An IAR 81C in resin- building the Icaerodesign 1/48 kit

Excellent work on the hinges, Chuck!  I have to say, though, and not entirely kidding, a beer before might have helped, too.  I find sometimes that a little bit beforehand will help me steady my hands.  Of course, my favorite is Franziskaner, it's a cure-all.

Sweeet!  Love your work - in all its forms, brother.  Another wonderful installment!

Can't wait to see more!

Your models are artwork, your drawings are beautiful, and your book is just stunning.

Hey - I don't work for Chuk (nor am I seeking a kickback) - but his book would be (in my humble opinion) cheap at twice the price!  I bought three!  Money well spent, I'm thinking.

Get one before they sell out!

Have a good one!  And thanks for all you do to inspire us "lurkers".  You inspire me.

Thanks, Lee!  Here's a new update, just for you, mate!  ;)

While unemployment sucks, it has given me more time for fussing with this tiny little fighter.  I've gotten out my Big Hammer and nailed down some nasty loose ends- and shot some paint at last!  

Not wanting to sound like a pain, Chuk.....but we all wait with baited breath for another thrilling installment!

You really do some amazing work, brother.  Put us out of our misery!

I greatly admire your art - they inspire me to create better models.

The thing I like about modelers is......I've NEVER met a skilled artist who is unwilling to tell you (or show you) how they create such lovely effects.

My hat is off to you, brother.  Always.

Thanks, mate.  Sincerely.

Darned Vampires!!!  The bane of modelers everywhere!

chukw

Great story, Tex!   My Grandfather was a roofer and made tin roofs.  He had a portable propane furnace and his old-school soldering irons and worked at altitude!

Thanks Chuk!  Sometimes I miss that old sheet metal shop...I wish I owned all the cool old tools and machines today.  I bet your grandfather and I would have many similar experiences and stories. We had a portable propane "fire pot" too.   I spent many hours on roofs; in the Texas summers, the tools would get too hot to handle sometimes. 

 Perfect, Vampires on Halloween. Thank you for the great update and I enjoyed your book very much, have a good one Chuk.

Great story, Tex!   My Grandfather was a roofer and made tin roofs.  He had a portable propane furnace and his old-school soldering irons and worked at altitude!

Man, I swear that I will beat this thing into a single unit if it kills me!   :laugh:  Here's magda- just in time for Halloween!

I worked as a tinsmith/sheet metal mechanic for 13 years, in a small, two-man shop.  We did everything from building 8'x6' water cisterns to putting on standing-seam metal roofs (hand fabricated, on site) to hanging gutter to running duct-work to making custom Christmas cookie cutters!  And as Billy Gibbons might say, "and all points in between!"  And much of that involved soldering.  I did the lion's share of that soldering.  We used copper soldering irons heated in a gas-fired burner.  We prepped the metal with Muriatic acid and tinned irons with sal-ammoniac.  Our solder was 50/50 solder (lead and tin).  Man, I must've breathed in a ton of those fumes over 13 years!  But, I did get quite good at the skill.  

One day while soldering a whole pile of roof flashings, an older couple came in to our shop.  While the husband dealt with the boss, the lady came back to the rear of the place where I was working and asked if she could watch me work.  She said she had done a lot of soldering in her day; it turned out that she had worked in an airplane plant in Fort Worth during WWII.  I said, "Wow!  You're a real-life "Rosie the Riveter!"  She grinned and said, "I sure was!"  What a thrill, and honor, it was for me to meet her.

Gary

Thanks, guys!  I much appreciate that, Gary- I'm almost getting the the painting stage, but Magda has paid another visit- you know what that means!  trouble ahead- stay tuned for an update later today.

Jim, it's crucial to not drop your iron there- CRUCIAL!   It's also crucial not to touch the electrodes on the resistance unit- EVER!  ;)   That said, I find myself looking for excuses to solder stuff nowadays- it's too much fun!  

Great work with the soldering! I'm too much of a klutz to even try soldering. I'm likely as not to drop the hot soldering iron right onto my  "nether regions." "Great Balls of Fire" indeed!

Beautiful Chuk, just beautiful!  Your best work yet I'd say.  Man, that Margo is a looker, no?  Mmmm, mmmm.   Oh, the model?  Yeah, it's coming along nicely as well.

Best regards!  Gary

Thanks, Raymond!  I'm touched by your kind words- cheers!

Here's the latest in this odyssey in resin and brass- take it away, Margo!

I just spent the last hour catching up on this thread.  Chuck, all I can say is simply.... WOW!  I've been back in the hobby for about a year now, and if I can ever get to be a quarter... nay, an eighth the modeler you are, then I will have truly accomplished something in this hobby!  You're doing things that I want to do and I've learned so much from this one thread alone.  Thanks mate!  I, and a bunch of other people, appreciate the work that you're doing.

