WMD Destructive Cats!

Being a Mrs. Woody and cat run  organsiation, WMD HQ has to do other things than model making, most of which is on a certain list. On that long list there was an item relating to cat activity tower. The old one was built back in 2023 and I blogged about it here. Since then it has been subject to cat activity that was probably never envisaged by the makers who probably don't know about the WMD Destructive Cats. They had literally scratched one of the supporting posts in half - better then the sofa I guess, but never the less this had structurally compromised the tower so that it had a Leaning Tower of Pisa list!

As the cats like the upper sleeping area on the tower, there was a danger that the whole thing would collapse so Mrs. Woody found a suitable replacement - in the middle of Lidl (other stores are available, etc) . That was really my fault as I wanted a small socket Lidl had on offer so whilst I had Mrs. W observing my spending she also observed said cat activity tower!

 

Anyway, it came hom with us along with my small socket set and I have built it!  It does look good and as Monty cat illustrates, meets with the cats approval!

So was it to the tip with the old Leaning Tower of Pisa? Well at WMD we do like to recycle when ever possible so the sound parts of the tower were recycled into this.

I think that looks a lot safer at least until the WMD Destructive Cats work their magic

RIP Chloe Cat.

Only thirteen days after loosing Murphy Cat, Mrs. Woody and me had to let Chloe Cat go. She had lost the use of her back legs and could not stand up le alone move. 

She was about 15 or 16 we think. Like all our other cats, she was a rescue cat who came to us in late December 2019. She and her brother were roaming in Gainsborough after their owner died. Chloe's brother unfortunately did not last very long after that but Chloe was rescued and we became her new family.

She had a wonderfully characterful face and a beautifully soft coat which she hated being combed! 

She was one for going outside even in the snow but stayed in the garden where she would seek some shade on sunny days and sleep before coming back to the patio door asking to come back in and tucking into her food. Chicken was her favorite!

Even towards her last days she was still going out and looking out I still see her and will continue to do so. 

She is now under the apple tree along with all the other WMD cats who have passed on so she will have good company.

Rest in peace little girl!

RIP Murphy cat!

RIP Murphy Cat

The WMD fleet of cats is now reduced as Murphy has now unfortunately had to leave us. Always a difficult decision to make, but it was clear he had suddenly become very unwell so it was time to visit the vet who was very compassionate and gentle in dealing with Murphy.

He was 15, which is a good age for a cat, especially as he had been diagnosed with a growth on his heart in 2019 and at that time given just months to live. Move on over six years from that diagnosis and he outlived both his sister, Holly, and brother Spike.

Of the three he was the most laid back! Nothing really phased him even the growth on his heart. Maybe that was the secret to his long life?

The three of them were close which was nice to see.

When Spike suffered a stroke he had to come on holiday with me and Mrs. Woody in our caravan which meant that Holly and Murphy came as well! The three of them are eyeing up the pigeons outside!

Even in the caravan he was laid back choosing to go under a quilt to sleep!

However, he was a bit of a night owl and would play with a Ping-Pong ball at 3am in the caravan which was a bit of a shock as it rattled around the hard surfaces and acted more like a pin-ball machine!

As with all our cats, he will be sadly missed but never forgotten! RIP Murphy!

The cat sat on the ......kitchen cupboard?

As is usual in the WMD household nothing is ever as you expect. Our cats do not sit on mats but they do find other strange places such as on the top of the kitchen cupboard where Marty sat himself.

Why on top of there? Well I think he was fed up with the work on repainting the hall where I am now getting out of the corner with some paint on the walls and almost all the ceiling done. Mrs. Woody will be impressed - hopefully!

There has been a little time to get in the Man Cave where corners still feature as I build the landform that I started the other day. First off another section of sub-base has been constructed from mounting card for the far end of the baseboard.

The picture below shows the entire sub-base made up of three pieces.

Then a large sheet of polystyrene was liberated from the WMD Stores - I knew it would come in handy! The idea of this is that by gluing it to the profile or upright of the sub-base it will join the three parts together making them one piece.

With the polystyrene cut it was glued to the back of the sub-base with various handy tubs of things used to keep it in place whilst the glue dries. Whether the theory works remains to be seen but I need to give the glue a chance to dry so I am not moving it yet!

In other news, the first bike ride for a week due to the weather, saw me passing the local canal where the water levels are really high - just about 6 inches off the top of the bank.

