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dmjung

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Posts posted by dmjung

  1. Brown sprayed. I decide to free-hand it rather than tempt fate any further with the masking. And I need to practice my airbrushing. 1/48 armor is fun, but sure is small--those 1/16 and bigger kits are looking attractive....

     

    After I pull up the mask, assuming it pulls up properly, I may go back and sharpen up the green and brown edges, but maybe I'll just say its done and move on.

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  2. Last year was horrific healthwise, but I'm finally back. While going through all the cancer crap I thought this would be an easy build, but then I noticed the handles were molded-on blobs, the periscope holes were just empty holes, molded-on tools, etc etc ad nauseaum. So I redid the handles and have some aftermarket tools to go on the back deck. I'm skipping the periscopes as I need to get this off my desk and get back to the Moonliner.

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  3. Almost any airbrush can be used for at least certain purposes...even a single action. The main thing is practice, practice, practice....

     

    With that said, I was never comfortable with the standard control on top scheme, but once I switched to a pistol grip / trigger airbrush the light bulb came on, so you might take a look at those. Mine happens to be a Grex, but other manufacturers also make them.

     

    --David

  4. So this last Christmas I asked for one of these...

     

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    and I got one of these...

     

    post-879-0-84324600-1488054357_thumb.jpg

     

    I apparently don't communicate very well. Parts...

     

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    I'm guessing the blacked-out line on the box mentions a brass barrel. Possibly the very first model I ever "built" was the Napoleon in this series back in the 60's that my Dad gave me...I believe I still have the brass barrel to that somewhere around here.

     

    --David

  5. I decided to do a bunch of these decals in order to get this mastered. And I figured out the cheap Chinese ones as well. Helps to read their specific directions--these happen to take quite a bit longer soaking to release from the backing. Too bad I already jacked up the only copies of some warning stripes I really wanted to use. Oh, well.

     

    So stencils in 1/144 for just a few of the weapons...haven't top coated yet so they're a bit shiny.

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  6. Courtesy of an extraordinarily large number of stamps and the Ukrainian company of LEMkits...

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    (Does anybody still do stamp collecting? Remember those ads in comic books where you sent off to get an envelope of mostly worthless stamps?)

     

    So I'm a sucker for '46 subjects...

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    My first vac was a 1/72 Ta-183 way back when. I have the Tamiya/Amtech kit in 1/48. But 1/32? Heck yeah, I'll bite.

     

    --David

    • Like 1
  7. OK, I quit debating on doing decals and thought I'd give them another try...it's been about thirty years and the nightmares have stopped, so why not?

     

    The kit came without any decals, only a very small set of stickers which probably should have been a clue. However Bandai makes a set of generic decals in 1/144 for the Unicorn and I bought that official sheet along with a couple of cheap Chinese knock-off sets on eBay because I'm cheap.

     

    This is the stripe on one of the boosters cut from an old Microscale full sheet of red decal off eBay...not sure how I ever truly lived before eBay. Rippling is from the MicroSet and is gone now. Haven't shot a cover coat yet as I'm debating whether I like it or not. I'm leaning "not" right now.

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    There are three shields and they have this unicorn head thing. Perusing the instructions on the internet for the 1/100 kit which does come with decals led me to do this on all three shields:

    post-879-0-67655500-1483848041_thumb.jpg

     

    Eh, I'm not really digging how this looks, but that was exactly what and where the other kit's instructions showed. Hmmph--if you don't like something, keep looking, so the Unicorn Ver Ka version shows something different in this area that looks nicer to me. (Ver Ka versions are apparently designed by some Gundam-modeler-god-guy who really likes decals.)

     

    So remove the unicorn head decals and start over. Pull out the cheap Chinese decals and watch that disintegrate in the Microset. Hmmm. OK, try the one of the pair off that Bandai sheet...

    post-879-0-00825600-1483848144_thumb.jpg

     

    Looks better to me, but I need three and there's only two. So I spend a friggen 100 dollars on stuff I'll never build while getting another set of decals of which I bought two sheets this time. And I'm sure this is going to really blow when I get around to shooting the clear satin...

