Luft46's Blog

The front part of the E100 is on but it needs some filler and cleanup but that’s been a bit of a mojo killer.

I’ve switched glues recently from mainly super glue to Tamiya’s new Low odor thin glue combined with the quicker acting normal thin glue. I use the latter in my spray booth to cope with the smell. The low odor with open windows makes this a better option for gluing plastic.

The KV1 from Trumpeter is moving along quite well but the resin conversion is untouched do far. On the whole the kit isn’t bad with the instructions being ok. What probably distinguishes this from the Tamiya kit is that it probably wouldn’t have mearly as many moulding pins to sand back. I’ve cheated by only doing the ones on the outside that are visible.

It’s still the thing I least like about doing 1.35 scale tanks. The tracks have a large top run with sag moulded in. As this is such a characteristic of the KV1/2 series its nice to not have to induce this as I had to do in the 1/72 version with rubber band tracks. The bottom is also mostly one run and two small pieces with lots of individual tracks for around the wheels at either end.

This is the usual tedium relieved by YouTube or movies on my tablet.

After a bit of break including five days away I’ve restarted this kit. Before this I had assembled the engine bay then undid this as I had cocked up the fit. I should have put on the rear plate first then the engine area. I like the ModelCollect kits but the instructions are not exactly helpful at times.

I’ve done some work on the tracks with the two right hand rusty pigments over the track colour with the left had Russian earth to be added next.

The above is a roughly assembled version. Annoyingly the nice metal barrel does not fit properly onto the barrel movement plastic bit so the gun will be fixed.

Well it’s been nearly two months since my last update. I’ve only restarted modelling this week as my rekindled mojo from last time disappeared very quickly.

In the meantime I have been doing more work on my stamp collection and lots of personal stuff not the subject of this blog and investigations, just kidding, but someone nearby has been.

My USA stamps are emblematic of current conditions there of things lost and unfortunately gained.

So on the modelling front I’ve bought the following kit and accessories. The last Tamiya tank kit I did was the Churchill Crocodile flame thrower back in the 1970s.

Also sourced was the Trumpeter KV1 U19 conversion making an ugly tank even uglier. I’ve had this in my BNA basket for nearly six months as it is over $100.

It’s more of a mobile pillbox than the KV2.

And lastly on the actual modelling front is my work on the Modelcollect E100 Jagd.

I’ve painted the steel wheels and started various bits in my usual many sub assemblies approach. The tracks are rubber band but half covered by the track guards.

Finished wheel, one of 32!

And lastly something humorous.

This has been a term I’ve used for a model that may just be a passing fancy. Shown here is an anime version of a  Japanese Shinden fighter. This part built kit briefly saw the light of day before the mojo faded and it returned to the Shelf of Doom!

As the kitchen is being rebuilt as part of the ongoing renovations it has meant that kitchen stuff has now migrated into my model room as a temporary measure for a couple of weeks. Fortunately it’s not too much in the way.

Replacing the model above has been the Delphin from the shelf which is being worked on on the old garage bench. This kit is basically up to the painting stage and mostly needs a little planning before starting the painting stage.

Lastly is a new old kit being a E-100 Jagd version from MODELCOLLECT in 1/72 which I’ve just started. The barrel has an etched brass section at the front. This just didn’t fold in a circle as well as I wanted but a bit of judicious sanding and use of Vallejo filler will hopefully see it right.

I’m off for a few days so progress will be slow this week.

It has been good to get my mojo back and I’m really looking forward to the renovations finishing soon as the painters are following straight on after the kitchen is finished.

Yes after a few weeks off I finally returned today to some Shelf Queens.

First up was my part finished Me262 Schnellbomber which dates back to at least 2012 going by the last blog entry. I had a bit of a disaster with the masking of the last colour in the RLM 76/81/82 scheme. Lots of paint runs which is why the kit ended up on the shelf.

As per a friend’s suggestion I tried some liquids to do cleanup. I tried some AK odourless Turps followed by Tamiya thinner. The latter proved much more efficient with the use of a large toothpick soaked in it and paper towel for cleanup.

I’ve done the majority of it now but will return for more another day. Given how old this build is my best guess is I probably used Hannants Xtracrylics for the upper colours as helpfully my blog entry from 2012 mentions using Tamiya for the RLM76 underneath.

I’ve stopped using Xtracrylics these days but still have a stash of them so I’m going to test them to see if they are a match. If so I may even hand brush them rather than running them through my airbrush with the cleanup issues they gave.

