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If it Was Blue…Who Could?

Fans of Rowan and Martin may recognise that line, and bless Dan and Dick for the joy they brought us. But colour theory is not as simple as that – particularly if you are going to venture into the Little World. I did just that tone afternoon when I tried to organise my Tamiya and…
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The Stash – Part Two – When The Time Comes…

Ah, but when does the time come? Answer me that… If we admit first off that we have a stash of unbuilt models we can proceed. The model stash may be actual kits, homebuilt kits, scratchbuild ideas, or piles of raw materials. It may contain dead models from long ago ready for revision or cheap junk…
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The Exact Thing Or Just The Thing…

If you are going to make a model of something – whether it is an aircraft, a car, a train, or a house – you are going to have to answer some unasked questions. Exactly who asks these and what your answer should be is up to you… a. Why am I building this? Dive…
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The Little Workshop – The Hanging Motor

When I was training as a dental student we encountered something in our first two weeks at university – two weeks before any other students even started – that has remained with me ever since – the hanging motor. I’d never seen one before but the utility of it became immediately evident. The motors came…
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The Cup Runneth Over

It’s often the little things in the Little World that loom largest. Now I’m not going to suggest that I’m a cheapskate. A penny-pincher. A scrooge. But I encounter things in daily and modelling life that press my Frugality Alarm button something chronic. And paint wastage is one of them. Paint from model shops is…
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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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Was You Ever On The Congo River?

Blow, Boys, Blow!* I have just had the thrilling experience of talking with someone who has personal knowledge of RCAF Wet Dog in Alberta. It’s the closest contact I have had so far with this legendary BCATP airfield. I met the chap at the IPMEX show yesterday – the plastic modellers convention held at Cannington…
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Modeller’s Pixellation

If you’re a digital photographer you’ll know what pixellation is; the blocky nature of photos that have been taken at small resolution and blown up large. It’s present in every digital picture if you go down far enough to look for it, but disappears once you step back. It’s a good way of thinking of…
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Nakajima ‘ Kate ‘ – Part Seven – One From Column A And One from Column B…

I’m never completely prepared for the end of a build. Whether it is a 1:18th scale post office or the newest of the 1:72nd scale aircraft, the final touches seem to sneak up on me. I just put down the brush or the knife and then…realise that I should not pick it up again. I’ve…
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Nakajima ‘ Kate ‘ – Part Six – Hold My Coffee…

It’s the sober version of ” Hold my beer…” but you can get into just as much trouble anyway. I have a plan. So, you’ll reflect, did Ludendorff ( and didn’t that work out well…), but I hasten to add mine is peaceful and productive. And it revolves around something that revolves around. Okay, enough preparation.…
