SPA Modeler

Hi Lady and Gents,

I've decided that the standard of builds on this forum is getting far too high and somebody needs to take it down a notch - so step forward me

One of the reasons I've not been posting much of late is that I've got so much on the go I'm getting rather burnt out with all the part started WIP threads - sooooooo, I thought I'd copy Duke and Bolleken and keep them all in one thread.

I seem to have a myriad of Matchbox kits at the moment - all being build for my tribute to 100 years of the RAF. So.

So 1st up in 1/72 - Matchbox's old Spitfire mk.XIVe kit - built OOB and to test if you can actually brush paint a model in Tamiya paints - well it turns out you can...sort of...



Then we have these three...









Then we have this - my first EVER F-4 build. I've only just started it and I'm building it mainly because it gets a bad press - something to do with the wrong profile of the radome and the canopy. Well ok so I have the later release of the kit with the corrected nose and RWR, BUT, I've checked the canopy against my plans and the profile looks good to me.





Just a quick job in the cockpit, not to scale obviously, but I wanted to give the impression of 'something' through the canopy glass.





And this is the build I'm doing.



I also have Mongram's 1/48 Hawker Typhoon on the go...





And this beast...



Oh, and one of these....



This is Airfix's ooooolllllddddd F-5A kit - and yes it is a dog of a kit, and that's why I'm building it - because I've repeatedly been told it's rubbish...Not seeing it so far - the profile looks pretty good.



Anyway - that's enough from me (I'm sure you'll agree - assuming you've made it this far).

Cheers Dudes!

Cheers!

I read all the way through to the end. Twice. Not that I am glutton for punishment. Not at all. A very enjoyable way to spend a Sunday afternoon, Stuart. I appreciate your willingness to build kits that are considered difficult.

Wouh Stuart, Portman Productions are really up to speed here!

a bunch of many very interesting projects ongoing there !

I like especially the Matchbox triple bi-plane bunch! Very much following!


- Kari

Thanks Guys!!!

lol - Bruce I'm not sure 'willingness' is the right word - stupidity maybe

To be honest, although I've got a lot on the go I'm not really enjoying any of them - It's great to have the opportunity to build all of these classic kits but I think I might just have TOO many at the moment - I'm in need of a bit of quality and even a smidgen of actual detail. I'm also building the Bipes for a GB which I've come to realise is also a mojo killer with me - as soon as I put a constraint on a build these days it kills it for me - I just like to flit around too much - it's why I have so many started kits in my stash.

So stay tuned, I might have progressed on by the next post, or I might have started another!

Cheers!

Welcome aboard, Portman! I tend to be very specific in my builds (Luftwaffe, late war) so it is interesting to see other builds. Your modeling desk with cutting matt, yellow Tamiya tape, paper towel, Squadron sanding sticks and jar of dirty thinner, looks just like my desk! Except my paint rack is filled with jars of Tamiya, not tins of Humbrol.

John’s summary is interesting to me. After a year of progressively upping scale from 1/72 to 1/32, I think I have found where I like to build in terms of scale; and I feel more of a connection to building USAF and RAF subjects. I think it is most important to investigate what makes you tick, and if that is multiple kits progressing at various stages (Duke seems to exemplify this approach), a singular vision of a specific or “preferred” subject which is what John espouses here, that decision is up to you. Perhaps you are investigating what you want to investigate as a modeler; which I feel we ALL relate to on some level, maybe on an intuitive level. Your intuition is a great guide for the discovery of what you find exciting.

I created a picture of you as very much centered on British modeling subjects. You are a source of information on Airfix kits, for example, and it is a real thrill to see you tackle these kits. However, my picture is by its nature quite incomplete, and lacking so many details it may not be correct at all. Like Bolleken, you have an affinity for Matchbox kits as well! So, what do I know?

What I know is Pacific Scale Models apparently makes one heck of a Spitfire in 1/32....

Very cool! Hey there's nothing wrong with building "crappy" kits. With some skill (and a lot of putty) they can look just as nice as a state of the art kit. Yours are looking great!

jkim wrote:Welcome aboard, Portman! I tend to be very specific in my builds (Luftwaffe, late war) so it is interesting to see other builds. Your modeling desk with cutting matt, yellow Tamiya tape, paper towel, Squadron sanding sticks and jar of dirty thinner, looks just like my desk! Except my paint rack is filled with jars of Tamiya, not tins of Humbrol.

Thanks Jim!

You're comment did make me sit up a bit - it's an indication of how little I've been on the boards of late, and how little I know a lot of the current posters, even though I've been on SPAM since 2013 and the old days of the proboards site - I need to rectify that - as I still think it's the best forum on the net.

I really like Tamiya paint, however the old Humbrol Enamel is still pretty unbeatable for brush painting. I'm also using Hataka blue and red lines a lot now - both are great with a brush, although I really don't like those rattle pots.

Medicman71 wrote:Very cool! Hey there's nothing wrong with building "crappy" kits. With some skill (and a lot of putty) they can look just as nice as a state of the art kit. Yours are looking great!

Thanks Medic - it's just as well, as 75% of my finished builds are either vintage Airfix, Matchbox or FROG - with a couple of old Monogram kits thrown in. I just seem to be drawn to them.

speedgraflex wrote:John’s summary is interesting to me. After a year of progressively upping scale from 1/72 to 1/32, I think I have found where I like to build in terms of scale; and I feel more of a connection to building USAF and RAF subjects. I think it is most important to investigate what makes you tick, and if that is multiple kits progressing at various stages (Duke seems to exemplify this approach), a singular vision of a specific or “preferred” subject which is what John espouses here, that decision is up to you. Perhaps you are investigating what you want to investigate as a modeler; which I feel we ALL relate to on some level, maybe on an intuitive level. Your intuition is a great guide for the discovery of what you find exciting.

I created a picture of you as very much centered on British modeling subjects. You are a source of information on Airfix kits, for example, and it is a real thrill to see you tackle these kits. However, my picture is by its nature quite incomplete, and lacking so many details it may not be correct at all. Like Bolleken, you have an affinity for Matchbox kits as well! So, what do I know?

What I know is Pacific Scale Models apparently makes one heck of a Spitfire in 1/32....

Those are some great thoughts Bruce - and you're not far off the mark with your picture of me. I'm pretty much a solid RAF builder with a few odds and sods thrown in - mainly USN or France. However I do like most subjects and I do plan to build a few more different subjects - I have quite a lot of Middle Eastern and Israeli subjects to build. I am you man when it comes to Airfix info yes - but I actually like all the old British makes. Matchbox was my staple when I was a kid. I do REALLY like the old FROG kits, but Vintage Airifx is normally where I'm at. I think they can be quite badly thought of, but a lot of the time, though soft on detail, shape wise they're very good - and raised panel lines are generally easier to paint!

Anyway - off to bed now!

Cheers!

I should've re-phrased my greeting as it is obvious by looking at your post count that you're not new here. So apologies for that! I meant to say, "Welcome BACK!"

jkim wrote:I should've re-phrased my greeting as it is obvious by looking at your post count that you're not new here. So apologies for that! I meant to say, "Welcome BACK!"

Hey no worries Jim, and no offence taken - I've posted so little in the past year I might as well be a newbie