Good morning all
Hope you are all very well and as usual staying safe in this big bad world, and that you and your families remain healthy and happy?
You find me up as usual up at an ungodly hour (02:35), on what is in the UK a Bank Holiday Monday.
So, no work for me this morning.
Since I left school at 15 ¾ (bit Adrian Mole that), I have, due to occupations always worked Bank Holidays, Christmases or New Years. Its only in the last 7 years that my occupation has entailed the luxury of not working them. Therefore, I feel quite blessed to ever have them off, and understand the millions who do have to work these days. Mrs DW is gonna be at work today, so this will afford some time on my own with Man-Cave. I’m also writing this on my new works Lap-Top. Not a massive IT geek, so all I will say is that it’s a vast improvement on my ancient Toshiba Lap-Top. It’s a HP, and it’s amazing.
It caused some resentment and hilarity in office, where we all had old Toshiba Lap-Tops or HP Desk-Tops. You will be aware of my IT issues as of late. A few weeks ago, my Desk-Top HP just died. Came in one morning and it had failed overnight. Kaput, No more, Ex, HP.
After two weeks and a lot of toing and froing with IT, Its was decided, and I have no idea why me specifically was first, in a company of a 1000 employees spread across the UK, I would be getting a new up-graded Lap-Top as part of a major IT role out within company, partly caused by Covid-19 and new Working from Home and Mobile working. It seems all the employees are getting these eventually in late 21, but as my Desk-Top failed when it did, I kind of “Jumped the Queue”. So, on Wednesday of last week, this Lap-Top turned up. It’s extremely quick and sleek and has more bells and whistles on it than my former Lap-Top. I brought it home this weekend, to be able to set it up away from office, and its preforming superbly both in speed and connectivity. Anyway, enough of this guff, let’s talk about Models.
So, with the excitement of a long weekend, and checking the weather, yeah, I know modelling is not weather dependant, but like Cricket, it does get effected by rain and other such UK vagaries in Chez DWs, the less rain the more chance of Gardening and outdoor activities, of course within Covid-19 restrictions
. The weather as it turned out in the Midlands, was bordering on okay, with small chance of Rain showers.
Friday was my birthday. No, no whoops of joy. Just another year that I have made it in the great life gamble.
56, jeez, I never can get my head around it.
My best years were between 20 and 30, long gone. Fit, free, single and excited about every day. Almost Superhuman in resilience and strength.
In so far, the bumps, trips, and physical injuries, healed so quickly. The Hangovers, though painful, Lord they were painful
, were shook off with youth and vigour. Now, broken constantly. I find the hardest to get over, is that injuries that didn’t slow me down years ago and healed and one moved on. Now, they linger for days, months and years. Listen, I did all the morose down in the heart stuff on Friday and at least I was at work all day. On returning home and Mrs DW getting home, I was opening presents with some glee. Mrs DW does good presents, lots of curve balled humour and strange stuff. Love these kinds of gifts.
As I’m continuing the Low Carb Diet (1 ½ Stone lost in a month), No Alcohol, Sugar, Flour, Pasta, Rice and such, Booze was restricted to a bottle of Nozeco, get it?
A play on the word Prosecco,,,,,,, (it’s not as bad tasting as you think, Girly tasting, but it was pleasant, cold and fizzy).
Mrs DW did buy, me a model. The previous week she moaned about how it was impossible to buy for the man who has all he wants. If I need something through the year, I tend to buy it anyway, how does she compete? Modelling wise, she has no real idea what I have, or want. I did drop hints about the 1/16 Classis Hobby, Stuart……….
I opened all the little boxes and was grateful for the Men’s, “Butch”, toiletries (Beard Oil and good quality Body Wash). The big box on the table wrapped beautifully and about the size of a possible 1/16, could it truly be? Could not keep my eye off it, something intrigued me, but I left it till last.
Having peeled off the wrapping paper and looking at what was inside. This is real curve ball model.
I mentioned to her before Christmas my interest in Dragon’s Apollo Space Capsule models. This though is a beaut of a model. Complete interior and although never building Revell before, it looks a very interesting build. Very, very nice.
She is right though about the buying stuff for a chap who buys what he needs, and an awful lot of stuff that he could get by without but needs anyway, then buys.
Saturdays was normal routine in the morning of chores and stuff that gets done most weekends. Saturday afternoon though was a chance to finally get some interest on a huge, plastic covered Panzer Grey model, camouflage. So off to Man-Cave and on with the Bambi Silent Compressor.
That’s when it all went pear shaped. The Bambi 24, Silent Compressor was working away and suddenly something went wrong. 1st sign was the unit was not getting up to normal pressure. Second, there was air escaping from close to Safety Valve / Release. Third, the heat coming off unit was extraordinary.
