Category: Modelling materials
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Where Was That Blasted XF-68?

Yes, I paint model kits. Yes, I have more than one bottle of paint. Yes, I lose the occasional one down the back of the sofa… Now that I am building more model aircraft kits from different air forces I am getting more paints. Some are direct shades and some are mixtures. I have transcribed…
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Impatience Is Better than No Patience At All

Hurry up and read this essay – I want to get on and write more. Come on, come on…move your eyes faster…Sheesh… And get on with that model. You’ve had it for over a week and it’s still not done. The box says it’s quick to build…and who are you to make the manufacturer look…
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Nakajima ‘ Kate ‘ – Part One – The Tenuous Connection

These days I try to get some thread connecting me to the models and scenes that I build for my Little World. I didn’t always do this – as a kid I was just hungry for any and all models – I’d build what was given to me or what I could save up for…
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Little Bottles Of Success – Humbrol

I’ve been watching YouTube videos lately to see what other people do to build and paint model kits. In some instances I’ve been amazed at the reckless candour of the broadcasters. If I were a tort lawyer I would be rubbing my hands together with anticipatory glee. You see, poor model reviews passed between consenting…
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Northrop Nomad – Part Two – A Sea Of Plastic

I have never been so happy to see a plastic bag full of parts before. Particularly as they are all injection-moulded with nary a resin part in sight. The new Northrop Nomad kit ( also known as the DB8A3N ) is a return to traditional construction. There is evidence of thought throughout the box. In…
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Tamiya Acrylic – The Viable Challenger

Note: in this test I used the Tamiya acrylic paints, but I could slso have used the Creos Mr. Hobby acrylics as well – they can interchange thinners and brush cleaners. Well, as the Avro Anson MkI was slowly being painted and cured, I decided to fill the time with two other kits – a…
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How Unbiased Do I Have To Be To Look Virtuous?

I’m in the middle of a scale modelling experiment at present. The basic question I need to solve for myself is: Acrylic or enamel? I’ve hedged around the issue for some time now as I gained more experience with the airbrushes and looked at more YouTube videos. I’ve not had too much contact with other…
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I Only Know What I Don’t Read In The Papers – F2A Four

My misquotation of Will Rogers is not meant to be disrespectful – I have always thought him one of the finest humourists that the Americas have produced. But he was long before the era of the internet and the wonderful collection of bad information that it provides. Note that I’m not using this column to…
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” Hey You! What’s The Small Idea? ” – F2A Three

If I were a spray painter on a full-size airplane I’d have no troubles spraying a fine line between colours. A few sheets of newspaper to screen off the overspray and away I’d go matching up the instructions. But I am working in 1:72 scale and I don’t think that my hand skills are such…
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I Can See Clearly Now! – F2A Two

Woah! That’s a revelation! I’ve been learning the business of masking and painting clear canopies and turrets for the 1:72 aircraft over the past couple of months. It has not been an easy process, as I have discovered just how un-detailed parts can be in some kits. If you combine this with the propensity of…
