Farmer matt

Hello. I started dipping into this for the boat, or ship as my old physics master would have demanded it be called, but also now the whole life balance thing. It may not suit you at all, but have you tried not wearing a watch? I first changed to a dial rather than digital whilst still at work, even that helped. Now I took early retirement so don' t really need the time as such, and right at the start of the first lockdown my watch packed up. It was 3 months before I could do much about it, by then I was out of the habit and not worn since. Such a difference. For example, it means when the dog insists on another lap of the common, or disappears after something, there is far less urgency because I'm not thinking about the time in the same way as when you keep looking at a watch. Fascinating build, to see you learning by doing. Matt.

So we were flying along nicely, and were just coming within sight of our destination when the gremlins came out to play. I don't think we need to declare a Mayday just yet, but a few checklists are going to need running through. So while I try and salvage something presentable from the ASK canopy, the CE has been snagged and may get some paint this week if the wind dies down. And I am not forgetting I will soon have to address that canopy too. Meanwhile a huge thanks to Malc2 for the poundland glasses suggestion, except now I can see that instead of painting Johnny pilot, I had just randomly daubed in his general direction. Not that my figure painting has ever been much better than that to be honest. Hopefully back on course soon. Matt.

Some may not understand this decision, and even allowing for the damage it was a brave thing to do. I know from experience just how cathartic such an excercise can be however. Yes there is sadness for some of what is 'lost' , but the sense of freedom you undoubtedly now have is a positve to take forwards, and now you are mentally free to build more, without the weight of past baggage on your shoulders (or in the loft). Matt.

Thanks for that link, that is a feat of engineering, and with so many different elements. It is great being able to share like that, the language may be different but the pictures say everything. Matt

Part of the reason for the initial gloss coat is that decals do not like to adhere to matt, and can also suffer 'silvering'when applied to a less than smooth finish, which will often show up the carrier varnish coat of the decal. As most models will have decals dotted about here and there all over, it is easier to over-all gloss the entire model. However, if you only had an isolated decal to fix, you could just gloss that area first, but then you risk that area always standing out. The coating after decals is essential, if only to protect the decal from damage, both immediate and longterm. Again, because of layout etc it is often simpler to coat the entire model, and the same caveat applies to just coating an isolated piece, it will stand out. You will find what techniques work for you, and what brands etc you prefer with time. Many of these things are personal preference and it is what you feel comfortable with that will likely give you the best result. Matt

Come on , you must unlock the Soyuz launcher from under the bed! Awesome stash, impressive builds so far. Please do show more. Matt.

Hi Malc, Interesting you can do your own vacforms. Serious question, is there a way you can make the buck so that when you come to cut the finished part it is Farmer proof, or at least idiot proof? That must cause issues for others too. Creating a frame took most of this afternoon and some bad language, and actually makes the fit look worse. Not quite shelf of doom time yet, but would have been nice to have kept the snafus at bay a bit longer, or at least not on such an obvious part. Matt.

Hi Malc, Yes, Tamiya tape is the only way to go, it wasn' t the tape that was at fault, it was the eyes trying to see where to lay it! The canopies were mastered as a plastic padding buck if I remember, but production was outsourced. When I cleared the house, there were boxes in the loft unopened from the previous house 20 + years earlier. I confess to have worked on a bit of a scorched earth policy, as I have quite enough stuff of my own. If we kept everything , we would still never be able to find it anyway! Matt

