modelcrazy

Yikes! I have to use the microscope at work to see these ladders to bend the 4 little tabs. There are several more to do, along with the 20mm gun sights.

 

Unbelievable. This may take a while.

Hi Steve,

Holy cow that is small!!  I don't know if you have heard of this before, so if you have, forgive me.  There are several tools available for bending photo etch.  One of my favorites is called "The Bug".  It may be worth the price for the number of photo etch you are planning to bend.  Here is a link:

https://www.scalehobbyist.com/catagories/Tools/photo-etch-bending-tool-the-bug-rth-hold-and-fold/SMS00000002/product.php?kw=bug 

Ken

Nomad53

Gamera

Doug: Sorry but I think the only place to buy Gator Grip glue is their website. Red Frog Hobbies I think has it too. Gorilla Glue would probably work but it's a different product, if you want to try it please let us know how it goes.

Okay Gamera, I may have miss-understood on what the name of the glue was. I will check out their web site.

Okay here are some photos on what I have done in the past day or two.

Doug

Hi Doug,

It is very painless to order the Gator's Grip from Kenny.  All you need is a PayPal account.

Great job on the tracks and the figure!   

Ken

Doug: She's coming right along!

Steve: Ok, that gives me a headache just looking at it!

Yikes! I have to use the microscope at work to see these ladders to bend the 4 little tabs. There are several more to do, along with the 20mm gun sights.

Unbelievable. This may take a while.

Gamera

Doug: Sorry but I think the only place to buy Gator Grip glue is their website. Red Frog Hobbies I think has it too. Gorilla Glue would probably work but it's a different product, if you want to try it please let us know how it goes.

Okay Gamera, I may have miss-understood on what the name of the glue was. I will check out their web site.

Okay here are some photos on what I have done in the past day or two.

Doug

Doug: Sorry but I think the only place to buy Gator Grip glue is their website. Red Frog Hobbies I think has it too. Gorilla Glue would probably work but it's a different product, if you want to try it please let us know how it goes.

Thanks guys.

Lucky you Ken for not getting sick. it's a bummer for sure. Great job on the seat belt. I am going to check at Wal-Mart for the GG. They have all sorts of Gorilla Glue. They may have it.. I have a P-47 coming up that has PE and I am not comfortable using CA.

I am working on the tracks right now and I need to get all the wheels painted and touched up and then try my hand at weathering this thing. May need some suggestions and help on that part. i do not want to mess this one up at all.

Doug

Doug: She looks pretty darn cool! Yeah, seems like the bug is going around- so far I haven't caught it think I've just been lucky there though.

Gamera

Ken: Thanks for the head's up there! I didn't know about the thin Gator's Grip by I have picked out a little with a toothpick and added a drop or two of water to thin it myself. Wonder if the thin version is better than that? I might have to order some next time I buy it.

Jim: I think Red Frog carries GG but I always buy it from their site. It's only five bucks a bottle and S&H is pretty cheap. As to where does the time go I have no idea- I know I'm getting old when I hear a song on the radio and think that I liked that song- haven't heard it in a while and the DJ tells me it was the top single twenty years ago!

Steve: Hey that's great news! And yow that's a lot of teeny tiny PE pieces!

I'll have get some GG for sure!

I know what you mean about the music. We have a local station that has always featured "oldies" and it seems these days they now feature a lot of the music I grew up with! "Oldies" indeed!

HI Everyone,

I can report that the original Gator's Grip Hobby Glue works like a champ!  After attaching that lap belt, I bent the belt to lay down on the contours of the seat and it held great.  I used a round toothpick to mold the seat belt.

Now I need to chisel off the molded on seat belts and fill that ejector pin mark and repaint. 

Ken

Nomad53

jimbot58

Doug, that camo on those jackets looks incredible to me! I can't figure how you did that!

Thanks Jim. I downloaded an artical from FSM called Paint Military Figuers. It is a very good on giving great tips and information.

My whole family has been sick with a stomach bug that has been going around so I am just getting back to the bench to get some work done. Here are some update photos.

Doug

Hi Doug,

That Panzer is coming right along!  Great job on the camouflage!     

