderful and understanding spouse allows me to enjoy it.”
Kent Barnes cut precisely pieces of masking tape for the kit he is currently building on Wednesday July 15, 2026, at his residence in Columbia. "Originally, there was decal that supposed to be used," Barnes said. “But the decal kept falling apart, so I decided to mask and paint it."