tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83909301660712761772024-03-12T20:19:09.802-07:00Hunter's hobbiesmalcolm hunterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03344884515105980246noreply@blogger.comBlogger23125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8390930166071276177.post-91093607769467959762016-03-23T02:59:00.000-07:002016-05-09T15:57:23.545-07:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This is one of the better pictures I took of the nearly complete model. Unfortunately lots of them were a little blurred as I was using a little compact, not quite up to the job of close detail. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In this view you can see the pipe joints on the oil filter. A big omission on the kit. These came from ( Best balsa kits). I bought two sizes and these were easily fitted around stage 12 of the instructions. I also replaced the connecting tube between the two filter boxes with a piece of shrink tube and cable ties from the (Thunder valley) detail kit. An invaluable piece of kit. You can also see the modification to the throttle linkage again from BBK as above. The extra valves attached to the tub between the main radiator and the engine were scratch built from aluminium tube and electrical connectors, again from the Thunder valley box. Air intake stacks again TV parts. All extra cables were added from downloaded photographs of the actual car, easily found on Google. I downloaded about 15 images which were a great help to extra detailing. The radiator clamps again TV parts. Don't worry about them being a perfect fit as Bergers car images show they were a bit rough on the actual car.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I added some carbon fibre decals to the floor of the car but found the decals I bought too inflexible to get a good effect on curved surfaces. The thick cable which was supposed to be wrapped in the foil included in the kit was replaced with 2mm braided cable, easily available on the internet from UK suppliers. Mine came with a plastic core which I removed before fitting. Tubing C and D fitted at step 15 needed to be removed and replaced with approximately 7mm longer cable for ease of fitting and I needed to remove the rear wing to fit it easily, perhaps I am just clumsy. The engine ties between the engine and the chassis floor were also spare parts from the throttle linkage and imitation hex bolts again from BBK. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I used lots of the parts from the Thunder valley kit but not all of them as I could not identify where some of them were meant to be used. The engine kill switch which you can see in the photo was a problem as when I fitted the main body cowl it simply bent and I could not get it to fit through the corresponding aperture. I eventually cut it in half and fixed the outer part to the cowl. Never mind, a compromise I could not overcome.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The main omission in the construction is the covers F6 and F9 at stage 7. These were missed out to allow the detail to be added to the spark plugs and ignition leads again taken from actual photos and other kits such as the one shown on BBK .</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">One thing you have probably noticed is that I painted the top wing of the rear spoiler white when it should be orange, a stupid but honest mistake which I only noticed when looking at images for location of the sponsors logo's . I did a big double take and uttered one or two colourful expletives on my own stupidity.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Here you can see some of the extra cable detail to both sides of the cockpit and the front suspension. You can just see the replaced steering wheel shaft, another extra cockpit detail kit from (Hobby link Japan) This incorporates a universal joint which is only about 2mm square and made from a number of PE parts but is accurate to the real car.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A little blurred but the rectified rear spoiler paint job !</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Again sorry for the blurred image but you can see the extra cbling added to the engine block . The sponsor logo sheet was another extra as no sponsor logos are included in the kit. The sheet I bought did not include a Marlboro logo of the correct size for the side of the roll bar so another trawl of the internet was called for and I found these from an Australian supplier , perfect but more cash to splash out.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Sorry for the picture quality again but this is my finished model with the Williams FW14. I cannot show any images of the cockpit detail but strongly suggest that you use it if you are building the kit. All switches are included as is the cable connection between the steering wheel and the drivers panel These greatly enhance the kit as does the seat belt harness buckles all PE parts, a little fiddly but worth the effort. I did not change all the hex bolts and screws for imitation metal parts as some were too small for me to do neatly. I did replace about 30 of these on the engine block particularly on the exhaust plates and the air intakes. I also added hex heads on the seat belt connection to the tub, front suspension and cockpit interior.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The model took me approximately 500 hours to complete and will probably be my last major project in this scale, mainly due to display space. If I can get my hands on my daughters 35mm camera I will post better photographs for anyone interested, let me know if this is of interest to anyone but for now I think That's all folks.</span></div>
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malcolm hunterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03344884515105980246noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8390930166071276177.post-77974588089442477232015-10-01T03:44:00.001-07:002015-10-01T03:44:30.493-07:00<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: red; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b><u>Mclaren MP4/6</u></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After my efforts with the Williams FW 14B I decided that the only way to go would be to make its stablemate and adversary the MP4/6. I was happy with the way the Williams turned out, even though it was pretty much an off the shelf build. I have looked at other builds and think I could have done a better job with upgrade parts. In other respects I am still happy with the results. One of the sites I looked at made a point of choosing sponsor decals the same, or close as, match to the blue colour of the overall paint scheme but in many of the photographs I looked at the sponsor logo is darker, as per my choice. In hindsight there are always things one would choose to do differently but one is not blessed with the gift so I shall adopt a philosophical approach and say it was my karma.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Perhaps I would never have got round to tackling this new project but to the intervention of my health. I was forced to give up work in May 2015 because my hip joint needed an overhaul, replacing actually, so I am faced with an indefinite spell on the subs bench and what better way to keep myself busy is there?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I bought the kit before my operation as an incentive to recover. The Senna Mansell conflict was my favourite F1 era and the two models will complement each other perfectly. I began looking at the component parts and comparing them to other kit builds and the actual views of the car. There are loads on line, I have printed about 15 pages of photographs so far being confined to my chair, a fatal mistake ! I decided to add more detail, or upgrade parts to enhance the kit. First off the biggest omission is the sponsor logos which I bought online. They came from Italy and were a good colour match on the whole, although some of the smaller ones lack the clarity of some of the supplied ones in the kit but they will not be needed. There was one fatal omission though and that was a logo for the side of the fuel tank inside the outer shell. I was gutted (more on this later). I then found the photo etch parts needed from "<u>Thunder Valley F1</u>" in America. They also supply a number of other upgrades, which are well worth a look and buying if you can. I also purchased carbon fibre decal sheets and braided hose from other suppliers in the UK. Next came some parts from "<u>Bestbalsakits</u>", a Belgian supplier , which comprised of miniature joints, a huge omission from the kit, and other bits like throttle linkage and 0.6mm allen head screws. I am still waiting for a cockpit detail kit and antenna from Hobby link Japan, just released Oct. 2015 and finally the missing decals from Australia,found by accident. STOP!! That is the biggest problem, where do you stop, how far do you go? I have scoured the internet and got parts from all over the world for this kit.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I could continue to buy other other upgrade parts but enough is enough, costs build up!. I know my efforts will not be up to competition standards but I am going to build this one to as high a standard as I can get. I shall post photographs as I go but now its time to make a start. HI HO SILVER AWAY!!</span></div>
