What's on the workbench!

[McColm]

Friday 8th July 2022

The summer heat without any air conditioning is unbeatable during the day, so I'm trying to work on the Matchbox/AMT Mercury Capri II. I  have changed the seats and I am using those from the Jaguar XJ220. I just need to paint the backs of the front seats, I'll omit the back seats due to the lack of space. The previous owner has painted the body in British Racing Green but there's a few blemishes and I have rubbed these down. It's left-hand drive with a manual gearbox. The stick shift will come from a Tamiya 1993 Ford Mustang Cobra R. I'm tempted to use the engine as well but I will have to see if it fits. If not then the twin turbo V6  from the Jaguar XJ220 with a few modifications.

[McColm]

Monday 11th July 2022

Good news, at last my furniture and white goods will be delivered on Wednesday. Fitted and the washing machine plumbed in.So the fridge will have to be moved, but that's no problem.
Sanding continues with the E.E. Lightning Bolt F.1A. The Sword underwing parts fit snuggly to the resin wing, so I will be able to use the existing landing gear.
A raid the spares boxes should reveal some missiles.
The Mercury Capri II continues with the wheels being glued in place. A test drive of my hobby room and boy is this car loud! The exhaust pipes haven't been added, the brakes work but will definitely need upgrading .Those new engine cooling fans that I have added really do work, so no overheating problems. It's a five speed manual gearbox with overdrive in fourth and fifth gears so I might be able to achieve 20mpg. (Whiffing World figures, not RW.)

[McColm]

Wednesday 13th July 2022

My bedroom now looks like a bedsit ;I have a 5 draw chest of drawers , two chairs with a 26 & 1/2 inch dining table, a two seater sofa plus my wardrobe & single bed.
The washing machine works but I haven't tested the electric cooker yet. Got to clean up the 2 hob first before I put it away. I have been tidying up for most of the day and chilling out.
More future builds have entered my head.
A twin-boom Tonka. A kitbash of the Buccaneer and Javelin.
The USN flew modified versions of the B-29 in the ASW role. I haven't seen any photos of the P2B-2S only the PSB-1S. So the RAF could have flown the Washingtons in the maritime surveillance role instead of the Avro Lincoln.
I'm thinking C-97 kitbashed with the Carvair
Then there's the Boeing SST, the whatif the British had built it.I  know we had the Concorde, but if the engines were fitted on the tips of the swing-wings. One above and one below on each wing.

[NARSES2]

Wednesday 13th July 2022

My bedroom now looks like a bedsit ;I have a 5 draw chest of drawers , two chairs with a 26 & 1/2 inch dining table, a two seater sofa plus my wardrobe & single bed.

Not bad mate 

[McColm]

Friday 15th July 2022

Everything is at a standstill until I can get some supplies, so it's sanding and more sanding until my arms start aching..
The pile of laundry is being is getting smaller so by the beginning of next week it should be down to one wash per week, instead of one wash per night.
My list for items to get for my flat doesn't seem to be going down. For every item I get, I think of two more that I need.
Just having somewhere to relax and watch the world go by is my piece of paradise.
A few murals painted on the walls will be my next challenge.

Another idea,
With the increase of London Black Taxis being converted into pick-up trucks I thought I would have one more try at using the Revell 1/24 kit. The twin turbo V6 engine from the Jaguar XJ220 now fits the engine bay. II have found the rear bed from another kit which almost fits. So it's just the cab,wheels, glazing and exhaust pipes to fit. I don't have any glue at the moment, it's cut and sanding.

[McColm]

Tuesday 19th July 2022

The man from SSE has just finished fitting a new smart meter, so no more going to the corner shop and getting my dongle charged. As I now have a smart pay as you go card, slight problem with the app it doesn't like my mobile phone number although it's the same one that I have received their text messages and the message from the engineer. The online top-up seems to accept it when I registered my details.
I have run out of supplies, so sanding and backstories are fine, I've been slowly tidying up the hobby room. Most of the cardboard has gone to be recycled, I have to be careful as I might get sunburnt on the back of my neck. Well its exercise for my hands and arms, all that tearing up and cramming it into the recycling bin.
Due to the heatwave I have reduced my evening walks, as I'm melting with every step. I'm sure that I am losing weight another notch in my belt.
After Sun really does work!