Very sorry to hear about you family being sick.  There seems to be a lot of that stomach flu going around.  I have been lucky so far.  Had some friends that I had been with come down with it, as well as my wife!  So I don't know how I manage to avoid it so far.

Ken

modelcrazy

I finally received the PE from Australia today, so I can get back on the Indy.

I do the same thing. Oftentimes I look for a PE set here and find they are out of stock, but still available "down under". Surprisingly, the shipping is usually cheaper (airmail) but the wait is what kills me.

It's just amazing to me the journey these things make! All the way from the Czech Republic in eastern Europe, through who knows how many countries, several continents, crossing the equator twice, and several oceans! Then maybe it's just me since I don't often even get out of my own city....

Jim

modelcrazy

I finally received the PE from Australia today, so I can get back on the Indy.

Hi Steve,

Like Cliff said, wow, that is a lot of tiny pieces!  I know it will make a big difference in detail once you have those on.  It will be cool to see!

Ken

jimbot58

Doug, that camo on those jackets looks incredible to me! I can't figure how you did that!

Thanks Jim. I downloaded an artical from FSM called Paint Military Figuers. It is a very good on giving great tips and information.

My whole family has been sick with a stomach bug that has been going around so I am just getting back to the bench to get some work done. Here are some update photos.

Doug

Ken: Thanks for the head's up there! I didn't know about the thin Gator's Grip by I have picked out a little with a toothpick and added a drop or two of water to thin it myself. Wonder if the thin version is better than that? I might have to order some next time I buy it.

Jim: I think Red Frog carries GG but I always buy it from their site. It's only five bucks a bottle and S&H is pretty cheap. As to where does the time go I have no idea- I know I'm getting old when I hear a song on the radio and think that I liked that song- haven't heard it in a while and the DJ tells me it was the top single twenty years ago!

Steve: Hey that's great news! And yow that's a lot of teeny tiny PE pieces!

I finally received the PE from Australia today, so I can get back on the Indy.

Son Of Medicine Man

Hi Everyone!

I just discovered a new product that everyone may be interested in.  I think most of us has heard about the product that Cliff informed us of to attach photo etch called "Gator's Grip Hobby Glue".  Well the inventor of that product has discovered a newer version; "Gator's Grip Thin Blend".  It is thinner than the original and dries faster!  Here is a link:

http://www.gatorsmask.com/gatorglueorder1.html 

Ken

Seems to have good reviews on the web. Is it available commercially or just at his website? Looks like it's worth looking into before I start my next build with PE parts.

Son Of Medicine Man

jimbot58

 

That is something I wish I could do, but my hobby room is a small spare bedroom. Both the size and configuration of the room prevent me from doing just that. I know the house was owned by a couple with a teenage girl, and the girl occupied this room. The room would seem cramped to me, even for a young person. A twin-size bed would have just about filled the space. I actually dismantled one of the closets and built my work bench into that space.

Jim

Hi Jim,

My area is not very big at all.  It actually started off as just my computer along with my wife's computer.  I squeezed in the workbench in-between her computer and mine.  It is a tight squeeze to get into it but it works.  It is actually a pretty decent setup.

I have the computer close where I can look up research while I build which has come in handy many times.  And the workbench doubles as a paint booth, complete with a hood fan that is connected to a hose going out the window.  I made a blank that fits into the window frame where the hose connects to an external vent.  I turn the fan on anytime that I am using toxic glue or paint.

Ken

My area would be a lot bigger if I were to dismantle the N-scale railroad layout that I no longer work on. It was just too much money and time to keep up with. Plus it was just so much maintenance just to keep it running. I do have a small bath with a fan that I run when I need ventilation. If I am working with anything toxic, I also run a small fan near the bench to push the bad air towards the bathroom fan. I can also crack a window next to me, weather permitting. Also nice to have that small bath right there for obvious reasons....

I started thinking about the people who used to live here, (I only ran into them once) and the how girls bedroom is that now my hobby room. She was maybe 13 at the time, and  that "kid" would now be in her late 30's with kids of her own and a husband (or two) by now! Where does the time go?

Jim

Hi Everyone!

