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

NARSES2 · July 14, 2020, 06:09:15 AM

Certainly up for a pint or three

I had to rescue the Skua bits from the rubbish bin Lee so I don't need anything, thanks.

I'll let you know when I have dates.

NARSES2 · July 15, 2020, 06:05:09 AM

PSR, PSR,PSR to the tune of here we go, here we go. Getting there though.

The P-47 also needed a little remedial work on the underside as she will be in a natural metal finish, which I normally avoid like the plague, and the first coat showed up a few flaws.

Quote from: NARSES2 on July 10, 2020, 05:58:35 AM

One thing that did cheer me up a little was an e-mail I received this morning telling me that recreational cricket was back on the cards from tomorrow The guy who skippered/organised our Vets team last year in the friendlies we played was letting us know that whilst the Vet's league we had joined won't be up and running again until next year (hopefully) he is hoping to organise a couple of friendlies at least for whats left of this summer.

Just need to find my whites now

Skipper e-mailed the "squad" to let us know he's got a couple of tentative dates in August

One of which is in deepest rural Kent and will involve a coach trip asd it will also involve

Rheged · July 15, 2020, 07:53:20 AM

Quote from: NARSES2 on July 15, 2020, 06:05:09 AM
Just need to find my whites now
Skipper e-mailed the "squad" to let us know he's got a couple of tentative dates in August One of which is in deepest rural Kent and will involve a coach trip asd it will also involve

I don't think I've ever been involved in a village cricket fixture that didn't involve quantities of ale.

NARSES2 · July 16, 2020, 06:12:54 AM

Quote from: Rheged on July 15, 2020, 07:53:20 AM
Quote from: NARSES2 on July 15, 2020, 06:05:09 AM
Just need to find my whites now
Skipper e-mailed the "squad" to let us know he's got a couple of tentative dates in August One of which is in deepest rural Kent and will involve a coach trip asd it will also involve

I don't think I've ever been involved in a village cricket fixture that didn't involve quantities of ale.

True

but as this will involve a coach trip it will also involved a "comfort break" on the way home as well, plus there's no get out excuses on the lines of " I promised she who must be obeyed..........."

NARSES2 · July 17, 2020, 06:12:46 AM

I think I've finally got the canopy fared in on the PZL, so I can start getting some paint on it now. Won't get to much done this weekend as other things are in what's quite a busy diary, but the plan next week is to try and finish the Ki-102 and get most of the painting done on the PZL.

As an aside you can tell that I'm not particularly happy with the PZL as I refer to it as "it". When I'm enjoying working on a kit it becomes a "her". I'm scared on what a psychologist would say, but who's telling ?

NARSES2 · July 19, 2020, 05:25:04 AM

As I said I wasn't expecting much progress but did get some bits and bobs done.

One thing I was happy about was the canopy masking on the Ki-102. I used Peewit masks for the first time as Eduard don't do a set and I was a little concerned as they are about half the price, maybe a third of, what Eduard would cost if they did some. Well I shouldn't have worried. They behaved very well and I'm more than happy with the results

So given the cost differential they will probably become my masks of first choice from now on.

Whilst working on the canopies and a couple of other detail jobs I found it was actually easier for me to do such close up work without any glasses on at all (neither normal or reading). As you can imagine this meant working very close to the subject, but I did get better results. Now given I also find it better to close my gammy eye for detail work I'm thinking of getting an eye patch and becoming the "Pirate Modeller"

PR19_Kit · July 19, 2020, 06:56:13 AM

Quote from: NARSES2 on July 19, 2020, 05:25:04 AM

I'm thinking of getting an eye patch and becoming the "Pirate Modeller"

Ooh arrrggghh Cap'n!

zenrat · July 20, 2020, 04:23:51 AM

Will you also get a parrot?

NARSES2 · July 20, 2020, 06:08:24 AM

Quote from: zenrat on July 20, 2020, 04:23:51 AM
Will you also get a parrot?

I won't have to, I'll just put some bird seed on the balcony and get one of the wild Green ones that live in the woods next door to pose for photographs.

They are always flying past my living room window on their way to or back from somewhere or another. They are relatively tolerant of us humans, mind you I'm not sure how their breeding season has gone this year with the weather being crap.

Old Wombat · July 20, 2020, 09:08:07 AM

If they're Australian & (as I seem to recall hearing) it's been hot, it's probably the best breeding season they've had in ages!

zenrat · July 21, 2020, 03:47:14 AM

Quote from: Old Wombat on July 20, 2020, 09:08:07 AM
If they're Australian & (as I seem to recall hearing) it's been hot, it's probably the best breeding season they've had in ages!

If they really are Australian then they won't call the weather you have had hot...

NARSES2 · July 21, 2020, 06:01:12 AM

Quote from: Old Wombat on July 20, 2020, 09:08:07 AM
If they're Australian & (as I seem to recall hearing) it's been hot, it's probably the best breeding season they've had in ages!

We've only had 4 or 5 what I would call hot days. Other than those it's been below average temperatures so far and a bit dank.

Apparently they are " ring-necked parakeets (sometimes rose-ringed parakeets). More specifically, it is the Indian subspecies of this bird (Psittacula krameri manillensis).". Wikipedia can be a wonderful thing

Meanwhile on the modelling front I've got a bit done but have had a few cases, far to many recently, of that maddening turn of events of dry fitting a piece to find it's a perfect fit, but apply glue and oh no it doesn't want to go where it should at all

PR19_Kit · July 21, 2020, 06:03:45 AM

Quote from: NARSES2 on July 21, 2020, 06:01:12 AM

Meanwhile on the modelling front I've got a bit done but have had a few cases, far to many recently, of that maddening turn of events of dry fitting a piece to find it's a perfect fit, but apply glue and oh no it doesn't want to go where it should at all

Yeah, what IS that all about? I've had it too, and it's almost as if the cement swells up the plastic till it's too big to fit the hole.

NARSES2 · July 26, 2020, 06:02:03 AM

Progress report.

The Ki-102 is almost there. I'm in the processing of matting her.

The PZL is getting her paint work done. Using Hataka's dedicated Polish colours.

The Thunderbolt is in the paint shop and will be there for a while. I'm doing her in a natural metal finish, which I normally avoid like the plague, and that has shown a couple of surface flaws which need to be fixed. The main reason why she'll be a while though is that I want to experiment with some different shades on different panels just to see what it looks like. First time I'll have tried this.

NARSES2 · July 27, 2020, 06:28:54 AM

The Ki-102 is finished, pictures and a preamble latter in the week, but it's a busy one so don't hold your collective breath

The 102 is a very elegant aircraft in my opinion and got me thinking that a few of the Japanese twin engined types were quite similar in the looks department. Now I have a Hasegawa Ki-46 in the stash (she sacrificed some markings to the 102) so I suppose all I need now is the Ki-45 and I'll have the 3 good lookers

As far as I'm aware there is a really old Revell (Japan) kit and loads of boxing's of the Hasegawa one so I'll track a Hasegawa one down. Has anyone built it ? Or anyone know of any other 1/72 kits of the 45 ?

Just discovered I have a part started resin Ki-108. Needs a new canopy as I screwed the original vacform one, the double bubble of the pressurised hood caught me out $:-\$