B4en's Bodgery

[B4en]

Hello and happy new year everyone! Hope the hangovers are mild.

As I've now posted nearly all my backlog of recent builds I thought it was time to start a workbench thread again.

!/72 plans for 2024 include a goodly variety of pre-1946 military vehicles and artillery and a smaller number of WW1 era aircraft, with maybe a few later flying things creeping in now and then. (I have a Blackburn Skua currently tempting me to the dark side...) I'm also putting together some fresh little vignette bases along the lines of the old MB ones.

In 1/35 there is a Tamiya Quad build that stalled over a year ago which needs sorting out to go with a Pheasant 17pdr gun, and I hope I'll be able to settle down to a (mostly) scratch build of a Praying Mantis - a very strange beast indeed on a Bren Carrier chassis. There may be more if I decide to clear the stash a bit.

State of play at the moment on the bench... Some Airfix Matador parts, a MAC Bristol Scout, and a few bits and bobs prepped for making some moulds for a wee bit of resin casting. I probably won't get much done over the next couple of days as 'tis the season for Seville oranges and I have some serious marmalade making ahead!

[AndrewR]

Happy New Year. I like the sound of the Seville Orange Marmalade

[ShaunW]

You've mentioned some interesting projects there for the forthcoming modelling season, Ben, including the marmalade Happy New Year!

[Stuart]

Happy new year!

[B4en]

Well not much modelling this week but a whole lot of marmalade...



The cab interior is about done on the Airfix Matador - I'd forgotten how much I hate glazing! This one is going to be based on a photo of a Matador and gun negotiating a hairpin bend in Sicily, so I intend doing a little base for it as well. I have one of T16S's 3d printed guns and a set of his wheels for the truck, so interested to see how they look.

[Clashcityrocker]

Glazing some of those small windows is a pain, best eased with toast and some of that marmalade!

Nigel

[B4en]

Glazing some of those small windows is a pain, best eased with toast and some of that marmalade!

Haha, that worked Nigel, though I replaced the toast with crumpets!

[H-bomb]

Can't you use some ot that marmalade for glazing
Cheers Howard

[ShaunW]

Glazing small windows like that can be a bit of a bind it has to be said. I've been scratching my chin looking at my Airfix Matador and 5.5 inch gun off and on for over a year now. I quite fancy having a go at detailing the interior of the body as well as the cab. Depending upon how much work the modeller wants to put in, both the Matador tractor and the gun need a fair amount of work, but that's part of the fun of these old kits from my perspective.

[B4en]

Can't you use some ot that marmalade for glazing

Only if I bake the Matador in a hot oven Howard.

I've been scratching my chin looking at my Airfix Matador and 5.5 inch gun off and on for over a year now. I quite fancy having a go at detailing the interior of the body as well as the cab. Depending upon how much work the modeller wants to put in, both the Matador tractor and the gun need a fair amount of work, but that's part of the fun of these old kits from my perspective.

I realized I hadn't actually built the Airfix Matador since I was about 12, and it's much better than I expected. Plenty of detailing to do but the bare bones stuff of the kit looks pretty sound and goes together well. I'll be doing most of the body interior here as the photo I'm working from has some of the tarp side sections rolled up or removed. Not sure I fancy scratching a full rifle rack though so that might just get covered up with... let's see now, some removed tarp sections maybe?

Didn't have much daylight time to work today but got the cab sealed up and some of the chassis sorted. The front axle isn't fixed in yet as I need to reset the ends to turn the front wheels. I need to hunt out some photos of the winch mechanism as well.

[B4en]

Still rather slow progress due to another batch of marmalade at the weekend and a completely coincidental string of visitors hoping for a pot. The ruby port and spiced rum variety is strangely popular. This is why I make a lot of small jars.

I got a little bogged down with detailing the chassis. The winch is a fairly crude representation as it'll barely be visible. The Airfix kit has (I think) the late model Clayton-Dewandre air tank fitted for the air brakes. I've cut that down to make the earlier Westinghouse type, with compressor at the front - again rather crude but the best I could manage without a set of detail photos. The kit front mudguards took an awful lot of scraping to thin down for the new wheels from T16s, so I'll be making a new set for the rear wheels from plasticard strip boiled into shape around a former made from an old cork - luckily just the right size! Should have cut the rear window in the cab really just for completeness but once the body is built up it won't be visible at all.

[Lone Modeller]

I really like the extra detailing: bringing the old kit to life.

[Clashcityrocker]

Lovely work B4en

Nigel

[B4en]

Cheers for that chaps!
I was out ordering a new modelling desk yesterday - well, second hand from the British Heart Foundation shop. Should be delivered today so fingers crossed I can get my new modelling nook sorted out shortly. It'll be nice to have a dedicated space for it instead of having to clear up the table in the front room every time anyone visits.

Rear mudguards done and T16s's 1/76 gun ready to assemble. I thought the sights might have been removed for towing but the photo I'm working from says not, so a bit more scratching requred for the gun. Hopefully he will find his lost 3d file for that soon.

[B4en]

Ah well, a nice new modelling desk installed yesterday. Now I need to get some shelves up, better lighting, a little heater, and another multipoint to run everything from - there is only one electric socket in that room. So more new year shopping today. Yay.

The gun is assembled and new sight etc. scratched up and added. In the background is a sad ancient Airfix 5.5" that I made as a kid - I dug it out to compare size and details with T16s's version. Next I intend to do some riveting on the Matador cab and sort out the misshapen tow hooks, before getting on with the main body.