Well, this bites! I had decided that I was going to go for the Eduard masking set for the Stuka! I was in a serious money crunch all week, and had to wait for payday. Thursday evening Sprue Bros still had it listed. Friday, I hit the net at work and the last one they had was gone! Missed it by hours! (And yes, my checking account was that depleted!)

A search tells me that there are no more available in the US-only overseas, and Eduard has them available.... however, they have that 20 dollar minimum and about 20 dollars shipping! Guess I'm going to have to attempt it by hand even though I can barely see the panels!

jimbot58

Hmmm...I know I couldn't do that by hand with my Stuka. Not even if it was 1:1 scale!

In the mean time, I worked at the bench Sunday and here and there through the week.

Painting bits of the Panzer, muffler, muffler supports, top hatch, jack:

I also pulled the Growler down and put on a few decals:

Scorpian tail is still a little wet with it's Micro Sol treatment. The Hasegawa Decals seem to respond well to the solvent.

The silver bumps (right above the scorpion tail) will eventually be coated with clear red for lights. I hope that works because they were gloss black and i didn't think the red would work over that.

I hate these large decals, as I'm always afraid of something going wrong. As for the rest, there's still several large decals to go and about 150 smaller ones. And a plentitude of PE parts yet to add! And I do this to relax?

On a positive note, I may have finally won one battle in regards to Mom's estate. This was only a tiny hill though, and several major battles that compare to mountains to go.

Jim

Excellent work Jim!      I am always in awe when I see your work in 1/72 scale!  And thank you for your tips on decaling.  I will keep them in mind when it comes time!

I know what you mean about doing this to "relax"!   

Congratulations on winning one of many battles in regards to your Mom's estate.  I wish you the best in that fight.

Ken

jimbot58

Well, this bites! I had decided that I was going to go for the Eduard masking set for the Stuka! I was in a serious money crunch all week, and had to wait for payday. Thursday evening Sprue Bros still had it listed. Friday, I hit the net at work and the last one they had was gone! Missed it by hours! (And yes, my checking account was that depleted!)

A search tells me that there are no more available in the US-only overseas, and Eduard has them available.... however, they have that 20 dollar minimum and about 20 dollars shipping! Guess I'm going to have to attempt it by hand even though I can barely see the panels!

Hi Jim,

You could email Sprue Bros and ask them how soon they will be getting more in.  You may only have to wait a few days.  It may be worth the wait.  They are usually pretty quick with responding to email.

Ken

jimbot58

Son Of Medicine Man

Hi Everyone,

Okay, I know I am being way too anal about this!  When the acrylic yellow zinc chromate showed up today it looked so close to the same color of the enamel zinc chromate, I decided to spray both colors side by side to see how they look when they are next to each other dry.  I did this because I know that paint in the jar can change a few shades when they are sprayed and allowed to dry.

Well, the camera can't even tell the difference even though my eyes can.  The paint is not completely dry yet but here is how it looks tonight.  The top half is the acrylic yellow zinc chromate and the bottom half (with the "AMS" logo) is painted with the enamel zinc chromate:

The camera can't pick up the difference but the human eye can see a tint more of green in the enamel version.  We will see how it looks tomorrow when it is completely dry.

Ken 

Interesting Ken! Obviously we can't trust the accuracy of Testors samples from their website. What will you decide to do?

It's interesting that our eyes can pick up something in the millions of color variations, but our digital toys can't get it right. I know I can't take two pictures in a row and have them look the same.

Hi Jim,

Yes, it was surprising to see how much difference there was in their samples on their website and the real paint.  Of course there is always the problem of how the color is scanned, how it appears on our monitors, etc.  Even looking at colors in pictures on the internet can have the very same problem.  Also looking at them in magazines, since printing can alter the color drastically.

Fortunately, I was able to get a hold of Don this evening and showed him the colors in person.  He said the acrylic yellow zinc chromate was the closest match to the correct color.  And he is the best source!

And while I was at his home, I asked some more detailed questions about the other colors in the cockpit so I think I can get started with painting it finally.

I did order some more reference books today on the F-84.  The first one is an earlier produced version of "F-84 Thunderject In Action".  It has a few different sets of pictures in it.  The second one is called "Republic F-84:  Thunderjet, Thundrstreak, & Thuderflash / A Photo Chronicle".  It had some really good reviews on Amazon.  The third book is called "F-84 Thunderjet Units Over Korea" from Osprey Aviation.  It also has good reviews on Amazon.

