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Maddog Manufacturing 2014 Production Line


Mark Deliduka

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Okay, here's a small update on all the work I managed to get done on Friday and Saturday at Hobby Day. Hopefully I'll be able to improve on this during the week.

I'll start out with some of my newest armor I'm working on. This first one is a Mack truck I'm doing for a WWI Group Build somewhere else. In fact, I have several subjects here that are part of Group Builds somewhere else.

I thought I'd had some more pics of this truck but I guess I was so into this build that I only shot this one pic. Here it is almost fully assembled:

WIP_MBI_WWI_GB_I.jpg

I also have a 1/72 scale FT-17 I'll be building to put in the back of this thing.

This is the Zvezda Topol I started for another Group Build somewhere else. I decided to ease into this by building the rocket casing first:

WIP_FSM_BrailleScale_GB_I.jpg

After that, I felt a bit more motivated to work on the chassis. It seemed a pretty easy; if tedious bit of work:

WIP_FSM_BrailleScale_GB_II.jpg

Then it came time to assemble all the axles. This is where I had loads of problems since so many of the pieces looked too similar; the numbered pieces that then instructions said were supposed to go together were the wrong combinations that didn't fit right, and the rest didn't seem to have enough pieces for the necessary number of assemblies! Eventually, I managed to get the proper axles assembled and installed in the places that the instruction sheet said they were supposed to go:

WIP_FSM_BrailleScale_GB_III.jpg

That was after having ripped apart most of my assemblies and having to rebuild them to the proper assemblies. By this time, I was too fed up with this to go on, so I moved on.

I decided next to do a few 'simple' models of some artillery. I say 'simple', because they were anything but! These are some of the ACE artillery pieces I decided to go ahead and build.

This first one is my ML-20 152mm artillery piece I started. I assembled the gun, the main chassis, and some of the small detail parts. Now all I have to is finish the rest of the detail parts and then I can paint this one:

WIP_Russian_Guns_II.jpg

This is another Russian heavy artillery piece I started. I only got the main gun assembled and the chassis before I ran out of time. I hope to get more done on this soon:

WIP_Russian_Guns_I.jpg

Another ACE gun I decided to build was the little British 2pdr gun. I started building the gun and chassis first. This is one tiny little gun as evidenced by the Exacto blade I left in the pic:

WIP_British_2pdr_Gun_I.jpg

Next I built the main carriage for this little gun. This was one delicate assembly:

WIP_British_2pdr_Gun_III.jpg

Later when it was more dry, I took a pic of this gun sitting all together. This little beastie is ready for paint:

WIP_British_2pdr_Gun_IV.jpg

That's about it for my latest work in armor. Now lets take a look at some of my other projects.

I have been trying to get back to working on some of my models that have sat for too long. One was my DC-6. I finally took some time to mix up some paint to match the orange decals on my aircraft. It took awhile, but I think I finally have something close enough:

WIP_DC_6_Super_Cloudmaster_XV.JPG

WIP_DC_6_Super_Cloudmaster_XVI.JPG

Hopefully now I'll be able to move on with this thing.

Next I decided to work on something new. This is the 1/72 scale F-35; another model for another Group Build. I started with the usual suspects: cockpit, then engine, then I closed everything up inside the fuselage. Later I realized that, again; I'd forgotten to take some additional pics. Here is where it was after all that:

WIP_BernieMemorialGB_I.jpg

You'll note that it is sitting on it's nose. That is because they require you to assemble the main landing gear in the main landing gear bays first; then install the bays inside the fuselage. Otherwise; adding the landing gear later would be considerably more difficult. You'll also note that the cockpit isn't painted yet. That is because it is so open that I can easily do that later.

I did go ahead and add the nose gear to the front to let it sit straight:

WIP_BernieMemorialGB_II.jpg

This actually went together quite well, except for the internal parts for the air intakes. One side didn't want to cooperate no matter how much I tried to get it right, so I had to resort to Mr. Surfacer 500:

WIP_BernieMemorialGB_III.jpg

 

Well, because of the picture limitation per post, I'll continue this in my next post....

 

Stay tuned!

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Here's the rest of what I got done this past Friday and Saturday at Hobby Day...

 

Now let's have some fun!

This is one of the two models I'm building for the second Call to Arms Campaign. You remember the Headless Horseman? Well, he was sanded and re-carved and re-filled and sanded again to try and eliminate all the seams and yet still keep the natural detail. I think I finally got most of it all taken care of:

WIP_CTA_MyChoice_Vi.jpg

WIP_CTA_MyChoice_VII.jpg

After this, I went and primed this man and his horse with black paint to see what areas may need more attention. I think I managed to get most issues, but the paint did show me a few that still needed to be taken care of:

WIP_CTA_MyChoice_VIII.jpg

WIP_CTA_MyChoice_IX.jpg

After this; I went to work on the Y-wing that I'd been building as well. First off, I painted and later dry brushed the cockpit of the Y-wing:

WIP_CTA_IansChoice_IV.jpg

Then I painted the pilot up. I didn't have any clear orange for the visor, so I painted it silver first; then while it was still wet, I painted over it with orange again. I think it actually looks fairly close!

