Clunkmeister

Jim, I really want to see you build your JetMads Lear 35. That’s gonna be a stunner!!!! But yeah I know, it takes its place in line. 🤣

Martin, you have gotten me hungry! I’d like some 1:1 scale borscht today. Plus cabbage rolls, pierogi, and a good tumbler of icy frozen vodka. Those images are incredible!! The level of modeling over there is so, so much greater than our own, it’s insane. What they’re doing in 1/72, I can barely do in 1/32. Shaking my head in disbelief. Moson is and always has been at the top of the list of my overseas shows to attend. I’m now truly inspired. Not just the show, but the people, the land, the architecture. Once in my life, I really want to visit the area in Europe where one half of my Mom’s relatives came from. Done my Dad’s side for many years, (Germany), but Czechoslovakia, Ukraine, Hungaria, and Bulgaria all beckon me to come. Please say hi to your Mom, family and friends for me! I sure wish I was there. An amazing land! And GORGEOUS!

I’m quite enjoying this as well. It’s a simple build, at least as far as a Hurricane allows, and the fit is turning out to be quite nice. It’s very Airfix-like, though, with prominent mould lines and plenty of cleanup is definitely needed

I’ve never built Revell since I was 11, and it’s probably easier to lift them up, grab my trusty circle cutter, and make some masks. But ai just get this set in my mind to bloody well not give up and tame it through straight acid if need be. Failing that, a couple blocks of Semtex oughta do it.

I then went with MicroSol, and it was no different. I trimmed right to the color line, and it still messed the edges.

I thought I’d try Revell’s wing roundel decals on a smooth, glossy surface. Holy Silvering, Batman!. 247 hits of Solvaset did nothing at all. Sorry about the nasty pic. Color, exposure, everything sux. Normal for me, but this one’s a bit more “normal” than my regular stuff.

New vehicles are trickling in around here, and used vehicle prices have dropped to some extent. Dealers still seem to want to only bring in the premium models, though, which of course means they will charge top dollar +++++. For my business, some service parts are still made out of unicorn piss, and convincing customers that I’m truly not letting their car sit unrepaired for weeks on end is not my choice, is sometimes tough. The best brand to obtain parts is still, and always have been, Mercedes Benz if the dealer or warehouse doesn’t have it, it’s usually available in Germany and only a few days away. Daimler Benz must not believe in making parts obsolete.

Does anyone know if it is offered anywhere in the aftermarket? The Revell kit has the later style curved leg, but both of the kit decal options need the earlier straight leg style. So do I look for AM, nick it from a PCM kit, or scratch one out of belly button lint, ear wax, and toe jam.

Very nice Lightning! That Trumpeter kit isn’t the easiest build out there, but you tamed it and man, does it look good!

What’s on my bench? Everything! My bench is a disaster area, always was, is, and always will be. I’ve been picking away at this, and so far, it’s been a quick, fun build. My first full Revell build since I was 11 years old. My last Revell build was the first edition 1/32 Hurricane, so it’s fitting my next Revell build 45 years later is the new Revell 1/32 Hurricane. I just stuck the prop on the shaft for a laugh. The last one was brush painted with Testors glass bottle paint, and assembled with Testors red tube glue. That’s all we had available to us back then

Got some paint on it. I had to freehand the camo pattern, and used the Mk.l eyeball to approximate the RAF camo pattern. It certainly isn’t exact, but a reasonable facsimile thereof, and close enough for us Yanks, I s’pose. I’ll look tomorrow and maybe modify a few lines, but all in all, I think it’s alright. Once we mask and spray the roundels, it’ll hide a few of the niggles. It still needs the Sky band ahead of the fin. I assume that band was applied over the RAF camo? I did, and hopefully lightly applying it will allow some bleed through…. Please, if I’m wrong, please advise. Question: the red areas around the guns. Are they painted, or was it a tape to seal the muzzles before use?