     

    Hopefully the nightmares won't start again, but for some reason everything smells like vinegar now.

     

    --David

     

  8. Fun fact about Avanti's and paint...I have an Avanti that exhibits the body paint issue that put the Blake-owned Avanti Motor Corp out of business.

     

    I've seen the 1/32 Avanti in various Hobby Lobby's in their clearance area so I wouldn't pay too much for one. The 1/24 kit has been out in various boxes over the years.

     

    One day I'd like to convert the Studebaker version kit to the later '83+ body style.

     

    --David

  9. The problem with super glue when you are just beginning to build models is that you have next to zero margin for error when aligning parts. Even after model building for around 45 years, If I need to position a large resin part, I'll use a small drop of Elmer's white glue to position it and then add thin super glue after the part is in the proper position.

     

    Definitely true with the thin versions and I don't use thin that much. I have found the thick to have a reasonable amount of work time...but there's still no fooling around. Probably best used when alignment is positive or you have some latitude in placement.

     

    --David

  10. The idea to make the gun sight lenses out of the pink sprue was a good one. But after some messing around I decided that was more work than I wanted to do so we'll just paint them pink as indicated, black wash, and some Future. Although with my shaking hands I'm not sure this was any easier.

     

    Didn't feel like disassembling everything so the Gatling sights would be horizontal for the wash, but with an articulated model and base...lean back and say 'ah'.

     

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    Still debating on decals.

     

    --David

     

     

  11. I've been slowly pulling boxes from storage and closets to inventory what I have...no idea how close I am to being finished. I had a hobby shop back in the 80's and after closing the storefront went to shows and sold on the internet before it was the cool thing to do. Anyone remember Compuserve? :)

     

    Anyhoo...came across three of these from the 1999 Nats. I didn't go as that wasn't too long after chemo and related to that, have no idea how I ended up with them. I "think" maybe off eBay, but maybe from the hosting club.

     

    With the Glencoe release, the Mars Liner is a bit of a yawner, but there are the special show decals for it.

     

    Any idea what these might be worth? I'm trying to figure out how badly I'm under-insured with all my hobby crap... :)

     

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    --David

  12. Just a few minutes ago I happened to open a box of models that had a 1/72 F-100D from Minicraft/Hasegawa #1035. That one was boxed in 1979, but its a much older kit so might be "good" for a quick build.

     

    --David

  13. Yep, armed and packing plenty of Skittles too...

     

    All that grunting and groaning led to final booster assembly. The main cylinders had a bit of a grey tint compared to the ends, but I decided to leave it for some additional contrast.

     

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    I'm about down to deciding whether to decal this beast...didn't come with any, but I picked up some. I think I'll at least do the bigger ones. And I want to fabricate some lenses from the clear pink sprue for some of the sensors.

     

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    Then maybe an overcoat so I can totally screw it up... :)

     

    --David

    • Like 1
  14. So...way too much time spent on these two cylinders:

     

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    Bandai almost got it right, but one length-wise seam on each assembly was just enough off to jack me up. Only had to strip them down and start over once, so that's a positive. Thought I was about done last week and then dropped one right after spraying a thick coat of auto filler/primer. Heh.

     

    --David

  15. On the home stretch now. I think the only big thing left is a couple of large booster rocket thingies.

     

    If one Gatling gun isn't enough, then six isn't too many...

     

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    There's a fourth shield assembly not shown that's in an un-deployed configuration. The green tinted parts turned out better than I thought they would. Just cleaned them up and dipped in Future.

     

    --David

  16. Another bazillion parts and a leg is birthed. And what leg wouldn't be complete without a set of missile launchers.

     

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    I had hoped to finish it for the Arlington show on Saturday, but there's at least a hundred parts still on the sprue and we're heading out tomorrow to see some friends so not going to happen. I guess I could pull an all-niter, but the purpose of taking the day off was to relax rather than being comatose. Although I guess it's hard to tell the difference sometimes.

     

    Ordered a bunch more skewers and clips to make more part sticks now that I see how I should approach these Gundam things.

     

    --David

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