Interestingly, especially for those interested in such matters, the disappeared stranded Marie Celeste boat last seen about two weeks ago has reappeared - just as I said it would! Not a great picture as that large bright object in the sky decided to shine directly into the lens of my phone camera! However, the red arrow indicated where it is.

A close up gives a bit more clarity.

Will it stay there or disappear for several more weeks? Who knows but I will be keeping a watchful eye! Maybe that was reallly why Marty was on top of the cupboard to see the boat?

The cat sat on the floor and getting plastered!

Murphy Cat, sat on the floor of the ripped out kitchen where his food bowl used to be and probably thinking, like me, when is this going to be back to normal!

There was a time when getting plastered was usually the result of a night out on the town but for me those days are long gone! Instead the kitchen rebuild has reached the stage where things start coming together with the walls and ceiling now plastered. John, the plasterer, did a fantastic job getting it all done in a day and with the warm, weather it should soon be dry.

It is fascinating watching a good plasterer as they seemingly defy gravity as they trowel on plaster and turn what looks like a disaster area into a smoothed surface ready for paint.

Meanwhile after a day of pulling electric cables through the underfloor area of upstairs which entailed emptying cupboards and pulling up carpets I did have half an hour in the Man Cave where another hatch is complete for the turret. 

I have also started the rear storage container that attaches to the rear of the turret.

There are some interesting brass etched clamps and padlocks for that storage container which look as though they could test my abilities and patience! Talking of which, I started bending these wing nuts up in the photo below from the etched sheet. They are designed to go under the turret hatch of the tank and there are 14 altogether but I suddenly thought why am I doing this? I'm never going to see them! So I made an executive decision and have left them off. Don't think Mrs. Woody will let me make decisions like that about the new kitchen though!

86 Wires!

 Whilst these two WMD HQ moggies look as though they are wired together as they curled up in the comfort of one of the many cat baskets that have appeared over the years, I was busy finishing the some wiring in the cold of the Man Cave!

To make life easier where the rails go over the copper clad strips I had pre tinned them.

With everything in place, the track had been glued, it was time to add solder and wires!

And there you have it - the final wires of the 86 that I have soldered in place on this board! Once I cut the rails so that the baseboard is free I can turn it over and cconnect all the wires - all 86 of them - Gulp!

RIP Smudge.

As everyone who shares their life with an animal knows a day will come when you have a hard decision to be made. Having noticed over the past few days some difficulty in eating and a rattling breathing, Smudge was taken to the vets today. Unfortunately it was not good news with a growth around her windpipe which was not going to get better or be treatable. Having shared our lives for nearly 19 years with Smudge it was not easy for Mrs. Woody or me to part with her but it was the kindest thing. Smudge was a rescue cat. She had a kitten when she was about 6 months old just before she came to WMD. She loved a litter box that had just had new litter put in and would literally swim in it before leaving her mark. In later life she became deaf but could still sense when you were about and when food was being served. Later life also saw her take to using a cat bed and that was her favorite ne in the picture.She had a loud rumbly purr which if she came to bed at night would reverberate through the bed. She came to bed last night for the first time in some time - maybe she knew. Like all our cats she will always be remembered and missed so much!

'Figures not included' or are they?

 After the flooding events of the last few days it was a pleasant relief just t sit in the Man Cave for a couple of hours and loose myself in the Italeri Kangaroo APC. That couple of hours allowed me to paint up a few of the details that are needed for the internal part of the vehicle as well as the two machine guns that are mounted on top of the hull. In addition, despite the kit box stating that 'figures not included', there are in fact three, seven part figures as well as a mortar and various kit bags included on one of the sprues. Not one to look a gift horse, or even a figure or three, in the mouth, I decided that I need to improve (drastically) my abilities to both construct and paint figures so I have started to put them together. If they come out OK they will be of use in some project and if I fail in doing an acceptable job they can go into 'Need to improve' container AKA the recycling bin!

The photos below show the painted internal hull, the figures, the machine guns, the radio and the dashboard for the driver. The dashboard is a decal that came with the kit and probably makes a better job of presenting the dials and switches then my painting of the moulded details could. I smoothed off the raised details to make applying the decal easier which it did. The radio however had no decal so I had to carefully paint the raised details and I think I did a reasonable job.

