Friday 23rd October 2020
Recently a series of situations, appointments and bad weather have conspired to keep me from my enjoyment of walking and exploration. Partial Lockdown and the above mentioned sends one down paths of exploration digital. Somehow I found myself looking at You Tube videos of model making, something I did quite seriously as a young teenager but not since. A kit for a Land Rover took my eye; it happened, coincidentally to be in the same colour as the short-wheel-base I used to own and also it was the same Series 3 from circa 1973.
"Buy now with one click."
I was launched.
There are 184 pieces. Progress is slow but absorbing but not very demanding intellectually, although there are odd moments interpreting the pictogram instructions.
When I made the move my son sent daughter a message just saying "Dad's bought a Land Rover." The reply, with its hidden inference: "Is he keeping the Kia?"
I had an airbrush for a number of years and sold it on Ebay about three months ago. I have now bought another. The all too frequent rule of life had struck again:
The shorter will be the period of time that you find the need for an item you had kept in case it may "come-in" after you have disposed of it is inversely proportional to the length of time you had kept it.
I think I got that right but someone with a degree in logic may wish to challenge. Anyway, you get the idea.
If you click to enlarge, which I recommend you will see areas where the painting has been missed but it looks like realistic distressing - the model is not necessarily supposed to be just out of the showroom.
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| Most of the engine assembled and painted. I primed all the parts with the airbrush in situ on the sprue (the framework with all the parts attached from where they are snipped off) |
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| I airbrush painted all the body parts that are the colour of the finished vehicle - this is just the main body. The lighting has given the forward roof an apparently different shade. These parts will be finished with gloss. |
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| This chassis was airbrushed |
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With one of her paintings a few days ago. |
Katie is NINE !!!
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely set of birthday presents, which I’m sure she’ll enjoy. Can’t wait for the consternation in the classroom when they ask her what she got, and she tells them “Grandad gave me a knife.” 🤣
There is no way she is taking it to school - that has been made very clear even though she understood that before we said anything anyway. But, a good pocket knife and ,in particular a Swiss Army knife, is part of the standard kit for anybody involved in outdoory activities. It is one of the few things these days that can last for a lifetime.
ReplyDeleteThat rule of life is the reason that we have so much STUFF in our shed and secreted in various places around the house. Quite a few items have been called into use, and saved costs, during Project Erica, justifying my insistence on keeping them for all these years.
ReplyDeleteHope Katie's having a good birthday weekend - and what an artistic talent she has!
Gayle - we have had photos and videos of Katie and Mum at their Shepherd's cabin. Also at a nearby skate park - Uncle Will bought K a skateboard and she is already showing promise. They have also been relaxing in a splendid wood-fired hot-tub. I think they are having an active and enjoyable break. Daughter Jill needs that after all the stress of of being on the management team at her school - it really is extremely demanding.
ReplyDeleteYour model’s looking good Conrad. I’ve barely finished painting one part of my current Apollo Lunar Module - I always aim to complete by Christmas and get another done by Spring.
ReplyDeleteafoot - I keep doing a bit but with 284 pieces there is till a fair way to go. I accidentally broke a minute piece, the seat support. It was about 10 mm. long and 1.5 mm thickness. I tried to pick it up with the tweezers but they acted as a propellant zapping the piece into the ether. After a while, crawling about on the floor with a torch, I found the piece then continued with micro-surgery glueing it back where it belonged - all part of the fun.
ReplyDeleteThe tweezers incident is all too familiar to me Conrad. I’ve just noticed small imperfections on a part of the LM which I painted a few days ago so I’m about to sand them out and redo. Part of the fun as you say.
ReplyDeleteafoot - for you the ejected piece would most likely go into orbit.
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