[McColm]

Friday 21st July 2022

I've managed to find another metal rod to fit the wheels to on the 1/24 Austin FX-4 Pickup, the glazing for the cab is glued in place, I haven't decided on the paint scheme.
The sanding down on the Black Crow ER.1 is taking place whilst the Avro Magestic AEW.3 continues with it's new duties as a flying firefighter/water bomber. All the AEW equipment has been removed and individual compartments for fresh water and foam retardant with scoops for refilling the fresh water.
A low flying licence has been granted for operating over the UK. The residents around the Lake District are familiar with low flying aircraft but got a bit of a shock when the Magestic turned up to help the emergency services with the bush fires.
Licences for operating in European countries have been applied for through SJMcColm Engineering Ltd under 'The Flying Firefighters '.

[McColm]

Monday 25th July 2022

It was my birthday over the weekend, 56 years old !
I had a few quid as a present, so I bought some putty and superglue after cake. I have been working on The Garage of 1/24 models.


From left to right on the forecourt;
JaguarXJS, Mercury Capri V12,  Rolls-Royce Phantom Mence, Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud Coupe,Austin FX-4 Pickup  V6 twin-turbo  and the Triumph Broadsword.

[NARSES2]

Still a young man at 56  Happy birthday for the past weekend 

[McColm]

Still a young man at 56  Happy birthday for the past weekend 

Thanks, JJ.Ceale 'They call me the breeze '.

[McColm]

Tuesday 26th July 2022

Last night a friend of mine brought over the rest of my gear that he had stored in his garage from when I was living in the hostel in New Cross Southeast London. Two shopping bags and a suitcase. I'm slowly going through it, I know that my friend laundered my clothes but I will was them again.
Having lost a bit of weight since leaving hospital back in June 2021,baggy shirts are no problem. Although the trousers may need taking in.
I didn't realise how much reading material I had. The rummage continues.

[McColm]

Sunday 31st July 2022

Sanding and more sanding on my current builds, I need to restock my papers. I have been decorating my room with posters and prints they are held up with blu tack for now and will be framed at a later date. A friend of mine has returned my steps and given me a  wooden bedside cabinet which I will paint at my leisure.
I thought about converting the 1/24 Jaguar XJ220 model kit into the Jaguar XJR-15 which was the road version of XJR-9 but I don't think that it's going to work. I've seen the prices of the 1/24 XJR-9 which are expensive but I do have parts leftover from the broken model. So they can be used on a different kit.
More rummaging around in the boxes and a few more model kits have been found but as I'm at saturation point they will have to wait.
The need for some tools and to turn the top half of the wooden bunkbed into a base for storage and my 00 gauge train set layout. 9' x 5'.I have found a track plan that I can utilise and expand to a upper level.  Once my hobby room gets sorted out, I can get on with my builds.

[McColm]

Monday  1st August 2022

The  BAC Electronic Sphinx has lost one of it's wheels from the main undercarriage, a massive search is ongoing for its whereabouts. I  had intended for the 1/72 Formaplane ATL98 to slip over the Frog/Revell Avro Shackleton MR.3 but that didn't go plan so the BAC Waddington MR.1 ex-Academy C-97 is now a front loader with its maritime equipment stripped and put on the Avro-Grumman P-5 Charlton.
Sanding sessions on the Convair EB-61 Peacehaven, Big Bertha-air car ferry and the Cardinal Heliplane continued until my fingers in my left hand started to lock up.
I'm having to type this  with my right hand as I'm left handed.

[McColm]

Tuesday 2nd August 2022

I didn't get much sleep last night, so I watched episodes of Gold Rush on Discovery Plus. Season six has the return of a pontoon dredger, I have never seen one in the flesh before which has given me an idea to build a scaled model.
My sundries are on their way and I have been experimenting with Revell Aqua Acrylic paint pot, matt black, my hands don't shake that much so the bumper extension on the Jaguar XJ-S has been painted on one side and the Rolls-Royce Phantom Menace with it's new windscreen has also been painted.
The Avro wide-bodied Lincoln is now all black, I'll start putting the decals on tomorrow.

[McColm]

Thursday 4th August 2022

The plan was to build the 'Wizarding  World of Harry Potter, Diagon Alley Set'  whilst waiting for my supplies to arrive.  I can see why the person who sold me the set got very frustrated with all the fiddly bits. Once again there's no photos with the instructions. Having been to Leavesden Studios which is part of the Harry Potter, London Studio Tour and walked down Diagon Alley a few times I think that I can replicate them in the same scale.
I will try and shrink them down to 00/ho scale for my layout, however the buildings are suitable for the Lionel Mini Model Hogwarts Express train set, another layout to build.