I have always found it is much easier to work on my projects when I have good references to work from.

Ken

Hi Everyone,

I really hate spraying flat acrylic.  It just dries way too quick for me.  I am used to enamel.  The flat acrylic seems to dry up in my airbrush as I am spraying it.  In fact, I even have trouble cleaning it because it is dried up inside before I can get to it.

Well here it is, the cockpit with its base coat of yellow zinc chromate:

 And here is the A-1 Gunsight, which is also painted yellow zinc chromate:

Ken

Ken, I'm a die hard enamel myself. Probably why I have such a hard time spraying Future.

Busy, busy today! I was up on the roof covering the cooler for the season. Plus I have 3 large ash trees in my yard that are very prolific when it comes to leaves. I spend several hours sucking the dang things up with a leaf mulcher but had to quit because my back was killing me. I have to finish tomorrow as the rest of the week is going to be yucky. I have to use a mulcher as the leaves are so bulky, I would literally fill as many as 20 bags by the time all 3 of the b*stards are done, no mater how much I tried to pack them.

As to the masking set, I found a place "down under" called BNA that has them. Plus, the shipping is comparable to what it would cost to ship from SB! I looked for reviews and found they seem to have a good reputation- even one customer from as far away as NY. I think I will go for it.

The down side? 5-8 working days! Oh well, it isn't like I don't have more than enough to do with the Panzer and Growler.

I did get a bit of bench time in. Just a couple of decals and I also went at the body of the Growler where there were a few rough spots with some Colgate toothpaste and an old t-shirt. They were a bit pebbly and I was afraid the decals  wouldn't lay down right.

jimbot58

Ken, I'm a die hard enamel myself. Probably why I have such a hard time spraying Future.

Busy, busy today! I was up on the roof covering the cooler for the season. Plus I have 3 large ash trees in my yard that are very prolific when it comes to leaves. I spend several hours sucking the dang things up with a leaf mulcher but had to quit because my back was killing me. I have to finish tomorrow as the rest of the week is going to be yucky. I have to use a mulcher as the leaves are so bulky, I would literally fill as many as 20 bags by the time all 3 of the b*stards are done, no mater how much I tried to pack them.

As to the masking set, I found a place "down under" called BNA that has them. Plus, the shipping is comparable to what it would cost to ship from SB! I looked for reviews and found they seem to have a good reputation- even one customer from as far away as NY. I think I will go for it.

The down side? 5-8 working days! Oh well, it isn't like I don't have more than enough to do with the Panzer and Growler.

I did get a bit of bench time in. Just a couple of decals and I also went at the body of the Growler where there were a few rough spots with some Colgate toothpaste and an old t-shirt. They were a bit pebbly and I was afraid the decals  wouldn't lay down right.

Hi Jim,

Don't you just hate it when the other things in our life take away our time from the workbench?    I had the same type of thing happen to me today.

I discovered that our water softener has developed a leak.  I spent most of the day dealing with it.  I have the leak stopped, but the water softener is junk.  I went shopping for a new one, picked it up, brought it home, and disconnected the brine tank of the old one and dragged it upstairs and outside.  Then I got the torch out and realized that I am just about out of acetylene.  I didn't want to have the plumbing tore apart and run out of gas on a Sunday.  That is all the farther I got today.  I will wait until next Saturday to finish.

That is some good news about finding your masking set, albeit you will have to wait for it to show up.

By the way, thank you for another tip on using the Colgate toothpaste to polish the finish.  I had read that somewhere before but had forgotten about it. (Maybe it was you!)  I will remember to try that.

Ken

It's always something, isn't it? When I covered the cooler, I was amazed at just how rusted it has become. It won't last another season. I hope that if I can get Mom's estate settled soon, selling her house, and giving my sister her half, I can maybe find me a small home to purchase. By that, I mean one that doesn't sit on cinder blocks and has wheels underneath.

I did finish up the outside work today, though the leaves still have a ways to go. I then took a break to make a run to Colpar to see if maybe they had the masking set. I hadn't been there for a while, so this seemed like a good reason. Struck out though. However, I did score this for half price from their close-out table:

I have the EF-2000 Revel kit, but no immediate plans to start it. Oh well, a bargain is a bargain!

I also plugged away at some more of those decals:

There's my balsa blocks again!

Still another scorpion tail to go, plus then there are these that go on the inboard surfaces. The decals are thin and with my man-handling them, I had a few tears. I bushed on some decal film to try to avoid any more mishaps. Then I will be done with all the big ones and can cruise through the little ones.

