Secret Santa GB 22/23

Thanks for the kind words fellas.

Brilliant work BK!

Dodgy, that cockpit is an absolute gem.  I love it!

Dodgy

Ok, some updates from me. Cockpit tub is finished and the fuselage closed up. Tonight i will get the wings on and hopefully things should speed up from there. The cockpit in this kit has to be seen to be believed.

 

Here is a link to the video where I learned about this technique.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MdpxSNpP_3Q  it's Model Car Muse.

Ok, some updates from me. Cockpit tub is finished and the fuselage closed up. Tonight i will get the wings on and hopefully things should speed up from there. The cockpit in this kit has to be seen to be believed.

Beautiful work BK. Immaculate construction and paint job. Very interested in the technique you applied to the tires.

Okay gents, she's DONE!! What a great kit. Easily the finest, best fitting kit or any kind I have ever laid my hands on. Unparelleled in its quality and fit. One quick update real quick. As you can see by the image below we have a full set of tires. The upper two are direct out of the box, while the lower two have been media blasted using a small airbrush style media blaster that shoots super find abrasives out. It takes the shine out of the rubber and makes the tires look far more real. I used Aluminum Oxide 200 grit in this instance. The tool was about $60 US, Chicago Neumatics brand, for the full kit. Tool, hose, media, everything. Great investment.

Now off to the glamor shots. It was painted with Scale Finishes Metallic Silver and 2K clear. I sanded and polished the paint using Micromesh from 4K-12K and then used Novis #2 with a dremel and soft pad to finish it off. The paint is like glass and the lighting does not do it justice. Thanks for looking and THANK YOU SS for this great kit.!!

BK

That does look like a great kit, Fantastic work on it BK!

Okay, quick update. I am getting there. At this point I have to polish the clear, cut and buff and do some minor assembly. Then on to final assembly and any touch ups I may need and the glamor shots. Man, what a spectactular kit this is.

BK this is looking very sweet. Glad to hear that you're back at the bench. I will have zero photos very shortly.

Cheers

Dodgy

Finally!! An update on my SS build. Man, being knocked out of building completely due to my back injury really sucked. I am, however, finally back at it. This kit is an absolute joy to work with. Everything fits perfect and the kit has no clean up.

At this point I have 99% of the decalling done, primary paint is on and wet sanded. Now I need to move on to clear coat on the body. There is a TON and I mean a TON of detail work to do on this and progress seems slow, but I make progress everyday and I am very pleased with it thus far. I have reached a point in the build now where I am beginning to add the wiring and plumbing the kit does not have. This will take a bit, but it will add just that little bit more to an already stellar kit. This has to be the finest quality auto kit I have ever laid my hands on, and I've build a ton. Great pick there SS.

I'll post of more soon as this one is on the way to competion.

PS I added carbon fiber to the seat, wing and some other bits as the real car has this. It really makes this kit pop. Enough blabbing, here is the pics.

Dodgy

It's important that I finish it for me, you and the donor.

I agree completely. I am so happy to be able to get back on this and get it done. I am stoked to near the paint stage on the body. It should go quickly, I hope.

BK

Thanks mate. It's important that I finish it for me, you and the donor.

Dodgy

Dodgy

Great work Glamdring they look really good!

BK, can I continue to post my Zero work on here? It could be March before I finish it though. I was going to post the continuing work in the aircraft section, but I would prefer for you to see it finished in this section, as I reckon I owe it to you and the donor to se it done.

Dodgy 

 

Yes, Sir. By all means, continue. I too am working on mine finally after being injured most of last year. Back at it and working toward the finish line.

BK

Great work Glamdring they look really good!

BK, can I continue to post my Zero work on here? It could be March before I finish it though. I was going to post the continuing work in the aircraft section, but I would prefer for you to see it finished in this section, as I reckon I owe it to you and the donor to se it done.

Dodgy 

Glad to see you are still at it, Robert. Those are looking stellar!  I too have been too slow to get things done this last year. I am finally back to work on mine as well. Hopefully we can both finish in the next few months.

BK

Great job Dodgy!  

