Jimbo

Mike, I think he got the mug from a bookshop in Chichester Kim's Bookshop I went past it yesterday and meant to have a look on the way back to the car - my mate said he thought there was a Lancaster one too - but completely forgot! Trev, Apologies for the confusion re: chocolate cookies/chocolate digestives, I was hoping that it would slip by un-noticed! Such a simple error I know, hopefully this will corrected as soon as I've paid a visit to my local stockist Jim

Hi all A mate bought me this for my birthday: So I felt I had to go and buy this: Put them together, with a few simple additions, and: All ready to start! I'm not really into 1/48th, but it seemed rude to have the mug and not build the kit And so ANOTHER build is added to the 'ongoing' list, lol! Wonder how far this one will get? Jim

Hi all, Sorry for not replying to you sooner, Im at my gf's so have been out and about (helping at a post funeral 'do' amongst other things!) Paul - you airbrush 1/700th scale?! That looks incredible. I'll certainly have to have a good look at the instructions of the Hipper to see the best way to go - it's toss up with me of masking for the airbrush against my iffy brushpainting skills LOL! Phil - thanks for that, I'd noticed they were 'Future release', and they've snuck it without me seeing! I'd had a look at the instructions and they seem a VERY comprehensive set. I love using etch, but am a bit apprehensive about so many tiny parts! I hope there's spares of some bits Shar2 (Dave? ) - I look forward to the review. It'll either make me order them straight away, or freeze in terror at the sight of all those tiny tiny pieces! Jimbo

Guys, thank you for your help - I've actually made a decision! The Hipper it is - so now to read up on it as I know nothing about it. Makes me wonder why I bought it, lol! Phil, your Hipper looks brilliant. I love the red turret tops, adds a nice splash of colour. And I might be raiding my Revell Tirpitz for the Arado So off I go to order the PE - and yes, the deck too SHAR2 - for it, and start seeing what I can find online. When it gets going I'll attempt a 'build-in-progress' - though with my building speed it'll take longer than the real thing ( scale builing time . . . ) Anyhow, thank you again Jimbo

Hi Phil I was wondering about the Dragon kits, re the instructions. I find them slightly confusing on their AFV kits, and looking at the Scharnhorst instructions I wondered if it'd be better until I had a bit more of a clue about ships! If only I'd have built ships while my Dad was still with us . . . Just to confuse things I've just noticed I've also got the Trumpeter Hipper, together with some turned barrels (for some reason whenever I get a kit it seems I can't resist the AM for it! LOL!) How would the Hipper fit into the buildability scale? Many thanks Jimbo PS Sorry for all the questions - it's terrible being so indecisive as to which to build!

Hi Shar Yes, it's the Premium Ed I've got. Thanks for the pointers, sounds like the Graf Spee will be coming down from the top of the wardrobe Love the two links (well, your models in the links ) They are both stunning! Cheers Jim

Hi all, I'd like to ask for some advice please. I've reached stalemate in my attempt to build a Tornado for the group build (neither of us is winning - I've got one of those blocks with it!) so I though that I'd try to break the situation by building one of the many ship kits I've amassed over the years. It's been a while since I built a ship - I was really into the Airfix 1/600 kits all those years ago, and I think the last ship I built was the Airfix E-Boat (when it first came out!). I've narrowed my choice down to the following (all 1/350th): Academy Graf Spee - comes with wooden desk, turned barrels etc Dragon Scharnhorst - Master turned barrels, WEM etc, possibly KA wooden deck Revell Tirpitz - RBM barrels, again possibly KA wooden deck As regards the aftermarket stuff, I'm quite happy using etch etc, so really the question is, which goes together nicer, fit of parts etc. And do the instructions give a reasonable sequence? I've done enough aircraft to kind of know when the instructions might not give the easiest or most logical sequence (though I've often been wrong! ) but ships . . . Also, how do you experienced chaps paint your ship models? I'm a great airbrush fan, but I don't think it's really practical other than perhaps for hulls and base colours. Do you brush all, or maybe spray decks and brush vertical surfaces? All advice gratefully received Thank in advance Jimbo

