After some thought I decided on my next build and opted for one of the armour kits.

I have some figures already partially prepared for this kit and I plan a small diorama to set it in. Ideally I would like to set it in North Africa but this particular model served only in France, the Balkans and Russia. There were only thirty eight models made before the gun was added to the Panzer II chassis instead.

This will keep me busy over the next two - three weeks as I plan a slow build and the individual tracks are tiny and will take most of my time. Another one of those small Panzer I kits that I like. and this will join the collection I have built so far.

I have started some DIY work involving wood glue and the stair wall dado rail which I had put off last weekend as the easiest of the two jobs needing my attention this weekend. I will pretend it is a 1:1 scale model I am making!

TTFN.

 

The latest build is completed, well...95% completed as I left some of the tiny decals off from the underneath of the plane. A Fouga CM. 170 Magister circa 1995 in the livery of the Irish Air Corps in 1/72 scale. The photo below shows the decals and where to apply them and I decided after two hours of applying the decals I had had enough. The absence won't be seen and once I have tidied up some of the paintwork it will be placed on the display shelf.

A quick and easy build with no real issues although I did lose one tiny piece on the floor. For the silver colour I stuck with acrylic paint instead of the Metal wax paint although I might apply some of that to add some extra shine over the dried clear coat. I now have to decide on the next build and the following kit appeals to me...

The figures arrived this morning as I plan to build a Rolls Royce armoured car which is on order from Poland and is a Ukrainian company. The modelling community is supporting Ukraine by buying kits from Ukrainian companies as a small contribution. Oddly enough I had no plans to buy any kits and it was Sue who suggested I buy some of the more expensive kits on my list whilst I am working and I can afford them. 

I have booked a survey from a local damp proofing company and hopefully once I have some quotes we can book that work to go ahead this summer when the cats can escape the house whilst it is in progress. Sue wants to book into a hotel to escape it all whereas I intend to be around offering tea, keeping an eye on the work and reassuring the cats. Once this is done we are in a better position to plan redecorating and some other home improvements. I always feel uncomfortable with workmen in the house but once this is done we can take our time with the other jobs. Otherwise a day off and just chilling out as it is sunny but cool and lovely to potter around and absorb those positive waves.

TTFN.

It is finally completed and No, I shan't be adding anything else to it apart from an aerial.

It has been on my modelling table for a long time as I wanted to do it justice and it was a satisfying build. The painting was the best part plus the decals and I have learnt a lot about using metal paints.

I have the same kit in my stash and I will build another version of this at a future date in another livery. 

After finishing this yesterday evening I had a look through the stash for the next build. Sue suggested something other than tanks or aircraft as this plane is colourful, perhaps a car. I have bid on model cars on evil bay but never been successful, A Triumph TR 4A and an old thirties car which went for a crazy figure but it's the odd cars that appeal, like a Morris Minor or Citroen 2CV. However, I have now started on the next build, a 'modern' colourful aircraft that ia appealing.

The Fouga CM 170 Magister, a French aircraft in the livery of the Irish Air Corps. It is a jet trainer but was a mainstay of various smaller countries back in the day. 

A very quick build with few parts and going together quite easily but I have cracked the glass canopy drilling a small hole for a part. I will have to repair that or ignore it! Primarily silver and bright red / orange in colour which appealed to me plus my first Irish aircraft. 

Being a Bank Holiday weekend I planned to get some necessary DIY jobs completed but I have to admit I have done bugger all apart from relax, sleep and read. The usual back, knee and elbow problems but surprisingly excessive tiredness. I shook off my lethargy today and cut the grass and broke the lawnmower thanks to a hidden piece of concrete emerging from the grass! Happily the grass has been cut and I will need a new lawnmower or a strimmer. The latter appeals as more easily stored and the lawn is quite a small area, currently more weeds than grass. The tiredness I believe is a consequence of work as a hell of a lot is currently happening and I admit to being tired of it all. Time for a piriton and a cuppa plus paranormal podcasts. Happy Easter folks and stay well.

TTFN.

 An update on the P-47 build as I make slow progress with a clear coat of Pledge polish which has come out well but the blemishes from glue spills / smudges shows up under the metallic colour. The canopy is just resting there and the figure is is only dry fitted for now and I had to remove the feet to fit him in!

A pilot is seated in the cockpit and some colour added but I shall again take my time with that. The expensive delicate brushes brought out for the figure.

A quiet day pottering around and catching up with the news and this article caught my eye. If Martin Lewis is warning of trouble ahead then we really are headed for hard times ahead. 

Finally, it has taken five years and these two are sharing the same chair. They get on really well but generally sleep away from each other so we are very pleased to see this. 

TTFN.

 After a week of illness and then a return to work where the gods be praised we had the whole team bar one in for a day! The bar one has not been able to work face to face for over a year and they are leaving the team soon. The good news is that we have another nurse joining the team although we will still have vacancies to fill. Work is busy as ever and the less said about that, the better especially since I also acquired a parking ticket!

