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

[TheChronicOne]

I have a pair of Xurons. 2175ET. I have a chinese knock-off type that cost a fraction that these did,are very similar in make, but I still use frequently. Here's the thing, for a lot of general snipping out of parts, they produce similar results and I use my cheap pair frequently to extend the life of my Xurons. Where they differ largely is when it comes to snipping out small and delicate parts. The cheap pair snaps things in half they shouldn't and send tiny parts flying across the room whereas the Xurons will cut them out properly without breaking or bending them too much and the cutting action is very smooth and the parts don't go flying.

Xurons were worth the price of admission for cutting the small and delicate parts but for "normal" snipping it left sprue gate remnants just about as much as the cheap pair.

With this said, those God Hand nippers.......   well, I plan to get some soon myself for the ULTIMATE CUT because I've seen videos and stuff and these make such nice cuts that even the sprue gate remnants almost completely disappear. The cuts are clean and level and are an upgrade from the Xurons I have.

In conclusion..... If you have the change sitting around, go ahead and skip the middle step and get the God Hand nippers and watch as you save hours over time not having to clean up things lesser nippers leave behind.


EDIT: I'm just trying to be helpful but this almost makes it look as if I'm a shill or something. 

[NARSES2]

Cheers gents 

I'll put them on my Christmas list 

[zenrat]

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

That has to be the most eclectic "customers also shopped for" list I've seen in a long time.

[jcf]

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

That has to be the most eclectic "customers also shopped for" list I've seen in a long time.

[NARSES2]

That has to be the most eclectic "customers also shopped for" list I've seen in a long time.

Last time my niece (read daughter I never had !) stayed she ordered some stuff from EBay using my account. You should see the selection of "suggestions" I get from them now 

Started painting the top side of the Breda and discovered RLM 63 is way darker than I remembered it as. Still never mind probably suits a ground pounder better than a lighter shade anyway. Never the less I shall use one of the Italian lighter grays on the Cr 32

[NARSES2]

Very little progress as I've been feeling decidedly rough. No idea what I had but it knocked me out for a couple of days  But I have got a coat of RLM 62 over the 63 on the Breda.

On top of that I have new window's being installed in the next couple of weeks so hopefully I can at least get my "Whirlpool" done. Paintwork is finished so she can get transfers this week.

[NARSES2]

Still no progress 

However at least the new windows are in  and once I have this weeks little stay in hospital out of the way I will return to my GB build which thanks to the generous extension granted by our glorious Mods I should be able to get finished by the new deadline  Mind you I then need to start getting my brain around the admin for the next GB which takes us into 2020 

Started to look forward to receiving the new tool Airfix Buccaneer which I have on pre-order from Airfix. Not far away now. 

Finally I've been reminded that it's the Arnhem anniversary weekend as Croydon has been twinned with Arnhem since at least the early 60's and there's a few things going on locally. So I shall be taking a copy of "A Bridge To Far" to watch in hospital.

[Old Wombat]

Another of those great star-crammed movies made at just the right time.

[kitbasher]

Mate of mine's dad was at Arnhem, fighting with the Sean Connery character (Urquhart?). 

[NARSES2]

We had a couple of Arnhem vets in our local British Legion branch (of which I'm a member) and they were absolute nutters  Both were ex 10th Battalion and had landed on the second day and were virtually destroyed.

The 10th Battalion maintained a link with Croydon post War as its Territorial company was based at Mitcham Rd Barracks until disbandment in the 90's. Indeed I knew a couple of Territorials who served in it, both were "market boys" 

I think the War time battalion had a fair few locals and perhaps is why we ended up twinned with Arnhem ? Anyway the twinning has always been a very active one  rather than some which are purely titular. Indeed our local art gallery is the Arnhem Gallery.

[NARSES2]

Well I'll be, crack a bottle or two open, I actually made a little progress 

Not much, but at least it was some and both the Whirlpool and the Breda look as though they will be finished in time for Telford.

Various reasons for the inactivity but it was mainly down to getting new windows and then hospital. Before the windows went in I obviously had to clear a lot of space in which the builders could work. When it came to putting stuff back I decided to have a thorough sort out of the entire flat and this has taken some time. Some of the stuff I've found has been just  . The best was undoubted a large box full of some old photos and slides. The slides all date from the early 60's through to the late 70's and I've spent far to long looking at these and stirring old memories and I haven't got 10% of the way through yet. The box also had some photos of my dad taken during the War whilst he was in the US, S Africa and India. Lots of him and some mates doing the "tourist" thing and a few more formal ones of ship's company etc. Not quite sure if some of these should have been taken at the time and they definitely shouldn't have had the annotations dad made on the back  Some of the old china and cookware I found probably hasn't been used since the 50's  . Still it's done now and there's far more space both in the model room and the rest of the flat. So a good job done, even if it has distracted me from other things.

[Nick]

I had to think about that for a minute - I thought you were talking about a washing machine and a dishwasher! Although I wouldn't be surprised to hear that Tamiya have produced such models of kitchen appliances 

Don't get too distracted in your fascinating trip down memory lane!

[Rheged]

Well I'll be, crack a bottle or two open, I actually made a little progress 

The best was undoubted a large box full of some old photos and slides. The slides all date from the early 60's through to the late 70's and I've spent far to long looking at these and stirring old memories and I haven't got 10% of the way through yet. The box also had some photos of my dad taken during the War whilst he was in the US, S Africa and India. Lots of him and some mates doing the "tourist" thing and a few more formal ones of ship's company etc. Not quite sure if some of these should have been taken at the time and they definitely shouldn't have had the annotations dad made on the back

Chris, firstly  congratulations on the progress made!   Secondly, and this with my historians hat on, please give some thought to passing on the annotated photos etc to some suitable archive.  History is full of the stories of the great/good/notorious, but material from the ordinary blokes who did extra-ordinary things  is fairly scarce.

I too am currently sorting through my late father's photos, slides, papers etc. Much has gone to the local records office, some to his professional societies and the slides/prints/negatives I'm still enjoying  looking at. It's fascinating, but it does take lots of time.....just as well we are retired and have so much time on our hands  (hollow laughter)

[NARSES2]

I had to think about that for a minute - I thought you were talking about a washing machine and a dishwasher!

Well done Nick, I had to think about it for a bit, but well done 

[NARSES2]

Secondly, and this with my historians hat on, please give some thought to passing on the annotated photos etc to some suitable archive.  History is full of the stories of the great/good/notorious, but material from the ordinary blokes who did extra-ordinary things  is fairly scarce.

I totally agree with you. My niece (who will be my executor) has already been told where and to whom a lot of my stuff needs to go and now these will be added to that list. I will find somewhere suitable, and who actually wants them, and then they will go in a box with that organisations contact details on it