By the way, the masking kit has been ordered, so hopefully that goes well.

jimbot58

It's always something, isn't it? When I covered the cooler, I was amazed at just how rusted it has become. It won't last another season. I hope that if I can get Mom's estate settled soon, selling her house, and giving my sister her half, I can maybe find me a small home to purchase. By that, I mean one that doesn't sit on cinder blocks and has wheels underneath.

I did finish up the outside work today, though the leaves still have a ways to go. I then took a break to make a run to Colpar to see if maybe they had the masking set. I hadn't been there for a while, so this seemed like a good reason. Struck out though. However, I did score this for half price from their close-out table:

I have the EF-2000 Revel kit, but no immediate plans to start it. Oh well, a bargain is a bargain!

I also plugged away at some more of those decals:

There's my balsa blocks again!

Still another scorpion tail to go, plus then there are these that go on the inboard surfaces. The decals are thin and with my man-handling them, I had a few tears. I bushed on some decal film to try to avoid any more mishaps. Then I will be done with all the big ones and can cruise through the little ones.

By the way, the masking kit has been ordered, so hopefully that goes well.

Hi Jim,

Congratulations on scoring that great deal!  It is always a great feeling when you can grab something at a good price in this hobby!

The Growler is looking really nice!  Great job on those decals!      I don't see any of those tears that you were talking about, so you did a good job putting them together.

Ken

Jim: Again, nice work there on the decals and glad you were able to find the masks you need. It is a bear to hand mask those greenhouse type canopies.

Ken: Gee it's always something that needs to get done right? At least you have the new softener ready and the old tank removed. And the new books, you can never have too much reference!

Gamera

Jim: Again, nice work there on the decals and glad you were able to find the masks you need. It is a bear to hand mask those greenhouse type canopies.

Yes, I got a bit discouraged when I took the canopy out and really looked at how tiny everything thing is in 1:72 scale. It's bad enough when I'm doing simple bubble canopies on modern jets. My vision isn't getting any better as I get older.Why 1:72 scale? It's where I started and with over a hundred or more kits, it's a bit too late to change now. Display area factors as well.

jimbot58

Gamera

Jim: Again, nice work there on the decals and glad you were able to find the masks you need. It is a bear to hand mask those greenhouse type canopies.

Yes, I got a bit discouraged when I took the canopy out and really looked at how tiny everything thing is in 1:72 scale. It's bad enough when I'm doing simple bubble canopies on modern jets. My vision isn't getting any better as I get older.Why 1:72 scale? It's where I started and with over a hundred or more kits, it's a bit too late to change now. Display area factors as well.

I hear you on display area!  Hanging from the ceiling is my only option!  And I will have to incorporate some of the space saving "stacking" that the National USAF Museum incorporates!  Plus I do have a "monster" ceiling fan at one end of my "Man Cave" that will have to be removed when the space starts to get filled.  The only time I have ever turned it on is when the basement flooded, so it isn't needed anyway.

Ken

Hi Everyone!

I had the cockpit in my hands, getting ready to paint some flat black on the instrument panels, and I decided to wait just one more day.  One of the books I ordered should arrive tomorrow, and I don't know if it will have any pictures of the cockpit in it, but I can wait just one more day to see.  The other two did arrive but they did not offer any more to the cockpit that I didn't already have.  The one that is supposed to arrive tomorrow got some really good reviews so I have my hopes up.

Ken

Ken: Well you could always hang some smaller models from the blades of the ceiling fan...

SWOOSH!

SWOOSH!!

BAM!!!!

Gamera

Ken: Well you could always hang some smaller models from the blades of the ceiling fan...

SWOOSH!

SWOOSH!!

BAM!!!!

LOL!    That would be a sight!  Maybe you just invented a new launch system!

Ken

According to the website, it is now tomorrow, the 29th, and my order is being packed for shipment. I remain skeptical as it's hard to conceive that I'm able to have something shipped over 8,000 miles for less than 3 bucks. I'll see when it gets here, I guess.

jimbot58

According to the website, it is now tomorrow, the 29th, and my order is being packed for shipment. I remain skeptical as it's hard to conceive that I'm able to have something shipped over 8,000 miles for less than 3 bucks. I'll see when it gets here, I guess.

Don't you just love modern technology!  It wasn't that long ago that we were able to start tracking shipments.  We just ordered something and were left in the dark as to when it would show up.  Now we expect to see when it leaves the door and be able to track it all the way to our doorstep!

