jimbot58

 

I once lost a set of decals for an SR-71 Blackbird by spilling paint thinner on them! An ironic thing was that I ran across a Superscale set in the clearance bin at the LHS just a few weeks latter. Sadly, I never have finished that one....

And about getting ahead? I have the same problem - I just received this today:

Jim

Hi Jim,

Nice score for you as well!  I also look forward to watching you build this.

Ken

modelcrazy

Well, sorry it's been a little while since my last post, but I have been very busy with Spring yard work and other chores.

Anyway, here is an update. I completed the forward superstructure, and will be moving on to the aft.

I will be drilling out the portholes at some point.

Steve

Wow Steve, that is incredible!  Great work!  I would be afraid to touch it for fear of breaking something off!

Ken

mikeymize

Panzer IV looks great Nomad; always loved the way it looked with the "schürzen".

I am looking forward to starting my project which is still to be determined but will definitely be something with wings. As many here know I recently moved for my new job and things are anything but "normal". That being said, I look forward to getting back to the bench and undertake another labor of love. Again, great tank Nomad and best of luck to all my GB friends with their respective builds.

Hi Mike,

Good to hear from you again.  I hope you get settled in soon.  I know how much a pain it can be to move.

Ken

Good to hear from you Ken. Was I hallucinating or did I really see you down for a Zero?!!! No Voodoo variants left? LOL

Son Of Medicine Man

jimbot58

 

I once lost a set of decals for an SR-71 Blackbird by spilling paint thinner on them! An ironic thing was that I ran across a Superscale set in the clearance bin at the LHS just a few weeks latter. Sadly, I never have finished that one....

And about getting ahead? I have the same problem - I just received this today:

Jim

Hi Jim,

Nice score for you as well!  I also look forward to watching you build this.

Ken

I have wanted to build a helicopter for a while. When I was a kid, I had a fascination for helicopters and went through every book I could find in the local library about them, and also about Igor Sikorsky, whom I idolized. I also knew all about the whole line of machines produced by Sikorsky and oddly, one of my favorites was the CH-54 Tarhe or the latter known S-64 "Skycrane".

If I do a "chopper", it has to be something from Vietnam such as the 'Huey' or "Cobra" This was a recent release and I couldn't resist!

I still also might consider a Huey as well....

Jim

mikeymize

Good to hear from you Ken. Was I hallucinating or did I really see you down for a Zero?!!! No Voodoo variants left? LOL

Hi Mike,

You crack me up!    I chose the Zero because it was supposed to be a quick build.  But I have got so many other projects going on that it has kept me away from the bench.  Someday?  LOL.

Ken

jimbot58

I have wanted to build a helicopter for a while. When I was a kid, I had a fascination for helicopters and went through every book I could find in the local library about them, and also about Igor Sikorsky, whom I idolized. I also knew all about the whole line of machines produced by Sikorsky and oddly, one of my favorites was the CH-54 Tarhe or the latter known S-64 "Skycrane".

If I do a "chopper", it has to be something from Vietnam such as the 'Huey' or "Cobra" This was a recent release and I couldn't resist!

I still also might consider a Huey as well....

Jim

Hi Jim,

I built a Huey gun ship and a Cobra when I was a kid.  I think both were made by Revell.

Ken

Wish the photos turned out better, not sure why they suck, I made sure I had plenty of light. Anyway here's the Wildcat and Hellcat together. Hopefully I'll get the clear-coat on for the wash before the weekend is out.

Gamera

Wish the photos turned out better, not sure why they suck, I made sure I had plenty of light. Anyway here's the Wildcat and Hellcat together. Hopefully I'll get the clear-coat on for the wash before the weekend is out.

Nice looking Cats! Was that it that inspired you to build the two as a set? I know Hasegawa offered a combo set recently.

Jim

Hey all!

Ben tough getting time in at the bench!

Last weekend was spent trying to do some major work on a car I didn't want to work on, and then when it came time to deliver the car, nobody was able or willing to help, and I ended up walking 12 miles home! Not much done there!