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malcolm hunterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03344884515105980246noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8390930166071276177.post-26248730219128435202013-03-13T10:30:00.003-07:002013-03-13T10:30:27.313-07:00The chequered flag for the Williams FW 14B<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I have spent a couple of hours today applying the tyre decals. I soaked some kitchen paper to wet the back of the decals. after a few minutes I coated the tyre with decal adhesive and placed the decal on the tyre. I pressed down on the decal and carefully removed the backing from one end while keeping pressure on the remaining decal in contact with the tyre. This worked well and the decals went on easily.. I waited about half an hour between doing the other side and kept the tyre clean by doing this side on a sheet of clean paper. The wheels fitted on in seconds and basically Bob's your uncle.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Well there isn't much to add here, all I need to do is to put up a display shelf for this creation.So adiós amigo's.</span>malcolm hunterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03344884515105980246noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8390930166071276177.post-85310992714024033782013-03-13T03:56:00.002-07:002013-03-13T03:56:49.907-07:00All you need is wheels<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I have completed the car now, the tyres have been sanded, all I need to do now is fix on the tyre decals and from past experience they are problematic, as the rubber surface of the tyre does not lend itself easily to sliding the decal into the best alignment.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I suppose I'm reluctant to let go and finish the whole thing now. Anyway I'm sitting here listening to Barclay James Harvest, a birthday present, and remembering the last time I saw them, back in 1978 and the ticket price was £ 2.80. I still have most of my tickets from gigs going back to 1977. I still have an Ozzy ticket signed by the man himself and Randy Rhodes the guitarist who I met in a record shop in Newcastle. As I remember it Ozzy was totally gone, nowt unusual there though for the time. Tinkity tonk for now.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Life is for living and living is free, as they say back in the good old 70's.</span>malcolm hunterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03344884515105980246noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8390930166071276177.post-67141939503785955412013-03-10T11:01:00.004-07:002013-03-10T11:01:54.687-07:00Countdown for the Williams FW14B<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I have been cracking on with the decals and haven;t much left to do. I nearly forgot to add the top coach line to the rear cowl. I did check that it would line up with the air intake once assembled, give or take a whisker. I started the main bodywork with the coach lines. the only problem I had was with the long line running to the front of the nose cone I split this into two parts to make it more manageable, which also overcame the fact that it was too long. The joint with the upper suspension bulge was tricky and it seems I have sprayed the wrong line separating the blue and yellow at this point, Oh bother ! or words to that effect. I shall rectify this by hand painting in the offending part. The instructions or box art do not help. Apart from that everything was tickety boo.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>malcolm hunterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03344884515105980246noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8390930166071276177.post-69858219307185360972013-03-09T10:04:00.002-08:002013-03-09T10:04:56.430-08:00Williams FW14B decals<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I have started to apply the decals and have completed most of the rear cowling. I tried trimming off the blue decal on the coach lines but found that if I trimmed them too close to the white line the decals split, so I trimmed them about 2 to 3mm in from the white line. I don't know if my scalpel is too blunt but it seems fine on other things. I used decal coat to help adhesion and found this also helped. I have also applied the Canon decals to the rear wing. Here inoticed the the logo on the top wing needed to fit around the central support, but the decal had needed to be trimmed to fit by cutting out the central split . On the lower wing I split the logo into two parts, again with success. I have not taken any pictures yet but will do so when I have made more progress.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I also received an invitation for an interview for a job, a rare and welcome surprise. I have applied for hundreds of jobs since being made redundant and so far have only had one months work in a part time job since September 2010. It would be great to get back to work and earn some money. I have worked nearly all of my life, starting with paper rounds when I was about 12 . I then worked weekends in a supermarket, a very new fangled innovation at the time and a world away from what we know today. I was last unemployed for a few months after qualifying as a teacher back in 1992. I never expected to spend this amount of time being unemployed and am sick to death of being classified by the media as some kind of dirt on the shoe of society, so I hope I get a job out of this interview and have some money to spend in my pocket.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Cheerio for now.</span>malcolm hunterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03344884515105980246noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8390930166071276177.post-9871480979343031652013-03-07T07:32:00.000-08:002013-03-07T07:32:02.721-08:00WILLIAMS FW 14B Problems and solutions<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><u>The exhaust fit, front wing and electrics.</u></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I completed the exhausts with some difficulty, it was like trying to reassemble a segmented orange back to its original state and then fit it back into the skin. I tried to align all the pipes in line as shown on the diagram, using a ruler, but gave up and gave it my best shot. When dry I gave them a dry fit and the seemed ok so I glued them in place and used the alignment part supplied, however when the body assembly was fitted to the undertray the left exhaust was still out of line. I fixed this by using a toothpick to align it and fixed it in place with some good old superglue. I fitted the bottom radiator connections with no problem and moved on to fixing the ready painted engine intake. I had painted the blue square onto the yellow base paint using the measurements of the blue decal and the result was fine. I am still constructing the rear wing and will apply the wing decals before fitting as it would seem easier to fit these without being hampered by the bodywork. Working with large decals is difficult enough, as I found out with the front wing decal. Construction of the front wing was simple enough,but the white decal became a real problem. I fitted the decal in place, allowed it to semi dry and fitted it to the body. Big problem, as soon as I fitted