By the way, condolences on the loss of your and your wife's mother.  I cannot imagine how hard to have one, much less both, of them go in such a short time period.  Hang in there with your health issues.  I can sure empathize with you there.  Keeping a positive attitude is 80% of the battle, and avenues of venting/thought such as your art work and modeling is a good approach.  

Thanks again, I've really enjoyed this thread so far and can't wait to follow it from here on out!  Raymond

Thanks, Gary!    I'm glad you like it- cheers!

I much appreciate the kind words, Mike.  It has been a rough ride- losing both parents was a tough thing to bear.  It's not over yet- I was laid off the week before last, without any warning and after 14 years.  They shut down my department- all 5 of us are now looking for work.  I'm doing ok freelancing, as are my friends- so no owrries.  It's just a major restructuring of our lives- something better is bound to happen- I can feel it!

Chuk, I'm very sorry to hear of your recent losses.  It sounds like it's been a very rough summer for you and your family.

I'm still amazed at how much detail you put into your models and I look forward to all of your posts.

Mike

 I just have to say that I bought Chuk's book and it is really cool.  I'm thoroughly enjoying it and I suspect all of you would too.  Thanks for making it available Chuk.

Gary

Hi, emelen!  Try this link:  http://chukstuff.storenvy.com/

You'll have to copy and paste it into your address bar, FSM doesn't allow hyperlinks in posts. 

Thanks for your interest- and cheers!

chuk

chuk want to buy book but address wont open reads not a store yet if you fix it I will  buy it

Thanks, guys!  Glad to see you back, TG!

It's been a while, and with reason.   It's been a tough summer for my wife and I- we each lost our mothers in the space of seven weeks.  Nothing was unexpected, but that did not make anything easier.  To top it off, I've been struggling with health problems- but I have hopes that all will resolve without dire consequence.  All in all, though- it's been a rough ride- and I appreciate your patience.   This update is a bit compressed, detail-wise. 

Cheers!
chuk

Excellent as always Chuk!  

I'd been out of the plastic modeling hobby for several years to pursue more of my R/C modeling hobby instead, but have recently returned, having sold my truck (Aircraft Carrier) to enjoy riding on two wheels instead (you can't add years to your life, but you can add life to your years).  I had completely forgotten about your wonderful talents, both as a modeler and an artist.  I was pleasantly surprised to re-discover your work.  Thank you so much for providing such detailed insight to how you accomplish such beautiful work.

Wonderful!! =]  Thanks.

Well, Jim & JayJay, I did try to pick up a soldering pencil, to better grasp it, right out by the tip.  YEOWTCH!   You could smell burning chuk!   0_0'  ;)  Oooo- look- blisters!

bvallet- thanks!   I'm by no means an expert- but I am learning!  ;)

There are some basics to soldering that you can use any proper tool on.   Rememer, some metals solder better than others, and some not at all.   Aluminum?    Brass works great- so does steel.   The main ting in making a join id to have a clean surface- and a bright metal solders best.   A little sanding or steel wool will get that in order.  

You also have to have the join steady and immobilized.  Note that I pin, tape or do whatever to hold the work still.  Next, some flux is necessary to get the solder to stick.  I've never had any luck with trusting on rosin-core solder alone.  Trim a small bit of solder and stick it in the flux- apply heat and you should get a nice join!

You can also solder by tinning each piece- do the above steps on each bit, getting a thin coat of solder on the join end of each bit.  Put the parts together (with a bit more flux) and heat.  

Once you're done brush a little lacquer thinner over the joint to remove the remaining flux.

I'll do a step-by-step next time I get the gear out- in the meantime check out this review I recently did at Aeroscale.    http://www.aeroscale.co.uk/modules.php?op=modload&name=Reviews&file=index&req=showcontent&id=10453

Cheers!

chuk

I'll echo what everyone else is saying...this great stuff.  =]  Is it possible you could elaborate a bit more on the soldering-how-to's?  I've had very limited experience with it but it seems that certain types of metal don't want to adhere.  Any advice?

Jim, LMLO.  ( laughing my lap off )

Jay Jay

I am so in awe of your scratch building and soldering skills , I have no words. I can"t even make the solder stick on a simple electrical connection.

Great work, Chuck! And Jay Jay, don't feel bad. If I tried to solder, the first thing I'd do is drop the hot soldering iron in my lap and burn my "nether regions"!

Thanks, guys!   I was feeling like this build would never end, but I took a quick inventory of what's left and it's not too bad.   The landing gear is the next big thing- cheers!

chuk

Keep the updates coming Chuk! That is just unreal work.

I always enjoy your work and presentations Chuk.  

Joe

Can't get enough of your builds, amazing work.

Mike