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

[TheChronicOne]

Been doing some more PSR on the Hustler.

Mainly been working on the F-52 Ultra Hornet, however. I've gotten another big pile of stuff done. Lots of things glued together, more parts cleaned up and organized and extra unwanted sprue removed and thrown out. All the parts that need to be pained before assembly have been separated and ready for prime (I think, I may need to clean them up some but I'll do that as I put them all into clothespins).

The one thing I haven't done is start on the ordnance. I supposed I ought to get that together to paint along with the rest but it kind of doesn't matter, I have such a massive pile that I'll probably need to break it in half anyway and do two separate primings. Either that or I need to go find a lot more clothespins.... but then I might not have room to stack all this stuff to dry so I probably better do them in two different phases regardless.

Sorry, no pictures. If I take one, I'll have to take a bunch and I really don't feel like it because I DO have a missive pile of parts here...  it would be a lot of effort. Instead, I'll take some pictures once things are a little more together and after a bunch of painting is done at least.

What now?  Well, I'm going to hit the Hustler with a little primer to see how much more PSR I need to do. Everything looks fine aside from cockpit areas. All that stuff was warped and ill fitting so it didn't go in too well so it's taking awhile to fix. I'm just glad I don't have to PSR any other areas.

After that, the Boeing 737 is getting one more round of glue into the windows then it can sit awhile so I can get back to work on the ATR-72. It's time to make an attempt at PSR on the engine nacelles and start the back and forth process of dry fitting to the wings. If I can get them looking good, however, I'll glue them on and check to see what else will need PSR. Getting closer and closer to being able to prime this one. I can't wait to see it! The entire surface of the fuselage, even aside from slag and flash, has a very rough finish about it so I hope I did an adequate job of sanding it. Either way, a layer or two of primer will help with that then I can always sand it some more and try again. 

Last but not least, my trash check has arrived so I can finally go buy some yellow paint and proceed with the WHAT IF BAC 111. This'll be a couple days off, however, I'm not about to get up and go anywhere now! 

[PR19_Kit]

Mine are square! This is the 737 now, the BAC is on hold.   

Oh sorry, I forgot you were on the 737 now. Even less chance that round rod will work.

[TheChronicOne]

I'm starting to think I might even be able to get by just using my putty. The glazing stuff, even! I keep thinking in my mind that these windows are larger than they are then when I pick it up and look at it they're so small!  I seem to do this a lot... over estimating the size of things on these models. Like, I'll cut up a piece of sprue and turn it into something only to go to glue it on the model and it's way over sized.     I also have this problem with food, my eyes are bigger than my stomach. 


Anyway, update time... I've uhhh... sat here and done absolutely nothing ever since the last update. Started Robocop and have been watching that, then I took a nice hot shower, and been feeling tired and lazy all times before, in between, and after. This is about to change, however. I'm going to try to shake this stupor off and get back to work per the established plan. 

Ever feel like simply getting started is the hardest part? Then, once you're into it and in the swing of things it suddenly seems easier?  Sheesh!

[DogfighterZen]

Ever feel like simply getting started is the hardest part? Then, once you're into it and in the swing of things it suddenly seems easier?  Sheesh!

I get that a lot... but i'm blaming it on the season, gardening with this heat sucks... I've been so lazy after work that i haven't had the will to do much on models... But it's true, the hardest part is getting started and after you get into it, it all flows much better.

[NARSES2]

Ever feel like simply getting started is the hardest part? Then, once you're into it and in the swing of things it suddenly seems easier?  Sheesh!

We all suffer from that occasionally and then for no reason whatsoever we'll feel a spurt of activity come on.

[TheChronicOne]

The laws of inertia work for people, too!!  Objects in motion, etc.  I'm the same way about running errands. Thinking about running errands is sometimes more troubling than just doing it and I find that once I'm out the door and on the road, getting them done, it's typically not as bad as I imagined it being. Ahhh.... anxiety is great.  (not really  )


Anyway, I have an actual update and even a picture! I have the engines 95% done with PSR (I just need to sand the bottoms of them off, will take less than 3 minutes). then I need to smooth out the seam where the engines glued onto the wings. I got them pretty good, but not perfect and I'll have to do some work on the bottom side of the wings. I should have glued these on BEFORE the fences, but there was no way to know this. There are zero instructions with this primitive short run kit, afterall. Anyway, I'll be having to do some rather tedious filling, sanding and filing, to get these in order. Sort of mind numbing work in there between the fences, it's very tight. This is 1/144 afterall, so I'm going to alot myself a good half a day to do it as I am much more easily distracted when doing mind numbing tedious task for some unkown reason.     



