Soo.... What did you just get???

[BlrwestSiR]

51 minutes ago, Artful69 said:

The priority is securing a job after 2 months unemployed ... but yes it will begin ASAP

Hope that you find a job Rog.

[Bomber_County]

12 hours ago, Artful69 said:

The priority is securing a job after 2 months unemployed ...

Sorry to hear that Rog, in the last 15 months I’ve only actually only worked for 8 of them, the rest furlough………but the axe is getting ever closer………

[Artful69]

26 minutes ago, Bomber_County said:

Sorry to hear that Rog, in the last 15 months I’ve only actually only worked for 8 of them, the rest furlough………but the axe is getting ever closer………

Don't be sorry friend. In Western Australia the unemployment rate is pretty low thanks to the State Premier utilising fear of the COVID to close the state borders and keep those pesky easterners out from taking our jobs ... I decided to do something about advancing my future and resigned with about 3 months + in Annual and Long Service Leave accruals ... In the first week afterward I did my Forklift licence ... and I was supposed to complete my HR (Heavy Rigid vehicle) licence also ... but the timeframe for completion and the expense got away from me ... so I really have to get back to it now.

I have a job lined up (I think) to do as a mining camp utility (cleaning etc) on a FIFO 2-on-1-off swing while I finish my HR licence and then apparently I'll be driving a bus up there ... and that's my entry point into a whole new world where the pay can be quite handsome  ...

The relevance here is that ... once I've secured my FIFO job ... I'll have 7 days every 3 weeks to get cracking on a WIP ... I may even get to start it before I leave for my first swing!

Rog

[Vandy1 VX-4]

On 5/1/2021 at 6:41 PM, BlrwestSiR said:

Looks really nice in the box. 

I picked one up to!!!!   The decals are awesome looking !!!

[Spitfire]

Still waiting for my kit from Hannants but got these direct from HGW.

 

Cheers

 

Dennis

[Wumm]

On 5/13/2021 at 11:20 PM, Artful69 said:

Don't be sorry friend. In Western Australia the unemployment rate is pretty low thanks to the State Premier utilising fear of the COVID to close the state borders and keep those pesky easterners out from taking our jobs ... I decided to do something about advancing my future and resigned with about 3 months + in Annual and Long Service Leave accruals ... In the first week afterward I did my Forklift licence ... and I was supposed to complete my HR (Heavy Rigid vehicle) licence also ... but the timeframe for completion and the expense got away from me ... so I really have to get back to it now.

I have a job lined up (I think) to do as a mining camp utility (cleaning etc) on a FIFO 2-on-1-off swing while I finish my HR licence and then apparently I'll be driving a bus up there ... and that's my entry point into a whole new world where the pay can be quite handsome  ...

The relevance here is that ... once I've secured my FIFO job ... I'll have 7 days every 3 weeks to get cracking on a WIP ... I may even get to start it before I leave for my first swing!

Rog

Make sure to get that licence this Financial Year if you can Rog...

The fee for the training, the test costs, and the actual licence itself (as well as the Forklift ticket) will all be a Tax deduction if you start at the Mines before July 1st. You may need that depending on how much of a payout you got, to offset the extra you might get slugged by the ATO. 

I also changed jobs earlier this year. I realise it was a risk, and I was a little conflicted seeing how Phil and others have been affected through circumstances beyond their control. But it was the change I needed to address the final phase of my working life. I've seen too many Men in my situation stay longer than they should have in Transport, and end up sore and broken and unable to adapt to a new career when their bodies gave out on them. 

Good luck with this new phase of your life Mate...

S

[Artful69]

33 minutes ago, Wumm said:

Make sure to get that licence this Financial Year if you can Rog...

The fee for the training, the test costs, and the actual licence itself (as well as the Forklift ticket) will all be a Tax deduction if you start at the Mines before July 1st. You may need that depending on how much of a payout you got, to offset the extra you might get slugged by the ATO. 

I also changed jobs earlier this year. I realise it was a risk, and I was a little conflicted seeing how Phil and others have been affected through circumstances beyond their control. But it was the change I needed to address the final phase of my working life. I've seen too many Men in my situation stay longer than they should have in Transport, and end up sore and broken and unable to adapt to a new career when their bodies gave out on them. 

Good luck with this new phase of your life Mate...

S

Thanks for that Steve ... 

I really wanted to start that WIP now ... but I can really focus because the pressure is building now with no ACTUAL job on offer yet and the dollars shrinking in the bank account - I'm reaaaaaaly hoping I get a call on Monday/Tuesday next week to say "Congrats - we want you!!" ... if that happens I'm on my way ... if not ... stuff is REALLY getting tight.

The big problem with my body and the last job is that with the constant go, go, go all day ... I was living off fast food ... and I've gotten fat ... my medical that I did on Tuesday left me sooooo sore all Wednesday ... but if I can get moving now, eat healthy etc ... I might be able to turn the clock back a bit.

I have a 10-15 year plan heading toward retirement ... 

Rog

 

[Wumm]

Without knowing the specifics...