WIP_CTA_IansChoice_V.jpg

His visor ain't gonna be seen that well anyway after the cockpit canopy gets closed over it...

Here you can see him sitting in the cockpit before I closed everything up:

WIP_CTA_IansChoice_VI.jpg

While that was all drying, I added the outer casing pieces to the round part of the 'wings':

WIP_CTA_IansChoice_VIII.jpg

WIP_CTA_IansChoice_IX.jpg

By this time the cockpit and pilot were dry enough for me to put them together and then complete the head of this ship:

WIP_CTA_IansChoice_VII.jpg

All that was left was to add the remaining parts of the tail and the landing gear, which I did. Here it is sitting on it's landing gear all completed and ready for paint:

WIP_CTA_IansChoice_X.jpg

WIP_CTA_IansChoice_XI.jpg

Just for fun, I took a pic of this Y-wing sitting next to my F-35 because they are both the same scale:

WIP_COMPARISONAIRANDSPACE.jpg


And finally, the piece de resistance! I started my 1/72 scale Saturn V by (naturally) building the bottom part of the first stage first. When I saw all these gaps; I thought, 'How can this be from Dragon? They usually have far better fit than this!'

WIP_Saturn_V_Rocket_I.jpg

Wow, I pulled out my trusty roll of painters tape and pulled everything together as much as I could until the glue dried:

WIP_Saturn_V_Rocket_II.jpg

It worked for the most part...... I didn't get a pic of that yet. Maybe just before I add some Mr. Surfacer 500 to what remains I'll take another shot.

I then glued the two haves of the next part of this stage together. For some reason; the ends of one side liked to flare out on one end. I had to clamp them to get them to cement fairly flush:

WIP_Saturn_V_Rocket_V.jpg

Then I added the partition part at the top of the next part of the first stage, after gluing the two halves together. I thought once again, "Gee Dragon, is there really supposed to be that much gap all around this thing?'

WIP_Saturn_V_Rocket_III.jpg

Apparently so, since the same gap is found all around every other partition part except those holding that stage's engine nozzles.... Anyway, I don't expect them to be seen once this is fully built.

Here's a shot looking down into the first stage:

WIP_Saturn_V_Rocket_IV.jpg

I honestly don't know why I took that pic; it doesn't really add to the story here....

I assembled the second stage the same way as well as part of the third stage. I didn't get any other pics of that because it would have been the same pics of looking at big tubes. Once I did finish all those other assemblies I did take this pic of the first, second and half of the third stages all dry-fit together:

WIP_Saturn_V_Rocket_VI.jpg

Sitting there like that, it is around four feet tall now. I still have to add all the detail parts after sanding some seams. Then there is the remaining parts of the third stage; as well as the command and service module and the lunar module. I'm considering using some of the clear parts that they include to show the lunar module stashed inside for the trip. I'll cross that bridge when I come to it.


Okay, that's all I have for now. I hope you enjoyed this trip. Meanwhile, thanks for looking in; comments are welcome!

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Great stuff there mark. I haven't been following your post for a while so I read throu everything. Great work as always. I noticed you tackled the seam issue on the horse well. He's a trick I learned years ago. Since I'm a carpenter/builder and I know you are to, you should have this stuff around somewhere. Grab some light weight spackling compound and fill the seams with it. Smooth, apply testors liguid cement to harden it, apply Mr. surfacer, sand and done. Works great. Not saying you did anything wrong, just a tip I'm passing along for future use. It's quicker then the fill,sand,fill some more, sand method.

 

Chris G. :Smile_sceptic:

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That's brilliant Chris! I never thought of that! Thank you very much for that tip! Thanks also for the compliment on the horse's seams. I did my best on that and I'm well pleased with the outcome. I can't wait to get this model further along!

 

Stay tuned for more; I hope to have more work done on these soon.

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I'm always amazed not just by the volume of work you do, but also the varied genres! Impressive in scope and effort!

 

By the way, for future reference, that orange will come out brighter if it's painted over a base of white instead of the silver.

 

GIL :smiley16:

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Thanks for the compliments Gil! I appreciate them very much. I did the orange over silver on the pilot because his visor was supposed to be painted with transparent orange. Since I had none, I tried the idea of painting over wet silver to see if I could come close to that effect and it seemed to work out. I'm certainly pleased with the results.

 

Now to get this and the rest of these painted up. I'm looking forward to getting that done.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Okay, this is a small update for now. I went through my workbench and continued to work on some more of the models that have been sitting for too long.

Starting with this one: This is the Opel Blitz Staff bus that I broke some time ago. I managed to glue back the rear leaf springs and add the main axle to it. I also re-set one of the front wheels which had glued a little too high:

WIP_BusRepair_I.jpg

Next, I decided to get some paint on this Dicker Max once and for all. I succeeded...finally:

WIP_Dicker_Max_X.jpg

I thought of going back and trying to modulate the color, but I said to myself "fuggeddaboutit"! I've had enough trouble with this thing, time to just finish it!

