SPA Modeler

Duke Maddog wrote:Nice looking squirrel; it must be a she since she has such lovely eyes!

Nice job on the improvisation. Way to go!

Thanks Duke!

My wife (who gave it to me some years ago) also says it's a she! :-)

Now she back on her shelf waiting for next mission!

- Kari

Some work with the engine continued today; adding the exhaust pipes, painting and weathering with pigments and oil-washes.

Originally I was not planning to have any engine doors open or so, but might be I will anyway... the engine is a nice chunky piece and would be pity to totally hide it. Must think..

The engine is out of the box, no extra details added.




Some work still with the front part, but then I would say it's a wrap regarding the BMW

- Kari

Where’s the helpful squirrel?

Stunning work on that engine Kari!

Brilliant work Kari! I don't blame you for wanting to show that engine off. How did you get that burnt look on the exhaust manifolds? I've been trying to find a way to capture that look and you nailed it in one go.

Duke Maddog wrote:Brilliant work Kari! I don't blame you for wanting to show that engine off. How did you get that burnt look on the exhaust manifolds? I've been trying to find a way to capture that look and you nailed it in one go.

Stik: The squirrel is released from her task and she is eating her acorn on the shelf...



Stuart: Thanks!

Duke and Bruce: Many thanks !!

I brush painted first the pipes with rust-color from Revells Aqua acrylic paints, it gives a pretty good fundament. Then I mixed Rust pigment with a drop of thinner. The pigment became of course thick as mud, but it was easy with a brush to cover the exhaust pipes. As thinner evaporates quite quickly, just after a minute or two, the pigment mix had fully dried and looked like rust (well like Titanic rust)
Then with another brush, I started slowly but surely brushing off the bigger lumps of pigment.

And indeed, the result looks pretty good and in reality even one step better than in picture.
If i may say so.



- Kari

Very nice! Thanks for the description; I'll try to use a similar technique on my next rusty feature.

The last couple of days have been busy with everything but bench time..
I have also been postponing the final work with the cockpit and this has become now a bottleneck in the entire build..
And the reason for slow progress with the cockpit are the da#*#* textile seatbelts I am not so eagerly fond of.

So tonights goal was to finish at least one of the shoulderharnesses... and that I did! One to go and then the build can continue again!



A close up of the attachment of the seat harness in a "real one". (The weird reddish spot is a reflection on my table lamp..)


And my solution..


Still one to go ....

- Kari

The seat harness mountings look pretty good. I think that is the only area where PE can be such a let down due to it being flat rather than circular as shown here.