Ken

Yeap, I remember filling out the order from the back of the Squadron flyer, mailing it in and waiting two-three weeks for my order!

Still that's pretty incredible- I know many places that charge more than that just to ship something across two or three states.

Hi Everyone,

Well tonight was one of those nights where I had to spend the evening working on "other" things not involving the workbench.  Hopefully I can make it there tomorrow night.

That book I was waiting for arrived today.  It was a disappointment.  It had a lot of pictures, but no cockpits.  Also 99% were black & white.  Also no detailed up close photos of anything.  It was more of a condensed history of the entire F-84 lineage, but nothing detailed about a single type.  Definitely not for a modeler, but more for a history buff.

Ken

Hey Ken, sorry to hear about the lack of cockpit pics in your book. I think we all know that feeling of disappointment. I'm sure there's some better stuff out there given the wealth of info on a jet of that nature.

I'm still planning on getting some pics of my beloved 109 "Friedrich" but work has been eating up so much of my time it's depressing. The other thing is my wound. It's been 2 months and the d@#$ thing still hasn't fully healed not to mention the pain. I started building a Spitfire Mk.V but am stalled at the fuselage interior. Not due to lack of motivation but it's too painful for me to sit at the workspace for more than 20 min. or so. I have to take percocet for the pain as per my physician but find it affects my ability to do a good job at the bench. Catch 22. Want to build but pain wins out. I had no idea this burn would still be causing such discomfort this late. I see the Dr. tomorrow and get an MRI as well so we'll see.Should get the pics done this week end.

Wow, Mikey! Sorry to hear you're still having so much pain. Are they doing the MRI because of the time it's taking to heal? I know my MRI was not fun when I had my wrist done. They had me lay on my chest with my arm straight out in front of me. My injured ribs hurt so much after that, it just was awful! And they give you that "I know it hurts, but it's only for a short time

My ribs still bother me even now and I have to take over the counter meds before bed every night, or I feel worse in the A.M. I sometimes take more during the day, and that bothers me with all the things they say these days about OTC medications. I know age plays a big part and this getting older can have an effect on healing.

Got home late tonight, and only sat at the bench a short time. Managed to add 1 whole decal tonight! At this rate, I'll be done with at least one of my projects by about the 18th Annual Bernie Group Build!

I was notified my masking set shipped, but beings how it's standard air mail, there is no tracking. I'll be checking the mail box daily, much like Charlie Brown waiting for that letter from the little red-haired girl.

jimbot58

Wow, Mikey! Sorry to hear you're still having so much pain. Are they doing the MRI because of the time it's taking to heal? I know my MRI was not fun when I had my wrist done. They had me lay on my chest with my arm straight out in front of me. My injured ribs hurt so much after that, it just was awful! And they give you that "I know it hurts, but it's only for a short time

My ribs still bother me even now and I have to take over the counter meds before bed every night, or I feel worse in the A.M. I sometimes take more during the day, and that bothers me with all the things they say these days about OTC medications. I know age plays a big part and this getting older can have an effect on healing.

Got home late tonight, and only sat at the bench a short time. Managed to add 1 whole decal tonight! At this rate, I'll be done with at least one of my projects by about the 18th Annual Bernie Group Build!

I was notified my masking set shipped, but beings how it's standard air mail, there is no tracking. I'll be checking the mail box daily, much like Charlie Brown waiting for that letter from the little red-haired girl.

LOL!    That is funny!  I liked that Jim! 

Ken

mikeymize

Hey Ken, sorry to hear about the lack of cockpit pics in your book. I think we all know that feeling of disappointment. I'm sure there's some better stuff out there given the wealth of info on a jet of that nature.

I'm still planning on getting some pics of my beloved 109 "Friedrich" but work has been eating up so much of my time it's depressing. The other thing is my wound. It's been 2 months and the d@#$ thing still hasn't fully healed not to mention the pain. I started building a Spitfire Mk.V but am stalled at the fuselage interior. Not due to lack of motivation but it's too painful for me to sit at the workspace for more than 20 min. or so. I have to take percocet for the pain as per my physician but find it affects my ability to do a good job at the bench. Catch 22. Want to build but pain wins out. I had no idea this burn would still be causing such discomfort this late. I see the Dr. tomorrow and get an MRI as well so we'll see.Should get the pics done this week end.

