ColonelKrypton

I have always found clear styrene to be rather brittle. Have you tried the PET or PETE ( Polyethylene terephthalate ) clear plastic used for food containers? Softer than clear styrene and easier to cut and punch but you may have to look around for something as thin as 0.25mm ( 0.010" ). Another thought might be something like the material used for clear plastic report covers or overhead project transparencies? Should be stiff enough in the diameter of your props. You would need to use a wee bit of CA or something other typical styrene cements. Very cool Oscar and Tigercat. cheers, Graham

Yes, please and thank you. It is all good. cheers, Graham

It is about time for an update. I have not been sitting bone idle but I have been very tardy in posting updates. I wanted to really like this kit when I first got it. As a kit it is not too bad. Parts fit is good but there are many places where you will want to clean up the seams and what not. Out of 10 I will give this kit a solid 7.5 I like to fuss over small bits. As such I spent a week or so fussing over adding detail to the engine. Not a great amount of extra detailing but just enough to make it more presentable. Trouble is, I could not find much in the way of reference material. There are two versions of this 7 liter 428 cu. in. 4 cylinder 52 horsepower monster. One uses cylinder heads with one spark plug per cylinder and another has two spark plugs per cylinder. I am not sure whether it was the original "series 1" trucks which had the one spark plug per cylinder or whether it was the "series 2". The "series 2" was a simplified version of the vehicle which removed much of the electrical system and replaces the electric lights with lanterns. An economy measure I think I read somewhere. In any case, the engine in the kit represents the one having one spark plug per cylinder but the molded on spark plugs where far too small and look like little more than bolt heads so made something more suitable. I fussed for a week just trying various way to make suitable spark plugs. I used my Foredom hand piece mounted as a makeshift lathe for this work. The mount is a dovetail mount used on rifles to mount scopes and other accessories which is screwed to a large chunk of aluminium and the actual mounting piece that holds the Foredom handpiece is originally for a tactical flashflight. The front bumper had molded plastic springs which just wouldn't do so where replaced with real springs: And this is pretty much where I am now. Missing from the picture is the cargo bed. That is out to carriage house for final assembly and painting. You will find many pictures of these trucks where the canvas covers are on and just as many without. The cargo bed I am going to leave the covers off and will then be able to put some suitable stuff in place as cargo. However, I am still undecided on the cover the cab however. Many reference photos have it many don't. I am sitting on the wall teetering in the wind and could just as easily have a great fall one way or the other, just don't alert all the Kings horses and all the Kings men just yet; The last thing I need is a Royal inquiry on the matter. Should easily be finished before the end of the group build. cheers, Graham

Good day all, I have been very tardy in posting updates on my projects but I have been chipping away at the builds. This project got started quickly and progressed well. However, for some reason I lost momentum and I have had to put the build aside. It will not be completed for this group build. Good news is that as it sits it is less than 25% complete so if the opportunity arises where it might fit in another group build I can continue with it there or perhaps when the urge to complete it otherwise I will do so then. This is where I got to before setting it aside: As with all Tamiya kits, the Marder is a nice kit. The Lorraine is an interesting vehicle and I am already starting to think it would be nice to get back to before too long. In the meantime there are far too many other projects on the go including the Liberty truck I started for this group build. That one is progressing nicely even though I have not posted any updates on that build. It should be complete before the end of the group build and hopefully I will post an update on it's progress later today or tomorrow. cheers, Graham

Good day all, I had good intentions of participating in this group build as some months previous I had purchased a Border Models 1/72 Leopard 2A5/2A6 kit. My first impressions of the kit where so good that I purchased a second and waited patiently for this group build to begin. I got a start and assembled just enough of the hull so that I could attempt the assembly of the link and length tracks. Assembly looked easy enough and I have assembled similar link and length tracks in 1/35 scale. After three tries and much fussing I managed to get one side assembled to a good enough state. The second run of tracks? Five tries and even more a mess than the first run. Not only that, but for reason I was dropping parts but with some like found most of them but a number are still missing in action. On a whim I had purchased a few 1/72 scale kits, built a couple of armoured cars which are much smaller than the Leopard. I like to fuss over small details and thought that 1/72 might be a good change. The reality is that I am getting older and the arthritis in my fingers and hands is progressively getting worse. I think the woes I had with kit was it's way of telling me to stick with the larger scale kits. I have put this one aside for now this build along with the other Border Models Leopard kit. I will take another crack at it before too long but for now I will move on with something else. It is a marvelous kit. My problems with dropping parts and making a mess of the link and length tracks is just a result of my BFF ( big fat fingers ). I will however continue to follow along with group build. cheers, Graham

