popeye the sailor

thanks CDW........I've been working on the frame at the moment, getting the drive train figured out. already figured out that I need to widen the engine well. the worst part will be the steering column... thanks for the good word

pencil me in on that one no one could have that bad a rep..........Hobby Craft has them beat! the plastic was too thick and poor fit......I built their Fokker Dr 1 {I had to modify the fit of the middle wing}. cool kit.......never heard of them before.

I'm back and fourth on it J.........I though this would be a quick little ditty........who would have known I'd go overboard! I found a place that shows all the firing orders, but then again I also have repair manuals I can refer to. the progress must miss me terribly..........I've had urges to go in the other room and work on her.......probably the reason why I spun off on such a strange journey. I'm not crazy......I just suffer from over activity I've been standing in the middle of the see-saw long enough. any one step will either hinder or make the next mode harder. as was said during the second world war........this was a defining moment. I had trimmed the long tab off the mating surface on one of the fenders........I did the same to the other one. I know that I will need to make a few more mods to the fenders, but I stuck them on anyway. now that they are part of the model, perhaps I can figure thing out better. the partial frame under the body denoted how they were to be attached. this will make it a bit harder to add the firewall.......I may also need to remove the areas on both sides of the engine well, to widen it. now that the fenders are on, I can add a few more cross members under the body. I will add the rest {2} when I cut out for the transmission. I've marked out for the firewall {where it will sit}, so I can assemble the cover on the body floor, and cut out the extra stuff later. as for the seat, I added the front part and a couple legs to keep it level. once painted, I don't think it will look too shabby. I have room to move it back, if I need to........that's a relief! then the bottom got some paint. I still need to paint the top red.......I then turned to the frame. the engine needs to sit far enough back to leave ample room for the fan/radiator relationship. I tried to add the support bars for the front suspension, but the oil pan changed all that....I'll have to do something different. the drive train/differential is still in the balance, until the engine is decided. I hadn't done it yet......but I finally took a look at the decal sheet. oh yea! they will really dress her up nice I'll hold off on any sort of pictures 'till the end, when I go through that process. I also went online looking for images of past Coke logos.........but after seeing the sheet, it was a waste of time. the portholes are another dilemma........the first test is almost ready to inspect. they are stuck to a piece of tape and filled with the window maker. in the back of my mind, I know that when tape is peeled off the roll, it adopts a rough texture, until it is applied to whatever surface your using it on. but, I've used it here as a seal for the porthole edges, so the window maker doesn't ooze out. clear and dry in the middle........it can be seen that it is still whitish around the brass. I know what your thinking...........your thinking "but Den.......there's only three of them here?!?!? where's the fourth one?" the answer is.........I couldn't wait as with all skeptics and most children {even though you've told them no}, curiosity killed the cat, and I pulled one off. to show you just how clear this stuff dries, I laid it on the instructions. the 'glass' does look a little rough........taking on the texture of the tape, I wonder if I could clean it up by painting some over the inner surface. I will try it....what could it hurt? the second Idea I had, was to lay out some plastic wrap, pinning it so it had no wrinkles. one could go under the assumption that the brass porthole is heavy enough to prevent the oozing, or they could be held in place with thumb tacks....and then filled with the window maker. whoa........too much thought..........I gotta go take a nap! 😫

air brush will be your best friend, once you get used to it I was sick too a couple of weeks ago, so I deeply sympathy with you. no modeling for me either. rest up and get better.........to keep yourself from being a bump on a log, getting the metal mold line to go away will take some time

I built the Revell kit way back in the 80's............didn't come out nothing like your though very nice work....she looks splendid!

