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

[Captain Canada]

I'll have to check my stash for 122 ! What's the deal, they weren't selling enough or just changed their catalogue ?

[NARSES2]

Try this

Gondor

Cheers mate but I don't want to go to the hassle of on-line shopping for one paint. I'll have a look when at Telford though for future use.

What about Humbrol duck Egg Blue, Hannants appear to suggect that on their Xtradecal sheets from what I can tell trying to read the instructions jpeg on-line

Ah. I'll see if MZ has any when I'm in Croydon on Friday. Ta 

[NARSES2]

Got my Sept SAMI and MA today and the latter has in my opinion a perfect example of an over weathered model. The A4 build is in such a state that I'm sure the crew chief would have been made to walk the plank in real life ?

Have a glance at it on the newsagents shelves and see what I mean. It's on page 10

[Captain Canada]

Thanks for the heads up but I can believe it. That's one of my peeves about the accepted standard for figures in armour modelling....the vehicles themselves look spot on, like they have been shrunken...and yet the figures are so weathered they look like cartoons ?

[NARSES2]

Picked up a tinlet of Humbrol 23 in MZ  Humbrol only do it in enamel, cheers Geoff

Decided what to do with my second Airfix Beaufighter (first is real world SEAC as per box). She will be RNZAF in the SW Pacific

[NARSES2]

Welkin and Hurricane are in the paint shop but the Tempest is still in the body shop. felt weird painting the uppers on the Welkin first rather then the underneath. I always go from the lightest colour through to the darkest. I know others do it differently but I find that causes problems if you brush paint.

With two in the paint shop I've dug out the next possibles :

Real world - Beaufighter, Avia 534 and He 111

Wif - Defiant, A-20 and Brigand.

Not sure what will get done first yet out of those but I've decided what I'm doing with the Brigand's crew positions at least. The seating in the kit looks plain daft for a combat aeroplane to me so I'm going to have the navigator sitting beside and slightly behind the pilot whilst the gunner (was he radio op as well ? ) gets a swivel seat to the rear of both enabling him to turn round and work the gun. If memory serves there's a bulkhead in the cockpit between the crew stations in the kit ? that will go, although I may leave it on one side only.

[Captain Canada]

Wow you're a busy man Chris ! Sounds like you're getting all of your BoB builds in early lol Looking forward to seeing them.

[NARSES2]

The current 3 builds continue to make slow if steady progress, just been a hectic period socially. Lots of birthdays this time of year. I blame all those office/works Christmas parties 20/30/40/50 years ago 

Also sorted out and identified the Humbrol Authentics I found whilst sorting various cupboards out. They must be at least 35 years old or so and are still in good nick  Shows something about my modelling habits back then. Loads of the military uniform and equipment ranges from when I was wargaming, lots of USN/USMC/USAF colours. some ship colours and even a couple of railway ones. Biggest surprise was a full set of Isreali ones (I haven't built an Isreali bird in an eon). Only a couple of RAF and no Luftwafe but I know I had the full sets ?

Anyway they will come in handy and the uniform and equipment ones will come in handy for detailing. 3 colours of leather, unbleached linen and natural wool 

[Captain Canada]

Office Christmas parties ! Sounds like you guys had fun 

We are having the same issue with weddings....with the wife being a nurse there are always a younger generation coming up, and then getting married ! But it's a fun thing, and one I really enjoy. Love the emotion of a wedding  Plus with my children and their friends getting older we are looking at a whole spate of them in the not so distant future !

Cheers Chris and thanks for the smile this morning 

[NARSES2]

Was in a tool making mood yesterday afternoon so I replenished my stock of bespoke sanders. Poundland do a pack containing a roll of double sided tape together with 10 or so pads of double sided sticky pads about 25mm by 8mm. The beauty is they are about 2mm thick and padded, as is the roll. They are very sticky and the pads are ideal for attaching to pegs, bits of wood, card etc to hold things whilst painting or assembling. I use the roll to make my sanding sticks. Coffee stirrers, lolly sticks, toothpicks cut to various sizes with the tape added and then various grades of "emery" paper (again from Poundland) stuck to them. Lasts for ages, can get anywhere you need to sand because you simply make one to fit your need and are dirt cheap as materials are a £1 or free 

Must get some more

[NARSES2]

Right progress :

The Tempest has moved into the paint shop and has had her undersides painted. I used a spray can of Tamiya MSG which I found in the clear up (must be 10 years old and still sealed) as I'd used it on the Welkin so it was out.

Welkin had had to go back to the putty shop (the crew have been disciplined  ). When I sprayed her a hairline crack appeared on the top seam. To be honest I don't think it was poor psr as it didn't show up when primed. The resin on this kit is very thin and the cockpit "tub" is a tight fit and I think the stresses and strains cased the resin to crack ? Anyway I fixed it and re-sprayed (that Tamiya can). If I'm honest I can still see part of it under working lights but I'm going to call it good for Government work and get on with the undersides.

The Hurricane has had her transfers so is on the last lap.

I also started another Defiant yesterday and she is now ready for the paint shop  To my mind, of the new tool Airfix stuff this is probably the best, especially in terms of fit. The cockpit is not as fiddly as the Hurricane's and the wing to fuselage and tailplane to fuselage are just superb. It really is a lovely kit  Must admit I was enjoying myself so much painting the interior that I've probably made the most complicated masking tape seat belts I've ever done

[The Wooksta!]

To my mind, of the new tool Airfix stuff this is probably the best, especially in terms of fit. 

Try their Lancaster and I doubt you feel the same way...

[Captain Canada]

Sounds good Chris. Look forward to seeing the Welkin. Now I have to go dig out the Lancs and see what Lee is on about !

[The Wooksta!]

The new tool was is a nightmare fit due to the engineering way they've broken it down.  Get one thing wrong in the build - and you HAVE to follow the Airfix plans - and it becomes more and more difficult.  Add to that having to trim and sand every sodding piece to get it to fit.  Awful.  That said, I have two 2/3 built with another 4 in the stash...  And a requirement for another Mk II to use as a donor for the Blackbird Lincoln conversion.

Not quite a Lancaster, but Airfix related.  I was tiding up the bits for one of the Airfix Spitfire F22s earlier today and the sprues were covered in really extensive flash, so much so I thought I was trying to clean up a Novo kit!  I kid ye not!

[Captain Canada]

On the 72nd scale kit ? I've got one mostly built and really can't recall. As for the Lanc, thanks for the heads up....I'll keep that in mind !