Twenty years ago, you would now be admiring a lovely stripey glider, but once I had started masking, I realised that this is not twenty years ago and I am no longer invincible. I set up a maypole in the cockpit as a datum and started dancing, but the executive decision to walk away was soon made. Unfotunately, I then chose to walk straight into the elephant which has been lurking in the room for this entire build. Ouch! -no not you Mrs F, I wouldnt dare even think that. I mean the vacform canopy, which incidentally is wrapped in some very 1980s toilet tissue. 'We can supply a replacement if you send us 3x1st class stamps' say the instructions, but it might have been wiser to include a spare. Whats worse is I know there is probably a couple of hundred of the things in a landfill site not too far from here, but hey, then there was a house to clear not a model to build. On the positive side the canopy is pretty clear, on the negative side, I made a bit of a pigs ear of cutting it out. I filled it with tac, masked the lines, scribed the lines, couldn't really see what I was doing, and more by luck than judgement arrived at this. askcanopy by Matt Farmer, on Flickr This is the good side. I am thinking by the time I have run a tape frame round the edge I might have got away with it. If not it will have to be posed open. We will see. In the meantime, I have rubbed the red back with some 1200 grit, pending a decision on whether to simply go lovely red all over, or have white wings. But no sunburst.

Hi Dave, That is why I don't use Appliance Gloss white, its too white, whereas like you say Diamond looks better in our sizes. I get what you are saying about doing the light first, but there are a few factors at play. If I screw up the masking, it will be easier to touch up the red, and also I will give a light primer coat before the white, so it shouln't pink. I looked at the Dutch airframe which turns up on the web, and partly the call was made on balance of what was to be masked or left either way (white first or red first). Thankyou for the input though, it is appreciated. I'm going to leave well alone now for a few days before I start masking anyway, so the CE can get some attention. Matt.

ask3 by Matt Farmer, on Flickr You may notice that this is not Ford Diamond white! This is Ford Sunburst Red. Lovely. And if that name has put a thought in your head, I'm way ahead of you. I feel a masking session heading this way. Meanwhile, attending to the tail of the Christen Eagle threw up a bit of a snagging list so she is pending for a bit. Nothing major, the only glaring oversight was not filling the undersides of the lower wings where the strut locating holes were fully through. Don't worry she will be white soon. For those of you not used to car sprays, every colour has its own little quirks and foibles in application and drying behaviours, but reds are generally just pleasant to use. For the most part as long as its warm, reds are happy, so they are a good way to introduce yourself to the basics of simply applying the paint if you havent done so before. Matt.

Hi, just chanced upon this. RAL = Reichsausschuss fur Lieferbedingungen, Reich Commitee for Conditions of Supply. They recommended colours for use across all genres, Railway, postal, army. Obviously, the specific formula of paint would differ for each application, but the colour would be the same. Therefore, in theory, army Schwarzgrau should look the same as airforce Schwarzgrau, but have a different chemical formula. So for modelling purposes, same is same. Thats my understanding anyway, hope it helps. Reccomended reference, Luftwaffe Colours 1939-1945 by Michael Ullmann, Hikoki 2002 Regards, Matt.

Thanks Dave, that sounds like a better plan! Should stop any attachment to the thumbs too. Matt

CEtail by Matt Farmer, on Flickr Now at last this may begin to resemble a 'normal' WIP, as work has actually progressed. The Christen Eagle had her tail feathers braced this morning. Each surface does have dimples to aid positioning of the wires, but inevitably with glue at both ends of a short wire, eight times, it was at times a frustrating process. The carpet monster wasn't too hungry luckily, but a few smears will need a clean up on the stabilisors. Providing the wires now stay in situ, I am not too upset by the result. Also I got the predicted fourth go at the aerial as a bonus.

This is great work. Forgive me if I have misinterpreted, but from the photos I thought you were going to skin over the frame, but read the reference to filling the void. (Can't do quotes yet). If you are filling the void, so the brass will be top surface in places, be slightly aware that it could give you a big tonal variation in the paint coat if sprayed, even over good primer. I tnink it is to do with the metal holding a different temperature to the surrounding plastic. I am now even more embarassed by the thumb twins efforts at the cockpit framing on the ASK. Looked ok from a mile away then I photographed it. No way thats getting posted! Matt

Was telling me my clock was wrong so wouldn't let me play. Seems ok now though. Thanks for fixing. Matt.

