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

[NARSES2]

Meanwhile in the idiot of the month competition I've decided to enter my good self. Spent 1/2 an hour trying to print something from my p.c. this afternoon with no luck. Getting very frustrated and wound up and then noticed I hadn't reconnected printer to p.c. when I changed inks !  Yet another sign of passing years  I used to have an I.T. man called Elvis (seriously) who I could blame for such things but such is retirement 

I'm wondering why you would unplug the printer to change the ink in the first place,  never needed to and never have do so.

Gondor

Don't know it's just that I was taught way, way back to disconnect things before playing with them and it's stayed with me. Probably back in metalwork or woodwork at school where if you got caught not following the disconnect rules you got a thick ear. I only leave the printer switched on because you need to have it on when changing inks so it can do its thing.

[Radish]

Printers are strange beasts that need constant attention from the magic wand, praying to the gods, and dancing naked.

[NARSES2]

Ignoring Rad's comments - I'm still shaking at the thought - in between attempted and successful Lancaster sightings I've made some progress 

Sea Fury has had her undersides painted, can now be masked ready for the top sides.

The Karas moves ahead at full speed. This is a lovely little kit by Heller. Really nice fit and indeed the wings and tail planes to fuselage fit is immaculate  She is basically together and the only filler used is a little PPP on the underside of the nose and obviously some putty to smooth over where the hole from the now ex gondola has been faired over. Really, really enjoying this in complete contrast to the Sea Fury  And how old is it ?

I still have one Karas left which is slated to become a floatplane spotter off one of the Emperor's battleships. Ar 196 floats and the Arado will become an Imperial AF dive bomber. I'm going to pick up another couple of these (the Karas) when I spot them at shows to make a couple of real world examples.

[PR19_Kit]

I may have a Karas in The Loft Chris. For sure there's NO way I'm going to build the 'orrible little thing!

[NARSES2]

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder Kit....and you know how bad my eyesight is 

[Martin H]

Printers are strange beasts that need constant attention from the magic wand, praying to the gods, and dancing naked.

I cant wait to see the faces of our printers at work when I show em Rads comment.   Even if the first 7 words are so very true.

[NARSES2]

Printers are strange beasts that need constant attention from the magic wand, praying to the gods, and dancing naked.

I cant wait to see the faces of our printers at work when I show em Rads comment.   Even if the first 7 words are so very true.

[Rheged]

Printers are strange beasts that need constant attention from the magic wand, praying to the gods, and dancing naked.

Magic wand being otherwise defined as a screwdriver

Praying to the gods defined as muttering that Babbage, Turing et al should have found other outlets for their creative abilities.

Fortunately, I'm excused dancing, I've a letter from the doctor about my dodgy knee.......

But I concur with the honourable gentleman's statement that " Printers are strange beasts that need constant attention "

[Thorvic]

Printers are strange beasts that need constant attention from the magic wand, praying to the gods, and dancing naked.

I cant wait to see the faces of our printers at work when I show em Rads comment.   Even if the first 7 words are so very true.

As their supervisor does that make you their head druid or head wazack or something like that 

[NARSES2]

Lots of priming going on, mainly the Karas but a few bits and bobs from some other builds. The priming of the Karas has revealed that I still need to do some work on the ex gondola and so I may break out the Milliput over the weekend, might be easier and quicker in the end. I primed in white because the colours on this one will be of lightish hue and wished I'd used the other kit in the box. That ones in light grey plastic whilst the one I'm using is in dark green. Took a couple of coats of Halford's best to get a decent coverage. Still we live and learn. Do we ? 

The Sea Fury has had her top colour added and now needs a couple of coats of clear.

Had a change of heart re the Tempest. She was to be for service in SE Europe but that really needs a Mk VI. Now I have the Freightdog conversion bits but I just want this to be a quick build so I've decided she will be Dutch post war, probably. The conversion set will get used on another Academy Tempest I have which has been put in the "to be worked on shortly pile"

[NARSES2]

Got the Milliput on yesterday and then had a panic about the Tempest. Well not exactly a panic but definitely a "actually have I got the necessary markings moment ?" Anyway checked and yes I have, apart from possibly the tail fin flash but I'll dig around for that.

[NARSES2]

Milliput worked on the Karas (reminder to self need to get some more at Telford where they have more types then you can wave a stick at !). Just a couple of tiny cracks which a coat or two of Mr Surfacer will fix.

Sea Fury has been "Cleared" and so is ready for transfers.

Typhoon has had her innards added and detailed. Don't you just love it when you spend time detail painting an instrument panel, then when you install it the little blighter can't be seen at all 

[NARSES2]

Progress 

Masked and started painting the Karas.

Sea Fury has had her undercarriage fitted, a fiddly job that was. I think it's because you expect a mainstream kit whilst it is a upper end short run type of tooling. Whilst the "pins and holes" look fine they are in fact a little small/short and therefore don't really hold the part. Can't explain it but I know what I mean  Anyway I think Trumpeter win the prize for the smallest part I've ever seen in injection moulding. There is a small rod thingy to be fitted under the nose cowling - fuel dump pipe ? Anyway it is tiny, miniscule even. Way smaller then the 20mm cannon barrels ! Of course I didn't even bother, just not worth it 

Typhoon needs a little filler under the chin radiator (I can never get this to fit perfectly). Once fixed she can also enter the paint shop 

[NARSES2]

Progress on all 3 kits 

Whilst painting the Karas I noticed that without the gondola and fitted with a torpedo rack she looks very Japanese. Could almost be a scout plane type. Mind you that's also helped by her current colours, once the topsides go on she'll probably lose the look

[NARSES2]

Fair bit of progress and then a step backwards.

The progress -

Sea Fury has had her transfers and just needs canopy, weapons and a couple of odds and sods followed by varnish.

The Karas is painted up and cleared. Masking removed and she looks quite good. However, and this is the step backwards, I was going to use red decal stripes for her national markings. Well apart from the blasted Xtradecal strips constantly breaking up - not seriously, but annoyingly - they didn't really cover the top colour  So the white centre stripe has been masked and the red stripes painted. It looks rather dark compared to the previous model with these markings, I've used GW Red Gore, but that's probably because of the under colour. Still if it stays darker I will simply say that as the aircraft is based in a more "active" area near the main Italian naval base in the Adriatic then more subdued colours are used. I'll explain the bright blue tail somehow  . Note Italy is not at war with the AH Federation but there is a constant state of friction because of AH holdings in what Italy sees as obviously its own.

The Tempest has gone very well, it should I've built enough  Now has her full camouflage and will get markings early this week.