Next, I pulled out my 2009 New Year Challenge model: the 1/32 scale Tigershark that I failed to meet the challenge with. Well, I had to replace a few broken parts first, then I refined the sanding I had done earlier. Finally, I masked certain areas off and shot a light, duck-egg blue to the underside:

WIP_Tigershark_X.jpg

Now all I have to do is flip it over and shoot the camouflage pattern on it. I hope to do that sometime this week.

Since I had the airbrush all fired up, I decided to also paint the Y-wing I'm building for the Call to Arms campaign. First though, here's a shot of the cockpit after I gave it a wash before closing it up:

WIP_CTA_IansChoice_XII.jpg

Here it is after I shot the grey over it and painted the cockpit canopy intermediate blue:

WIP_CTA_IansChoice_XIII.jpg

It took awhile getting inside all those nooks and crannies. Now I just have to paint some details and then I can add the decals to this.

Now on to other projects.

On another DG I saw some excellent artillery pieces so I felt it was time to start building the stack of guns I had lying around. I added a few minor ittle detail pieces to the British 2-lb gun but I didn't take any pics because you really can't tell what pieces I added so if you want to see that gun, it's on the previous post.

This next one is a Russian 100mm anti-tank gun that I managed to get the main carriage built for:

WIP_Russian_Guns_III.jpg

It's looking a bit tired, but it is only test-fit together. I'm waiting for it to dry before I move on.

This next one is another Russian gun, this time an artillery piece for indirect fire. It uses the same gun on the SU-152, so I'm guessing this is where they got it for that monster AFV. I got the main carriage built and this gun mounted on it; all that's left is adding all the small detailed parts before I paint it:

WIP_Russian_Guns_IV.jpg

Finally, when it comes to the guns at least, I started this Russian 85mm anti-aircraft gun. I started with the barrel and added the only other two pieces that go on it:

WIP_Russian_85mm_AA_Gun_I.jpg

I also drilled out the barrel. Then I built the carriage. This is now ready for paint:

WIP_Russian_85mm_AA_Gun_II.jpg

Now I just need to build the gun mount on this and she's ready to go.

The last project I worked on is this little Mack truck. I got the underside painted with Oily Black:

WIP_MBI_WWI_GB_II.jpg

...before I flipped it over to paint the cab and the bed in Olive Green:

WIP_MBI_WWI_GB_III.jpg

Now I just have to detail that; dry-brush some silver underneath and then decal and weather it. I wanted to start the little FT-17 that a friend had given me for my birthday, but I couldn't find the little beastie. I'll keep looking though.

Okay, that's all I have for now. Like I said, small update, but I hope to have more to show this weekend. Thanks for looking in, comments are welcome.

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Dude,

How are you going to be able to build a 1/32 scale kit? It would be like me building a 1/16 scale piece of armor! Everything is going to be GIGANTIC!!!!

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Dude,

How are you going to be able to build a 1/32 scale kit? It would be like me building a 1/16 scale piece of armor! Everything is going to be GIGANTIC!!!!

 

Actually, I think I did pretty well considering it is already built. I'm just trying to lay paint on it now. I sure hope I can get this camo pattern to look right!

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Thanks Joe! Yes, I keep them in their respective boxes and pull them out when I can't go any further on a previous project; or when I want to move ahead on one. Sometimes it gets tough with so many boxes around....

 

Okay, here's another small update. I managed to get a little more done yesterday and today. Here is my latest...


I was told that the bus axle was in the wrong place, so I fixed that up:

WIP_BusRepair_II.jpg

Later on I dusted it up and then re-attached the drive shaft and then added the body. I now have a bus again!

WIP_BusRepair_III.jpg

WIP_BusRepair_IV.jpg

I also added some weathering to my Dicker Max's tracks before adding them to the model. here it is waiting for clear coat and decals before I dull it down and dirty it up.... a little:

WIP_Dicker_Max_XI.jpg

WIP_Dicker_Max_XII.jpg

While I had the steel out and was dry-brushing the tracks on the Dicker Max, I figured it was also time to dry-brush the steel on the chassis underneath my Mack truck:

WIP_MBI_WWI_GB_IV.jpg

That truck is almost done. I should have it close to decal time in no time.



Armor wasn't all I worked on.

I also decided to try and get some more paint in the Tigershark. Here it is with the upper basecoat done:

WIP_Tigershark_XI.jpg

Next step is to mask it off and apply the camo pattern.

Speaking of camo pattern, I masked off the rest of the Valiant with tape and Silly Putty. I didn't have enough silly putty to cover all the areas I wanted to cover, so I added tape and then placed the silly putty around the edges of the tape to round things off:

WIP_Valiant_XV.JPG

Next came shooting the color:

WIP_Valiant_XVI.JPG

I didn't have my instruction sheet to show me just where the grey and green were supposed to be so I just 'winged' this..... so to speak....

While I had the airbrush out and ready to go, I decided to try out the Alclad on the gloss black on the F-86 just to see if I finally got it smooth enough. Well, it seems that once again I am foiled in trying to get a smooth bare metal finish! Apparently Alclad is very particular about what Gloss Black you apply to your model first:

WIP_HobbyBoss_F86_IV.jpg

WIP_HobbyBoss_F86_V.jpg

Time to strip this again.... for the seventh time!