And if I can allay your worries a little, my take is that if the Company has paid for the Medical (and you passed it) then they want you; otherwise they don't usually go to that expense unless they intend to put you on. I went through the same process, as I am now technically casual Labour Hire and not an Employee yet where I am now, so had to pass the Medical and Drug tests as well. I am 2/3rds through my 3 month probation, then after a year or so if they like you they offer you Permanent. So once you get a start, it's up to you to make a go if it and make yourself irreplaceable (if that even exists anymore). It was all a little Secret Squirrel for a while there before I heard anything, and I was starting to worry as I had to give a month's notice where I was. I only got the call on the Thursday before the Monday they wanted me to start... This is how Temp hire companies operate apparently, on a day to day basis. 

And don't worry about your WIP planning... You'll have plenty of time to think about it in your off-time inside your Donga for a fortnight!

S

[Bomber_County]

On 5/14/2021 at 10:39 AM, Spitfire said:

Still waiting for my kit from Hannants but got these direct from HGW.

Are you getting all of the associated AM? there looks a lot of it. Actually saw the plastic last night on an Australian YouTube review, Metro something or other. He didn’t open the bags but did look a the resin / PE AM……..

[Bomber_County]

8 hours ago, Wumm said:

Without knowing

So Rog, have you decided what to kick off with or is going to be an assembly line………………….sorry for thread…….but unfortunately  I am the wrong side of 60 to even contemplate changing jobs or careers and 26 odd years invested where I am ……

[Artful69]

9 hours ago, Wumm said:

Without knowing the specifics...

And if I can allay your worries a little, my take is that if the Company has paid for the Medical (and you passed it) then they want you; otherwise they don't usually go to that expense unless they intend to put you on. I went through the same process, as I am now technically casual Labour Hire and not an Employee yet where I am now, so had to pass the Medical and Drug tests as well. I am 2/3rds through my 3 month probation, then after a year or so if they like you they offer you Permanent. So once you get a start, it's up to you to make a go if it and make yourself irreplaceable (if that even exists anymore). It was all a little Secret Squirrel for a while there before I heard anything, and I was starting to worry as I had to give a month's notice where I was. I only got the call on the Thursday before the Monday they wanted me to start... This is how Temp hire companies operate apparently, on a day to day basis. 

And don't worry about your WIP planning... You'll have plenty of time to think about it in your off-time inside your Donga for a fortnight!

S

Thanks Steve ...

That was my (substantial) gut feel as well ... why bother paying with no intent? ... but it doesn't stop me being more that a little nervy ... especially when the bank account is looking quite anaemic ... I'll be scouring the Seek site again tomorrow ... and keep pushing the tempo until someone says congrats ... I'm glad you're cruising through your probation

45 minutes ago, Bomber_County said:

So Rog, have you decided what to kick off with or is going to be an assembly line………………….sorry for thread…….but unfortunately  I am the wrong side of 60 to even contemplate changing jobs or careers and 26 odd years invested where I am ……

Ok so ... Since the Panzer III Ausf.M, N and StuG.III Ausf.G chassis' are all the same ... I'll probably get cracking on the lower hulls first ... so the first WIP will be a little monotonous ... I have the Takom StuG III.G  in route as we speak along with a Ferdinand and some Tracks for a mid to late Tiger as well as some for a Panzer. III / IV - the 40cm variety ... When you think of Kursk you tend to think Tiger, Panther and Ferdinand. I have Border Panzer IV.G and the above Panther Ausf.D ... I MAY do a second Panther ... but once I secure that job ... I'll be grabbing a couple of those Border Tiger.I's.

I guess the idea ... is to start the Pz.III chassis work on them all and go from there ... I will do a similar thing with each new chassis type ... there might even be a bit of room for a side-by-side kit comparison or two and build reviews - which I've never done before.

Anyway Job first ... but I am determined to get building and actually looking forward to it!!

Rog

[Spitfire]

1 hour ago, Bomber_County said:

Are you getting all of the associated AM? there looks a lot of it. Actually saw the plastic last night on an Australian YouTube review, Metro something or other. He didn’t open the bags but did look a the resin / PE AM……..

I'll have a look at the kit parts first before deciding, though generally I tend to build OOB unless there is something drastically wrong with the kit

Cheers

Dennis

[Artful69]

Ok ... so 2 things happened today ...

Steve proved himself right as usual    ... and I was invited to complete some inductions for a new job in FIFO ... and so it begins!! .. You're not often wrong Steve, but you were right this time

On 5/15/2021 at 12:23 PM, Wumm said:

Without knowing the specifics... 

And if I can allay your worries a little, my take is that if the Company has paid for the Medical (and you passed it) then they want you; otherwise they don't usually go to that expense unless they intend to put you on ...

Also another package arrived in the mail ...

This one contains another couple of Citadel related kits ... firstly the Takom Blitz StuG.III Ausf.G

I've had a peek inside the box and can confirm that the lower hull and related sprues are the same as their Pz.III Ausf.M and N kits ... so this will be tagged into the Pz.III chassis production line WIP when it starts ...

