1/350 HMS PUMA

[Chewbacca]

11 hours ago, ArnoldAmbrose said:

Gidday Chewy, how does one go missing a torso? Limbs I can understand. 😁 And No 8s is an expression I haven't heard for a long time. Good luck with the crew and visitors. Regards, Jeff.

Hi Jeff, Well when the torsos are only about 1.5 mm long and less than 1 mm diameter, are coloured light grey and my modelling area has a dark and light grey speckled floor (I know, not a great colour choice but it was there before I moved the bench) it's quite easy 😀.

[Adm Lord De Univers]

22 hours ago, Chewbacca said:

my modelling area has a dark and light grey speckled floor...

This sounds like a hellscape (I'm sure your room is quite lovely...) where naughty modellers go when they've shuffled off this mortal coil, in perpetual battle against le monster du carpet. That said, I thought I'd outsmart said monster with tarpaulin. Long story short, I just angered it, as somehow lost more pieces than normal and ripped the tarpaulin. Lesson learnt, be one with the carpet, whatever its hue.

 

David

[Terry1954]

I thought I'd got really smart when i specified wooden floors, no carpets, in our new house, well I do suffer from asthma, so the no carpets approach helps. However, things that drop, and are usually just absorbed in the catpet monster, just make a ping sound, and ricochet around the room, still never to be seen again!

 

Terry

[robgizlu]

20 hours ago, Terry1954 said:

I thought I'd got really smart when i specified wooden floors, no carpets, in our new house, well I do suffer from asthma, so the no carpets approach helps. However, things that drop, and are usually just absorbed in the catpet monster, just make a ping sound, and ricochet around the room, still never to be seen again!

 

Terry

 

So true!!  I'm so fed up going around on my hands and knees with a head torch on searching my laminate floor 

 

Chewbacca - the figures in shape and number are hugely impressive 

Rob

[Chewbacca]

What I've found helps is a torch that actually came with my last car.  It's only about 5 inch long and the lens is less than an inch diameter, but it produces the whitest, brightest light I have ever seen from a torch.  The technique I've found is to hold it horizontal to the floor and scan around - it will show up pieces as a shadow.

[Seahawk]

On 10/25/2021 at 7:54 AM, Chewbacca said:

 

Looks just like those large-scale ship models in the window of the RN recruiting centre that I used to drool over on the way to school.  Lovely work.

[Chewbacca]

Thanks.  It's a wee bit smaller but I know what you mean.  I spent the best part of 15 months a few years back repairing one of those models after a Sea Cadet leant on the case it was in and the case collapsed destroying all of the fragile bits (guardrails, radio and radar aerials, Seacat launcher, Wasp helo, ensign staff, Limbo mortar and even the  bridge roof and 4.5 inch turret) 😲

 

Unfortunately the before photos are really quite poor quality and don;t show the extent of the damage, but this is it after it was out of the dry dock.

 

 

Annoyingly, the Sea Cadet Unit CO said he was going to get a new case made for it - that was nearly 5 years ago - and it is still sitting in the Unit wardroom open to the elements, dust and cadet pawprints.  I have refused to repair it a second time.

 

 

[Dancona]

That is looking really good now, very clean and crisp, turrets are spot on, can’t wait to see the Navy day take place, used to love them, many happy childhood memories of running up and down ladders and tripping over hatch coamings with my younger brother, he obviously enjoyed it even more than I did, and decided to make a career out of it!!!!!

Actually  vaguely remember a thrash down the Forth on HMS Cavalier at a Rosyth Navy day, a long long time ago !!

That model of Danae is gorgeous, can’t you steal it, you could make a case for preserving it for future generations, certainly saving it from sticky fingers, what scale is it ?

 

 

[ArnoldAmbrose]

11 hours ago, Chewbacca said:

but this is it after it was out of the dry dock.

Gidday, what did the sea cadet look like out of dry dock? 🤕

 

11 hours ago, Chewbacca said:

I have refused to repair it a second time.

Quite right too, I think, if they're going to take your repairs for granted and not protect it. But it does look a very good model. Regards, Jeff.