it it began to tear wherever I touched it and the fit with the nose tore it even more. Fortunately I had bought an extra set of decals, as I could foresee problems with fitting the coach line detail, particularly on the front body between the front suspension arms. I cut out the new decal and decided to cut out the section under the nose before applying. I also used humbrol decal cote to fix it and trimmed the ends as the decal was slightly oversized. This worked much better and I am now waiting for it to dry completely before giving it a coat of clear paint, so that the white finish matches the rest of the gloss bodywork white. I then decided to add the extra cable detail to the right radiator duct. I raided one of my bits boxes and lets face it we all have them. I made the cable connector from two 1:35 tank periscopes and drilled out the holes for the cable, using the thin black cable supplied with the kit, the only cable with any spare. I used some thick black cable for the other connector and passed through some fine black cable from my bits box for the other cables. I know it is not as good as others I have seen, but it serves the purpose. I have decided to write this blog as a distraction from my current task of cleaning off the mould lines from the tyres. I have spent about two hours on this so far as I have to do it by hand using the good old sandpaper. I hope the result gives the impression of new tyres as I have tyre decals to fit on at the end. I can now see the end of construction in sight and am kind of looking forward to the end result, but as I have mentioned I can see problems with fitting the decals. One other thing I should mention is that I am leaving the fitting of the mirrors, aerial and windshield until after the decal fit as the coach lines will be easier to fit. I suppose some of the decals could have been fitted earlier, but then they would not have withstood much handling. A bit of a case of a glass half full rather than half empty, what ho! That's all for now toodle pip for now and as I have said in the past a bit of feedback, good or bad would be greatly appreciated. Cheerio.</span></div>
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malcolm hunterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03344884515105980246noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8390930166071276177.post-69399026511723817652013-03-02T07:25:00.001-08:002013-03-02T07:25:04.141-08:00The end of the beginning for my Williams FW14B<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><u>RADIATOR DUCTS, RADIATORS AND ENGINE FIX.</u></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Things have moved on relatively quickly since my last post, so I thought it might be a good idea to bring you up to date. After fixing the front brakes, which was very straight forward I moved onto the radiator ducts. The instructions are very clear and the parts easy to fix. Attaching the ducts to the body was OK. I found it a little difficult to get the electric cable into the hole on the left side and was glad that I had tried a dry run before using adhesive. It might also have been worthwhile leaving out the wire inserts, but the inserts make the cables mould better to the bodywork with the inserts. I also checked out the Paul Smith, Dan Parrat and modelersite photographs for extra cable detail. I found these both helpful and confusing at the same time. For some of this detail I concluded that I simply dont have the tools to construct some of the parts and the detail on the modelersite and Paul Smith sites is so brilliant that I have to admit my 52 year old eyes simply can't recreate no matter how strong my glasses are and my pockets are empty for buying more tools and parts, which I am sure could be found in some resin kit sites, hey ho such is life. I attached the ducts carefully to make sure the body work was not damaged. I used some super glue on the front left duct as the cable kept pushing the duct out of line. I then added some extra detail to the ducts and decided that I may come back to this detail at a later date when I have completed the majority of the build, as it is an easily accessible area to work on. I then measured up the metal foil part so that I could feed through the green cable before attaching it to the bodywork. I pushed the cable pegs through the foil and it would be advisable to make sure the foil is clear of the pegs as the cable will not fit on easily at the engine mount stage, some thing I neglected to do and cost me more time at that point. The next stage, fitting the radiators was quite easy, the only thing I did extra was give the radiators a wash with some matt black to highlight the detail. I may also add the red cable from the engine kill switch to the engine block. Here again I am confused as the box detail shows the cable ending before the engine block, but the other sites seem to show that this may not be the case, however the photographs are not clear, FRUSTRATION ! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Fixing the engine was OK, but take care with the two top screws as I felt the screw holes should either be smaller or better designed, as the difference in size between the screw head and the hole is almost nil. I put a little super glue onto the top hose connection with the radiator to fill the tiny gap and painted it when dry. Tying of the green cable was next on the list. Where to cut the cable as there was at least 4 or 5 cm spare. I gave myself about 2 cm to play with for tying off. I found this very fiddly as the peg to is only 1 or 2 mm long and I didn't want to be to forceful and end up snapping the peg off. I managed it after a few attempts and ended up putting a tiny drop of glue on the cable to secure it, I used the same technique when fixing the rigging to the Vosper MTB and the Schnellboot. Well that's as much as I have done.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I feel that I have completed most of the build now which is a bit of a shame as I have really enjoyed this project and cannot afford to start another one. It is also a problem to find spaces to display the finished results and dusting them is a real pain in the. Anyway moving swiftly on I am sure there are more little problems to solve with this one. Here are some photographs of the kit as it is now and I hope they are of interest.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On this side I added cable detail to the small small radiator on the top of the duct and an extra cable and tie to the rear.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On this side I have only added one extra cable to the front and painted the top assembly slightly differently refering to the box art and other web sites. There are many other details that can be added here at a later date.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> I have not finished working on this area, the rivets need to be painted and the kill switch cable added.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What ho! that's all for now so it's cheerio and tinkity tonk from me.</span></div>
malcolm hunterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03344884515105980246noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8390930166071276177.post-32592006716926677302013-02-21T07:20:00.002-08:002013-02-21T07:20:47.051-08:00WILLIAMS FW14B The story so far<div style="text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I have finally finished spraying the rear cowling and added the active suspension detailing. The rear cowling wasn't much of a problem until I took off the masking tape, which left one or two spots of matt adhesive marks on the blue area. My mistake I suppose, the blue paint must not have hardened off, even though it had been left for a week. I corrected this by over spraying with clear acrylic and that seems to have done the trick. The front active suspension detail is now complete. at least to the parts supplied, but the box art shows another section that should be included. However since this is now to be covered over for ever I think I will leave it and there seems to be little space under the cover to add extra components. The reason I say it will be covered over without being able to remove the cover is that the retaining screw is fixed into the plastic tub cover and removal of the screw will simply strip out the thread of the plastic making it impossible to fix it back down again. Another metal bracket would have resolved the problem and I am sure I could have rustled something up if I had thought of this sooner, what ho for hindsight eh! I have also been thinking about the engine air intake and having researched many photographs of the actual car, have decided to spray the blue square onto the yellow to avoid using the supplied blue decal and having paint match problems. Once again the side box art is incorrect in this aspect. I have also received from Hong Kong the extra Camel and tyre decals, well worth the $10 to finish the model accurately. I shall now get on with the front brakes and side pod detail and update my blog when I have made some progress. I know it might seem a bit of a pain, but I would really like anyone who reads this to give me some feedback. Thanks and cheerio for now. Here are some pics.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">That's all folks !</span></div>
