Pete Robin

I'll second that motion! Cats and kittens have a habit of turning up just when they are needed! Regards Pete

Very nicely done. Regards Pete

An interesting and very accomplished build so far! A friend of mine used to plough acres of what was East Wretham airbase. We spent many hours metal detecting in places that weren't ploughed and came up with quite a haul (if he still has it). A lot was from the Polish occupation prior to the Americans arriving but it's still possible to find a little treasure from time to time. He and his good lady were married in the Church there. It's some time since I visited and I aren't sure how much (if anything) physical like taxiways, buildings etc. are intact, but if you are careful, you can poke around the edges without getting yelled at (or possibly shot)😜. Anyways, keep up the good work. Regards Pete

OMG Pete! That's pretty much Nobel Prize territory! Regards Pete

It gets worserer every day mate😜 Me and the Colonial were oot and aboot (that's a clue to her nationality) earlier. In the local market we passed a sandwich stall advertising a Sausage and Criminalised Onion creation. When pointed out, the young lady behind the stall asked what was wrong with the sign. In another store there is a sign which makes me howl with laughter, but the store people just shrug and can't see what's wrong. It reads DOG CHUNKS IN GRAVY! Hmmm, wonder what flavour dog they used? The last one was spotted in a local shop window. It claims "BUFFY'S CATERED FOR". When I pointed out that it should be BUFFETS, I was told, ain't that how you spell it then? One rests one's case and can I please book a ticket to another planet? Regards Pete

Congratulations! May all your problems be minor. Regards Pete

Always painful to hear of a "friend's" passing. They really get under ya skin, don't they? Regards Pete

Very, very nicely done. Regards Pete

It kinda looks like it belongs with Warhammer stuff! But having said that, very nicely done! Regards Pete

Hey! Don't worry about not getting positive feedback for those. Really nicely built and the paintwork is great! Regards Pete

I can't see anything wrong with that pair! Super stuff. As others have said, they are your models, if you are happy then that's all that matters. Regards Pete

That's a damned fine piece of modelling! I personally like the dusty effect on armour but you could have equally gone with soaked through and up to its return rollers in mud for the Italian feel. I am drawn to the muted tones you've used on the stowage and personal bits, very atmospheric. Keep on sharing em my friend. Regards Pete

Oh man, you have my sympathies. Osteo I have learnt to live with, some days bits work, some days they don't. If they don't, hey, maybe tomorrow will work. The Rheumatoid tho, hell, what do ya do when your own body hates itself? I hope that whatever treatment they have for ya works and leaves you feeling better. Best wishes to ALL the sufferers. Regards Pete

Very nicely done. Regards Pete

Superb! Regards Pete

I am assuming that we are talking individual links and end connectors here. If so you can make a simple jig that keeps the links in a straight line with bits of whatever from your bench. What I did then was to estimate the length of the bottom run. Build this up as you would anything else, by placing the bits together and adding a dot of liquid poly. Put these aside to dry. When you're happy with the strraight bits and they are solid, just construct the bits that go around the sprockets and the idlers fairly quickly and then, before they set hard, you can bend them around said sprockets and rear idlers. If you've got "track sag" to build in (not likely on a Sherman), do the same with that run and alter the sag as you go. Sorry, I can't make it clearer than that. Other than to say separate all your track sections into pots and do the same with the end connectors. It's easier to divide them up that way. Hope ya manage it, it's really not as hard as it seems. If'n I can manage it, anyone can. Regards Pete

Regards Pete

Go Skip Diving! Have a look round about where they are building stuff. There are usually tons of offcuts of excellent, useable insulation. The best bit is that, if asked nicely, the geezers doing the job will gladly let ya take if for free! Regards Pete

I can't give any wonderful technical addition to this topic, but I have some scribbled notes, made over a lot of years, after listening to my old fella. He never gave specifics (apart from one or two), and my note taking was downright c**p at times, so they are a bit muddled. Anyhoos, the upshot of this is that I have a scribble (which was more about Sextons than Shermans, but they were included), which states that most of the vehicles loaded for D Day looked like Rafferty's Motor Car (ie: forty shades of green). I was told that stuff was touched up, painted, obliterated or whatever, by whichever can of paint was handy and what was available at short notice. I think that after a few days exposed to salt water, then salty sand, then whatever whatever thrown up at at them, it ain't gonna matter a jot what colour they started in. The all ended up a uniformj shade of YUCK. I hope this hasn't stalled the wonderful treatises that have appeared above, I bow, as ever, to greater knowledge than mine. Regards Pete

I've been sober for over 25 years now. Didn't do AA, could never drag the courage from anywhere. However some very special folks (who know who they are) sat with me, cajoled, berated, hugged, cried with me, cleaned me up when I was puking everywhere, put food on the table and generally pointed me on the straight and narrow. Somewhere down that road I did manage to bring my son up (with help) and he ain't turned out so bad. I now think I honestly don't miss the alcohol part. I do tho, miss the flamin' taste of the stuff. Until recently that was a tad of a problem, but I've just discovered Alcohol Free Guinness. Not perfect, but every now and then when that craving starts, it's a near enough substitute. I wonder if you chaps that have "taken the pledge"😉 still hate having to explain to people who insist on putting alcohol in your hands at every opportunity. I know I do and have walked away from so many family do's etc. Anyways, big reps to those that have had the courage to go through the AA route. One day we ought to have an alcohol free get-together. Regards Pete

I quite like that. It's a whole new type of White Noise. Some years ago we had a radio set up that used to be able to listen to the military and police air traffic. Similar thing. Just chatter that you can tune out. Great find. Thanks for sharing. Regards Pete

That it has. In some ways improvements have been made. In others, I fear not. A tranche of generations that can't use grammar, can't spell without the assistance of a computer, can't design a printed page unless it comes from Publisher (or other such programs). Plus, from what I've been reading concerning the rise of Audiobooks, we may just be giving rise to a generation that can't read. Anyways, back to the topic. Regards Pete

Very nicely done. Looks "used" without being "abused". Regards Pete

I think what our esteemed colleague Paul Lucas (above) is saying so eloquently is: They read the instructions and then did what the heck they liked (or what looked pretty), or maybe both? 😛Regards Pete

Humblest apologies Mike. At the time the political comment didn't seem controversial inside my head. Re-reading, I think it could have been better stated. Sorry for dragging it in a direction it shouldn't go. Regards Pete