Michael Smith
@mcsmith.bsky.social
Lawyer dad in Marshall, Texas, mostly federal courts & patent litigation. Interested in WW II, scale modeling, history, books, & learning. Scale fundamentalist - only 1/700, 1/200 & 1/72. Extremely fond of the rule of law and almost as fond of Canadians.
Reposted by Michael Smith
Know your rights!
January 11, 2026 at 11:53 PM
Know your rights!
Counting on it. Especially this week.
Does anyone ever get sad about not being able to know what happens in future history after you're dead? No? Just me?
January 11, 2026 at 6:06 AM
Counting on it. Especially this week.
Okay, yeah, but still my all time favorite Star Trek episode. Any series. Fight me.
"Captain's log, stardate 5371.3. A huge cosmic cloud has been reported moving into the outer fringe of our galaxy. Nothing like it has ever been seen before." - One of Our Planet's is Missing #StarTrekTAS #TOSSatNight
January 11, 2026 at 6:05 AM
Okay, yeah, but still my all time favorite Star Trek episode. Any series. Fight me.
Reposted by Michael Smith
is the pope awake
did he do this
did he do this
🚨🚨wake up the pope 🚨🚨
imagine if he set his lil pope alarm to go off at 2 am in the Vatican FOR THIS.
January 11, 2026 at 4:24 AM
is the pope awake
did he do this
did he do this
Reposted by Michael Smith
The Pope did this.
January 11, 2026 at 4:37 AM
The Pope did this.
The Bears have not lost a playoff game since Pope Leo was elected. Just an observation.
January 11, 2026 at 5:30 AM
The Bears have not lost a playoff game since Pope Leo was elected. Just an observation.
Cranking away on this new(er) tool Mikuma next to my old tool Mogami. Enjoying comparing the two versions. #HisScaleModels
January 11, 2026 at 4:52 AM
Cranking away on this new(er) tool Mikuma next to my old tool Mogami. Enjoying comparing the two versions. #HisScaleModels
Finished one of the smaller builds I've made. putteringinthestudy.com/2026/01/11/t... It's my third #BuildtheStash this month, so am making headway. It's also the start of my second tank/plane/ship build cycle so don't I don't neglect part of the stash. #HistScaleModels
January 11, 2026 at 3:10 AM
Finished one of the smaller builds I've made. putteringinthestudy.com/2026/01/11/t... It's my third #BuildtheStash this month, so am making headway. It's also the start of my second tank/plane/ship build cycle so don't I don't neglect part of the stash. #HistScaleModels
Finishing up a Chi-Ha tank and starting a Mikuma cruiser. It’s a new mold Tamiya and I’m building it next to the old-mold Mogami so I can appreciate the updates . Already seeing massive improvements. #Histscalemodels
January 11, 2026 at 1:21 AM
Finishing up a Chi-Ha tank and starting a Mikuma cruiser. It’s a new mold Tamiya and I’m building it next to the old-mold Mogami so I can appreciate the updates . Already seeing massive improvements. #Histscalemodels
Next up for #buildthestash - a 1974 Fujimi 1/76 Chi-Ha tank. Beautiful little kit. #HistScaleModels
January 9, 2026 at 5:06 AM
Next up for #buildthestash - a 1974 Fujimi 1/76 Chi-Ha tank. Beautiful little kit. #HistScaleModels
Second build of the new year - a tiny 1/144 PBY-5A flying boat. putteringinthestudy.com/2026/01/09/p... It's a #BuildtheStash as well.
January 9, 2026 at 3:53 AM
Second build of the new year - a tiny 1/144 PBY-5A flying boat. putteringinthestudy.com/2026/01/09/p... It's a #BuildtheStash as well.
