ScottsGT

I built these loft shelves just to hold the stash from the move. Each box is numbered and I have a list I wrote up as I packed them for the move. Moving boxes are two deep on this shelf on the right. Smaller shelf, but holds 4 moving boxes full and then some stacked on top. There’s a lot more stacked on top now for some strange reason. 🤷🏻‍♂️ At the old house I had shelves with the stash on them. The wife thought this was just too much “clutter” to see.

I feel your pain. Our whole house is run off a heat pump winter and summer. Southern thing here since it rarely gets really cold. Are you running an additional heat source up there? We had a new unit installed back in September. When it dropped down below freezing and into the teens I noticed the heat pump was keeping up somewhat with the thermostat setting. Set at 69 degrees, only got down to 67 in the house. Last year it was 58 inside. Kicker was the power bill was $125 higher this year. My last system didn’t have auxiliary electric heat coils in the system, nor does my thermostats have the “emergency” heat setting that turns them on. I called my HVAC guy and asked if these have them and could they possibly be wired to come on with the hear. OOPS! He’s coming out next week to see if his guy wired them to turn on all the time. I’ll probably need a new thermostat for the upstairs where it really gets colder during the winter.

Okay, all kidding aside with a build from my nerd stash…. This is the perfect excuse for me to dig this one out of the stash just now. I’ve been looking for a reason ever since I scored it off Amazon for something like $40 a few years back. Good grief Charlie Brown…I had to shuffle moving boxes full of models around and up and down on the ladder to pull the moving box this was packed away in. Then I had to put them all away. 🤪 I also have the G-Factor brass gear for it as well. No ladder work, but a little digging to get to them in the morning. I bet y’all did nazi that coming, did ya??

You buy it for me and I’m in!

I’ve been sitting on wanting to build this for probably 15 years now. Figured I’m not getting any younger, so I started this on Dec. 1 last year. As usual, the build was a joy. This is Tamiya F4-J #4 for me, one being a B conversion. I still have 2 more in the stash. One is the Marine version I’ll probably build OOB. Other will be the VX-4 Bicentennial Eagle scheme. One of the major hurdles building a Blue Angels aircraft is the BA blue color. All the BAB colors from all the major suppliers is correct for very early builds like way back in the days of flying the Cougars. I bought every brand of paint in BAB I could find or anything close and started this project by patchwork painting an old 1/48 Phantom I used as a paint mule. My closest pick was Tamiya TS-15 blue. Of course Tamiya doesn’t offer a match of TS-15 in their LP lineup. Time to decant the spray bomb, and this is where the difficulty started. I tried airbrushing light coats building up, tried adding clear, tried adding leveling thinner, tried polishing after the paint dried. Nothing worked except hosing it on heavy and wet like it comes out of the spray can. No way I could have done this with my Iwata. Yea, I tried. I used the Grex with a fan attachment tip. Best results were painting heavy and wet, let it sit 48 hours then wet sand with 1200 grit and respray with two more heavy and wet coats. Cant wait to do that F-18 now! Yea, I know. I put the U.S.Navy decals about a 1/4” too low. Didn’t discover this until after the fact looking at the real airplanes on line. This is the second time I burned myself referring to the decal sheet and not looking at photos of the real thing.

This one showed up in the mail yesterday. Picked it up off LSP classifieds. I have the old Revell Stuka but always wanted the “tank buster” with the underwing cannons. Today I got my Hobby Zone building jig from Super Hobby in Poland. With the biplanes in the stash this should make things easier.

Actually, I just got it in the mail yesterday. I’m about to take a pic and post it with some other goodies the mailman brought me.

Yea, I remember a lot of us telling him don’t worry. We get it. And just how do you know what color drawers I’m wearing today? 😡 All kidding aside, I think my bench has been sending me subliminal messages to build this finally! Only been in the plans 15+ years.

Oh crap. Forgot why I came here. Derp! 🤪 Almost there! Finish up the seats and a good wipe down to remove all the decal residue and she’s done.

Speaking of Dale, I was researching something I’m working on and one of his threads popped up. I spent an hour rereading a lot of his posts. He certainly was a character, especially when he was trying a new med or got them out of whack. We’ve lost a lot of good people over the years.

Yea, but I’ve already done that one.

Man, that’s looking great. When I weathered mine I screwed the pooch when I shot on the final flat clear. When it dried it looked like I had sprinkled talc all over it. I had to start all over again. Lesson learned that day! One coat of flat clear at a time and let it dry!

🤔 hmm… It is a twin engine.

Hubert, I picked that book up as well. Dana did an amazing job on it. I got my copy directly from him.

Ok, odd scale. Too big for 1/48, smaller than 1/32 but the pilot is probably 1/8 scale. So I’ll stick it here with the big models. Just a fun build I jumped on to release stress from painting the Blue Angels Phantom. Honestly, it kept the big F-4 off the SOD. Notice I’m giving the glamour shots on a dirty bench? Yea, cleanup is after the Phantom- coming soon!

I knew you could do it! Looks great.

Wow! That was fast. I’ll join in just for fun if I can get this TWIN ENGINE F-4J PHANTOM done asap. I think it’s a little further along than 25% though.

Aerocraft Models in England. Ali is active on LSP. He puts out some really nice stuff.

You wish you were!

Just got a nice delivery. 3 bottles of leveling thinner from the USA Gundam store and an order from Ali at Aerocraft Models. 2- Stearman brass wing strut sets, an A-20 front nose gear and a gratuitous Revell Phantom brass gear set. Wait until you see tomorrow’s delivery. 😁

Well if the kids next door are picking winners, this time I’m building the F-18 Maverick flew in Top Gun II. 😁 JK, hopefully a J/K

Trim the clear film, place over stencils to hold them in correct position when removing from backing paper and apply to model. Carefully peel off transfer film leaving stencil in place.

Wait! The J/K hasn’t been released yet! Of course I do have those two B-25 kits in the stash.

I have found this a very rewarding way to end a build as well. It’s like getting a fresh start again. I started the habit with my new bench at the new home and wouldn’t change a thing!

Sweet setup! Now get busy making it a mess!