Non-railway modelling

[Ben B]

On 13/09/2023 at 07:10, JZ said:

How much detail do we add to our railway models, much of which cannot be seen when trundling around the layout? At one time I had all the Cambrian pre-lettered kits for the Somerset Coalfield. Each loaded with real coal that I had gleaned from the remaining batches (tips). Timsbury was the earliest closure, in 1916, but I found enough for three wagons. Who knew? Just me.

 

It's like the r-t-r manufacturers including exquisitely-rendered underframes on wagons. Commendable attention to detail, yes, but unless you're having your wagons upside down after a catastrophic derailment, who's going to see it?

 

As regards model kits, all those unseen bits of details, wheels etc. go in my spares box, and tend to re-appear as random detailing on more freelance models :)

[JZ]

On 11/09/2023 at 21:31, JZ said:

Picked up one of these about ten years back, mainly because it was £25 in the former model shop near Swindon station, then had to carry it around in the cab of my train for the rest of the day. I looked at getting etched parts for it and back then it would have been easy to spend £300 to £400. Maybe one day.

Further to my notes on the Flower class corvette, I see that David J Parkins does this set of detailing for the kit. £379.90

[railroadbill]

On 11/09/2023 at 23:22, johnofwessex said:

I would have thought that there was market for a 'stand off scale' ready to run Radio Control boats other than speedboats, the Flower class Corvette or perhaps a Clyde Puffer being the obvious choices

Indeed there have been some, found a Howes catalogue which is about 2015 which has some Graupner RTR models including a 1:48th Corvette. Not exactly cheap, these are "ring for price" but Graupner did a square rigged R/C sail training ship that was around £1000 I think.  there are some much cheaper but more "toy like" models around. Pre-covid there were more.

 

 

At one point there was a range of R-T-R  R/C models of fishing boats etc that seemed to be based on Billings kits designs (nothing to do with Billings though) but they've come and gone. Still plenty of kits around from Deans Marine etc.

 

 

Again from old Howes catalogue, Revell did the corvette with better detail.  There's also a 1:144th scale kit, which could be a better proposition if not wanting a possible working model.

[railroadbill]

 

 

Inside K166. Ply bulkheads and hardwood beams to strengthen the hull. The hull comes in 4 pieces and the seams are reinforced with epoxy resin inside.  MFA 385 motor (others have used a bigger motor but this has more than enough power for a scale-looking speed).  Standard 7.2 volt battery pack which I just happened to have but hull has plenty of room for say a lead acid battery and needs ballast anyway.  The steel decks were sprayed with Peugeot steel grey (Halfords), the camo colours are airbrushed Revell acrylic (with matt varnish over them which has lasted well) and the wooden decks are planked with very thin wooden strip I got from a dolls house shop (run by a lady who has a unit in a local craft centre).

Lots of other fittings painted and kept in plastic bags but there is a danger of them falling  off while transporting/operating the ship so for the moment...

Edited September 15, 2023 by railroadbill

[JZ]

Done a bit more on the B-17. Fuselage assemble and wings on. Now started putting on a few decal, there is over 100, some so small you can barely see them. Decided to make up a diorama to display it and others, for which I have purchased the Airfix USAAF Bomber re-supply set. I have also managed to pick up an Airfix Control tower kit, fairly rare at the moment. A pretty basic kit from memory, but ordered some detailing parts from David J Parkins. Also in the post is a B-25J Mitchell, yet another aircraft I never modelled before, and a P-47 'Razorback'. Something I have done before, but many, many years ago.

 

After browsing the Liberator instructions, I see that it requires 90gm of weight in the nose. Don't quite see yet where it will all fit. so it may be a case of filling every free space ahead of the main undercarriage with liquid gravity. I imagine the Mitchell will be similar.

[JZ]

Just dug out a Heller DH Vampire kit I started a couple of months back. The original decals were poorly registered, so I bought some Xtradecal from Hannant's. Rather disappointed to find that the colour ran on a couple of roundels when I used Microsol.

[JZ]

A short hiatus with this, while I waited for some more Micro Set. Much needed to get the green bands on, as it comes as a single decal.

A bit more Sol needed on around the hatch, which is only held in by the decal, as I wish to have it open on the finished kit.

[JZ]

My eldest granddaughter put together the first of her dinosaur kits the other day.

[TT-Pete]

Panther and diorama has seen a bit more work.

 

[298]

On 27/09/2023 at 19:55, JZ said:

My eldest granddaughter put together the first of her dinosaur kits the other day.

 

 

I helped my Dad make a few of those, I dug it out a few years ago to plonk on a layout to prove that the reasons why Dinosaurs died out was because they couldn't take a selfie of themselves....

 

[JZ]

21 minutes ago, 298 said:

 

I helped my Dad make a few of those, I dug it out a few years ago to plonk on a layout to prove that the reasons why Dinosaurs died out was because they couldn't take a selfie of themselves....

 

I wish they would do some in HO. I have a couple of 'greys' and a sasquatch, both from Miniprints, hidden on the layout. Noch do a fossil one, but not yet available in UK. Maybe I wait for it, because there is a photo of the Uintah Railway with a dinosaur bone on a flatcar.

 

Photo-US National Parks Service.