malcolm hunterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03344884515105980246noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8390930166071276177.post-13005230969865177592013-02-12T02:46:00.003-08:002013-02-12T02:46:57.578-08:00Williams FW14B update<div style="text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I thought That I had found my ideal solution to my masking problem by using my old bottle of Humbrol Maskol, from my paint store, coupled with my 5 mm tamiya masking tape for the small areas to be covered, jolly good and off we go. I started by spraying the yellow, them masking off after 24 hours drying time. This was when I encountered my dust problem, as gloss spray highlights dust much more obviously than matt spray, which in my previous experience is mainly the type of spray used on military models. Coupled with the fact that I am having to spray in my kitchen rather than in the garage, it's just too cold even for us northern folk and the cold does nothing for paint drying time. Any way after a few coats I was happy with the finish. On with the masking and spraying the blue paint and more drying time. Disaster ! the maskol was not up for the job. Hey ho back to square one. This time I simply used the Tamiya tape and trimmed it with a swann morton scalpel. What Ho ! success. I then repeated the process with the semi gloss black , job done. As I was busy with the masking tape I decided to spray the main body cowling and have so far sprayed the blue and yellow areas and am now in the process of spraying the white. Again dust is the main problem, as no matter how much I clean up the area to be sprayed, suddenly there seems to appear a small hair or tiny speck of dust, where do they come from ? I suppose I shouldn't be surprised, living in a house with a large boisterous Labrador and backing onto farm fields doesn't help.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Anyway that was a good weeks spraying, including drying time and I have learnt a lot. I am also happy with the result and can only hope that the coach line decals fit well. I also need to purchase the extra Camel decals to make sure the finished model is accurate for the season.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I shall carry on with my project but have decided that there is no way that my modelling skills or my stock of tools and parts are up to the super detailing of Paul Smith's standards as I would have needed to cut off the nose section for the front bulkhead detail. You just have to realise your own limitations and marvel at the expertise of other people who are simply better than you.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Cheerio for now. </span></div>
malcolm hunterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03344884515105980246noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8390930166071276177.post-90793845330533105042013-02-03T07:11:00.003-08:002013-02-03T07:11:58.805-08:00WILLIAMS FW 14 B UPDATE<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I have completed the cockpit tub and am now ready to cover it up in the front part of the body work, which will hide forever the foot pedals and most of the internal detail if the drivers compartment, so I thought I might as well take some photos and describe some of the problems I encountered.</span><div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I began by spraying it blue, giving it 3 coats and allowing 12 hours between coats. I then masked of the blue and sprayed the semi gloss black areas. Having looked at the instructions for installation of the engine I needn't have taken so much care with the back as it is covered with metal foil. Ah well, tinkity tonk as they say. I proceeded to add the subsequent detail and was quite pleased with the result. The seat belts were a bit fiddly, making sure they were aligned properly with no overlapped areas. It is also important to remember not to fold the main body strap section before attaching it to the adjustment buckle, one of the very few ambiguous parts of Tamiya instructions. The straps themselves seem very prone to fraying and once attached to the seat need a careful eye to remove stray threads. Fitting the seat is also a little ambiguous and I referred to the box art for positioning. Once again much of the dashboard detail and the internal cockpit will be hidden when I attach the front cockpit cover. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here is my next problem. I need to spray this part yellow, blue and black. There are no clear instructions as to where to spray the blue paint on the underside of the front upper arm suspension covers and I cannot decide which colour to spray first. The instructions also do not indicate if the inside is sprayed black, but I assume it is. I shall now move on to completing the active suspension detail and the front brake assembly. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I am enjoying making this model and in many ways I will be sad to complete it. I hope you enjoy the photos and if anyone out there has any advice please Email me at malcolmh61@googlemail.com</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Also note here that there is no clearance between the steering shaft and the brake pedal.Having fixed the pedals earlier there wasn't much I could do here. The green cable attached to the pedals is also fixed with super glue. There is no way on earth that I can tie a knot in 10mm of cable, perhaps some superhuman at Tamiya can sent me a tutorial, because now I am trying to think of how I am going to tie it onto the throttle on the engine block. Hey ho another problem for another day.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is the troublesome spray paint part that I mentioned.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I hope you enjoy the photos and at least I have some evidence of the detail inside the cockpit.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I had to include this photo of my biggest fans and the greatest contributors of problems to spray painting indoors in the winter months, HAIR !!</span></div>
malcolm hunterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03344884515105980246noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8390930166071276177.post-8027824403153865592013-01-25T09:01:00.001-08:002013-01-25T09:01:42.905-08:00Williams FW 14B build update.<div style="text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I have finally completed the engine build, complete with rear suspension and brakes. This was a fairly straight forward process with only one or two slight problems. When attaching the cables I used superglue and painted the connections silver as per the box artwork, which is also very useful for adding extra detailing. I must admit I picked this up from another website by Dan Parrat. info@ modelersite.com I found his hints and tips very useful for the build. The brake pad assembly was a slight problem as I painted the inside of the pads and when I came to fit them it was too tight a fit for the discs. Once removed and cleaned up it was a perfect fit, allowing smooth rotation. However when completed turning the whole wheel assembly seems to put a high degree of torque on the half shafts. I shall wait to see what it is like when I fit the wheels themselves. This is only a minor consideration as the completed model will be mounted on a plinth for display purposes. There are some differences between the box art and the instructions and I defered to the website for inspiration. Dan had a big advantage over me as he had the chance to look at the real thing at Donnington. The only addition I have made at this stage is to add a hose from between the suspension dampers attached to the top of the gearbox. I shall wait until the block is attached to the bodywork and sidepods before attempting to detail it further. I know this seems a little pointless as it will be covered up when finished and removing the bodywork seems to take some time, but as a model maker this is the case with most models I have made. The enjoyment is knowing the detail is there, however sad that makes me seem. I have now moved onto spraying the cockpit tub assembly. So far I have given it 3 coats of blue gloss and am now leaving it for 24 hours before masking it to spray the semi gloss black areas, a slow process but essential for a near perfect finish. I say near perfect because there is bound to be at least one or two specks of dust under the spray paint, although it looks pretty damn near perfect to me. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I shall be back in the near future with more information and pictures of my progress, cheerio for now.</span></div>