After that disaster, I set myself up for another one...

I went back when all the paint was dry on the Valiant and removed all the masking tape and Silly Putty. Apparently I suck at masking because I had a load of bleed through and one mysterious brown swipe that wasn't there when I taped this bird up!

WIP_Valiant_XVII.JPG

WIP_Valiant_XVIII.JPG

So, can someone tell me why I seem to be the only one who follows everyone's advice to the letter and I STILL have this kind of crap happen? I see all these other fantastic modelers who show a taped-up/masked aircraft and when they show the next pic, it's a PERFECT PAINT JOB!


Man it's enough to make one just want to give up...

Tomorrow I hope to add the camo pattern to the Tigershark before going to a friend's house to help escort his kids while they trick-or-treat. We'll see if I am successful then.

Meanwhile, thanks for looking in, comments are welcome.

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I read your latest post early this morning but had no time to respond ,while on my lunch i figured i would take the time now...i'm very sorry you had painting problems with alclad,i have never used it but have heard it can be very temperamental to lay down.what I really want to do is thank you for posting photos of the F 86 . i am sort of a new modeler and i can tell you first hand the epic failures i have had over the last 2 years trying to get paint to lay down smoothly or fitting pieces together . for every model i complete and am happy with the build i have 2 that were complete and utter hot messes . I get completely frustrated with my skills or lack of and want to toss everything after seeing some of the truly stunning work i see on this and other forums. but every once in awhile a really good modeler like yourself will post a photo of a model that they have had trouble with and it reafirms that this happens to the best and i'm not as bad as i think i am. So I keep on plugging away at it ,one build at a time and keep honing what skills i have hoping to make this model a little sharper than my last . anyways i tend to ramble... Keep the faith and i'm sure #7 will be great. if nothing else that photo has helped out a struggling new guy and its very appreciated.

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Mark,

DO you not remember my Acrylic thread from the IDF Corsair??? It happens to all of us!!!!!! Sometimes more than three times a year.

 

Cowl.jpg

Badpaint.jpg

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Thank you Joe. I really appreciate hearing that I was able to help. I do not consider myself a real good modeler; I'm mediocre at best, especially compared to the Masters here on these boards. I will always post pics of issues like this in hopes of getting additional feedback from others who've mastered these techniques to the point that they never happen to them. If that helps you as well as me, then I will be sure to do this more often so you can benefit from my mistakes as well. It seems that I go through this more often than most, but still, I am glad that I'm able to help you in this way. Together we'll get these techniques down. Keep plugging Joe, before too long; your models will surpass mine!

 

Thanks Mark! I do remember that. It seems that kind of thing always happens to me; that's why I haven't finished any large aircraft recently, or at all. I've barely finished small ones!

 

Anyway, I'm going to keep plugging along. One of these years I might just get it right....

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  • 2 weeks later...

Here is a small update showing the things I got done at my Hobby Day weekend.

After fixing that staff bus, I decided that I wanted to get the last two buses I had built, so I pulled them out to start at Hobby Day. One was a later version on the first troop bus that will be done in yellow and green camo, the other one is this one:

WIP_2_BUSES_I.jpg

I started by doing the bodies first. This was the easiest and it allowed me to make sure everything lined up properly. Here is the troop bus first:

WIP_2_BUSES_IV.jpg

Here is the fancy tour bus next:

WIP_2_BUSES_II.jpg

WIP_2_BUSES_III.jpg

I have since filled the seams with Mr. Surfacer 500 and sanded them smooth.

Moving along, I changed my tack a bit by starting a new aircraft. This is a Williams Bros. 1/72 scale C-46 that I'd gotten for four bucks at a model show. I started, as usual; with the cockpit/interior (such as it is):

WIP_C_46_I.jpg

The posts are where the seats are supposed to go, but this was a "distressed" kit when I bought it. That means the box was crushed and there were some holes in the bags so one seat disappeared. It may be somewhere in my Hobby Room at home, but I don't know. I have a friend who took the remainder and is casting me a replacement.

Next I assembled the wings and horizontal stabilizers. Not bad, but there are some fit issues. Besides, the instructions weren't very clear about the landing gear bays so I had to take apart the main wings three times before I could finally close them up permanently:

WIP_C_46_II.jpg

Next the instructions told me to add the two canopy halves to the front of the fuselage halves. What a pain that was! I had to tape the fuselage sides flat and glue the canopy pieces on as best I could. They still don't fit very well:

WIP_C_46_III.jpg

WIP_C_46_IV.jpg

What a mess!


Moving on, I figured I'd better work some more on the Sleepy Hollow model. I went over it some more and re-scribed and shaped parts of it better to hide the seams more. Afterward, I assembled the tree that is supposed to go on the base. This needs some more work before I'm ready to add it to the main base:

WIP_CTA_MyChoice_Xa.jpg

WIP_CTA_MyChoice_X.jpg

Next I assembled most of the base for this; I left off one Jack o' Lantern since I needed to paint the interior of it first:

WIP_CTA_MyChoice_XI.jpg

I also figured I'd add the head to the left hand of the Horseman. Here you can see him dry-fit to the almost completed base:

WIP_CTA_MyChoice_XIIa.jpg

WIP_CTA_MyChoice_XIIc.jpg

WIP_CTA_MyChoice_XIIb.jpg

Now to figure out how to paint the harness in front:

WIP_CTA_MyChoice_XIII.jpg



Finally it was time to have a little fun...