This week has been bad as I have some sort of respiratory infection going on, and though not sick enough to stay home, work was just miserable.

A few things I did accomplish:

Attached the gear to the A-10:

Assembled and painted a set of GBU-12's. These are smaller than the GBU-10's that came with the kit. The 12's are used primarily for 'plinking' tanks. From a Hasegawa weapons set.

Even though I didn't intend it, parts of the Cobra sort of started falling together... and paint as well....

The manufacture apparently upgraded the kit since it's initial release, so it required sawing of the rear of the cockpit and attaching the more detailed part.

The instrument panel decals are a bit cartoonish to me, but no upgrades are available. This kit may actually end up being a OOB build! First for me in a while! The panels are better that anything I could do at this scale I guess. Sorry photo is blurred.

So far:

The clear part on top gets painted except for a small bit on top. I'll probably add some masking tape belts at least.

Jim

Jim: Looks good! It's always nice to see a model on her 'feet' as it were. I wouldn't worry too much about the instrument panel, I doubt you'll even be able to see much of it. I hope you feel better, I had a root canal Thursday and haven't been feeling too great here either...  

I actually started the two USN fighters together hoping I'd be able to save a little time painting etc by doing them both at once. Turns out the paint scheme as you can tell from the photos is different enough I pretty much ended up building them separately though. It was neat though to compare and contrast the two since the Hellcat was meant to be an improved Wildcat but Grumman made so many improvements it evolved into an entirely different aircraft.

Gamera

Wish the photos turned out better, not sure why they suck, I made sure I had plenty of light. Anyway here's the Wildcat and Hellcat together. Hopefully I'll get the clear-coat on for the wash before the weekend is out.

Hi Cliff,

They both look great!  Good job so far!  I think the paint came out just right.     

Ken

jimbot58

Hey all!

Ben tough getting time in at the bench!

Last weekend was spent trying to do some major work on a car I didn't want to work on, and then when it came time to deliver the car, nobody was able or willing to help, and I ended up walking 12 miles home! Not much done there!

This week has been bad as I have some sort of respiratory infection going on, and though not sick enough to stay home, work was just miserable.

A few things I did accomplish:

Attached the gear to the A-10:

Assembled and painted a set of GBU-12's. These are smaller than the GBU-10's that came with the kit. The 12's are used primarily for 'plinking' tanks. From a Hasegawa weapons set.

Even though I didn't intend it, parts of the Cobra sort of started falling together... and paint as well....

The manufacture apparently upgraded the kit since it's initial release, so it required sawing of the rear of the cockpit and attaching the more detailed part.

The instrument panel decals are a bit cartoonish to me, but no upgrades are available. This kit may actually end up being a OOB build! First for me in a while! The panels are better that anything I could do at this scale I guess. Sorry photo is blurred.

So far:

The clear part on top gets painted except for a small bit on top. I'll probably add some masking tape belts at least.

Jim

Hi Jim,

The Warthog is looking mighty fine!    Also the trim on the Cobra cockpit looks really nice!     

Ken

Hey Jim the jet looks good thus far along with your other work. I'm sorry to hear of your adversities and health issues. It seems we all take our health for granted until something goes wrong. Hope your luck takes a turn for the better soon; you certainly deserve it!

Well, well, well, long time no post. Life has kept me very busy as of late.

Here is the forward superstructure, almost done. I still need to install 2 more single AA guns and the signal lanyards to the yardarm. After I get that I'll work on the aft structure,mast hangers and cats.

I'm getting there.

Steve

modelcrazy

Well, well, well, long time no post. Life has kept me very busy as of late.

Here is the forward superstructure, almost done. I still need to install 2 more single AA guns and the signal lanyards to the yardarm. After I get that I'll work on the aft structure,mast hangers and cats.

I'm getting there.

Steve

Hi Steve,

All I can say is "WOW".  That sure is a lot of detail!  Nice work so far!     

Ken

I'll second Ken's WOW - that's beautiful work there Steve.

Steve that is awesome work!  Cant wait to see more.