Getting closer. Down to painting the canopy and window frames. #Histscalemodels
January 8, 2026 at 4:36 AM
Getting closer. Down to painting the canopy and window frames. #Histscalemodels
1/144 PBY assembly complete. Tomorrow is decals and detail painting - mostly black deicing boots. Really enjoying this tiny scale. #Histscalemodels
January 7, 2026 at 6:06 AM
1/144 PBY assembly complete. Tomorrow is decals and detail painting - mostly black deicing boots. Really enjoying this tiny scale. #Histscalemodels
The 1/144 PBY is coming along, but I miscalculated the weight in the nose and … it’s still a tail dragger. Looking at a ladder aft to prop it up. #Histscalemodels
January 6, 2026 at 3:29 AM
The 1/144 PBY is coming along, but I miscalculated the weight in the nose and … it’s still a tail dragger. Looking at a ladder aft to prop it up. #Histscalemodels
Next project - a tiny 1/144 PBY. Had a 1/72 kit in progress for years but it was just too big. In this scale it’s the size of a 1/72 torpedo plane. #histscalemodels #buildthestash
January 5, 2026 at 2:38 AM
Next project - a tiny 1/144 PBY. Had a 1/72 kit in progress for years but it was just too big. In this scale it’s the size of a 1/72 torpedo plane. #histscalemodels #buildthestash
I finished my first model of 2026 this afternoon, a Matchbox 1/700 USS Indianapolis (CA-35) that I have long had in my stash. putteringinthestudy.com/2026/01/04/u... It's my first for #BuildtheStash - I bought it sometime after 1992 but I'm not sure when. #HistScaleModels
January 4, 2026 at 8:44 PM
I finished my first model of 2026 this afternoon, a Matchbox 1/700 USS Indianapolis (CA-35) that I have long had in my stash. putteringinthestudy.com/2026/01/04/u... It's my first for #BuildtheStash - I bought it sometime after 1992 but I'm not sure when. #HistScaleModels
Almost got theMatchbox Indianapolis done tonight. Just a little light weathering tomorrow. Lots of parts from aftermarket kits on this one. #histscalemodels
January 4, 2026 at 5:55 AM
Almost got theMatchbox Indianapolis done tonight. Just a little light weathering tomorrow. Lots of parts from aftermarket kits on this one. #histscalemodels
Matchbox Indianapolis is done as far as kit parts. Red marks are where the new weapons will go - larger by Skywave, 20mm twins from Dragon Essex class ship. Plus some other details TBD. Forward “communication platform” (deck over forecastle) is quite bare - will fix that. #HistScaleModels
January 3, 2026 at 8:23 PM
Matchbox Indianapolis is done as far as kit parts. Red marks are where the new weapons will go - larger by Skywave, 20mm twins from Dragon Essex class ship. Plus some other details TBD. Forward “communication platform” (deck over forecastle) is quite bare - will fix that. #HistScaleModels
As I start the new year I wanted to put down some thoughts on where my modeling is headed in the new year - attitudes, build priorities, social media, and #buildthestash . putteringinthestudy.com/wp-admin/pos... #HistScaleModels
January 2, 2026 at 4:22 AM
As I start the new year I wanted to put down some thoughts on where my modeling is headed in the new year - attitudes, build priorities, social media, and #buildthestash . putteringinthestudy.com/wp-admin/pos... #HistScaleModels
I can't recall if I posted this previously, but last summer we ran into a group of WW II reenactors in Osaka. We didn't share a language, but instead shared photos of our aircraft builds. I showed them my #TonyTonyTony Hien and they had pics sitting in Hien and other cockpits. #HistScaleModels
January 2, 2026 at 4:03 AM
I can't recall if I posted this previously, but last summer we ran into a group of WW II reenactors in Osaka. We didn't share a language, but instead shared photos of our aircraft builds. I showed them my #TonyTonyTony Hien and they had pics sitting in Hien and other cockpits. #HistScaleModels
2025 ended up with 35 books read, up from last year's 24.
I read 15 books on WW II, 12 fiction, 8 other nonfic - 5 on history and 2 on hobbies (scale modeling and writing).
Seven (up from four) were on Audible and 19 on Kindle (up from 12). putteringinthestudy.com/2026/01/02/2... #Booksky
I read 15 books on WW II, 12 fiction, 8 other nonfic - 5 on history and 2 on hobbies (scale modeling and writing).
Seven (up from four) were on Audible and 19 on Kindle (up from 12). putteringinthestudy.com/2026/01/02/2... #Booksky
January 2, 2026 at 3:20 AM
2025 ended up with 35 books read, up from last year's 24.
I read 15 books on WW II, 12 fiction, 8 other nonfic - 5 on history and 2 on hobbies (scale modeling and writing).
Seven (up from four) were on Audible and 19 on Kindle (up from 12). putteringinthestudy.com/2026/01/02/2... #Booksky
I read 15 books on WW II, 12 fiction, 8 other nonfic - 5 on history and 2 on hobbies (scale modeling and writing).
Seven (up from four) were on Audible and 19 on Kindle (up from 12). putteringinthestudy.com/2026/01/02/2... #Booksky
My old Matchbox Indianapolis is getting its blobs replaced with 5”/25 cals and 40mm quads from a Skywave parts set. Just slightly more detail! #HistScaleModels
January 1, 2026 at 5:43 AM
My old Matchbox Indianapolis is getting its blobs replaced with 5”/25 cals and 40mm quads from a Skywave parts set. Just slightly more detail! #HistScaleModels
Good book on JFK's role in the space race. putteringinthestudy.com/2025/12/31/a... #BookSky
December 31, 2025 at 7:22 PM
Good book on JFK's role in the space race. putteringinthestudy.com/2025/12/31/a... #BookSky
Catching up for posting short reviews of books I've read this year. This was a good one. putteringinthestudy.com/2025/12/31/t... #booksky
December 31, 2025 at 7:09 PM
Catching up for posting short reviews of books I've read this year. This was a good one. putteringinthestudy.com/2025/12/31/t... #booksky
Next man up - a 1992 boxing of the old 1979 Matchbox Indianapolis. Providing a great test bed for how to get the rather thin Scalecolors paints down. Key appears to be priming “everything” so there’s a consistent base coat. #HistScaleModels
December 30, 2025 at 6:24 AM
Next man up - a 1992 boxing of the old 1979 Matchbox Indianapolis. Providing a great test bed for how to get the rather thin Scalecolors paints down. Key appears to be priming “everything” so there’s a consistent base coat. #HistScaleModels