Mark_75's modelling workspace!

[Markh_75]

Cheers Jim, did some late last night (couldn’t get to sleep), and I’ll start painting the Seahawk today too.

[Markh_75]

Yes i'm very pleased with those! The invasion stripes have given me confidence to build the Waco CG4A glider as my next project! I had one in my last collection but this one will be even better!
Indeed the tapering curve of the rear fuselage was awkward especially with the ridge on the top, keeping it all lined up was the issue along with making sure the tape went down with no gaps, i expected some bleed under the tape especially on inner angles but when i removed the tape i was quite delighted with the job. Just careful attention to detail, the wings were actually quite easy. The instructions said the wings stripes were to be 9.5mm wide so i used a band of 6mm and 3mm tape for those as i wasnt interested in trying for that extra half mm, likewise the fuselage stripes were to be 8.5mm wide; i just spaced it out with 6mm and 2mm tapes, keeping them stretched (without over-stretching) for the straight lines; worked perfectly.
Thanks Wokka.

Started painting the underside of the Seahawk, i'm not just painting "white", i decided to go for insignia white because there will be two colours of blue going on the top and sides, i think it will look better, especially as one of my seaplanes is light aircraft grey on the underside. I bought the insignia white because i have an Airfix B-25 to make and it says insignia white for that.





Havent been able to do much today as i'm tired and stressed as i didnt sleep well because our little doggy was coughing all night; we got her to the vet and they gave her a water tablet to help. She has a lung condition, an old age thing.
At least i got the first coat on the underside of the Seahawk! Thats something; I wanted more done but it will all be there waiting for me to go back, its not going to run away!

[ShaunW]

A fine pair of builds underway here, Mark and I'm always a sucker for D-Day stripes, great work with those on your C-47. Fingers crossed the dog's health improves.

[wokka]

People without dogs don't always realise that they are more than pets, they are family so here's hoping everything gets sorted out with yours.

[Markh_75]

A fine pair of builds underway here, Mark and I'm always a sucker for D-Day stripes, great work with those on your C-47. Fingers crossed the dog's health improves.

Thank you Shaun. Our little lady doggy is elderly now and her condition is brought on by old age, its a lung condition she has. She's on meds for it and we try to keep her calm always; when she's in with me she is good as gold, no trouble, i must have a calming influence on her (or i'm just mind numbingly boring!), but when my wife come home she's up like a shot, galloping about, barking and making a fuss.
She gave us a fright yesterday as she was having trouble breathing properly, couldnt settle; us humans can rationalise it and rest, relax but i know what its like not being able to catch my breath as i have asthma myself, i really feel for her. We got her to the vet and she found that the water tablets had been stopped, so we got more and resumed them at home right away. She rallied round well in the afternoon but my wife and i was completely exhausted with it all. I was ever so pleased to see her again after a few mins when she came back from examination, as she was pleased to see me. She's the doggy with 99 lives. As you can guess, no modelling yesterday!
I got some done today on the models, not alot but 'some', i've painted the underside of the Seahawk and next stage is masking and painting on the Intermediate blue. I did lots of little tidy up jobs on the C-47 so its moving (ever so slowly) forward at least; i'm in no panic to get it finished really, i just do a bit as and when i can and i dont worry if a miss a day or two because its all down there in the room waiting for me. I'd like to start something else but i'm waiting on a bigger desk coming, that will give me more space, particularly when i'm making the larger models. Once i get it and have it all set up i'll post a picture or two.

[Markh_75]

People without dogs don't always realise that they are more than pets, they are family so here's hoping everything gets sorted out with yours.

Thank you Wokka ; she isnt really going to improve now, we will keep her in a reasonable quality of life but i wont have her suffer, it just kills me. The running to the vet with her kills me each time, i know she hates going and she trembles something awful and so i dread it for her too. It hurts me to know that she is an old lady now with an elderly condition but i try hard to make the best of it for her and for everyone. She's had a great life and still does, we were the lucky ones to get her; and she was lucky to come to our forever home.
We wont have any more it kills us when its time to go. Cheers guys.

[Markh_75]

Got myself an old office desk, found it online at a great price and it was delivered this afternoon, slight re-organisation in the room but I got it all to work for me.






The white desk is the one I used with a board on it and while everything was at hand I just didn’t have enough space when I build the larger models; I do now, it’ll take a little bit of getting used to, but I managed to get all the tools I use often, funny how we get familiar with a setting.
I’ve put the drawers on a block of kitchen worktop (yes, a spare bit; there are no big holes in the kitchen!! ) and got it half under the desktop.

Looking forward to getting in and using it all now

[ShaunW]

That's a great looking modelling space, Mark, my modelling room always manages to look like it has just been burgled

[Markh_75]

Thanks Shaun, I’ll miss the drawer I had in the little desk, but I might organise a nice bit of wood with holes drilled in it for tools and paint brushes, I do have them but they were tailored to my last desk/bench, I have loads of good brushes and better tools now and I will have to get them organised a bit better

If the new desktop was halved longways, thats the size of the desk i had before.

[Markh_75]

So, now I have the workspace sorted out, I can continue my modelling.







Started painting the sides of the Seahawk with Colour Coats intermediate blue, it needs another coat to fill the colour and then I can mask it for the darker colour on top! I’ll have to touch in around the floaty things with white but that’s a tiny task.

I also decided to paint the engine nacelles and cowlings for the C-47.

The bigger table is brilliant, I can sit right at the table which means that when I cut parts off the sprues they won’t just ping off into space. Very

[AndrewR]

Nice work on the D-Day stripes. I always take comfort that they were often very hastily applied in the field, and so were not always perfect!

[ShaunW]

The Seahawk is progressing nicely, Mark and I must admit that it is not a Curtiss type that I'm familiar with.

[Markh_75]

Nice work on the D-Day stripes. I always take comfort that they were often very hastily applied in the field, and so were not always perfect!

Thanks Andrew, yes they were, I remember watching a video of the guys painting them on with big straggly haired paintbrushes that might have been better for sweeping the path or for propelling witches about. The stripes went on almost overnight from the 4th of June and they didn’t start the actual D-Day until very late on the 5, and the early hours of the 6th. The guys on the ground wondered what all the black and white paint was for but I wouldn’t have liked to have been one of the guys who had to paint them on because if you remember, the weather was terrible right up to the 6th June.

Still, I like my models to look nice and sharp so I just take my time. No rush, no hurry.

[Markh_75]

The Seahawk is progressing nicely, Mark and I must admit that it is not a Curtiss type that I'm familiar with.

I often wonder if it was derived from the P-36 Hawk series of aircraft, after all Curtiss made those too. But these were porpoise built aircraft for the US Navy. I liked the look of it in the box art and thought it would be a good addition to my collection; and bought one. It’s looking great now its being painted, later in the day I gave it a second coat of intermediate blue so tomorrow I’ll get masking in place and start painting the darker blue!

I have another small seaplane derived from the Wildcat too.

[Markh_75]

Got the masking on the Seahawk done and gave it a coat of paint, needs another!




Also been adding touches to the fuel tanker.


The chassis is assembled and the floating axle set, I already had the wheels painted before New Year, that saves a bit of time.

Just keeping it all going.