I don't normally get anywhere near this stage of a model build in such a short time so I was delighted to be decaling (is that a word???) on the Airfix Curtiss Tomahawk model First off though a coating of gloss varnish was airbrushed all over the model. This gives a smooth surface that the decals can be applied to which avoids the possibility of 'silvering'. This is the phenomena where applying the decal to a rough matt surface traps air between the decal and the surface which results in the decal having a silver colour around its edges in certain light conditions.
WMD - Woody's Modelling Diary
Recording my progress, or usually the lack of it, in building kits, creating model railways and other related and sometimes unrelated matters!
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Thursday, October 17, 2024
Decal delight!
Wednesday, October 16, 2024
Lots of Wows!
Mrs. Woody and me had a day out - it was her birthday after all! We ended up at Burghley House just outside Stamford in Lincolnshire. We had never been before and it was to say the least a Wow property. You jus kept saying Wow!
First thing that made me go Wow was the house itself.
Going inside the kitchen is another Wow with all the copper pots.
Theses were just some of the bells that would ring in the servants area when assistance was required - Wow!
The day really was a Wow day and after a birthday meal out it was back to WMD HQ where I was onto more painting of the Airfix Curtiss Tomahawk. This time the underside using the provided paint which looks like that classic duck egg green that was used during WW2. First off though was a bit of masking.
Tuesday, October 15, 2024
Seat goes up, seat goes down! Or how to amuse a simple mind!
Following on from the kitchen rebuild, Mrs. Woody has decided that the 1993 bathroom needs updating. For an easy life I have agreed (I am learning in old age!) so we are now touring bathroom showrooms. Surprisingly I was informed that bathroom suites in those old favorite colours of yellow, chocolate brown, burgundy and powder blue are no longer available with white being the in colour! Apparently it has been the in colour for some years now. Mrs. W is not surprised that fact bypassed me noting my fashion sense over the years!!
Now the choice of bathroom suites is enormous and you become blind to the differences after seeing several dozen of the things but occasionally something stands out and for me it was this automated toilet seat! Now as Mrs. W would tell you simple things amuse my simple mind and this is just one such thing! Had to video it and love the way it rises as you approach.
As Homer Simpson would say, Seat goes up, seat goes down!
This bathroom perusal is going to take some time so I hope there are more items like this to amuse my simple mind!
Back at WMD HQ the Airfix Curtiss Tomahawk is progressing with the second part of the camouflage now applied - almost the same colour as those chocolate brown bath suites of old! I did manage to break one of the machine gun barrels off the wing but luckily found it and reaffixed it. Somehow I think I might be having to do that again with my clumsiness in painting the model!
Monday, October 14, 2024
Gravy or paint?
That cocktail stick did its job though and all the model got a good coating of primer.
Whilst the primer was drying I was looking at top coat options. I could search through the WMD HQ paint store to find suitable colours or I could use what was supplied in the kit. The supplied paint did not exactly look inspiring, in fact it looked more lumpy than any gravy I have ever made without the close supervision of Mrs. Woody. However, I decided it was worth a go to see if I could thin it out and actually have something workable unlike my gravy! Mixing some of the lumps with some thinners and stirring like mad for some time actually produced a paint like substance so it was time to see if it actually would come out of the airbrush or just clog it.
Sunday, October 13, 2024
In the flying seat!
Just a finishing touch to the cockpit with the application of some panel line wash to highlight the detail. It probably will be unseen but it was something I thought worthwhile doing as I would know it was done!
Saturday, October 12, 2024
Cockpit capers!
Quick and relatively easy progress (as predicted by Mr Beecham yesterday) with the cockpit interior assembled and painted. Just five parts for this caper, including the pilot, go to make up the cockpit and the general overall colour is green but having looked at a few pictures I have highlighted a few boxes in black and a two floor rails in aluminum. No idea how accurate that is but given the small scale and that most of it will be hidden once the canopy is fitted no one will be able to see anyway! The pilot is still a work in progress though. I have even managed to put the propeller together and paint that.
Friday, October 11, 2024
A quick, easy build with no brass etched parts!
From the start of this blog I have featured me building quite a few kits, mainly military and trucks but never a plane. However that has now changed! There is a story behind this kit. Last year, Rob at the Rocks by Rail Museum who built models some time ago suggest a build off to see who could come up with the best model. He also helpfully pointed out that Lidl, the discount store, had some Airfix kits on offer for I think £7.99. I was up for the challenge and for reasons that I cannot recall it was left to me to go to Lidl's to get two Spitfires and actually coming out with two Tomahawks as the Spitfires had sold out! I presented Rob with his kit and we agreed that the new year would be the time to build. Well Rob still has not started so I decided it was time before the new year became another new year!
The kit is one of the new style beginners packages with the kit, paints, paint brush and glue - great value!
Opening the box reveals the contents which are a lot different from those that came when I was a lad many, many years ago!
If Mr. B is right, by this time next week I should be finished! Stay tuned to see if that is any where near correct!
Thursday, October 10, 2024
A new arrival!
As I arrived for a day of volunteering at the Rocks By Rail Museum this new arrival was parked in the platform siding.
I have to admit that I have taken to this loco at first sight. It has lovely proportions and a hint of quirkiness which makes it just right for the Museum! Once painted up and various parts fettled it should look great.
Still dealing with steam engines, work continues with the retubing of 1391. However, as with all such jobs, there are complexities like removing all the pipework that is in front of the tubes which is a matter John and Richard are discussing in detail.
Alex, having a variety of 'persuading' tools to hand to supplement his small dust removing brush continues the seemingly never ending cement and rust removal along with painting of Ketton No1. It will be well worth it once finished.
Pete and Pam continue with the painting of the Sundew cab and Martin has progressed with the dragline repaint project.
For me it was inevitably more grass cutting but with a pit stop to deal with a jammed drive wheel.
It may not look much in the picture but it does look very different on site. No doubt it will have grown by next week too!
Wednesday, October 9, 2024
Various arts!
It was the art of soldering for me and doing one of those long outstanding jobs that exist on my (not Mrs. Woody's list!) list of things to do. It was to solder up a phono plug to connect the power from my DCC controller to my 009 narrow gauge layout Chalkdon. Prior to this momentous moment I had used a pair of crocodile clips which was not really the best way to do things!