Category: Workshop
-
Farman NC 223.3 – Part Three – Sprue Goo

I have taken the – so far – free advice from Phil Flory and made up a jar of Sprue Goo. The Evergreen plastic card was from the surplus scrap bin – a little brown and a lot of white chipped up and dissolved in Supercheap Auto lacquer thinner. It was an overnight success and…
-
Gloster Javelin FAW 9 – Part Four – Bang On

I’ve banged on about this before and I’ll bang on about it in the future – the use of a good jig or model support system is wonderful. Mine are from Vertigo Jigs, Slovakian-made and available through BNA here in Australia. I’ve got the WW2 fighter jig and the modern jet jig. The Gloster Javelin…
-
Gloster Javelin – FAW 9 – Part Three – Trench Warfare

Try as you might to buy kits that need no major work, you are still at the mercy of the moulding shop. Tamiya may be a safer bet than FROG but do not let the tube of putty out of your sight… This was a case of trying the new sprue goo mixture. I finally…
-
Workshop – Never Throw Nuthin’ Away

In fact, if they have special on nuthin in Bunnings, buy two extra packets. For my overseas readers, Bunnings is an Australian DIY store. It sells everything that the average man or woman needs to get themselves in big trouble in the home workshop. You can buy poisons, sharp knives, and the sort of machinery…
-
S.P. – Part Two – Polish Soft Serve

The plastic with which this Polish kit is moulded is not quite as soft and flaky as that used in the French Mach 2 offerings…but not too much harder. It is softer than new Airfix styrene and it pays not to cut too close to a moulded surface for fear of gouging or tearing. However,…
-
Dewoitine D.510 – Part Three – The Jig

My pleasure at a Christmas present continues to grow. You’ve read my notes about the Slovakian plastic model jigs I received as a present this last Christmas. They are in daily use in the production of the 1:72 aircraft kits and I am learning to manage them better. I”m still not sure if the 5-minute…
-
Belt And Braces

And a bolt and a rivet and MIG welding and a big bracket. I like my models to stay together. The increasingly scale appearance of some models demands increasingly fine attachment points for some parts. The shafts, brackets, and pivots that might once have been fitting into thick plastic sockets and pins are now just…
-
Tornado GR.1 – Part Three – Jet Jiggery

And the occasional jet pokery, too. In fact poking plays a great part in a lot of my builds – I need to poke myself to get enough enthusiasm to even start. The Vertigo jet jig has the marvellous feature of a two-part clamp on the front to secure the nose of an aircraft from…
-
Foam

I have a theory about the Universe: If it cannot be done with foam-core board, it cannot be done. And I think I have Adam Savage to thank for that. He was seen on a YouTube feature constructing an architectural model of a house with foam-core board and hot glue. The facility with which he…
-
Grey, Gray, Grau, Gris, Seryy

Not the weather – it’s actually nice out. I mean the undercoat. I use the Mr. Surfacer pots blown through a single action airbrush. Others use Tamiya rattle cans or similar material from different makers. Few of us realise the miracle that occurs when we do. Initially I thought that spraying an undercoat was just…
