North African GB "All Subjects" (Start NOW - Finish 31st of Oct)

Right now I am working on the intolerably boring task of masking the canopy. Getting tempted to rip it all off and hand paint the damn thing. But no, I shall persevere. It'll probably take me another hour and a half to finsih masking.

Bob, Sean, Nice mug shots. Pretty sure I saw them before in a Post Office somewhere

Regards, Rick

Sean-yeah, that's not the best picture I've ever taken. Now if someone did steal the wife's cat, I might be able to raise a smile....

Ok, mug shot.

MY GOD man!!
You look like someone just stole your Merc and trashed your cat!!

OK, I'll dig one up that doesn't involve me working, or lying at the bottom of a ditch!

And judging by Jules not being around for a few days, might see one of him on your next milk carton....................

As always, thanks.

Darren, not a bad idea to put a face with a name-just need to do a shot here sometime soon and post. I can't wait to see Kemps' photo.....

edit-had time to snap a photo of the F-6A (needs some filler & sanding)


and a self photo-probably should have shaved first, however....

Bob, Nice work on the pit. Looking good.

Regards, Rick

Darren - will do, the future is curing and might snap some very shiny shots of the Martlet, only prob is I forgot the Tweety II nose art so will probably wait to dull coat until that finishes drying.

I'll post one of me if no one minds middle finger gestures me straightening my glasses at the cameraperson (my wife) I seem to get in every shot she takes of me. The only other one I could find is me in just my swim trunks driving the boat... think I'll save that one at least until the second date..

---edit---

Bob - sorry I couldn't comment on your cockpit right away, Kremps was over and for some reason she's got her feathers ruffled over something you said. She wouldn't tell me what though... looks great! You're really starting to go all out on these things... But you can't go wrong with those AM kits I tell ya....

Excellent Rick thanks for posting, now I have a face to put to a name.

Bob great looking pit on the F-6A, it looks superb . Also, no problems on the mug shot this is just a curiosity thing from me.

Tanky, I'm waiting......

Tom looking forward to some pics, oh yeah and the Martlet as well .

Cheers
Darren

ok, I've searched hither and thither for a pic of me that isn't 10 yrs old with no luck so far... I am always the one with the camera in my hand so I will have to get one taken of me tomorrow at my parents anniversary dinner. (at least I will be cleaned up then, I just got in from putting a fence in)

I *WILL* have pics of the Martlett a little later this evening. I have done a lot to her over the last few days and am almost ready to seal her up before I go too far with the weathering bit (almost did today)

Sorry guys, I'm not posting any mug shots...part of the witness protection program agreement.....

Anyway, Dave-outstanding work on the cockpit-I don't think I could handle 1/72nd-the eyes are marginal with reading glasses.

Made some progress on the F-6A. Here are cockpit pics. Went back and did touchup after viewing the pics. Sad thing is that most of the detail will be hidden once everything is buttoned up.





Made some more progess today-everything is buttoned up-will need a little filler, but might start painting Sunday.

AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!! Oh my god. I just fainted. LOL. So that's what you two look like. Interesting.

OK Darren, I'll play . But be warned, it's not a pretty sight



I'll be 68 come December.

Regards, Rick

Tanky and Rick just for the record I'm an IPMS member as well and my club seems to be alright as far as I can tell (I haven't been there long). Some of the armor guys are wound a little tight if you know what I mean, but the majority seems to be nice guys who love modeling.

Also and I know we have done this before on different forums but what do you guys look like and how old are you? I'm game, so here's the mugshot (no screaming please) and I'm 40 by the way.



Tom, I'm not kidding here but I thought most American homes had a basement and an attic. Here in Aus they are a rarity.

Cheers
Darren

QUOTE: [i]Oh, BTW for my bf-109, how dusty did these things get? I want to try out my new mig pigments and want to know if theses african planes got dust covered.

Tanky Would that be before or after the sandstorm?

And Tanky, I've only just realised, you're only 6 years older than my eldest son. What a scary thought[:0]!

Karl

Wow - Rick is hardcore when it comes to those pics!!!

Yeah sadly Tanky, at my sprightly age I could be your father as well.... just think... Kremps would have been your step-aunt.... (twice removed, on my dads side)

QUOTE: Originally posted by Tankmaster7 Hmmm, my club must be different. All around they are a nice bunch of guys (albeit guys who are all old enough to be either my father or grandfather).

Tanky. Just about everyone is old enough to be your Father or Grandfather . I'm rapidly approaching Great Grandfatherhood

Now, Where's the pics ?

Regards, Rick

Wow! A lot of traffic today... just so everyone knows I am not against the IPMS and the many fine modelers at my LHS who are members, one of which started me on "fringe" building. (He was researching whether england had recieved PBY's before or after the BOB and was urging me to do one if they did, called it an "eye" opener for the BOB GB) I was more referring to rivet counters in general...

HACKS... hmmm "I'm a model HACK" I like it!!! we need to get some of those embroideried leather jackets like the bikers wear with that on it... and some nice pink scarves... (Kremps loves pink)

Tanky - I am developing something similar on my Kremps Martlet. I found by using ochre chalk, then a rusty brown it really provided a nice tonal variation and especially around the cowl where there is lot's of panel lines made it "interesting" without being busy. Elsewhere, places the chalk did not get into panel lines, they are highlighted by the artists oil I layed down first... I'll be real interested to see it after future.

