Mjwomack Posted March 19, 2016 Share Posted March 19, 2016 Airfix Vampire expected off eBay via Her Majesty's postal service today. Hoping for a Sunday afternoon/ evening build . By way of prep, I've read some on-line reviews and it sounds a lovely kit, deserving of more than a starter kit hurry- might need a second one! I've been thinking about the limited paint set and pilots. Don't think I can paint them well enough and it sounds like the cockpit is a gem, my current thinking is to leave them out and go with the canopy open. I know we're not allowed to add, but are we allowed to leave out? My plan (don't tell Amnesty International) is to put them in the nose as part of the ballast, along with off-cuts of sprue. Prepare for engine start on my first group-build, buzzing for it as the young bucks say 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dazdot Posted March 20, 2016 Share Posted March 20, 2016 Love it! Yep not a problem on pilot cruelty looks like a good idea Good luck and welcome to the gb Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CurrantBunbury Posted March 20, 2016 Share Posted March 20, 2016 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mjwomack Posted March 20, 2016 Author Share Posted March 20, 2016 Underway, the package shot to show what's available Mighty pleased with myself for spotting a starter kit with two brushes, but smugness gone already as they are both size 4. Think the painting is going to be the tricky bit in all this. The wee beasty. The reviews are right, this is a lovely kit, seems a shame to whizz through it in this manner. Also sink marks on the upper wing, think they'll have to stay there though in the absence of filler and how long folk are saying the cement takes to cure. Can't explain that- I rotated and saved it in photobucket, assume it's antipodean tendencies are coming through. Meant to show the paints and colour scheme. Maybe the peril of buying off eBay is slow-moving stock, or maybe it's a common feature of starter packs but my first impressions of the paints is that there are sludgy (is that even a word?) That'll be the shaky hand getting going. This is the old-school tool kit (approved by my children as self-appointed pre-moderators). Cutting board IS warped but was found in bottom of a drawer and was what my mum gave me to stop her better boards being used and yes it is warped. Tweezers are a bit modern but they were my dad's so I'm claiming them as my lucky mascot. Not sure what the plastic thing is but it was waiting to be thrown out and is good for holding water in. We weren't the sort of house that had tooth-picks really- trimmed matches were used for spreaders etc. But, move with the times and all that. Realise massive negative kudos for no Spongepants Bob lap-tray but as I'm not a contender for winning I can live with that. Read somebody got banished to the man-cave for a paint spill from the fiddly pots and there lids. I've discovered that the packaging makes a neat little pot holder and where the cement was you get a dinky little mixing tray. Yes that is a cat in the picture, just to add to the merriment of it all. Combination of coffee and cider are a new innovation so not strictly old school but may explain the shaking! More pics tomorrow. But at least I've got a grip of photobucket now. First thoughts on the build are, my plan to wedge the flight-crew in the nose looks tricky and not sure how to get much weight in such a small nose- might try tailoring lengths of sprue in there. From what I remember of this cement, it clouds the canopy really easily- I think it's the vapours. So now, I'm still leaving the crew out but going with the canopy open. This should do two things- reduce the risk of clouding and if it's a fit where it touches canopy the less places its meant to touch the better. The 6 paints are more than enough as most of them are for the now redundant flight-crew, does mean some limited blending possiblities. Oh but a little pot of white would've been such a help! Got to say, it's a really fun getting back to old school modelling, blended with newer skills and techniques to be resourceful with- what a great Group Build this is! Thanks you browsing. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
specky Posted March 20, 2016 Share Posted March 20, 2016 Your paint pot holder idea is inspired - filed away for future use! For what its worth, I think they just toss any old brushes into the box, I have the same set as you but with sizes 0 and 4! Best of luck Craig Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob G Posted March 20, 2016 Share Posted March 20, 2016 Your old modelling board? How retro cool is that, eh? Two brushes gives you options - tape them together to make one big(ger) brush, or trim one up a bit to make a smaller one. Don't blame me if the idea doesn't float. I believe that blu-tak was mentioned as being approved for nose weights, but I always just pinched a couple of brass nuts from Dad's collection whenever I needed something - he was a telephone installation technician, so we always had small boxes of impossibly tiny (and fascinating to the young me) threaded fasteners around the house, stuck in odd drawers and cupboards. He's been dead nearly 3 years, but there's still some around, so I might indulge in nostalgia and use a couple for my Vampire (if it ever gets here) for Old Time's Sake. I'm sure he'd approve. (And the mods will have to just deal with it. ) 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CurrantBunbury Posted March 21, 2016 Share Posted March 21, 2016 I second the above: great idea on the paint front! Those pots are little horrors for grown-up thumbs. I think this is going to be a fun build. