ScottsGT

Great times! We have a trip coming up to Jackson Hole. Wife is taking CEU classes, I’m taking a relaxation break. Not as nice sounding as our Maui trip 3 years ago. But non the less, a place I’ve never been and we are taking a day to drive over to Yellowstone Park. Even being empty nesters, we still need the get always to keep from doing home chores and a vacation without inviting all the kids to show up.

Very nice! I got tired of squatting down all the time when loading up my smoker and built this portable table. Seems woodworking lately is taking me away from my bench.

I had big plans for this past weekend......until my youngest daughter came home from college and put me to work building her a headboard for her bed that she needs for next semester. So I was out in the garage and had my table saw set up, jointer out using it and then running the lumber through the planer. Then she has the audacity to ask me why I have all these tools. "Apparently to make you a headboard." Thrift shop down the road as 8 priced at $15-$25. But noooooo......not the latest trend on Pinterest...

So I went in last week for my physical and spilled the beans and showed my Doc the progress. Since I’ve started this, they have now repainted his plane again. its now all over dark gray with smaller tail numbers with a Gamecock on the tail. Well, not starting over with paint! He gets the second generation paint job.

Don’t forget about the IM PT-13 announced too. Airfix I think?

Went to Maui almost 3 years ago. Been too long, need to go back. Only place I've ever been and said I could give up all material possessions and live like Gilligan in a grass hut and enjoy myself. Well, especially if Maryann was there.

Ok, now I’ve gotten back into another bad habit. Watches. Ive always had a strange attraction to a wrist watch or a pocket watch. But recently got bit by the bug again. I just picked these two up. They're not Rolex quality, but a huge jump above my older Wenger Swiss Army watches. And now I’m looking at a Seiko Monster. Not sure if I want the Orange Monster or the Blue Coral Monster. I could buy a few HK bombers for the price of one, but it would just sit on a shelf for years on end.

Awesome!! I tried with my boys, but PlayStation won in the end.

I've decided to wait until the Daughter can use her little vinyl cutting machine for stencils. This one is turning out really nice and the dot matrix print pattern really stands out to me. I think I'd rather paint it all instead of painting my white base and using my set of low vis decals. One problem I didn't think of was things like the ejection seat decals. Being a two seater, and a kit of a foreign aircraft, I am having to piece together decals from multiple sets of American Aircraft decals to get what I need to match up. So far I've scavenged the triangle warning decals from an F-15 set.

Problem is, my daughter is finishing up grad school and won’t have time to cut my stencils until after she’s done in 2-3 weeks. I was hoping to have it done by then to give to my Doc May 8th at my next appointment. I’ve got another set of gray, but I’d have to spray a white base first.

And this is not good. I had these custom made about 13 years back. I’m trying to wrap up this F-16D build. Ive got a few areas where the decal refuses to lay down. Big bubble without any air in it. between the two O’s and above the R. I could put a tiny slit in the decal and let something soak in. But what? FWIW, I forgot how Alps printed decals will swell up with Micro Sol but not shrink back down. So yea, damaged from Micro Sol. I think my only other option is to see if my daughter can cut me some stencils with her vinyl cutting machine and just paint this on now.

We have paint!

Ok, to answer my own question, new paint is two tone. And the funny thing is, FS36270 is almost an exact match for Tamiya gray spray primer. I thought I was spraying water only at first.

Quick question about the colors on this one. I guess I’m use to painting the older F-16’s, but are they now just two colors? FS 36270 on the bottom, vertical tail and forward of the darker FS36118? FS36375 no longer used?

$2.36 a gallon is our lowest price at Sam’s Club. Highest in the area is $2.59

LOL!! Because they never get built and stay in the stash pile neatly packed away in a square box.

Looking good! I gotta get back into a Phantom build soon.

Yep, I spent the last two weekends trimming the shrubs around the house after my Caribbean cruise vacation. I think my timing was perfect. Last year I kept putting it off until it was just too damned hot outside to do hard work like this. It's a great feeling knowing this is done now until late summer when I need to touch them up. Although I do still have one 30' Holley bush/tree that needs to be trimmed back. Not sure how I'm going to attack that one without a lift since it is up against my house. Might just borrow the 16' extension ladder from work and cut it back to about 10'

We have primer! Then I realized the kit came a left hand sniper pod and I need a right hand, so had to place an order with Sprue Brothers.

Oh boy.....Between the next B-24 on the way, the announcement of the IM Stearman PT-13 and now this....... ....its gonna be an expensive year.

Always wanted to build one of those since I saw Red Dawn many years ago. But 1/35 Helicopters start taking up real estate in a display case quickly with those rotors. I keep my helo's down to 1/48. Your build is absolutely fantastic.

Picture time! Here's my modified gear legs. Locking arms separated. End of locking are pin out of box Modified for new angle

I figured out the pivot points on the main gear last night. Simply used my razor saw and cut the end off, turned it a few degrees and re-glued it. For the little bracket that forces the pivot when retracting, that was a little tricky. I had to cut the part in two at the joint and add them to the legs one piece at a time. Tonight (hopefully) I'll work on the locking arm that now has to be in a folded position. I'm not making mine as far up in the wheel wells as the ones in the pics posted. Slicing these "microscopic" parts and repositioning them is really trying my patience and the arthritis in my hand! My Pana-Vise has really paid off with this build. Forgot to get pics last night during the process. I'll get some and update the thread this evening.

Requires a paid subscription to his website. I joined to watch, the found out it requires an upgrade. Oh well, I’ll muddle through it.

Thanks for the images! That is extremely helpful and great timing. I'm starting on this tonight.