Rabbit Leader Posted August 20, 2019 Share Posted August 20, 2019 Great to see an update Jean. Now I’m going to a large local model show this weekend and I live just five minutes down the road from my LHS. After reading this WIP and your requirements to be as resourceful as always, I don’t think I should ever take my local luxuries for granted ever again! Your conditions would test the vast majority of us, so this build is all the more amazing when this factor is considered! Cheers and keep safe.. Dave 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jean Posted August 20, 2019 Author Share Posted August 20, 2019 18 minutes ago, JOCKNEY said: Have to agree with @nimrod54 small section of spruce or a bit of insulation from a wire. Glue to the base of undercarriage leg first, then fix in desired location inside the wheel well....... sorted ! Just weighing the Emily as a contingency plan 😉 Cheers Pat Hi Pat, gluing the retraction arm first to the thingie is a crafty move! Thanks mate! So is the insulation plastic. Clever! This is why Africa is so full of Scottish names. The more you mention Emily, the more attractive she becomes. Cheers JR 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jean Posted August 26, 2019 Author Share Posted August 26, 2019 Hi guys, the tortoise pace is ongoing.... Managed to find a sprue tree of about the right thickness to replace the support I had eliminated in the wheel wells. I have a box full of sprues from pretty much all the kits I ever built... That is a lot of useless polystyrene... And in it I found ONE tree only that approached the required diameter. So once more, some junk should be kept! This is what it looks like: In addition I have glued the undercarriage doors: for such an old kit with several glaring inaccuracies, the u/c doors are barely thicker than photo etched ones! When far more modern kits display armored doors a King Tiger would be proud of... Go figure. As I see it, the next step will be cleaning the model with methylated spirit and then a first layer of primer. Getting there. JR 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabbit Leader Posted August 27, 2019 Share Posted August 27, 2019 I think it’s about time we saw some colour Jean? We’ve only got just over three weeks to go, time to dig out the paint my friend! Cheers.. Dave 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jean Posted August 27, 2019 Author Share Posted August 27, 2019 3 hours ago, Rabbit Leader said: I think it’s about time we saw some colour Jean? We’ve only got just over three weeks to go, time to dig out the paint my friend! Cheers.. Dave Hi Dave, thanks for the heads up, but no worries: I am not forgetting the deadline! Sod's law, I have 4 colors to paint.... and guests to look after as well... It never rains! The primer is going on this afternoon. Then, I have nothing else really to do but get my 8 inches wide paint roller ready, and get on with the camo! Your moral support is really appreciated! JR 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jean Posted August 30, 2019 Author Share Posted August 30, 2019 (edited) Hi guys, as planned, primer has been applied and only a few glitches need tidying up. Lucky! In addition, I have painted the pilot. Taken with my cell phone, he looks terrible! Just take my word when I say he is in fact much nicer-looking in real life! And finally, the canopy was given a bath of Klir, which makes all the difference! So the underside light blue grey paint will shortly be brush painted... Have fun JR Edited August 30, 2019 by jean 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jean Posted September 6, 2019 Author Share Posted September 6, 2019 Hi, despite never being home, I have stolen a few precious minutes to glue the pilot on his seat. Frog made him sit far too backward, a bit like one rides a donkey, which is fitting as the 406 was a donkey of note in 1940... The canopy was glued in place using Tamyia green. The bath of Klir improved the canopy, but the plastic being pretty opaque in the first place, it is not anywhere near cristal clarity. It will have to stay like that as I do not have Ammonia available to remove the Klir, and I doubt it would get much better the second time round. So a line of putty/Mr Surfacer 500 along the canopy rim, and then painting will start in earnest (wishful thinking?). I am grateful for the closing date of the GB having been pushed back, as I was looking at my schedule and starting to sweat!!! Cheers JR 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnson Posted September 6, 2019 Share Posted September 6, 2019 Caught up with your build very late Jean, a super kit that's going to look great. Following