malcolm hunterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03344884515105980246noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8390930166071276177.post-54844025418365813032013-01-14T04:03:00.003-08:002013-01-14T04:03:57.497-08:00<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><u>A new year, a new project.</u></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I decided to start the new year with something different to take on as a long term project. I considered making one of my favourite subjects, the Lancaster bomber in 1/48 scale. There are a number of upgrades to enhance the basic kit and a number of scratch built modifications on the flaps which make it an ideal subject. I used to have a basic model of S for sugar and I was very proud of it. Unfortunately I took it to school for using as an example of how scale could be measured and one day when I was off school a supply teacher knocked it off the shelf and ruined it, such is life. There were problems with this choice in that the finished model is approximately 1m long and 1m wide, which makes it a difficult piece to display. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I thought about the project some more and finally decided on building a 1/12 scale Williams FW 14 B, Nigel Mansell's famous red 5 from 1992. This took me back to my younger years yet again, as I had built a few 1/12 cars. I bought the kit on E Bay at a fraction of the cost from traditional model shops, how can they compete with these prices ? In my research I have found two sites to help with the build and extra detailing that I intend to include, although some of the detailing and tooling is beyond my resources and eyesight. So far I have nearly completed the engine block assembly and rear suspension arms. The only thing that needs particular care is the tightening of the screws into the top front suspension brackets as they are thin plastic. I am about to start the rear brake assembly and finish of the engine. I shall post another blog when this is complete. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I hope you enjoy these images and shall be in touch soon.</span></div>
malcolm hunterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03344884515105980246noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8390930166071276177.post-64531684803107492272012-11-06T01:45:00.002-08:002012-11-06T01:59:29.659-08:00<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><u>BIG IDEAS</u></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I have not managed to do much in the way of modelling lately. The natural light has diminished now and my halogen lamp, which came from a car boot sale, has finally decided to pack up. Without it my old eyes simply aren't good enough to continue, so I have been checking out some awesome stuff on You Tube. There is a video of a 1:7 scale Apache helicopter with moving pilot, gunner, target locator and gun, as well as being well detailed, fantastic. There are numerous clips of 1:4 and 1:6 scale radio controlled tanks which are brilliant. If only I had the cash and the space to build one and the truck I would need to transport one of those 200kg monsters. I have been spending more time on the computer than ever and am sure this is down to the fact that there is so little worth watching on TV. We british seem obsessed with hospitals 3 hours of these each week at prime time. The Downton Abbey series seems to fascinate for some reason, why are we so interested in stories about a world of the have and have nots and the class ridden society which plagued our past. It also seems that we need to know as much about the American election as the average American citizen as it dominates vast sections of our domestic news programmes. I wonder if there is coverage of our elections in America. I somehow doubt it, although I will never find out, having never been there and having no money or even a passport am never likely to find out. There is one other reason of course, like Frankie Boyle, I am terrified of flying and have never set foot on an aeroplane. This fear is nearly as rational of my fear of snakes, which I have only ever seen on TV, although I did see one in Scotland, but this is disputed by the rest of the family who insist it was a slow worm. I didn't hang around long enough to confirm my suspicion. There are one or two programmes that I do enjoy, DCI Banks, Wanted and the great American series Homeland, now in its second season. Ah well that's life. One thing is or sure I know more about the presidential election than I do about the forthcoming election of police commissioners in England, </span></div>
malcolm hunterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03344884515105980246noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8390930166071276177.post-24513025883240973102012-10-02T12:46:00.001-07:002012-10-02T12:46:10.463-07:00<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><u>My generation</u></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I like millions of others grew up in the sixties when there were less things to occupy our time. We still played outside and were allowed to roam far and free on our bikes and on foot. We built camps in the woods, which by the way weren't inhabited by hoards of ramblers or schools of mountain bikes. Sometimes the only things to see were deer,squirrels, foxes and birds. We played football till it was dark and then switched to other games like 'kerbie' and 'lampie'. Like many other lads we had dads and grandparents who had played a part in WWII. The model kits available often resonated with their memories and kindled our imaginations. We also had lads comics like The Victor and Commando to keep us fired up. I think it was last year that a hardback book was released with some of the favourite commando stories. I wonder what the average age of the reader was ? It wasn't until the late seventies that anything approaching electronic toys became available. My kiids have never known a time when the playstation, gameboy, xbox, laptops and complex mobile phones weren't part of their lives. I suppose a box of plastic bits, a few pots of paint, some glue and instructions, about a vehicle that they know nothing about and a period of time that is no longer taught for the majority of their school lives, would generate much interest. Computer generated games are far more instant and gratifying. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So what is to become of the hobby, will it dwindle and fade away with the children of the sixties, or will it make a revival. There are still many suppliers still out there, although I did lose my most local supplier, due to lack of demand, and now use Wonderland models which is only a few miles further in the opposite direction. The internet is fantastic for sourcing models paint and other bits and bobs. I ask the question again, what is the future of this hobbby ?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The large 1:35 scale boats demonstrate the detail you can show at this scale. It would be a real shame if it faded away from a popular pastime.</span></div>
