Category: Uncategorized
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Ilyushin 4 – Part Two – Why You Do This Sergey?
Every model kit is an adventure in a cardboard box – some are the Walt Disney types and some are the Jumanji sort… In the case of the Ilyushin 4, I arrived at the wing stage and took some time out to be flabberghasted. The construction of the thing is a unique departure. The engine…
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Ilyushin 4 – Part One – Bob’s Your Uncle
My brother-in-law, actually. We have Christmas lunch at his house most years. Not a prolific model builder, but he has completed some from-the-plan models of ships and boats. He’s more of a full-size builder of houses and cars. But back to the Bob. This model of the Ilyushin 4 was part of the Father’s Day…
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Stash And Stashette
No, it isn’t a new take on Mozart’s Magic Flute characters – I am trying to quantify the pile of unbuilt kits that every modeller seems to have. If one kit is…one kit…when does a number of kits become a stashette and when does it graduated to being a full-fledged stash? I could have answered…
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Douglas Skyhawk – Part Two – Grey Ghost
The grey primer stage of the Skyhawk build is very accusatory – it accuses me of great failure in losing that canopy. The rest of the plane is superb. Ah, well, it is ever thus. I have a long history of losing parts – and not all on the concrete floor of the workshop, either.…
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Open The Lightning Rods, Igor! – Part Three
And they called me mad! MAD, I tell you! Now let them see who’s mad…! More soaking, more decaling. More thoughts on the process. a. Revell. 45 seconds soak and slid off beautifully. A dip did no extra good. b. Walthers. An old US model train firm. Fragile, friable decals, but they could be soaked…
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In The Laboratory – Part Two
Well, the experiment was a success. We can now create artificial life in the zombies at the SMCWA clubrooms. The only difficulty will be telling it from normal behaviour. I set up a standard soaking bath for the decals I wanted to test. There were plenty of unused ones from various makers so I carefully…
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Science Mystery Theatre – Part One – The Evans Effect
You can learn a great deal from John Evans if you listen. Occasionally you have to feed him fruitcake but you do get results. However you have to listen carefully. I didn’t and learned a lot. John advised me on how to decal effectively early in my attendance at the club. He told me to…
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Genug
Genug ist genug. And when you have arrived at that point with your model build, it’s time to stop. One bite more than enough pie makes the dish nauseous – one minute more of the best conversation risks hearing or saying too much. The same applies to kit building. There is a point at which…
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The Collection
Do you have a collection of scale models? Congratulations. Whether they are your own production or the result of careful shopping and buying, they should be a real source of pleasure to you. If you are fortunate enough to be able to display them you gain another source of pleasure – the interest others may…
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Fairey Barracuda Mk II – Part Four – Dark Slate Grey
The Fleet Air Arm and Coastal Command aircraft in WWII were painted in many cases with Extra Dark Sea Grey and Dark Slate Grey on top – and either Sky or White underneath. I find it a particularly attractive combination but have struggled heretofore – the EDSG is easily got in bottles but the Dark…
The Little World 