Chronic's Research and Aeronautics Project (C.R.A.P.)

[TheChronicOne]

Well, in typical fashion, the day isn't going as planned. Absent for 2 weeks the rain has RETURNED. The same rain that has plagued me all summer long and had me perpetually behind. Today, however, it gets me out of work. I'll be behind for the unforeseeable future but .... oh well. It isn't the heart of the growing season so it might not be so bad.

Although I slept a couple hours late (it's good being the boss!)  It's not even 6AM yet and the sun hasn't even came up. Dare I say, I'm off to a good start TIME WISE. I've been organizing my work station here getting ready to get under way.

I didn't get any pre-prep work done like I had initially planned so.......   this really WILL be a one day build.

I've already decided to omit a couple things. Primer??? Not this time...  Pilot figure? Nah... (may change my mind on this if I find myself with free time but I have to rememeber that I have  asomewhat involved canopy to paint which I'm allotting no less than one hour to do).  Interior detail will be minimal. I'll jab some dots in there for guages, paint, and install the chair (and stick if there is one).

For now... I'll just sit here and slowly keep organizing and gathering up tools and supplies. Not even one cup of coffee down yet so.... yeah...  morning routine is sacred. I always do bits and pieces of work in the mornings but the main goal is always to have my back unkink from sleeping and to consume copious cups of coffee.

Pictures soon...  box, plastic.

[Librarian]

Strangely I find something like a Planet resin kit ideal for these short, sharp builds ?

...and there I am, once again (coincidentaly) staring at my 1/48 PM Westland Welkin . Simplicity in truth but all that resin

[TheChronicOne]

I need to get my hands dirty on a resin kit. I have a couple... one is a really neat (I think) two seater jet... thing.... 



Hesitant because of the sanding problems. I'm of the mind to do it underwater but that sounds a bit messy. 



In other news, ....  OI!!!! Already I'm finding things wonky here. The painting guide doesn't match up with the box art.  (Pictures later.. I need the sun to come up to help light things up in here... low watt bulb in the ceiling after the last one popped). 

I need to stop and go pick up garbage at my shopping center job at some point, too. I can get out of mowing but I really should go address the trash situation after the weekend. People get more trashy over the weekend.     I'd like to glue a couple things together first if I can so it can dry up while I'm gone. I'll do that now..

[TheChronicOne]

OK, time to go to work.

Seat installed, fuselage halves together, stabs on, drop tanks together.

Good start! When I get back I can glue the wings on then I'll start painting the small parts. I need to try to dredge up some reference material as well.


TTYL!

[NARSES2]

Hesitant because of the sanding problems. I'm of the mind to do it underwater but that sounds a bit messy. 

You just need to wet sand it, rather than hold it under water. I wet sand and wear a mask when I'm doing a lot of resin sanding.

[TheChronicOne]

One good pic, one bad.  I'll take it! 






Anyway...NATURALLY, about 20 minutes after I arrived at work it started monsoon-esqu downpour so I picked up trash in the rain to the point I was soaking wet.   

VERY glad I went and did it, though..  I considered not going at all in which case I would  have a big mess on my hands Wednesday.

Next up going to get the wings glued on then I'll stop, let it set (so humid even the fast glue dries a bit slow) while I start to paint the little stuff. Going to jump right in on the canopy and knock it out of the way.

[TheChronicOne]

Hesitant because of the sanding problems. I'm of the mind to do it underwater but that sounds a bit messy. 

You just need to wet sand it, rather than hold it under water. I wet sand and wear a mask when I'm doing a lot of resin sanding.

Works for me... I guess the folks that do it under water are being overly cautious. I had no idea that the stuff was toxic... I just happened to learn of it 2-3 weeks ago by accident watching Youtube vids.   Glad I didn't try to build one before then!! 99% of my sanding is done dry.

[Old Wombat]

I find I get a better result wet-sanding, & it's easier to give a part a quick wipe with the thumb & see how it looks clean.

[TheChronicOne]

I always seem to "forget" and get lazy and just go for it instead of getting up to go get water.     I've found that when I do wet sand, however, I like it more than dry sanding. I just get the lazy bone sometimes...   

