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

[NARSES2]

I like the Phantom 

[TheChronicOne]

Phantoms are the best and this is good build to finish near Halloween. 

While I was doing this one, the thought occured to me to make a Phantom II in the same styling with the blue paint and minimalist markings. I bet it would look pretty neat. In fact, it would look like the Blue Angels but just with no Yellow stuff on it. 


I don't think I'm going to do much with models today. I DO want to find my Skyraider at least and do a wee bit of planning for it. No telling when I'll start it but as usual it will probably be AFTER the start of the GB. This is because I need to get back to work on the other builds I have going and not let them stall.

Speaking of... I've had a ton of time to think about how to approach Masking the Tristar and I think I'm just going to go for it. I have my cheatline templates on so I'll just use my 2MM wide tape and follow along. If it winds up crooked later, I can always fix it.

[TheChronicOne]

Well! Today just isn't my day, apparently! 

I got started on the Tristar. My goal was to put on the windscreen decal to help with alignment of the cheatlines and the rest. In the same vein, I decided to put on the transfers for the diamond shaped stuff back at the tail planes. In order to facilitate this, I need to spray a bit of gloss on the nose and the rear so the transfers will sit nice and snug. No problems at the back but at the front the gloss crazed!!  Boo!! That ground things to a halt because now I have to let it dry so I can sand and re-paint. No biggie... adds a couple more days to the build but it's not a huge disaster. Easy to fix.   

So, now I'm thinking about working on the 737 and as luck would have it that sheet of decals I ordered a month ago finally arrived today. I ordered these from 1001modelkits.

https://www.1001modelkits.com/boeing-737-model-kits/5008-avigraphics-agd4029-decals-boeing-737-saudia-hz-aga-all-fleet.html

Here I am happy to finally have my decals when I open the parcel and see this:



Do the math. This can't be good.

SURE ENOUGH:






Faaaaaaantastic. 

And there's NO EXCUSE for it. The stuff would have easily fit in the envelope if they were to simply fold it at the TOP and not through the middle of the $%&E%&#%&# sheet of decals. CLEARLY intentional.



So anyway.... this thing came from France but the return address is here in the U.S. A neighboring state, at that. Here's the bummer:

"In the event that the product you receive doesn't satisfy your needs, you can return it within 30 days and receive a full refund (excluding shipping). Damaged, opened or incomplete products cannot be returned." 

Scumbags. So, if they don't pony up to just send me a replacement, I'll be out two instances of shipping which winds up being more than the stupid sheet of decals. And look, DAMAGED things can't be returned?? So you can just destroy something, and send it to someone and ..... tough luck? Dirtbags.


Thoughts of salvaging these are pitiful because while I have wiggle room with the cheatlines and can probably afford to lose 2-3 mm of it the crease is right through the middle of the airline name and that can't be fixed.

I was suspicious before but now I am 100% certain that this IS a cursed build. At this point I might pull my tested trick of just turning it into a what-if and rolling with it. If I do this, I can go ahead and buy the innacurate replace Bra.z engines and claim the innacuracies to be simply new design features. I don't know, though, I REALLY had my hopes set on this being Air Saudia because I love the colors and stuff and the cheatlines are neat. 

I said I wasn't going to start anything new until I can make progress on all three of my current builds but with two of them in waiting again all of a sudden, I may as well!! I'll work a little on my Pluto but then it's time to dive into the stash and try to enearth something that won't make me want to hurl my computer into the street. 

[PR19_Kit]

Brad, all is not lost.

I may have that Saudi decal sheet amongst my vast stock of airliner decals.

[TheChronicOne]

Cheers!! I'd make it worth your while.   


It's either this or I go with Air Alaska or some Canadian outfit...... or what if.  I'd rather stick with Saudia.

[TheChronicOne]

I've decided to remove myself from the more "intensive" builds for a little while before I suffer burnout. I'm still very eager to build and create, but I need something not so frustrating so I can decompress.