Edited October 8, 2023 by JZ

[Ben B]

On 08/10/2023 at 09:53, 298 said:

 

I helped my Dad make a few of those, I dug it out a few years ago to plonk on a layout to prove that the reasons why Dinosaurs died out was because they couldn't take a selfie of themselves....

 

 

That has 'special effects shot from a 50's B-Movie' written all over it :)

[Barry Ten]

I've resumed work on the Tamiya Tomcat I started last year... I needed a break from it as it's just too big to fit on my workbench (or nearly anywhere else) making it awkward to work on. However I felt I'd better get this one done before starting another kit.

 

 

 

[johndon]

Progress on the Klingon KTinga

 

 

 

John

 

[D6150]

Hello.

So the F-100D is just about finished! A couple of bits of paint need touched-in, but I'm not doing anything more, apart from painting the base. 

Not a perfect model, but happy with the end result, and impressed with Esci's product. Just a pity they aren't around any more. 

As I mentioned earlier, the real 52817 crashed on a hill in southern Aberdeenshire in 1969, following an engine failure on a routine flight from Lakenheath. A fair bit of the wreckage is still there, and I plan to go and have a look at some point. Looking out the window this may need to wait for spring 24 🙁

 

Thanks 

Ken 

[JZ]

Picked this up on eBay a month or so back.

Bit of nostalgia. Going together reasonably well, but detail and fit of parts not up to modern standards. Probably dates back to early 1970s, maybe late 1960s. Back then, I thought of Heller as a bit exotic, maybe as they were quite rare in this country. I recently had a go at their DH Vampire, again an old kit and that was a pig. Yet, from memory, the Saab J21 and Viggen were both nice kits. I have an Eduard etch for the cockpit, albeit from a different Mk and I'll be finishing it in a camouflage livery.

[BernardTPM]

Similar to, but not quite the same, as this (at RAF Waterbeach, circa. 1956):

[JZ]

The Spit is done. At the moment resting upside down while the undercarriage sets, probably leave it until tomorrow until it stands on it, as it is very fragile and the mounting is poor. Looking at my Eduard IX, the mounting looks to be much better.

Edited October 23, 2023 by JZ
Grammar

[scots region]

I’ve finally finished an Airfix 1/72 Tiger I. The new tool. One of the worst kits I’ve put to together, the quality was abysmal as you can see by the state of the sprues. Anyway it’s 98.5% done, a few pieces were still unusable, but I’ve already had Airfix send me out new side sponsons and a new gun mantlet. I’ve opted to simply finish it as the diorama I want it for is to be Star Wars themed, so I’ll just glue on some Lucas art gubins to make up for any gaps. 
 

 

 

 

 

 

[JZ]

Heller Spitfire Mk XVIE. Went together fairly well with the minimum of filing and no filling. Apart from the marking around the cockpit door, the decal are Xtradecal from Hannants.

Edited October 24, 2023 by JZ
spelling

[JZ]

And one I built earlier.

Hasegawa P-38 Lightning.. Rather dated and some ill fitting parts. Loads of weight needed to keep the nose wheel down, more than would fit just in the nose. Nearly gave up on it, but in the end it was "sod it. I've got this far". The origins of this kit is back in the 1970s.

Again I used aftermarket decals, these from Kits-World. I have an Italeri P-38J (I understand that this is the same kit marketed by Academy) to build and that is reckoned to be the best in this scale.

 

[PhilJ W]

3 hours ago, JZ said:

And one I built earlier.

Hasegawa P-38 Lightning.. Rather dated and some ill fitting parts. Loads of weight needed to keep the nose wheel down, more than would fit just in the nose. Nearly gave up on it, but in the end it was "sod it. I've got this far". The origins of this kit is back in the 1970s.

Again I used aftermarket decals, these from Kits-World. I have an Italeri P-38J (I understand that this is the same kit marketed by Academy) to build and that is reckoned to be the best in this scale.

I once had the Airfix 1/72 scale P-38. IIRC it was suggested that weight be added to the engine nacelles as well.

[JZ]

2 hours ago, PhilJ W said:

I once had the Airfix 1/72 scale P-38. IIRC it was suggested that weight be added to the engine nacelles as well.

Everywhere ahead of the main undercarriage. This kit came with a clear plastic strut to put under the tail wing. I have three other WW2 aircraft with tricycle undercarriage to build. Hasegawa B-24 and B-25. Not looked at the Mitchell instructions yet, but the Liberator is recommended to have 80gm. Where is the question. The other is an Arma Hobby P-39Q and it comes with weights for the nose.

 

Just looked at the Mitchell and there is no space for weights, this being the bomber version. They do give you a little support to go under the crew ladder.

Edited October 24, 2023 by JZ
info added.

[Barry Ten]

Having said I wouldn't start a new kit until I'd finished with the big Tomcat, I decided it wouldn't hurt to sneak another Mustang onto the desk.

 

 

This is the 1/48th Meng kit. What's interesting is that it's basically snap-together, so in theory no glue is needed. I managed to get this far tonight:

 

 

I did use a tiny bit of solvent here and there, but most of the parts are just held in place by ingenious tabs. It's perhaps not as detailed as the equivalent Tamiya or Airfix ones but will still make a nice model, I feel, and certainly goes together quickly. The different sprue colours remind me of the Matchbox kits from the 70s.

[johndon]

Some progress on the Klingon KTinga with the top and bottom halves of the main hull now glued together...