Ray S

Yes, Jeff, very true. I have done that in the past and regretted it. Nowadays it depends on the subject that I am building - the more important it is to me, the more I will do to make it as good as I can. Today was a day dealing with fiddly stuff. On went a representation of the anchor chains (an old White Ensign etch set used rather than the Combrig chains), four loading davits (super delicate) and the port forward railings (Atlantic Models superfine) which were even more delicate. With the railings, I had to cut a section out of the bottom 'rail' to go over an etch platform forward, so I trimmed that out and the railings above it collapsed! Thankfully I was able to straighten them, and it was my fault. However, I neglected to trim out another section for some bollards a bit nearer the bow, and I said 'oops' or something similar. I was again thankful that I was able to pull the railings off (the thin smear of PVA hadn't grabbed yet), trim out the offending base (very carefully this time!) and reattached the rails. I left it at that for the day while my nerves settled. The railings are so fine they hardly show up. That is it for today, thanks again for looking, Ray

That is a fabulous result on a great looking ship. I hope mine comes out as well as yours has. Having the underwater hull really shows off the character of the ship which can never be seen with a waterline one. I do wish there was that option on all 1/700 model ships, especially from the pre-WWI era. All the best, Ray

Hello all, thank you for the kind thoughts that have been said. As regards HMS Gloucester, I was not overly happy with the masts that I had soldered up, so today I gave it another go, and now have this: The pair on the left are the originals, on the right the new ones. I think the new ones look better, they are certainly more robust now. The lower foremast yardarm was slightly twisted fore/aft, but I have been able to correct that. I will give them a bit of a wash shortly to remove any flux that is left, so they should not get blemished later. That was a big step, and feel happier now. Thanks for looking, Ray

Hello all. I am currently trying to build a 1/700 WWI Light Cruiser, and need to scratch build the masts. The manufacturer suggests 0.6mm rod for them. Ideally, I would like to rig the ship too, so that would mean that I need some structural strength. I have tried soldering some 0.5mm brass rod to create them, but they seem to be a little flimsy. Going online, I find that 0.6mm brass rod is rarer than hen's teeth. Albion Alloys for example do 0.5 then 0.8mm. However, Phoenix Precision Paints do some 0.6mm Brass Wire. In their illustration... https://www.phoenix-paints.co.uk/products/0-90909 ... it looks like rod to me. The question is, would 'wire' be less stiff than 'rod'? Any help would be greatly appreciated if any of you have used the 'wire'. I do have 0.6mm plastic rod which I could use if I chickened out of rigging (or came to my senses more like), but I would prefer to rig. Albion Alloys do have 0.6mm Nickel Silver rod - would that solder the same as brass? This is what I have managed to do with the 0.5mm brass rod At a pinch, I could always redo them and try to solder them more solidly. Many thanks for reading this, any advice will be greatly appreciated. Ray

Hello all/ Crikey, it is over two and a half years since I did anything to this ship! I had put this on hold as I was getting stuck with over-thinking some of the many perceived problems that were lying in wait. Over the last few months, I have had a bit of a reality check and found things that were much more important than modelling. Both parents were in hospital, and Mum passed away on Easter Sunday. During that time I was pretty much a full-time carer before they went into hospital within 36 hours of each other, but then modelling became a sanity-saver for me. Having just finished another kit, I did not really want to start a new kit, and I remembered that I had this one on the go. Today I have added the final two funnels (rigging will follow), their required steam pipes and funnel grilles. A bit of paint has been added, and I finally have a four-stacker-looking ship on the slipway: I have also added some of the bridge furniture and the searchlights on the bridge platform. One broke when I trimmed it from the pour block, but it soon got repaired. I need to re-touch some of the paintwork. That is it for today, I am hopeful that this one will now continue until completion, it is over four years since I actually started it! Thanks for looking, and advice will be always appreciated Ray

@AdrianMF and @JOCKNEY, thank you for those kind comments, they mean a lot Ray

@JOCKNEY, sadly they have not changed for the better. Both of my parents are now in hospital, and we have been told that Mum is fading away, Dad is not much better. I have been doing some model building to keep me grounded, but cannot concentrate properly to do a Group Build justice, as I found out in the WWII Twins GB earlier I think I will have to give this a miss, so sorry Ray

Hi Geoff, I have seen one of the Kelloggs Comets built. It was done to a very high standard by an excellent modeller, Les Cooper (he used to design and make moulds for vacform kits, as well as being a superb scratch-builder). He had put quite a bit of work into it. I have just trawled through my model club photo archive, and sadly it was not there. I certainly would not mind having a go at one. @PatG, I have built the Airfix one a few times, it went together well when I was about 7 (1964), okay in the 1970's, and I struggled in the 2000's. I also struggled with the KP version, the instruction guide was not that clear (or my interpretation of same was wrong), most parts needed cleaning up and there were quite a few very small parts, which could be a problem for your friend. I have read that the Frog one was okay, generally better than the Airfix, so I would probably chose that one if I were in your situation. I hope this helps, but all the best to you, your friend and his wife Ray

This one would be right up my street. Please add me to the list. I have my Robert Calvert CD/LP/Cassette tape lined up already!* Ray * see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Captain_Lockheed_and_the_Starfighters

I am really looking forward to this one! Those images just shown seem to be fabulous. Ray

Nice progress on this. I have been looking at the kit on Aerocraft's website for a while now, it keeps drawing me back. I will hit the 'order' button sometime soon, but for the 1/144th scale version. All the best, Ray

Yes, it is another 'sanity restorer' for me, the Heller 1/100 Soleil Royal. I use it to keep me grounded in reality and take my mind off other things. I will be popping up to the stash in a mo to find another, simpler kit to keep me going too. There are 108 cannon altogether in that sailing ship and something like 350 dead-eyes to thread and rig too! Thanks for the comments and for all your encouragement through the build James Ray

Hello all, here is my old-tool Airfix B-25 Mitchell, loosely masquerading as a Mitchell III NO*C of 320 (Dutch) Squadron. Brush-painted with Humbrol enamels and a Vallejo Matt acrylic brush-coat finish, transfers by Xtradecal. The build log is here: Thanks to all who helped with this build, it was all very much appreciated. All the best with the rest of the Group Build, Ray

Hello all, I am calling this one done now as the final bits have been finished. I decided not to weather it. The small, slim undercarriage doors fitted 'well', as did the side glazing with their associated guns. There were no frame lines on the upper turret, so I masked where I thought they would be (using the box top illustration as a guide) and added paint. The landing lights fitted reasonably for a kit this old, Glue'N'Glaze did the rest. The nose gun was attached at a jaunty angle as per Troy's reference photograph, and the props painted and attached. I am not happy with the way the upper turret fits, it left a big gap around the base which is not echoed in the photograph. I am sure I glued the support in properly, but you never know, it may have been my fault. Here is how it was fitted: The cockpit floor fitted into slots in the bulkheads, so that should be at the correct level, but this is how it has ended up: That aside, I am quite pleased with how this turned out all things considered. I have enjoyed building it, which is the whole point in the end, isn't it? @AdrianMF, is this what you meant earlier in the build about 'droopy wings'? - I am always thrown by the wing alignment on Mitchells: My favourite photo of the completed model is this one: Thanks to all who dropped in for a shufty, liked and commented, and especially for those who offered encouragement and helpful advice! I will put a few more pictures into the Gallery, and if I am lucky, it will be in the correct one. All the best evryone, Ray

No James, it's as it comes out of the box. I was very surprised I must say. Thanks for the comment. Ray