Steve, I'll say you're getting there. Very impressive. I haven't built a ship since I was about 12 ,(HMS Hood) so I'm not well versed in the intricacies involved, however I'm certainly impressed with what you've accomplished thus far. Outstanding!

Thank you gentlemen, I really appreciate it.

Here's tonight's work, I got the signal lanyards, missing AA guns and the bridge windows darkened, at least I think it's the bridge. Since the bridge windows were rectangular I just painted them rather than drill like I did for the portholes. Now to put the assembly in a safe place until I need it later.
On to the aft structures.

Steve

Wow that's crazy Steve, how on Earth do you do that rigging? I've tried to rig simple biplanes and end up with the thread stuck all over the model, the bench, and on me. Once I get a few on I then end up knocking them off trying to attach the rest of them....

Gamera

how on Earth do you do that rigging? I've tried to rig simple biplanes and end up with the thread stuck all over the model, the bench, and on me. Once I get a few on I then end up knocking them off trying to attach the rest of them

It's not too difficult. I use stretched sprue using the technique I pointed out in this thread

Stretching sprue

Once that is done and attached with CA, I tighten the "line" with the smoke from an incense stick or firecracker punk. Don't hold the smoke on it for too long or you will melt the sprue thread. A short time frame along the thread is all that's needed. The method works for biplane rigging as well.

modelcrazy

Thank you gentlemen, I really appreciate it.

Here's tonight's work, I got the signal lanyards, missing AA guns and the bridge windows darkened, at least I think it's the bridge. Since the bridge windows were rectangular I just painted them rather than drill like I did for the portholes. Now to put the assembly in a safe place until I need it later.
On to the aft structures.

Steve

 

Hi Steve,

Sorry, but the only word I can think of is "WOW" again!  Great work!     

Ken

Wow, stretched sprue!?! I'd been trying this with thin line, maybe that's where I've been going wrong. Thanks for you demo on it, I've done it before but never enough to get very good at it.

I usually stretch sprue by twirling a long piece over a candle and pulling it apart. Kind of tricky.too much heat or too little and it breaks

I use to do that too. But I found this method in another forum and found out it seems to make a more consistent thread gauge.

modelcrazy

I use to do that too. But I found this method in another forum and found out it seems to make a more consistent thread gauge.

I guess to be fair, I'm comparing apples to oranges. You're making threads for rigging and I'm making rods to scratch build parts. If I ever get to some of the WWII fighters I have, I may need to try that for antennae. You work is looking great Steve!

Jim

Thanks Jim.

So here's this weekends nightmare PE work. The aft superstructure, mast and radar. I feel like a jeweler.
I still have quite a bit more to add. More AA guns, treterary guns, gun director hanger doors etc.

Steve

modelcrazy

Thanks Jim.

So here's this weekends nightmare PE work. The aft superstructure, mast and radar. I feel like a jeweler.
I still have quite a bit more to add. More AA guns, treterary guns, gun director hanger doors etc.

Steve

Steve, I can't think of anything to say other than...

OMG!

Hello gang!

No, I didn't drop off the earth, it's just been busy, busy! Car and truck repairs, (still have more to do!), added yard clean-up with spring that has sprung, an out-of-town trip,and so on. Plus, I have been pushing myself trying to work on my weight, with walks at lunch and after work as well! Now I also bought a bike, with several nights spent fiddling with it to get it where I want it! Finally got out on it today with a 12 mile ride in the morning, and finished with a walk of about 5 miles this evening! My feet and legs are threatening to sue me! The good news is that I have dropped almost 40#!!

I do spend time at the bench but often find myself too tired to sit at the computer afterwards.

So finally some updates!

Mostly what I have been doing is working on the cockpit of the Cobra. I didn't have a lot of references to go by, so I just "winged it". I added painted masking tape to the seats, with cut bits of PE frets for buckles:

I deliberately varied the length and position of the belts so they would hopefully add some realism.

The fuselage isn't fully closed yet, but here's how it will look:

Jim