Scratchbuilder

Master now finished and away being cast. Launch is pencilled in as April next year at Stafford Bike show. Martin

Thanks, David, I'll pass that on. Cheers, Martin

Hi all, I am currently approaching the end of a long project, making a brass master in 1/6th scale of a Vincent Black Shadow. I'm at that stage of making banjos for oil and fuel pipes, but are there any proprietary pipes available for these items in big scale? Any leads most welcome. Cheers, Martin

Many thanks, Roger, those , with the modifications are excellent. Cheers, Martin

Hi, can anyone recommend the best drawings from which to make a DH60 Gypsy Moth as Amy Johnson's "Jason", please? And where I might obtain same. Cheers, Martin

Another lovely job, Frank. You da man, mate. Martin

No, paint masks would be completely alien to the likely buyers of these kits and the Vincent badge is very complex. I don't know who "the man from Coventry" is. Almost like a post went missing there! Cheers, Martin

My customer has a need for Vincent Black Shadow decals in 1/6th scale. He's tried those very few we know of and got completely stupid, disinterested answers and none at all from others. So does anyone know who might be prepared to do gold metallic and white decals for this job? Thanks, Martin

It's the best picture we have of the 46 foot Crash Tender and shows my dilemma. The light grey sides go to something that is almost white INSIDE the aft cockpit and the allegedly white roofs seem darker, like the decks, both of which are non-slip finish Cerrux light deck grey, BS 631. As mentioned on the Vosper drawing WHITE is crossed through and Grey inserted. Martin

Sonoran, I have seen criticisms of Tamiya stuff too. In which case the prices they charge are a rip off. They are up to FIVE times what others of almost the same quality cost. That is ridiculous. It costs no more to tool up for theirs than it does a "lesser" company. They have just built up a name for themselves which now enables them to command prices beyond their worth. If I could be sure that the clients would pay for anything required without grumbles, I might go for a Tamiya just for the engine, but as usual they won't, so it has to be whatever else there is and clearly there are models out there that only a real rivet counter would notice any difference with, which can be made to look every bit as good. Perhaps those who only ever stick kits together are happy to pay Tamiya prices, because they're told thy are the best. Those of us who can make some stuff are generally less inclined to be so easily led. Fashion has less effect on us. Please let's not dissolve into the kind of kit snobbery that has ruined model railways of late. I am NOT impressed by anyone spending too much on a kit. It's up to them what they waste their money on, of course. I don't care, but don't ask me to join that particular club. Martin

So,l Airfix 24th bought cheap from ebay, Revell 32nd because it ain't bad shape wise and has an engine I can work on and ICM 48th which also has an engine. 72nd is too small for me really and the cost of an engine set is silly compared with the kit cost. Gentlemen, thanks for your help on this. I will let you all know when and if this starts. Cheers, Martin

It's the model-boat forum. Used to be the Fire Boat forum. https://model-boats.com/forum/ Basically a google of RAF Crash Tender will find about 3 decent photos of Nos 93 and 94, the only two built by Vospers. Cheers, Martin

This is all so tempting to stock up on, but until I get an OK and a deposit I'd be daft to start buying in bits, though sod's law says they'll all be gone if and when I need to start buying in. I think it looks like being 24th, 32nd, and 48th, if only to get a couple of engines, if not all. The mediator said I could go Mk IX if necessary. I'm told that a Mk IX fuselage is much the same as a Mk I, II and V. No wings on show remember. I'm sure mods can be made to the Merlins in the kits. Elger, thankyou for the very complete run down on what's available. Is the Hobbyboss really so bad? Considering it's sandwiched between a 24th and a 48th version. It seems that resin aftermarket engines are so expensive and that side of things has to be watched carefully if this job (for that is what it is) is to make me anything at all. Cheers, Martin

Ed, this has to be done with 3 kits to get the size down, but still look like a production line. It is fuselages only and engines on show, so no potential fit problems and no wing considerations. It's looking more likely that it'll be 24th, 32nd and 48th to get the engines in the kits, using a cheap Airfix 24th off ebay. Also will need lady fitters crawling over them and standing on the staging/ladders. Apparently most workers were women. Thanks for your nice words, Ed, but on this one, for time and cost reasons, scratchbuilding will have to be kept to a minimum.I'm considering the 24th option because a 1/72nd resin Merlin makes a 72nd scale model damned expensive, whereas 24th, 32nd and 48th can all come with engines. Cheers, Martin

