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Sink the Bismarck! HMS Ark Royal, 26 May 1941


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On 18/03/2020 at 07:48, Ex-FAAWAFU said:

Nothing directly about Ark, but there is some good news and some bad news.

 

The bad news is that I have (& have had for 25 years) a compromised immune system, so I am now officially self-isolating, probably for the next 12 weeks.  The good news is that, though some of Ark remains in London - notably the two hull halves and the flight deck - I have managed to get a lot of the model home safely, including all of the Tetra brass.  The island, boats, Swordfish and weapons should keep me occupied for easily 3 months!

Best wishes from down under .

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At the moment I am inundated with work; despite what the press (with their “20 Best Box Sets for you to binge while you are isolated” nonsense) might think, I am still working - just in a different place.

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Sorry for a period of silence in last 10 days, but converting a school from normal operations to doing everything remotely via the internet has been a pretty all-consuming experience.  
 

Anyway, I have actually been doing a little modelling on the side, but nothing really worthy of an update on here, let alone a photo.  Today, however, I have finally finished one of these:

49702200112_5c092f8bbe_b.jpg

 

You’ve seen one of these 0.5” Vickers Quad machine guns before, but last time I made a right mess of it and declared the Tetra version - though exquisite - almost impossible to build.  Having learned from my previous effort, however, I tried again.  Even now I would still describe them a very difficult to build, but it can be done. You can see the size from the Swann-Morton next to it - no, it’s not a comedy giant scalpel.  And the Vickers has 13 parts as built, with 2 more (control wheels) still to be added.

49701353638_919a3120e9_b.jpg


You have to REALLY take your time and be patient - if you wait for one section to cure fully, the next bit becomes much easier; believe it or not, the whole thing is actually quite robust now, but in its early stages if you breathe wrong it flies across your bench.

 

Also - and perhaps not unconnected with my success here - a hat tip to @CedB, who was raving about some Pixnor tweezers (watch-makers, I think?) he’d acquired.  Anyone who messes about with tiny bits of brass as much as I do rapidly becomes something of a tweezer obsessive, so I promptly got that nice Mr Amazon to deliver a set (not at all expensive).  They are a game-changer; brilliant with tiny things (like Skeeters, not doubt, eh Ced?)

49701892986_0aef8a4828_b.jpg


More soon

 

Crisp

 

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That Vickers Quad is the biz. But wait ......... I don't think you have calibrated the site properly? 🤣

 

Btw, like Rob, I've also nabbed a set of those tweezers.

 

Terry

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1 hour ago, Ex-FAAWAFU said:

Also - and perhaps not unconnected with my success here - a hat tip to @CedB, who was raving about some Pixnor tweezers (watch-makers, I think?) he’d acquired.  Anyone who messes about with tiny bits of brass as much as I do rapidly becomes something of a tweezer obsessive, so I promptly got that nice Mr Amazon to deliver a set (not at all expensive).  They are a game-changer; brilliant with tiny things (like Skeeters, not doubt, eh Ced?)

:Tasty: Interesting stuff....

Ciao

Edited by giemme
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1 hour ago, Ex-FAAWAFU said:

Sorry for a period of silence in last 10 days, but converting a school from normal operations to doing everything remotely via the internet has been a pretty all-consuming experience.  
 

Anyway, I have actually been doing a little modelling on the side, but nothing really worthy of an update on here, let alone a photo.  Today, however, I have finally finished one of these:

49702200112_5c092f8bbe_b.jpg

 

You’ve seen one of these 0.5” Vickers Quad machine guns before, but last time I made a right mess of it and declared the Tetra version - though exquisite - almost impossible to build.  Having learned from my previous effort, however, I tried again.  Even now I would still describe them a very difficult to build, but it can be done. You can see the size from the Swann-Morton next to it - no, it’s not a comedy giant scalpel.  And the Vickers has 13 parts as built, with 2 more (control wheels) still to be added.

49701353638_919a3120e9_b.jpg


You have to REALLY take your time and be patient - if you wait for one section to cure fully, the next bit becomes much easier; believe it or not, the whole thing is actually quite robust now, but in its early stages if you breathe wrong it flies across your bench.

 

Also - and perhaps not unconnected with my success here - a hat tip to @CedB, who was raving about some Pixnor tweezers (watch-makers, I think?) he’d acquired.  Anyone who messes about with tiny bits of brass as much as I do rapidly becomes something of a tweezer obsessive, so I promptly got that nice Mr Amazon to deliver a set (not at all expensive).  They are a game-changer; brilliant with tiny things (like Skeeters, not doubt, eh Ced?)

49701892986_0aef8a4828_b.jpg


More soon

 

Crisp

 

 

Gosh that quad thingy is stunning

 

And so tiny

 

Well done getting the school stuff sorted I am expecting this to all go to blazes in stages, hope your work carries through well

 

Now the tweezers, I was seduced by Ced too but I now have a worry

 

Amazon popped their little package through the door this afternoon but I am unsure how to handle it, does anyone have tips for handling packages  short of blowing them up

 

Does the virus like brown paper or cardboard?

