Everything looks fantastic.  I'm really excited in seeing your progression in this build!  Good job sir!

Toshi

Thanks Toshi!

I'm slowing down now - Oregon weather is turning - for the better - and I'm contemplating what I should be doing next .

Very impressive, I love all the interior stuff the ancient Monogram was very basic.

Sorry to hear about the mask leakage but the canopies look great now. 

And love finding the lost part in the photo after you've scratchbuilt a replacement- yeah been there, done that, got the T-shirt... 

I've only built one of these but as I remember it seemed to fit together fairly well as long as you followed the instructions to the letter. Looks like you've got everything under control and she looks good! 

Iampiper13,

Thanks. Although the interior of the Accurate Miniatures kit is very nice I am using lots of the Eduard PE to add even more detail. It does make a difference - I think. Unfortunately in my hands PE doesn't always turn out well but I just leave it out if I screw something up.

Gamera,

Thanks. Yes, it's the fate of many modelers who have a hobby room carpeted. I've found little parts on kits I'd finished years ago lying on the carpeted floor. I've also found small parts inside the body (hull/fuselage) of models I've been working on when I thought they'd been shot out of my tweezers to the monster. C'est la vie.

What I've always found even more frustrating is spending an hour scratch building something more detailed than the PE or resin AM parts only to have it dissapear into oblivion. Either start again, or use the AM after all.

Everything is looking top notch so far, Mike. I like it!

Thanks Mike.

I'm not really at a stage where I'd worry about scratch building - I know you are though and I empathize.

Waikong, thank you.

In what part of the city do you live? (I lived on the upper east side in Manhattan most of my young life).

Hi Mike, I actually live on Staten Island, not Manhattan.  But if you lived in the upper east side, then you must have visited Jans Hobbys?  They moved a few years back further uptown, but it is still there.  As is the Red Caboose in the mid 40's, still in the same basement with shelves crammed with stuff.

Another small update. Just some masking and puttying. Getting ready to paint the intermediate blue.

Some painting and decaling done.

Nice progress.

You're doing a fine job on this TBM, Mike.

This is a great kit, isn't it? (I built the Bunker Hill version back in '13 as my first build back from sabbatical and I'll never forget it) It is great fun being able to watch you build yours.

Keep up the great work.

This is some very nice work. Take it from a real, true duffer....you are quite good.

One thing I've tried with fair success on masking clear parts - after masking them brush a coat of Future on them. If there is seepage, it will be clear and it should seal the edges.

TJ, John, Joe, and Greg - Thank you.

Greg, Yes it's a great kit AFAIC! I love the detail and the aircraft in general. I still have some "tricky" (read: scary for me ) building to do with this WIP - re-installing the turret, attaching the landing gear (the folded wings may present me with a bit more of a challenge in that regard), etc.

Then I'll have my major challenge - painting figures . Although I've done some basic painting of a 1/48 pilot - see here:

http://cs.finescale.com/fsm/modeling_subjects/f/2/t/170707.aspx

I don't pretend to know how to make these figures stand out as "realistic". I have several figures that I'll most likely be using in this little diorama so I'll have to rely on people in this forum (Mike Brindos comes to mind) to help me with suggestions on how to proceed when I get to that stage.

You beat me to the punch (re figure painting), I was gonna say Mike Brindos is here to help, but you are a step ahead of me. Next time I try, I think I'll slow down and ask Mike for help.

Hi,

That's looking great.

Pat

I will be more than happy to help. You guys know that. Heck, mail 'em to me and I'll paint 'em for ya! LOL.

Mike Brindos said: "Heck, mail 'em to me and I'll paint 'em for ya! LOL."

No thanks Mike - you know as well as most of us here that learning is a major part of the fun of model building - but I appreciate the humor and do understand how it was intended . I will certainly be picking your brain on how to paint these little guys. That won't be too long now - maybe a month or two . I certainly thank you for volunteering to help me in an area about which I know next to nothing. I'm very grateful to you.

Thank you Pat.

M. Brindos

I will be more than happy to help. You guys know that. Heck, mail 'em to me and I'll paint 'em for ya! LOL.

 

What?!?..... and miss all the fun of cursing, sweating, throwing stuff and junk???

Hahahaha! 

Seriously, you guys know I'm here for you.

M. Brindos

Hahahaha! 

Seriously, you guys know I'm here for you.

 

Yep, and it is much appreciated, Mr B.

This is just a fantastic build. And for the rest of us that have this buil so much info.

I'm having a problem with the fuselage halfs fitting together under the engine bay lots of sanding on the engine mounts. Did you have this problem or have made a mistake somwear.

Blackdog62,

Thanks very much for the compliment.

I didn't have much of a problem this time but I do recall having some problems with the two fuselage halves closing properly on my last build of this same kit a few months ago. I'm not sure what my problem was but I suspect it may have been because I wasn't careful enough to make sure the cockpit floor lined up correctly with the "alignment projections" or shelf-like protrusions on the inside of each fuselage half. It's tricky to line them up since you're really working "blind" when attaching the final half of the fuselage. You sort of have to go by feel and by checking all around the seams as you're holding the two halves together and before you walk away to let the glue set with your clamps, rubber bands, etc. now holding both halves together.

I wish I could be of more help but I'm still learning and trying to better each build.

really nice work mike , learning a lot .

steve

Mike, 

Really nice work on this build.  But I just gotta say - your photography and the way you've taken time to explain things will be a help to anyone who uses this as a reference to build this kit in the future.

Thanks Man !

Chris