Yesterday the car had some much needed work completed and it is now MOT'd for another year. I have given up looking for a replacement car as better the devil you know in these bizarre and economically challenging times...and this is just the beginning! I will keep the Mazda going for a few years and I have perfected a method of 'falling' into the car to reduce any extra strain on my knee, back and now elbow, all on my right side. It works and I just take a slow approach to it. I have fitted in modelling and today I managed to tidy up the raised bed, remove a lot of the evidence of the cats visits and added some fresh compost. I also seeded a variety of chillies into some pots which are on the window sill for now in little propagators (recycled plastic mushroom containers) with bubble wrap around them. We have a lot of flower seeds to go out for the bees plus Marigolds and I plan just the one tomato plant and I would like one cucumber plant. It was blowy but we had some weak sunshine and it remained dry, perfect for getting out in the garden and fresh air. I managed an hour before my back reminded me to not overdo it.

Progress so far on the Thunderbolt build and I went down the rabbit hole of research but happily this was all on that one page which I discovered and immediately dived into. I am modelling that specific aircraft and coincidently I accidentally ordered the same kit and will build a second but in a different livery. It was the 'rainbow' on the tail fin and the fuselage art that attracted me plus I have long wanted to build a silver P-47. The silver paint is in fact a wax that you pain on with a brush, leave for half an hour and polish up with a cloth. The difficulty I have is that I needed to find a varnish to protect it as the wax continues to rub off.

I conducted an experiment using an oft broken old build, the metal wax (aluminium and they make various metals including gold, brass, etc...) and I opted for Pledge floor polish as a clear coat following some research on line.

The next picture shows the result...

Where the 722 decal is, the right side of the first 2 is Pledge, to the left is a mix of Pledge and Tamiya clear coat both applied a full twelve hours after the paint. The Pledge alone worked well; the wing to the right had Pledge applied soon after putting the paint on and that didn't work. I will use the Pledge sparingly on the build and fingers crossed. I shan't comment on the current issues afflicting the world as it is all a horrible mess and to be honest I have no idea what is going on anymore. I also don't need the stress of work added to the stress of wondering what the fuck will happen next. 

Stay safe folks.

TTFN.

Straight into my next build as the 'mud' dries on the Sherman tank and this is one I have long wanted to build, a P 47 Thunderbolt. This will be a nearly all silver paint scheme with some colourful decals and artwork.

The cockpit painted and assembled and this went together very quickly and easily*. I have ordered an aftermarket PE kit for this but I have a second kit to build which I will do in a different colour scheme for another squadron and use it on that.  Both are late 1944 following the D Day landings up into 1945.

This model will be of the box cover art, a 512th USAAF fighter squadron. That's as far as I got when Sherlock and Maisie joined me wanting attention and refusing to take no for an answer! I will get some done tomorrow as I plan a black primer base and then the silver on top using some of the metal paints I have been itching to try again. I also ventured out this afternoon, first time out since Tuesday and the short walk and some shopping left me shattered and in need of rest. Whatever the bug is, it has knocked the stuffing out of me. I plan to cook a curry this evening plus watch some old Time Team episodes on u tube. 

TTFN.

* The white blobs on the dials in the cockpit are white glue which will dry clear and form the 'glass' dials.

 A brief update.

I am full of a head cold and feeling distinctly unwell and the LFT showed up negative confirming my belief that it is a normal horrible cold and not the plague. I think I am tired and stressed hence more prone to catching bugs and infections. Night nurse before I go to bed and a glass of whisky yesterday evening ensured a good nights sleep as the night before I was up at 3 a.m. A few days in the warm slathered in Olbas oil and plenty of tea should see me fit for a return to work next week. A brunch of Baked Beans on wholemeal toast will also help!

In between naps I have been catching up on the news and after giving that my attention for several minutes I decided not to bother. Rich folks having handbags at dawn during the Luvvies glittery prize show, no idea what to believe about Ukraine apart from the fact the Russian military are still there and lots of made up distractions for us hoi polloi. I also finally managed to send meter readings for gas and electric today after the websites crashed. After some electric company clown manager blamed Martin Lewis for the cock up when millions of customers attempted to access the websites following the companies advice to do so on th 31st March, it just shows the level of responsibility such people are willing to accept! 

I also popped into the garden an hour ago for a few minutes and although currently sunny, it is very cold and windy. I am glad I managed to do some tidying up last weekend but you wouldn't know it from the mess today. When the weather is better I plan to continue the clean up and visit the council tip with the garden and household rubbish too big for the bins. The dark clouds are building up and something will soon drop from the sky, possibly more hail.

Back to the Sasquatch and Dogman podcasts and probably some extra layers as it is very cold. We have the heating on and I consider us the lucky ones as we can afford it. I worry about those who will have to stay in the cold because they cannot afford to put the heating on. A lot of the people whom we work with will be in this category as will the elderly and many of those on low incomes. I don't see this panning out well and next winter could see trouble erupting over this and increased food prices. A horrible recurring thought occurs to me and that is will I have to continue working for the next several years to ensure I can afford these increasing bills? For now folks, keep warm and safe.

TTFN.