Egilman

Stunningly beautiful work! Yes the blue background does seem to make the parts stand out better... You get subdued reflections, better color response, (although a bit darker) and a more real life like experience... Might try it my self when ever I get back into it.....

That's an absolute truism in this business..... You know where you start, but never know where your going to come out or the results..... Thanks brother.... This one was pleasant....

Thanks Brother... The real story.... I don't know the manufacturer, there was no box.... I got the model years ago, it was given to me in a bag, all the parts were off the sprue's... No instructions, decals, or any info at all... The friend who gave it to me didn't remember where he got it from and was going to toss it... Told me I could have it if I thought it would be useful..... Always up for parts.... {chuckle} I had to research the parts to determine which model aircraft it was, no mold marks or anything identifying on the parts (that's why no build log) that went on for weeks, I finally determined it was a navy bird, an early "J" model.... I inventoried what parts I had and found I had a complete aircraft sans weapons.... So I looked for loadouts and found that although the F-4j could carry many, many different weapons and equipment, Sparrow's, Sidewinders and a centerline droptank was it's basic loadout in the interceptor role... So I went thru the stash looking for the weapons and tank.... The Sparrows came from a Revell F-4E and the Sidewinders from my old Hasegawa F-104C.... Had to modify the tank cause the one I had was too short, came from an A-4.... The scheme came off another model, not something in decals, (none available I liked) so I stole images off the net of a particularly nice airplane... What caught my eye was the USS Ranger CVA-61..... My real estate broker when I was back selling real estate was a gentleman named Dick Gunderson, He was an ex Skywarrior pilot, and former Commander in the Navy... His last posting was as CAG for the Ranger Airgroup during the early deployment to Vietnam.... So I figured I would do it as a CAG aircraft off the Ranger.... Dick never flew an F-4, and I didn't have an A3D to build, (not available in 1/32 scale) But I didn't think he would mind.... (he's been gone for almost 30 years) No decals available for the period that I could find, and F-4's off the Ranger in that period weren't easy pics to find, (I couldn't come up with a complete scheme for any aircraft) So I searched other models to see what was available that had already been done.... Got the images from that and went to work..... I had sufficient decals in the stash to make up the markings, (just don't get too close to the stenciling, some of it is not too exact) and the paint scheme is a fairly easy one... The weathering is a simple dusting overspray technique, using shades that are slightly off from the main coloring to highlight the panels and joints.... The whole assembly/painting/decaling/finishing took about a week.... Gotta keep my hand in putting glue/paint to plastic and time/life didn't allow for all that goes into a detailed build log.... I'm glad you all liked it.... I really wasn't trying to make a showstopper....

You would win that bet.... the drivers seat flips forward over the steering wheel for access to the battery compartment.....

I'll be joining ya...

That was common practice in the automotive world since the Model "T".... This car's design was based upon the W15 designed in '31 and represented a down market, lower cost family type model introduction for Mercedes in 1931...... Only a 1.6 litre engine and top speed of 54 MPH.... (try to sell something like that today!) The Staff car version for the army was identical to their cabriolet civilian vehicle.... The first vehicle ever with four wheel fully independent suspension.... This is also the car that allowed Benz to survive the depression.... (much like the Model "A" and "B"'s did for Ford... By 1936, most manufacturers, for safety reasons moved the fuel tank to the rear between the frame rails and behind the bumper... but that was response to the growing power and speed of the automobile.... Interesting to note that the Wehrmacht passed three times on purchasing this vehicle in any numbers until 1938..... Mercedes-Benz built over 19,000 units of the 170 V with a "Kübelwagen"-type body (simple open-topped body for military use) for them as the 170 VK, making this the second-most produced German light open military vehicle of World War II. Anyway, I think your nailing it my friend gonna be a nice one....

A stunning display my friend... What it does for the aircraft is over the top as to visual effect.... Museum quality display..... Gorgeous presentation, Beautiful job.... Very, Very well done.....

Quite appropriate for this vehicle and it's usage style.... And very well done brother....