With this in mind I've started work on two pieces of airport equipment in 1/144 scale. The VW is slightly off but close enough to be imperceptible. That one is going to have stairs attached to it and the other is a basic tug for pushing and pulling non-MD-80's around. 



So all this stuff has been primed and I've started a bit of painting. I want just a basic red stripe down the sides of the stairs and the tug will mainly be white and I can build on top of that with other colors as I go.



I still need to finish painting the "arm" there that the VW is hauling. It looks funny, but it's just mottling because the spray wouldn't hit it very well. I'm not going to keep blasting rattle can white into the air to paint this tiny thing and being wasteful, I'll just touch it up with brush paint.


Neato!!! These smalls should come together relatively swiftly and improve my disposition at the same time. 

[Rick Lowe]

Ouch, feel your pain with the transfers. 
And how in the world can you check for damage without opening the package?
I tells ya, they always get you with the Ts & Cs. 

'Toom looks good, glad the paint was salvageable. 

[NARSES2]

I've decided to remove myself from the more "intensive" builds for a little while before I suffer burnout. I'm still very eager to build and create, but I need something not so frustrating so I can decompress.

Absolutely mate  I always keep a couple of Tamiya kits on the stocks for just such an occurrence 

[zenrat]

Sending transfers like that may not be deliberate.  Definitely incompetent though.

Have you tried sending them a picture and saying "oi, look what you did, how about a non folded set?"

[TheChronicOne]

Ouch, feel your pain with the transfers. 
And how in the world can you check for damage without opening the package?
I tells ya, they always get you with the Ts & Cs. 

'Toom looks good, glad the paint was salvageable. 

Thanks! I had to break out the sanding sticks for the repair but it worked out alright. Be able to adequately fix disasters is becoming one of my better skills. Pretty hand I guess, but I'd rather skip the "middle man. "   

[TheChronicOne]

Sending transfers like that may not be deliberate.  Definitely incompetent though.

Have you tried sending them a picture and saying "oi, look what you did, how about a non folded set?"

Going to drop them a note Monday. Figured I'd wait for after the weekend and get back into "regular" business hours.  As a courtesy on my part.  It's weird, even though I'm the one getting screwed around I'm still concerned about not hassling others.   

I don't see how a human being can fold something in half and not mean to do it.... I guess if they were sleep walking while they did it that might be an excuse or something but whoever did it knew they did it... I don't see how on Earth they couldn't... Even if it's something silly like they are a blind person they should have had someone else do it.  Unless they have fancy machines these days that stuff envelopes?? 

[PR19_Kit]

Mailing decal sheets is an exact science, you just DON'T do it without a stiffener in the envelope as well.

Those who've used my printed decals know they ALWAYS come with a hefty cardboard stiffener as well, and I've just got a VAST pile of plastic sheet stiffeners from a friend that will be even better for doing that.

[TheChronicOne]

The cardboard envelope was pretty sturdy and would have been about sufficient but indeed, it was sans the stiffener.

Here's the thing, if the it was folded here, instead in the middle, it would have been fine.



In my mind I picture a disgruntled worker. "Hey, boss, this thing is too long to fit into the envelope."  "Well, just fold it!!" "OK, I'll show them (boss)!"  :::::malicious compliance:::::::       I don't even see how a person, on their first day of work, who never has even made a model, could just sit there and fold that in half. I mean... is there any sort of training involved. "OK, when you ship something that doesn't fit, don't fold through the actual item, if you have to fold something, fold the directions."  Or...."If the model doesn't fit in the box, you're not allowed to stomp up and down on it to get it to fit."   

[PR19_Kit]

Or...."If the model doesn't fit in the box, you're not allowed to stomp up and down on it to get it to fit."   

I think I've had a couple of those too...................... 

[PR19_Kit]

I DO have a Saudia 737 sheet Brad, yes. 

It's not the same as yours, it's an ATP decal but it's the same scheme. The sheet has no windows though, just the cheatlines, titles, reggies, fin icon and the door outlines. I could probably rustle up some windows and a windshield too, I've ZILLIONS of those.

I can post them Monday probably if they'll do for you?