I pulled out some of the parts to the Saturn V and assembled the upper part of the LEM:

WIP_Saturn_V_Rocket_VIII.jpg

I left off a lot of the small detail parts that would get broken during further assembly.

Next I built the lower part of the LEM. It only consisted of two parts:

WIP_Saturn_V_Rocket_VII.jpg

Here is the two parts sitting dry-fit together:

WIP_Saturn_V_Rocket_IX.jpg

I won't go much further on this until I get it gold-leafed. But, I did get the command and service module finished up:

WIP_Saturn_V_Rocket_X.jpg

That was a tougher build than I though it would be. I actually had to pull it apart once in order to glue a part on in the right position. The instructions weren't clear on how certain parts were supposed to fit together!

Now for fun, I put all the main assemblies together to get an idea of how big this monster is gonna look when done. The Command and Service Module is not floating in mid-air; they are sitting on the clear parts that Dragon included so that the LEM could be seen inside the rocket when done:

WIP_Saturn_V_Rocket_XI.jpg

You can see the standard-sized cola can sitting next to this to give you some idea of the size of it.

That is all I have for now. It ain't much, but I appreciate any and all comments. Thanks for looking in.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Well I finally got a day to spend in the Hobby Room, so I went to work on some of the models that had been sitting around for far too long.

I'll start with this little thing, which now has all the detail parts added to it now:

WIP_MBI_WWI_GB_V.jpg

I have built all three of RPM's Mack Trucks, and every one of them has had issues with the roof of the cab on every model! I can't understand this:

WIP_MBI_WWI_GB_VI.jpg

Tomorrow; if I have time, I'll add some Mr. Surfacer to this and get it filled and sanded smooth. After that, I can add the wheels and then clearcoat, decal, dullcoat and weather this one.


Next, I decided to fix the issues I had with the Valiant. I masked off the top and all the rest of the camouflaged areas:

WIP_Valiant_XIX.JPG

WIP_Valiant_XX.JPG

I then shot a clearcoat on the bottom. After it dried, I shot a new coat of white to the bottom. When it was dry, I removed all the masking to see how well it worked.

It worked:

WIP_Valiant_XXII.JPG

But the top had more issues to deal with:

WIP_Valiant_XXI.JPG

I just hand painted on the patches to cover these issues and then clearcoated the model with Aqua Clear in preparation for decals. It is sitting now and drying, waiting for the decals later on.

Next I masked off the 1/32 scale Tigershark with Silly Putty:

WIP_Tigershark_XII.jpg

Next, I shot on the second color, Neutral Grey over the model:

WIP_Tigershark_XIII.jpg

The next color is going to be Intermediate Blue, but I have to go pick up some more Silly Putty since I'm out!

Once I get the last color on, I'll be able to clearcoat and decal this monster after I finish repairing the wingtip missile rail....again.



Aside from all the above, I also sanded and refined a couple artillery pieces and the bodies of the two buses. Nothing new to show so I didn't shoot pics of them.

Oh, but remember this little guy? I would have finished him about four months ago, but I'd lost one of his tracks...

WIP_Steinmans_StuGs_IV.jpg

Well, I finally found his missing track! Finally I could finish that one! Check it out in the Armor Forum; I have the finished pics posted there.

That's all for now. Thanks for looking in, comments are welcome.

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Keep pushing them out Duke! How was the Valiant build wise? I still like the looks of the Victor and Vulcan better. It is nice that they are all available though.

 

Nice job on your wide ranging projects.

 

 

Bill

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Thanks William! The Valiant practically fell together. I've had no issues with fit; although sanding out the seams inside the air intakes was quite the bear to do! I also like the looks of the other two V-bombers too, but I'm going to be thrilled to finally finish this one so I can have all three on my ceiling.

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Okay, yesterday and today I was able to find some time for the workbench so I got some more progress to show.

On Monday I messed around a little, doing some simple work on some of my models. For starters, I shot another coat of Alclad on my F-86 Sabre jet. I can now claim victory over this thing after five attempts:

WIP_HobbyBoss_F86_VI.jpg

WIP_HobbyBoss_F86_VII.jpg


Next, I added the Mr. Surfacer 500 to the roof of the Mack truck and set it aside to dry:

WIP_MBI_WWI_GB_VII.jpg

While this was drying, I figured that now would be a good time to start on the little RPM FT-17 that is going to sit in the back of this truck. So, I pulled it out and started on the main hull. Here it is after a few minutes. There's 11 pieces on this little assembly and this is just the basic hull:

WIP_MBI_WWI_GB_VIII.jpg

WIP_MBI_WWI_GB_IX.jpg

After that, I had enough! That was put aside and I pulled down the Russian 85mm AA gun and started to assemble the main gun carriage. After that I added the main gun and set it up so that it would be in firing position. Here it is, sitting temporarily on the main base:

WIP_Russian_Guns_V.jpg

Finally, I added the decals to the Dicker Max. I was going to wait, but I figured this had been sitting on the bench far too long so it was time to git 'r done!