Good deal Brother, Good looking airplane.... Will follow with great interest when you get to her..... Stay safe my friend, Ida is nothing to mess around with..... (have you & yours in my prayers)

Yep, and if anyone believes this, Come see me, I have a few bridges and shore line properties to sell....

I do have the BoGP's (Booklet of General Plans) for both the USS Action PG-62 1943 and the HMCS Cobalt K124 1941... Both Canadian built modified flower class corvettes.... if you think the deck plans would help... I could post them if allowable...

It's still a great movie even if it is only partly accurate historically... (everything after the discovery of the tunnel escape and the machine gunning of the 50, except for the two that made it to Sweden with a rowboat, and the one that made it to Spain on a bicycle, is a flight of fantasy) You could also do the arrival of Big "X" at the start, the re-arrival of Hiltz, (for the third time) at the end.... It was a great Steve McQueen vehicle....

Returning Hiltz to Luft-Stalag III after his escape to find out what was behind the tree line.....

In most shops, the front pully shroud would be removed to facilitate speed changes off the front pully rather than the rear one.... (one changed speeds by pushing down on the belt while turning the pully forcing the belt to jump to the next lower pully on the rear then pulling the belt while holding down to force the belt to the next larger pully on the front... you could change speeds in seconds this way without messing with the shroud...) Excellent rendition of a must have shop tool.... Well Done!!!!

No thanks needed Brother, take care of your Missus.... WE can wait... I wish her a speedy recovery my friend musculo-skeletal issues are not to be trifled with at our age...

Ice, brother Ice, An ice pack wrapped in a terrycloth towel will deaden the nerves so you don't feel pain... I have a lot of practical experience with pain control, it's why I've been retired since '93.... Heat reduces swelling, Cold kills pain... Someday I'll tell ya why and how I came to know this.... (and the state paid a bunch of money to have me taught)

I don't think it was the lack of primer brother, (you have orange peel and crinkle finish from the same can. The usually means that the carrier has gone south) Just an old can of paint that has probably existed past it's usable life.... My rule of thumb is if I can't remember when I bought it, it goes in the trash....

The process is called "Swaging" heating up the steel part to where they could slide it over the wood and then allowing it to cool, shrinking to an almost permanent fixation to the part.... Steel wheel tyres were installed the same way... (swaging didn't work with iron) That was another method, but used for wrought iron... It didn't last as long as steel swaging... Another was to build the iron part square and the wood part tapered and press it on before pinning it.... Many very ingenious ways to do the same thing, it was after all, the beginning of the age of invention....

There is nothing in the world that compares to a fabric covered airplane in a fresh coat of silver dope..... It has that shimmery quality that makes them look like a piece of jewelry.... Well done....

They didn't start teaching that till after we were long gone.... That was back when they wanted us to use our heads for more than a hat rack.... Now they are real frustrated that we do... And that is just deplorable I tell ya.. {chuckle}

Been there done that, you know what the Admiral says, "if your not having fun then what is the point?" Do what makes you feel good in the long run brother.... we all understand....

I would suggest the point of an indelible black gel pen.... maybe a millimeter in size? Cover them right up real quick and never come off....

They would be bigger cause they were paraffin wax based lamps, the base was a big giant wax pot or candle holder... Much like a whale oil lamp but with much heavier oil... they were bigger cause they didn't put out much light, barely enough to see the step into the stage.... But, they would burn all night without tending and last for several days before refilling.....

Depends upon where they were used, if on the post road between Boston and NY they were probably painted in shellac paints and polished to a very high gloss... (for a higher class crowd) Out west, painted in whatever colors the line used, not polished with bare wood oiled.... They all used gold leaf lettering in the usual fancy script style and again depending on where they worked lamps on either the front two corners or all four corners... No glazing but in areas that were subject to dusty conditions they usually had canvas dodgers to cover the windows.... Another thing, western coaches used either a four or six horse team where eastern coaches used a two or occasionally four horse team..... Western coaches weren't as ornate as the eastern coaches.... they were more utilitarian....

I was wondering how they were going to form the convex curve of the coach sides, you going to steam the veneer or lay it dry?