lasermonkey

I guess it could be argued that they knew this was coming (at least they should have known it was coming) and that it’s extremely cynical of them to dump unsaleable goods onto an unsuspecting customer. Not exactly great for a working relationship.

I’m going to have to get at least a couple of these.

That’s normally what I do, though sometimes I think you just have to accept the loss of mojo and not worry about it too much and do something completely different. It almost always comes back.

It does rather seem like Humbrol were caught on the hop. These things rarely happen overnight, so one would hope that they had plenty of time to prepare.

Booooooo! I was excited there for a minute.

If you use a respirator or suitable mask when spraying (and you should whatever you're shooting through your airbrush), wash your hands after using them and don't lick your models (I know how hard it is to resist!) and generally behave sensibly around chemicals of any kind, you should be fine. It's never a good idea to use chemicals in an confined area that isn't properly ventilated. Treat things that aren't air or water with respect. I'm not about to ditch my Humbrol enamels as a result.

I’m already overspent for the month, but I was never going to find another one at that price, or anything like it. I should probably not buy anything else though!

An Airfix Buccaneer S.2b (new tool) off eBay for just under eighteen quid, posted. Now that’s what I call a bargain!

From what I can find, the SH P-40s are roughly the same price as the cheapest Arma boxings, with the next cheapest boxing (the latest releases) being more expensive. Not that long ago,someone was knocking them out for just over eight quid for the junior boxing. I wish I'd bought more than one now. The only Arma kit I have is the Hurricane, five Is and one IIc. I've built four of the Mk Is and didn't find them that enjoyable, if I'm honest. While it undoubtedly looks much better than any other Hurricane in the scale, I found them unnecessarily fiddly*, especially in the wheel wells and cockpit, with parts that are considerably oversized for their locations and with some mould misalignment or poor moulding on parts such as the gear legs and associated parts. I also found that the windscreen didn't want to fit and required adjustment. All niggles that took away from the enjoyment and certainly made me think twice about buying more kits, especially with the hike in prices. *and I know I'm not alone in that opinion.

If Humbrol does decide to go acrylic only, I’ll not be using them any more. It’s as simple as that.

I think it would be a shame if Humbrol were to discontinue their enamel range. I know it's not without issues (I mean, who was the last person to successfully finish a tin without having it dry up or turn to gloop?) but having a relatively easy to obtain enamel paint is very useful, especially for those of us who consider acrylics to be the work of Satan. When you consider that some companies can make enamels that don't skin over or dry up (Hi, Jamie!) and comply with regulations, there's no reason that others can't.

I honestly get that small-scale production, especially resin, costs a lot in time and money to produce. After trying my hand at very basic casting, my appreciation ramped up drastically. I quickly learnt to understand the prices charged, even if they might be out of my league. I doubt that prices will come down again, even assuming that some sense of normality returns. But what I am sure of is that nothing improves by keeping quiet about it.

More butterflies today including two new species for the year: a red admiral and an unidentified white, maybe a green-veined or wood white. Lots of brimstones and peacocks too, over twenty butterflies in total. I’m loving this weather.

Both upper wing halves are joined by the “cockpit floor” assembly, so it isn’t possible without cutting it into three, and that might make things even more complicated. I have dry fitted the upper and lower wing assemblies separately, and the fit was good in each case. I’ll find out whether the whole thing goes together soon enough!

Thanks for the heads-up. Forewarned is forearmed, and all that!

Leaving two comments on a subject that irks you when you could have so easily walked on by looks suspiciously like the behaviour you are accusing others of. You did the same on my thread too. The price of kits is often a deciding factor as to whether people can partake in the hobby. It might be boring for you, but when you see yourself being edged out (in more than one way), it’s an awful lot more depressing, I can assure you.

I think I have the trailing edges thinned down enough now. I recommend a single-sided razor blade for scraping away the plastic from the inside of the wing, even though it’s quite messy! Dry fitting has been encouraging. The radiator assembly may need sanding down a touch, as the fuselage halves seemed reluctant to close around it. I was very impressed with the lower wing to fuselage fit. It’s quite ingenious. I wonder whether it will be so good once the wing halves are glued together.

That's kinda how I see it. I don't know the reason why Arma feels they have/want to charge what they do for their Mustang and to be honest, I don't really care. But when you look at, say, Eduard's 1/72 MiG-21 series, what you get for the money is exceptional and for me, it's the benchmark of value in the scale. I just wish they'd pull their finger out and get on with the 1/72 revolution! Anyway, I have a number of P-51Bs that are good enough for me. They're not perfect, but I will have paid less than a tenner for them and they'll keep me out of trouble long enough to justify their price tag and look fine from 3 feet away. I guess everyone wants something different from the hobby and there aren't really any right or wrong answers.

Value for money is always going to be subjective. It would appear for a lot of people that "best kit in the scale" is the overriding factor, and that's fair enough. For some of us though, it's a small kit with a relatively small part count and therefore may not fare well in the cost vs engagement equation, after all, it's only going to keep you entertained for so long. So for me, it's not worth the money and that statement is true for me, as is anyone's who disagrees for them. It's perfectly OK to have differing opinions here.

I had been looking forward to the Arma P-51s, but at the price they're going for, I'm going to leave them on the shelves. I simply cannot justify twenty quid for a single-engined WW2 fighter. Even with the usual discounts, you're unlikely to get it to your door for less than that. I'm sure someone will come along soon and point out that everything is more expensive these days, but there are still a few manufacturers that offer a lot more model for less money. Anyway, I've unsubscribed from the Arma newsletters as there simply isn't any point now. It's a shame, as I thought their Junior boxings used to represent good value.

A few eBay wins, including an Airfix Halifax which was cheap and some Compucolor and Gloy paints.

Sadly, my garden isn’t ideal for trapping, being small and very much hemmed in. I did try making a small trap, but have had more success luring moths in by putting a home-made LED array in my shed window. Still not great, though. The good news is that we should be moving soon (just had an offer on our house) and although we still have no idea where we’ll end up, it should be much better in that regard.

My Tempest arrived this afternoon and I couldn’t help but start it. First impressions are favourable. The plastic isn’t as “biscuity” as it has been of late and some of the parts are very fine. The trailing edges are pretty shocking though. I’m in the process of thinning those down. I just wish Airfix would be a bit more consistent in their approach to finesse. It’s almost like they get so far into a kit and then get bored.

I’ve probably seen five or six brimstones so far, with maybe a few more peacocks, a couple of commas and small tortoiseshells being the most abundant. Last year, I think in April, the first butterfly of the year for me was a small copper, which was apparently very early. I love hawkmoths. I haven’t seen a privet yet, just poplar and elephant.

Those poor souls. My heartfelt condolences to their friends and family.