Rich:

Don't throw that bubbly wonder out!

It has a unique intake. Of course, if you ran over it and used it as fire starter,

i won't hold that against you.

VooDooKen:

yeah, fracking baggged,,,,,,,frack the grass.....lol......

uuuhhh.....is Franklin using your ejection seat handle wire as a buggy whip yet?....jess wondrin'.....

Scorpio:

Well, you could start swimming now. Yeah, yeah, a few silly sharks, but you will wear them out about

2000 naughts offshore.......

Good news, I saw a kit, and almost fell in love......there's hope yet fellas!!!!

It's not a really complex kit.  A few fit and alignment issues, but nothing bad.  I tewnd to divide the assembly phases into sections and work on them concurrently.  I get a lot more done that way.  SOmetimes I find that the instructions do not show the most efficient or logical sequence.  Today I got the fuselage buttoned up with the cockpit completed.  I also masked and painted the last of the landing gear components, and assembled the wing sections.

Son Of Medicine Man

Greetings everyone,

I spent the evening mowing my Mom's yard.  It was quite high.  I meant to do it on Sunday but the work on the servers at my job took longer than I thought.  It rained here Sunday night and most of the day yesterday.  I am wore out. 

Hey Rich, it sounds like you really went to town on that F-86!  If there was a contest on who could build the fastest, I would put money down on you!

Ken

Greetings everyone,

I spent the evening mowing my Mom's yard.  It was quite high.  I meant to do it on Sunday but the work on the servers at my job took longer than I thought.  It rained here Sunday night and most of the day yesterday.  I am wore out. 

Hey Rich, it sounds like you really went to town on that F-86!  If there was a contest on who could build the fastest, I would put money down on you!

Ken

I have to admit that I never got a chance to build the F-19.  Or many Testors kits for that matter.  My local shop didn't carry many.  I'm waiting for some new sculpting tools to be delivered so I can putty the Ferret into completion.

I got quite a lot done on the F86 tonight.  Most of the interior cockpit is painted as well as the ejection seat.  I decided to go with the stock decal set.  It's in good shape.  I also got the primary painting done on the landing gear and the doors and air brake insides.  I am still not sure if I will build it wheels up or down, but I have a while before I HAVE to decide so I can wait and see how the wheels come out.  I like to use MM Steel for the landing gear as the Testors Silver it calls for is kind of chinsy looking to me.  The Steel has a more authentic look to me, so I always swap anything Silver for either Steel, Aluminum, or Chrome, depending on what part it is.

Rich

Gamera

Hey guys just got back and still catching up on stuff!

Rich: Sorry to hear about your problems with the F-86, very nice that Testor's was wiling to replace the defective product and reimburse you for the ruined kit. Nice work on the Mig- 37. I and I think pretty much everyone else built the F-19 kit back in the '80s. I thought the Mig-37 was pretty cool but never picked one up, kinda wish I had now.

And a big congrads to your wife as well!

Ken: Nice work there!

Kbuzz: Nice work on the TF too, super work on getting all the seams sanded down and smoothed for painting.

Mike: Hope things are going better there, the new photos of your F4U look really good. Hope you get your computer problems sorted out there, guess I've been lucky. Though skeptical of Steam at first I've not had any problems with it. Crossing my fingers.

Hey guys just got back and still catching up on stuff!

Rich: Sorry to hear about your problems with the F-86, very nice that Testor's was wiling to replace the defective product and reimburse you for the ruined kit. Nice work on the Mig- 37. I and I think pretty much everyone else built the F-19 kit back in the '80s. I thought the Mig-37 was pretty cool but never picked one up, kinda wish I had now.

And a big congrads to your wife as well!

Ken: Nice work there!

Kbuzz: Nice work on the TF too, super work on getting all the seams sanded down and smoothed for painting.

Mike: Hope things are going better there, the new photos of your F4U look really good. Hope you get your computer problems sorted out there, guess I've been lucky. Though skeptical of Steam at first I've not had any problems with it. Crossing my fingers.

Hi Rich,

I hope you start feeling better soon.  On the subject of black primer, Floquil makes some.

Ken

That is amazing shot.  The rainbow effect is amazing.

Not a lot here today.  I've been feeling a bit under the weather since last night.  I think I might have gotten some bad Chinese food for lunch yesterday.