WIP_Dicker_Max_XIII.jpg

WIP_Dicker_Max_XIV.jpg


The next day, I had more time so I got down to business. First off, I wanted to try and experiment a bit on the Y-wing fighter. I added a black wash to it and later; when it was dry, I dry-brushed the raised details. I started in the cockpit dry-brushing in there, and then did the rest.

Here's the cockpit:

WIP_CTA_IansChoice_XIV.jpg

Most of that won't even be seen after the canopy goes on, but what the hey...

Here's the rest of it. I washed and dry-brushed only the main fuselage on this Y-wing so see how it would turn out. I'll let you guys decide how well I did:

WIP_CTA_IansChoice_XV.jpg

WIP_CTA_IansChoice_XVI.jpg

Next I took down the Dicker Max and fixed the silvered decals; painted up the exhaust and the tools, and then weathered this beastie. It is now completed. You can see it on the Armor Forums after this.

The next thing I did was to assemble the interiors of both of the buses. The troop bus was first:

WIP_2_BUSES_V.jpg

Then I did the fancy tour bus:

WIP_2_BUSES_VI.jpg

Here's a shot of both interiors side by side, just for kicks:

WIP_2_BUSES_VII.jpg

I had clearcoated the body of the fancy tour bus yesterday and let it dry overnight. Today, I took it down and shot a coat of Testor's Chrome Silver over this thing. I have to say, I think I did quite well for once:

WIP_2_BUSES_VIII.jpg

WIP_2_BUSES_IX.jpg

The instructions for this bus said that the interior was also silver, so while I still had some Chrome Silver in the airbrush, I went ahead and shot the interior of this bus:

WIP_2_BUSES_X.jpg

Now that is sitting and drying; I'll probably leave it that way for a couple weeks to make sure it sets right. Then I'll clear coat it again before masking it off to apply the red.


Well, that is about all for now. I have at least four other models that are now ready for decals so I may take the next bench time to apply them and move four more projects closer to the finish. Until then, thanks for looking in, comments are welcome.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Well, thanks to the rain; I had some time to work on the bench some more this week. I didn't get as much done as I'd have liked, but here are some of the things I got done.

I'll start with my aircraft...


I found this model while cleaning the hobby room a little, so I shot another coat of black underneath since the last coat crinkled up. I had already cleaned it up so all it needed was paint:

WIP_Australian_Aardvark_XV.JPG

This is looking pretty good now. I think I can add the decals to this now:

WIP_Australian_Aardvark_XVI.JPG

WIP_Australian_Aardvark_XVII.JPG


The rest of my time was spent on some of my armor models.

My little Mack truck was finally dry from the additional Mr. Surfacer I put on to fill the last seam on the roof. So I sanded it smooth and was lightly buffing it with my 1200-grit buffing stick to polish it up, and this happened:

WIP_MBI_WWI_GB_X.jpg

Don't ask me how it happened! I was not even putting any pressure on this!

The top got buffed though...

WIP_MBI_WWI_GB_XI.jpg

I then fixed this up to make it straight again:

WIP_MBI_WWI_GB_XII.jpg

Later I shot the rest of the Olive Drab on this:

WIP_MBI_WWI_GB_XIII.jpg

Moving along, I pulled out my two Russian guns I'd been building. Both of them got the final detail pieces on them:

WIP_Russian_Guns_VIII.jpg

WIP_Russian_Guns_IX.jpg

WIP_Russian_Guns_VI.jpg

WIP_Russian_Guns_VII.jpg

Later on, while I was painting the aircraft and the Mack Truck; I shot paint on these two as well:

WIP_Russian_Guns_X.jpg

WIP_Russian_Guns_XI.jpg

WIP_Russian_Guns_XII.jpg

WIP_Russian_Guns_XIII.jpg

After this, I decided to work on my two buses.

I added the windows to the one troop bus, and then added the fenders. Typical of a Roden bus, they didn't fit so I added some strip styrene and a lot of Tamiya Extra Thin to fuse it all together:

WIP_2_BUSES_XII.jpg

Afterward, I added the photo etch luggage rack and rear ladder so that I could get some paint shot on this later:

WIP_2_BUSES_XIII.jpg

WIP_2_BUSES_XIV.jpg

While that was drying, I painted the interior of the troop bus. I tried to make the seats look like wood:

WIP_2_BUSES_XI.jpg

While all this was drying, I pulled down the Strass Zepp bus. I then noticed a big mess-up on the rear fender that I hadn't seen before. It looked like a major finger smudge. I sanded it down and then added some Mr. Surfacer to it to even things out:

WIP_2_BUSES_XV.jpg

While that was drying, I also painted a dark leather brown on all the seats in the interior of this luxury bus. I also painted the steering wheel, parking brake lever and gear shift nob:

WIP_2_BUSES_XVI.jpg

Later on, when I'd sanded and buffed a lot more, I finally felt comfortable enough to shoot another coat of Chrome on the back fender:

WIP_2_BUSES_XVII.jpg

It's almost impossible to see that anything had gone wrong. I only hope I don't get any more blemishes on this again!

