Narses2's Blog - or what I'm slowly making progress on

zenrat · August 24, 2019, 04:25:06 AM

Things were a lot simpler back when I was a youth.
I had a tin of "army green" that I used for allied tanks and soldiers and aircraft, german stuff was grey, the undersides of all aircraft were duck egg blue, anything operating in a desert was sandy yellow, anything that flew at night was black and any aircraft after WW2 was silver.

NARSES2 · August 25, 2019, 06:05:49 AM

Quote from: zenrat on August 24, 2019, 04:25:06 AM
Things were a lot simpler back when I was a youth.
I had a tin of "army green" that I used for allied tanks and soldiers and aircraft, german stuff was grey, the undersides of all aircraft were duck egg blue, anything operating in a desert was sandy yellow, anything that flew at night was black and any aircraft after WW2 was silver.

I can't disagree there

Not much apart from some light painting done this weekend. Decided to give the eyes a bit of a break

NARSES2 · August 27, 2019, 06:30:39 AM

No real progress on anything as I was playing cricket yesterday (we lost by 4 wickets but it was a good game

) and it's far to humid today, I'd be doing a Jake Leach with my glasses

Only downside yesterday was that I was eaten alive by flying insects and am scratching like mad today $:-\$

I did pop into our local Wilkos (a UK homeware/hardware store) and picked up a bag of loose 5mm nuts. The Hataka paints I've been getting come with a ball bearing in the bottle to help with shaking, so I thought small nuts in a tin of paint would help, especially some of the old Authentics I'm planning on using ?

Rick Lowe · August 27, 2019, 11:42:44 AM

I agree with the nuts/steel BBs in a tin/bottle idea - makes it easier to agitate without popping the lid off 3-4 times to stir.

Just watch anything steel in water-based paints... I had a couple of bottles where there was a nice glob of rust fouling the paint.

Don't know how expensive stainless steel would be, compared.

I have also heard of someone shaking a glass bottle with steel BBs in it and having the bottom break off the bottle, so there's that cautionary tale FWIW.

NARSES2 · August 28, 2019, 06:05:47 AM

Cheers Rick

The nuts are chromium plated, so hopefully will be ok, but I'll certainly keep an eye on it if I use for acrylics. At the moment I've got them for enamels.

I wonder what Hataka use ? I'll have to fish one out. Also wonder if I still know anyone at what was British Steel Laboratories ? Are they still in existence even ? Could always ask the fonts of all knowledge iron and steel related.

Rick Lowe · August 28, 2019, 12:12:23 PM

All good, here to help (though you could be forgiven for thinking otherwise, sometimes...

)

Old Wombat · August 28, 2019, 07:23:30 PM

I have a jar of SS balls* that I use for those dripper-top type paint "pots" used by AK Interactive/MiG/Vallejo/etc., not expensive at all for about 50/60-ish(?), maybe 100(?) - typically, when I want them, I can't find them.

(*: I'd like to say my father collected them during WW2 but, in reality = stainless steel ball bearings

)

zenrat · August 29, 2019, 03:22:19 AM

$AU 5:95 for 80+ balls from BNA Modelworld.
https://www.bnamodelworld.com/ammo-of-mig-jimenez-a-mig-8003-stainless-steel-paint-mixers-80-units?zenid=1acf0b981c7b48d0502d47471563cf03
They work fine but I do find that with Vallejo paint bottles, when the paint gets low the balls roll down into the nozzle and block it.

NARSES2 · August 29, 2019, 06:24:46 AM

Well rather appropriately September's SAM has an article on the chemistry of modelling paint. I shall read it with interest latter.

There is also an article on a Yak 130 build and the finish is stunning. It also appears on the cover.

NARSES2 · August 29, 2019, 07:38:50 AM

The Breda 65

Progress on the Breda, I decided to go with pre WII RLM colours on this as that's what some of the CR 32's appear to be painted in.

NARSES2 · August 29, 2019, 07:40:22 AM

Crusader AA

This has gone well apart from removing some of the parts from the sprues. They are tiny and couple that with the plethora of sprue gates on some parts (slide mould technology ?) and the somewhat softish plastic left a lot of awkward cleaning up to be done. My inability to judge distance and angles correctly didn't help much with accurate removal either, indeed I found it easier to use a razor saw for some parts. In the end I cleaned some parts up after the cement had set, it was easier and as you can probably see the guns have been replaced with pins as I broke one whilst cleaning it up. It was as near to scale diameter as could be, but a "B" to clean up. Albion Alloys tubing where are you ? On the way, so I'll probably replace the pins when received.

TallEng · August 29, 2019, 08:00:03 AM

Looks nice and sharply molded,
could be tempted myself

Regards
Keith

Old Wombat · August 29, 2019, 09:50:47 AM

Not a scale I can work in. That entire tank is only as long as the main gun barrel of the one I'm building right now. Well done, Chris!

NARSES2 · August 30, 2019, 06:25:47 AM

Thanks mate. I've just received a couple more as I found this quite relaxing in a way. I do need to look into getting some good smallish "flush edge" ? sprue cutters though. I've got some reasonable ones but they are still a little clunky for this job. Need to look around at the next show I go to.

jcf · August 30, 2019, 01:51:36 PM

Quote from: NARSES2 on August 30, 2019, 06:25:47 AM
Thanks mate. I've just received a couple more as I found this quite relaxing in a way. I do need to look into getting some good smallish "flush edge" ? sprue cutters though. I've got some reasonable ones but they are still a little clunky for this job. Need to look around at the next show I go to.

Here ya go.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/God-Hand-SPN-120-Ultimate-Nipper/dp/B00T5IH8PI/ref=dp_ob_title_toy