The next kit is the Ferdinand ... I did a review search on each manufacturer to release a kit of this subject in 1/35 ... and considering the expense of Dragons example along with the excessive parts count and dodgy DS tracks - that one was ruled out ... In the end it was a toss up between the Amusing Hobby and Zvezda kits ... both had pluses and minuses ... BUT ... the thing in this kits favour was ... A/ it was on sale ... B/ It has a second kit - a Strabokran which no self respecting Kursk related dio should be without given the amount of breakdowns occurring with the Ferdinand, Panther and even the Tigers!! ... C/ Individual track links, metal barrel, photo etch, copper cable and clear bits ... and D/ the 2 kits in one box are together cheaper than the Dragon kit ... sold!

Given there's a rather big vehicle in the box and 2 kits ... its in a BIG box ... It has a full interior also ... as with the Takom Panther - and the MAYBE build on the RFM early Tiger - there's a full interior which I may ... or may not ... build.

Next up ... to fill out the order a little I grabbed some individual track link sets ... RFM has a decent reputation for getting most things right ... so I got these to replace the DS tracks in either the Mid or Late Dragon Zimmerit Tigers I have ... I'll get some more later ...

 

Same with these ... suitable for any 40cm wide tracked Pz.III or Pz.IV ... NOW ... I can use these for any of my non-early war Panzers or StuG's So I'm considering using them on Tamiya's StuG.III because there's a non-Zimmerit StuH.III option in that boxing!! ... which means a 10.5cm Howitzer for something a little different with my GD section of the dio ...

That's it for this round ... hopefully I can kick off my WIP before I get to fly out and make some headway into the build ... plus ... I have a couple of targeted kits for the dio's that I might be pulling the trigger on before heading out for my first stint of away work ... a couple of them are 2 in 1 types which I'm REALLY keen on

Rog

 

[harv]

I likey!.......harv

[Jeff]

Rog............... how BIG is the diorama going to be?? Holy, that's lots of iron............... very cool...

[Artful69]

17 hours ago, Jeff said:

Rog............... how BIG is the diorama going to be?? Holy, that's lots of iron............... very cool...

well ... you know how these things go ...

It all started with my favourite Chassis - the Pz.III Ausf.L or M ... and wanting to build a worthy dio for it ... then there was a couple of Dragon model kits that I nabbed with what appears to be a shield style coat of arms. A Pz.III Ausf.M, an N and a PZ.IV Ausf.G ... all 2nd Panzer ... all Citadel ... add to that a Photo of a Platoon of Pz.III.M's on the march and the idea was born ...

Of course I wanted to do a Panther, Tiger and Ferdinand ... problem is ... different parts of the battlefield!! ... 2nd Panzer was in the north and rubbing shoulders with Ferdinands and the already experienced Pz.Abt 505 Tigers ... while the Panthers were in the south. Sooo it will be a split ... and since one of the most famed and photographed units of the Heeres was GroßDeutchland division (or GD) operating in the south with the only Panthers available - Pz.Abt's 51 and 52 of Panzer Regiment 39 - that will be the subject of the other dio ...

Now I say diorama NOT vignette ... because a vignette to me is like a single item style subject ... whereas a dio (to me anyway) covers a broader subject matter.

Rog

[Bomber_County]

Rog the size of a small garden then……..

[Jeff]

1 hour ago, Bomber_County said:

Rog the size of a small garden then……..

Well, what ever size it is going to be, ( and I think it's gonna be BIG ) it is going to be very cool, and tell a great story.... can't wait to watch this come together...

[BlrwestSiR]

Well, it's finally here. 

The plastic bits are stunning. 

So many tiny bits and all finely moulded too.  This is going to find when I get my bench back. 

Carl

 

[harv]

Carl, what scale is this ?....harv

[Bomber_County]

52 minutes ago, BlrwestSiR said:

Well, it's finally here. 

Carl, why not break the habit of a lifetime and start on it now………

[BlrwestSiR]

39 minutes ago, harv said:

Carl, what scale is this ?....harv

Harv, it's 1/48 but the detail is incredible.

[Bomber_County]

The 48th market is getting so good now, also having built the ZM F4, I am not sure if I’d have room for the same plane in 32nd…….the same with the P38’s not that there is a 32nd contender IMHO…….…

[BlrwestSiR]

11 minutes ago, Bomber_County said:

Carl, why not break the habit of a lifetime and start on it now………

Phil, I would but there's the small issue of my bench looking like this:

I couldn't even open the kit to look at it. I had to do that on top of the freezer. Hopefully this weekend I can get more of the basement reno done and start sorting things. 

Plus I'm going to be working a couple jobs over the next few days. I've got the regular one during the day and I've been asked to paint a condo in the evenings. 

[BlrwestSiR]

Here's a couple pics of the parts. 

The panel lines are very fine, comparable to Hasegawa or maybe Eduard on their 1/48 Spitfire kits. The plastic is like Hasegawa's too. On the harder side, not soft.

You know it's detailed when the ejection seat takes two pages...