The drivers seat is now painted and glued in position - not a comfy looking item though!

The figures, although reasonably detailed, were not the best fitting in the join of the various limbs. I used acrylic putty to fill the joints. How successful that has been will be shown once I prime them.

The machine gun is a nice moulding and with some careful painting looks the part mounted on the pulpit.

Talking of  mounting I had to look a second time when I saw Milly the cat looking as though she had been mounted on the WMD fish tank! You can almost hear her say ' Fish? What fish!' The fish are however safe under the tank cover from any unwanted feline attention!

A short lived resolution and the cat has been fed!

'No more kits or trains' I informed Mrs. Woody as my resolution for 2024 which I decided upon whilst doing my New Year's day bike ride. I then foolishly suggested we have a trip out - to the Newark Toy and Train Fair. Just for a look and a bit of exercise you understand! Having been before on several occassions, this years event seemed much busier when we arrived with large numbers of people carrying bags of purchases. However, as I reassured Mrs. W, that would not be the case for me!

'Famous last words' came to mind regarding my newly and decidedly ill conceived and thought out resolution! There was just too much temptation! Several railway coaches at ridiculously good prices found their way into my bag - why did I take a bag if I wasn't going to buy anything???? Also I found a kit that caught my eye and ended up in the bag along with the coaches!

The Grille30 was an anti tank gun with a 305mm cannon developed as a project in 1942. Based upon a modified Tiger 1 chassis and weighing 120 tons, the project never went into production but the work did influence other vehicles that did go into production such as the Sturmtiger assult gun. Should be an interesting build. Meanwhile Mrs. W, not to be out done, found a book to buy and this great sign that sums up the influence of cats at WMD HQ!

Meanwhile back at WMD HQ work on the Italeri Kangaroo APC has progressed a bit! I did realise at an early point in the build that as an open top vehicle the painting of the interior was going to be interesting! Despite being open, once the upper hull was joined to the lower hull the ability to easily paint the interior was going to be compromised. Therefore I have left the two parts unglued at the moment.

I have primed the internal surfaces with a light grey and once dry that will get an initial top coat of a suitable green. 

Now, whilst I wait for the paint to dry, I better go and feed that cat and make another resolution for 2024!

Relaxing?

It has been a busy few weeks at WMD HQ and it is catching up with me. I need to relax a bit I said To Mrs. Woody as she inspected the latest work I have done on finishing off the conservatory rebuild. Marty the cat certainly knows how to relax - maybe I should take some lessons from him?

Anyway I think Mrs. W didn't hear me but is pleased with progress! Todays work was supposed to see the slabs at the side of the conservatory cleaned up and re-bedded in fresh cement. However they were that coated in mortar the builders let drop on them whilst bricklaying they took several hours of working with a hammer and chisel to clean them up. However they are much neater and lighter in weight and the bits of mortar that remain will weather off over winter.

With the surfaces cleaned off the slabs were lifted and all the muck under them cleaned out so that there is space for cement to re-bed them  Looks a bit neater already.

Those two bags on the left contain the stuff removed from on top and under the slabs!

Back with the Hornby Swallow Livery HST I dealt with the spaghetti wiring. Getting the body off the driven power car revealed this. There are wires to the motor and the headlight from the pickups on both bogies..

This is the motor end. For some reason there is black paint on most of the wiring around the motor. In amongst the wiring is a capacitor that needs to come off. 

Disassembly saw the keeper plates for the motors removed and cleaned up and the capacitor removed.

Cutting the various wires allowed me to solder in the 8 pin socket. Basically the socket fits between the pickups taking power from the track and the wires to the motor enabling the DCC chip to take its power from the track and then run the motor in accordance with the instructions it gets from the DCC controller which in this case is controlled by me!

The 8 pin socket is wired in to the motor and headlight. The 9 volt battery is a handy way of testing things. There is enough power in it to run the motor. In this case I plugged a blanking plate into the socket which allows the motor to run on DC power and used the battery to test that the motor still ran. It did!

The wiring was tidied up and with that done it was time to plug a DCC chip in.

Meanwhile the rear un-motored power car needed a DCC chip in it to control the headlight. It was a simpler job then the motored power car as there was no motor to wire in.

There is certainly enough room for the wiring.

With all that done will it run? I feel fairly relaxed(in my mind but not body!) that it will but stay tuned to find out!