Hi gang! Well, after a bit of faffing around withthe copy IP I managed to get the cockpit mostly done! Painted using Humbrol 128, which to me gives the right kind of appearance. I tried drybrushing the panels, but found they didn't look good at all, so after a quick respray and coat of Kleer I went to apply the Revell decals. Problem is, these have the panels almost white, so I opted out of that. Digging through my spare decals I found a sheet from one of the Hasegawa Tornados. They needed a bit of cutting (on the IPs particularly) but I was quite pleased with the result. At this stage there was still painting to be done, but it's given me a bit of inspiration to get on with it! There seems an awful lot of bits still on the sprues, and less than a month to go! LOL Jim

Hi all Thank you for the various tips and guidance, all very much appreciated. Some accurate scales are on my shopping list (found some on ebay, need to get my gf to order them as I haven't got a PayPal account - far too risky with my low resistance to buying things, ) and some more silicon/resin, the rate I'm going through it! I've actually cast something else, quite successfully (more by luck than judgement!) As it was copying a resin item I won't mention what it was, other than to say I chose the item NOT to produce copies rather than buy more originals, but because a) it was an easy shape to practice with, and I wanted to try something which involved cutting the item, and didn't want to risk the bit if it didn't work. I also tried making a vacuum chamber. This involved one of those plastic clip lid tubs, a valve from a plastic storage bags and the Dyson. Pic to follow but all I did was cut a hole in the tub and put the valve in! The lid was a b*gger to get off after the air was sucked out so the pressure was lowered by some amount. As I said earlier, I don't know if the vacuum helps the slicon as well as the resin but I used the 'chamber' at both stages. Whether it did any good, I can't really say. I managed to mix up the silicon and 5% catalyst, as near as I could with the kitchen scales, mixed and poured, into the vac box and after a while I opened the box and lo and behold the rubber seemed to have gone off! Next day I pulled the mould apart and extracted the original. Then mixed up the resin, and this is where I made a slight mistake. I used an old (thankfully!) spoon to measure out the resin. One spoon for each part, into a plastic cup. I wanted to make sure I mixed enough, but I managed to lose count - at 3 or 4! So I think and extra spoonful of Part B was added. Stirred the mix with the spoon, poured it into the mould and vac boxed it. I then noticed the remainder in the cup (the larger amount!) was going hard already, and the cup was too hot to hold. Ooops, too much hardener! In the end I had to throw away the cup, spoon and lump of resin, even hitting it with a hammer wouldn't seperate them! But to my amazement I produced a copy of the part I wanted to experiment on, just one air bubble visible. Anyhow, I've wittered on for long enough. Just to finish with a pic of the mould and my lego box! Happy casting! Jim

Hahahaha! Yes, lucky s*d comes to mind! This afternoon I'm going to mix some resin and see if the mould of which I'm so proud (sad eh?!) gives the result I hope it will. As I say, it's only an instrument panel but it's a start. I've read about putting the mould in some kind of vacuum chamber. Is that for the silicon or the resin stage (or both)? Any idea if the vacuum has to be 'long lasting' or would only a few mins do? Somewhere here I've read someone mention they'd created a vacuum chamber with a biscuit tin and using the inlet of their compressor to evacuate the air - I can't find it now (or maybe I dreamt it, lol!) Once I get the hang of this I'll be trying to create a copy of an Italeri Merlin HC4 sponson end plate - I bought a second hand Revell HC4 and one part is missing. It'll probably mean a two part mould (scary!). How did your 3 parter work? Jim

