Zenrat's Flying Circus

zenrat · March 17, 2019, 01:40:18 AM

Sorry Mr Brad C sir, I couldn't quite get enough done to get the fuselage halves together today. There is still a few licks of paint needed on the bang seat. Please forgive me.

In other news I put the wings onto the Yak 23 and the exhaust onto the Rolls Royce armoured car. Neither of these fitted particularly well. The exhaust doesn't matter because the bonnet will be closed and no-one will know (except us) but the Yak will need it's roots doing.

Oversize signage on the KrAz got some small but significant PE components superglued on - 1/24 Dzus fasteners. Probably too large but I needed something to represent the fasteners holding the signs on.

Sea Witch got some marlin spikes and the figurehead painted.

Rotodyne 2.0 and Flying Dinghy progressed some.

High Country Cougar Funny Car is almost done. Rear lights got a coat of silver paint on the rear of the red lenses and the parachute got a few coats of white.

Cessna floats got white undercoat before I realised I hadn't filled the sinkmarks.

So all in all a productive day at the bench.

NARSES2 · March 17, 2019, 04:01:25 AM

Glad the Eagle's getting a white tail

zenrat · March 24, 2019, 02:15:32 AM

Lots done today.

Here's a pic for Brad C.

F-15 RAAF WIP 24-03-2019 by Fred Maillardet, on Flickr
WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOSSSSSSSSSHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

rickshaw · March 24, 2019, 03:35:37 AM

I find it interesting that you put the bangseat in so early, Fred. It is usually one of the last items I glue in, after I've painted and detailed it. Indeed, the cockpit usually just gets a coat of paint and that's that IMO.

zenrat · March 24, 2019, 04:11:10 AM

I glued it in place because I am putting a pilot in this one and I wanted to make sure s/he fitted. Given s/he is from the Hasegawa US Pilots & Crew set I needn't have worried. S/He fits like s/he was made to be there. Which given this F-15 kit (or one based on the same mould) is used in the box art, s/he probably was.
I made some effort painting the interior of this one. I am sure the colour call out in the destructions said black for the control panel so I gave it a nice coat of gloss...
...only to find that the decal was of black dials on a clear background.
D'oh!
I may have to pinch the decal from the second Hasegawa F-15 in the stash.
Some times I put the seat in first (Yak 23 for example - because it has complicated PE sides to it) and other times I don't. It very much depends on each kit and if I am putting in a pilot. There is nothing worse than assuming you can slot a pilot in at the end and then discovering that the cockpit opening is too narrow.

TheChronicOne · March 24, 2019, 05:40:14 AM

Yeah buddy!! I dunno about you, but I really like the Hase kit!!!! Mine turned out great and one reason why is the kit itself.

zenrat · March 25, 2019, 04:16:38 AM

It goes together pretty well. I put filler on the sides of the nose where it was obviously needed and then shot a coat of primer over it.
There are a few places where more filler is needed and I have to have a go at the join between the intakes and the fuselage with a sanding stick.

I also primed the Yak 23 today. This has proved to be a die hard tail sitter. There is nowhere I could add weight where it wouldn't show and in the end I gave up trying to hide it and just filled the nose wheel bay with liquid gravity. This proved to be insufficient so I also had to pour some very thin PVA into the engine intake, slosh it about a bit and then follow it with more liquid gravity. This did the trick and I should have done it first as it has proven to be invisible without a torch.
To hold it for painting I shoved a toothpick through the small transparency hole on the spine behind the cockpit. This of course split the seam.
The wings are each one piece and are slightly thicker than the roots (one is slightly more slightly thicker than the other) meaning filler will be needed there.
This one has engraved detail and i've tried very hard not to lose too much of it. Some rescribing will be required.

I finished the Cougar Funny Car today and will take some pictures once it's had a quick polish with some car wax. As this is finished it means I was allowed to get another car out from the stash and start that. This ones a Revell '57 Ford Station Wagon which will be a slammed sedan delivery with weathered flat paint.

PR19_Kit · March 25, 2019, 04:21:21 AM

Quote from: zenrat on March 25, 2019, 04:16:38 AM

As this is finished it means I was allowed to get another car out from the stash and start that. This ones a Revell '57 Ford Station Wagon which will be a slammed sedan delivery with weathered flat paint.

ALLOWED? Who did the 'allowing'?

zenrat · March 25, 2019, 04:25:27 AM

Me. I have to keep myself under some semblance of control or i'll have started everything and finished nothing.

PR19_Kit · March 25, 2019, 06:02:28 AM

Quote from: zenrat on March 25, 2019, 04:25:27 AM

Me. I have to keep myself under some semblance of control or i'll have started everything and finished nothing.

I can relate SO well to that situation!

Rheged · March 25, 2019, 10:41:50 AM

Quote from: PR19_Kit on March 25, 2019, 06:02:28 AM
Quote from: zenrat on March 25, 2019, 04:25:27 AM

Me. I have to keep myself under some semblance of control or i'll have started everything and finished nothing.

I can relate SO well to that situation!

I think most of us are in this situation!!

Old Wombat · March 26, 2019, 01:42:56 AM

Quote from: Rheged on March 25, 2019, 10:41:50 AM
Quote from: PR19_Kit on March 25, 2019, 06:02:28 AM
Quote from: zenrat on March 25, 2019, 04:25:27 AM

Me. I have to keep myself under some semblance of control or i'll have started everything and finished nothing.

I can relate SO well to that situation!

I think most of us are in this situation!!

Yup!

zenrat · March 26, 2019, 03:21:31 AM

My perfect modelling room would have a continuous bench running around the outside with duplicate sets of tools and paints. I could then spread started kits out around the room and scoot from build to build on an office chair with wheels.

Back to work today. I work part time hours including every second Saturday. In compensation for the weekend work I get alternate Mondays off. This means that every fortnight I finish work at 1300 on Friday and don't start again until 1200 Tuesday. Last weekend was one of those which is why I got so much done.
However today, not so much. Mrs z is off work with a cold so I was ministering to her before I left but I did manage to get some sanding and reapplication of putty done on the 'dyne wings and paint some of the Royce Armoured Car.

Rheged · March 26, 2019, 06:57:41 AM

My condolences to Mrs Z on her cold. Ministering to one's partner is always (in my experience) a sensible action.

zenrat · March 27, 2019, 02:50:19 AM

Sue is an easy patient. As long as she is propped up in front of a TV connected to netflix, a Playstation IV and a Nintendo Switch and is kept supplied with tea and tissues then she is, well not exactly happy but not miserable.

One of my long days today, seven hours. I only managed half an hour model time when I got home. More PSR on the 'dyne and first application of filler on the F-15.

Kit's work on the wheels of his Caterham got me thinking. Sorting out the wheels and tyres for a car build is an important part of the finished look but can be a real PitA sometimes. I'll often have the perfect tyres and the perfect wheels but they won't fit together. Or i'll find i've only got 3 of the tyres I need. That can be annoying.
Sometimes however a set of wheels and tyres can be inspiration for a whole build. I've got a lovely resin set by www.thepartsbox.com - Five spoke mag wheels with whitewall piecrust slicks on the rears. Every time I get them out and look at them (as I did at the weekend while sorting out tyres for the Ford Wagon) I get inspired to build a wacky cartoon style show rod wth a massive blown motor. Or a crazy Street Freak Gasser.

https://www.thepartsbox.com/shop/wheels/tyre-and-wheel-packs/tyre-wheel-and-back-pack-white-wall-rear-slick/