I've compiled progress from last night and this morning. then I had to work on my younger son's car.......not a big job, bu I uncovered other possible reasons why his vehicle had a code. working more on the body, I painted the roof. then I started on the gold molding......makes me wish I had painted it white I did it by eye.......goofed on the driver's side a little. I won't change it, for fear of ruining the model. I did a simple bit across the front. ......and now for the back. I need to do it so it shows that there are two doors......shouldn't be too hard to do. I've added more to the engine as well........the carbs, air cleaners and valve covers I did a bit of scrounging between the kits that I have.........I had the slicks from the Chezooom Corvair build.....you would never know that for that build, I used plastic tires. the rims came from the '40 Ford Sedan. I also need to get think'in about the interior.........the seats won't fit, nor will do. there are some parts in this kit, that are not in the instructions...perhaps I can make some use for them. I came up with a buckboard style seat.......still needs to be fitted in. I need to pull the trigger on the frame and suspension sooner or later........the whole project is riding on it.......literally! the engine needs to be mounted first, so I can figure out the rest of the drive train. I started the ball rolling with the front end suspension........more needs to be added. the porthole windows is still in the problem stage........I must have tossed out the last of the old bottle of window maker. still thinking that filling the porthole with the window maker can be done, I devised a couple of tests I can try. the first one here, involves a short strip of tape, sticking them to the sticky side....and then filling them with the window maker. they are about 1/2 dry now.........I should know more in a couple more hours... I've marked off where the firewall cut out should be. all the more reason why I should move on the interior.

thanks! we'll do

hey there gents! thanks for the good word you know J........I looked up where to buy these engine kits. I was surprised to find that they also have the Chevy Corvair engine! rear engine......hmmmmmmm, may be in the horizon that would be cool! there were kits that had this much detail....but not many. to me, I think this was aimed at garage dioramas.........showing a torn down engine, or in the process of repair. it was probably a huge selling point. for a modeler, to have visionary and creative ability would be a huge plus.........likely the main reason why there are so many modelers assembled here to see how this model is looking at this moment........I'm feeling more comfortable that this isn't just a weird thought...more that I cared to chew. the big hurdle is coming up.....to align the frame with the body, and get it so it looks halfway decent. though PE is aimed mainly at planes and ships.....I'm quite sure that it will creep into the model car market soon {if it's not already here }. update soon........likely the reason why I haven't much progress on the General

thanks for the kind comments and to those who checked out the progress these trucks were terrible Ken........for the tender, I'm hoping to use the axles to level them out. the wheels are slid on and them the axle is cemented into the holes made for them. the pony truck wasn't as bad though...just some very minor warpage. I wish I did know someone with a garden layout.......that would have been something cool to do. I did something similar with a Fokker D VIII, a Guillow's plane that I had built when I first moved to Florida. the place I was staying at had a cement slab around the back of the home......I suppose it was for a shed or something. grass had grown up along the edges, so I laid down and looking through the grass, I had snap some pretty neat pictures. I have no idea where they went.......I only have a few memories it was my best flyer too.......funny story...... I had built the plane.........when it was ready, took it down to Lake Mac, since there was a huge round area with picnic tables. Lake Mac was a circular man made lake......a dirt road ran by it and then circled around the picnic area. .......pretty cool place to bring a lunch and relax, but don't try and party out there at night! Michael told me there was a guy on the other side that will shoot first......then ask question later at the end, where the road takes it's turn, there was a barbed wire fence, with a marshy field laced with saw grass and scrug brush beyond. to the right of that was another field, barbed wired off and just as unkept. I launched it from the circle........climbed nicely and very straight........gained speed well for a rubber powered model. after it ran out of rubber, it glided, banking right slight enough to send it over the first field. then a gust of wind banked it again to the right, and it veered over the second field!. seeing it go down, I started the trek to retrieve it. what a mucky place it was ! I was almost up to my waist! it had gotten skewered by a couple of shoots of saw grass, but it couldn't have picked a better landing spot....no damage at all really coming out of there was just as nasty.......especially when it came to getting through the fences. as I came out to the opening, I saw an old truck clanking up the road.......thing really should have been scrap....but at the time, all one really needed was a dune buggy tag, and you can drive anything around the entire state {here with agricultural plates, it's only 20 miles from the residence}. this old fellow got out and hollered over to me, "hey! did you just go in those fields?" I told him I did.....going after my plane. he was pretty stern when he told me that I shouldn't go back in there........snakes and gators are in there! then he asked me where I was from..........when I told him New Hampshire........he just looked at me I never went back in there again. I forget what happen to the plane........I suppose it crashed at one point and was too far gone. R.I.P. I have another story about a De Havland mail plane........I still wish I had a video camera for that one........it was so cool! I thought about lighting it.......but with my past track record with lighting, I opted not to. thanks for the good word Ken thanks for the good word as well CDW........I've yet to look up videos on this train. I was pretty sure there is something out there....I just haven't had the time. I'll have to look now not too much done at the moment.......just some painting and assembling the headlight. should have something soon though. you know.......one thing I never gave thought about.......was the grab handles. I could have added them before paint........pretty sure that they'd be the same color as the body, rather than chromed or any color that would stand out. I also need to get those part out of the brake fluid.......I think they've been in there long enough

