Landlubber Mike

Ladders are not very fun. The ones in the Hasegawa PE sets for the Shimakaze were really nice, but fragile. Had to bend them the right way the first time, as if you had to bend them back the other way, they broke I ended up getting a bunch of spare IJN ladders from Infini. Lots of different sizes which came in handy.

Hey Craig, that color test you showed earlier is very interesting. Unfortunately, you can drive yourself crazy looking at colors from different manufacturers to figure out what colors you need. Sometimes the kit manufacturer includes suggested colors, but in some cases, I've found that the recommended paint manufacturers list is narrow (hard to find Mr. Color paints sometimes) or the paints themselves aren't exactly on point. I try to locate paints using FS or ANA colors, but that isn't always a perfect solution. And then there is the issue of deciding whether to stick only with acrylics, or branch out to new manufacturers. I originally started with Vallejo for being water-based acrylics. I still use Vallejo for interior or small detail work, but found myself more and more moving to Mr. Color and Tamiya for broader paint jobs like fuselages, car bodies, etc. - the paints stink and are a little more difficult to use as you have to use thinner (Mr. Color Leveling Thinner 400 is excellent as you say!), but it gives you a much more durable and consistent finish -- and, to me at least, seems a little easier to thin for shading and highlighting, etc. If anyone is interested, I found these paint charts to be very helpful - who would have guessed there were so many colors used by the US: http://www.ipmsstockholm.org/magazine/2004/01/stuff_eng_interior_colours_us.htm http://www.ipmsstockholm.org/colorcharts/stuff_eng_colorcharts_vallejo.htm https://acrylicosvallejo.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/historical-color-references-guide-for-aircraft-and-afv-series-vallejo-colors.pdf

Looking great Kevin! Are you using any aftermarket? I have this kit in the stash with the Very Fire upgrade set. It's a very comprehensive all-in-one set. It's certainly not inexpensive, but you can find deals on eBay. https://www.bnamodelworld.com/model-ships-boats-detail-up-parts-very-fire-vf350008

Looks fantastic EG - really well done! Thanks very much for sharing your techniques with us!

Looks great Craig - very cool subject too, I'm in for this one!

Beautiful PE work!

Hey EG, nice work on the Sabre. For putty, try Mr. Dissolved Putty from Mr. Hobby - I haven't tried it yet, but it looks like a more enhanced version of Tamiya putty and their Mr. Surfacer products. I also recently watched a video from Plasmo on YouTube who also suggested for big seams to use the rubber reinforced CA glue. Apparently it fills well and sands easier than standard CA. I believe I've also seen him use the Mr. Hobby/Mr. Surfacer products in various models. Personally, I've come around to really liking the "Mr." line of modeling supplies. Their primers (Mr. Surfacer) and paints are absolutely fantastic. Need to have good ventilation though as the products smell pretty bad. https://www.mr-hobby.com/en/product2/category_12/263.html Nice job by the way on the CMK aftermarket. I'm working on a Brewster Buffalo with four CMK aftermarket sets on it, and it's been many hours performing surgery to the kit parts. I've found, however, that the fit of CMK is generally pretty good compared to some aftermarket companies. The instructions can be puzzling at times, to the say the least, and some of the very detailed parts are very fragile. Also, how they attach some of the resin parts to plugs makes removal a little difficult. Despite these minor issues, for me it's a lot more fun using the aftermarket sets than building OOB.

Good video of seeing how this works on a full size table saw - just got this from Woodpeckers today: https://www.woodpeck.com/thin-rip-guide.html?trk_msg=O3O5OF4Q7IL4RE8IQJJIJ0TLAK&trk_contact=57DNDG6UB4FIQFKDH245OGPH04&trk_module=spe&trk_sid=9JSG8CFOA5GEDOSOS6SAJAULRK&trk_link=S0ITBEDVL0D436URM7VQ96CCLS&utm_source=listrak&utm_medium=email&utm_term=Woodpeckers+ThinRip+Guide&utm_campaign=Woodpeckers+ThinRip+Guide&utm_content=Woodpeckers+ThinRip+Guide

That's really great work Glen, nice job!

Amazing work Chris! One of my favorite paint schemes too for the Hellcat. I still refuse to believe this is made in card - you’re a wizard!

Looking great! That instrument panel looks really sweet - especially for this scale!

Hey Ryan, really nice job! Is the PE from Eduard? Looks great! I just came across a great deal on a Trumpeter Enterprise with full Pontos set that I couldn’t resist - your build makes me want to start it when I finish my destroyer.

