2018 – A Year in Review
2018 is just about over, and I don't see anything coming off the bench in the next few days, so it's time for the obligatory end-of-year post. What a Year…
1/32 F-104G Part 2 – Painting a Distressed Finish
The worst part about working on a 1/32 scale F-104 is contending with its shape. The combination of a long, cylindrical body and short, stubby little wings makes maneuvering the…
How to Focus Stack Your Images
If you've ever taken a photo of a model, you've almost certainly experienced it. A depth of field too shallow to show your entire build in sharp focus. While it's…
Welcome to the Stressed Skin Era
Over this past weekend, news broke wide open that Wingnut Wings, prolific maker of excellent World War I kits that aren’t Nieuports or SPADs, is developing a 1/32 Avro Lancaster.
Somewhere across the Pacific, the HK Models Team is currently banging their foreheads into their keyboards repeatedly. After all, they were supposed to release their own Lancaster years ago, but went back to revise it and, among other things, it was said they were going to incorporate a stressed skin effect into the surface detail. Then, when it broke cover…no stressed skin.
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1/32 Italeri F-104G Part 1 – The Pre-Build
Two and a half years ago, I put the finishing touches on Italeri’s big F-104, which I’d built as an Italian F-104S ASA.
At the time, I was not particularly kind to the kit.
The kit has just enough charm to pull you through the early stages of the build, and once you’re closing the fuselage, you’re kind of committed. There’s a lot of grumbling about the trench-like panel lines and all…honestly those didn’t bother me that much. What did bother me was the sloppy molding, which left separation lines on every damn thing, the sloppy fit, which is easy enough to hide with massive pieces like wings, but becomes apparent late in the build when antennas and such are 1) tiny, 2) in need of cleanup and 3) too big to fit in their damn holes.
Now, for whatever reason, I’m in the initial stages of building another.
Does this mean that I’ve revised my opinion of the kit? Not really. If anything, it means I get to go into the build with my eyes wide open to the various issues that will have to be faced and challenges overcome.
With that in mind, I thought it might be productive to do a rundown of considerations and plans of attack. Not only to organize them for myself, but for others who may be tackling this kit in the future. (more…)
The Vision Thing…
In my recent post digging into the various mental hangups and obstructions that have been screwing with my ability to get kits off the bench in a completed state, I touched on the idea of vision:
Now, all of the issues listed above are very real issues. But are they causes, or just symptoms? Or excuses?
Talking with my fellow SMCG admins Will and Jim, I realized something.
Every single one of my favorite builds has started with a strong vision.
The Corsair, Me 262, Spitfire, French P-47, Tamiya F-14, Trumpeter Bf 109G-10…all of them got their start with one photo that set my imagination running. Not just for that type of aircraft…but for that one specific vision of that aircraft.
It’s perhaps fitting that, a few days after throwing this post up, I finished my fourth build of the year, and one that was driving entirely by a strong vision.
In the afterglow of what I think might be my favorite armor build to date, at least in terms of the end result, I’ve decided to put “The Vision Thing” to the test in two upcoming builds.
Both of these builds are inspired by really strong references photos that just burrowed into my brain and insisted on being realized. (more…)
Closing Thoughts on the Tiger ERC-90 F1 Lynx
Mind Games
I am a mess. It's tempting to say that it's just something that happens this time of year. Or to blame it on the heat (even though that's abating now).…
Some Slapdash Market Research
In the early days of my career, I specialized in secondary research and analysis. A lot of this involved combing through massive reams of established research - the Census, Forrester,…
Decals – Clear Coats, Insurance, and Thick Carrier Film
A few years ago, I wrote about how Decals are Magic, and I still stand by that sentiment. Due to the variety of printers and substances and setting solutions, there…