Hey Hunter, glad to have you aboard! Cockpit looks great so far.

Gamera

Hey Hunter, glad to have you aboard! Cockpit looks great so far.

 

Gamera - Thank you sir, and thank you for the compliment. I'm looking forward to this.

Looking good so far. if I remember correctly, you haven't done a lot of modeling since you were young. I love seeing "first" builds and how people improve over time and it looks like you're starting off nicely. 

Brian Miller

Looking good so far. if I remember correctly, you haven't done a lot of modeling since you were young. I love seeing "first" builds and how people improve over time and it looks like you're starting off nicely. 

 

Hello Brian - 

Yeah it has been a very long time since I built a model and it was the only one I ever built. And thank you for your kind words. I started acouple of days ago and had to stop to return to work, will be working on it this Wednesday and hope to get some work done on her. I started out with a "WIP" and our host invited me over....was not going to miss out in that. Very nice of Gamera to extend the offer. I look forward to learning a lot here and the other GB's and forums. Thank you again for your kind comments.

Take care,

Hunter

Well she's pretty much done. I find it amazing how the Japanese navy packed a battleship's superstructure onto a cruiser's hull. I hope I did it justice. 

Very very nice indeed. So small yet so much detail. Great job on the water and base too.

I think the Jap Battlewagons were very impressive with the super high superstructures that made one mean looking silhouette .

thanks for getting back to me! i had a long layover in Shanghai on this trip (usually go through Peking) and like you - found nada. even though some very nice folks at Pudang airort tried hard to help me find one. After i arrived in Guangzhou i met the wife and we went straight away to Shenzhen for just a few days - so no searching there... we then went to Enping - wife's home city - for New Year holidays. while i have been here in the small city of Enping i have had some fun and success in 'treasure hunting' among the small shops and stalls of the various neighborhoods. got some interesting plastic and i was actually very surprised - and pleased! - to find any plastic here.

now, i have a line on a plastic shop in Guangzhou - where i will fly out of on the 16th... we are going a day early to go shopping and just have a walk around Guangzhou. i hope to find 1 or 2 shps there. full details and tales re the China trip will be found at http://cs.finescale.com/fsm/general_discussion/f/50/t/169625.aspx

from Guangdong Province,

'Sibbers Old Horse!'

the preceding post wasintended for lostagain. :-)

looks great!

sibs

ygmodeler4

Exactly, I've notice lately I've been spending less and less time on the cockpit because I know it won't be seen by anybody, especially since they hang from my ceiling. 

It was nice outside so I decided to airbrush it. Tonight I put pretty much everything else that is going to go on the plane minus pilot, canopy, prop, and fuel tank (I think that's all). Then a few touch up paintings and it'll be ready for decal and slight weathering. 

 

Also painted the canopy tonight, i was nice and patiently impatient (didnt want to spend the gazillion of hours masking) so I use a piece of stretch sprue to dip in the paint lid and then just lay on the canopy.  I thought it looked real good...until I took the picture with light shing through...yikes haha.

 

Josiah - 

It is looking great I hope my paint jobs turns out as nice as your's. I can't wait too see it finished.

Hey Brian she looks fantastic! You definatly got us started off on a high note. I'll get you posted ASAP. Sorry, still no badge, I'm going to talk to the guy at our club Thursday that I'd asked about doing it so hopefully I'll have an update then. 

Sibz: Great to hear you enjoying your vacation, have fun and stay safe. Personally with everything going on with the New Year's celebration I don't think I'd have any time left to look for hobby shops! 

Brian Miller

Well she's pretty much done. I find it amazing how the Japanese navy packed a battleship's superstructure onto a cruiser's hull. I hope I did it justice. 

 

 

Wow Brian, it looks awesome!! Great job on your build and I like your choice for the base.

@lostagain,

That is a very nice score for $17. Wow! 

@Josiah,

Great job on the Zero! I really like how the paint turned out. Did you do a pre-shade before you painted the top green?

@Hunter,

Glad to have you in this GB, and a great chioce in the Zero. The cockpit is looking very good! Looking forward to following your progress!

@Brian

The Maya looks fantastic! You've done a great job on a really cool subject! I too like these WW2 IJN cruisers. 

