Landlubber Mike

Kitlinx is a terrible company. They took an order from me for a few Taurus engine kits -- not cheap -- and never included them with my order. I sent them about a half dozen polite emails asking about the situation and they all went ignored. I wouldn't do business with them.

Gorgeous Peter!

Looking really sharp Peter! The Eduard set looks fantastic.

Thank you Peter, really appreciate the kind words. Maybe I'll start a separate log for the Vindicator. It's not a highly decorated plane for its war service, and there aren't too many kits available for it, but I think it's a pretty interesting subject. I'm actually planning on building it with partially folded wings, which should be a little different from the few models out there.

Sorry, I meant someone from another website (modelshipworld.com). And thank you very much again! Good to know that the sponge technique can work!

Thanks for the kind words! You know, someone else had mentioned the fine sponge, I'll have to try that. Not sure why I went with the brush as I think a sponge might be easier. Thank you!

I won't ever buy from Kitlinx again. I ordered a few Taurus resin engine kits from them last winter along with some other items, and the kits were not in the box. I sent probably a half dozen polite emails to Loic and never even got a response. So, I would caution doing business with them when there are plenty of other great suppliers out there like Sprue Brothers and others.

Thanks Phil. Yeah, I have tried the technique on some plastic sheet and it seemed to work. Will just need to pour myself a stiff drink and go for it I'll try to post a log on the Vindicator. Along with the Eduard PE set (which is really nice for this kit), I'm planning to partially fold the wings and include that tension rod that is used to anchor the folded wing against the fuselage. Should be interesting, just trying to push myself on these builds to make them a little more challenging and interesting, rather than cookie cutter.

Hey Phil, thanks for checking in. I'm still at about the same point but have the landing gear on and worked on the cockpit windshields. I am not too happy with the stark line between the gull gray and insignia white - it should be a bit of a blurred transition between colors. Not exactly sure how I want to go about doing the transition. I tested a method of using very thinned gray with a little bit on the brush almost like dry brushing, but instead of standard painting strokes like dry brushing, I would dab the end of the brush along the intended line. That seems to be ok, so I'll probably go with that method. Unless of course you guys have any better suggestions - I'm all ears because this has me stuck on the build! In the meantime, I started the Accurate Miniatures 1/48 SB2U-1 Vindicator. Unlike their F3F kits which I thought were fantastic, this one is a bit of a letdown as the front and rear cockpits need a lot of modifications to get the fuselage halves to fit together. I've probably put in 5 hours or more trying to make it all fit, it's been incredibly frustrating. But, I'm just about there.

Those do look amazing. I'm still a while before I try to tackle a WNW kit or similar WWI era kit, but I thought about making my own props given I have plenty of woodworking equipment from my wooden model side. That being said, I agree with you that these look like a good time saver and clear perfection! Also agree about supporting suppliers from countries that support and follow property rights. Ernie, are they also putting together exhausts similar to the Rexx and Moskit products? I saw what looks like an exhaust in your first picture. If so, looks great!

Wow, that's really nice! Well done!

Holy cow, this is really cool. Nice job!

Hey Rob, thanks for the reply. Sorry, I didn't necessarily mean to give you a tutorial on lathes since you obviously have much more experience than I ever will. Was mostly giving info to others who might not know much about lathes, so my apologies! I think the Proxxon would be perfect for your intended use. I really enjoyed mine. In retrospect, I probably could have just kept it and added the Sherline since the Sherline takes more effort to get set up, but space starts becoming an issue when you begin adding tools. If I remember correctly, the DB250 didn't require a transformer unlike a bunch of other tools in the Proxxon range - another plus! Some people have added the extended bed for the DB250. That increases the footprint quite a bit, and I wonder how steady things will be since I don't think the DB250 allows for things like a steady rest. It seemed that the hole through the headstock would accommodate longer pieces, you'd just have to turn half and then flip around and turn the other half.

Hubert, the Sherline is designed to handle both wood and metal. They have wood tool rests you can purchase for wood turning tools. I've turned wooden (and acrylic) pens and other wooden items on my lathe no problems.

Rob - I had that Proxxon lathe a while back and used it for my Badger. It's only built for wood though, not metal, as others have said. I found it really helpful for tapering the masts and spars. Put the dowel in, turned it on, used calipers, sandpaper and steel wool to finish, and completed in no time. I'm not sure why some pooh-pooh the use of lathes to construct masts and spars. They have to build a jig, cut it into square or hexagon stock, and then use planes to shave bits off. Took no time at all for me in the lathe. One warning if you are new to lathes - be very careful getting anything near the headstock. My first time I got the steel wool too close and it yanked it from my fingers, thankfully my fingers weren't pulled into the machine. Scared the bejesus out fo me, and I was like, oh, that's what the warning in the instructions was meant to cover! I would also make sure you have eye protection just in case. I thought it was a really great little machine, but ended up selling it to buy a Sherline lathe, in part to be able to turn metal parts. I first started with a used one I bought off eBay with an 8" bed, but ended up selling that one and buying a new one with a 14" bed and a digital read out (the DRO is really helpful) when I started turning other things like pens and needed the longer bed. The 8" is good for most small needs, but once you start adding centers, chucks, etc., the bed size decreases quickly. They also make a reverse live center to help with masts and spars, but I haven't used it yet. In case anyone is interested, here is a link to how ship modelers use Sherline products. I couldn't recommend their lathe and mill highly enough. They are built like tanks, and have a ton of accessories for every conceivable construction process. They are a bit on the pricey side though, especially when you throw in the accessories. That being said, I don't know how much they would help with plastic modeling. But, if you like tools, I'm sure one could find a use for them. https://www.sherline.com/ship-modelers/

Damn Ernie, you're forcing me to admit I have a serious man crush on you. Such sweet rides! I'm stuck drive a Pilot and a mini-van

Wow, that's first class work there. Very nice!

Nice job Gus! 1/24 scale, wow! A biggun!

Holy cow, just saw this thread for the first time. Sweet car Ernie!

That's looking really great - nice job!

I haven't spent a ton of time looking at the WnW lozenge decals, but a few of the ones I looked at in the stash seemed a bit too stark - at least for my liking. Certainly washes will tone things down a bit, but I like a more muted tone, which Aviattic seems to have nailed pretty well. Will the Duchess be your first wooden ship model? If so, that's a great one to start with! Happy to help where I can. Plastic certainly can send you down a number of rabbit holes when it comes to things like aftermarket, paints and washes, etc. Wooden ship models have different rabbit holes - power and hand tools, replacing kit wood with "better" wood, etc. Don't ask me how I know that As for communicating with others in the hobby, I have to say that forums like these make modeling immensely more fun. Not only is it a great learning venue (not sure how people did models in the past pre-internet!) and inspiring to see masters at work (though, it can be a bit intimidating as well!), it's just a lot of fun with all the camaraderie. Compared to other hobby boards I've been on, the modeling boards seem to be full of good people not looking for unnecessary drama.

Great job on both Rob! I have a few WNW kits in the stash, and have worried about adding the lozenge decals and getting a cartoonish look to the model. You did a really great job with them to avoid that issue. Thanks for posting such a detailed WIP. When I read logs like yours, I realize how much more there is I have to learn. Your tips with the Albion tubes and connectors were really fantastic - had no idea you could buy such things. And your metal and wood work is superb. Lots to absorb, thanks again for taking the time to share and post!

I hear you. I actually have three 1/64 wooden ship models in progress. There are so many repetitive tasks on the wood side with planking, cannons, etc. sometimes I get burned out and move to another.

Rhetorical question? Of course!

Yes, I just saw Fran's review and this kit is now moving up to near the top of the want list