malcolm hunterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03344884515105980246noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8390930166071276177.post-75613691068078386782012-10-02T03:41:00.000-07:002012-10-02T03:41:15.109-07:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For many years I hand painted my models. I was bought an airbrush as a present and decided to give it a go. The first model I used it on was the Vosper for weathering of the hull mainly. most of the model was sprayed using acrylic spray paint, due to the size. The results were quite good, but it was evident that I would need more practice to get the best effects. The next project I tackled was one of the unsung heroes of the second world war, that was the 2 and a half ton Amercan truck, nicknamed the Jimmy. This was an even better result, where I experimented with more weathering effects. On the subsequent Famo tank transporter I used it for the three tone camouflage used by many units on the western and eastern fronts. From examining posts, left on various forums, it seems that some units hand painted camouflage, while others used spray. The hand painted versions had a hard edge, while the spray versions had a softer edge. For my Famo I followed the Bishops Hobbies version and was grateful for the great pictures and build sequence on the website. I still hand painted the road wheels and other details, as I still can't figure out how to get a good result with an airbrush. On my Schnellboot I sprayed the hull, deck and superstructure with Tamiya acrylic sprays, again due to the size of the kit and the result gave a very good finish.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">These are a couple more shots of the Vosper.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">These two shots are of my Famo, which is displayed on a metre long shelf painted with Tamiya textured paint. it also includes the BMW R75 motorcycle and machine gun troops on exercise. The commander examining his broken down Stug is the decorated Bodo Spranz.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>malcolm hunterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03344884515105980246noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8390930166071276177.post-11692219302362612802012-09-30T02:45:00.001-07:002012-09-30T17:44:32.057-07:00<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For many years I did very little in terms of modelling, something seemed to take up my time. As a dad, our children, all three of them, were our priority and I also had to fit in some time to work. Once upon a time I used to enjoy working as a teacher but that eroded away with time targets and management decisions and that is putting it politely. As time passed and the kids have grown both me and my wife have found that we have more time on our hands. Since 2010, when I was made redundant I have had an abundance of time to fill and modelling has taken up some of that time. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I don't spend all of my time modelling and I doubt if even the most ardent fan of the hobby does. Sometimes all I want to do is watch TV or read a good book. Sometimes I have to go outside and mow the lawn. The one thing that has changed most of all is the research I now do when constructing a kit. I have always read comprehensively and have a number of reference books on the things that interest me. However, with the time available to me, the internet has become an invaluable source of images and facts that no amount of reference books could be stored in a normal household. I have found this fascinating and intriguing, almost like being a journalist, peeling off the layers of a story, until we get to the core. In some cases I found it frustrating, for instance the my M3 a1 had a smooth floor when it should have had a textured floor, which led me to cover the floor with stuff. My SAS jeep could be configured in any way I wanted, as they were such individual vehicles and the Schnellboot led me into the world of intrigue and spies, which has given me an idea for a story that I would like to turn into a novel or something, perhaps I will pursue that idea, who knows. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A SdKfz 232 one of the most unusual recon vehicles of WW2 apparently a favourite for those in the field,perhaps because of its fast road speed. My model comes complete with added dust.</span></div>
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malcolm hunterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03344884515105980246noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8390930166071276177.post-37967113029879991932012-09-28T08:57:00.001-07:002012-09-28T08:57:23.692-07:00<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><u>1:35 scale and powered vehicles.</u></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I was reading about the origin of this scale and found that it came about as it was the ideal size for a vehicle to carry the B size batteries used to power the motor for the tracks. So it was more by coincidence than choice. It just so happens to be an ideal scale for adding a high degree of detailing, which has improved enormously over the years with the introduction of etched brass and resin kits available for the ardent modeller. Tamiya were ahead of the game in their distinctive style of box art, which has remained constant in all the years I have been buying kits. Initially I remember the kits that I made did include a motor and metal gearbox, which powered the rear wheels. I also remember that most of the kits I made wouldn't run. I'm sure it was down to my lack of skill but I always blamed the design of the tracks. A case of the worker blaming his tools perhaps. The only ones I remember working were a Saladin armoured car and a Sheridan medium tank, used during the Vietnam war. The Sheridan tank was a curious machine with a short main gun and a low profile and relatively small. I suppose ideal for the jungle conditions it was designed for. All of the hulls for these models had supports for the batteries moulded inside.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My model of the Graham Hill lotus in its distinctive red and gold livery, sporting a rear wing, a new addition at the time also had a small motor inside the engine block with the AA batteries under the cockpit. This was connected to the rear axle and was meant to power the rear wheels. I wasn't sure if it was supposed to be able to power the car or if it was simply meant as something for display purposes. I did try the car out on the carpet but it simply tore the half shafts apart , leading to a rather messy repair and a very disappointed young teenage lad. There are no photographs of this model as it's another casualty of time.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I also built a 1:16 scale Tamiya Centurion tank, which if i remember correctly had two motors. Another distinctive feature was the individual track links. This was a very successful model and was a delight to watch as I sent it trundling across the assault course of my parents back garden, which was mainly a vegetable plot. A good friend of mine also had an interest in AFV's,his dad worked at the Armstrong Vickers factory. He had a remote controlled American tank, I can't remember which one it was but the garden soon resembled the trenches of the great war.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is a Tamiya Kruppe Protze, a six wheeled light transport vehicle for infantry and in this case towing a 37mm anti tank gun. Compared with the mighty 88mm the 37mm looks tiny, but at the outset of the second world war the majority of tanks were still in the early years of their evolution and were relatively light and thin skinned and the relatively light Protze and the 37mm were ideal for the tactics of blitzkrieg.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I enjoyed building this kit as it had an interesting suspension system, some good crew and simply looks good.</span></div>