[Ex-FAAWAFU]

14 hours ago, Dancona said:

...many happy childhood memories of running up and down ladders and tripping over hatch coamings with my younger brother, he obviously enjoyed it even more than I did, and decided to make a career out of it

 

To be fair to S, he was actually fairly well co-ordinated for an Observer.  He probably only tripped over a hatch coaming a couple of times a week (other than post run-ashore, obvs...).  Some of his stubby-winged brethren could barely tie their shoelaces, even if they could make a Dalton Computer speak in tongues.

 

[Crisp - fully paid-up member of the Amalgamated Society of Trained Simian Stick-Wagglers]

[Chris Hewitt]

Looking good ,that will be some diorama when finished, yes miss the Navy Days,would have be great to have a camera with today's technology or phone to take pictures back then.I have finished my "Jag"if anyone is going to Telford next weekend ,she will be on display.  

Edited November 8, 2021 by Chris Hewitt

[Adm Lord De Univers]

On 07/11/2021 at 18:09, Chewbacca said:

I have refused to repair it a second time.

For shame, good sir! I would take it home, repair it, completely free of charge (of course)...and return this beaut:

 

 

 

David

[Ex-FAAWAFU]

On 11/8/2021 at 9:00 PM, Adm Lord De Univers said:

For shame, good sir! I would take it home, repair it, completely free of charge (of course)...and return this beaut:

 

 

 

David

 

The UAA1 ESM replica on that is fantastic (though I'm less sure about the water spouting from it).

[Terry1954]

On 11/8/2021 at 9:00 PM, Adm Lord De Univers said:

For shame, good sir! I would take it home, repair it, completely free of charge (of course)...and return this beaut:

 

 

They would spot that a mile away ................. there is no pennant number!

 

Terry

[Chewbacca]

Note to self.  Must stop taking holidays.

 

It happened 2 years ago when we were fortunate enough to have 4 weeks off and went to the Caribbean.  I got back and for about 8 weeks completely lost my modelling mojo.  I think it was a combination of having not done any for a good while, coupled with all of the other things that I needed to do having been away.

 

And it's happened again.  We booked a 2 week cruise to the Canaries and Spain/Portugal getting back just over 24 hrs ahead of the new travel limitations kicking in and since we've been back which is 2 weeks now, haven't been anywhere hear the bench.  I keep thinking that I ought to but can't seem to get my head around what I need to do next.  I'm only posting this in the hope that by telling others about it it might kickstart me into gear!

 

What I did do though while I was away was read several good books all of which have piqued my thought process for future modelling projects.  So I finished reading Atlantic Nightmare by Richard Freeman.  From that I now really want to finish off the 1/72 Flower Class Corvette that I started in about 1978.  Churchill's Admiral in Two World Wars (the biography of Admiral of the Fleet Lord Keyes by Jim Crossley) has got me thinking about a Zeebrugge diorama with a scratch built HMS VINDICTIVE alongside the mole.  Harrier 809 by Rowland White had me looking for Kinetic FRS1 to finish in 809 Sqn Barley Grey whilst the last book I started but haven't yet finished, Taranto, the latest book from David Hobbs, definitely has me wanting to do a 1/48 Swordfish.  But then with all of these I keep thinking that I have well over 20 years' modelling sitting in my stash.  Wouldn't I be better doing one of those instead?

[robgizlu]

Roll with the Mojo.  It's a hobby after all.  The cruise sounds well timed.

As to the stash - go with your momentum - Inspiration is 90% of modelling ( surely)

Just my meagre thoughts - I'll go and have a lie down now 

Rob

 

[Chris Hewitt]

Hi Chewbacca

          It was your build that got me going to build my Jaguar(it was my first kit from Atlantic models many years ago and should have built it then) ,which is now finished and with the extras bits ,that you highlighted ,hope my picture will help you to finish your Puma.All guns and ships boats  are from Micromaster or Black Cat Models ,figures are B.C.M. .they are US sailors ,but at that scale hard to tell. PS the green deck does not look so bright ,just my camera. Also I always take something to build on holiday ,even if a different model,just to keep me going.

Chris 

Edited December 14, 2021 by Chris Hewitt

[Chewbacca]

I think I now realise what it was that was suppressing my mojo: the thought that the next part of this build was to paint the figures!  I don't enjoy figure painting at the best of times even in larger scales and I think the prospect of painting 300 odd (I printed another 50 over Christmas in slightly different poses) of these little critters was filling me with dread.  I think figure painting is the closest that you can get in this hobby to real art and I was very proud of the fact that I came second to bottom in art at the end of my first year at secondary school (actually I was gutted; I wanted to come bottom but was pipped to the post by a friend who went onto to become an eminent maths professor at Cambridge).  But I made a start just before Christmas and am making slow progress.