My replacement for the ESCI F86 arrived today.  I think I will start it tonight if I am feeling more up to it in a few hours.  I am really thinking of trying my Aluminum Plate metalizer on it.  I haven't used the stuff before, but I think it might be worth a try from all of the info I have found on using it over the last few days.  I will see how assembly comes out before deciding since everything I have read says that even the slightest surface imperfection will be amplified tenfold by the metalizer.  I did pick up another can of Chrome just in case.

The decals that came with the replacement kit are in a lot better shape than the ones that came with the last kit, so I still haven't decided if I will use them, some third party ones, or the ones I recreated.  I'm sure I will have it figured out before the kit gets to that point.  One thing.  Does anyone know who makes a Black Primer?  On the last kit, I just used flat black Model Masters enamel, but I wanted to try an actual black primer if I can find some.

Oh well, off to do some prep on it.  Images will be posted when I have enough to make it worth sending them up.

Rich

Scorpiomikey

I would love to go, unfortunately there's a rather large body of water in the way.

Stupid water!

I would love to go, unfortunately there's a rather large body of water in the way.

I will let her know.

You know, that campgrounds idea is interesting...  I just wish I still had my camping gear.  With the exception of a couple of Coleman propane lanterns, all of my stuff was stolen when we left our last place.  I'm wondering is I can find a tent at a yard sale or something... hmmm...  We had been talking about a camping trip someday.  My Daughter has never had a real vacation, and I haven't been camping in years.  It would give me a good excuse to finally get the heavy duty power inverter installed in our van.  It's been sitting in a box for months now. lol

Hmmm......  Something to think about anyways.

Rich

Son Of Medicine Man

 

Sparrowhyperion:

 

I don't get my Disability until like the 4th. of the month, so I wouldn't be able to do it the first weekend in June.  It would have to be the weekend of the 9th. or later.  Weekdays are somewhat problematic since Debbie is still working as a volunteer at UTMCO (University of Toledo, Medical College of Ohio).  She works Mondays and Thursdays normally.  A weekday might be doable if she doesn't have anything scheduled.

Ken, Congrats from me as well.  Now you must be seeing the light at the end of the tunnel almost here.

Have a great week folks.

 

Rich

 

 

Hi Rich,

Thank you for the Kudos!  And by the way, tell your wife congratulations on her achievements as well.  That was a lot of hard work!  I am sure she is glad to have that over with!

Ken

Sparrowhyperion

I don't get my Disability until like the 4th. of the month, so I wouldn't be able to do it the first weekend in June.  It would have to be the weekend of the 9th. or later.  Weekdays are somewhat problematic since Debbie is still working as a volunteer at UTMCO (University of Toledo, Medical College of Ohio).  She works Mondays and Thursdays normally.  A weekday might be doable if she doesn't have anything scheduled.

Ken, Congrats from me as well.  Now you must be seeing the light at the end of the tunnel almost here.

Have a great week folks.

 

Rich

 

Hi Rich,

Thank you for the Kudos!  And by the way, tell your wife congratulations on her achievements as well.  That was a lot of hard work!  I am sure she is glad to have that over with!

Ken

Bockscar

Hey Ken:

Listen, you deserve congratulations for your exam scores. Doesn't it figure you would do better on the harder exam, then get tripped up by circumstance on the easier one?

Well done!

Nice work on the micro ejection seat handles!

As for Dayton, you want to do a weekday and Rich wants to do a weekend.

I'm so darn tired and my back is so dang achy, I honestly don't feel up to driving for 12 hours each way right now.

I was very motivated to go last year, and i still want to go. I am a bit bagged. Maybe there is a better way for me to do this on the cheap. -I'll keep everyone posted.

I haven't even sniffed MEK for almost 6 weeks running now......

 

 

 

Hi Dom,

Thank you for the kudos!

As far as the museum trip, one thing I was thinking about was maybe checking out some of the camp grounds close by.  It would be a lot easier on the wallet, so maybe you could afford to stay a few days longer to make it worth your while for the drive.  Just a thought.