malcolm hunterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03344884515105980246noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8390930166071276177.post-44228005397503474702012-09-26T02:39:00.001-07:002012-09-26T02:39:43.115-07:00<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><u>GROWING UP</u></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The very first model I remember building was a Russian fighter plane, I can't remember which one, it was over 45 years ago. I painted it with some green Humbrol enamel paint, not the neatest job and as I remember I got more paint on myself than on the plane, it must have looked a real mess but I was pleased with it. The shop I used to buy things from was run by a retired RAF pilot, who flew Sunderland flying boats during the war. The shop was en route to the new fangled supermarket that had opened in the village. We used to visit it on Saturday morning. We bought the shopping and carried it back home, we didn't have a car, and it was close enough. I was simply along to help with the bags but I liked going because I might get to choose something like a new yoghurt, a new and strange product at the time, or a branded cereal for breakfast and there was always the prospect of a new model, or a Matchbox car. Nearly all the models I bought at this time came from this shop. I think the shop was run by a man called John Hair but I'm not sure. Everything I built was 1:72 scale and by Airfix. Looking at the Airfix book I remember so many of the model, mostly planes and ships but there were others such as a larger scale bus and the 1:24 scale Spitfire, which had a motor in to turn the propeller. All of my models were painted with Humbrol paints, I don't think there was much else available, If there was I was not aware of it. Remember there was no internet then back in the late 60's and early 70's. Painting was difficult and I did my best to copy the instructions. I don't have any of these early efforts left, they were thrown away when I left home, or simply broke. It seems so strange now to look back and wonder how we got by without the internet for shopping or research. I haven't visited a model shop in years and my library of reference books seems so small and inadequate compared to the amount of information available at my fingertips.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As a teenager i began to take the bus into Newcastle by myself and discovered a model shop on what was then Blenhim street, I'm not sure of the spelling but neither the shop or the street survive today, now it is simply a road, which by coincidence had the pub on where i met my wife, The Broken Doll, a much later occurrence. However this three storey shop was heaven on earth for me. It was here that I first discovered 1:35 scale Tamiya kits and a new modelling experience began.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A Tamiya quad tractor and 25 pounder gun, famed for its role in the North African campaign. I have often wondered if the allies compared their artillery and tanks to those of there counterparts, like the Germans did with the T34.</span></div>
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malcolm hunterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03344884515105980246noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8390930166071276177.post-79737125184694440322012-09-25T10:44:00.000-07:002012-09-25T11:07:51.269-07:00<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I've taken some more photographs, even though the light is absolutely terrible the rain and cloud cover has made today extremely grim. The first views are of my Sherman, made some time ago it lacks some attention to detailing but it still gives a good idea of a laden D Day tank.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The next view is of the British Churchill tank.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The next view is of the Panzer mark IV with a high velocity 75mm gun. I believe that some units operating in Normandy were hand painted in this style of camoflage, which I tried to recreate here.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This image is of the brilliant T34.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Germans tried to recreate the features of this tank in the Panzer mark V</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">All of these models are from Tamiya, with the exception of the T 34 which is a Dragon kit. My final view today is of the tank that was most feared by the allies, the Panzer mark VI or Tiger. It did have some impressive results on occasion but did not live up to its reputation, partly because of unreliability and also simply because the Nazis could not produce enough of them, mainly due to damage to the infrastructure from allied bombing, another subject I shall touch on in further blogs.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Well that's all for today, I hope you enjoy the images and how I came to be interested in tanks. If you would like to comment please feel free. </span>malcolm hunterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03344884515105980246noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8390930166071276177.post-63689213526546519032012-09-25T05:40:00.002-07:002012-09-25T05:40:43.501-07:00<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><u>TANKS</u></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My interest in tanks can be traced back a long way. As a young lad I lived in a small rural village, first Victoria Garesfield, then Rowlands Gill, along the Derwent valley. The nearest large city was Newcastle and when I went shopping with my mum we took the bus into town. The bus used to cross the river Tyne at the Scotswood bridge and turn right along Scotswood road. As the bus rumbled along the road The vast expanse of the Armstrong Vickers factory was on the right hand side, following the course of the Tyne. To the left were street upon street of victorian terraced housing for the huge workforce employed within the factory. Through the misted up bus windows it was difficult for me to imagine what life was like in such a crowded environment. At the end of many of the streets was a pub with names that evoked the workers and industrial nature of the area. There were pubs named " The Hydraulic Crane" "Forge and Hammer" "Blast Furnace" "The Mechanic" and many more, I think there were over 40 pubs along that road, which seemed to go on forever.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sometimes I got a glimpse of one of the tanks being tested along the road. The noise of the powerful engines, the sleek low profile, huge gun and the sheer enormity was a thrilling sight and caught my imagination which has stayed with me, despite the fact that these machines are deadly weapons and in the wrong hands can cause utter devastation.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The factory had been producing tanks since their introduction at the battle of the Somme in 1915. The name "tank" derives from its conception by the RNAS which needed armoured vehicles to protect aircraft bases as far as 50 miles inland of Dunkirk. The term derives fromit looking similar to an upturned water tank and some other terms such as 'hull' and 'sponson' also show links to the senior service.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One of the development team at the factory, Walter Wilson came up with the self changing gears and epicyclic geared steering systems. A system which revolutionised the development of these machines. Another person interested in the possible uses of these new weapons was Heinz Guderian, a young German officer, who was to become one of the tacticians of blitzkreig. He saw the potential of the tank on a modern battlefield. British development continued but the military failed to think in such flexible terms as to how they could use this new technology. They maintained that the length of the gun should not extend beyond the hull as it would become fouled when fighting through hedgerows. In hindsight an error demonstrated by the huge guns mounted on the Panther and Tiger tanks.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I continued to read about tank development and decided to make some replica models in 1:35 scale to demonstrate some of the developments during the second world war. I chose to make the most influential allied tanks, the Sherman and T34. Possibly the most influential because of the vast quantity in which the were manufactured, and their simplicity. The T34 was hugely superior in design. Its sloped armour could withstand more punishment, as sloping the armour gave it greater straight line thickness and its wide tracks were more suited to the Russian terrain of mud and snow and it was less likely to freeze up in the harsh winter temperatures. The Germans copied some of its features in the Mark V Panther tank, however overcomplicated gearing and production snags, partly due to the antics of the slave workers forced to build them, led to many breakdowns, ultimately they were never produced in sufficient numbers to have any effect. