Artful69

As I can’t find the 2024 thread anywhere, I’ll assume it was merged into this one at some point. Maybe a title change to st “Modelling News / Announcements”? Anyway … the latest HKM Kit announcement is a special edition RAAF Havoc A-20G Rog

Back in the day ... when real trades built real houses here (I lived in one that was built in 1901) ... we had 14ft high, pressed tin ceilings. The stair balustrade in the place I was staying was made from an 8in wide hand carved and curved jarrah beam with seamless joins resting on 6in x 6in posts. The rooms were huge ... you could have played tennis in the main living room upstairs. Small bed rooms were 4m x 4m etc etc ... The trend with high ceilings continued through the early 60's here, until more modern housing (concrete slab floor) came into vogue. I think 8ft (approx) was the standard until the last couple of decades and now it's all over the place! I say 'about' 8ft because we generally discuss residential wall height here in terms of brick courses ... I think the norm is 31c? ... with high ceilings coming in at 33c ... I'll need to check. On my spec I was offered 'high ceilings' as part of the package but I swapped it over to just high ceilings in the garage instead. Rog

Calm down? ... 🤨 No need for me to calm down as I'm not at all concerned. You suggested there were no electrics - and ... as I can clearly see where they are, I just pointed out where they are visible in previous posts, so that you can see them also - if looking for where they were previously situated before the plasterboard went up it makes it easier to locate (since I don't have any close ups this time around - the holes are a little more difficult to see unless a cable is poking out) ... that was all. I'm quite sure that the builder - and the trades - know exactly what they are doing ... even if I don't! Rog

Thanks ... Yes! ... If you look at the previous set of photos with the wrapped up stuff stored in the garage - the sheets are 6m long! ... I guess there aren't too many rooms or other unbroken up walls in a house these days that are longer than 6m. Here, there are a lot of houses built now with 'high' ceilings. The idea is to make the internal space look larger. Personally, I would rather just open up the space ... which I think I have done, with the possible exception of the WIR area entering the master bedroom. With plenty of variation in ceiling height, I'm guessing it would be easier to score and break longer sections of plasterboard? Rog

I don't know if you've seen the previous posts? All piping (gas and water) as well as cabling (electrical and communications) was installed after the timber fame was installed to the roof as most of it runs through the roof and is attached to various roof timbers. Then the 'chasing' is completed (cuts into the walls) to install the cables or pipes to where various switches and outlets need to be located. If you compare those previous photos to the ones posted here now, you can see where the cables are installed. Bear in mind that the house is in 'lock up' stage so as I explained in the post, all photos were taken from the outside, looking inward. Even so, I can see the holes in the plasterboard where the wires and piping are located, without enlarging the photos at all. There's even the extra length of wire for the 900mm dual fuel stove and the island bench poking through wall and floor in the kitchen area. When the electrician comes to complete fittings (which will be after the floor tiles, I would imagine) ... They will cut out whatever plasterboard is needed to fit the lights in the ceiling and around the current holes in the walls to fit the switches etc. Rog

Nice work Heiz ... The English translation of G.U.P is always hilarious ... Momo - at the beginning of 'Der Film' referring to their team up ... "F*%king Chi-Ha Tan" 🤣 laughed myself silly ... also laughed at the superb trolling work of the 'Continuation' BT-42 ... GUP is an underrated classic! Rog

