Weekend Madness 2012

bufflehead

Kugai, is it OK to wash the sprues before the start of the 48 hrs?  No cutting of parts, painting, etc.....just a quick dunk in warm, soapy water and then allowed to air dry?  

My call would be "soapy water bath" is okay, but nothing more, such as soaking in bleach to strip chrome.  The reason I say that is that the former seems like it's no more affecting the parts themselves than having the paints you plan to use lined up ahead of time or reading the instructions to strategize, while the latter is an actual alteration.

Looks like I won't be doing the Tamiya M151A2 TOW, I managed to find a Testors issue of the Sd.kfz. 234/2 Puma.  I'll be starting in the morning after I get off work!

I'll look forward to it Greg.

I'm due to start in about 10 hours or so on my 'George'.  That will make it about  8.30pm on Friday evening here, depending on other plans that may come into play.

This thing actually gives me a bit of excitement.

Maybe I need to get out more :)

I'll try to get the cockpit done, fuselage together and wings on tonight if I can.

Cheers

Tony

Good luck, Tony.  Looking forward to seeing the end results.

George Update 1 :Here we go, fellas ! About to open the bag.

Cheers

Tony

Tony: you beat me to the starting line!

But I'm off the line now....here's me first pics:

That Puma will be good Greg, I've got a couple of their 1/48 ones.

THis is the bedtime update for the George. Started later than I wante dto, so didn't get as much done. WIll let the paint dry overnight.

The batteries were dead in the camera, so this was taken with the phone. Sorry no timestamp, but it's 12.47am.

I watched 'Flying High II' on cable whilst doing most of this. I'm sorry to say it hasn't got any better.

Nighty night !

Looking good, Tony.  I wasn't as lucky, too tired to get any build time in.  Took a nap and now I'm off to my LHS for a couple hours of build time with friends.

Good to see things starting up!

I need to get everything lined up for posting WIP pics, but should be starting in a few hours and have pics up while cement on sub-assemblies is drying.

I'm hoping to be ready for getting primer on before calling it a night, since I'll have to use enamels for the FS colors and will need plenty of time between coats tomorrow.  I'd originally thought I'd be able to save some time by painting this as one of the MiGs in Top Gun in black with decals from an abandoned Flanker, but found out that they used F-5s and not the F-20 ( been a while since I've seen the movie ).

Maybe I'll do that anyway, as a "variant" of a fictional MiG?

Here's the next update on the George. Approximately 11am Saturday. Cockpit done, fuselage ready to close.

Cheers

Tony

Tony: The George is looking great...nice cocpit detail

I'm soooooo far behind where I'd like to be right now!   Nothing was accomplished this morning before my nap and I didn't get anything done at Hobbyland either.   But when I got home, I sorta got down to business.  I managed to complete STEP 1 in the last 5 hours...I took a break to eat and watch a bit of Police Women on Cincinnati   So here's a couple of pics:

 Now on to step 2....

Nice Greg, keep it going. I haven't seen that show, hasn't made it out here.

I've done a little more. Although the clamps are on it, it's dry. Some gaps at the wing root. I think I'll sort out all the seams now, and prime the prop with yellow that I can mask off later for the high vis tips.

Cheesr

Tony

Great start here guys!  I just got off work and am ready to start on the Tamiya M5A1! 

For some reason I can't get my camera to add the date to the photo.....tried for over an hour and just gave up, but here's the pic I took at about 9 PM San Francisco time:

Log my official start time at 10:15 PM as I spent too much time with the timestamp issue and also with Photobucket problems (I hate the "new" PB!! )  I'll try to post a midnight photo for my next update!

Good to see you up and running Ernest. Get stuck in !

Cheers

Tony

bufflehead

For some reason I can't get my camera to add the date to the photo.....tried for over an hour and just gave up...