Next up is the Kora resin E10 tank kit. This is also a real oldie with the last post from 2014.

This is a different problem to the 262. The outside of the box said missing parts. I thought this was just a return roller for which I could find a rough Russian substitute in my spare box. Closer inspection tonight revealed two movement axles have also disappeared somehow. This combined with the thought of likely issues with the wheels due to the imprecision of the resin parts lack of location pins led me to an inescapable conclusion.

Proceeding further would just be playing into the sunk costs fallacy. So I’m going to scavenge any usable parts and throw the rest away.

Making it an easier decision is that Trumpeter have a 1.35 injection plastic kit with etched brass available and its much more likely to be an easy build so that’s my next purchase.

Sometimes you’ve just got to know when to fold ’em as Kenny Rogers would say.

I’ll pull something else from the shelf soon. Stay tuned!

This is a reference for older Australians. I went out today and arrived home to find the Ta 183 in two pieces. Seems the cleaner vacuumed my room and knocked the kit to the floor. I spent an hour trying to get it fixed up and started assembly at the nose.

Seems that it was weakened by the fall because a piece of plastic just popped up from the middle of the fuselage leaving a big hole. As repairs would be very problematic at best it with very little grab area left it headed off to the bin.

A very frustrating and wholly preventable experience. I’ve cleaned my desk and will take a few days break. I will not be letting this happen again! Sigh!

Just a quick update on this. I’m still yet to join the fuselage halves as I’m working on fit issues at the nose due to the new  resin nose intake from Quikboost. I’m sure it’s probably more a me issue although having to add extra weight to cover off the resin exhaust weight hasn’t helped.

I was going to put in new wingtip lights but after carving out one side it just looked too big to me, even in 1.48. So instead I’ve filled it all in and decided on a new course. I’m thinking that if this did make it into production that simplification imperatives would have led to Focke Wulf just recycling the FW190 wingtip lights rather than something so large so I’m going with that.

Another new thing was trying out the Mr Putty white putty. This is quite a curious product that goes on like a white version of the more usual hand made putty from sprue and glue. It definitely needs a reasonable drying time but is a good half way point between the Vallejo plastic putty and Milliput in terms of hardness and sticking power. I used this on the X-4s which famously for some reason have flat spots on the body between the fins. They’ve now had a spray with the last of my Tamiya grey primer so I’m off next week to Hobbyco to get more.

I’m now in my new model room.  This is across the hall from my garage, my old modelling room. I’m still taking the occasional item from the old room especially as my paints are still stored there. Additionally I’m using it to do any gluing with Tamiya Thin to keep the smell out of my new room.

Importantly I now have air-conditioning and a sparse but focused room now. I’m no longer sharing my space with storage, gardening tools, fridges etc.

So let’s start off with a quick tour.

As you enter on the left is a wall with framed drawings of the Dornier 335 by Alan Bentley. I actually had these as blueprints in a larger format way back in the late 70s but not as well presented and when I moved out of home these stayed behind.

Going round to the right you come to the back wall and this is where the four IKEA cupboards assembled by my eldest son are as well as bookshelves on the right.  

Going around to the right we come to more framed prints being Hs 129 on top and the R4M rocket on the bottom.

After that are my three IKEA display shelves.

Finally we come to the front of the room with two windows and a sit to stand desk which was again sourced by my eldest.

And lastly here is the garage desk. I’ve got two nearly finished kits out there that I hope to work on their painting in the future.

More work on the model room. I’ve now got all my books into the bookshelves including those I’m yet to read at the bottom. I’ve also got the display cabinets in and given them a clean.

Tomorrow’s job is to get all the other models back in the cabinets and move the desk in finally. Maybe even some tools and supplies.

The painters have finally left and now the serious work begins. My son has put together the IKEA cupboards and I’ve been cleaning the display cabinets and helping move some of the furniture.

As you come in the door off to the left is the back wall and the cupboards which I’m yet to put all the shelving up in and next to that is the bookshelves. I’ll be using the bottom shelf of the wardrobe for extra book storage if needed.

Around the other side opposite the door is where the three display cabinets will go. I’ve got two in so far but the glass shelving needs cleaning and the lights set up.

Around the right hand side of the door is the front of the room which is where the desk will go eventually but for now there is only the IKEA drawers.

I’ll post more as it progresses.

And lastly the truth especially after going to a model show.