Robert - keep at it, I admire the perserverance.  And they are looking very nice.  Also I want to see your final in-flight solution.

Resurrecting this to prove I did not lose my projects...and have actually made recent progress on them.  

I have all the decals on the F-16 now, and the F-4 almost done.  Just the underside decals to go for that one.  All I have otherwise left are some paint touch ups, ordinance installation, finishing up the bases, and then sealing them.  I am hopeless with giving timelines, but I am getting antsy to get these wrapped up so hopefully no more than a week or two.

I retrospect, my life would have been a lot easier, and these would have been done last Spring,  if I had left the wheels down rather than going with in flight displays for the first time, but live and learn.

Thanks fellas. All the best for Christmas and the new year.

Dodgy.

That King Cat turned out great.  Splendid job on that ambush camo scheme.

Dodgy, well done!!! That Tiger is killer. I don't think it is too dark, I think it looks correct. Too bad about the track troubles, but it looks wonderful. I think you did a amazing job on this and I hope one day when I build one I can make it look half this good. Amazing work.

Don't worry about what you haven't gotten done, just about everyone had something go on this year that prevented them from getting more done. That's just how it is.

Great finish!!!

BK

Oh yes....... I forgot about the decal on the port side of the turret. It broke up and hence is missing a bit. 008 might find itself with a minor hit there....

I'm typing this now for the second time because the bloody site dropped out. I should have known better because I've been caught like that before on several occasions and then couldn't bring myself to repeat it all again. Moving on.

Thanks for the positive words fellas, but BK I owe you a huge apology as I've let you down. The Tiger is finished, but the Zero is not. I will finish the Zero next year in a WIP on the aircraft thread. I also apologise to the donor, it will be built and not go into the stash, or the shelf of doom. It is a magnificent kit and I love it, it's just that life, my shakes and a reduction in motivation that I put down to grief, got in the way. 2023 has not been a good year for me.

BK I have loved this GB, even though it's only been my second year. So many good models and mateship. Good on yer mate, you've done a great job, but I can fully understand why you won't be doing it again in 2024.

Ok, to the Tiger. I apologise for the quality of the photographs, the lighting is crap and I'm a crap photographer. My own opinion is that the paint job is too dark and there are several problems with the tracks.

After paint and glue the tracks became very brittle and broke so easily whenever I handled them. Eventually, I just decided that regardless of any issues, I would leave them as they were. On a positive note, the kit itself is a gem and I loved building it. I added the cable for the front headlight, rubbed graphite around the muzzle brake to represent blast compounds and mixed white glue and green food dye for the vision ports in the hull and the commanders cupola.

Thanks again BK. As a GB it was a lot of fun and much appreciated.

Wow Dodgy the Tiger looks awesome, great camo and that monster barrel!

Dodgy

Hi Fella's. The Zero is a beautiful kit, thank you Secret Santa! I'm just hoping I can do it Justice. Unfortunatley I lost a couple of parts to the carpet monster, so I have halted production until I find them, or can replicate them, meanwhile, a couple of pics of the Tiger. Almost there. Just need to add some minor bits and do the weathering.

Thanks for the positives folks.

 

BK

Hi Fella's. The Zero is a beautiful kit, thank you Secret Santa! I'm just hoping I can do it Justice. Unfortunatley I lost a couple of parts to the carpet monster, so I have halted production until I find them, or can replicate them, meanwhile, a couple of pics of the Tiger. Almost there. Just need to add some minor bits and do the weathering.

Thanks for the positives folks.

Dodgy, I love your zero interior. Nice work. 

Dodgy

you might have had problems John, but no one would know it. A beaut job mate.

So my bench time has been very hit and miss, but I have been working on the cockpit of the Zero and I'm just about to close it up. Have also been doing some work on the Tiger II and will post pics later today.

 

BK

My word, Dodgy, that detail work looks GREAT!

you might have had problems John, but no one would know it. A beaut job mate.

So my bench time has been very hit and miss, but I have been working on the cockpit of the Zero and I'm just about to close it up. Have also been doing some work on the Tiger II and will post pics later today.