After another glorious 2 weeks of night shift ... I returned home on Wednesday. On the Monday, the builder sent me an email advising that the 'Ceilings' milestone had been completed - which also includes walls and cornice work ... and maybe any other number of activities before 'Lock up' (another milestone) is achieved. As I was drifting off to sleep on Wednesday afternoon (having been awake since about 4.30pm the day before!) an email arrives advising me that 'Lock Up' has been achieved ... Yay! - We're moving along ... but also Bummer! - I wanted to be able to do a walk through before lock up. I sent an email to the builders liaison asking for access but was given a negative response ... So ... Yesterday (Thursday), I headed down to the block, hopeful that I might be able to provide updates regardless. The first thing I noticed on arrival was the door installed to the garage laundry entry. Of course, a closer inspection shows the ceiling installed in the garage also I might not be able to take a walk through the house ... but I have glass entry doors and windows! So I figured I'd take what photos I could from a walk around it ... Surprisingly, the reveals were better than I thought! From the laundry door ... The only disappointment here was that - no matter my viewing location, I can't see the shelving installed to the WIL (Walk In Linen) area off to the left hand side up the walkway there From the kitchen window ... Well, I hate the window, but it's good for something at least! ... A walk around the corner ... and a couple of shots from the sliding door into the alfresco area ... From the Home Theatre window ... Round the corner again to the rearmost bedroom window ... and this is where I noticed that some doors were installed ... some paintwork applied to the doors and the ceilings! ... and the Della-Vita cabinetry has been installed to the bedroom robe. Also ... about this time I noticed that all the windows had been locked open ... probably to allow airflow for drying any remaining damp areas and the paintwork. So I carefully poked the phone into the rear bathroom area to take a snap of that - because the window is opaque. The next bedroom ... which will be mainly used as storage for the stash once painted 😉 The Master bedroom looking toward the ensuite (right) and the corridor (left) with the WIRs (Walk In Robes). Looking directly at the WIRs and corridor to the main entry. I assume the painted door is for the ensuite toilet. A view from the ensuite window - which is situated from above where the bath will be installed ... showing the pipework for the double vanity on the opposite wall and the shower recess off to the right. Now that I've noticed the paintwork on the inside ... it becomes apparent that paint has been applied outside also to the eves, verandah (including posts) and alfresco areas That's all for now ... on the works update front. I have been advised of the next set of scheduled tasks ... to be completed between now (mid August) and the end of September. Plumbing Fittings Painting (Ceilings) Cabinet Delivery Cabinet install Garage concrete Tile material delivery Tiler prep Shower Waterproofing Tiler works (Tile Laying) – mid to end of September Acrylic render (colour coat) Apparently, once the tiler commences works, there is a 12 week expectation before the house is ready for handover. According to their scheduling I should, therefore, receive keys by early to mid December. There will be some works that need to be completed before moving in a painted bathroom, laundry and maybe the kitchen ... but everything else should be ok to start once inside! Rog

If you guys fancy a laugh ... In 2006, one of our comedians here made a 'mocumentary' in the great Australian tradition of taking the p&%$ Rog

It seems that dodgy building happens everywhere! ... It really pays to engage a builder with a long term reputation of doing things right ... Having satisfied customers etc etc. Back when I was a kid, building was really very simple - Slab, Bricks, Windows, Plaster, Ceilings, Plumbing, Electrical and Cabinets. No Flooring (except rudimentary wet area tiling), Window dressing, Insulation, Aircon, Storm water removal, Telephone connection ... that was all your responsibility for after you moved in. It wasn't until much later that we started getting more 'inclusive' packages and now there are a LOT of trades to be engaged before housing is complete - Plus, of course, the old book of building standards has become a labyrinth resembling the old set of Encyclopaedia Britannica! Building has become a minefield ... so no wonder they're all so skittish!Yes ... I saw the 'photo bomb' when I got back home and started looking through the photos ... but it was the only picture of the front door that I had, so I thought 'F*@# it!' 😆 Rog

At this stage, one of the rear bedrooms will be the stash room … until a storage attic can be built into the roof cavity. 🤣🤣🤣 … at this stage there’s no pool … though there may be a spa later on … I am advised that ‘Handover’ will occur sometime between end of February and end of April next year. :) I like big butts and I cannot lie ??? Rog :)

Heya Carl ... To answer your question ... The garage will have a hardstand poured in concrete, yes ... The timing varies but from my client portal below - about when the tiling is done inside the house ... The external brick paving is one of the final jobs from memory. I'm quite a way ahead of the predicted schedule ... so the construction market must be returning to normal, I guess? In Western Australia ... Greater Perth, at least ... Double brick and Tile/iron has been a building staple since way back ... though, there are some varying construction methods (brick veneer, timber/steel frame etc ... even prefab concrete!) Rog