I just discovered a new product that everyone may be interested in.  I think most of us has heard about the product that Cliff informed us of to attach photo etch called "Gator's Grip Hobby Glue".  Well the inventor of that product has discovered a newer version; "Gator's Grip Thin Blend".  It is thinner than the original and dries faster!  Here is a link:

http://www.gatorsmask.com/gatorglueorder1.html 

Ken

jimbot58

 

That is something I wish I could do, but my hobby room is a small spare bedroom. Both the size and configuration of the room prevent me from doing just that. I know the house was owned by a couple with a teenage girl, and the girl occupied this room. The room would seem cramped to me, even for a young person. A twin-size bed would have just about filled the space. I actually dismantled one of the closets and built my work bench into that space.

Jim

Hi Jim,

My area is not very big at all.  It actually started off as just my computer along with my wife's computer.  I squeezed in the workbench in-between her computer and mine.  It is a tight squeeze to get into it but it works.  It is actually a pretty decent setup.

I have the computer close where I can look up research while I build which has come in handy many times.  And the workbench doubles as a paint booth, complete with a hood fan that is connected to a hose going out the window.  I made a blank that fits into the window frame where the hose connects to an external vent.  I turn the fan on anytime that I am using toxic glue or paint.

Ken

Son Of Medicine Man

jimbot58

Well, I think I finally have all the decals on the upper surfaces done!

Just a few on the bottom to do, plus some others on the pylons and I can move on!

As to the weather, it was warm enough that I could walk for over an hour! A long sleeve thermal shirt and no jacket needed!

I went in Walmart to get some Q-tips for the workbench (cleaning the airbrush and what-not) and found something much needed for it as well!

I already have the desk wired up with some powered speakers so I can listen to my MP3 player, but I am an album sort of person and often like listening that way instead of random mixed songs. This thing was only 20 bucks! I remember paying over $150 for the first portable I bought! I think my first home player was nearly $300!

I dropped in a CD to listen to and worked on and enjoyed as it played. What was the album? Well, one track tells me that "If I don't eat my meat, I can't have any pudding!"

Yes, it's Pink Floyd and "The Wall!" (Both discs!)

Jim

Hi Jim,

Good job on the decals, they look great.     

Congratulations on the CD player.  It is amazing how the price of those has gone down so much.

I have my computer with a nice set of Altec Lansing speakers right next to my workbench.  I have my entire CD collection ripped onto my computer.  I can call up any album to listen to.  I must have my tunes!

Ken

That is something I wish I could do, but my hobby room is a small spare bedroom. Both the size and configuration of the room prevent me from doing just that. I know the house was owned by a couple with a teenage girl, and the girl occupied this room. The room would seem cramped to me, even for a young person. A twin-size bed would have just about filled the space. I actually dismantled one of the closets and built my work bench into that space.

Jim

jimbot58

Well, I think I finally have all the decals on the upper surfaces done!

Just a few on the bottom to do, plus some others on the pylons and I can move on!

As to the weather, it was warm enough that I could walk for over an hour! A long sleeve thermal shirt and no jacket needed!

I went in Walmart to get some Q-tips for the workbench (cleaning the airbrush and what-not) and found something much needed for it as well!

I already have the desk wired up with some powered speakers so I can listen to my MP3 player, but I am an album sort of person and often like listening that way instead of random mixed songs. This thing was only 20 bucks! I remember paying over $150 for the first portable I bought! I think my first home player was nearly $300!

I dropped in a CD to listen to and worked on and enjoyed as it played. What was the album? Well, one track tells me that "If I don't eat my meat, I can't have any pudding!"

Yes, it's Pink Floyd and "The Wall!" (Both discs!)

Jim

Hi Jim,

Good job on the decals, they look great.     

Congratulations on the CD player.  It is amazing how the price of those has gone down so much.

I have my computer with a nice set of Altec Lansing speakers right next to my workbench.  I have my entire CD collection ripped onto my computer.  I can call up any album to listen to.  I must have my tunes!

Ken

Well, I think I finally have all the decals on the upper surfaces done!

Just a few on the bottom to do, plus some others on the pylons and I can move on!

As to the weather, it was warm enough that I could walk for over an hour! A long sleeve thermal shirt and no jacket needed!