 

 

One of the challenges for those who can remember back to the late 60s/early 70s was the psychedelic colours that people used to wear.  And of course most modellers are not going to have a ready supply of lime greens, fluorescent pinks and bright oranges in their paint stocks.  It would be a lot easier if they wore clothes that were 507A or extra dark slate grey!  For those who are blessed with not being old enough, watch Austin Powers as that will give you an idea of what I mean.  At least the ship's company figures are predominantly all over black!

 

 

This batch is now 90% complete - just got the shoes and hair to go - with an X-Acto to give an idea of size.  And no, before anyone asks, I'm not going to paint the whites of their eyes!  ! can just about manage that in 1/72.

 

 

 

 

Edited January 3, 2022 by Chewbacca
Images cropped

[Adm Lord De Univers]

3 hours ago, Chewbacca said:

I'm not going to paint the whites of their eyes!

For shame! I won't even bother asking if you're doing different eye colours then...but, as someone who has seen Austin Powers, at the very least I hope the shoe colours will be more than brown and black...

 

But seriously, impressive work with these little critters, just looking at them makes me want to finish off my bottle of Caol Ila (and I've only politely sipped a little on Christmas day).

 

David

[Chewbacca]

We sadly lost a good friend in the Chewbacca household on Tuesday.  An old friend of nearly 17 years who's been there for almost all of my models in that time since I returned to the hobby.  Yes, my trusted bottle of Klear finally dried up 😭.  I was going to put a coat on the vehicles that are going to be parked on the Jetty before I put the Royal Navy decals on this weekend, but it was like treacle.

 

And so my dilemma now is what to get in its place.  I know that Klear was reformulated (Pledge floor polish I think, then Pledge with wax) but having read multiple threads in the https://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/forum/85-modelling-tips/ forum about replacements I am very confused as a lot of the products referred to there seem to be the overseas trade names.  According to my local supermarket websites, none of them stock any form of liquid floor polish.  What's the current consensus of what you can get in UK as a Klear replacement?

 

Thanks

 

 

 

[Terry1954]

7 hours ago, Chewbacca said:

What's the current consensus of what you can get in UK as a Klear replacement?

 

I've never had access to the original Klear product Ralph, but I have used this quite a lot although just lately I've tended to use  various other modelling varnishes such as Alclad Klear Kote,, MRP's Super Clear,  Mr Color Clear or even good old Humbrol Gloss Varnish. Obvs, the Pledge product is the choice for quantity!

 

 

HTH

 

Terry

[Chewbacca]

Thanks Terry.  Tried all over yesterday and nowhere locally seems to stock this or indeed anything like it - Tesco, Sainsbury, Asda, Home Bargains, Wilko.  So managed to order a bottle of this:  

from Mr Amazon.  At least with using it initially on 3D printed parts, if it doesn't work I can always print some new replacements and won't have lost anything.  

 

I'll report back on how it is.

[robgizlu]

Hi Chewbacca - Please report back - I'll be interested to know how you get on.  My Supply of Klear is near depletion, and as a creature of habit..............

Rob

[Terry1954]

2 hours ago, Chewbacca said:

So managed to order a bottle of this: 

 

I think you will find that is very similar if not identical to the one I have. Mine, being a "new improved formula Klear" is not clear liquid like the original Klear, but slightly "milky" white. It seems to behave just like clear varnish, and does go on very well. I often mix it with pure IPA and then it airbrushes superbly.

 

Terry

[Chewbacca]

Have finally finished painting all of the figures!  Lost count in the end of exactly how many but I think there are in the region of 230 or so left with at least another 20 odd somewhere on the floor.

 

This isn't a great photo I must admit but it does show them all.  Next job is to start fitting them because I think that will be easier before I fit the rigging,

 

 

And I tried out the new Pledge yesterday.  This is 2 coats.  Still slightly satin but that may be because at the scale I'm working at, the 3D printing does have a slightly rough finish.  I'll try another couple of coats tonight.  It certainly does dry clear.

 

 

Thanks for watching