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dazdot Posted March 21, 2016 Share Posted March 21, 2016 Nice work on the paint holder looking forward to this Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hawker's Hound Posted March 27, 2016 Share Posted March 27, 2016 (edited) Wow the differences are noticeable between your kit and mine. I have two different brushes (#0 & #4). My fuselage halves were warped and needed a two-step gluing. I think forcing them into place has created some gaps where there wouldn't otherwise be. My paints have been surprisingly good, although varying a little in thickness, they've all been smooth except for one of the metallics which was very globby, but this mixed together smoothly with some love, also. If I built this kit again, I'd assemble the wings to the fuselage first, before positioning the intakes, which is reverse of the instructions. It fits, but there's a large gap and not having the intakes placed would have allowed for adjustment or modification in my case. I wished very hard for some white, too. Can't wait to see how yours goes! Edited March 27, 2016 by Hawker's Hound Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mjwomack Posted March 27, 2016 Author Share Posted March 27, 2016 So as Waity Katy blows in, I should get a chunk done this afternoon and some pics up. Lord Hawker's Hound, blown away by your paintwork; mine's nothing near. Your fuselage is curious- the reviews I read commented on the sink marks on the wings but no message of fuselage problems and mine is just like that. Also read in the review that best to attach the mug legs after the tail booms are fitted. Will try to find the review and put a link on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mjwomack Posted March 27, 2016 Author Share Posted March 27, 2016 Found it http://airfixtributeforum.myfastforum.org/viewtopic.php?f=409&t=37742&sid=1aa782d2fc9fb741926099fbbde3f8cb#p521845 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mjwomack Posted March 27, 2016 Author Share Posted March 27, 2016 And then the penny dropped! Sitting waiting for some more sweet smelling cement to dry I checked which squadrons flew Vampires and my dad's old squadron (73) flew them. Think he'd finished his national service before they converted; he had to settle for working on mk22 spitfires! But feel quite a connection to him building this, maybe I' ll do another and hopefully better one Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
S5 modeller Posted March 28, 2016 Share Posted March 28, 2016 You won't have any problems building this kit, my wife has just built one, and she's never built a kit before. It's a great introduction into modelling, but might spoil a learner, when they move onto an older kit! As to nose weight, she just fitted 6-8 small washers in,and it sits nicely. You will definitely have to add something in the nose. Looking forward to seeing some progress. Matt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mjwomack Posted March 29, 2016 Author Share Posted March 29, 2016 Thanks Matt, There has been some progress, but also some wrestling with photobucket. Hopefully photobuket and I are friends again and here come the pics... Tried for a delicate approach to dry-brushing. Instrument panel wrapped around but should all be out of sight out of mind soon enough. Something very liberating about only having a few colours to chose from and in the words of Our Enry, 'splashing it all over' Nose was then packed with blu-tack but I shook too much for the picture so trust me on that. Zipped up like a banana (is that a real saying). On the dry fit I discovered I'd put too much blu-tack in the nose and was inadvertently using it as filler so scrapped it off and took some out. Stand by for collapse of NLG if I've left too much in. Another progress report tomorrow, by which time it should be well under way. But what a gem of a kit, not like kits of my childhood and so relaxing blasting along with 6 paints and 2 'brushes'. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dazdot Posted March 29, 2016 Share Posted March 29, 2016 Good stuff that infectious isn't it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hawker's Hound Posted March 29, 2016 Share Posted March 29, 2016 (edited) At least you used some weight. It's one more thing I did, er, unconventionally. But by not including any nose weight in mine, it'll make rotation at V2 easier... Right? Edited March 29, 2016 by Hawker's Hound 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mjwomack Posted March 30, 2016 Author Share Posted March 30, 2016 If only it came with the little display stand, it would've been cracking! My moment of unconventionality was not noticing that the booms fit inside not slot into the wing, so it all got prized open (really? is that the correct spelling- do I win a prize for that bodge) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mjwomack Posted April 5, 2016 Author Share Posted April 5, 2016 More progress over the weekend. Rough undercoat of 53 heavily watered down, hoping this does 2 things. Picks out the paneling in the way that some of the impressive prop a/c on here do. And then to let some discolouration come through as I'm a bit of a grubby railway modeller on the side and I don't want it all pristine, really envious of the beautiful finish on the Zero earlier in the build. Really must finish this week so lots of coats of 11 to come next. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dazdot Posted April 5, 2016 Share Posted April 5, 2016 Looking good Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mjwomack Posted April 12, 2016 Author Share Posted April 12, 2016 The plan was to have this finished today, partly to give me a deadline but also because I'm now away until the end of the build. It was not to be as a dear friend comitted suicide on Thursday and I've done nothing but deal with that since. Anyhow, thank you all for your support, it has got my modelling mojo well underway and been a lot of fun. If anyone does know how to stop acrylics chipping so easily I'd really love to know. Thanks Michael Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dazdot Posted April 12, 2016 Share Posted April 12, 2016 Sorry to hear that. And of course that takes priority Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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