Hold my be.. place A Song Of Volts And Water

[perdu]

Thanks Giorgio, Ced and co.

 

I had a great time thanks and I'm just about ready to do it again so let's hope huh?

 

Ced my ultradoobery dooberry was on the 'bay as Item: 388854827337

 

As I haven't tried any others and I'm not spraying yet I am not sure how effective it is compared to others but it's big enough to submerge my H&S Ultra or a pair of glasses.

[perdu]

Terry noticed my strip of Post-it tape and wonders if he can work out what's going to happen there, now then Terry does this give a further clue?

 

 

On the left the vents provided by Airfix to fit the end of the, as we already know mis-shapen beetle back.

Because of the distortion near the front I expected to find discrepancies.

 

I did.

 

The lighter grey vent on the right is that designed, drawn and printed by @hendie and it is significantly wider at the front than the kit piece and I intend fitting it and then using Milliput to level up the flat front and gently reshape the curvy piece.

 

Job for after I have closed up my 18 Sqn Pegasus badged baby...

[CedB]

8 hours ago, perdu said:

Ced my ultradoobery dooberry was on the 'bay as Item: 388854827337

 

Thanks Bill. Looked it up and it looks good. I might compare it with my current one and have a think  

 

Nice humps.

[Terry1954]

On 09/10/2025 at 10:57, perdu said:

Terry noticed my strip of Post-it tape and wonders if he can work out what's going to happen there, now then Terry does this give a further clue?

 

 

Yes it does, Bill!

 

Wrong kinds of Wessex I know ............................. but these two shots from my Flickr album on the Wessex might help too, aknowledging that I'm probably teaching you to suck eggs!

 

 

And in this one, I think it clearly shows merit in a comment made elsewhere about where the crease "begins", travelling aft. To my eye it is immediately after thatdownward painting triangular load spreading(?) plate that I think in this case is one of the weapons support attachment points.

 

 

@hendie will no doubt confirm/deny!

 

Will you start a Wessex build thread?

 

T.

[perdu]

To my eye it seems to begin at the end of the hinge for the engineering platform thingmy, what does the audience think?

 

As to a build, are there not enough Airfix-ated Wessexes hereabouts?

 

(Atcherely there have been a few pictures made, so mayhap it might occur)

 

e.g the hinging winch clearing panel is doomed if correction gets underway.

[Billos]

I think this has wandered a bit off topic -although it's good info, Pehaps the wessex remarks should be put in a new thread and let's get on with the Electro-Beaver (pretty please).

[perdu]

Couldnt agree more Billos, but the one who must... bought me the Wessex...

 

Back to electrification.

 

👍

[Terry1954]

2 hours ago, perdu said:

To my eye it seems to begin at the end of the hinge for the engineering platform thingmy, what does the audience think?

 

After a more careful look, I would agree with that, Bill. That also makes sense from a mechanical point of view wrt that platform hinge.

 

T.

[hendie]

6 hours ago, Terry1954 said:

To my eye it is immediately after that downward painting triangular load spreading(?) plate that I think in this case is one of the weapons support attachment points.

<snip>

@hendie will no doubt confirm/deny!

 

 

3 hours ago, perdu said:

To my eye it seems to begin at the end of the hinge for the engineering platform thingmy, what does the audience think?

 

1 hour ago, Terry1954 said:

After a more careful look, I would agree with that, Bill.

 

At the risk of being contrary, I'd say the transition begins about halfway along the triangular strengthening plate - you can just see the light reflection changing on that plate just below the row of vertical rivets on the trans deck door of the yellow top.

[Terry1954]

2 hours ago, hendie said:

At the risk of being contrary, I'd say the transition begins about halfway along the triangular strengthening plate - you can just see the light reflection changing on that plate just below the row of vertical rivets on the trans deck door of the yellow top.

 

I think you may have it, Alan. There is also a neat line of rivets running upwards from that point, presumably in line with a frame on the trans deck?

[perdu]

Some might recall that I am performing a number of automotive and aeronautical engineering tasks within this build, as well as falling in love with the new, fantastical Airfix Wessex, and I think a small update thereon is called for.

 

Our little chum Truckie is in final preparation and henceforth will need a crew.

 

So, a driver needed with one arm casually hung out of the open window, so.

https://i.postimg.cc/QxVgHtPm/voltbeaver.png

 

Sorry but this was the best picture I could find of the scenario in action.

 

Anyhoo, how to deal with that huh?

 

First we have to delve through all the little men figures handy (No I am NOT buying any more plastic for a while, OK?) and in a box of Esci ground crew figures I found walking the hangars at Cosford one year during the Shropshire Modellers show (Coincidentally in the same hangar that stores the Westland Wessex XR525 )

 

This set is quite lovely, if you dont mind ground crew diorama figures moulded in polythene instead of the far more workable polystyrene.

 

Have a look and mourn the untimely passing of Esci as model providers.

 

 

Inside here are two runners with a large assortment of figures, such as the above.

 

Here see for yourselves

 

As you see, I have used it before for figures in 1/72 scale.