Ken

I don't get my Disability until like the 4th. of the month, so I wouldn't be able to do it the first weekend in June.  It would have to be the weekend of the 9th. or later.  Weekdays are somewhat problematic since Debbie is still working as a volunteer at UTMCO (University of Toledo, Medical College of Ohio).  She works Mondays and Thursdays normally.  A weekday might be doable if she doesn't have anything scheduled.

Ken, Congrats from me as well.  Now you must be seeing the light at the end of the tunnel almost here.

Have a great week folks.

Rich

Bockscar

Hey Ken:

Listen, you deserve congratulations for your exam scores. Doesn't it figure you would do better on the harder exam, then get tripped up by circumstance on the easier one?

Well done!

Nice work on the micro ejection seat handles!

As for Dayton, you want to do a weekday and Rich wants to do a weekend.

I'm so darn tired and my back is so dang achy, I honestly don't feel up to driving for 12 hours each way right now.

I was very motivated to go last year, and i still want to go. I am a bit bagged. Maybe there is a better way for me to do this on the cheap. -I'll keep everyone posted.

I haven't even sniffed MEK for almost 6 weeks running now......

 

 

 

Hey Ken:

Listen, you deserve congratulations for your exam scores. Doesn't it figure you would do better on the harder exam, then get tripped up by circumstance on the easier one?

Well done!

Nice work on the micro ejection seat handles!

As for Dayton, you want to do a weekday and Rich wants to do a weekend.

I'm so darn tired and my back is so dang achy, I honestly don't feel up to driving for 12 hours each way right now.

I was very motivated to go last year, and i still want to go. I am a bit bagged. Maybe there is a better way for me to do this on the cheap. -I'll keep everyone posted.

I haven't even sniffed MEK for almost 6 weeks running now......

Hi Everyone,

It is finally over.  No more school.  I got an "A" on my first final which was the most difficult.  But the night before my second one, my wife kept me up all night tossing and turning.  The exam was a timed exam and with little sleep, I was unable to concentrate.  Consequently I ran out of time before I could finish and got a "D".  It brought my final grade for the course down to a "B".  But it is all over now. 

I have been playing "catch up" since Wednesday.  In fact, at this moment I am working from home on the servers at work.  But everything will return to normal fairly quickly.

Rich:  Very sorry to hear about the demise of your F-86, but happy to hear about the replacement being sent to you.  Shows that Testors is a company that really does care about it's customers.

On the topic of the trip to the museum, who all is going?

Buzz (the other Ken): Nice work on your TF-102!   It is coming along very nicely!

Mikey:  Your Corsair is also looking really nice!

Cliff:  The Havoc is coming together, I look forward to seeing the next set of pictures.

I made some progress on the ejection seat handles.  I like the smaller diameter wire I used.  It looks a lot closer to 1/48 scale.  I thought I would give a little more detail to how I did them.

First, I took some detail stripping tape that I aquired from a local auto paint shop and cut a small piece and adhered it to the surface of my cutting board:

Next I took a straight edge and cut along the length to get the first side straight:

Then I removed that piece so that I have a nice straight edge to use for the next cut:

Now using the straight edge again I cut a very slim piece, leaving it in place on the cutting board:

Then I take the wire that I had previously painted yellow, clasp it in a clamp, take one end of the tape and wrap it around the wire.  Then, with a lot of patience, slowly with some pulling to stretch the tape to what looks about right for the thickness, I twist the wire to wrap the tape around it.

Here is how it turned out:

As you can see, I have two different degrees of thickness to choose from.  It really isn't difficult, just takes patience.  The next step is to cut them to length and attach them to the seats.

Ken

Speaking of military deaths.

This is kinda upsetting. I feel sorry for his wife.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/world/americas/6871039/Wife-watches-soldier-husbands-death-on-Skype

Hi folks.  This morning I was reading my email, and I saw a few posts from another build I am doing (The Way Too Many Props Build).  One of the participants lost his Father last week.  His Dad was retired air force and served in WWII and Korea.  He was there when the USAF officially became a separate entity from the Army, and was one of the first to be a member of SAC.

This got me thinking about our upcoming first annual Bernie memorial trip to the Museum of the USAF in Dayton.  While the trip is primarily to honor Bernie and his service to this Country, perhaps it would be a good time to remember all of the other heroes who kept this Country safe, at the risk of their own lives.

Let me have your thoughts.