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Sherman was also produced in vast numbers, again some of its features made it easy to maintain and it was very reliable and efficient.However it was handicapped by thin armour an an inadequate main gun. It underwent many modifications, even becoming a floating version for use on D Day. It also had its weak spots, manly its propensity to catch fire when hit. I also made a replica of a Churchill tank, again a vehicle that was a workhorse of the allies and undergoing many modifications, notably some of Hobarts funnies, such as mine flails, known as the crab,there was also the flame throwing crocodile and. bridge building variants.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On the Axis side I made the Panzer IV, the workhorse of the army during the majority of the war and possibly their best tank, again not produced in enough numbers. I also made the Panzer V Panther, as I have already mentioned and the formidable Panzer VI or Tiger tank.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This was a massive machine at 54 tons. It had 100mm of frontal armour, 80mm of side armour and a massive 88mm main gun. This meant that it was inpenatrable to allied tank shells and could knock out any allied tank. However it was slow heavy and required much attention. Another of its features, its wheels, were a particularly complex configuration, which meant that replacing one of the inner road wheels meant removing many of the other road wheels.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There are many others that I could build as significant fighting vehicles and given the space and time perhaps I will.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I shall post images of my collection shortly in my next blog.</span></div>
malcolm hunterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03344884515105980246noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8390930166071276177.post-9199922135578938782012-09-20T10:56:00.001-07:002012-09-20T10:56:06.942-07:00<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I looked at my blog and thought perhaps the addition of some of my allied vehicles might give the reader a better view of the projects I have undertaken as I have made a number of kits most of which reflect some of the most important allied vehicles used from Normandy and in the North African campaign. My biggest constraint is space as I work almost exclusively in 1:35 scale. My collection of tanks take up one shelf alone and there is almost no windowsill space left and I still have ideas for a number of new projects, although the cost is also very prohibitive as I have limited funds. My current project is a 15cwt British truck and I will post photos of this in production.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is my SAS jeep with added detail.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A Sherman tank onboard a 50ft LCM, as used at OMAHA beach.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Further detail of US troops waiting to disembark.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Another view of my VOSPER MTB.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">An M3 A1 as used during the Normandy campaign.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I also include a couple of other shots of the SCHNELLBOOT as detail shots for those that might want to tackle this model, which claims to be the largest 1:35 scale kit, although it is not as there is a massive railway gun available, which simply isn't practical for a modeller with limited space. It looks to be about 2m long and I believe weighs about 50lbs. More a museum piece I think.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>malcolm hunterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03344884515105980246noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8390930166071276177.post-37733255837719305062012-09-20T04:26:00.001-07:002012-09-20T10:59:19.426-07:00<h2 style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: blue; font-size: x-large;">Hunter's hobbies</span></h2>
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I have been modelling for most of my life, beginning at the tender age of 5 or 6. I started off with small Airfix kits that you could buy for a few bob. they came in clear plastic bags with basic construction and simple instructions. I built up an impressive force of aircraft, tanks and ships. In the mid seventies more detailed 1:35 Japanese kits started appearing and I continued to build these. Other memorable kits were the 1:12 scale formula 1 cars of Graham Hill and the Renault of Rene Arnoux. The most memorable aircraft kit was the 1:48 scale Lancaster bomber, which has always been a favourite of mine. The models also had some practical value as I used to use them to demonstrate scale when teaching students in mathematics.</div>
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My love of building scale replicas has continued to the present day. My main interest has been AFVs from the second world war. There are so many examples to choose from on the market today and with the addition of etched brass and resin parts customising to match individual examples is endless. I have recently been building 1:35 scale boats. The VOSPER MTB (shown above) and the metre long SCHNELLBOOT, thankfully I have a very understanding wife ! </div>
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This magnificent model shown here, pictured on a lovely sunny day, is not yet completed, as I am waiting for the reissue of a resin kit for EMC mines to fit on the stern of the boat. This is to replicate the boats that were involved in the disaster of operation tiger at Slapton sands in 1944. My boat is a replica of kommandant Hans Jurgen based inRotterdam, Holland 1945. I have added a resin inflatable to the rear of the boat which adds extra interest.</div>
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Another fascinating aspect of this hobby is the research that is needed to faithfully recreate the models. For the schnellboot I uncovered some fascinating stories and some great images. The internet is absolutely brilliant as a tool for this. One of my projects was to build a FAMO and SD.AH.116 trailer, again another large kit at nearly 650mm long. I had two pictures in my own library but found an excellent site which I used for painting and construction tips. I also researched the units the vehicle was attached to and added the sturgeschutz 3 of the 237 stug brigade based in Russia 1943. This led me to investigate what this brigade was involved in during this time and I discovered that they were used in the battle of Smolensk on the Dneiper river and I added the decorated Bodo Sprantz to my finished diorama, examining his broken down vehicle, It would be incorrect to call it a tank as they were considered to be mobile artillery.</div>
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As you can see it is very difficult to fit the completed model in one image so I took some more detailed shots.</div>
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I have many other images of other models I have made and many more detail shots, although I find lighting the shots difficult, as natural light is best and our climate means that suitable light is rarely available. I have included another couple of images of a flakvierling but I have many more, which I may add at a later date, depending on interest in the blog. I have also considered taking orders to make replica pieces for others but the cost may be a prohibitive factor as the finished articles are difficult to transport, without damage and the cost of putting them in display cases adds even more cost, however it does make dusting the models a much less traumatic and time consuming process. I'm afraid my long suffering wife won't touch my collection.</div>
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malcolm hunterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03344884515105980246noreply@blogger.com0