Great job there Mark! I wouldn't have expected that many issues with that kit but considering how well you handled the wing root issues I'm sure you'll have no problems with the bomb racks as well. 

Thanks for the vote of confidence Gamara.  I spent the last couple nights cutting, and sawing, and gluing...  etc.  and I think I got the bomb racks all sorted out.  One big problem I discovered was that the directions show the racks switched, so the rack for the left wing actually goes on the right and vise versa.  It pays to always be skeptical of directions!   lol

Cheers, Mark

Holy Cow!  The more I work with the AK Xtreme Metal paints the more impressed I am.  Shot the polished aluminum on the flaps last night and was loving the reflectivity so much I had to dry fit them onto the plane for a few pics.

I hope to have the rest of the plane prepped and ready for metal this weeked.  Excited!  Oh, and I got the pesky bomb racks sorted and installed.  Just need to do some minor filling and cleanup.  Feel like I turned a corner on this beast! 

Cheers, Mark

You did a fantastic job on those flaps with the AK paints.  

Toshi

Hey Everyone, just wanted to quickly pop in here and apologize for being AWOL for the last couple weeks.  Real life has been a real drag lately.  First, I picked up a free-lance animation gig (which I should be working on now instead of writing this post!  lol), that has been a bit of a chore.  On top of that it's been very busy at work the last few weeks.  Then I found out this week why the workload has been so high...  I'm being laid off in a few weeks!     Along with a bunch of other people in the Creative Dept. where I work.

So...  I'm super stressed out.  Looking for work as a 55-year-old is not going to be easy, but I'm trying to stay optimistic.  After all, there's no point in wasting energy being angry about situations I don't have any control over. 

Anyway, the poor Dottie Mae has sat quietly on my bench for a couple of weeks waiting for me to return.  Before everything started hitting the fan, I did manage to get a coat of metal down on the whole giant bird.  Had a few issues that I will explain further when I get a chance to do a proper WIP update.

Cheers, Mark

MrStecks

Hey Everyone, just wanted to quickly pop in here and apologize for being AWOL for the last couple weeks.  Real life has been a real drag lately.  First, I picked up a free-lance animation gig (which I should be working on now instead of writing this post!  lol), that has been a bit of a chore.  On top of that it's been very busy at work the last few weeks.  Then I found out this week why the workload has been so high...  I'm being laid off in a few weeks!     Along with a bunch of other people in the Creative Dept. where I work.

So...  I'm super stressed out.  Looking for work as a 55-year-old is not going to be easy, but I'm trying to stay optimistic.  After all, there's no point in wasting energy being angry about situations I don't have any control over. 

Anyway, the poor Dottie Mae has sat quietly on my bench for a couple of weeks waiting for me to return.  Before everything started hitting the fan, I did manage to get a coat of metal down on the whole giant bird.  Had a few issues that I will explain further when I get a chance to do a proper WIP update.

Cheers, Mark

 

Hey Mark,

Really sorry to here about the work situation, I have first hand experience on what your feeling about now.

My role was made redundant (outsourced then brought back internally again after several years!), I was in my late 30's and I have struggled ever since and I'm know in my late 40's.

I trully hope you get another job, or better still work for yourself instead of the man.

Very best of luck.

Damian

 P.S. Great work to date on your build.

Thanks Damian.  Real life is still kicking me pretty hard, but I finally got some bench time this last weekend.  I thought that getting back to work on Dottie Mae would help to ease the my stress, but actually I had a hard time focusing and as a result made some gaffes with the plane.

Here are a couple of shots of where she sits now.  Basically just have to add landing gear and some minor bits, and then get the decals on.

These pics were taken on Saturday, before I had finished the striping on the tail.  Here is the tail with striping completed.

This is where I goofed.  My intention with this build was to make the current Dottie Mae, fresh from restoration and no weathering.  But the current Dottie Mae is painted in a scheme that does NOT include the black parts of the tail.  Just the red stripes.  So, this is what it is.  Oh well.  I can live with it. 

Sorry to just pop in once every few weeks and not spend any time enjoying and commenting on other people's work.  I'll try to get caught up on everything this holiday weekend.

Cheers, Mark

This build is looking quite spectacular.  The painting is flawless.

Sorry to hear about your job.  I really can't imagine your stress level.  It sounds like your employer is leaving you zero time to work on a job search.  Hope you find something soon.  I totally get having trouble focusing.

