Moments of Zen

[scooter]

I also have to figure out how i'm going to paint the engine's exhaust cause the engine's cover still has to be glued on and i'm not sure if the Molotow's chrome paint that i'm planning to use on the exhaust can withstand masking without coming off or getting blemished in the process.

Paint a piece of scrap plastic with it and test it.

[DogfighterZen]

I also have to figure out how i'm going to paint the engine's exhaust cause the engine's cover still has to be glued on and i'm not sure if the Molotow's chrome paint that i'm planning to use on the exhaust can withstand masking without coming off or getting blemished in the process.

Paint a piece of scrap plastic with it and test it.

Good call, thanks, Scooter. Sometimes when i'm too eager to finish something i tend to skip the tests and just go for it but it is better to test something like this beforehand cause i've never sprayed Molotow's chrome paint through my airbrush and don't know how it holds up to masking and handling. I'll also use the test item to see if a clear varnish will make the chrome become dull.
I've also been testing the fit of the canopy and this is another part of this kit that will be problematic.
Seems like almost every part of this kit needs quite a bit of work to get it to fit properly...

[NARSES2]

Sometimes when i'm too eager to finish something i tend to skip the tests and just go for it

You and me both  You'd have thought I'd of learnt by now ? 

[Old Wombat]

Sometimes when i'm too eager to finish something i tend to skip the tests and just go for it

You and me both  You'd have thought I'd of learnt by now ? 

We're all just big kids, at heart, & kids are impulsive & impatient.

[DogfighterZen]

You are both correct, gentlemen.
Some simple things like testing techniques and products are easy to forget when us kids just wanna play with our new toys.
Last night i did some polishing on the Blue Thunder's canopy because it had a few scratches so tonight I might be able to mask the interior for some paint.

[DogfighterZen]

So, what have i been doing with my life? The Blue Thunder has been on my bench as the priority build for over 6 months now and i have to admit, this kit has been dragging my mojo down...
From seams that need what now seems like endless PSR sessions to a canopy part that, besides having deep scratches that i haven't been able to polish out, there's a considerable gap on the top aft section where it connects to the fuselage...
I'm in too deep to simply chuck it onto the shelf of doom and it is my favorite helo so, i'll keep working on it anyway...
Last night i did begin the process of gluing the canopy on. Had to use a few strips of tape to hold it in place and applied TET glue to the areas where there's a window frame and Testor's clear parts glue where there is no frame. Today i'll be taking the tape off to see if it worked or not and then see if i can move on to work on closing the remaining gap on the top aft section.
As this as been such a mojo draining project, i'm in desperate need of a booster and i've been wondering if the upcoming one week GB could be right opportunity for that so i've been thinking of what i could build for that.
By seeing Dizzy's and Gondor's Hawk builds, i've been going back to my ideas for the Hawk kits i've bought and they seem like a good choice for now so, i'm just going through my stash at scalemates to see if anything else could be a better choice for the occasion...

[DogfighterZen]

Well, i spent a while going through the stash yesterday and finally came to the conclusion that my plans for a PoAF Hawk are going to wait for another occasion cause the idea i had in mind would complicate the whole thing and that's not what i want right now. I need a quick build and i won't get bogged down waiting for stuff i needed to be delivered.

Instead, i believe i've found the perfect model and idea for what i want to do in the one week GB. I wanted a quick build so what's better than a Snap-tite kit? 



I know, some may think i'll be cheating but, i will do everything to turn it into a "real" model, except for the landing gear.
I did consider the surgery needed and looked for suitable parts in my spares' box but i don't have anything that fits the bill and i'm not going to waste time scratchbuilding what i need or steal the parts from the F-16 kits i have in the stash.
This model comes with a stand and besides, i have Academy's 1/48 kit too so, that one will be built with the gear down.
I will give it proper missiles and the respective wingtip launcher rails and a couple of pilots will be put inside the cockpit. Real decals instead of stickers will be used to depict the future PoAF trainer.
The PoAF has been without an advanced jet trainer since they retired their Alpha Jet fleet and the pilots have been transitioning from the Aerospatiale/Socata TB-30 Epsilon directly to the F-16 and a replacement for the Alpha jet has been studied but no decision has come out of it so far.
I've had the T-50 in mind for this role ever since i've seen the T-50 for the first time but i believe it will never happen so, it's a perfect choice for a what-if build in my book.
My idea is that Portugal would get a small fleet of TA-50 jets to serve as advanced trainers to extend the F-16's fleet service life by taking up the training missions. It would reduce the flight and maintenance hours on the F-16s as well as preparing the pilots for more advanced systems that will come with the Viper's future replacement, which is supposed to be chosen before 2030.
So, i've made up my mind for that and to fill the time before the GB begins, i'll keep working on the Blue Thunder to see what else i can get done before the end of 2021... 

[scooter]

I know, some may think i'll be cheating but, i will do everything to turn it into a "real" model, except for the landing gear.

