Trevor L

F5 Friesian Fighter

You can't help but smile at a sprite. A minor thing perhaps, but those seats look particularly good.

That's not a car I'm familiar with, but it's a fine looker. Good luck.

Looks like a very nice kit. I wasn't aware they didn't have a boot lid. Bit of a faff if you got a flat tyre while pootling around the countryside on a Sunday afternoon.

Right, we're off. The first thing I've done is strip the chrome off. It's not something I've done before but I've seen some tips that bleach or oven cleaner will do the job. I had a rummage around in the cupboard under the sink and found some Mr Muscle oven cleaner spray and tested it on a piece of sprue frame. It worked a treat, so I've gone ahead and sprayed it on the parts, left them for half an hour then rinsed them off. It got rid of the majority of the chrome, with a few stubborn bits left that I removed by rubbing some of the cleaner on with a cotton bud. I then cleaned the sprues in warm, soapy water, rinsed them and put them on the bathroom windowsill to dry. As there's a mix of black and silver throughout I'll be doing a lot of painting before final assembly. I'll also break it down into sections starting with the engine, and after a couple of sessions this weekend I've got most of it prepped. There's still a bit of clean up and dry fitting to do, but not a bad start.

Nice choice. I'll pull up a chair for this one.

Thanks James. Your build contains some useful information, and the end result is top notch. I might be biting off more than I can chew with this, but I've never let that put me off before.

Thanks for that. I had seen it before, but it's handy to have a link to it here. Some useful into in it that may help me be aware of some issues in advance. It also has a link to an excellent stop motion video which is worth sharing here...

Revell 7952 1/12 scale Vincent Black Shadow motorcycle My entry for the Baby Boomers GB will be the Black Shadow, one of the most exciting motorcycles of the era. Produced by Vincent in Stevenage, Hertfordshire between 1948 and 1955, it had a 998 cc engine producing 55 bhp and a top speed of 125mph. It looked great, and it was bloomin' quick! The kit was originally produced by Matchbox in 1980, and was then re-boxed by Revell from 1992. The version I have looks like it was made sometime between 1992 and 2002. I bought it on eBay and the sprues are all complete and looking good. While researching the build it's been pointed out that the wheel spokes look too thick. Some modellers have removed the plastic spokes and replaced them with wire which look good, but I've decided that's above my pay grade. Others have removed the thick chrome layer, then repainted the thinner plastic underneath. I'll have a go at this option, and maybe also strip and repaint all the chrome. A couple of items of concern: The decals look aged, which is to be expected. I'll have to see how they work out. The rubber tyres are warped. When viewed head on they look like a meandering stream! I'll dry fit the wheels to see if they pull the tyres into shape, but if that doesn't work I'll have to think of something else. I wonder if soaking them in hot water with some weight on top might soften them enough to straighten them out?

That looks great. My 'model workshop' has had to be converted back to its proper use as a spare bedroom over the Christmas period so I can't do any modelling, so I'm enjoying watching the builds instead.

Please add me to the list. I have a soft spot for mossies, so any excuse to build another one.

Glad you got it finished, and it looks great. So much detail, and so much going on.

I will be having a go at this. 1969 tool, 1973 boxing.

Put me down for this one.

Count me in. I have a good feeling about this.

"It does over a ton sonny Jim. Now get your grubby mits away from it and be off with you, or I'll give you a clip round the ear" . Ah, the good old days.

One of these landed on my doormat today, so my Baby Boomers entry is sorted

The good thing is, if the body parts don't fit very well it will make it more realistic.

Fair point.

So we would have two GB calendars, one for aircraft and one for 'other'?

The potential problem there is that the most popular genres would be more likely to win each time. Aircraft are by far more popular than other genres, so would be most likely to win through in each vote.

Put me down. I would choo-choo-choose this to vote for if it reached the bunfight!

Regarding the understanding of group builds, I think once any changes have been agreed it would be a good idea to write a definitive post explaining the whole thing: what a GB is, the various stages, the rules etc. At present there is info in the FAQ section, but it's based on an initial post and responses. A single post in FAQ or pinned separately would be a good thing IMHO. I'd be happy to help set it up if required. I also agree that the GB/STGB quotas could be reviewed after the 5 year period. The simplest suggestion could be to have 9 GB and 5 STGB slots. More room for the more numerous GB proposals, and bunfight fun for the STGBs. Discussions aside, GBs are my favourite area of BM. I enjoy taking part in them, the support, the banter, the community etc. I could live without the bad jokes, but you can't have everything I suppose!

Blimey, this is tense! Think I'll be watching this instead of the telly tonight.

Better put Greene King on alert to brew more Old Speckled Hen...