It's DEFINITELY looking like an actual plane instead of a pile of parts or half built assembly now, but not much different than anything we've seen before. Progess is slowwww on this one but not as slow as I was expecting, at least. 

[DogfighterZen]

The work is paying off, it looks good!   

[TheChronicOne]

Thanks. I'm loving that little one. This is the first true pet project of mine. Well, maybe the little C-5 was one, but this more so for sure. It's holding a special place in my soul. 

Not sure what I'm doing today. It's a weird day. I don't have any lawns scheduled but I do have a job driving T-posts into the ground. UHh....   well.. I don't think I'll hurt myself doing it but the potential is there so we'll see. I'll just take it slow and hope I don't wrench anything. If I can just keep from lifting anything too heavy and from twisting in any odd direction I should be alright but this weather already has this stuff hurting real bad. I need the money, though!!           See.... this here... is why I'm in this predicament. All the years working ridiculous labor jobs, lifting and doing things I shouldn't but forced to do anyway because, "I need the money." Good ol' American dream, use you up, and throw you away.

So, any hoooo.....   I will be buying my yellow paint this morning so I want to get back to work on the BAC-111. I put off masking it so I'll need to do that first, then spray the un masked part real qucik with the same white as the bask to keep the yellow from running, then it's time for the yellow stripe. Once it's on, I can paint the black fin then it needs to sit for about 10 days. I'm not taking any chances on crazing. I have plenty of other projects to work on. Rushing things seems to be the cause of 90% of all problems.

I'd like to prime up all those interior parts I've gathered up for the F-52. I can't do a whole lot more until I get them painted. That said, I CAN build the ordnance and start getting it PSRed and primed so maybe I'll focuse on that.

I'll be gluing on the doors to the 737 and getting them ready to be filled in and sanded away.

ATR 72 needs engine to wing joins cleaned up.


Maybe other things, but I'm not counting on it. Woke up at 1:20 AM........ couldn't get back to sleep so just got up at 2. I'm not sure when I fell asleep but I think it was around 7 so I got, maybe 6 hours of good sleep. That's cutting it close so I may wind up either very sloth or very napping. 


TTYL! 

[TheChronicOne]

Slowly getting into the flow here...  I've already put some putty on the ATR 72 and ran some glue along the engine to wing seams. That should be all that is necessary on 3 out of 4 "sides" but one has a pretty large gap. Should be easy enough to fill. Sanding, though... like I had mentioned before, between the fences, might be a PITA but I have my trusty sanding sticks at least..

I'm about to cram a pile of pizza down my gullet but after that I'm going to get started on the 737. It needs all the doors and the windscreen glued in and the (kit provided, yay!! ) nose weight installed. I'm going to trust Airfix that the weight they gave me is all I will need. I guess I can glue the wings and stabs together and start working on the engines.

Paint is warming up but after that I'll be priming the innards of the F-52 and I need to gloss the nose of my BAC 111. I put the windscreen transfer on but forgot to seal it. I'll need to before I mask because the cheatline runs into the windscreens so actual tape will need to be directly on top of that transfer.

Firetruck maybe?


Time for pizza pie!      OBESE MODE - - -  COMMENCE

[TheChronicOne]

I got a fair amount of various work done on a number of different projects.

BAC 111....  I went to gloss just the nose area to seal in the windscreen transfer, just to have it craze again. This time I let the white paint dry over 3 weeks so it's just a matter of this white paint and this gloss not being compatable, PERIOD, no matter how long I let the white paint dry up and gas out. So... ONCE AGAIN, I'm going to have to sand some stuff down and repaint it...   I guess the transfers will go on then it won't get a "seal in" coat because I'm tired of throwing my time in the garbage can trying to force something to work. I could try another brand of clear but what if it happens again? To hell with all that. I'll just my microset and sol to get the transfers nice and snug and there shouldn't be any problem for the next couple of decades.


