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

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

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

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

 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

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

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!

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

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

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

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!

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!  

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

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!

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

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. 

Darned Vampires!!!  The bane of modelers everywhere!

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.

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!  

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.

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.

Nice saves there!

My friends, I thank you! 

As a member of the Great Unemployed, I've had extra time to work on this project- carry on, Lili!

Those complex curves really stand out when dressed right!

.............the paint and decal work look really good, too ! 

Truly incredible from start to finish. I am so stunned with you level of scratch and detail I'm not sure I learned anything here. I am just in awe of you skills. Awesome !!  

Okay, I know you mentioned the scale early on, but having the cotton swab for scale is really eye-opening.  You failed to mention that most of your work had to be under a microscope!  

Nice work, sir!

Gene Beaird,

Pearland, Texas

Very nicely done here Chuk. =]

Haha, thanks, guys- and a happy new year to all!

Well, I've had a lot of bench time, and Had some serious back and forth with this build!  One thing I did realize was that I left poor Radu Brinzan out in the cold after he was nice enough to send me a set of his IAR 81C decals.  What a dope I am!  I did use them instead of the kit decals (which do look very nice, BTW) They were a treat to apply- judge for yourself. 

I won't go into the issues with dullcoat blushing and bad material interactions, but it's all coming out in th wash.  I had so many pics in my camera that i'm breaking it into two installments- here's Doging Bullets, Part 1-

I really enjoy these installments Chuck.  =D  I'm waiting on the edge of my seat for the next one.  And very happy to hear mention of the pigment fixer for MiG pigments.  I haven't fooled with them too much...but I haven't exactly been successful at maintaining the look I aim to achieve.  It seems to disappear almost entirely.  So thanks for throwing me a bone. =]

Thanks, my friend!  The fixer is a nice surprise indeed.  I am loving the use of pigments, and will be trying this with ordinary pastels.  Cheers!

Here's Dodging Bullets Part 2- Marina is just tuckered out from all the engine work she's put in.  Read on, Bold Modeler!