That's all I have again. I wish I'd been able to get more done. I'm going to be very busy this weekend so I won't have much time to get much more done besides this for awhile. I did have a little fun making these for my church's Christmas Boutique and Bake Sale:

Christmas_Pies_III.jpg

Now that's a lattice top done RIGHT!


That's all I have for now. Thanks all for looking in, comments are welcome.

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  • 4 weeks later...

Merry Christmas everyone! For your present, I have a nice long update for you. All of it is armor, except for one spacecraft.

I think I'll start with that. I finally managed to get the decals down on the Finemolds Y-wing fighter. This is probably the only flaw in this whole kit: the decals are extremely fragile. Several did break and even slightly shatter on me. On a kit like this, it don't matter; that just makes it look more like chipped or worn paint. Still, I tried to minimize the breakage as much as possible. If I'd known these were that delicate, I would have added a coat of decal film.

Anyway, here is Gold Leader finally with all his decals on:

WIP_CTA_IansChoice_XVII.jpg

Next I'll be glosscoating this and then giving it another wash. After the wash, I'll dullcoat it and call it done.


Now lets get back down to earth...

Next up: the Topol...

I finally got tired of all the crap with this kit and just bulled right through it to get it done. I started by completing all the suspension parts (I found out I'd left off two axles!) and all other underside details. Then I continued by building the driver's cab and adding the fenders to this:

WIP_FSM_BrailleScale_GB_IV.jpg

I then built the erector sled onto the back section of the main body. This was a particularly delicate join:

WIP_FSM_BrailleScale_GB_V.jpg

I then glued the rear panel section to the back of this model and tested the positioning of the launch erector sled:

WIP_FSM_BrailleScale_GB_VI.jpg

Moving a long, I then built all the side boxes on each side of this monster:

WIP_FSM_BrailleScale_GB_VIIIA.jpg

WIP_FSM_BrailleScale_GB_IX.jpg

After that, the erector sled broke off. I have since just added it to the rocket tube instead and will install the whole thing when it's time.

Later on, I added all the rest of the details and finished off the crew cabs:

WIP_FSM_BrailleScale_GB_Xb.jpg

WIP_FSM_BrailleScale_GB_Xa.jpg

And finally, I completed all the details on the rocket tube itself:

WIP_FSM_BrailleScale_GB_XI.jpg

This beastie was now ready for paint.... or so I thought....

When I looked at this later before attempting to paint it; I noticed seams and gaps on the little tower mounts on the cabs and side boxes, as well as sinkholes in the side of the erector sled. So, I filled them with Mr. Surfacer 500, let it dry and then sanded them smooth. Here are all the sink marks on the erector sled that I had to fill in:

WIP_FSM_BrailleScale_GB_XII.jpg

WIP_FSM_BrailleScale_GB_XIII.jpg

Now this thing is ready for paint, so I shot a coat of Dark Green on it:

WIP_FSM_BrailleScale_GB_XIV.jpg

Next I will try to camouflage this if I can find a decent tan to use. However, after all that, I was so tired of this I set it aside. I moved on to something a bit more simple.

After getting the roof fixed on the Mack Truck, I shot another coat of Olive Drab on it. I saw I needed slightly more work so I went ahead and filled a little more and sanded it smooth. Meanwhile, I also dropped the tailgate so that the FT-17 would be able to fit inside when I get it done. When it was all dry and sanded smooth, I shot a final coat of paint on this little truck and followed it with a glosscoat when the paint was dry. I hope to put some little ropes on the side of that to hold the tailgate:

WIP_MBI_WWI_GB_XIV.jpg

WIP_MBI_WWI_GB_XV.jpg

I then applied the decals:

WIP_MBI_WWI_GB_XVI.jpg

I did notice that silvering decal after I took the pic so I've already hit it again with some Solvaset to get it to settle down.

This little guy is almost done and ready to take on it's load.

Meanwhile, since I had the airbrush out for this and the Topol, I figured, what else can I paint? Two buses!

Here is the first bus with the first basecoat of Panzer Dunklegelb:

WIP_2_BUSES_XVIII.jpg

Later on, I tried to apply a camo pattern on it:

WIP_2_BUSES_XX.jpg

WIP_2_BUSES_XXI.jpg

I'm not real pleased with this and may just re-shoot this over again. We'll see.

The day before, I had applied some Liquid Mask to the sides and top of my Strassenzepp bus to cover the Chrome silver that I didn't want painted:

WIP_2_BUSES_XIX.jpg

After that was dried, I pulled out some Red Metal Flake paint and shot it over the Strassenzepp bus, including the fenders:

WIP_2_BUSES_XXII.jpg

WIP_2_BUSES_XXIII.jpg

It does look a little more burgundy in real life; the pics seem to be making it look real red.
Tomorrow, I hope to shoot a final gloss coat over this to seal it; then remove the masking and move on with this bus. I sure hope it looks good enough to move on with! I would hate it if all that effort was wasted.

