Nick's Notes

[NARSES2]

 

[Old Wombat]

 

[Nick]

Looks like my plans to get more modelling done on Saturday have gone out the window. Dad has finally been given the keys to his new flat and moves in next Friday. Tomorrow and probably Sunday he wants me over there to help give it a lick of paint and put some blinds up.

He's been introduced to the art of shopping for the home lately. As the house was Claires (his partner for the last 30 years) and she decorated it, he now needs to fit out the flat. So my sister and my mum have been showing him the delights of IKEA and Dunelm 

Thankfully he's arranged a removal firm to do all the heavy lifting to his new place on the third floor.  
Goodness knows where they will park to load as the house is on a blind corner in the middle of nowhere 

I think he's in for a bit of a shock being in a new place by himself. Christmas will be difficult.

[Nick]

So I spent much of yesterday with Dad getting him moved into his new place. We left the heavy lifting to the professionals which was a good thing as the retirement housing manager was a nightmare about using the lift. If a lift is rated at 450kg or 6 people then why was she making such a fuss about one man and a pair of boxes using it?

Anyway, we got all the stuff in and filled the place up. Funny how a room can look so much larger when it's totally empty but add a sofa and a dozen boxes and suddenly you can't move.
We went out for lunch at a local pub after I unpacked his kitchen for him - 18 tins of soup, 4 tins of corned beef, 3 tins of sardines and a huge tin of biscuits 
He's off to the supermarket today to restock the fridge 

**********

I sprayed and unmasked one Phantom last night. It looks very sharp in the SEA scheme. There's a little overspray to clear up and the front undercarriage to repair. It'll be ready for the RAAF markings before Telford.
I was given an Airfix AC-47 at our club night this week - complete with Beatties 75p price tag! It was the first proper meeting in 18 months and we're all glad to be back in the hall. Good to see what others have been up to in person, we all brought in a model to show off.

[NARSES2]

Well done in helping your dad Nick 

Will your club be at Telford ?

[Rheged]

Well done, Nick.  Moving house is always stressful, and persuading a property manager to allow the use of a lift for ANYTHING more than a couple of people takes some doing!!

I'll be interested to see how you transform the elderly AC47 kit.

[Nick]

Well done in helping your dad Nick 

Will your club be at Telford ?

IPMS London will be at Telford and I will spend some time with them. Depends on how many other members are there, we don't want to get into a rota organising system.

I'll be interested to see how you transform the elderly AC47 kit.

So will I! I've only peeked into the box so far. It looks to be all there.

That reminds me - I need to start up a pre-Telford sales list as the KitSwap is not on.

[NARSES2]

Will your club be at Telford ?

IPMS London will be at Telford and I will spend some time with them. Depends on how many other members are there, we don't want to get into a rota organising system.

Good to hear Nick, then it'll be London a few weeks after.

I always remember going to one of your club meetings and I was going to join as I could easily get there from work. Then before the next meeting my early retirement was granted (I'd only floated the idea as a possibility and was stunned when they granted it) and I was off 

[Nick]

Must remember to buy another can of Tamiya AS-26 Light Ghost Grey and AS-16 USAF Light Grey. Needed it to spray the underside of the Phantom again and it's run out. The can of AS-15 USAF Tan is getting light too.

I'll be passing through Portsmouth on Tuesday and Friday so I can stop in one of the model shops there. I'm taking Mum to visit family on the Isle of Wight for a few days. Be nice to get away for a bit.

The Model Shop PO2 7DX
Fratton Model Centre PO1 5ET
Southsea Models PO5 2SG

Sorties, Ventnor
Upstairs Downstairs, Shanklin (model railways)

[NARSES2]

Lot of shops down that way Nick, especially when compared to S London 

[kitbasher]

Popped in to Sorties earlier in the year.

My son lives near all of the Pompey/Southsea shops.  Keep threatening to take him to them all.

How's your dad settling in?

[Nick]

I said I'd do a review of the model shops so here it is:

The Model Shop, PO2 7DX
Friendly shopkeeper. Small store, well stocked with model railways and the front corner has a small range of kits - Airfix, Revell, Tamiya, AFV Club. Humbrol and Tamiya paints. 8/10

Fratton Model Centre PO1 5ET
Long wide storefront, model kits all down the right aisle from a wide range of suppliers. Tamiya, Airfix, Revell, Emhar, HobbyBoss, etc.  Also does RC cars and planes and model railways. Full range of Tamiya TS sprays. Very untidy with boxes on the floor. Owner was chatting to his mate behind the counter. Stank like a bad onion curry even with my mask on. 6/10

Sorties, Ventnor. Model Railways
Don't bother. I've got more kits in my bedroom (which is larger) than they had kits and model railways. Maybe if you live on the island and want them to order in a specific model railway item.

Upstairs Downstairs, Sandown, IOW, PO36 8JR
Superb. Really friendly staff. Had to park in a side street round the corner. The shop is on 2 levels hence the name. Downstairs is full of model railway stuff from all the brands, US and European. Upstairs (at street level) is wargaming and plastic kits. Nice selection of kits of all types from all the big names and several small ones.
Lots of wargaming stuff I haven't seen before. Didn't know there was a 1/56 scale!

I came home with some paints, a 1/72 Hobbyboss F-86 Sabre (reduced for being in the wrong box) and a 1/56 Javis Old Timber Bridge which should look right with a 1/72 tank on top.

[Nick]

Dad is settling into his new place pretty well. When I left him last week he had a dozen boxes to unpack but he's now put it all away. He called earlier to see if I would go to IKEA with him on Tuesday to pick up some furniture he's ordered, then he called again to say he'd read the email wrong and Tuesday is when they will tell him if it's ready to pick up or not.



I'm glad I've booked time off this week to get the models finished for Telford. I said already I'm focusing on the F-4 pair, the RF-4E is very close to completion. The SEA camo is looking pretty good and I've painted the cockpit - lots of little yellow dots on the ejection handles!. Started this morning on the exhaust cans and the tail where it's a bare metal finish. Will finish that tonight with some gunmetal, metallic grey and aluminium shades.

I shall also break out the black and whites for the landing gear too. The front gear has snapped off so that needs fixing too.
If that all goes well I shall varnish the model tomorrow morning and apply the decals tomorrow night. Was going to do it as RAAF but that would be very subtle and I'm now wondering if it would work better as RNZAF or even RNZN 

In between that I shall make a start on applying the SEA camo to the F-4E. This probably won't be ready for Telford. I found the masking process to be very stressful.

I also need to box everything up for transport as the models this year are larger than my usual carry box. Must find my toothpicks and get some polystyrene sheet from The Range or Hobbycraft.
Oh, and pack my suitcase. Plastic cups too.

[NARSES2]

Oh, and pack my suitcase. Plastic cups too.

I must remember to pack the plastic wine glasses 

[Nick]

Work is going well on the Australian RF-4E. I've put the pics and story up here - https://www.whatifmodellers.com/index.php?topic=49917.0