This is the 2004 reissue of Ed “Big Daddy” Roth’s “Scuz Fink with Dingbat,” originally released by Revell in 1965.
1. Because the model is front heavy, weights were added under the rear of the base.
2. The hollow under Dingbat’s body was filled with epoxy putty. His tail was straightened out into flying position, and a steel support rod was added under his chest. The mounting pins under the tips of his rear wings were reinforced with steel pins.
3. The rockets molded into Dingbat’s front wings were carved away, and replaced with new rockets made from styrene tube and aircraft bombs (found in my spare parts box). The exhaust plumes are toothpicks. The crater on top of Dingbat’s head was also carved away.
4. Scuz Fink’s right foot and middle left toe were pinned to Dingbat’s front wings.
5. A lot of work was done with needle files to blend the wrinkles on Scuz Fink’s arms, as well as the scales on his legs.
6. The control knob on Scuz Fink’s suit was given a new face with a disk punched out of sheet styrene.
7. The face on the fish bones was sanded away and a new face was made using decal dots and stripes.
8. The parachute was detailed using wire and sheet styrene, following the design of USAF seat packs in the 1950s.
9. The recessed lettering on the flag was filled with putty. The three-eyed “Mooneyes” decals on both sides of the flag were custom made for me by Bedlam Creations. A styrene disk was added to the top of the flag’s staff as a finial, and the staff was pinned to Scuz Fink’s upper left hand.
10. The front part of the ray gun’s body was cut off and replaced with double disks per the box art.
11. The kit antennas were replaced with new antennas made from wire and stretched sprue.
12. Scuz Fink’s suit was painted with a mix of Testors 1146 Metallic Silver and 1135 Gloss Grape. The whole model was finished with a triple coat of Future floor polish.
"A little more persistence, a little more effort, and what seemed hopeless failure may turn to glorious success" - Elbert Hubbard
"Perfect is the enemy of good" - attributed to Voltaire