Same here.  I started at midnight and have been trying to get what I can done before bed.  I'll be posting pics either as the last thing before I crash for a few hours or first thing once I get up.  The goal for now is sub-assemblies and as much exterior assembly as feasible with the cockpit primed and drying.  from there, I plan on using Tamiya acrylics as much as possible for the interior since their quick drying time will let me get the fuselage together within a couple of hours.

Still trying to decide on the fictional "MiG-28 variant" idea from Top Gun or the regular Prototype 2 scheme for the F-20 ( or something that would be, as the Pythons used to say, "completely different" ).  One thing that got me considering the fictional scheme was the fact that I didn't check the decals until today and they're pretty badly yellowed, even the clear sections, and too small to effectively trim to just what can be lightened up by putting in the window for a few weeks later after it's done.

Oh, well.  Improvising to deal with such things within the 48 hours is part of the fun, right?

If it doesn't matter to you I already built one of the figures long ago, I have a Dragon USMC in Khe Sahn set with 3 figures left in it. I might try to do a small vignette with that or build one of the high command officers from a Tri-Star set I have laying around. I've been watching the Penn Valley weather and it's looking like I won't get a good spray day so I'm looking toward something that can get hit with a brush. I haven't counted out the Mobieus Batman but I'm just bawking at popping the $14.95 on it when I need a Trumpeter M1 5 in 1. For the time being put me down as "Figure TBD"

Ernest, what camera are you using?  I had the same problem with my Canon A75 PowerShot, even after reading the manual.  Then I figured out I had to have it on the "postcard" setting to turn on the date/time stamp.

Update: finished STEP 2 - more suspension fiddly-bits.  Finished STEP 3 - interior, I just added the floor and rear firewall that supports the side walls..

corvettemike

If it doesn't matter to you I already built one of the figures long ago, I have a Dragon USMC in Khe Sahn set with 3 figures left in it. I might try to do a small vignette with that...

I'm using an old 2004 Nikon Coolpix 5000.  I read the entire manual and there's nothing about enabling time/date on the actual image itself, just setting both so its recorded with the image data.....  I also tried my back up Vivitar Vigicam 7340 (a cheapie) and it will allow date, but not time.

Anyway, 3 hrs of work and this is all I've managed to do...

Suspension components done.  Tomorrow morning they get putty sanded and then installed on the hull!   

Time now for some

Ernest: your Stuart's coming along nicely.  Looking forward to the updates.

Okay...I've finally finished STEP 4....

Next step is adding the fenders and then Step 6 is adding forward hull/fender stuff (water/fuel cans, tools, front bumper, etc) - I'll be replacing all the tools with Tamiya OVE parts.  When Household-6 awakens, I'll be able to put paint on the inside of the fenders before installing them.

I'm still undecided about what unit to mark this PUMA as.  I know of five (5) units that were issued 234/2's:

• 1.Kp/PzAufkl.Abt.130, Panzer "Lehr"
• 1.Kp/PAA2, PzDiv.2
• 1.Kp/PAA7, PzDiv.7
• PAA20, PzDiv.20
• 1.Kp/SS-PAA1, SS-PzDiv1"LAH"

I think I'll add the inner stowage pins and call it a night.  Michigan plays Iowa and I'd like to catch the game at noon.  GO BLUE!

Good progress on the armor guys. I hope you can get it done.

It's half past midnight here, so I have 21 hours left.

I've just finished construction, and will give it a quick wash before hitting the sack.

It's gonna have to be a big day tomorrow.

Cheers

Tony

Tony - The Shiden is coming along nicely!  Looks like that kit builds up pretty well!

Greg - Your Puma is inspiring me to get one of those kits!  Maybe for the next Weekend Madness GB?!?!  The suspension for those 8 wheels does look a bit intimidating though....  BTW, about that "postcard" setting on your camera....what does it do?

After a 5 hr snooze and a quick breakfast of cold cereal, I was back at the bench at 8 AM!  I noticed that there were some noticeble gaps that needed filling before mounting the bogies so spent some time on that issue.  While waiting for the putty to dry I started working on the upper hull and managed to get a bit done.  After sanding the putty it was back to mounting the suspension assemblies, but those bogies defied my efforts to mount evenly, requiring a lot of plastic surgery to make straight (sort of).  After that, I needed a break so here I am with the update!. I'll post pics in a bit!