Hey everyone ... Just a quick update ... I decided to take a quick trip down to the block on the day before flying back out to work, as it seems the builder is flying through construction! So ... on Tuesday 30th July I travelled down to see what sort of progress was made. The next building invoice and 'milestone' stage is 'lock up' - so before that happens, the house will need windows and external doors. At the same time, ceilings, walls and cornicing are completed ... and then, just before the final lockable door is installed (Garage) The shelving and rails are set up in the wardrobe and walk-in-linen areas. So ... we have windows! ... and the 1.2m glass front door ... Windows and glass doors everywhere! On both sides, inside the garage, wrapped Gyprock sheeting is neatly stacked, ready for the ceiling and (I assume) wall fixers to do their thing ... I head back home on Wednesday this week (14th Aug) after 2 weeks of night shift ... So I'll probably head down on Thursday again and see how far the plasterwork has progressed! Rog

I am hearing mainly good things about these Border 35th scale kits ... would need about 15-20 more kits in this scale before I bought the bullet though ... then I'd probably grab every one! Rog

On the way back from the block and house build the other day - stopped by my Australia Post Office to collect this box ... Which contained this very well packed and cared for! Rog

From here, the main stages go on this order: * Lock up * Practical Completion Inspection * Practical Completion * Handover Lock up usually arrives about a month after roof cover and is done before cabinetry, electrical fittings, plumbing fixtures, tiles, carpets etc are fitted … since ceilings and interior doors are painted, this also occurs after lock up. Apparently PCI happens about 3 months after lock up - usually … but we will see!! Short answer is the handover could occur anytime between December and April next year. Rog

Along with a load of Birthday well wishers via Facebook on Monday, I received an email from the Builder to advise that "Roof Cover" had been achieved - a lovely Birthday gift to be sure! Roof Cover marks a stage of the build process where certain things have happened, including (obviously) - but not limited to - roof cover being completed ... When the roofing cover is installed (Tiles or Colorbond steel) the surrounding guttering and downpipes are also installed ... but prior to that, all interior cabling (electrical or communications) and pipework (gas or water) is installed. Some ancillary items are also dealt with, such as the front facing render on the building and any unfinished work from previous jobs, such as nailing the external fibro-cement boards to the roofing timbers around the eves, alfresco and verandah. Front rendering completed - sans patchwork and sealer ... The below section of the wall will be painted in a light blue colour called Calm Day. A few shots of the Shale Grey coloured Colorbond roofing ... This area of the render will be painted the same colour as the roof ... A few photos of the interior showing cabling and pipe installation Next up they will be fitting the ceilings and the plasterboard apparently ... Rog

I flew back home on Wednesday after a couple of weeks on night shift. During my swing, I received an email from the builder advising me that 'plate height' (the industry term for brickwork completed) was nearly reached and timber for the roofing frame was scheduled to be delivered to site within the next week. The email came late the previous week ... either Thursday or Friday. So with barely a week passing since the email, I'm expecting walls up and maybe some timber in a neat pile ready to be installed ... Nope ... We're a bit further along from that! The roof carpenter (or 'chippie' as we call them here in Aus) decided not to hang around ... must have slapped this together in a couple of days! If you're really looking, you can see that the garage walls are higher that the main residence walls ... Also - steel posts are in supporting the verandah, Cement fibre sheeting is installed to verandah, eves and alfresco already. Colorbond steel facia in Shale Grey has been installed ... but not the gutters yet ... Gutters, downpipes, Roof sheeting will all be this colour as well as the render from the front door along the (right) front wall to the garage. The wall on the other side of the front door (left) will be a contrasting light blue colour (Calm Day) and the garage door will be a dark blue Colorbond colour called "Deep Ocean". Window frames, external door frames and steel pillars will be white. External walls (not to be rendered) are nicely finished off ... A few shots of the interior ... Laundry ... Theatre room ... Entrance to the Master Bedroom ... with the WIRs on either side ... One of the other bedrooms with the built in robe taking shape ... a couple of pictures of the ensuite ... The main roof won't be far away at this juncture! Rog