Hi Simon I'm using Sylmasta stuff too! Yep, my 'guesstimate' gave a pale blue colour, but this morning I realised that the 'spare' stuff I was touching to see if it had gone off was some raw silicon I'd spilt down the side of the mixing cup! Touched the mould itself and it left a slight fingerprint, which then vanished. So I tweezered out the part, and to my astonishment, there in the mould was a (near!) perfect imprint! So it had set after all - but I must invest in a set of accurate scales. Am away at gf's for thew weekend, so as soon as I'm home on Monday I'll be mixing some resin (I've done that bit before - a 50-50 mix I can manage! ) Sad isn't it? All I've done is make a mould of a kit IP but I feel a strange sense of creativity! (even though I haven't actually cast the item yet LOL!) Jim (off to seach e-bay)

Don't stop me now! Jimbo

Thank you John, I was afraid that would be the case It was only a kit peice I was trying to duplicate (different panels in different kits) and so it was a 'quick' go. I'll leave it a couple of days then probably dig the bit out the gunge I've created Jim

Hi all, Just a quick question if I may? I'm attempting casting for the first time, and having mixed up the silicon and catalyst it seems to be taking an age to 'go off' (more than the time the instructions say) So I assume I've underdone the amount of catalyst - not surprising as it was a bit of guesswork My question is: if this is the case, will it eventually set (just taking longer) or will it never fully set? If it's the former I can just leave it, but I if the latter I'd better see about recovering the master, cleani it off and try again, a bit more scientifically this time! Thanks in anticipation Jim (Heading back to the Tornado!)

Eeeeek! What have I done?! Well, I found the Airwaves seats - in fact, found two sets, which was lucky after what transpired . . . I taped the cockpit together and tried the Airwaves seats. The rear one was fine, against the rear bulkhead, and just the right gap between the front of the seat and the panel/stick. But the front seat just wouldn't go in. The leg guards went WAY under the IP (well, they would have but the pedals were in the way, so I cut then guards off. Then the seat pushed the rear seaters panel/boxes back. So I decided to trim the back of the seat. With this amount cut off it would JUST fit, but still no room for the stick. I then realised that I'd have to continue the cutting and remove the back of the headbox. This would make it look a lot different from the back seat. I had a look at pics, both in the ref section here and those I took the other week at RIAT, and on a near sideview I decided I knew what was wrong. I think the front panel coaming extends too far towards the pilot as well as being 'flat' across the front), and if I was to trim it back a tad (however much that is) and move the front cockpit forwrd slightly, there'd be enough room for the seat. Of course, that meant taking out the bulkhead I'd already fitted (one of the few bits I've actually glued on this kit!) and cutting the cockpit section in half. And so I was left with this: The trimmed the front coaming (again!) Then came the difficulty of temporarily assembling the bits to see if it works! I think it does, but I'm still working on it! And all because I decided not to use the kit seats! Teaches me! Jim (who now has a kit with more parts than when I opened the box!)

Thanks Steve, I was hoping that'd be the one It's terrible isn't it? Getting held up building a model cos I can't decide on the INTERIOR colour! Jim

Well, it's out the box! (many thanks to JD64 for the tips ) Hope everyone's builds are progressing nicely. This was going to be OOB (well, it is now, but you know what I mean), but I've decided I might as well try to go a bit further with it. I've filed the front IP coaming to try and get the more angular look - that was I can add the NVG panel on the LH side. Pic shows the unmodified (ha! Unmodified indeed! Un-filed I mean ) part against the filed on the right hand side. I've also cut the sciccors link from the NLG ready to shorten the oleo. Got to remove the other link too. Last pic is me trying to get a good colour for the cockpit. I understand the real a/c is Dark Admiralty Grey (Humbrol 5?) but I think that'll look too dark. I guess a lot of cockpit photos are taken with flash and so probably look a bit lighter than they actually are. Top colour in my pic is Humbrol 126 while the lower colour is 128 (both Humbrol equivs of FS colours). 128 gives the bluey tinge I see in photos but . . . What are others using? Off to dig out the Airwaves seats my database says I have - I wish I'd have filled in the 'location' field! Happy building! Jimbo