SCHLEICHER ASK 13 continued The undercarriage consists of a single main wheel, a long forward skid, and a tail skid. The wheel is cast into its gondola, which is positioned easily enough but needed packing to keep it straight whilst drying as it wanted to slew. The front skid is by its nature a long thin part, and may need massaging to acheive the correct contour. Location is by front peg, centre strut, and then the rear sits in a slot in the front of the gondola. The tail skid can either be attached now or later. The last part of the airframe to attach is the fin/rudder which has a pin to the fuselage and then overhangs the rear so needs supporting in alignment until set. Finally for now, the cockpit interior, which does not need to be inserted yet. You get a floor, rear instrument panel (the front one is cast into the cowl), two control columns, and two empty seats. Or, if you use Johnny pilot he again comes grasping the controls and is ready moulded in his seat. He sits in the front, and it would have been nice to have the option of a passenger/instructor for the rear, but perhaps its Johnny's first solo. The airbrake control bar is provided , cast on a stretcher, but I managed to break it on removal. Luckily I had a unique opportunity, and used the brass master in its stead. So now a tiny piece of the original is incorporated in my build, which is quite cool I think. One apparent omission is a bulkhead behind the passenger's head, so I pushed some putty into the void and sanded it smooth. cockpitframe by Matt Farmer, on Flickr The instructions provide a diagram of the cockpit framing to replicate in wire. Before anyone was watching, my instincts were to not bother and simply paint matt black everywhere, but now I might have to give it a go. Whilst I am continually in awe of some of the interior work presented on this forum, and my eyes coo over lots of lovely PE and detailing, sadly it is the thumb twins who are in charge of construction. EDIT The thumb twins have now had a go at this. The instructions call out 0.8mm for the ftamework, my first try was with 0.75, way too tight to get the seats in. Now tried with 0.5mm, and still really too snug, even with filing Johnny's elbow down. Its one of those cases where not much can be seen if you do do it, but its obvious if you do nothing. askframe by Matt Farmer, on Flickr To be resolved. This brings the ASK 13 to its present state. As with the Christen Eagle, there is still a way to go, but the main build is done. And so, after rather more than my proposed initial three posts,(sorry!), I now have to actually get on with finishing the models. I even bought a nice new tin of Ford Diamond white today, so my spray finger is getting twitchy. I would like to thank you all for your support so far, and I hope that you will be encouraged to try a white metal build for yourselves. In particular if you have an LDM kit in the stash, please do build it. (Unless its a TSR2, in which case please do sell it to me!) Matt.

SCHLEICHER ASK13 continued EDIT additional photo askwingjoin by Matt Farmer, on Flickr Original master The wing to wing join is acheived by a set of substantial interlocking forks, which locate in troughs in the opposing roots, forming a spar around which the fuselage is constructed. A single peg on the underside of the starboard piece × only × should locate in a corresponding hole in the lower fuselage. A dry fit of the two wings together promised good alignment and a secure join. The fun started when the fuselage pieces were introduced to the newly created centre-section. It was immediately obvious that the wings, although nicely aligned , were far too far apart. Additionally, the peg was seeming to play all kinds of havoc and trying to skew everything. At this point, it would have been tempting to remove the peg and resign to filling chasms at either root, but since I had previously established that the individual wing/ fuselage relationships were good, further diagnosis was required. The problem lay in the inner faces of the troughs, which were dished with overcast. So, with a combination of reaming them out a bit and and removing material from the corresponding edges of the forks, the wings were gradually moved closer together until there would be no gap to the fuselage. Note that the forks are not actually too long or wide, and nor do the troughs need enlarging, just cleaning out. Once satisfied with the span of the spar, the wing could finally be glued, and application was quite liberal to be on the safe side. Then the structure was left supported to maintain the dihedral and not touched for a day. After the above work, the lower fuselage was attached without drama, soon followed by the upper part to complete the sandwich. Alignment of the fuselage halves is foolproof, with tabs behind the wing, a peg at the tail and a raised keel in the lower part so really no excuses. The upper fuselage casting includes the horizontal tail surfaces, so after assembling just four parts we have most of a glider, which can now be cleaned up and given a shot of primer. The only real filler needed was on the underside of the wings where the spar troughs were still visible. EDIT photo of original master askmaster by Matt Farmer, on Flickr According to the instructions, the nose cowl has a 'deliberate mis-match of contours' but in any case was the one piece I really could not persuade to fit properly. In the end I just got it looking as best possible and applied filler to hide my blushes. Next up we will be flying inverted, and the ASK can be looped, so hold tight.