I have dug out the YZR-M1. But, I am working on three other GB at the moment and probably will not start for at least another month. But, like my real track bike, I'm going to replace the front forks with after market goodies. this time the forks will cost me a whole lot less! lol

Thanks for all the compliments guys. I may build another for this GB in a few weeks or months if I'm allowed more than one build. I have the Fuso and Tone in my limited stash. I think I'll do the Tone completely out of box and enter her in the new Legacy category at the IPMS Nationals, if I go. I'm looking forward to everyone's builds.

Hey Brian, that would be cool, I'd love to see the Fuso and Tone. 

I've been reading about the Japanese Navy and am up to the Battle of Salvo Island where they came in with a night attack and despite our better radar managed to slam two torpedeos into the light cruiser HMAS Canberra and cripple her before we even knew they were there. They then were able to beat off an uncoordinated attack by the USN sinking the cruisers USS Astoria, Quincy, and Vincennes and the destroyer USS Ralph Talbot without losing a single ship. The book lists 1,023 killed and 709 wounded for the USN and 84 killed and 109 wounded for the Aussies- the Japanese lost 38 killed and 33 wounded... 

hogfanfs

@Josiah,

Great job on the Zero! I really like how the paint turned out. Did you do a pre-shade before you painted the top green?. 

 

Thanks! Yes, i preshaded both the top and bottom. Im really pleased it actually shows through (but not too much) I dont know how im going to tone down the decals though, they look rather new and bright, hopefully a wash will take care of it.

Hunter, thank you for your kindcoments, i have all the decals on and flat coat, just a few more little things to do.

Wow Brian, that ship looks stunning. Nice work all around. 

BK

Brian - just got you posted, congrads on being first! And again beautiful model!

Awesome stuff being built in this - my first - GB! I am still in China and in Guangzhou.  Finally found an actual model shop and looked to buy my Nate for this GB. I found 2 'double sets'. One with 2 Nates and another with 1... All 1:72. I am going to go back to the shop this morning and if I don't find a Nate solo and/or 1:48 may take it as a sign from the plastic gods to buy my first ship kit. I will keep you all posted of course. Fly to Shanghai this afternoon and Boston tomorrow. Looking forward to continuing my China travelogue and tales of Far East plastic adventures to you all - prob as a series of installments after I am back home in Maine. Had a great Valentine's day with the mrs. TTYL!

Sibbers

(This post was, 'Made in China'...)

Hey Sibz, I figured you were looking for a Chinese kit like Trumpeter or HobbyBoss! Still that does sound pretty cool. Looking forward to hearing more of your adventures and have a safe trip home.

Hello everyone - 

Wow....after a very long work session and life to-do's I finally got in a late night session and was able to finish the "pit", assemble the engine, nose, interior "pit"panels and the fuselage. I ordered and received the 2 exterior colors for the fuselage and hope to be painting by Saturday. Hope all of you are well, and as always please suggest any type of tips or techniques...I am always open to help and suggestions.

Just noticed a small area that needs black applied....

Hey Hunter you're off to a fine start! 

Hunter,

Very nice job on the cockpit/interior and the engine! This zero is coming together very nicely!

Thank you for the kind words gentlemen. I'm glad I was able to join in on this great GB!!

ygmodeler4

Coming along very nicely Hunter!

 

Josiah - 

Thank you very much for the support. I have enjoyed watching you build your's. Very nice job painting the fuselage. I just got the 2 main colors in the mail the other day and hope to be painting by Saturday. Thank you again for the kind words.

Just for the heck of it an update from the host: 

I am slowly making progress with the cockpit of the Tamiya 1/32nd Zero. A kind soul on FaceBook linked me a great article on correcting a few teeny tiny issues with the kit -it's about 97% perfect btw, by correcting them am I turning into a perfectionest??? . And I applied a wash that was too heavy, thankfully I sealed the paint with a thick coat of acrylic gloss and the wash was oils so I was able to take most of it off with a cotton swab moistened in paint thinner. I'm just debating now if I want to take more off or leave it. 

As to the badge, well the guy I asked about it forgot so I'm going to get the same guy to do it who did the girl for the last two. I'm off car shopping this weekend but hopefully I'll get to it soon. Sorry guys...