Hmmm, after all that, I needed something simple to do. Ah! I pulled out my latest little purchase an ACE British Forlite Staff Car. This was a quick and easy build, although I couldn't understand why it was so lopsided. I had a devil of a time getting the two sides to line up properly. Finally, I just got it to where it looks good enough.

Here is what it looked like after a few hours of fighting it into place. You can see where I still had to shim between the side window frames and the front windshield frame:

WIP_British_Forlite_Staff_Car_I.jpg

After a while, I came back to this to add all the final details before painting this. Then I'll add the windows and close it up for final painting and finishing:

WIP_British_Forlite_Staff_Car_II.jpg

WIP_British_Forlite_Staff_Car_III.jpg


Well, that's about all I have for today. Maybe sometime in the next few days I'll be able to call some of these done. Meanwhile, thanks for looking in, comments are welcome.

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Duke: if your local hobby shop carries the Model Master "custom" lacquer car paints, check out "flat fabric tan". To me, it looks just like Radome Tan, but it might be a tan you find useful for your camo. Nice progress!

 

GIL

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Sounds good Gil! Thanks for that tip. I think at least three of the seven LHS around me carry that line. I still have a truckload of paints all over my hobby room I'm going to sift through; if I can't find anything in there, I'll head out and pick some of this color up.

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Well, here I have another update, possibly my last one for this year. Maybe I'll be able to squeeze another one in by tomorrow night.

More excellent progress made, if I do say so myself, especially given the issues I had to deal with. I finally can see the light at the end of the tunnel for most of these and it is NOT a train!

Let's start with the Mack truck. Here it is with the decals and a wash on it:

WIP_MBI_WWI_GB_XVII.jpg

Since that has been taken, I've dullcoated this, added the wheels and dirtied it up a bit. Still looking for some kind of small string to add to the tailgate; otherwise, this one is done.

Next up, I painted the interior of the little Forlite staff car:

WIP_British_Forlite_Staff_Car_IV.jpg

Now to add the acetate to the windows so I can close this up. Shouldn't be too long now.

Now for the tough stuff. {deep breath.... and exhale}

I took off the masking on the -zepp. Despite my best efforts as scoring around the edge with a brand new Exacto blade, this turned out to be an unmitigated disaster:

WIP_2_BUSES_XXIV_UD_I.jpg

WIP_2_BUSES_XXIV_UD_II.jpg

[deep breath....]

I pulled out the paint and a small brush and attempted to touch this up. For the most part, it looks okay. The left side in front of the curve looks like crap, but it's gonna have to stay that way. I have no other idea how to fix it, other than masking again and shooting it, but that ain't gonna happen! That's what caused this problem in the first place. This has been clearcoated now:

WIP_2_BUSES_XXIV_UDF_I.jpg

WIP_2_BUSES_XXIV_UDF_II.jpg

Later on, I added the two roof pieces and painted the center luggage section brown. The paint was still wet when I took this pic:

WIP_2_BUSES_XXV.jpg

The paint was a bit too diluted so the next coat should look right. Man, I really wanted to make this bus look GOOD! I really tried, using all the most advanced techniques I knew how and I'm still too cursed to complete something with out some glaring issue on it.

Enough of this one, I pulled out the other bus and got to work on it.

Here I added all the extra bits to the outer shell. I also repaired the luggage rack for the twelfth time! You can see here the new camouflage pattern I added to it:

WIP_2_BUSES_XXVIII.jpg

WIP_2_BUSES_XXIX.jpg

That being done, I went ahead and finished the chassis; adding the interior and the engine to the top:

WIP_2_BUSES_XXVI.jpg

I finished off this part with all the underside detail parts:

WIP_2_BUSES_XXVII.jpg

Now all I have to do is detail paint this and then clearcoat it and it'll be ready for decals. Adding the wheels and putting on the body shell will be the last thing I do to finish this off.

[deep breath]


Okay, this Topol finally got a wash after the clearcoat, and I also detail painted the rest of it:

WIP_FSM_BrailleScale_GB_XV.jpg

Next, I added the decals to this and just for fun, I snapped all the wheels in place. Here it is so far:

WIP_FSM_BrailleScale_GB_XVI.jpg

...and with the launch tube:

WIP_FSM_BrailleScale_GB_XVII.jpg

This thing in the side kept coming off. After all, it was only attached with two small plastic rods; nothing to support it at all. I have no idea what it is, but here you can see the holes I drilled in the chassis and the part in preparation for attaching brass rod to this so that it will stay in place:

WIP_FSM_BrailleScale_GB_XVIII.jpg

Now you can see the part in place and it ain't goin' nowhere!

WIP_FSM_BrailleScale_GB_XIX.jpg

This monstrosity is now finished. Since the above pics have been taken, I've dullcoated this and lightly 'dusted' it with a dirt brown for some light weathering. Pics will be forthcoming.

 

Gil, you can see that I didn't camouflage it. I looked at all the little bits and bobs sticking out and decided I didn't want to deal with repairing them after they break while the masking gets put on and later removed. I modulated the color a bit and went on.


So far today, I've finished at least six models. I have at least one more I think I can finish tomorrow so I can get all the pics done then and get them posted for the New Year. Meanwhile, thanks for looking in, comments are always welcome.

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