I call it "Adapting.  Improvising.  Overcoming."

[DogfighterZen]

I know, some may think i'll be cheating but, i will do everything to turn it into a "real" model, except for the landing gear.

I call it "Adapting.  Improvising.  Overcoming."

[Old Wombat]

There's no such thing as "cheating" on a stress relieving, mojo re-energising build.

[DogfighterZen]

There's no such thing as "cheating" on a stress relieving, mojo re-energising build.

Yup, i think so too and i really need it cause the Blue Thunder kit is... well, let's just say it's showing it's age. Almost every seam needs attention and the fit of some parts is bad. Still, although it's taking so long, i can't say i'm not enjoying the build, and the fact that it got me sculpting figures for the first time is a bonus. I wasn't thinking of doing it but the fact that there are no figures on the market for this subject got me learning a new skill set.
The cannon was also a late decision but i'm so glad i bought it cause it's a major improvement over the kit's original part.
I'd never built a brass set like that and the fact that it worked out well was another bonus.

I have to say that just the fact that i'm starting a new project has already boosted my mojo and after so long, i've finally got the canopy glued on the BT's fuselage.
Today after lunch, i got the remaining gaps filled with sprue-goo and i'm about to start sanding it it down to see what areas need a second dose of the stuff.

[TheChronicOne]

Best laid plans.... ain't Summer somethin'?         Check in, homie!

[DogfighterZen]

Best laid plans.... ain't Summer somethin'?         Check in, homie!

I'm back, brotha! 
Indeed, summer is always a blast...
I've been back to gardening in the past month since there's not much to do inside the warehouse or with the forklifts so, due to my gardener's experience, i've been asked to get the exterior spaces where there are plants and lawns in the company's property and also in my boss' vacation house, back to a proper condition as they were basically abandoned since last year's summer.
I have to say that, being away from gardening for a long time has made me softer and i've been really beat from the sun... As a result, i've been having very little appetite for modelling. I almost fall asleep at the bench after dinner so i've only been modelling during the weekends, when there's nothing else to be done around the house.

Anyway, the FA-50, which was to be finished in the One Week GB, has taken more than a month to complete but i can finally say that it's almost done, although i'm skipping some details i was thinking of adding like static dischargers and weapons under the wings, i'll just leave those details for the 1/48 kit.
Sprayed a matte varnish coat on today and all that's left to do is to remove the canopy masks and get some beauty shots.
This means that maybe in a few days i'll be getting back to the Blue Thunder, which was put aside after i finished the PSR sessions on the canopy-to-fuselage gaps.
Most of the subassemblies are done and it's almost at a point where i have to start testing the colors i have to see if any of them are close enough to the real thing.

[TheChronicOne]

That work stuff actually sounds pretty cool.... you could be lugging crates around or sweeping floors or something orrr..... temporarily laid off. I've had situations like that in the past from time to time and always took advantage. I could be... I dunno... painting or some crap and let on that I do landscaping and next thing you know I'm mowing the bosses yard. When that type of thing happens I try to waste time a little bit and do other things like imbibe on fancy botanicals and have picnics under shade trees. It's nice to have a diversion from the normal. 

[DogfighterZen]

That work stuff actually sounds pretty cool.... you could be lugging crates around or sweeping floors or something orrr..... temporarily laid off. I've had situations like that in the past from time to time and always took advantage. I could be... I dunno... painting or some crap and let on that I do landscaping and next thing you know I'm mowing the bosses yard. When that type of thing happens I try to waste time a little bit and do other things like imbibe on fancy botanicals and have picnics under shade trees. It's nice to have a diversion from the normal.

Well, i agree. I could be doing something regarding the warehouse cleaning cause that's what's been going on while i'm at the boss' house and gardening is something i enjoy so it could be far worse indeed. 
I'm also trying to take my time doing things around the garden but i get bored if i'm just stalling so i end up working almost at the same speed as i normally would if i was in a hurry... i guess it's just the habit of not having much time to do all the tasks needed to make the gardens look good. And i actually enjoy the fast pace cause the day goes by quicker and it doesn't seem like an endless day at work.
the high season for the sweet potato industry begins around the end of August so, before that time comes, i'll be gardening my days away.

Today i was planning on getting home and set up my lights to take some pics of the FA-50 but instead i decided to do something that's been waiting to be done for almost 9 months. My lady gave me a sweet telescope on my birthday last year but the fact the sea is close to our house, there are clouds in the sky almost every night, even during the summer and in the nights with a clear sky, most of the time i would be busy doing something else so i hadn't assembled the the telescope yet.
Today i finally did it and i can say i'm pretty impressed with the thing, especially with the quality/price ratio. I've managed to get it together without breaking or damaging any of the parts and we even got to look at the moon's craters for a few minutes before clouds started to cover the sky.
I'm obviously a noob in these matters but i like to learn and astronomy is something that has always fascinated me so i know i'm gonna have some fun with the scope.