marvinneko

A really great looking build. Nice to see our home and native livery.

I did my own vinyl windows and patio door on my first house, with painted wood trim. Wasn't hard and was crazy cheap given windows were on sale for a few hundred each, and expanding foam filled the gaps the original builders left. After I was done it was so much quieter, clearer and more environmentally sealed. Far simpler than those decal jobs you do .

I'm very sorry to hear this, Alistair. It was looking very good to my eye. It took me years to stop habitually cat-proofing my tables and counters after my last one was gone. I had one cat who was notorious for dipping his paw into cups of tea and licking it. I had another who jumped into a tray of lasagna and spilled it all over a rug. After my dad's death, I baked a cake for my mother and when we came back it was on the floor with bite marks in it. That being said, I do miss the purrs.

That's extremely generous, Mark. Many thanks for your kindness. I have been quite stuck lately, so these comments are most welcome.

Thank-you, Opus! I'm grateful for the kind words.

Thanks, Nick. Definitely something to consider.

Xmas 2023 Xmas 2024

I like the idea but I seem utterly useless at actually participating in GBs that aren't blitzbuilds as I always overthink it. Maybe this is the cure. You can put my name down. Post COVID cross border shipping had to be airmail rather than surface.I believe that's part of the reason for skyrocketing costs. The Ukraine war (oil prices) and tariffs (kits are listed in the Canadian response) don't help things at all. There are lots of Canadian members and like I mentioned above, people could remotely buy used kits that are local to a person and let them pick them up. ex. I am in Toronto. Anyone in the world could buy a used kit at WheelsandWings or off kijiji for pickup. I could then walk there and pick it up. I could do the same in return for a shop local to someone else. Or you could pair up with someone in the same city or province.

Thanks Adrian. There is some coffee smell when slopping it on, but the PVA locks away the aroma I think. Thanks Graham. I don't mind playing around with stuff to see what works. I get a lot of entertainment seeing what I can do. Sounds like nice stuff. Perhaps some kind of acetate. We have an arts community/uni here so worth looking. I got a giant sheet of HIPS super cheap at an arts store that I use for all my modifications. Thanks for the tips! I'll use the size tips for my next diagram. Perhaps I'll get to it on the weekend. I'm aware of the carving option but I'm intrigued how well the coffee grounds and formers worked. That option is essentially free for me as I have large amounts of HIPS, PVA, and tons of coffee grounds and chopsticks

Thanks everyone, much appreciated! The kit I was eyeing got sold so I'll let this one pass. I do appreciate learning about the markings though. Filed away for the future!

Curious about Kubelwagens. I've seen a photo with FFI (french capture) and photos with USA stars. How would Canada (preferably) or Britain have marked a captured Kubelwagen? I quite like the grey-blue colour.

Thanks for the tips. I think this will be a workable process. I need to stack a bunch of plastic ready to go, then practice a few more plunges. Diff plastics react differently to heat and cool at different rates. I'm hoping to get a sharp plunge then maybe try sanding and painting it a bit to develop a motivational item. Then I can go back to working on my new diagram and put more effort into precision.

Worked on the hull, then glued a chopstick across the back for rigidity Superglued a second chopstick to the back as a handle. Hacked a hole out of sushi box wood for the female mold, which cracked and broke, so I laminated another piece on. Tried melting clear plastic which never drooped, but boy this white stuff did, wow! Plunged.... And there's the shape. I plunged too far I guess and probably moved the mold when I shouldve held it still, hence the wrinkle Remembered a bit late to put it back on the mold to cut it out. Well, it's definitely something. This is just the first successful plunge. I realize Adrian would have 27 at this point 😛 Look how the plunge faithfully represents the crappy hull line... I think I need to plunge less, hold still longer. Anyway, yes, you absolutely can make a mold out of coffee grounds and PVA and plunge molds from takeout containers.

An international alternative: we have lots of shops here that stock used kits. If someone bought a used kit remotely, the local person could just pick it up. No mailing costs or logistics or risk of loss or damage. A variation would be purchasing used items remotely that get delivered locally.