ColonelKrypton

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

Very nice and such a small model too. cheers, Graham

That is really looking good. cheers, Graham

Holding on while working on small bits is always a challenge and and even more so as I have gotten older and years of working with my hands plus a the beginnings of arthritis setting in. Years ago I discovered what is called a jewellers ring clamp. Simple devices with leather padded jaws, one end square the other rounded and use a wedge on the end opposite the work piece to apply the clamping force to the workpiece and being a wedge you can apply a little or a lot of clamping force. Once you see a picture you will understand how they work. Use Google and search for "jewellers ring clamp" and you will find many examples from less than $10 for the cheap ones to double that for better quality. Amazon, eBay, Etsy or better yet, find a good jewellers supplier. I also use it with a bench pin too. The muzzle break is looking good. Can't wait to see the part that has taken long time. cheers, Graham

Nicely done scratchbuilt in Wee Warrior scale. There are many gems to found in those old model magazines and sometimes the only way to get an unusual vehicle is to scratchbuild. You may this interesting if you have not already seen it: https://www.themotormuseuminminiature.co.uk/scratch-building.php Lot of tips, techniques and inspiration. cheers, Graham

Very nicely done build of and old and rather basic and not so easy to build kit. If not a Master Modeler then pretty darn close. Some of those French between the wars designs where quite distinctive. cheers, Graham

John, Very nicely done. Thank you for posting the links for your builds to the modelbrouwers.nl web site. Even though in Dutch, using the magic of Google Chrome "translate to english", it is very easy to follow your "work in progress" postings and many other intersting postings on the web site. I use this feature often but I have to be careful otherwise I will spend all my day reading model websites and never get any model building of my own done cheers, Graham

That really does look good. Your Viking longship has turned into quite a challenging build which you have tackled with your usual enthusiasm and creative skills. cheers, Graham

Jeff, Your USS Mullany is really coming together and looking the part. Aim for perfection, settle for excellence - and on that you have easily hit the mark. cheers, Graham

Marvelous, simply marvelous. It is always a pleasure to see such a build with so many wee details added. Very nicely done. cheers, Graham

I keep saying that I think I might make my next project one that is strictly out of the box ( OOB ). Reality is that is likely never going to be as I can just never resist adding one little extra bit, and then another, and then another ... A one kit build for a dyed in the wool kitbasher? Not likely. No matter how strong the will there will always be the temptation to add just one little extra bit (from another kit), and then another, and ... Your Degem Alef build is progressing very nicely. cheers, Graham

A technique practiced many times many years ago in drafting class and repeated in metal shop out of sheet metal making various bits of ducting - or at least trying too. That is a good idea using the circle template to hold the bits in place. I had lost track of your build. It is nice to see it well along and all of those added internal bits are looking very nice indeed. cheers, Graham

Tinger frouble or auto correct nonsense? In either case, sounds like good idea; count me in. cheers, Graham

I just tried it too, must be a bad link but I did find the video on youtube: cheers, Graham

That Jeff, is a mild form "Analysis Paralysis" "Analysis Paralysis" - to get stuck not making any headway due to being mired down fussing over minutia or trying to sort too many options or information. DD-528 form is really starting show it's shape. A few more rounds of fill, file, and sand should see it's final form. As an aside, I use that body filler you were considering earlier. Here it is sold under the brand name of Bondo. It is a polyester resin based two part filler ( a big blob of filler Part A and a small bit of part B ). It does bond to styrene but not as well the Tamiya. Used in small amounts it does work well as it sands very nicely. There are also automotive spot putties which are similar to the Tamiya. The biggest difference is that I find the automotive putties more coarse than the Tamiya products. As (yet) another option, and one I have been using more often recently, is CA glue. The thick varieties are good at gap filling. It is possible to use CA with a filler such as dental acrylic powder. Paul Budzik ( a dentist by trade) has published a bit on the subject https://paulbudzik.com/tools-techniques/Dental Resin/dental-resin.html ( video on youtube as well I think ). Nail ( as in finger) acrylic powder is a substitute for dental acrylic powder ( search on Amazon ). Not for everyone as some are sensitive to CA fumes but it works for me in limited applications. Sets quickly, no waiting overnight for the filler to cure before filing and sanding. cheers, Graham

Any good model railway store, real or online, should have something suitable. There are many decent shops in the UK. A quick search found this one https://www.hattons.co.uk/1126683/parkside_models_pa22_fine_chain_18_links_per_inch/stockdetail Train shops usually have all sorts of interesting bits that can be used to detail models other than trains. Hannants likely have something suitable as well. https://www.hannants.co.uk/search/index.php?search=chain cheers, Graham

Starting to look like a ships hull now. I tried using a similar technique to make the fuselage of a post Second World War British prototype jet ( a Gloster E.1//44 ) that I was building for the "Anything but injection" group build The technique worked out well but I painted myself into a corner with a few poor choices and the project stalled. cheers, Graham

I assume there is a bit still missing from the one of the left but the one the right does look a better fit to the vehicle. I would not have but now that you have pointed it out and after a bit of research on my part, I now know the difference. Decisions, decisions, always decisions and compromises whenever kit bashing and scratch building. It is not always easy to find that compromise. Aim for perfection but settle for well done. cheers, Graham

Marvelous, simply marvelous. Very creative and equally rendered. cheers, Graham

Indeed. I have been out hunting and gathering already cheers, Graham

What an interesting observation on differences in colour. My first thought would have been that the paint on the ends would have spent more time in a shaded area between two cars and would thus be less weather beaten than that on the sides. However, you comment on colours for cars with vents on the end and those without does make sense, a simple color coding to help those doing the hard work shifting the cars and their loads. We often forget some of those simple ways of working from our past. I like trains but am far from knowledgeable on the subject, even more so for UK subject matter. An interesting subject, in an interesting scale, built in an interesting way. What's not to like? cheers, Graham

it is always nice to have such bits and pieces on hand when such a need arises. I used to have some Accurate Armour stuff that I bought at a local hobby store years ( decades ) ago but that is long gone. The local store does not stock this sort of stuff anymore as there is very little interest amongst todays shoppers. However, some time ago, I discovered that practitioners of Gundam / Gunpla like to "detail up" their Gunpla models. Consequently the better stocked Gunpla stores often have a wide range of bits and pieces that are suitable to AFV modeling including a wide variety of photoetched grid/mesh having square, rectangular, oval, ( etc ) shapes and some of which is not your ordinary flat 2D stuff but some also has some 3d features. Worth a look if you are in the need and can find a well Gunpla store with decent stock. You may also find some use for some of their other "detail up" bits. The bits of your Alef are starting to come together and looking like it should. In fact, you Alef build has inspired me to look at some of the stuff I have lying around. I found an old pigs ear of an early Tamiya kit, their T-62A. Even with all it's faults it is tempting me to try and make into a silk purse. cheers, Graham

Very nice. If it wasn't stated, it would be difficult to tell that that was 72nd Wee Warrior scale. cheers, Graham

Well, not to confuse, my build is really a Lorraine TRC 37L ( French tracked carrier ), The Tamiya Marder I is just the starting point. cheers, Graham