I went in Walmart to get some Q-tips for the workbench (cleaning the airbrush and what-not) and found something much needed for it as well!

I already have the desk wired up with some powered speakers so I can listen to my MP3 player, but I am an album sort of person and often like listening that way instead of random mixed songs. This thing was only 20 bucks! I remember paying over $150 for the first portable I bought! I think my first home player was nearly $300!

I dropped in a CD to listen to and worked on and enjoyed as it played. What was the album? Well, one track tells me that "If I don't eat my meat, I can't have any pudding!"

Yes, it's Pink Floyd and "The Wall!" (Both discs!)

Jim

jimbot58

Doug, that camo on those jackets looks incredible to me! I can't figure how you did that!

Not a lot to report here - mostly putting those tiny little data decals on the A-10, mostly those "NO STEP" ones that there seem to be so many of!

I also worked on the gear, adding the wash:

I also filled all those ejector pin marks on a dozen bombs. (pictured with the gear) I don't know why I did as I may not use them. I don't want to make it too busy, and a more realistic load would be maybe a couple of Hellfire missiles with some LGB's, an ECM pod and a brace of Sidewinders - not to mention that gun!

By the way, I had a visitor at the work desk last night!

Don't know how he got in the house, so I took him outside and placed him at the bottom of a pile of leaves - still chilly so I hope he survived!

Jim

Hi Jim,

That landing gear looks great!  Nice job on the wash, it really makes it pop! 

Speaking of the weather, it has finally started to warm up here.  We actually got above the average temperature today!  59 degrees!  It was like a heat wave compared to the frigid temps we have been seeing.

Ken

modelcrazy

Well, we had our open house today. There were some interested parties. We'll see. Good news, I have the garage set up and the temperature was 63 today, so after our open house, I did a little work on the Indy.

I sprayed the Deck Grey 20, which is supposed to be equivalent to Vallejo's German Grey. I was convinced that it was WAY too dark.

However, I did a search and found a picture of the Indianapolis model at the Indiana War Museum. Now I'm happy with the color.
 
Next, I'll start on the superstructure. Come on PE. I figure I have maybe another week or two waiting for it to arrive from Australia.

I decided to build the 20 mm AA guns first. I have 32 more to build.
 

Steve

Hi Steve,

Good job on doing your research trying to find that color.  I know how it can be a daunting task.

And I have to repeat what Jim said, "32 Yikes!"  That is going to take some patience and perseverance!

Ken

Nomad53

Gamera

Doug: That looks pretty cool, I'v'e always heard about those Monogram armour kits but never built one or even seen the sprues of one.

Well now you can say you've seen them. . It is a nice kit but the instructions are vague at times. Had to guess where to put some of the parts. Other than that very little flash on the parts so clean up was good.

I took sometime off building the Panzer and worked on the crew. This is the first time that I have tried to paint the Eichenlaub camo scheme so be easy on me. Here are the photos.

Doug

Hi Doug,

That kit looks like it is very nicely detailed!  I bet it will look great when it is done.

And excellent work on those figures!  The camouflage looks spot on to me!      Very realistic.

Ken

Gamera

Jim: Well at least you do know what happened now... Gee... some people (sigh)...

Ken: Nice work on the new badge!

Thank you Cliff for the compliment!

Ken

Nice job with the wash there Jim, the landing gear turned out really good. And I guess at least the bombs will be ready if you use them on something else.

And nice ladybug- we're getting nothing but stinkbugs here.

Doug, that camo on those jackets looks incredible to me! I can't figure how you did that!

Not a lot to report here - mostly putting those tiny little data decals on the A-10, mostly those "NO STEP" ones that there seem to be so many of!

I also worked on the gear, adding the wash:

I also filled all those ejector pin marks on a dozen bombs. (pictured with the gear) I don't know why I did as I may not use them. I don't want to make it too busy, and a more realistic load would be maybe a couple of Hellfire missiles with some LGB's, an ECM pod and a brace of Sidewinders - not to mention that gun!

By the way, I had a visitor at the work desk last night!

Don't know how he got in the house, so I took him outside and placed him at the bottom of a pile of leaves - still chilly so I hope he survived!

Jim

Doug, the camo work looks fine by me!