 

We need to start with him, the squatting figure who awaits surgery with trepidation.

 

Or was that me?

 

 

Looks as if he's holding a bottle of Coca-cola, he won't need that where he is going so off with his arm and a gentle (savage) attack on his shoulder with a gentle reattachment using Formula560 canopy glue when we get

 

 

It's a certainty he wont be needing these legs where he's going

 

So let's hunt around for a replacement set that will let him sit down

 

This horrid, sorry but, shot shows the legs that have sacrificed themselves to allow me to channel my inner Igor.

 

 

In an earlier life they might have graced the cockpit of an Airfix P-51B, but here?

 

Not to be so we'll have them under the driver

 

 

More Canopy Glue and awaiting filling out after it sets

 

A long time ago I bought an Airfix Hawk on the 'bay and it arrived with partly painted crew figures obviously intend to be a pilot and ground crew figure, a Blue.

 

If I hadn't found the suitable Esci figures I did contemplate using one of these, they do actually have arms to fit in any position after all.

 

 

As for little Truckie I kinda like the look of the transfers I made and the windows are fitted now

 

 

But the paintwork needs lots of TLC before I can put the two pieces together

 

 

 

But hey I like it

 

 

And it looks enough like the real look of the Ford F-350 to suffice.

 

 

 

[hendie]

1 hour ago, perdu said:

... to allow me to channel my inner Igor.

 

Igor? 

There are amputations involved.

It's your inner Ced, surely? 

 

 

[perdu]

I rather disagree dear chap.

 

Don't you think amputating an arm, hips and two legs calls for Igor level skills?

 

And undressing the guy too don't forget.

 

[giemme]

That truck is already looking like a little gem...

 

Ciao

[CedB]

Good to see a bit of figure surgery going on here Bill, great stuff!  

[81-er]

Nice work, Bill, but all this talk of altering crew reminds me of a joke:

 

As the first contestants took to the stage, Dr Frankenstein realised it wasn’t the kind of bodybuilding contest he thought it was

 

James

[perdu]

But maybe it was James

 

This is the rebuilt Canadian guy

 

 

 

I believe the stick belongs to a certain Mrs Ogg

 

Getting there at first

 

You have to start somewhere

 

 

And when he sets and settles I can refine him a bit

 

But I am not a decent figure artist so he wont be lots better than this

[CedB]

Looking good to me Bill eh?

 

(Canadians often say 'eh' at the end of sentences. No, I don't know why)

[marvinneko]

4 hours ago, CedB said:

Looking good to me Bill eh?

 

That usage would be bizarre because you're asking him to confirm what you think. It also uses a multi-syllable word, which doesn't quite capture the full eh experience.

 

Prefer, "Looks good, eh?" with a big friendly grin.

 

4 hours ago, CedB said:

(Canadians often say 'eh' at the end of sentences. No, I don't know why)

 

Much the same reason some across the pond say "innit", apparently. Although eh may be even more flexible. 

 

My aunt is a master of eh usage and lives in Northern Ontario, probably the eh epicentre. She shoots bear and deer and mounts them for rich Americans who fly up north, bait animals with stale doughnuts, and shoot them from tree stands. She mounts the bears in more aggressive poses.

[perdu]

Eh?

 

 

Oh arr innit.

 

Anyway first Giorgioing happened.

 

 

I am officially NOT enjoying adding yellow paint again!

 

I might  remove it and try again with thinner paint, we'll see.

 

The Hiroboy Zero paint needed special thinners, I hope spraying the airbrush through with thinners before I stopped will keep it clear.

[Billos]

On 15/10/2025 at 18:25, CedB said:

Canadians often say 'eh' at the end of sentences. No, I don't know why)

This should explain everything, eh?

 

https://www.timescolonist.com/local-news/jack-knox-researcher-says-canadians-dont-really-say-eh-that-often-eh-4650707

[perdu]

And as you must expect I finally got round to reading the instructions for the paint

 

So now I am going to remove the present layer of grunge and give it the white primer coat it needs

 

 

Doh, colour me stupid...

[hendie]

You perfectionist, you.

That lemon/yellow looked fine from where I'm sitting, but I'll bow to the master.

 

 

[perdu]

Luckily (for me) I'd only gotten a spotty preliminary colouring on the lower section, nothing at all on the upperworks.

It all needs flatting back rather than stripping, I think.

 

An overall coat of white will help no doubt

 

Anyway this is a different start

 

Bob, or is it Doug is now sat behind the wheel in a rather casual posture, but at least I have him sitting down.

 

Now

 

 

Lamps and mirrors ready to dress the scene.

 

And the cab being secured to the chassis.

 

 

Nothing too clever, there simply dots of Canopy Glue set to hold the two components together.

 

Fingers crossed.

 

Checking the posture of truck and driver, works for me.

 

Now to add the flourishes, paint and doo-dahs to the fore.

 

[giemme]

I was going to ask if you base coated with white, before spraying yellow.... (I do the same for red, BTW).

 

Anyway, the truck looks more and more the part

 

Ciao