more closely now and looking forward to the rest of your posts. Cheers, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JOCKNEY Posted September 6, 2019 Share Posted September 6, 2019 Well done Jean On the home straight now, how's the hot tub equipped Chateau coming along ? Too early for bookings ? cheers Pat 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AdrianMF Posted September 7, 2019 Share Posted September 7, 2019 That is looking very sharp! Looking forward to the paint. Regards, Adrian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jean Posted September 7, 2019 Author Share Posted September 7, 2019 17 hours ago, Johnson said: 5 hours ago, AdrianMF said: Caught up with your build very late Jean, a super kit that's going to look great. Following more closely now and looking forward to the rest of your posts. Cheers, Thanks Charlie, this kit should have taken me less than a week to build and paint in a fair, sane world! But I live in a universe that is neither fair nor sane... Quite the contrary, actually. So 3 months will have to do! Cheers JR 5 hours ago, AdrianMF said: That is looking very sharp! Looking forward to the paint. Regards, Adrian Hi Adrian, the paint is the part I am most looking forward to! But the whole build has been uncomplicated and enjoyable, even if deadly slow. Will start the paint after the week end... one color at a time! Cheers JR 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jean Posted September 7, 2019 Author Share Posted September 7, 2019 18 hours ago, JOCKNEY said: Well done Jean On the home straight now, how's the hot tub equipped Chateau coming along ? Too early for bookings ? cheers PatI Hi Pat, I refuse to think I am close to the finish line. That is when aliens come and kidnap the unsuspecting soul! But once the paint job has started, I will start to relax a tad. The Chateau is still on schedule, although the small things are the ones taking time. Never fast enough for my better half though! As soon as "bookings" are open, I will definitely let you know!!!! Take care. JR 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterB Posted September 7, 2019 Share Posted September 7, 2019 Hi Jean, French camo schemes are impressive but a bit complicated I find - 3 upper surface colours I presume? Pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jean Posted September 7, 2019 Author Share Posted September 7, 2019 7 minutes ago, PeterB said: Hi Jean, French camo schemes are impressive but a bit complicated I find - 3 upper surface colours I presume? Pete Hi Pete, unfortunately, yes. I have all the "right" colors lined up, which is something. But with a paint brush, there will be no blurry transition between colors. Anyway, in real life, the transition between two colors was to take place over 5 cm. So in 1/72 scale.... Cheers JR Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jean Posted September 13, 2019 Author Share Posted September 13, 2019 (edited) Hi everybody, I thought I would share the "disaster" that struck the Morane. Nothing deadly, for which I am grateful, but time wasting... And time is my worst enemy right now! I decided to paint the spinner, prop and rudder of the 406, the latter in splendid French tricolor. And a good job I thought I did. That is until our mongoose found all these goodies when I had the bad idea to turn my back on my bench. End result: a very patriotic mongoose with a vaguely tricolor nose, and teeth marks plus hair aplenty on the fresh paint.... A long session of deep breathing in a paper bag ensued, and now finally the paint has been removed and I am good to start again... in a wildlife-free area. Hopefully all will now fall into place... JR Edited September 13, 2019 by jean 1 2 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AdrianMF Posted September 13, 2019 Share Posted September 13, 2019 The fates and the fauna are against you! I hope you can forgive your mongoose and break out the putty and tape... Regards, Adrian 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jean Posted September 13, 2019 Author Share Posted September 13, 2019 1 hour ago, AdrianMF said: The fates and the fauna are against you! I hope you can forgive your mongoose and beak out the putty and tape... Regards, Adrian Hi Adrian, fauna is the problem. If they don't try to flatten you, eat you, poison you, they trash your plastic models!!! Having said that, our mongoose can do no wrong. You should have seen my nose a few days ago, when she decided to latch onto it... It looked like I had been close and personal with a Dobberman. And she is all of 500 grams. Naaaasty. My wife was just waiting for me to say something untoward. I did not dare. What a