[TheChronicOne]

Canopy painted!! A bit sloppy, but that's alright as it only took up about 10 minutes of time to paint one side, let it dry, then paint the other. I just need to go back in wit' me trusty toothpick and clean it up. I imagine I'll need to do a bit of touch-up after, but I'm well on my way!!!

Next up, glue on the tops of the wings.

In other news.... I won't have to paint gear doors or wheel wells because they are molded in green anyway. Might not be the perfectly correct shade but uhhh... close enough for CRAP work.    Anyway, this will save time.

This is fun!   

[TheChronicOne]

Got myself an aeroplane!!!


Wings are on....  main contruction is complete. Stuff needs to dry at least a couple hours then I can file and sand. Looks like I won't have to do too much... this seems to be a great little kit. No real flash to speak of (just a couple odd pieces here and there and some on the struts) and everything fits together quite well. Won't need much putty. 

[TheChronicOne]

I feel like I'm getting behind but.....  Ehhh... probably right on track.   I have a good 6-8 hours left in me before I will be winding down for the night. Off tomorrow, as well, so I'm planning on cramming my gullet with beer later and I'd prefer to be at the transfers stage by then. lol

Wild card here will be the gloss coat for transfers.... so humid it may take longer to dry. I need to get that on within the next... ohhh......2 hours??? or it may not give me enough time to outpace my beer and the fact that 6:30-7:00 PM is my normal bed time. It' is a quarter to 1 PM now so .....   Won't have much time for lunch.

This said, I'm making good progress.

Prop blades are all painted up. Had to hand paint the little makers mark oval things because no transfers for them...my try dry brushing a bit... dab dab dab... to get the stencils on but I'll do that only if some free time opens up. Need to finish red on the spinner. I cut in around where the blades attach but need to go a couple sizes bigger on brush and get the rest.

Canopy is 90% good, just need to re-touch then one last go round with the tooth pick. Probably would have been good if I didn't slip a couple times and knock the paint off the frame work.

Gear doors all cut (to make the kit with gear extended) and exteriors painted. Will have to come back in with a dab of touch-up on the OD color.

Tires and rims are painted on the main gear aside from the grey that goes on the inside of the hubs. Red outside, grey inside. 

Drop tanks are finished.

Struts are 90%. Touch up on grey the come through with silver for the rams. 

Getting close to the PSR phase which.. I will.... dedicate no more than half an hour to. (I HOPE).   




I'd like to be done by 7 but somehow I think this might drag on til 10 or later.      I mean... I still need to stop and eat and I'm also cooking meals for the rest of the week so I need to keep an eye on that so I don't burn the friggin house down.


Break time! 

[TheChronicOne]

This is going to be close.  3:15 now..... 

DONE with PSR!   

All gear, gear doors, tires and all that malarkey are done.

Canopy is done.

Need a couple more coats on the spinner and little spacer things...  you know how red is..          Also, I noticed that the red goes all the way back to the exhaust so uhhhh....... I'm going to have to do something.... if I mask, the millions of coats of red will definitely build up and stick to the tape. I may try enamel instead of these acrylics. I need to get it on in one or two passes. This is the only problem I'm having on this build so far...     Not sure how to proceed.  What I want to do is put the red on, mask, then do the rest but uhhh... when I take the tape off again, the red is guaranteed to come with it. I could solve this problem by glossing it... but then... I need to let it dry first....  ugh...   I think what I'll do is do the rest of the plane..... once I gloss is, I can mask THAT part then paint the red on somehow.. it's just more difficult to mask this way because the exhaust are in the way.  YEESH...   these are the time killing problems...

[TheChronicOne]

90% done with main paint job.


It's 5PM though... so..... I'd say another 20-30 minutes before I can clear this thing then It needs to sit an hour at LEAST.  I hope it will be enough because I need to turn right around and mask the nose to put that red strip on. 

Then, of course, final fiddly bits and transfers, etc etc. Might not make it!!!  NEXT TIME, it will be a TWO DAY blitz build.   

Oh well, I ain't givin' up. Still going for the gusto!!!! 

[TheChronicOne]

Ready for gloss! Just need the paint to dry which is taking twice as long thanks to all the humidity. 

I can't do ANYTHING until the gloss is done. I even trimmed out the transfers already. Might try the dry brush stencils on the props.