On another note, the F86 replacement is on it's way and should be here in a couple more days.  They shipped it Parcel Post instead of the Priority mail they were to supposed to use...

Yesterday, My lovely Wife Debbie officially graduated from the University of Toledo.  She now has a B.S. in Health Information Management to add to her three associates degrees and her various certifications.  Let's hope that this opens a few doors for her.  I am sooo proud of her.  She worked her tail off for years to do this.  It was especially satisfying for her because she accomplished it at an age where most people are starting to plan for their retirement.  Her Mom took us out to Applebees for a celebratory dinner afterwards.  I have a short video of her getting her diploma on Facebook if anyone is interested.

https://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=432634660083064

video.php?v=432634660083064

Wicked, epic outcome.

Hi folks.  Not much going on in here I guess.  I have some good news.  I sent an email to Testors and explained what happened to my Sabre.  They had me send them the batch/lot number on my can of ELO.  It turns out it was a bad batch and they had a bunch of folks with this issue.  They are sending me out a new can, and they paid for the destroyed kit, so I have another of the same kit on the way.  It should be here by sometime next week.  Until then, I'll just keep busy with the Mossie I am doing for the Way Too Many Props Build.  I'm just wondering how hard it would be to tear the cockpit from the old one out of the dead fuselage to reuse it since it came out so good...  Ah..  nah.  Rebuilding is half the fun I guess.

Rich

That's one su-weet Sabre you built.  I've never seen one with those nose colors before, and it looks extra cool.  I'm watching a couple of Academy kits as well as the ESCI ones.  I built one of theirs quite a few years ago.  Academy is one of my favorite manufacturers.  The price is reasonable, and the quality is great.

I'm dying to see how the TF-102 comes out.  I had never even heard of it until your build started.  It looks great so far.

Rich

Dang, stuff that for a joke.

Rich - sorry for your troubles, that's really a bummer.  I found a nice Academy F-86 at Hobby Lobby a while back.  Don't remember for sure what I paid for it, but I'm thinking it was 30 bucks or less with one of their 40% coupons.  It was a nice build except for the big yellow decals.  I think it turned out pretty well.

I've started to wrestle with the TF-102 canopy.  I'm about to go blind trying to make these dang vortex generators that sit on top of the canopy - and I need to make 26 of them!! 

Buzz (one of the other Kens)

Rich;

Maybe let it rest.

Call me crazy, but those bubbles look like finger prints.

You are busted pal!.....lol......

Also, over time the original mold release may have worked its way into the plastic,

so you get the bad results. I dunno, maybe let the new coat of paint absorb all the

crap and resort to a 600-800 grit.

You might be able to use all of that random scarring to add to the weathering.

It was lookin' so good!

-Dom

I only seem to have this problem on older kits.  There must be either a difference in the formulation from modern Polystyrene, or there is a chemical breakdown or change of some sort in the older plastic.  Here's some images of the mess.

On the ventral surfaces, you can see the uneven coating.  I simply could not get it to stick.  I tried my airbrush first, then tried to resort to the last and brute force approach, spray can 1290 Chrome.  No luck with either.  Even doing the yellow stripes, which are masked in these shots, I had to go over them like 10 times with the airbrush and they still didn't come out very well.

You can really see the bubbling on this shot.  The other side near the wing base is even worse.

Well, so much for this bird.  I'm thinking of sticking a C6-5 into it's butt and sending it into orbit.

I found only 2 possible replacements on eBay that are both a bit over my normal budget at $25, but IF they are still there by Friday, I might be able to talk Deb into letting me get one of them.  The prices I am seeing on all of the Sabres, even the R/M one has been shooting up for a while now.  All of the kit prices have really.  And I hardly see the ESCI kit anymore.  The two I am watching are like 2 of only 4 that I have been able to find.  And the other two are loony toon priced at over $40.  I wouldn't classify any of the 4 as collectable due to their box condition, so I think $40 is way out in left field.  Hopefully no one with snag either one by Friday.  They are both BINs so at least I won't have to deal with a bidding war.

Rich

Bockscar

Mikey: So, never take a golf club to a shotgun fight....lol.....

Your Corsair is looking real good....

KBuzz, that paint has really pulled the lot together, nice work on the seams, looks original from here.....