Looking good, guys!

Okay, after sleeping through the alarm and getting a later start than planned, here's the "on the tree" parts pic and the primered sub-assemblies.  I also had the intakes on the fuselage halves, but forgot to get a pic.

And finally, the decals that may cause an issue.  Veeeeery yellow.  The letters on the big "F-20" ones and #5 and #6 are supposed to be white.

Looks like you had a rough start this morning Kugai, but it seems you have things well in hand!  All's that left is to "git er done"!

Making progress on the M5A1!  Lower hull done (except for a couple of fiddly bits that I'll add at the very end), tracks assembled using the hot nail technique ( and fitted on, upper hull started:

The upper hull just snaps onto the lower hull....a neatTamiya feature (due to the old motorization molds).  This will come in handy for the tracks and those sand shields!

Good progress chaps !

The only filler on the George is at the wing to fuselage join, and a couple of little tidy us with CA for ejection pin marks and the like.

Like Buffle, I took a six hour break for some zzzzzzzzz.

The morning spray session is done. The underside grey is on, the prop has been sprayed orange-yellow. The undercarriage has been sprayed aluminium. There are only four parts remaining on the sprue now.

I don't have a photo right now, things are a bit wet. That was a useful 3 hour session anyway.

Cheers

Tony

I think we were both typing at the same time Ernest, that's looking great. Good progress.

Kugai - what colour is the aircraft under those 'yellow' decals ? I hope its not white !

Cheers

Tony

taxtp

Kugai - what colour is the aircraft under those 'yellow' decals ? I hope its not white !

Mostly Light Ghost Gray, with FS Light Gray on the belly.  The letters are supposed to be white over that and I could deal with letting the sun lighten them up after this weekend, but the fact that the area around is also so dark is what has me contemplating an alternative paint scheme of some type with decals pulled from another kit.  I doubt the discoloration on the clear part of the decals will fade.

I'm waiting for the masking to dry on the cementing surfaces of the cockpit, to be followed by glosscote, decals and wash to add depth before closing up the fuselage, so i still have some time to mull it over.

Ernest: your Stuart's coming along nicely! BTW, the old Testor's Puma is actually Italeri's and not quite as accurate as Dragon's recent release.

Tony: your Shinden/George is looking good.   Maybe next Weekend GB I'll pick a 1/72 kit.

Well, I've been delayed...again.  Took 3.5hr nap, got up for the Iowa/Michigan game & promptly went back to bed after setting the DVR.  I got up a little before 4pm, got defunct, ordered dinner from Outback and watched The Raven with Household-6 while we had a nice dinner.  After that, I watched the Wolverines devour the Hawkeyes 42-10!  During the game, I made some progress on the hull and turret.

I pre-painted the suspension and the underside of the fenders before installing them.

Currently watching Von Ryan's Express on the Military Channel while adding the fiddly-bits on the hull.

Looking good Greg!  Can't wait to see the Puma all done!

24 Hr Update  10 PM San Francisco time has assembly of the M5A1 almost done!  I just need to add a few more small parts.  Some weren't on the instructions but in the photos just now I noticed some open holes....???

I'm going to replace the kit 30 cal MGs with some AM parts I have in the spares box.  I"ll add those last.   If I have the energy to complete assy I might get the OD base paint on tonight!

Kugai

corvettemike

If it doesn't matter to you I already built one of the figures long ago, I have a Dragon USMC in Khe Sahn set with 3 figures left in it. I might try to do a small vignette with that...

Are you talking about making the vignette with just the remaining 3 figures or including the built one?  If you're going to only use the 3 that are unbuilt, especially in a vignette that would involve more than straight-from-the-box work added, I guess I would consider that to be no different from having parts left over ( the built one being like unused weapon pod options in a plane kit for the GB ) that are set aside and used for something else.