I think mine had the proper N orientation too. I think I would have noticed and been annoyed if it was backwards. Excellent work Grant. Like Glen, I had a really rough time getting my PE keel to fit. I think I eventually cut it into two pieces to make it fit better. Be careful with the PE bowsprit and masts. If they get bent, I’d wait until the very end to fix them. It only takes a few bends and the PE will split. I put mine in the bottle with sea instead of on the wood pedestal base. I think the way I did it, the overall height was shorter than had I used the pedestals, but I still had issues with the main mast being too tall. You might want to measure the inside of the bottle to make sure you can safely raise the main mast fully.

Mine arrived over the weekend, thanks! Nicely made little gadget that helps open up the saw to more options. I like the idea of cutting to the opposite side of the fence, as I sometimes get binding on longer pieces (even pushing the back of the fence slightly out).

The nice thing about the micromotor is the different heads. I have a stylus with a 90 degree angle, though haven't used it yet. Foot pedal is nice in that you can turn the tool on and off immediately. Just one more bit of extra control over a rotary device like a Dremel where the on/off switch is on the tool itself.

I agree with Bob above. I rarely use my Dremel, but did use if for things like shaping filler blocks. A couple of years ago I bought a Nakajima micromotor at the suggestion of another member here. They are not cheap, but it's an amazing tool. You have so much more control over the tool, not only speed wise, but from the stylus (not sure what the rotary component is called) which is incredibly light and with zero vibration and the use of a foot pedal. I find myself using it a lot in plastic modeling, and can see myself using it when I get back to working with wood models. I use it to drill holes, file sections down, sand, use cut-off wheels, and more. It's not that a Dremel can't do it, you just have a lot more control with a micromotor like the Nakajima.

Looking great! I love the pre-war yellow wing bi-planes. Will be a bit tricky to paint them I'm sure.

Looking forward to this one Dave!

That's really incredible work all around Glen. Very nice job! What a spectacular SIB and creative display!

So glad everything is working out on the install - looks fantastic! I love the display, it's so creative. That cascabel at the bottom of the bottle is such a cool touch!

I think people should consider what exactly the "bench" will be used for. If you need a sturdy bench to hold power tools, etc., then a "work bench" is probably better to get. If you are looking for more of a table top to work on your models, then you probably can get away with a lighter duty table which will give you lots more options -- in particular, deeper options that work benches typically don't give. Most work benches are about 20" deep or maybe up to 24" deep in rare cases. For my set up, I started with two of the Harbor Freight workbenches which are about 60" wide by 20" deep. I used to keep them back to back to have more of a workspace island, but now I use them separately to support power tools like my Byrnes tools, a small bandsaw, etc. The bottom storage shelf, as well as the height of the bench, are not really ideal for sitting comfortably with your legs underneath. For me this is fine as I prefer to stand when operating power tools. https://www.harborfreight.com/60-in-4-drawer-hardwood-workbench-63395.html More recently, I added a Husky workbench that I believe is this one - it holds my Sherline lathe and mill, and the set I bought from Home Depot also included two rolling cabinets that slide under the table that give me additional work tops as well as storage. I believe it is 72" wide x 24" deep. https://www.homedepot.com/p/Husky-6-ft-Adjustable-Height-Solid-Wood-Top-Workbench-in-Black-for-Ready-to-Assemble-Steel-Garage-Storage-System-G7200S-US/206288247 For a table top to assemble my models, I use a Bekant table from Ikea. It's 63" wide x 31.5" deep. I find the depth very helpful when building models, as I can have paints, boxes, etc. on the table. If you have the available space, it is nice to have a deep table top as a separate work station away from power tools. There I can sit comfortably for hours. https://www.ikea.com/us/en/p/bekant-desk-black-stained-ash-veneer-black-s69282592/ Another major consideration in my experience is the layout of your work space when it comes to power tools. Some power tools need a far carry behind the tool - e.g., a table saw, band saw, thickness sander. While the tool itself can fit on the bench, you will need clearance behind it to run out wood or other material. So, those benches really can't be placed against the wall. Other power tools like a disc sander, lathe, mill, etc. don't have that requirement so they can be placed on benches against a wall. I guess I would end by saying that if you aren't planning on using power tools, you have more options but would recommend going with as deep a table top as you can fit. Power tools add a bunch of other considerations.

Exactly 😆

Thanks guys! It's a plastic shot glass. About the size of a Tamiya paint bottle. I put a little blue tack on it and i find it helps give me something to hold the model while I work on it, put it on the bench, etc.

Some pictures of where I am at the moment. I ended up spraying a thin coat of Mr. Color off white, then added a base coat of some darker gray to the non-linoleum deck sections. I'll probably spray a clear coat on this evening in preparation for the washes, etc., and then I can add the railings and various detail pieces. Thanks for looking in!

Nice Craig! Looks fantastic! Quick build!