 

I would like to look at my new tweezers before they rot away   :(                                                                                                          

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29 minutes ago, perdu said:

 

Now the tweezers, I was seduced by Ced too but I now have a worry

 

Amazon popped their little package through the door this afternoon but I am unsure how to handle it, does anyone have tips for handling packages  short of blowing them up

 

Does the virus like brown paper or cardboard?

 

I would like to look at my new tweezers before they rot away   :(                                                                                                          

Hi Perdu

 

I'm not sure if you are being serious or teasing but on the assumption that your concern is (not unreasonanbly) real, here goes.

The virus will survive on most surfaces for a time - on cardboard - you'll get different estimates but I think the consensus will be Not very long.  Smooth shiney surfaces - a lot longer.

You have 3 choices - either open the package with throw-away latex gloves if you have any then dispose of cardboard and gloves.

2)  use bare hands to open - then wash your hands immediately with the 20sec rule - hot water and soap etc using good (surgical) hand washing - (there'll be a You Tube video showing good surgical hand washing)

3)  Leave it 3 days or longer - and open without precaution.

I've had packages sent from China and despite the science I've left them unopened for > 5days.  The virus will have died off in that time.

Whilst there is a measurable risk of being infected from touch the real danger is aersolized spread - people coughing onto you or surfaces close to you that you then touch.  Remote (in time) infection from touch is possibly more theoretical than practical

The virus is postulated to have a half life of 6-8 hrs on non shiney surfaces  thus the >3 days as a likely safe period.

HTH

Rob

 

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Rob thanks, no I was not kidding

 

I am an avid hand washer and did think that the cardboard could be carefully dealt with

 

Like you I will be giving contact a miss for few days

 

I have a litre of IPA which has been frequently used with a soapy water system

 

Well have to see how it goes from now on

 

Thanks for the advice

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More Pixnor tweezer converts - my work here is done… :D 

 

Amazing work on the Vickers Crisp - amazing job.

 

One thing though from your pictures - I think you're supposed to use the 'mini containers' themselves for keeping things in, although your use of the packaging is an admirable example of recycling… :coat:

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I'd like to begin using them Ced but I will wait until Tuesday.

 

 

Now Steak Night at 'spoons is out of the question a fellow needs something to look forward to in terms of breaking up the unending week.

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15 hours ago, robgizlu said:

Great tip - there's now a set in my basket ;)

 

14 hours ago, Terry1954 said:

Btw, like Rob, I've also nabbed a set of those tweezers.

 

Hoarders the lot of you

 

Now where did I write down that Amazon password :coolio:

 

beefy

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Perseverance + brass ÷ Crisp = wonder.

Beautiful work resolving that Vickers puzzle.

 

Have you a painting strategy for such small bits of battle-jewellery? I've sometimes found it a problem airbrushing such small bits with lots of 'in-and-out' detail to avoid paint pooling in places.

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4 hours ago, TheBaron said:

Perseverance + brass ÷ Crisp = wonder.

Beautiful work resolving that Vickers puzzle.

 

Have you a painting strategy for such small bits of battle-jewellery? I've sometimes found it a problem airbrushing such small bits with lots of 'in-and-out' detail to avoid paint pooling in places.

 

Very thin paint and lots of dry mist costs over and over again is my method for that. It's much easier than brush painting for sure. That's instant death for fine detail :(

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I said that without my lips moving! (Thanks, Jamie)

 

Time to go back to the Pom-Poms - this time for real (the last one was a test run because I have 2 spares (no port side Pom-Poms fitted for the Bismarck action).  I thought I’d have a bit of fun with this and present it as its own sub-WIP.

 

So here are the obligatory “sprue shots”;

49709256197_0660c5d991_b.jpg

 

Each mounting consists of 56 parts - of which 8 are the brass barrels, not in the photo below.  I am taking a risk here, because normally there is NO WAY that I’d cut any brass off the runners until I was ready to fold / fit it.  But for you lovely people, in a controlled environment...  [the numbers are therefore for my benefit, not yours!]

49709256062_402c48f725_b.jpg


Also pictured, the tools I will be using - from top to bottom, a bog standard Swann-Morton No.11, a Tamiya diamond file designed for PE (superb), 2 of my new Pixnor tweezers, one of those excellent chinagraph pencil thingies which are so useful for picking up tiny things, a CA applicator, a glass block for cutting and a hold-‘n’-fold.  Missing, I have just realised, are the Tamiya folding pliers, but no doubt you’ll see more of them as this progresses.

 

The above represents c.2 hours’ work, because each piece has had the nubs filed off with the Tamiya diamond file (whose work is now actually complete, therefore).
 

But now it is Beer O’Clock so I’m leaving you on a cliff-hanger.  
 

Will the carpet monster gobble the lot?  

Will Crisp lose his marbles yet further? 

Tune in for the next exciting episode...

 

[Cabin Fever, moi?]

 

More soon

 

Crisp

Edited by Ex-FAAWAFU
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