dromia

Definitely file before sand. I use Vallorbe files, not the cheapest but one of the best.

Oh yes indeed!

A kit of one of them would be nice. In my youth when I worked the hill as stalker we used them for getting the beasts out, they were brilliant on the hill. In the unlikely even that it got bogged in you could literally lift it out of the flough.

Never let paint dry on your brushes. Use a good quality proprietary cleaner appropriate for the paint being used. Keep separate brushes for different types of paint, e.g enamel, cellulose, and all the differing plethora of water based and almost water based paints that are around nowadays. Be gentle when cleaning always work towards the tip and keep the shape to the bristles. Finish with The Masters Brush Cleaner and Preserver. Store upright with the bristles to the top and use a length of tube, drinking straw, to protect the bristles

Just got lucky by the sounds of it, ebay had ESCI and Italeri Valentines and a ESCI Bishop + 50 soldiers, what I am going to do with them lord alone knows.

I am glad that there are more options in my preferred 1/48th or close scales. This week will see if some of them live up to their online promise. Out of curiosity and completeness I am wondering if anyone can offer opinions and insight on the various different manufacturers Valentine offerings in 1/35th scale?

John Tapsell. Thank you for the 3D printing information, insight and advice. No way will I ever be printing my own files, anything to do with computers and the internet is an anathema to me. Placed orders with Osiris (Bridge layer) and Rubicon so we'll see how they go.

That is a re-box of the Bandai kit which I have. It was also boxed by Fuman. According to Scalemates. I am always on the look out for all boxings as I liked the kit, sanding and scraping aside. No disgrace at its age.

Thank you for the replies. The resin does look good but I try and avoid the stuff if I can due to the dust do the kits need a lot of filing/sanding. Anyone have experience of th 3D printed option, I have been burnt punting on such unknowns before. I just like 1/48th scale AFVs for their size and relative simplicity. To me it is the perfect AFV scale but obviously the market doesn't share my view. I am aware of the Tamiya quality as I have built a few of their 1/48th scale offerings and will have no problem in buying their 1/35 version. Just curious about all the other choices out there and their pros and cons.

Thank you looks good. Only the three kit option available at present, will definitely spring for the single "reinforcement" option when back in stock.

I have areal soft spot for the Vickers Armstrong Valentine tank. I am no great AFV modeller and usually prefer the 1/48th scale. The ancient Bandai and its reboxings is all I can find in 1/48 scale, despite its age I enjoyed the kit but it did take some work mainly in part preparation. Kits are scarce though and seem to cost a lot when they do turn up. So if I want more Valentines then 1/35 seems to be my only option. There seems to be a plethora of choices out there in this scale. I like 1/76/72 but they are getting a bit too fiddly for my ageing fumbling fingers and dimming eyes but open to suggestions in this scale too. However I don't really have any knowledge/experience of all the different manufacturers and their offerings. I like simple kits with good engineering and few parts, accuracy is fine so long as it looks the parts I am no rivet counter. Looking at desert examples at the moment. Any suggestions on good references with good, of the period, photos would also be appreciated. I have Dick Taylor's "Into the Vally". Looking forward to any information that may be forthcoming.

I find parallel pliers almost indispensable nowadays for PE tasks. These seem reasonably priced but I cannot attest to this particular brands quality. Parallel Pliers

Michael Rinaldi has been sent one of these kits and he has done a stunning rendition of abandoned plane found at the airbase. An article on this will appear in the Japanese modelling magazine Scale Aviation. The kit looks very good indeed, I have one on order

Good news indeed I just hope that the new company maintains the high quality standards of their predecessor. I suspect there is a bit more to making paint than pigments, equipment and recipes.

Snap fit aircraft of the past were aimed mostly at the beginners market and sold as such I seem to recall. The quality and fit of Bandai's Mechs is extraordinary, joints are the way they are in Mecha world to enable articulation but seamless, some thing not required in aircraft by most. With today's technology it should not be beyond the wit of man to transfer and apply the Mecha technology to create snap fits, Tamiya's latest offering are almost snap fit by default. When making Gunpla I often wish other models could go together so well and seamless so I could cut to the chase for finishing. When I want a sanding fest they I go to my beloved vacuum formed kits. Sometimes the hobby seems far too conservative and formulaic for its own good. Be interesting to see how this model is received. Good on them for taking a stab at this and I hope it is the start of better snap fits. They will need to go beyond just snap fitting traditional model part break downs though.

I believe that Michael Rinaldi had some involvement in this project which has to be a good thing. It is about time that quality "snap fit" kits of aircraft started appearing. The Mecha and Gunpla enthusiasts have been getting high quality and sophisticated "snap fit" kits for ages courtesy of Bandai and the like. It always puzzled me why this excellent approach to construction never crossed to other model kit genres. I do hope that this new kit will lead the way for more "snap fit" models.

Phwoarrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

I have been buying my brushes from A S Handover for decades, their range is wide. For round sables I use series 33 and 66 brushes, bought my first set from them in the early seventies, still using them albeit in secondary roles now. I find them superior to W&N series 7 brushes for modelling purposes. A S Handover

I have two, bought them when I heard the company was folding. I hadn't bought any previously as it isn't in my scale for space reasons and multi wing aircraft sucks the time out of my life as I really struggle trying to get the rigging right. However I do enjoy well engineered kits that just go together sans filler and files. My main interest is in building vacuum formed models so every so often I like to go for a fall together build as a bit of an effortless change so a Wing nut Wings model would fit that bill so when I heard they were stopping production I was prompted to by some examples and I ended up with a Ninak and a Camel. I have always had a very soft spot for the Ninak my favourite biplane especially inter war examples, the other one was a Camel again a soft spot initiated by reading Biggles in my youth and also when a boy I enjoyed making and flying rubber powered models and the Keil Kraft kit of the Camel was the absolute best flyer of all of my collection. These models will be made and I am looking at tackling them in the autumn, Camel first as an introduction to their kits and then onto the Ninak and I think I may put some time into this and try and up my game on it.

I use enamels mainly ColourCoats then Precision with the occasional Xtracolour if stuck, I don't like their gloss finish.

Used a set once and never bought any of their stuff since. Visually they were soft in detail and out of register. When soaked and removed they just rolled up into a tube, 'pon trying to unroll them they just cracked and broke. The seat belts just crumbled when trying to fit them. Total failure as a 3D transfer set. I use Quinta now and never have had a problem.

What he said. Also how does it spray with the new needle? That will tell you a lot.

How timely, I have one on order. Does anyone know if there are any aftermarket parts (3D printed?) for this kit, I am especially thinking of the launch rails and dolly?

Can't comment on the Paasche as I have no experience of the air brush. The Iwata however I do know a little about and it will definitely do what you desire if you do your bit. Most airbrushes will perform well it is all down to the paint, how well it is thinned for the job, air pressure and volume along with distance form the surface and your trigger technique. The essence of airbrushing regardless of the airbrush.

In approaching Mission paints think gouache. If I want a robust surface for lathering washes and universal panel lining on then I use my trusty enamels. I am no fan of the current crop of water based "acrylic" model paints as I find them all fragile and finicky to apply, I do find Mission an exceptionally easy paint to spray. Mission being the most water soluble of them all when used without the poly, is this very quality that allows finishes no other model paint can come near achieving so it has a place on my bench, the only water based model paint I use.