Switch off.
The smell of burning and heat, left me with no option in a wooden shed with a gazillion inflammable items to get the unit outside. Left to cool. Dragged into Garage and inspected. Oil levels fine.
Restarted, but again air escaping from a fracture in the airline to gauge, but this did not explain serious heat and burning smell. By the way, what I didn’t mention was I had a large amount of paint for Camo in Apex A/B, to make matters worse, Lacquer.
I left the Bambi in the Garage, grabbed my cheap Chinese Compressor, and hurried back to M/C and rigged that up. A good clean of A/B and Apex back and up and running again. I would deal with poorly Compressor later.
So, let’s get on with Camo for Panzer 1. Having selected the fourth Decal and Markings option in Takom Instructions, I did say I was going for “Freehand” A/B work. Nah! chickened out. Out came the brilliant Panzer Putty. Amazing stuff for soft markings. Really top notch.
Warmed up in hands and with instructions and Putty, laid down areas requiring Camo and those not. I like to go round after application of Putty and rub down inside edges with the other end of a Paint Brush, just to seal tight any gaps under putty and eradicate bleed.
I loaded the Apex again with the AK, Dark Brown, RAL 7017, Lacquer. No thinning and squirted through A/B at 2Bar. I honestly can say with no quibble, these are the best paints for spraying I have used. This is my view and really have not had a single problem ever.
Here is the result with removed ( i just could not get images to upload on Flickr). The coverage and laying down is sublime.
I am absolutely chuffed with result. It come out much better than expected. I did freehand the rear panel of Tank as I had forgot to add Putty and still had paint loaded. Again, the paint and A/B was exceptional, and I truly think I could have gone Freehand all over.
Sunday. After much coffee, and surveying of previous days Camo work. Still chuffed.
With Radio on and some of this.
Time to paint the Rubber portions of Wheels.
This does not have to be so refined as weathering hides mistakes, what mistakes.
This bit of kit by the way, is still mixing paint beautifully.
30 seconds and paints are perfectly mixed. I use it all the time now. I threw in some of this for the MG’s. These were very carefully hand brushed.
Continuing the Exhaust work, the next covering was Mig Productions Medium Rust, dabbed on very well diluted with water, with hairy Stick.
I also, after much looking on Web, painted the straps on the Gas mask Cannisters with an earthy colour, sorry, forgotten which colour.
I was whilst working in M/C acutely aware of the Bambi situation. The unit was bought by school over twenty years ago. I have had it for two. It cost me £50. Its possible, well it is, to big for my M/C. I constantly knock my leg on it. It is silent but really designed for Dentists, and Science Labs. Its Oil Cooled and maybe not suited totally for my needs. How much is this gonna cost to fix? Have I got the time? Its £300 new.
I thought it over for a sometime and came to the conclusion. I’m going to get something smaller and more modern that will suit my needs. I spent a long period of time on Web and kept coming back to this unit. Clicked on Buy and Sunday afternoon it arrived.
1st Impressions. Small. No bigger than a Shoebox. Comes with an Air Cable, Water Trap and Pressure Regulator / Switch.
Five minutes after it came out of box, it set up. It even comes with a handy A/B Holder on top.
It’s on demand, which is not everybody’s cup of tea, but it really is quiet, quick and very versatile and air pressure is easily adjustable. As the Bambi sat on floor, this went in same place, but quickly realised it was so light and small it could do with going on a shelf closer to hand. I was already planning on Sunday evening Monday’s DIY in Shed.
Sunday evenings last job was to spray from Rattle-Can, this stuff over Tracks. This will seal the Primer, the Panzer Aces Track Primer, ready for Washes.
Monday. Mrs DW off to work. Mr DW off to Garage. Cut some Shelving Struts, collected tools and a piece of wooden shelf material. Stripped out everything under bench (Dust, Spiders, Cobwebs….) Hoovered, Wiped and installed one shelf under bench, and loaded with Stash.
A jig round on shelving, then new Compressor on shelf and Tassimo Coffee Machine together. Harmony.
That works so much better.
Only other thing done. A wash using this applied to Tracks.
That is the lot for this weekend.
As always, stay safe, all our very best wishes to your families wherever you reside on this planet.
DW
Will she be as excited about the new oven.......
. Their can be no repetition of last times C$@k- Up 
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. Well, we had been planning to have a Glass Balustrade, but money, and Covid-19 has put a stopper on that for the time being. Anyway, because I was planning to have more works done on the Right-Side of Staircases, Mrs DW had simply done an Emulsion coat over walls and left it 
