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Sunday, May 7, 2023

Time for something new!

It was a great day with warm weather just right for a bike ride or indeed two and some gardening. I also had the urge to start something new model making wise. The Tamiya Puma is nearly done but I really need several hours in one go to finish the weathering which I did not have today. So, something that has been lurking in the Man Cave for some time - I think several years actually, was unearthed.

Italeri DAF 95 Canvas Truck

It is a big box with a lot of kit in it!

Italeri DAF 95 Canvas Truck

I did not have a great deal of time but wanted something to show for my hour or so. Therefore I did what I always say don't and ignored the instructions! I have built similar kits in the past so I do know what you can build without causing an issue later on. Both the cab and the canvas cargo bed are such items. The cab exterior can be built without the interior which can also be built separately and slid in later. Building these two items first also means I can start the painting process early on.

From all those parts below there are only five main cab parts that are needed to get the basic cab together.

Italeri DAF 95 Canvas Truck

Likewise the canvas cargo bed is made up of six main parts. I have not glued the top on yet just in case I need to get inside to strengthen a joint.

It is a big beast as the 15cm/6 inch ruler illustrates. Going to take a lot of paint!

Italeri DAF 95 Canvas Truck

Italeri DAF 95 Canvas Truck

Saturday, May 6, 2023

Coronation - a day to remember.

Well this was the first Coronation I have witnessed and although I may see one more in my lifetime I guess it is one of those unique moments in history - a day to remember. However, despite all the celebrations, the weather was unfortunately emulating what it did back in 1953 when the late Queen's Coronation took place and rained. The continued rain saw me seek shelter in the Man Cave where I spent a happy hour or so. 

The Tamiya Sd.Kfz 234/2 Puma had some more weathering added and the turret hatches added. The officer figure now has his binoculars added so looks a little less strange. There is still some more weathering to do but it is getting to where I want it to be.

Tamiya Sd.Kfz 234/2 Puma


Tamiya Sd.Kfz 234/2 Puma

Tamiya Sd.Kfz 234/2 Puma

Whilst I had my weathering head on I washed these sacks, crates and cable drums which I built a few weeks back with my dilute black wash to tone them down. These are for my narrow gauge layout Chalkdon.

009 gauge layout

009 gauge layout

Whether I will actually remember that I did these jobs on the day of the Coronation is open to debate but then I can always look back on this blog to remind me!




Friday, May 5, 2023

Dirt Time!

After yesterdays 'dressing the set' of the Tamiya Sd.Kfz 234/2 Puma, today was the start of 'Dirt Time'! I used my favoured application of diluted Vallejo Flat Earth paint to in effect give the parts of the vehicle a wash of paint. The theory is that there will be a general light coat of the paint that will tone down the existing paintwork giving it a weathered look and that it will also accumulate around the edges and corners giving the affect of dirt having gathered as in real life. It is a long process that requires patience which is something that I have learnt to develop, after many years of failures due to impatience! Luckily Mrs. Woody has also developed patience over the years waiting for the jobs to be done on her list for me to do! 

First thing to do was to disassemble the vehicle in order to be able to easily weather the parts.

Tamiya Sd.Kfz 234/2 Puma

The picture below shows just how effectively the wash tones down the starkness of fresh paint. The wheels and tyres will get two or three washes to build up the level of dirt.

Tamiya Sd.Kfz 234/2 Puma

The top of the hull and turret have had a first coat of wash. The underside will also get a wash as this is fairly visible  even with the wheels on.

Tamiya Sd.Kfz 234/2 Puma

Hopefully tomorrow will see some more 'Dirt Time' but I think it will be more likely to be 'Clean Time' if Mrs. W decides I need to do some cleaning!

Thursday, May 4, 2023

Dressing the set!

Something they do on those make over TV shows where after a frantic session of building and painting the bare room is then dressed up with accessories to make it 'homely'. This of course is something this Mrs. Woody is never able to do as I never seem to manage to finish those make over jobs she has envisaged in her mind. 

I don't think you can make a military vehicle 'homely' but I did 'dress up' the Tamiya Sd.Kfz 234/2 Puma today. All the various pre-painted tools and jerry cans were added using gloss varnish as an adhesive. It certainly brings the vehicle to life. In addition the two figures are nearly finished - the officer does need his binoculars adding. Normally I would have glued them to an ice cream wooden stick but I cannot find my stock and unfortunately the WMD HQ Chief Ice Cream Buyer (me!) has failed to have stocks of ice creams available to consume just for the stick of course! Oh well, they are on the shopping list! In the meantime I will complete painting the figures without the aid of the aforementioned stick.