Good luck,

D

Gees I wouldn't worry about replicating an existing aircraft although many do. I think you're doing a fabulous job on this kit!

RE: job

It's tough to be out of work at any age but my really hard spot occurred when I was 54. I was in a job that required sales and I'm the world's worst salesperson . I hung on for 6 months living on the base salary (no sales = no commissions) and, knowing I'd be let go sooner rather than later, I applied to three school districts in my vicinity for substitute teaching credentials - (LAUSD, Glendale, and Pasadena). The day after I was let go from the sales job I got a call at 7:20 am to report to a middle school in the Los Angeles Unified School District. Things worked out from there as I ended up being asked by a high school principal if I would please sign a contract with them as a regular teacher which I did. Saved my butt. It all worked out for the best. Howevere, I should be up front in saying that teaching - especially teaching special education students which I did for 13 years until I retired - can be and usually is a stressful, taxing, but sometimes rewarding experience.

Best of luck with your job searching.

Mr. Stecks

This build looks great. I know that it's been a challenge for you, but you're proving up to the task. 

As far as your job situation, that really sucks. My dad is in the exact same situation, 55 years old and he got bought out. Company wanted more imagination in their IT department, which means they wanted someone younger and cheaper. Gone are the days when companies cared about their employees. Sad, really. 

I know it's going to be stressful for you, but just worry about what you can control, which is making sure your resume and portfolio are all in tip top shape, and that every manager in Denver has a copy. And don't forget to use your bench time as an escape. If this is stressing you out too much, build something dumb and fun! You won't be letting anyone here down. 

Best of luck, Mr. Stecks!

It's a cryin shame about your loss of employment especially this time of year. i can relate Bro. having been there, remember this too will pass.

Thank you all for the well wishes and support.  I appreciate it.  It's totally a drag, but  with the support of family and friends (including the FSM family) I'll get through it. 

Just a little more metal (dark aluminum) going on the plane tonight, then I just have to get the landing gear and flaps attached before starting on the decals.

Cheers, Mark

HOLY COW!  It's been about a six weeks since my last update to the Dottie Mae!  Well, a lot has been going on.  First there was the 48hr challenge build, so the Jug got moved off the bench to make way for the 1/48 Hellcat.  After that, I got laid off and then there was my trip up to Minneapolis for Christmas.  In addition to that I've been pretty depressed about being out of work, so I've been spending a lot of time in my music studio since that is my main source of stress release.  (This is why I haven't been around on the forums for a while)

Anyway... I got in some quality bench time the last few days and finally finished up the Dottie Mae.  I'm pleased with the result, but this was the hardest and most complicated build I've done since returning to the hobby last March.  Lots of swearing!  lol

Looking back, there are a lot of things I would do differently but that's how we learn and grow so I feel good about the whole experience.  I have no idea where to display this giant thing though! 

Cheers, Mark

very clean finish.

Well done Mark, excellent work.

2018 is the year we both get back on our feet!

Dont over think your position, just get on with life.

All the best

Damian

Beautiful job!

You could display it at my house  

Excellent job overall Mate.  I bought the Hasegawa offering in 1/32 for a great price at the IPMS show after all. Now I want to find the Edward AM stuff because yours looks so great and inspiring.

Much luck on the job search, my prayers are with you.

Just saw this Mr Stecks.

You did a really great job.  Super nice model.  

WOW!!!!!

Oh wow, simply stunning!!! Love her!!!

And good luck with the job situation. 

Mark, beautiful job on the P-47. Sorry to hear about the job, I hope you get something soon, wish I could do something for you. 

Thank you all for the kind words on the build, and the words of encouragement on my job situation.  I really appreciate it. 

Phil1947

...Just out of curiosity, did you use a black primer before applying the AK metal paint?

I did use a black base coat, also made by AK.  I found that when spraying the metal over the black base coat it worked best to build up very light coats.  The tricky part was in knowing when to stop, because there was always a point where it quite suddenly stopped looking like polished aluminum and started looking like silver paint.  If I went past that point, re-spraying a bit of the black base and then the metal again would bring back the luster.

Cheers, Mark

Refreshing to see a pristine example of a finished aircraft. Looks fabulous!

I have both Alclad and AK metal paints as well as some sheets of aluminum foil and have been too chicken to attempt any of them. However, after reading and viewing your posts in this thread and after having asked Joe (lawdog114) about some of the preparation for metal paint on one of his builds, I will just have to give it a go.