737 has all the door glued on and I've been working more on the windows. I put more glue on there and the whole area became soft enough that I could push the sprue into the area and now there's a nice raised portion on each fuselage halve that's full of sprue and melted sprue/glue so I won't even NEED any puttty. This is good. It might be a bit of a pain to sand that down but it will be very solid and won't shrink. Problem is, it's probably going to take half a month to dry up all the way. It's so damn humid around here, that's not helping. 

Painted a number of interior parts on the F-52, would have hept going but my can emptied out. I didn't feel like waiting on the other to warm up to operating temps.

A little more glue on the ATR 72. The engines are just shy of being finished so I'll be priming that sucker soon. I need to start working on the landing gear and gear doors, otherwise it's all finished aside from painting and glueing on said gear/doors.

Something sometihg something, blah blah blah. 

[TheChronicOne]

Kingkit!! I just ordered stuff from them. I have an unreasonable fear of buying things from people overseas, however.

Good stuff, right? Reputable company? Seems I've heard of them on numerous occasion and from what I can tell they are a good company. I got tired of trying to find a Tu-334 on eBay. This one dude has one but he wants $45 plus shipping. I got one off Kingtkit for $12.50 sealed.     If anything can help me get over my fear of buying overseas, it's being a cheapass. 

[TheChronicOne]

UHHHH....   HMMmmmm...... 



I dunno!  I want to work on the ATR 72 today, it's soooooo close to being ready to be primed. I am very curious about how it will look after. I'm hoping that through some miracle all my sanding efforts are having 100% coverage and I won't need to do any more PSR. Time to start getting the gear together, as well.

I'd like to get everything set up for painting today. The Hustler engines are ready to be painted (have been for a good while now) and the PSR is all done now.. well, as good as it's going to be. I'm not getting bogged down in trying to make it perfect. It's all a lot nicer than it WAS, considering the problems I was working with concerning warping and the like. But anyway...   I'll be painting on that, and also all those interior parts I primed the other day for the F-52. I can probably find some other stuff to paint as well. It's always nice to get as much as possible done and out of the way once I have all my painting supplies out.

[NARSES2]

Kingkit!! I just ordered stuff from them. I have an unreasonable fear of buying things from people overseas, however.

Good stuff, right? Reputable company? Seems I've heard of them on numerous occasion and from what I can tell they are a good company. I got tired of trying to find a Tu-334 on eBay. This one dude has one but he wants $45 plus shipping. I got one off Kingtkit for $12.50 sealed.     If anything can help me get over my fear of buying overseas, it's being a cheapass. 

I've bought a few things from Kingkit and my experience has been good. I'm in the UK so obviously postage has been quick and I can't comment on their overseas postage.

[TheChronicOne]

9 quid!   Of course, the conversion rate got me....  55 pounds total turned into $75.          But that's not too bad, conversion rate aside. I happy with the price, though, because one of the kits I couldn't find anywhere for less than $60 so for $75 I got it, and two others. 

[TheChronicOne]

I knew when to quit! 

I was working on all kinds of stuff. Some was going well (ATR 72 has been partially primed and it looks pretty decent! I will need to do more PSR I think, but, it still looks nice) but other things I was messing wither were making me frustrated and some things got broke. Like... one of the Hustler engines completely came apart.  Glue failure... I had a clothespin in it, though, with reverse action. In otherworse, I jammed the handles in the hole to hold them so it made tension then when I grabbed it, I squeezed so it popped it all apart. Then... some other weird stuff happened and I was spraying red paint and got it on my hands so it was getting everywhere.     So I gave up!  Playing video games for the first time in EONS.

I might give up on the video games and do some more model stuff later, though. I need to spray the other half of the ATR 72 at least. I'll probably put another coat of red paint on the firetruck I started today, too. I've made quite a bit of progress on it, right as I was transitioning to video games.

Kind of disjointed I think but it's a general idea of what's going on.       Oh yeah, sanded the crazing away on the BAC 111 and masked the windscreens. I'll shoot it with a bit of white later. All me rattle cans are nice and toasty on the Hi Fi which REALLY heats up when I run the video game surround sound through it.      So yeah, I'll AT LEAST be spraying some more red on the fire truck, spraying the white on the 1-11, and ....   the primer is heated up right now, too. I think I can find some little odds and ends like gear for the 737 to prime.....  . . .       

No pictures for now, I'll try to grab one of the ATR-72 though, once it is completely grey.