Tamiya Sd Kfz 234.2 Puma 46

Tamiya Sd Kfz 234.2 Puma 46

Tamiya Sd Kfz 234.2 Puma 46



The wheels still need attaching and the eight small discs on the masking tape are the hubs to fasten the wheels to the axel. In addition the two hatches have had their inside faces painted white before being attached to the turret.

Unlike those TV make over shows where the lucky recipients basked in the delights of a newly created and dressed pristine room, this vehicle, after its 'dressing' will suffer the onslaught of weathering but that is for another day.

Wednesday, May 3, 2023

Gardening, rusting, cute cats and a mauled toilet roll - welcome to a day in the life of Woody!

Nobody I believe can accuse me of not having a variety of things going on in my life. Mrs. Woody would like to see those things expanded to include more of the jobs she has lined up for me but as I tell her I have lots on! Today was a case in point. An early morning bike ride and a bit of cleaning house started the day before a bit of a gardening as the weather was good. What remains of my lawn (after the builders destroyed much of it at the start of the year) was cut and edges trimmed. The reseeded areas of lawn are beginning to grow to so hopefully before long the mud pit will all be green! A bit of greenhouse work saw lettuce, spinach and radish seedings planted out so those together with the tomato plants should see some salads on the menu - then again with my growing skills......

In the sanity(or should that be insanity?) of the Man Cave I did have an hour doing some rusting of the tools and jerry cans that I had painted for the Tamiya Sd.Kfz 234/2 Puma over the past few days. I also did a bit more on painting the two figures.

Tamiya Sd Kfz 234.2 Puma 42

For the rusting I used Vallejo rust paint applied with a sponge. The procedure is to did the sponge into the paint, then dab it off on a paper towel until very little is left on the sponge. Dabbing the sponge on the item to be rusted then leaves a random pattern of rust paint that should replicate what happens with rusting metal in real life.

Tamiya Sd Kfz 234.2 Puma 42

Some two weeks after having had a clear up of my work bench I can say that it is surprisingly uncluttered!

Tamiya Sd Kfz 234.2 Puma 42

Going back inside I found these two cute cats - a real Ying and Yang. 

cats

How wonderfully incent I thought as I headed upstairs. That thought soon went out of my mind to be replaced by !!!!!!!! (cue contribution to the swear jar) as I found this mauled toilet roll that those two cuties had got off the holder and proceeded to destroy!

Cats

Now I need to get the hoover out - again! Just another day in the life of Woody!


Tuesday, May 2, 2023

It's a fair cop!

As I drove into the car park at Rocks By Rail I thought either the Police were visiting the Museum in connection with the vandalism over the bank holiday or, as Mrs. Woody would probably hypothesised, they had caught up with me! Much to Mrs. W's disappointment it was the former reason!

Rocks by Rail Museum

 There is not much they can do but, with all such matters, an individual incident can provide a piece of information that makes building a bigger picture a lot easier.

In the meantime it was a day of grass cutting for me but not before catching up with some projects going on.

In the exhibition center the Yorkshire loco DE5 that I have shown being rubbed down in preparation for a repaint is now in primer ready for its top coat.

Rocks by Rail Museum

Rocks by Rail Museum

Rocks by Rail Museum

In the workshop John was busy fixing the disabled access door to the brake van that is undergoing a quick makeover by, as he stated, disabling it! With John's skills it will no doubt soon be back in place and looking good.  

Rocks by Rail Museum

However behind him some rather chunky planks have arrived. Not for the brake van but another project that I was introduced to.

Rocks by Rail Museum,

Rocks by Rail Museum,

It might not look much bot under the dirt and vegetation is a solid wagon chassis that will be a three plank coal wagon once the wood has been cut to size and fitted for the floor and sides. John looks impressed that he has another project to under take!

One of the great things of being behind the scenes as a volunteer is that you do get to see things that you would be unlikely to unless you are involved in such things. A case in point are the springs for the buffers and coupler that I never knew how they were constructed - now I do!

