Captain Cambo

Thanks for all the replies and advice gents.

Thank you for the warm welcome everyone.

3 hours ago, Snug Harbor Johnny said:

 I dare say your Unimat should come in handy for turning small parts in brass or wood (as I have done with a 3-jaw universal chuck on mine).

I originally got the Unimat for making parts for scale RC planes. It never did get used for that in the end.🤣

Thanks Jerome. I bought a set of riffler files years ago but mine are more like regular needle files in cut 

I'll look these up.

Thanks again, Mark

As per the title. Is there such a thing? Similar in size to needle files. Tried Google but no luck so I am assuming they aren't made.

Unless of course someone knows different.

Cheers, Mark

On 9/7/2024 at 11:39 PM, irtmks said:

Hello,

 

I am sure many of you all have started this modeling journey for many varied reasons. Mine might be a little different.   

 

When I was a young fellow, many years ago, I was in the Coast Guard working Drug Enforcement, Search & Rescue & Recovery in Jamaica, Haiti, and Cuba. I ended up my time with missing body parts and what the VA calls Extreme PTSD.  Later in life I worked  internationally as an engineer,  I am sure that I chose this specific occupation for the solitary lifestyle it afforded. I worked and lived  in over 43 countries,  I initially retired very early (50) after extended experiences in China relating to many, many prisoner executions (While building factories) all occurring  over a few year period. Now retired, I actively search ways to,..... well lets just say adjust and survive!

 

A year or so ago, my wife (who plays Mandolin) thrust a guitar in my hands, and told me to "learn how to play it."  I had always been keen on instrument repairs, but had never actually played. I soon found that the complexity, beauty, and peacefulness of this instrument allowed a kind of therapy that I had not known before. Flashbacks, Daymares, did not occur while engaged.  We now play everyday. I have started teaching Guitar at ASU,  a program for Veterans with Brain Trauma.  

 

You see, because of work choices, events, lifestyle, etc. I have never really been "part" of much.  Other than my wife, I have worked alone, lived alone, without much in the way of social activities (including Internet Forums, HaHa).  

 

I have a background in Guitar and instrument building and repair, I have always enjoyed the micro-world of precession woodworking. I lived onboard our Hunter Sailboat for nearly two years.  We have both found the peace of "The Water's solitude."  

 

So not sure how it popped up, but, somehow this Forum happened upon my screen?  I did not search it, did not request it, did not click on an add for it????  Am not sure, but I think I was searching for miniature slot files for making Guitar nuts, maybe??

 

Anyway, before I could control myself, I had signed up, and had ordered a Lowell Dory model.  So here I am, Just in the hours of reading and planning, I have found possibly a new "Tool" in my PTSD toolbox.  My mind has been consumed with modeling and thus the "bad" stuff keeps away.

 

Thank you ALL for what you do here, and know that what you do maybe a bit "more" for some of us, than just a hobby!

 

Thanks

Here in the UK we have an organisation called Models for Heroes. OK this is more aimed at plastic models but is aimed at ex forces men and women who have PTSD.

They rely on donations from model builders (we all have kits in our stashes that we know we will never build) I went down to a  local donation model shop with about 6 kits one day.

Do you have anything like that in the States?

Cheers, Mark

Hi Peter, 

As another new member I will add my welcome to you.

That certainly is a fantastic scale replica, I think the word model isn't appropriate in this case.

Colour or color for our friends across the pond well don't get me started on that!

Why? Well as a plastic modeller I hear/read all the time "That's a nice model but the colour is wrong". This is most common when modelling WW2 Luftwaffe aircraft. I for one did a test of one particular Luftwaffe colour (cant' remember which one now) from 3 different model paint manufacturers who all claim that their colours are accurate. Result was they were all different.

In my model railways days I had a friend who was not happy with the colour produced by Humrol at the time of GWR green. Now I'm colour blind anyway so if the tin says its such and such I take their word for it. Anyway we both went to Didcot railway centre one day and were in an elevated posistionn totake some pictures. There were 3 GWR locos lined up, all a different shade of green. He wasn't quite so fussy after that.

Some manufacturers, claim their paints are match to genuine swatches of Luftwaffe paints. Now these so called genuine swatches have been subject to 70 odd years of time and have they been kept in the dark for this time? No of course not so sunlight etc has affected them.

What I am trying to say is for goodness sake don't get to hung up on getting the exact shades right. I guess you mean what actual colours were used and not shades but you know what I mean.

There's no one around who can say for sure whether you're right or wrong.

i went to an optician who imported glasses to help colour blind people. After a lengthy test and discussion which did improve my red/green/brown vision it also degraded my ability to identify other colours, so in the end I didn't get any.

The optician also told me that we interpret colours differently anyway.

Sorry for such a lengthy post but I learnt long ago not ignore the colour/shade experts. lol

Regards, Mark

Hi All,

Must admit I joined about a month ago but been lurking and never introduced myself.

I'm Mark and live on the Surrey/Hampshire border in not so good these days Blighty 😁 I'm 62 and been doing modelling in various forms since I was in my early teens. I started with the obvious Airfix kits, progressing though model railways, RC planes and model engineering and built 2, 5" gauge live steam locos which I sold a few years ago due to lack of use. Due to a divorce I  have only recently disposed of my lathe and milling machine from my ex-wifes' garage. Living in a flat with a detached garage (with no power) means I no longer have anywhere to keep them and besides I haven't used them in over a decade. I still have my Unimat 3 lathe though which got me interested in model engineering.

I have however never attempted a wooden ship kit. I got Model Shipways shipwright set and have built the Dory and am progressing though the Norwegian Pram.

I am also working on the Occre Polaris and following a chaps build on YouTube who modified it into a pirate ship and hopefully will be adding my own fun twist to it, in fact I am working on this more than the pram, and the hull is nearly complete.

Don't really expect any build logs from me as I crack on and forget to take pictures.

Waiting in the stash is Vanguard Models HMS Sherborne, Billings Boats Thames barge, Will Everard and Artensia Latina San Francisco II, plus of course the last in the shipwright series the Muncongus Bay Lobster boat, so that little lots should keep me quiet for a few years.

Happy modelling, Mark

Just found this thread and wow, some great work going on, hope work is still going on.

I also noticed your model bikes and in particular the Vincent Black Shadow. I spent a a good deal of last weekend watching the Goodwood revival weekend live on the Tube, including this race. Great to see these old cars and bikes being used as they were intended. I thought you might like to see the bike race. Talk about ride it like you stole it.