Mjwomack

Umm, 6 months would seem fair given that I look like managing a grand total of 2 GBs this year from a hoped for 4- I may not build fast but I can do the numbers stuff quicker!!

I really hope that you can spot the difference I may have zoomed in more than was prudent, but I'm not really on close terms with Prudence at the best of times! The point is, I just HAD to replace the Airfix 'details' for something more detailed and add a brake pipe. I fretted that the buffers stood to proud, but on studying the Paul Bartlett photos, I think they do stand proud and Airfix rather undersold those. Arguably I should have used a screw coupling, but had some 3 link to hand and think it gives it a suitable clanky look.

Half way through the BG time, clearly I need to (1) stop going on holiday, (2) stop wondering about the JCB details and crack on. Actually, I can't stop wondering about JCB details, and there's another holiday next week but to give the pretence of progress I've made a start of the lowmac. Not many parts to worry about - but I will worry and am adding some more. Though probably not enough as I've already talked myself out of adding brake gear etc (who wants to stop in any case - nanny state nonsense having brakes!!) Decided to go for a light grey finish to give a faded look (along with heavy weathering) as I want to try and highlight the shiny new JCB against the ageing railway wagon. Plank by blank painting wasn't as bad as I'd feared. And on we go... ..just as soon as I can haul myself off this addictive website https://paulbartlett.zenfolio.com/brlowmacek/h2398F265#h2398f265 I guess if photos of grimy lowers is your thing then addiction is too polite a word for it and my chances of social re-integration are pretty slim! but for anyone who wants a good source of railway detail photos ? @Heather Kay @nimrod54 and others, this is a gold mine

I'd have a go at the Dapol but it's taking me so long to do one build, I'll not have the time

But they could never find the tartan paint that you insisted you'd brought there the week before -oh the tricks we played!

I just gave that a like and then thought, 'hang on! It's nothing like a school day- I've learnt way more in a few months on here than I ever did in years at school!!' (And I suspect I'm not alone)

You could have someone's eye out with that! I've not seen that before, but I've seen them up on the 'roof' which I'd have thought better than the vagaries of micro-climate down at hedge level. And of course you're not scratch-building one. Nobody is even suggesting that you scratch build one, there are no voices whispering in your head that you'd love to scratch build one!!!

Failed to get airborne! With the clock ticking on, I'm admitting this will not achieve rotate...if you've ever read a bad review of this kit and wondered, I'm saying it was all true! Despite my best intentions its a mojo. killer and will probably be a regular on KUTA for the coming decade!!!

Can a tank be cute? Probably not the image of fear and projection of force that's intended, but I always thought the Scorpion was cute!

As others have said, there is a whole game of find the part to be played with these flashy old kits. Added excitement is that the Dapol instructions, by their own admission, don't always have the part numbers. In the end, I decided my best bet was to give up with the instructions and take a more 'forensic' approach to things... I grouped the parts by what I thought was a likely part of the build, swing my finger around in a pin the tail on the donkey kind of way and settled on this lot... Which I'm confident is the back hoe assembly, at bottom right is the king-pin and pivot components and more flash than could clean any number of kitchen floors in the 60s! And so, off we go...indeed @Ventora3300 start me up! Oh No! that was 1981!! Standby...Oh for what's it's worth..tenous but Springfield Buffalo did take their name form earth-moving machinery and the instructions are pretty much 'for what they're worth'

Let's stick together (Brian Ferry 1976), because it's always encouraging to stick a few bits together, heres the stunning detail of the steering column and hoe control unit At least at this resolution you can't see how badly it fits, there's going to be a lotta filla Cilla!

Keep the customer satisfied (Simon and Garfunkel 1970) It'll be along time before any customer satisfied, but here in detail are the parts of the JCB As others have noted, the Dapol instructions say to ignore the sprue part numbers, not a problem - there aren't any!!! So with nothing to loose and figuring it was a way to separate the trees from the wood or at least the parts from the flash, I've trimmed it all down into this... I was going to say Simples, but remember that's outside the time-frame and alas it isn't! The solid bonnet shouldn't be; there's meant to be an engine in there - surgery required (Carry on Matron 1972). The front wheel has a huge moulding ridge under all the flash, well so I thought but it turns out that the trees do have a very pronounced centre ridge - but no flash so that's still got to come off, as has the beautiful sidewall moulding as they seem to be a sort of racing slick for digger! The rear tyres have a straight across ridge but it should be herring bone- that's just going to have to stay as it is. So having found Rush (the Hunt/ Lauda - 1970s film) to watch, its a noisy evening of sanding ahead. But this model is remarkable, if you're so inclined (and can reach in the cab) the seat swivels, the wheels rotate and the back hoe can traverse - which was JCBs unique selling point. And of course the front digger goes up and down after a fashion. Plenty of fun to be had, but a long long time before we start splashing custard- please remember You can't always get what you want ( Rolling Stones 1969)

RIght, this is getting a bit Austin Powers but if I understand correctly, a gentleman in uniform wearing patent leather black thigh boots is an entrant and the first comment is, he's a bit bugger, too big for me but he hasn't lost his trumpet. Time for a song, 'Mamna told me not to come' (Three Dog Night 1970, ARC as opposed to Airfix)

Good job the cat wasn't on my lap when these images came up!

...scanning @Rabbit Leader's build thread, I'd say the noticeable omissions so far are a 1/12 figure - Anne Boleyn anyone? Or one of those impossible to paint 1:1 birds that 'fluttered around' in the Airfix catalogue for a while; why would anyone want to build a blue tit? I think they'd have been more successful offering Vultures, Ospreys etc!