But … now how so I ‘current day’ this right? ”They identified as Australian” 🇦🇺 😁 Rog

I had a t-shirt made with the distinctive outline of Angus Young on the front followed by the line “100% Australian Angus” So many people stopped me wanting to know where I got the shirt from so they could buy one … I just gave them the website of the shirt printer. Rog

This missing part arrived a few weeks back ... unfortunately the place that I'm staying in at the moment makes any paint operations extremely difficult. That, plus a bout of COVID and some final building pre-construction paperwork to be sorted on my house has left me time-poor when not at work. I hope to recommence soon though Roger

Lol ... the 'fake' Falcon? ... A modified XB Coupe from memory ... called the Interceptor? Rog

Not sure ... Some stats details below ... Of course in this era the majority of local design and manufacturing was focused on motorsport ... specifically Bathurst. Win Bathurst (or at least finish it ... and strongly) and your sales are exponentially better than your opposition. The XC was the final iteration of that particular Falcon design and recorded the first ever 1-2 finish at the event. Rog

That profile looks very similar to the 'X' series falcon coupe's here in Aus built from 1972 to 1979 A '72 Falcon XA GT 'hardtop' A limited edition (400 made for racing homologation) '78 XC GT 'Cobra' Rog

On my way back from visiting the block yesterday, I called in at the post office to collect the latest deliveries ... The first two were from Hobbylink Japan ... It's a place I will shop at if the items can't be located anyplace else reliable, because they tend to be more expensive than other suppliers ... This box contained another box! ... The 1st of the Takom Tiger.1 'Big Boxes' ... Only a small sample of these made it to Australia and most of the other sources I found were on e-Bay ... ex-China! ... So I swallowed the extra expense and bought it from HLJ while they still had a few in stock. Of course ... while I was chasing up my order progression on the HLJ site I bought another item as it became available ... This contained the second 'Big Box' set ... Another box - from the Czech Republic ... and covered in plastic to prevent moisture damage - a nice touch! Not having ready access to the (now) HpH Kate, locally ... I logged into the e-Shop and purchased it directly ... On the 'non-modelling' front ... a box of pre-ordered goodies arrived from Rippaverse Comics - a relatively new 'indie' company ... A package bought during the pre-order period for their 4th campaign: 'Yaira #1' I think that's it now until ZM release the next of their Kits ... or until Takom release an 'Early' Tiger 1. Rog

It's that time again! .... After a week of additional convalescence - post R&R - I flew back to site for a week of night shift. I flew home yesterday afternoon ... and slept through until 10.45 this morning - one of the quicker body clock recalibrations. I took a drive down to the block stopping for a drive through lunch on the way. Bricklayers were on site ... and construction is well underway! The bricklayers are starting at the back of the block and working their way toward the front - so obviously the view from here is less than spectacular. A much better result when looking from the rear! Here's a picture of that yucky kitchen window that I have to get fixed once I move in. ... and from the inside ... The laundry and entry off the garage ... At the top right hand side of this photo you can see one of the spare bedrooms at the rear and the bathroom built next to it (in front) In the next bedroom (in front of the bathroom) you can see the recess for the robe already ...formed. ... While on the external walkaround I noticed an error ... There has been a recess created to fit the gas Hot Water System into the wall ... The Building company considered this to be an upgrade on their original drafting plans. However, I 1/ Didn't want an additional 'hole' created in the external wall ... and 2/ Didn't want a space that was restrictive to a potential replacement in the HWS later on (for any reason). ... So I specified on my contract that I wanted the system to be mounted on the surface of the wall. I supposed I wouldn't be so pedantic about it if the builder had been amenable to fixing the kitchen window (by deleting it altogether) ... or fixing the shower recess wall by deleting the extra 100mm off the hob wall and shower screen ... But since they have refused (as they are allowed to do once certain stages of the contract have passed), I'm going to hold them to this part of the contract. That's all for now ... Hopefully more on Tuesday before I fly back out. Rog