Thank you JD64 A razor saw?! Aren't they sharp? I'm not sure I'm allowed things like that - Modelling with 10 fingers (OK, 8 fingers and 2 thumbs!) is difficult enough without the risk of losing some! And only 5 weeks!!! (oh dear, multiple exclamation marks! LOL) Jimbo

Hi all I'd like to enter a Tornado (obviously ) in this STGB. After a break from 'active' modelling (I've been buying kits and mags like they're going out of fashion!) I think it's time to restart! I've just about finished the study/office/library/MODELLING ROOM and rather than pick up on one of the (rather many) half started/half finished models I thought I'd start another one LOL. I'd narrowed it down to the Revell 1/72 kit but then couldn't decide what to go for - I have 6 in the stash, plus AM decals so was a bit spoilt for choice. After a lot of to-ing and fro-ing, a decision was made! So, without any more ado, I'd like to enter a 617 Sqn GR4 And possibly a Luftwaffe ECR Pics to follow - now then, how do you open the box again? It's been such a long time . . . Jimbo

Hi all A few pics from the first few days of Fairford. Bit late posting, but my Girlfriend came with me this year, and caught what sun we had on the Wednesday, so I dropped her off home yesterday after the arrivals (so she got MORE sun!) so after the 2 hours there and the same back I was a bit knackered! So . . . on with the pics, all self explanatory really. (Oh, the C-27 was barrel rolling! That was followed by a loop . . . time for video tomorrow I think! ) An odd thing about several of the pics this year - they've got BLUE SKY as background! And so to bed - with a fair bit of after sun cream! Jimbo

September . . . Wonder if my study/library/modelling room will be finished by then If so, I'm in please - I see I have 7 1/72 P-47s in the stash. I MUST be able to get one done! Jimbo (off to continue decorating!)

They look amazing! I worked for Marine Services/RMAS in the late 80s-early 90s, on the clerical side but enjoyed many a trip out on the tugs and their other vessels. In particular trying to steer Bustler down Portsmouth Harbour! Are the centre two vessles a TUTT and Dog? I can't get over how small - and so detailed! - your tugs are. Brilliant! Jim

Am at Middleton-on-Sea village fête (oh, the excitement!) and a Dragon Rapide's gone over twice. The one from Shoreham, I assume - must get along there sometime!

Hi Seamus Just wanted to add to the admiration of your photos - absolutely brilliant! I've got the Canon 100-400 too, on a 50D - gets a bit heavy after a while, doesn't it?! The weather conditions at RIAT 2010 were a bit . . . challenging(?) at times I thought. I managed to ruin a fair number of my shots by dropping the shutter speed too low - found I can't handhold like I used to! Last year was the first airshow for me for 15 years, and the first with digital, so I really must get aloing to some shows (or even my local airfield) in between RIATs. I'm just glad I'm not still using film - apart from getting the results more or less immediately I shudder at what the cost would have been! I follow much the same workflow as yourself. RAW can be a real saviour sometimes though I haven't tried Neat Image - might have to give it a go (especially as I see they do a plugin for 64 bit CS4) I'm currently working through my RIAT pics, doing a very basic grading of them (5=keep, 4=look again later and decide, 1=bin) Mind you, I still haven't finished sorting last year's photos yet! Jimbo Going rather cross eyed in front of his laptop! PS On your other post detailing your workflow, you mentioned using AI Servo mode. In that mode the camera is continually adjusting focus on the selected focus point (as long as you keep the shutter release half pressed). So as the subject changes distance the camera is following it in focus. In single shot mode you'd have to lift off the release and re-press it to get the new 'focus distance'. I've missed pics doing that because as the camera refocussed it started to hunt right at the critical time! Sorry if you DID know this, but you'd commented ' If I'm honest, I have no idea what that means, but I read that that's the way to go, so I do!'

What's flying over my house (well, my girlfriend's) are two F-22s Over Middleton-on-Sea, heading due east right till they were lost to sight. Maybe they're having a look round the coast after Farnborough. Either that or they're on their way home and their SatNav is playing up Jimbo