Rocks by Rail Museum,

Rocks by Rail Museum,

Rocks by Rail Museum,

Back at WMD HQ I continued painting parts of the Tamiya Sd.Kfz 234/2 Puma ready for fitting.

Tamiya Sd.Kfz 234/2 Puma

Tamiya Sd.Kfz 234/2 Puma


Monday, May 1, 2023

May Day Misdemeanors at the Museum!

Todays Quarry Day at the Rocks By Rail Museum was a success but somewhat dampened for the volunteers by the fact that vandals had visited overnight and their misdemeanors were concentrated on window smashing of the various excavators and excavator cabs that we have. Unfortunately the face shovel excavator was that badly damaged that it was inoperable. 

Rocks by Rail Museum,

Rocks by Rail Museum,

Rocks by Rail Museum,

Why did someone do this? Who knows? It is upsetting, costly and difficult to deal with getting repairs on machinery decades old. However this didn't stop the visitors having a great day with both the quarry still operating which was where I was based as Shunter...

Rocks by Rail Museum,
 

as well as brake van rides behind a steam engine.

Rocks by Rail Museum,

.The Shark brake van that was undergoing a rapid makeover last week was looking good out in the fresh air.

Rocks by Rail Museum,

Last week the buffer beams on this Yorkshire loco were in primer but now looked stunning witha fresh coat of gloss red.

Rocks by Rail Museum,

Back tomorrow to probably cut more grass but hopefully I will not ne seeing any more misdemeanors!


 

Sunday, April 30, 2023

Anniversary!

Not much model making today as it is mine and Mrs. Woody's anniversary of her putting up with me for more years then both of us can recall! She does deserve a large medal!

Whilst she was still slumbering this morning I did go out for an early bike ride to bring my mileage for the first third of 2023 up to a measly 1107 miles which compared to the 1500ish of this time last year is not good! I had 779 miles in by the end of March but have averaged only just under 11 miles a day this month. I blame the weather! Even on this morning's ride after last nights heavy rain there was flooding on parts of the road where I have never seen flooding before. Maybe I should take up sailing?

I also manage a half hour and painted the tyres on one side of the Tamiya Sd.Kfz 234/2 Puma this evening which makes it look even better.

Tamiya Sd.Kfz 234/2 Puma

Tomorrow sees me at the Rocks By Rail Museum volunteering as we carry out a quarry day of operation for our visitors so I am hoping for a dry day!


Saturday, April 29, 2023

Decaled after visiting a country house!!

A coat of gloss varnish on the turret and parts of the hull of the Tamiya Sd.Kfz 234/2 Puma this morning....

Tamiya Sd.Kfz 234/2 Puma

....allowed the application of decals this evening.

Tamiya Sd.Kfz 234/2 Puma

They do make a big visual difference to the model.

Tamiya Sd.Kfz 234/2 Puma

Obviously they will tone down when some weathering is applied. This will be done after the various small additional parts are fixed on and the tyres painted. The two figures, once painted should add a bit of interest and I suspect I will end up make a small diorama for them all to be posed on.

Tamiya Sd.Kfz 234/2 Puma

In between the varnishing and the decaling I did take Mrs. Woody out to visit Belton House as it was one of those rare things this year - a nice day! A National Trust property we have visited before but always good to see how we could have lived if our lottery numbers had ever come up!

Belton House

I have made it clear to Mrs. W that there is no way that we can replicate this in our back garden! It is very nice though!

Belton House

That building at the back would make a great Man Cave......


Friday, April 28, 2023

Camouflage.

A pleasant few hours applying some camouflage to the  Tamiya Sd.Kfz 234/2 Puma this evening. I had finished painting the underside of the hull and the various other parts this morning in Dark Yellow and by this evening the hull was dry and ready for further painting.

Tamiya Sd.Kfz 234/2 Puma

First colour of camouflage to be applied was the Dark Green. Airbrushed on in random patterns just as the crew would have done on the real thing. They would probably have been neater though but there were, as far as I know, no defined painting patterns so it was for each crew to be crative.

Tamiya Sd.Kfz 234/2 Puma

Next up was the Red Brown which was again randomly applied.

Tamiya Sd.Kfz 234/2 Puma

I just need to tidy up some of the edges of the green and brown with a paint brush and then apply a coat of gloss varnish to allow for the application of the decals.