As far as dust, it depends on how long the craft was in theater... I've seen a pic of a Spit that was very dusty, some looked clean... let your imagination go! (within reason)

I'll take a pic BEFORE I future it so yall see the intended affect I was going for just in case it blows away...

---edit---

clarified a statement in the first paragraph so it makes sense now..

Hmmm, my club must be different. All around they are a nice bunch of guys (albeit guys who are all old enough to be either my father or grandfather). they are not elitist rivet counters, even though we have some really excellent builders. (We even have a guy who does excellent work with an Aztek! What's really odd is that he has Iwatas and badgers but he still swears by his Aztek. Weird.)

OK, I took a different approach to weathering my 109. I did the usual i.e. exhaust stains and chipping, but I wanted to do sunfading. So, I merged the worlds of armor and aircraft modelling. Here's what i did, I took my entire set of Mig pigments and applied gulf war sand to the whoe airplane. Then, I took 3 different color pigments and went over select panels with them. This gives me sunfading (aircraft weathering) and a good deal of tonal variety (armour weathering.) I shall put pictures up for the inspection of ***RICK*** you guys soon.

I belong to the National IPMS & used to be a member of the local chapter. It's worthwhile to support if only for the influence it can bring too manufacturers. The local chapter has some good guys, but it's currently run by a few of the elitist types & I don't feel comfortable with them.

Regards, Rick

Dave, good one man! HACKS, I like it.
You could also email us the joke!

I belong to IPMS. The only reason being I like their journal and I plan on entering the junior Nats this year.

Oh, BTW for my bf-109, how dusty did these things get? I want to try out my new mig pigments and want to know if theses african planes got dust covered.

Rick Don't even get me started on the Mad Cow thing. Heard a good joke about Mad Cow and PMS but I would probably get banned from this site if I told it here.

Darren I don't think Kremps plane was actually "modified", I think she just forced her way into the Pit one too many times.

As for IPMS and other Elitist, I'll stick with the Happy Acres Club for now thank you very much. OOooo!!! I just thought came up with an Acronym for the Gang.

HACKS (Happy Acres Club - Kremp's Society)

Okay I'm just blubbering like Jay now!!!

Ok, now that the Bell 47 is out of the way, I'll spend a day cleaning the abomination that used to be my work bench.
It's amazing how much styerene sheet gets ditched to one side when you are scratchbuilding something

And after the bench is clean, it's full steam ahead on the 129!!

With this one I have NO intention of adding anything what so ever, and the only difficult part I can foresee is the squiggle camo, but hopefully by then my new airbrush will arrive from the states, which will make it a bunch easier.

Karl and Tom, I agree about the club thing, I'm, not one for joining either. Here in Calgary there are two camps on this, the older guys (not really older but thats how I think of them) who seem to be more into it for the 'fun' and then some younger guys. Apparently the younger ones took over a club the older guys started and then the disgruntled older guys acted like the young ones and stomped off and started their own 'group' with no president or executive, no fees and only ask that you don't mention the other club. Being new to the scene I apparently asked too many questions and was given the low down by the older guys.

Does this make any sense, am I blathering on? I think that is why Happy acres and Kremps made a part of thier family. If I start talking too much just ignore me.

Karl, When the time comes I'll be posting progress pics of my beau on the Canadian GB. You all are invited to join you know, the more the merrier!

I may eventually stop talking/typing.

Maybe.

Hey, you guys wanna hear something neat....

Tom I've never been one for joining clubs, and I've not heard particularly great things about the IPMS. That which I have heard being in line with the 'elitest' comment.

After all, I figure this is supposed to be a hobby and therefore fun, and the thought of someone telling me how I should build my models leaves me cold.

Karl

Karl - it came from several threads in the aircraft section. Not the IPMS, but mainly modeling contests where the judges promote... no demand, all aircraft have a full load of ordinance and tanks, and look like someone took an oil soaked rag and wiped them down (if you want to win anything)

Actually I have nothing against the IPMS, just the idea that an aircraft HAS to be built like that to look authentic. I was tired when I wrote that and should have said "model elitists" or something like that...

Darren - I'm ready for those IPMS secret police... I'll barricade myself in the cellar with a whole years supply of food... wait... I don't have a cellar!

Dave That 'stang is coming along nicely, and as per everyone else's comments I know what you mean about the decals. I built their 1/72 Komet a while back, stunning kit, completely decals.

Jay How about a little AFV action for this GB? Italeri do a great 1/35 DAK Beetle, probab;y no more than a week's work.. Looking forward to seeing your progress on the Beau.

Tom/Darren Being dense here, but what the have drop tanks got to do with the IPMS?

Karl

Dave great looking work on the cockpit, it looks great .

Tom, whoa there buddy. Did you blaspheme and say IPMS be dammed? The IPMS secret police have been informed and you are being watched closely.
Oh yeah you're right with the pastels, I normally flat coat over mine (to avoid fingerprints) and this always really tones down the effect.

Daniel the first kit I made when I came back into modeling was an academy F-86. The kit was great and worked out fine but the decals are now all in various stages of peeling off. Lesson learned.

Cheers
Darren

Nice work on the cockpit Dave. I must say, I agree with you on those Academy kits. Great kits, s**thouse decals. I had to build a P-47 OOB with kit decals and just gave up on them.

Tom - I'm a fan of those pastel chalks too. I like the way you can work with them and get really nice, subtle effects. BTW, another modification you should have made to the Martlet is the cockpit bulges. Kremps had her Martlet modified to fit around her rather ample frame. The fuselage had bulges either side of the cockpit and an extra large seat. Should have told you earlier.