Rich, I'm guessing the ELO is a solvent that does penetrate into the plastic a bit. Probably needs to sit like

a fine cognac to let the angels have their share before you try to repaint.....yeah, ELO stands for 'Ever Lasting Oilfilm.......man, I am so helpful sometimes.......

Mikey: So, never take a golf club to a shotgun fight....lol.....

Your Corsair is looking real good....

KBuzz, that paint has really pulled the lot together, nice work on the seams, looks original from here.....

Rich, I'm guessing the ELO is a solvent that does penetrate into the plastic a bit. Probably needs to sit like

a fine cognac to let the angels have their share before you try to repaint.....yeah, ELO stands for 'Ever Lasting Oilfilm.......man, I am so helpful sometimes.......

Well.  Looks like I was right.  The plastic on the F86 won't accept the paint now.  I think the ELO bonded with it and now all the chrome does is bubble up into spots.  So much for that kit.  I can't get another one right now either, so I'll have to pick something else from my limited supply.  I am soooo ticked.  The cockpit came out great on this one...  I really don't want to do a 1/32 here unless I can' find anything else to do.  But I do still have that Hasegawa 1/32 F86F with Japanese markings in the small stash here.  I could do an F15 or something I guess, but that Sabre is burning me up...  A total waste of about a weeks work.  I just ordered another can of Chrome too... 

Rich

Well, I had sort of a fit of creativity today.  I got the last of the major parts on the MIG.  Tomorrow, it's putty central, then mask and paint.  I'll take some images tomorrow.

I also got a bit done on a War of the Worlds Martian War Machine (1950s version).  It's paint is pretty much done, and I have started lighting it.  Green LEDs in the front and wingtip blisters, as well as the 3 electromagnetic repulser emitters on the bottom, and a tiny little red LED in the heat beam cannon on the stalk.  I have a seller on eBay who has these tiny red LEDs.  They're like $6 with shipping, and are so small you can fit them anywhere.  I didn't even have to put on an LED because it includes one, already attached.  I am still trying to figure out the best way to power it.  I am probably going to have to bite the bullet and mount a small jack in the bottom or back of the MWM, and put the battery under the base, with a cable and plug up into the jack when I want it on.  A small SPST switch in the base would control it.  If the base and mount in the MWM were different, I could just connect the power through there, but it won't work that way.  Any ideas?

Finally, I  started a 1/48 Revell Mosquito MK IV Bomber version for the way to many props build.  I had started one before we moved for it, but it was destroyed half way complete.  It's a very simple kit so I should have no problems getting it done in time for the deadline on that build.

I'll be posting images of all three tomorrow when I have time to get them ready to upload and put them up.

Other than that, not much to report.  Oh yeh....  I got unbelievably lucky.  You know the big 1/48 scale B2 Spirit kit?  The one that goes for like $60-$100 on average.  I sniped one with three minutes to spare on eBay for (hold onto your hats) $10!!!.  Still in a shrink-wrapped box with a few dents.  I wont be able to do it for quite some time, but hey, now my collection of bombers is one kit closer to completion.  The only ones on my list still are the B66 destroyer and the X/YB49 Flying Wing.  I would love to get ahold of some British bombers (Lancaster and Wellington), but they are ridiculously priced.  I wish Revell would come out with an affordable kit of those two.

Have a good night folks.  I have to go to bed early... Dentist at 8:30AM... ARGH!!!!!

Rich

Mikey - the Corsair's looking good! 

As for the video - thank goodness I've never encountered that on my golf range or course.  Although I've hit a few balls that I wouldn't have minded shooting down. 

Put a coat of primer on the TF yesterday.  I'm very pleased with the mesh between the resin conversion piece and the plastic aft section.  I have a few little uglies to fix on the main body but am ready to move on to the next challenge now.  I guess that will be the canopy.

Buzz

Thanks sparrow, ill do that tonight. Im tempted to take it back to the guys who built it for me. It seems i may have a dodgy graphics card. All the drivers are up to date.

Hulk not smash, got some paint down yesterday.

Im 99% happy with it as a base, i still need to spend a considerable amount of time weathering it. And i need to fix the paint behind the engine cowl. But overall i like it. Not bad for a rattle can job.