January 2012 - Ping

[lastvautour]

Happy New Year to all.

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[lastvautour]

Starting things off with what is on the go for January 2012.

1/350 Scale Flower Class Corvette - This will be an ID Fleet model and will be totally painted sea grey
1/144 Scale De Havilland Canada Buffalo/Canadian Forces CC-115 - Will be painted to represent the Buff show down on UN Duty
1/144 Scale Gloster Meteor Mk 7 - as flown by RCAF 421 Squadron in 1950. These aircraft were on loan from the RAF.
1/48 Scale Canadair Argus RCAF CP-107 - Currently working on fillets.
1/32 Scale Canadair Sabre Mk 5/6 - on shelf

I am formulating a list of what I would like to complete this year but that will come near the end of the month. I hope everyone will join in then and then the post will be locked and next Dec we can see what we accomplished vs what will wanted to do.

Happy New Year to all and keep your blade sharp

Lou

[Oceaneer99]

Happy 2012!

I've been working on designing a new basement workbench for a while, and have finished up some preparatory projects.  I built two shoe shelves to go next to the work bench so they no longer need to be stored below it.  This will free up space for tool or equipment storage.  I also moved some coat hook racks to get them out of the way.  I've been going through some of the design decisions with my 12-year old son, as he is now a prime user of the workbench.  We bought a surplus solid-core door to use as the top, and plan to put a layer of hardboard on that as a replaceable work surface.  I'll edge the sides with hardwood (probably alder or poplar, as they are relatively cheap and hard-wearing) to protect the edges of the door from damage (particle board interior with thin plywood skin and solid wood edges).  I have a vise for it already, and have been drying the originally green 4x4 legs and 2x4s for the rest of the stretchers and leg framing. I also have some plastic peg board to put along the back with some shelves over that.

A friend of ours is moving and her son showed off some plastic 1/48 scale jet planes he'd been working on (an F-4 Phantom and a Mirage).  He also told my son to pick one of his toys to have as a gift. My 8-year old son was impressed by the models and generosity that he gave our friend an F-14 model that he hadn't started yet.

Seeing the friend's completed models got my children fired up to build their own.  All three of my children have chosen plastic models to build, and I decided to join in with a 1/144 scale plastic Mitsubishi A6M3 Type 32.  We took a trek to our nearest hobby store (a long way away after the one a few miles away was torn down) to buy all the paint colors we thought we'd need for a while.

This is the first plastic model I've worked on since quitting them for solid wood models at least five years ago.  At least for the 1/144 scale model I'm working on, I'm finding them frustrating!  I think I used to ignore the gaps between pieces, but I don't have those on my wooden models, so now I want to fill them in with putty.  It will essentially be a painting project, I guess.  I'll end up with the colors I need to make my own 1/144 scale IJN (Imperial Japanese Navy) planes, so perhaps I should follow up with an ID+ model.

Garet

[lastvautour]

Good for you Garet. I continue to build plastics and wood at the same time. You are correct in your assessment that you would leave a small gap in a small scale plastic, but that would never happen with wood. The plastic details have a tendency to disappear under my sand paper and spoils the effect while doing do on a wooden model only enhances its look. I like both but each has its own peculiarity.

Lou

[Mothman]

Gentlemen,
I have had e-mails to balsabasher bounced back at me twice now and I am a little concerned for him.  Has anyone heard from him since about the 18th of December?

There are various unpleasant possible scenarios which I'd rather not consider, but his wife was rapidly declining and he is potentially an unwell man himself.

If you have any news please let us know.

Cheers,
Martin

[lastvautour]

Our web data show him being on line as late as the 28th of Dec.

Lou

[Balsabasher]

Thanks for the concern chaps but Balsabasher is fine and kicking ! what has happened is that Virgin media although they will not admit it have had a major internet failure which has failed to deliver millions of items of mail up to and during the Christmas period,attempts to contact them have failed as all you get is an Indian call centre with someone reading from a pre-prepared checklist with not a clue as to the real cause is ? I have no idea who has tried to make contact and can only apologise for the inconvenience this has and still is causing,if it was not for the fact that everything is tied up in that one e-mail address then I would tell them where to stick their very poor services !
Martin thank you for your concerns and you know that I am grateful to placing this here on my behalf,thats the situation we get with being on forums and groups nobody really knows what happens to people,on another  note Kenji appears to have vanished and attempts to contact him have failed,I am concerned for him as he was so active.
Very best wishes,Barry.

[Mothman]

Phew!  mail me when you get sorted out, Barry.  Glad all is otherwise well.
I must get that Ureol to you.
Cheers,
Martin

[lastvautour]

Noel has been busy with adding stringers to his F-24.



Lou

[cliff strachan]

And what is Noel using for his  stringers? They look pretty good so far. And the scale itself should be a problem that he seems to have successfully overcome.

Cliff.

[Balsabasher]

Are they some kind of thread ? look nice and straight anyway.
Barry.

[Oceaneer99]

It looks like Chartpak graphics tape.  I've used it on some models, though never for stringers (just because I haven't made a solid with visible stringers -- yet).

[Mark Braunlich]

Noel's comments on method here:
http://smm.solidmodelmemories.net/Gallery/displayimage.php?album=lastup&cat=0&pid=6557#top_display_media

[Balsabasher]

Artists ruling tape is very similar to Chartpak,failing a supply of these simply lay masking tape onto glass and cut narrow strips to suit,carefully apply tape with the tip of a craft knife blade and smooth down,then flash over the edges with artists Fixatif ( note the spelling which means fixative ) this effectively seals the edges,drape wet strengthened model aeroplane tissue ( Modelspan is no longer available but suitable substitutes can be obtained from SAMS ) in small panels over the area and spray with water,smooth out with a soft brush first then apply clear dope through the tissue,it will turn milky white when dry but when another thin coat is applied it neautralises.

Barry.

[Jim]

I like that...Think I'll try it on a model I have to build for the museum of a Schweizer TG-3 training glider.

Right now I'm in the middle of building an F-4U Corsair for a friend. I'm using the Spotter Series plans as a starting point, and adapting it to the later model with the bubble canopy...

The real news is that I'm going to be teaching a 6-week class in solid model-building at the museum, beginning Jan. 31. We'll make the Spotter Series Spitfire, which is a nice, simple beginner's design. There's a notice on the museum website: http://www.esam.org/Misc%20html%20Files/Model%20Classes.html

Wish me luck!