1945 GB

If I'm doing a large order, Bish, 2 or 3 kits, I find Hannants ship quicker, have an easier site to navigate, more stock and more selection.  I've been wanting to pick up an F15 and F22 for the stash, and may do that through Hannants.  My local shop is tiny, and a dismal selection (and 3/4 of it is a paint store), and the other shop I visit occasionally has a good selection, lots of tools, but focuses more on RC.  So, I do a lot of online shopping, and as I say, prefer Hannants a bit.  For smaller orders or airbush cleaner / thinner /paint I'll use Sprue Brothers, as Hannants doesn't stock Vallejo.  So, when I get a chance to order those jets, I'll look at the canopy.

Thought I'd check in. The build of the M-8 is done but some things not attached. (Heavens, Tamiya makes splendid models. The best.) I've learned to incorporate a lot of basic weathering with the initial base coat and the uneven tone of the model should be pretty clear. Lots of weathering to come: we're going to for worn white wash and a lot of dirt - like this guy from January 45:

No fenders intended. I was going to put on my own chains but I didn't have anything at a good scale. I was going to buy some but for about the same price Verlinden makes a set of resin M-8 tires with chains. Why not? They're not here yet, but there's a lot to do in the meantime. Here's the bugy now:

Eric

Great to see the builds coming along.

Stik, great attention to detail is making for a great Tiffy. The two greys is another touch that reall makes for a special build.

Andrew, the AM is really bringing the Stuka to life.

Eric, great to see the inspiration for a build - looking forward to the finished product.

Currently with work requirements I am living in a motel, home one day a week. Still got a few things together to play with, but it is slow work.

The Shinden cockpit is okay but I found some reference photos. 

so I have been embellishing with some styrene details. Added some gas bottles, an oil tank(?) and a few other details. I blanked off the cannon muzzles as the prototype had them blanked early on.

Managed to airbrush and wash the interior last weekend, and this week painted a few details. Not so happy with my hand painting, will see if I can improve on it.

I will continue on as opportunity presents.

AndrewW

If I'm doing a large order, Bish, 2 or 3 kits, I find Hannants ship quicker, have an easier site to navigate, more stock and more selection.  I've been wanting to pick up an F15 and F22 for the stash, and may do that through Hannants.  My local shop is tiny, and a dismal selection (and 3/4 of it is a paint store), and the other shop I visit occasionally has a good selection, lots of tools, but focuses more on RC.  So, I do a lot of online shopping, and as I say, prefer Hannants a bit.  For smaller orders or airbush cleaner / thinner /paint I'll use Sprue Brothers, as Hannants doesn't stock Vallejo.  So, when I get a chance to order those jets, I'll look at the canopy.

I am a big fan of Hannants. I usually order from them every other month, usually all of my monthly model budget. Even thought I can sometimes get some thing cheaper elsewhere, I still prefer Hannants. I have been using them since the mid 80's. But am surprised to hear people across the pond prefer to use them instead of shops closer to home. I do like SB and have ordered a few kits from there usually kits I can't get here and they usually work out a good price even with the postage.

Coming along nicely lost, don't worry, plenty of time to go yet.

Bish, I just find they're nice and easy to deal with, and a nicely laid out web page.  I like that looking at a kit, I can scroll down, see all the associated aftermarket gear, decals and books.  Then I can pick and chose a complete package, unlike having to hunt through the different categories with SprueBrothers and build up that complete package.  I guess it's just ease and preference.  Generally, I do 2 or 3 shops a year, big ones anyhow, spending 3 or 4 hundred Canadian at a time.  This fills up the stash for the future, gives me 3 or 4 projects for a year.  As I normally work away from home a month at a time, I find a model normally takes me about two of my off months.  If I can get my annual vacation, a three month stretch off, I can usually finish off one and get a second one done, as well as tend to some of the little lady's 'to do' list.  I'm sure she'd prefer I spent more time at that list, but there's models to build.

I know what you mean about Hannants site. Since the last up grade, it has been much easier to use and I do like that feature of showing you all the items that go with that kit. I must try and pop into their warehouse again. I only live just over an hours drive away, but the last time I was in Lowestoft I was with her who must be obeyed and I dare not even mention going there.

Lol.  My better half tries, puts up with my pre - occupation, buys me tools from time to time, was trying to find a local dealer for Vallejo for me and has bought me one or two kits.  When the house is a mess, there's no dinner ready, I've had the day off and I've got a new kit opened up to pick away at a cockpit, she's a little less understanding.  I have to say, though, she does help with internet research on techniques and so on, though.

Anyone looking for a big buy should check Lucky Models - a huge site in Hong Kong. Right now they have $2 surface shipping to the US for orders over $120. Their sale prices are outstanding and their normal prices usually top anything in the US. Takes about six weeks. I've bought from them often and it's been a great place. For price/speed and selection you absolutely cannot top ScaleHobbyist.com in the US. Never any sales, but they don't need it. Sprue is very nice too. For armor fans, the Dragon USA site has regular sales that often represent genuine savings and they ship free US for orders over $100.

That's how I got my insane stash.

Eric

EB, your M8 is looking real good! I built that kit a few years back and absolutely loved it! It really is a top notch kit from Tamiya. All it needs is a little stowage (actually it does not look proper until it's loaded down like a prairie schooner) and it just looks fantastic!

Lost that Shinden of yours is coming along great as well. I have had one in my stash for many years and am going to enjoy watching yours being built. I may get some ideas and inspiration from yours...