Thankyou Greggles, welcome aboard. It is unfortunate that whilst computers have enabled people to create so much, there is now a complete disconnect with the object created. There is no understanding of how the result would have been physically acheived, nor in most cases is there a desire for that understanding. Lost is the satisfaction of making something, and then next time making something (hopefully) better because you have learnt from the process. Please do post the Caudron, (and then you must build it!) Regards, Matt

SCHLEICHER ASK 13 LDM 1:48 white metal kit LDM8 by Matt Farmer, on Flickr The ASK 13 two-seat glider was first flown in1966, and became a familiar sight at gliding clubs across Europe. Gliders were not included on the UK civil register until 2003, long after this kit was released. They were previously allocated three-letter codes by the British Gliding Association, who also alloted three-digit competion numbers where required. On joining the full register, many craft received G-Cxxx registrations, but that was a product of timing rather than an alloted sequence. No decals are included in this kit, and I do feel that a selection of suitably sized letters and numerals would have been welcome, if only to save ferreting in the spares box. This kit is very different from the Christen Eagle just documented, not least in the sheer size of the wing parts, each of which probably contains more metal than that entire biplane. It is the joining of those wings which is the absolute key to this build. The first task, however, is much simpler. The kit is provided with the option of having the airbrakes in the deployed position, above and below each wing. To this end, there are two pin holes in each wing surface that require a tiny dot of filler if you are not fitting the airbrakes, or drilling out slightly if you are, in which case easier done now ready for × later × fitment. The airbrakes themselves would certainly be PE nowadays, and look a little clunky so were consigned to the parts bin. There is also not really any way to represent their vacated housings if you did have them deployed. This highlights an area in which metal kits may score poorly with some of you. Unless a surface has been specifically moulded to be in the 'open' state, ie with a recess or hole already in situ, it is not practical to create the opened up weapons bays, cowlings and inspection hatches etc. that enhance your builds. Another task that needs to be addressed before construction is to drill a hole for a stand, again clearly marked in the lower fuselage but this time requiring you to drill through the undercarriage gondola too.-this will need fitting now if you want this feature. The instructions seem rather pessimistic about the whole idea, so I opted not to pursue the matter. An initial check of the individual wings against the fuselage parts, and each other, seemed encouraging. However,..........

Hello to you all. This model is a fantasy conversion from the Corgi OOC 1:76 diecast, done many years ago when the Borismasters were still a novelty, but I have only just rediscovered the photos. There is along tradition of open-top sightseeing vehicles in London, many of them converted from the traditional Routemaster, so I thought 'why not the new one too'. Work done included removal of part of the roof, replacing the centre door with a panel and window, handrails and advert frames from brass wire. Full respray, buzzcode adverts and blinds homemade, other decals from spares. Anorak wearers amongst you will note that LT151 went to London United not Arriva, but numbers were nowhere near that high when it was chosen. boris.ot1 by Matt Farmer, on Flickr boris.ot2 by Matt Farmer, on Flickr boris.ot3 by Matt Farmer, on Flickr boris.ot4 by Matt Farmer, on Flickr And with an unmolested example boris.ot5 by Matt Farmer, on Flickr boris.ot6 by Matt Farmer, on Flickr The New Bus for London, New Routemaster or Borismaster, was a rare example of a politician delivering on an election promise. Sadly, when Mr Johnson moved on the vehicles were quickly deemed to be too 'last mayor' and have since been treated as an embarassing liability, rather than as an iconic flagship design for the capital. Thanks for looking, Matt.

