Zenrat's Flying Circus

[zenrat]

Took the clamps off of drawer #2 and slid it into its hole.  It's an improvement over #1 - smoother and easier to open.  This is usual when I build furniture because I make it up as I go and adjust my methods.  Also it's been a long time since I built anything with drawers using wood on wood runners.

More touch ups on the Boomerang plus painted the UC bays and another coat of white on the tail.  Close inspection reveals it'll need one more thin coat of each of the green and brown - more of a heavy wash really.

[zenrat]

Put drawer #4 together today.

Decaled the Boomerang.  I've used the original 45 year old Airfix transfers.  They've been sitting on a windowsill getting the UV treatment for the last two months and the yellowing has reduced some.
They seem to be working.  They lifted off the backing paper without too much of a soak and seem to be remaining in place.
I used lashings of Microsol underneath them to ensure they stick (they can take it being well thick) and then brushed loads across the top.  The edges have lifted but I am hopeful further applications of Red Stuff will settle them down.
I took a photo but my laptop and phone have had another argument and are not speaking again.

[TheChronicOne]

That's good news about them old azz transfers! Always good to see things not going to waste.

Does is seem to you when the stuff doesn't speak to each other for awhile, that there's no rhyme or reason? Mine stuff does the same thing and there's typically no indication of WHY it works sometimes and then not at others.

[zenrat]

No indication at all of why mate.  If I turn it off and on again it'll reset and work.
My printer and bluetooth speakers do the same.
It's just sometimes its not appropriate turn it off because i'm in the middle of something and don't want to lose my place by closing windows.

Anyhoo, they are now talking so here's a pic of the Boomerang.
Boomerang WIP 20-08-2018 by Fred Maillardet, on Flickr
This morning the edges of the transfers were still lifting but brushing a coat of One Go (Future) over them appears to have settled them down.

[NARSES2]

That kit takes my memory back, as does the film poster 

[zenrat]

Every shed should have a Clint keeping an eye on things.

I spent most of my time down there today cutting and routing timber for drawers #5 & #6 and then assembling #5.  Once #6 is together then I can start on putting the bench to together out of surplus floating flooring.

I did manage to prime a 1/24 Mitsubishi Evo body (plan is silver car paint then hairspray weathered IJN green with meatballs on the doors - A6M zero on 4 wheels) and paint the cab undersides and bonnet insides of the Kraz.

[zenrat]

Smitten with lurgi (contracted from work.  Prolly from the manager who was coughing on Thursday and then went sick on Friday) and thus dosed up with Cold & Flu drugs.
Also on Uncle duty this weekend.  I wouldn't wish it upon him, but should he contract the lurgi from me and then take it back to school that might be a nice reversal of the dominant paradigm.

Despite this I did struggle manfully down to the shed, mowed the grass (we don't have much), finished the drawers and started the benchtop of the mega storage/display unit and then sat down and picked up the Harrier B upon which I made some progress before succumbing to a sneezing fit and aborting operations.

[TheChronicOne]

Feel better soon, dude!!!!    Hopefully it's an in and out bug that doesn't linger.

[NARSES2]

Yup hopefully the bug won't linger to long.

Not sure how old the nephew is, but couldn't he be bribed to mow the grass ? 

[zenrat]

I have scored some drugs (legal ones, but I like to word it like that as it upsets The Boy - "Uncle Fred, they're not drugs they're medicine...") which appear to have moved things along from drippy nose/bucket of tissues stage to head full of clag stage.
I am hopeful that these, combined with a doubling of my usual daily dosage of Vitamin C will see it off.
Since I quit smoking I seem to be less susceptible to colds. Touch wood.

The Boy is 14.  I would trust him to mow for me apart for the fact that he has no safety boots and is capable of getting distracted by his phone and removing his toes.  He can't wear mine anymore as he now towers over me and has massive feet.
Anyway, the manicure lawns of stately zen mansions do not take up much of the rolling parklands and it was good to rug up and get some fresh air and vitamin D.  I may have to go out there again today for a repeat dosage as the BRST is back and there appear to be no winds to speak of.

[TheChronicOne]

 


Sometimes getting out and pushing through sickness to get some exercise proves to help matters along. It's a fine line between that and stirring up all sorts of dust and allergens, though.

Also knocking on wood, I haven't had any type of actual sickness since early last year after that doctors visit. I tend to not come down with things very often because of glorious social anxiety and NEVER being around other people if I don't have to. 

[zenrat]

I prolly should have had the flu jab this year as i'm now dealing with customers in the Post Office every day and they are a great disease vector.

[TheChronicOne]

Yeah, good point there... it's like being your own personal "hub" for disease interaction.

Some years I get the flu jab, some I don't. I can only recall one time in my existence that I seem to have "come down with something" afterward and even then it didn't last long. It's a damn good investment if one weighs it against losing time at work, for instance.

[zenrat]

Feeling healthy now.  Well, as healthy as I ever do.
Mrs z has gone to bed early complaining of a migraine.  A rare occurrence now but something she was prone to in her youth.

Boomerang is now in the fiddley bits stage.  I painted the prop "metal" today and the insides of the UC doors green.

Kraz Truck has has a couple of coats of paint on the cab.

Mitsubishi Evo body is painted "metal".  I need to research some green over grey Zero schemes for this one.

I squeezed out too much green paint when painting the Boomerang UC doors and while looking for something to use it on pulled an Airfix Fairey Battle out of the stash.  Upon seeing that it had separate openings in the fuselage for the two crew members it struck me that I could put the pilot in the rear hole under a bubble canopy and cover the front one to give a pleasing (to me anyway) rearwards cockpit design.  Maybe with a second engine behind the standard one?
Perhaps another build from the universe of My Sky the Free Winds?  It's about time I came up with something else from that.
I was planning to build the Battle OOB though as it's one of the first three aircraft my father built for me when I was 5 (along with an EE Lightning and a Freedom Fighter - also Airfix).

I've also been looking for inspiration regarding Percival Vega Gull colour schemes.  I found these two restored Australian examples which are appealing.



Also this pic from 1938 of one over Melbourne.  You can see the old Southern Stand of the MCG (Melbourne Cricket Ground) in the background.  The bridge beneath the Port wing is the Prince's Bridge and St Paul's Cathederal is beneath the Port wheel.


http://www.goodall.com.au/australian-aviation/percival-gull/percivalgull.html

I've also been thinking about a spiral camouflage scheme.  It would start at the nose and wrap itself round the aircraft all the way to the tail.
Ideal for something like an F104 or F105.  Maybe it could be somehow combined with Brad C's contour line camo?

[NARSES2]

Glad your feeling better, look after the Mrs