hard to say Jack........it's been so long. all I remember, is it was one huge plane! impressive! nice planes !

there are so many variables to figure out .......of course, if I can pull off what I want to do, it will be a drastic modification. first, to see if the length of the engine and transmission will affect how the fire wall will fit.....I already know I'll need to make a cover....which will affect how the interior is set up....which will affect the dash. there isn't one, but I'll need to make something for the steering column. everything affects something else. assembly started on the 283. this so far is five parts......I will add the heads, and then I can paint. the tranny parts were put together.......the bell housing is just fitted in this photo. I will start to paint the parts. I'm going to go with dual carbs....if I did the blown version, I'd have to lengthen the frame. the heads are cemented in place on the engine. the carbs are gold......the bell housing is aluminum......and a new metallic color for the tranny box and intake.......bronze. with the intake and transmission parts added to the engine, I find that I will have to modify the drive train. perhaps I can cut back on the tail shaft. I have a mount for the engine.......it came with it. the rest of the engine parts will be chrome......except the starter, the distributor, and the electric fuel pump. I found that I was mistaken about the gloss red........I have some! the body was sanded and painted. I need to check and see if I still have some of the older window maker........the new bottle I bought is too watery and won't span this large a circle {the portholes}. if not, then I will need to try and cut the glass from some clear cello.

I do have to apologize to you all.......I have been lax with my last update. I found it sitting here in my computer I was feeling better.....I did tinker with the General for a bit.......this was on the 15th....... I had done a little more sanding on the assembly joints on the tender......I used rough sandpaper to bring the joints flush. now I needed to use a finer sandpaper to remove all the scratches. working with other sub assemblies, I began to paint the headlight and box. with all the black surrounding this part, I thought I'd make it a bit more visible, and paint it gold. would have been nice if they had chromed these parts instead. the bucket for the light was painted aluminum. all of the trucks are dry now.......after checking them over, they were set aside. now I need to paint the wheels. the light is assembled now.......only a few more parts to add. when dry, I can paint it the rest of the way. moving ahead now to the present, I've done a bit more. the tender is now painted......looks like night and day so the pony truck can swivel, it has to be passed through the bottom plate and capped. that is done now, waiting to be cemented to the bottom of the smoke box. I plan to paint the wheels next and put the finish to the headlight assembly. the boiler walkways have been painted.......more assembly lies in store for the loco.

I've done some assembly and paint.........should have something to show tomorrow

whoa......never built one that big! the last large plane I built was a Stuka.........and my brothers and sister destroyed it on me {we were kids} I'm sure there is a lot of interior detail.......if you start one.......ya gotta post it the 606 store { the old hobby shop I used to haunt} had a stratofortress hanging from the rafters...what a huge plane it was!

superb repair and save look'in really sweet! I knew you could do it