Thankyou, Markh75, Metal kits are a bit of a niche in the aviation side of modelling, but the road guys were really well catered for. In many ways the explosion in diecast availability killed demand all round, because a highly detailed finished model was suddenly a fraction of the cost of a metal kit. The metal used in the diecast models is usually mazac which is much harder than that used for the kits. I have seen in the armour section that you have done some lorries etc, and a white metal truck may be a good place to start., if you wanted to the medium a try. Matt.

Hi, Malc Using the paint as a sleeve is a plan, its just that I tend to drop the part before I hit the hole! The decal artwork was prepared at 4:1. That in the pic is the layout sheet, which once finalised would be securely taped down, and then individual elements would be traced in ink onto (usually four) overlaying acetate sheets, segregated according to the desired print colour. A further sheet was then traced to give the required position of the varnished coat. The acetates were then photographed and reduced by the printers to create their stencils for the screen-printing process. Most, if not all, LDM decals were printed by KayLee of Long Eaton (Nottingham). These skilled and time consuming methods of producing artwork and decals are now all but redundant, as anyone with access to a PC and printer can now produce good quality multicolour items with ease to their personal requirement. Now a final distraction before I get to the ASK13 build notes, and this should appeal to the glider enthusiasts amongst you. 053 by Matt Farmer, on Flickr This is a sports glider known as Sigma, and was an industry funded research project conceived to investigate the use of Fowler flaps in conjunction with a high aspect ratio wing. The idea was that the deployed flaps would accelerate climb rate, and would then be retracted so the glider would speed to victory. Unfortunately, actuation was hindered by the flexing of the wing, and also the 'clean' glider was not as fast as hoped. The connection to our story here is that, following an initial short term contract for detail design work, Brian became build lead on the project in 1971/2, and saw the airframe through to rollout and first flight. This model was built by him during that time, and has a wingspan of around 3ft. Unfortunately long since sold on, but I thought it may be of interest. Matt.

ldmproductlist by Matt Farmer, on Flickr COMPLETE LDM PRODUCT LISTING Brian Lawrence produced a huge number of patterns for various manufacturers, across a wide range of subject, and many of these bear either the LDM oval logo, or just the three letters, as an adjunct to the producers Edit. This list is now in the RESOURCES sub forum img20220418_10230721 by Matt Farmer, on Flickr

CHRISTEN EAGLE 1 continued This passage will bring the Christen Eagle to its present state, and raises the eternal dilemma of just when is it best to attach the break-offables. Personally, if a glue laden antenna is going to make an escape bid by slithering down the fuselage, I would rather it happened now than have to try and salvage a finished paint job. The above was immediately vindicated by the tail-wheel, which was initially determined to rest against the port stabilisor, until some attention with a file sorted the location points and it has since stayed in place. Some wire is provided in the kit, and it looks like there is enough for the pitot, radio aerial and tailplane bracing wires. The last of those will be near the front of the queue when work recommences. There is a helpful notch in the leading edge of the port lower wing to position the pitot, and I enlarged this slightly to aid attachment which just needed a drop of superglue. No such provision is made for the aerial, so I filed a slight flat at the appropiate spot on the fuselage spine. First time lucky was a false dawn, and the aerial is now in its third location slightly off centre. I have left it for now on the grounds that I will probably get a fourth shot at it in the near future! Although there is obviously a way to go before a finished model, the basic build of the Christen Eagle is now complete, so after a couple of brief diversions I will turn attention to the ASK13. Thankyou to all of you who have shown an interest so far, I hope you will stay aboard. Meanwhile, if any of you have any LDM goodies lying around please do share them here, built or not. Matt.