Very nicely done. cheers, Graham

I saw the earlier posts on this which prompted me to play around a bit with metallic paints and substitutes. One of those substitutes worked quite well. You may remember a product from years ago called "Rub'n Buff". You wipe it on and buff it out and produced quite good results. The product is still made: https://www.amaco.com/t/mixed-media/metallic-finishes/rub-n-buff for details. AK Interactive sells a very similar product which may in fact be the same product re-packaged for AK Interactive. Price for the AK Interactive may be a bit less depending on your sources i.e. Amazon or a local hobby store. https://ak-interactive.com/product/true-metal-old-bronze/ is an old bronze colour and the one I played around with. The end result colour depends on what is underneath. The darker the primer ( i.e. black or dark grey) the darker the results and the converse is true, the lighter the primer the lighter and brighter the result. In my simple test a medium grey produced acceptable results whereas a bright yellow resulted in a much brighter result. A middle orange might provide something suitable - depends on the effect you are aiming for. These are wax based and will take one to two days to properly dry. They can even be thinned with mineral spirits for brushing or spraying. I have seen a picture of a plastic model of a German 88 shell ( I think ) that was finished with the AK Interactive True Metal brass and you could not tell from the picture that it wasn't real brass. cheers, Graham

Another interesting choice. My choice would be the fishing drifter but I am sure this one will turn out to be another fabulous build regardless of which version you choose. cheers, Graham

that worked out well. I will make a note and give that try. cheers, Graham

Dmitriy, I have been following along your build but like yourself I know very little on this particular subject so I have not had anything to contribute. I have a 1/72 Border Models Leopard that I have been preparing to build for inclusion in the Leopard group build. I am keeping notes of your build that I can apply to mine. One of the reasons for this choice was to get myself out of my comfort zone and build something new much as you have done as a change from your HMS Brave Borderer build. Spring here in Eastern Ontario, Canada near Ottawa has been a the cool side. Today's high is expected to be around 17C. Good weather to be building models after the daily chores are done. cheers, Graham

Makes me think of "train of thought". Is that about trains or not about trains but it could be about trains. Oh look, there goes one now, a bit shiny CN VIA rail train on it's way to Montreal. I wonder if anyone on board is having a train of thought about trains? And just to wrangle this latest tangled web of banter back on tack ( sailing ship remember ), Billy is coming along nicely and starting to look more and more the part. cheers, Graham

As it should be. Savour the journey wherever it may wander. I do like your Ultimation chopper. I have the all metal RP Toolz Miter Cutter https://www.rptoolz.com/?page_id=170 which works very well on styrene and small wood bits but I think would be too small for building something like Billy Ruffian. The Ultimation looks more up to the task of the heavier work needed for that. Good tools are always a pleasure to use. cheers, Graham

Indeed. Very nicely done. cheers, Graham

Variety is the spice of life and helps cleanse your soul. What is life without a bit of variety and whimsy? I only drink coffee in months having "r" in their name. cheers, Graham

Titebond aliphatic glue is a good choice for this sort of work. I always have a bottle of it in the workshop. As Dimitry noted, there are other variations having different properties i.e. Titebond II, Titebond III and Titebond Quick and Thick ( never tried this one ). I am sure I have mentioned hide glue before. One of the "traditional" wood working glues. Good initial grab ( tack ), long open time ( i.e. repositionable ) and if needed can be disassembled with a bit of heat and moisture plus it sand easily. Long gone is need to use hide glue flakes and the traditional heated glue pot as there are now several options for what has become known as liquid hide glue. In fact Titebond has their own version https://www.axminstertools.com/global/titebond-liquid-hide-glue-ax22595 Give it a try, you may find it a good compliment to your other choice of glue. This is another option the one I keep on hand: https://www.leevalley.com/en-ca/shop/tools/supplies/adhesives/glue/69158-old-brown-glue?item=56K6010 cheers, Graham That's the one. I just couldn't remember the name but did recall that it would be a BIG project. cheers, Graham

Actually there are blue Magnolia's. Which, speaks to the original posters comments regarding colour names. In the commercial consumer world it is usually about marketing. Brand XYZ markets a new colour called Magnolia which is is a violet blue and the two names quickly become associated so that the casual consumer expects to find a violet blue colour when asking for "Magnolia". It is a much easier sell when calling your products "Passionate Peach", "Goblin Green", "Gory Red", "Dead Flesh" or "Dusty Rose" rather than by something more technically correct. Commercialism, branding, and making something their own - Pantone is famous this. I am so use to being able to pick up artists paints and seeing on the label what pigments where used to create that particular color, for example Golden Fluid Acrylic Naples Yellow Hue contains the pigments PW6:1 / PW6 / PY42 / PY83(HR70) plus it describes the paint as being "semi-opaque" which tells me a lot about that particular paint. You will never see this information on craft or hobby paints but can so helpful. Those pigments are described using a pigment code. P simply means Pigment, W is white, Y is yellow and the number is just it's place on the list. PW6 is titanium white which has different properties than PW4 which is zinc white and PY42 is a different yellow than PY83. If you thought that black was simply black you would be mistaken, https://www.artiscreation.com/black.html#.ZGDtF3bMJPa will give you start down that dark path. Be careful though, colour and pigments are interesting and fascinating subjects and if not careful you could find yourself spending much time following those interesting paths. But the more you know, the easier it is to navigate the many choices. I do hear your frustration. Why can't it be simple? Simple question, complex answer. I am afraid it is just the nature of the beast. cheers, Graham

Looking good Jon. Fussing over small bits can be frustrating, take a lot more time in relation to their size and can be very tiring mentally and physically but in the end I think provide the greatest sense of pleasure and accomplishment. Well done. cheers, Graham