Well, my progress was delayed a couple of days due to Super Bowl and helping out a friend with a home project. But now I am back on track and nearing the finish line... First I added a coat of Flat Black to the canopy area to give that color to the inner canopy frame. Then I later airbrushed on MM Ocean Grey for that portion of the upper camo scheme

and with the prop test fitted

then after letting that dry overnight, today I added the Dark Green for the upper surface camo, again using MM enamels. You may notice the area of the fuselage Sky ID band that was overpainted. I used Humbrol Ocean Grey and Dark Green for that area. The Humbrol Dark Green was pretty close to the MM version of the color (aside from being Satin instead of Flat), but the Humbrol Ocean Grey is noticeably different.

and again with the prop...

now it's really looking pretty mean! I gotta also say that I really like using the double action airbrush for the camo, I was able to get a nice tight demarcation line... very sweet!

Sexy, Stik, very Sexy!!

Thanks Rob! She's getting there now.

Stik - looks very good. I do hold enamel paint modelers in some kind of awe - I couldn't imagine doing an enamel kit now after getting used to acrylics - but they've got a lovely finish. I think a lot of ship junkies use it - some even hand paint.

I've got a large supply of AFV stowage junk in 1/35 scale. But as long as I have to wait for the blinking resin wheels (not my style normally, but winterized M-8s in the photos have chains and no fenders - I think it makes a much more interesting look) so I'm thinking of getting out my Apoxie Sculpt and see if I can't scratch some stuff. Still have some netting left over from the Cromwell build a while back. (I was reading Rinaldi's Tank Art v. 2 last night and he mentioned that he saw few pics of Rooskie armor with a lot of stowage. That might have been true, especially in the early war. German soldiers were amazed at the equipment available to western allied armies and they'd have to carry it somewhere. One project for the future is to scratch build a carton of Lucky Strike cigarettes and a couple of wine bottles for a US half track or truck going through France - can't figure how to do nylons though.)

Eric

AndrewW

Lol.  My better half tries, puts up with my pre - occupation, buys me tools from time to time, was trying to find a local dealer for Vallejo for me and has bought me one or two kits.  When the house is a mess, there's no dinner ready, I've had the day off and I've got a new kit opened up to pick away at a cockpit, she's a little less understanding.  I have to say, though, she does help with internet research on techniques and so on, though.

My other half always takes an interest in what I am building. She has got me a few kits ove rthe last couple of years, though often she will get something that she likes the look of. Last birthday I got a 1/10th Native American bust. That's certainly something different and proving a challenge, especially as for tears I struggled with 35th figures, especially the faces. But its not to have the challenge and I am determined to do a good job on it.

Stik, looking great, nice to see the scheme going down.

EB, I really don't see much difference between usage of Enamels and Acrylics. I only see differences in the qualities of the various paint lines themselves. All have their pros and cons and many are in my paint box for those reasons. I have no problem switching back and forth. But yes, they do hand brush far better in my experience.

I think that the snow chained wheels will give a great touch on your finished build of the M8. No, you really do not see them in the bulge photos without them. Sculpting your own stowage? that sounds like a good way to tackle that issue and get the fit just right! I look forward to seeing what you come up with.

Bish, I think the scheme looks pretty nice too. I forgot how dark that it could look. Especially without the Sky spinner and fuselage ID band, and it reminded me of a late war German Army joke. It went something along the line of  'if a plane is light in color, it's American, if it was dark in color, it was British, and if you can't see it at all, it's ours' (German)'.

Ye, it is quite dark isn't it. Though I don't often do RAF aircrfraft I do have a few and I do like that scheme.

And ye, I recall hearing a joke along those lines.

Minor progress today.. first up I took off most of the masking.

wings

as you can see, the left wing leading edge ID got dinged and needed some touch up

chin scoop.. I tried silly putty for masking this are for the fist time. it works real good for complex shapes and compound curves, but I had just a tad bit of bleed there as you can see

and the upper/lower fuselage hard edge demarcation

later I went and touched up the wing leading edge and did the propellor tips at the same time

then I airbrushed the main gear struts and wheel hubs with Testors square bottle Aluminum

and again using Testors square bottle paints, Steel and Dark Brown this time, I mixed up a custom shade for the exhaust stacks

and finally an overall shot of how she looks now...

tomorrow's task- Future coat

Nice, won't be long before that's done at this rate.

Nope, not too long now at all. Today before work, I airbrushed on a coat of Future. It's all nice and shiny and ready for decals now...

She's looking fantastic Stik...!!

You are far too kind sir. I see lots of little things that I could have done better ;) But I'm not telling! Lol!

Sounds like me Stick,

I'm not telling you guys all my boo boos.

Exactly!!

I'm in with a 1/48 Monogram P-51 D.

Nice to have you on board PJ.

Thanks Bish.

Some really sharp builds happening here. Lovin' what everyone is doing.

Andrew: That is some excellent PE work you are pulling off. All of that meticulous work is so going to pay off in the long run. I'm itching to see some paint on there.

lostagain: Nice start on the Shinden office. Appears as though that you are making the best of your situation to me. 

Eric: Whoa! Your M8 is certainly an impressive project. Judging from the photo that is one busy build. I'm looking forward to your progress. Just a sweet subject to model.

Stik: Very impressive work so far. Your camo looks terrific. Must say, I'm a huge fan of Silly Putty myself. Use it quite frequently for camo and complex masking.

I'm working on settling in to a new schedule and routine since my wife returned home. Not a lot of bench time lately but, it'll come.

Heres the start to my old Monogram

First the kit box

[View:]

I made some progress with my ancient Monogram Mustang. Got the office painted up.

[View:]

Painted the IP then drybrushed to pop the instrument faces. A drop of Future on each instrument replicates the glass face.

[View:]

Nice start PJ, I like the look of the IP and it certainly does pop.

PJ, youre off to a great start!