Category: Decals
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” It’s Very Toy-Like “
Ever hear that said when someone is looking at a die-cast product in the shop? Or a plastic kit with only a few parts? Ever hear it when someone is looking at a painted scale model? And said with a sneer in the voice? Well if it is ever said to you, or of your models,…
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Spitfire Mk IX – Part Four – Is This A Decal Or A Tarpaulin?
I spent one morning recently decalling airplanes – a simple but delightful exercise in cut and paste. The surfaces of the planes were a clear smooth gloss and the first two decal sets – from Hobby Boss – were all that you could want. They were not pretentious markings – just stars, numbers, and a…
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Spitfire Mk IX – Part One – Never Look A Gift Kit In The Box
I was at dinner with a group of friends in Sydney when one of them pulled out a couple of old 1:72 kits from a shopping bag. They were historic remainders from his teenage stash…and as he’s distanced from that somewhat, they are truly historic. One’s a Matchbox Spitfire and one’s an Airfix Buccaneer. I…
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The Sock Drawer
Whenever some cartoonist wants to suggest that someone has no life – and way too much time to spend living it – they have the poor individual sorting out his or her sock drawer. It is meant to be hilarious and pitiful at the same time, like parliament in Ottawa. I think this is entirely…
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Consolidated Liberator B. VI – Part Eight – Decalcomania
That was always the way it was written in the older English instruction sheets – decalcomania. Until i started doing the artwork on the Liberator I didn’t make the connection between decals and mania. I have learned much in two days. That’s how long it has taken to put on all the horrible little stencils…
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Ongoing Maintenance
I did not realise that there would be a schedule of maintenance on a plastic model – I thought once it was done, that was it. Silly me. There is maintenance on anything that you need to continue working – car, marriage, camera, etc. The models are no different. a. There will be cleaning issues.…
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Boeing Fortress Mk.III – Part Nine – Not A Good Idea, Max
Well that was a bust, albeit ultimately a successful one. The plan to carefully spray between the lines – with a Tamiya rattle can – was reasonably stupid thinking on my part. You saw in the last column where I just did the overall brown and went on as per normal. The camo lines were…
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What’s In This Stuff, Anyway? – Part Two – Decal Solutions
If I want to enjoy myself in the Little Workshop I can either fasten decals on a freshly-painted model or hammer nails into the back of my hand. Some days I am torn in an agony of choice… It was never like this in the old young days – I just found the place on…
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MiG 15 – Part Eight – Is Ready For Uszhitmi Air Show
The Uszhitmi Air Show has always been the premier display of Soviet – and laterally Russian – air power since the early 20’s. Starting as it did with flying tractors and merry peasant dances on the tarmac between crashes, it progressed to formation passes made the giant creations of the 30’s that were ever larger…
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Grumman Avenger – Part Six – Hande Hoch!
Und if you do not obey ziss varning – zere vill be conzeqvences… The consequences will be fingerprints in the clear varnish on the model. I know – I’ve been here before and done this very thing. And had to discipline myself not to do it again. The Mk III jig helps – I got…
The Little World 