Moments of Zen

[NARSES2]

My main problem is struggling to have the kit on the bench and being able to have the instructions laid out without covering the model itself.

I know what you mean. I have a similar problem mainly because of a lack of usable space, but compounded by me eyesight issues. 

I've seen workbenches where they have the instructions pinned up on the wall or a clipboard.

Probably work for most Nick, but you've seen my glasses 

[PR19_Kit]

Binoculars? 

[DogfighterZen]

I have that problem solved, now!



Crappy image cropping but it's a reading stand.

Smart! That would be a good alternative for me if i didn't have the laptop in front of me. But one thing i just remembered, there are a lot of kits on scalemates that have a pdf file of the instructions on the kit's page, maybe i can start using those when the file is available for the kit i'm building... i have to check how many of my kits' pages have the file.

My main problem is struggling to have the kit on the bench and being able to have the instructions laid out without covering the model itself.

I know what you mean. I have a similar problem mainly because of a lack of usable space, but compounded by me eyesight issues. 

I've seen workbenches where they have the instructions pinned up on the wall or a clipboard.

Probably work for most Nick, but you've seen my glasses 

Also wouldn't work me, my eyes are not what they were 20 years ago and with the way my stuff's laid out, it wouldn't be functional but i can imagine how some can make it work very well.

Binoculars? 

Well, got off work today and, on my way home, me and my two closest colleagues stopped at a roadside bar for a couple of drinks... all i can say is that i'm a bit tipsy but not over the comfortable/in control stage so i may even get something done on the bench tonight... or i may very well fall asleep cause today was a hot day and i'm tired...

P.S: Well, i've just checked and i can use this method on the RF-5E. The instructions on scalemates are from the F-5E so, some stuff is different but at least 95% is usable so, no big deal.

[DogfighterZen]

Well, well, i guess i can call myself stupid... The Blue Thunder's painted but i'm not happy as i could be with the colors... i did test them out but the one i was originally thinking of using, which is the tamiya XF-50 field blue seemed too light and i decided to go with the one that i saw mentioned on a build thread of this kit and was also suggested to me by a fellow modeller who also built the BT, the Gunze H326...
I set it aside after painting last night and today, when i looked at it, i found it does not look like the Blue Thunder's blue to my eyes, it's just way too dark...
Compared to all the pics i've found on the web it doesn't match... the pics are old and i'm looking at them in my laptop's monitor but, even taking that in consideration, i can't find a way too convince myself that i have the right blue... and i also used XF-69 nato black for the black underside and this one looks too light...



It was such a chore to mask up for the scheme that i'm not sure if i'll try to correct these issues, i may end up leaving it as it is and move on...
Only positive thing i can take away from this is that now i'm sure of what colors are right but, althought i have another BT kit in the stash, i was thinking of doing something different on that one cause i don't need two "real" BTs on my display cabinet.

Haven't done anything on the RF-5E in the last week and i'm still trying to decide if i'll use a pilot figure or buy an aftermarket seat... the other option would be to just build it OOB as it is but i think these AFV kits are so good that it deserved more... I'll have to decide soon so i can move on with the build...

[TheChronicOne]

Damned if you do, damned if you don't...     chalk it up to lighting and color fade and let 'er ride.

[zenrat]

On the other hand.  If you do nothing will it bug you every time you look at it?  I've got some I left which I wish I had fixed up the "errors".

The NATO Black may look too light because it is next to a blue which is too dark.

[DogfighterZen]

On the other hand.  If you do nothing will it bug you every time you look at it?  I've got some I left which I wish I had fixed up the "errors".

The NATO Black may look too light because it is next to a blue which is too dark.

I'm not sure if I'll be able to live with it, mainly because I'm not planning on building the other one as a BT replica like this one.
I should probably try to paint it again, especially because I went through so much trouble to make it as accurate as i could...
Still, I've been a bit out of focus when it comes to modelling because I've had too many real life issues on my mind lately so, I'll have to think about it when my mind clears up a bit.

[zenrat]

Put it to one side until you feel confident.  This is a special build for you and you owe it to yourself to give it 100%.

[Old Wombat]

What Fred said.

[NARSES2]

What Fred said.

Totally agree 

[frank2056]

You should photograph it in sunlight (like your reference shot) and see if the blue is a closer match when naturally lit.

[DogfighterZen]

Put it to one side until you feel confident.  This is a special build for you and you owe it to yourself to give it 100%.

What Fred said.

What Fred said.

Totally agree 

You should photograph it in sunlight (like your reference shot) and see if the blue is a closer match when naturally lit.

First of all, thank you for the support, guys. 
Today i decided to throw my bike into the back of the car and go to a small skatepark after work. It always helps when i'm feeling down or stressed with real life affairs so i rode almost non stop for an hour till i could barely breathe. Got some cool tricks done and crashed once so, i can say it was a good session.

Frank, thanks for the suggestion, i thought about it but i think it will still be too dark. I already had frank Murphy's helmet painted with the XF-50 and it always seemed like a better match for the BT's color but, for some stupid reason i still ended up choosing the H326. 
As you can see in the pic below, the blue on the helmet is much lighter that the one i used on the chopper but, knowing how tamiya's flat colors work, i know that when i spray a gloss varnish over it, it will become quite a bit darker and now i know that it will be a much closer match to the blue on all of the BT's pics i've seen.



Fred, after reading what you wrote, i really thought about putting it aside but it's something that i don't like to do, especially when it's a build in an advanced state like this one so, i decided to be stubborn and keep going till i get it right.
This time i'm going to start with the black and use the XF-1 matte black for the underside. I'm doing it this way because i think the masking needed will be less and and easier to do so, we'll see how that goes. When that's done, i'll use the XF-50 for the blue areas. If it comes out like the helmet, i'll be happy and move on. If it doesn't, i guess i'll just have to live with it and try again and convert one of my Heller Gazelle kits into a Blue Thunder.
So, i've got the compressor on, the paint mixed and it's round 2 of the "Blue Thunder's blues" saga...

[Old Wombat]

Good luck!

[DogfighterZen]

Thank you, Master Wombat! 
So far, so good. The black now looks like black but the blue will have to wait till tomorrow cause I won't have time to do it today.

[zenrat]

My suggestion was only to put it aside if you were not sure you could pull it off.  You sound pretty positive to me so as Womby said, Good Luck.