SPA Modeler

I'm glad to hear that you're all back home and safe Kenny, and that whilst bad, the damage appears to be minimal. So did you little helpers get paid their $10?

Looking forward to seeing your new builds hit the bench!

Kenny, it’s good to hear that you came thru it all not too bad, all things considered. And with those wonderful little helpers and a worthwhile project to help you getting back to the regular routine of life.

Well Kenny, I'm thrilled to see prayers answered. I had been praying you came home to an intact house. Shingles are easy to repair.

My mom came through Delta OK because it turned just enough that she only got light wind and spotty rain. Her house is still being worked on so far.

You have adorable little helpers! What little sweethearts! You gotta try to get them interested in the hobby if they aren't already!

Glad to hear your house made it Kenny.

Good to hear your home. Sounds like this time you're whole roof is getting reshingled]

Good evening fellas. Thank you for your prayers and your support, I appreciate it. And Big Duke, I’m glad your mom is A-Okay! That’s an answer to a prayer of mine! I’m glad her and her home are alright.

It’s funny, the mention of my kids getting into the hobby. Not long ago my wife got the kids a couple of fast food kid’s meals, and you know how they come with toys? Well, these came with zoo animals that you build yourself. Think: interlocking plastic skeleton parts in geometric shapes with the arms and legs and head made of cardboard. So I ask my son about his toy and he said “It’s a gorilla! We build it. Build it together!” meaning me and him. That made me happy.

On Monday of last week my wife had come into my office here at home to ask me about a couple of pressing matters. My kids followed her in. They’d been talking, but stopped once they were in my office. My wife remarked “I love how when they walk in here they go totally awe-struck, like they’re in this enchanting, forbidden place.”

That isn’t an accident. On a myriad of different levels. My office is, in many respects, a place that intrigues children. I have deliberately engineered it this way. There’s the lizards, Lewis and Clark, who live in a terrarium that sits atop a footlocker filled with old RC car gear. There’s a bookcase filled with not only fiction like “A Clockwork Orange”, “Slaughterhouse Five”, “Moby Dick”, but also philosophical and spiritual books, ranging from Hesse’s “Siddhartha” and “Steppenwolf” to books about things you wouldn’t believe, like “The Dancing Wu-Li Masters”, “Tibetan Yoga And Secret Doctrines” by M.Y. Evans-Wentz and Avalon’s “The Serpent Power.” Then there’s my records, my banjo, my ukulele, the slot car track, my records, and my completed models, and the various open kit boxes laying about and organized in a system only I can understand. Paint. Solvents. Tools. I have a special drawer in my desk specifically for firecrackers. The whole place just entices children. And normally they’re not allowed in without permission but sometimes they clamor in behind her. And they’re never allowed unsupervised. They love coming in there, playing with the slot cars, visiting the lizards, looking at the models. Later on they’ll like browsing the records and books, I hope, point is- things I do, the models, the martial arts, the reading, the a lot cars... it’s cool because Daddy does them. And they’re not allowed to be privy to it just by virtue of them being my kids. They have to be polite and ask to enter my “magical” domain. And it just builds so much fascination for them. And I like that. A lot. On a myriad of different levels like I say. I like that I’m stoking a fascination in them for this kind of stuff because it all really is so rewarding, and it has positive cognitive benefits. They can come hang out in my office with me and play with the instruments or help with the models or whatever, any time, as long as they ask politely.

Pips’ Emil got the canopy masked today, followed by a coat of Mr. Surfacer 1500! And the fills and seam work I did week before last came out pretty good once that primer got on there!

The wing root looks great as well with the other putty areas. Did you also fill the long panel line running along the top? I can't see it in your photos.

Even Kenny's images I can't see. What gives?

Floki- Thanks! I left that long seam at the top as-is, as apparently they’re the only aircraft on the planet we model that had them (?) LOL, and in all my other Emil builds that damn seam seals up beautifully HAHAHAAAAA Not this time though!

Tom- I had the same issue! Had to refresh my browser window several times to get them to show up. I dunno what’s up with that.