life... Cheers JR 3 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnson Posted September 13, 2019 Share Posted September 13, 2019 3 hours ago, jean said: a very patriotic mongoose with a vaguely tricolor nose Is this a pet mongoose? Sounds wonderful, well apart from it's interest in plastic modelling. I thought they lived in India (Asia?). Sorry, didn't mean to turn this into a zoology thread! I hope that the Morane makes a speedy recovery, and your nose! Best wishes, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterB Posted September 13, 2019 Share Posted September 13, 2019 (edited) Hi Jean, And I thought my kittens were a problem! Still there are two of them and they weigh over 2.5 kilos each and are hyper-active. Don't you just love Pe(s)ts. My lounge curtains are full of claw holes like a pin-cushion, and they are eating my wife's plants, but they are a lot of fun (except when they use me as a combined climbing frame and scratching post and want to eat my chicken, tuna or sardine salad). Pete Edited September 13, 2019 by PeterB 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JOCKNEY Posted September 13, 2019 Share Posted September 13, 2019 Well it could have been a lot worse, if one of the local Hippos had sat on it ? Look forward to seeing paint in the next instalment 😀 Cheers Pat 2 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabbit Leader Posted September 14, 2019 Share Posted September 14, 2019 After reading all that, I’m still surprised that this is still a modelling forum. Then again it’s a lot more entertaining than most threads, so it’s always a joy to read and catch up on the latest environmental events of this part of the world. Just imagine what your mongoose would think of a large biplane flying boat build? I’m sure all those wings, struts and rigging would take his fancy as well? Cheers and keep at it mate.. Dave 1 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jean Posted September 15, 2019 Author Share Posted September 15, 2019 (edited) Hi guys, well here we are surfing from disaster to semi-disaster, so I guess life is smiling! After the mongoose terrorist attack of the other day, I have finally repainted prop and spinner and I am reasonably happy with the outcome. Photos later today! Then I filled in the gaps around the canopy with putty, and decided it was a good day to paint the underside of the 406. For that purposeI have the Lifecolor UA141, aka French blue grey, which is perfect for this purpose. So I open the little plastic tinlet to be met with a gooey mass!!! It took me about 10 minutes of stirring to realize that this mess would never be used as a paint in a million years... I am not an acrylic man, but the more I try acrylics, the less I like them. This is not going to make me change my mind! So... I did notice however that the paint is labelled as well FS 36473. This rang a loud bell, and I quickly found my ENAMEL (!!!) tinlet of Xtracolor Aircraft grey (FS 16473). I checked the paint, and it is perfect, and the color is pretty much spot on. So disaster averted! Except that I missed my modelling window, so no more painting today!!! A few photos later on. Cheers JR Edited September 15, 2019 by jean 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JOCKNEY Posted September 15, 2019 Share Posted September 15, 2019 Great to hear of your progress, look forward to seeing your pictures. cheers Pat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jean Posted September 15, 2019 Author Share Posted September 15, 2019 20 minutes ago, JOCKNEY said: Great to hear of your progress, look forward to seeing your pictures. cheers Pat Hi Pat, I lied... only one photo to show... But it shows progress, however microscopic. Exhaust pre-painted roughly, as I believe it is easier to paint cleanly around them than having to paint the exhaust after the camo... But I still may stuff it all up anyway! Prop and spinner done and tomorrow I will sand paper the putty around the canopy. The ironic thing is that the "French blue grey" is pretty much the color of the grey primer!!! it will be interesting to see if this is the case, and if so, I may just use primer in the future! If the gods are kind, I may be able to finish the camouflage this week. Dreaming is a great hobby! JR 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigbadbadge Posted September 15, 2019 Share Posted September 15, 2019 Crikey Jean, you are having a bit of a time of it. This makes your build progress quite remarkable. Just keep the mongoose away from it and you will be fine. Keep up the good work All the best Chris 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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