You are correct in your usual insightful comments. Point of view and semantics are so important. My glass is always full and always in the last place I look It just happened that I had been in a bit of a blue funk of late and had been ruminating on many things. It just happened that your postings struck a chord and sent me off on a missive, more I think than anything else, just to give myself a big swift kick in the bottom to get the creative juices flowing. It did. cheers, Graham

Balderdash! This sounds like something that a defeatist would say. "Do or do not. There is no try." ( quote from a famous fictional character - I am sure many will know and for those who do not it will be easy to figure out ) There are no failures, only successes; varying degrees perhaps. Making models of any kind is an artistic pursuit whether or not the practitioner understands or accepts that. You cannot and it is dangerous to try to define that intangible notion of success by drawing the conclusion that success is measured by the number of models you finish. It isn't or at least should not be. https://www.learning-to-see.co.uk/why-your-artistic-failures-are-really-successes-in-disguise I finish about 1 in 10 of whatever I start. And of those I do finish only about 1 in 10 end up on Britmodeller in part or in whole. I participate in a few group builds as it helps me feel more included. I used to worry about keep up the number of updates but recently I am participating in one group but have only made a couple of updates. I have only made a couple of updates and part of me feels a bit bad that I haven't done more but I remind myself that I am building for me first, anything else can wait. I have been building at slow pace but one which give me more pleasure in the doing. The update will happen, it will just take some time. Many artists take many months or years even decades to finish some work. Many consider what they have done to be never complete. I am sure if Leonardo could revisit his Mona Lisa today that some of his first thoughts might be - another brush stroke hear, another there .... ( and so on ). Many times I look at things that I have deemed complete and set aside and think the same thing. One of the characteristics of your postings has been the readiness of acceptance of a bit of off topic banter. You yourself encourage it as do others. It has never really gotten out of control as you will steer the participants back on track with your steady hand on the tiller. Cleaning house is and important process. Feeling stifled by ones surroundings is detrimental to being creative. I do the same from time to time - find a good home for something I no longer need or want, sell it off for a few dollars, or bin it; whatever brings the quickest and greatest feeling of relief. It is like a breath of fresh air, it removes something that was holding me back and preventing me from exploring some new path. That is how it should be, a challenge and an adventure. There is no need to see it as a long term commitment, just a series of many new and interesting challenges and journeys, repetitive or not. That is an interesting comment. It does fit what little of Bertie I have come to see through your postings. To admit that to myself would make me feel a bit sad. Sounds a bit defeatist and you never struck me in that way always managing to find your way back again. Never give up, never surrender. To infinity and beyond! https://www.wearememorycatchers.com/memory-catcher-education/how-to-assess-your-success-as-an-artist There are some interesting insights of perspective in the very early part of the above web page. There is only one destination in life which must all come to terms with, everything else is just part of one long journey with many twists and turns and the occasional respite along the way. If you do end giving up on making models then don't ever consider it because of failure, just that you have chosen to explore some other interesting path. Savour the journey, follow your muse wherever it may lead. I am looking forward to your updates, as many or few as that may be. cheers, Graham PS, I am pretty certain what it is you have started building, I just don't recall which kit it was that you have mentioned before in some other thread.

Very well indeed. cheers, Graham

Indeed but just think, now that you have found it you have no reason not to build another Coming together nicely and looking good. I don't know much about IDF subjects except that to my uneducated addled brain on this subject matter, I have the preconceived notion that all Middle Eastern AFV's are all "sand coloured". I know that is not true but it is sometimes hard to get past. cheers, Graham

Indeed. And, it always amazes how a simple unifying coat of primer or other paint helps make something look, well ... better. cheers, Graham

Posca pens are marketed acrylic paint pens. Suitably thin enough to flow from a marker like pen but also quite opaque. Available in a variety of tip shapes and sizes and a multitude of colours. They are very popular with the arts and crafts crowd. For everything about Posca, see here: https://www.posca.com/en/range/# cheers, Graham

An interesting subject with a very interesting story. That photo etch and resin bits will certainly present some challenges but nothing that Bertie McBoatface can wrestle under control. cheers, Graham

Jon just never rests it seems. He is off an running on another new and interesting build. When I read CEMTEX I immediately thought of plastic explosive but that couldn't be right. After a bit of playing around with Google I did find a couple of references to Royal Navy semtex, a troweled on non-slip material. And just to confuse there seems to have a cream colour semtex and another medium dark green. Perhaps you were already aware of that. I wasn't but then Royal Naval vessels and the painting thereof is not one of my strong suits. https://www.arizonahobbies.com/Royal-Navy-SEMTEX-CREAM-1939-1941-1-oz-Tru-Color-Paint_p_5052.html although your build for something in 1942 might differ. https://www.truenorthpaints.com/wwii-navy/royal-navy-semtex-early-war https://www.shipcamouflage.com/3_10.htm towards bottom of page https://scalewarship.com/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=1451 https://www.sovereignhobbies.co.uk/pages/full-view-of-all-schemes and there is a reference on @Jamie @ Sovereign Hobbies web site. cheers, Graham