The Little World

We older Australians are often thought to be past it. Or more accurately, past IT.

Yet every day we confound the young with our imaginative use of the computer and the winsome way that we reset the modem. They never know what is coming.

In my case I do not play much with telephones and apps. I reserve my energies for the workshop and hands-on activities. It might be scale models, household repairs, or home-made solutions for which there are no problems. One of the most treasured sort of projects are the OPPs mentioned in the title.

Old Paint Projects are the sort of thing that can be anything – scale models, kitchen shelves, or sex toys that can be finished with old paint. Remnant paint. Paint with an expiry date in Roman numerals. It can be in a pot – in which case it is dried out, or a spray can…with the pressure nozzle dried shut. As long as it is still the least bit liquid , something can be painted.

I am building a new scale model airfield and need belts of trees to surround it. The actual scale trees are a cheap Chinese set of Christmas decorations re-sprayed with the dregs of every green I could pull off my model paint rack. I’ve cleared a number of old half-pots and thrown them all into one big jar with some rapid thinner. It’s sprayed a treat and the trees actually look quite authentic.

I shall not rush to replace the various greens, as they were mostly speculative buys and got only sporadic use. I suspect most model greens can be cobbled up from a basic colour with yellow, black, and blue tinting. My future green aircraft will have more variety in their paint jobs because of this.

The bases for the trees were sawn out of dead 3mm MDF board that was laying around the shop. Not big enough for a major project, but perfect for toy bases. The colouring was done with three old enamel spray cans of browns and beiges that have been stored for a decade. There will be varnish and scatter material to make dirt and grass, but I am trying to avoid spending any new money on the air field. The closer I get to done with goods on hand the more money will be available for new models to put on it.

Note: resist the temptation to paint the family car with the accumulated shop dregs. There are only two colours that can be made this way – back porch grey or salmon pink – and those were mid-century colours. Unless you are painting a ’52 Studebaker, you will not be authentic.