Thanks, Trevor. It has to be the three scales as mentioned for the perspective effect. I'm really surprised that there are no engines in 48th kits. I take it there will be engines in the 32nd scale jobs. I'm a little concerned to find that the resin Merlin in 1/72nd scale is 150% the cost of the kit! Gawd knows what they want for a 48th scale one. Maybe it's the heat, but I must say I'm a bit underwhelmed by the response which, as you suggest, I would have expected to go through the roof! Cheers, Martin

Hi all, I have been asked to produce a diorama of the Spitfire production line. I want to do it as a false perspective box, a proper diorama, not a mere set-piece. For this I'd need a 32nd, a 48th and a 72 scale kits of the same Mark, which seems to be a Mk. V. I could, at a pinch go for a 24th, a 32nd and a 48th for a bigger dio., depends on what's available. And there's the rub. Are kits available WITH engines for that Mk. of Spit? And please, no overpriced Tamiya rip-offs. It might be someone else's money but I want as much of it as I can keep! You guys all know your kits so much better than I. Cheers, Martin

I know this is a long while back now and I've had a heart attack and a small stroke since(!) but I have 3 of these Vincent kits in my workshop now. One is a Black Shadow, one a Rapide and one a Black Lightning, made from a Shadow kit. Two of them have wire spokes, one has photo-etched, which, btw, look horrible. All three are 1/8th scale and all exhibit very slight differences in detail and accuracy. As far as I recall now, the Big 6 kits were cast by a company Reading way called RAE. Later RAE made stuff under their own name. They also did all Bellini white metal models, including the Piccolino range of 1/72nd scale racing cars, for which I made 23 brass masters over a few years. Another company who seem to have disappeared, except that Ray Bellm, known for owning Group C cars and old F1s is still mentioned and his dad, Tony was the guy who commissioned all the models. He had his own suite in the Brabham Suite at Brands Hatch, where I would always deliver a new model as I got in for nowt and ate well! I am currently reaching the end of a master for a Black Shadow in 1/6th scale. Yes, it's BIG. I don't think the guy behind it has a company name yet, but you'll hear soon enough. If only I could post pics on this forum you could have a taster. Cheers, Martin

I can't seem to do that either from that particular site. Martin

Hi all, I have had, for 54 years (!) an Aerokits RAF Crash Tender. I figure it's time I finished it, so I'm after information on RAF boat colours. I have a Vospers sheet which talks colours and it doesn't mention white for anything, but the FIRE legends on the hullsides. The superstructure, INCLUDING the normally white painted cabin tops would appear to have been specified as a Cerrux light grey,gloss on the cabin sides and non-slip (textured) on the decks and cabin tops. Now I'm all for doing it different as long as it's just a likely to be right. Here's a picture, an unusually good rare one, which shows the cabin sides as a light er shade, which a textured, non reflective paint would do. Does anyone know for sure? Cheers, Martin Ah, no, here isn't a picture. I can't do pictures from hosting sites.

I use a self-etch primer for everything. OK I use a spotting gun, rather than an airbrush, unless I'm putting on Zero paints, but self-etch is easy to mix and oddly if kept in a sealed tin or bottle doesn't activate until sprayed again , when it will stick to resin, brass, aluminium, all the things it was meant to etch in fact. I also make patterns from Ureol tooling board and it goes on that very nicely, although Ureol can benefit from a sealer coat as it is really a self skinning foam, albeit very dense. Self-etch goes on plastic just fine too and dries in a few minutes. When I do a slot car restoration I can repair, self-etch, top coat in cellulose, decal and clear coat (Lechler Akrifan) in a day. It also takes masking tapes well. I did a large narrow-boat in three colours, masked and they were fine (Zero on top), finished with a coat of Akrifan clear one shot. Martin

Thanks, Roger, but damn, as I have an inability with colours. I have to be able to buy them as they should be because when I mix they all turn out like what we habitues of boat yards call Ship brown! Unlike light, mixing colours always makes a kind of browny peuce colour depending on how much red is in there. I don't actually like turquoise anyway really! So that saves me the hassle. Pity it's not a known aircraft colour, but I think Zero are indeed more car than aircraft. I prefer a pale blue if I'm honest! Cheers, Martin

Any further movement on this colour topic, gents? Like a Zero paint match or even a Vallejo, if we must! I am a Percival fan having had my first ever flight in a Prentice at Southend airport 48 years ago! Cheers, Martin

No worry, found it under Images. Martin

Nope, I cannot get Len Whalley's aeroplans to come up on a googly search. Any hints? Martin

I've just noticed that the Blog was last updated in 2012! Do they even still exist? Martin