Another thing that I’ve been noticing more with me, at least, is that it all depends on my mood. If I’m uptight at the world and all stressed out, a quick build is just the ticket. If I’m feeling great and am looking for a challenge, out comes a kit with, to use JohnB’s words, a high cuss factor. Either way, I’ve had a few changes lately. I’m now concentrating on finishing my builds, rather than just starting them. Maybe a product of old age creeping in?

An interesting discussion, this. I think choice is nice. You can choose to fight an unruly, inaccurate kit, or shake the box and out pops a new Corsair, F-16, P-51, Spitfire, or 109. Like y’all, I generally build subjects I like. The hobby sure has changed since the 70s and 80s. As I age, my eyesight ain’t what it once was, that’s for sure. I see 3D printed panels as a bit of a cheat, a shortcut, absolutely, but I absolutely love them and have started to use them late last year for the first time. They certainly make quick work of the cockpit instrumentation, etc. Then again, more often than not, I use AirScale decals and build my own panels. Other 3D items such as Archer rivets take a whole lot more skill and finesse, and absolutely add to the finished product. I think I’m different than many here, because if there are two kits of the same subject; one a fancy new über kit and the other a short run kit of the same subject, I’ll often build the short run, as it gives me more room to cut it all up and kitbash the crap out of it. The last Tamiya kit I’ve started, a Corsair, still sits, half finished. It literally bored the snot out of me. I’m not the biggest Corsair fan, although they’re certainly famous and am important machine. That all being said, this year, after multiple months of slogging away on the Infinity/HPH Helldiver, I did the new GWH P-40 literally in a few weeks and thoroughly enjoyed myself. There. Is something to be said about precise fit. I look at the amazing builds coming out of the new Kotare Spitfire, and it appears you could almost stick one together in a weekend. A few more weekends if you want to actually create an ac irate representation of the real thing. I LOVE where the hobby is going! I see large scale only becoming more popular as builders age. Not that the smaller scale will die, but the big stuff is more popular than ever.

What are y’all using for masking worms? I know a lot of folks have their way, mine is plasticine, but I’m curious about y’all now.

Eagle and Barracuda both make nice Spitfire l decals, FYI

That looks quite decent, John. I was unsure of your paint choices, but it looks great

The only thing I can say, Peter, is that I use Gunze RLM66 as my go to black shade. Not as stark as pure black

And now you know why people obsess over RLM shades. You literally could have 10 different guys build 10 different models of the same exact plane, and get 10 different results, all of which have documentation proving they’re right. It drove Jerry Crandall crazy. It drives Martin, Floyd Werner, Gazz, and others crazy as well. me, if it looks close, it’s good enough. I just pick a paint manufacturer and stay with it. RLM02 changed shades throughout the war. Nobody, and yet everybody, is right.

They’ll get some mileage out of these molds. The kit is broken down in such a way where just adding a few bits here and there will get you all the way to a Mk.V

Aaaah the never ending debates on correct RLM shades. It drove Jerry Crandall half insane, and well, let’s not talk about Martin.. 🤣🤣

My best friend Rick Linton developed cancer, well, everywhere. It was easier to list what was cancer free with his body. he was an easy 180 for most his life, but was barely 80 when he recently passed.

That’s awesome all around. Sometimes the plumbing works so well it’ll do so uncommanded. I hate it when that happens.

Very nice result and a stunning build of an interesting aircraft. I absolutely love it! Modelsvit has sure upped their game these last several years. beautiful!

Very VERY nice build there! I have that kit and really want to tackle it one of these days. I see an FAA build in my future.

Me too with the shoulder. Last fall I took advantage of a joy being away for a full week, so I used the “off time” bucking rivets, bending sheet metal on a brake and trimming with hand shears. I had zero feeling in my right arm after that, and I believe I dislocated a couple fingers, because to this day, they lock up and I need to pull them with my other hand to snap them back into place. Oh the fun of age. My issues are nothing compared to Chris, though. Not being able to drain the main vein on command isn’t one of the favorites on my list of things to do.