Hi Mike,

Very sorry to hear about you still having so much pain.  I hope you receive good news from your MRI tomorrow.  Hopefully this will all be over soon.

Ken

Hey Jim, apparently my wound is progressing at a better than average speed according to the therapist.  The depth of this burn is a big reason why it's taking this long. My MRI is needed as they think my bone may have become infected. If true I'll be on IV antibiotics. Also my doctor is sending me to a plastic surgeon to see if there's cause for surgical intervention. So much fun. I learned all this today so I have more questions than answers. Even in the best case scenario my doc said 2 more months before it's well and truly healed. I'm going to get some paperwork done at my office tomorrow and clear the way for an early week end of Spitfire construction to help take my mind off all this. I'm finding that taking a half of my pain pill allows me to stay focused enough on the build to get almost an hour in before having to take a break. I'm researching as I go and can highly recommend Squadron's "Walk Around" book on Merlin engined Spitfres; it's really outstanding.

mikeymize

Hey Jim, apparently my wound is progressing at a better than average speed according to the therapist.  The depth of this burn is a big reason why it's taking this long. My MRI is needed as they think my bone may have become infected. If true I'll be on IV antibiotics. Also my doctor is sending me to a plastic surgeon to see if there's cause for surgical intervention. So much fun. I learned all this today so I have more questions than answers. Even in the best case scenario my doc said 2 more months before it's well and truly healed. I'm going to get some paperwork done at my office tomorrow and clear the way for an early week end of Spitfire construction to help take my mind off all this. I'm finding that taking a half of my pain pill allows me to stay focused enough on the build to get almost an hour in before having to take a break. I'm researching as I go and can highly recommend Squadron's "Walk Around" book on Merlin engined Spitfres; it's really outstanding.

Hi Mike,

I guess that is a mix of "good news / bad news".  Very cool that your wound is healing faster than normal.  I hope that your bone is not infected, as that could turn into a major problem.

Sounds like a great build coming up on that Spitfire!  I am looking forward to seeing some pictures and hearing about the research on it.   

Ken

Hi Everyone,

Once again I was kept away from my workbench    And tomorrow is Halloween, so I will be kept busy helping my wife hand out candy to the little trick-or-treaters.  That is unless the weather keeps them away. 

Most of the surrounding communities have postponed the trick-or-treating to Friday night because of the severe weather we are supposed to get tomorrow evening.  But for some reason our city mayor has decided that it was not a decision he should make.  What a worthless typical elected official.  A major storm is predicted that has made headlines on all the news channels, but his response is that it is up to the parents whether to send their kids out to trick-or-treat.

But how as a community are we going to decide to have it on Friday night without the government making a call on it?  That is why we have a government!  So now all of these parents are going to be faced with their kids looking at them with tears in their eyes when they are told that Halloween is simply cancelled this year because of the weather.

Ken

Mike: Good to hear that- hopefully you'll be back up and running soon.

Ken: Seems like it wouldn't hurt to suspend things till the weekend. Though I remember about half the time we went trick or treating it was raining- not hard though.

Hi Everyone,

I have made some progress on the F-84E cockpit.

First, I had to remove some excess flash.  Here is a "before" picture of the ejection seat:

And here is the "after" shot.  Notice the air bubbles and rough area that needs filled:

Here is the "before" picture of the control stick still attached to the resin mold block:

And here is the "after" shot.  One thing to also notice is the large air bubble void at the bottom of the control stick:

 And here is the "before" shot of the armor shield that goes behind the pilot's head:

And here is the "after" shot:

Here is a shot of the ejection seat with the Tamiya putty white filling the air bubble holes:

 And here is a picture of the control stick with it's air bubble filled:

 I also managed to put some flat black on the cockpit tub.  Here is how it looks so far:

I will have to wait until tomorrow to let the putty dry overnight before I can sand it smooth and put some paint over it.

Another "distraction" that will pull me away from the workbench is the fact that my truck needs new front brakes.  I will be doing that tomorrow.  Fun fun!

Ken

Hi Everyone,

While I was at Hobby Lobby the other day picking up a couple of new paint brushes, I found this:

It is a stainless steel paint palette cups with screw on lids.  I used it for the first time tonight and it works very nice.  It has a clip on the bottom that makes the cups lean forward.  I mix my paint in one cup and put some thinner in the other.  And since it is made out of stainless steel, enamel paint and thinner won't hurt it.

Ken

That's a cool idea!  I'll look for one. Thanks, Ken!

Russ