New(ish) man cave.

Hello all,

A few months back the wife wanted my son to have a larger room so I was kicked out of the guest room into a smaller room. The bribe was it would be re decorated (by us) very cheaply for about £100 all in.
Well after a few more months later I still hadn't settled in and it didn't feel right, I worked out that I couldn't find my paints easily in the current location so something was needed to be done.
I had seen a few ideas on the net but they were all out of reach of my limited budget. Then I had a flash of inspiration or a few beers one or the other. I think I saw something on line that I thought I could knock that up for a fraction of the price. It must have been beer because I am crap at DIY and other tools (ask the good lady).Any way here is the outcome,

A quick trip to B & Q and I walked out with some baton, some thin strips of wood, No nails glue a shelf and a saw.

I got the bloke at B & Q to cut the shelf on their saw, for the frame, but everything else was cut, glued and screwed by my own fair hand, and a little helping  hand to hold the shelves from the good lady Mrs West.

This one is just one long version of the two tier ones.

Please beware that normal service has resumed and it looks like it has been hit by and air strike.

A small sample of the stash. it still needs the lighting sorting out but all in all a nice place to work.

Well I have no excuse for not picking up the hairy sticks and getting them wet now, just need somewhere to put them when they are finished!

Cheers for looking, any comments or tips more than welcome.

Rich.

Italeri RAAF Hawk 100 1/72

Hello all,

I have forgotten to post the final pictures of my Austrailan  Hawk 100, after about a year or so I found the pictures on the hard drive so  can lay this one to rest. A nice build but the pain job was an arse ache, the decals do not look right.

Not a bad job in the end and the price was right.

The varnish trick on the masking tape paid of.

The dark grey paint colour is far to dark for this aircraft.

Looks better on the paper printed runway.

Still missing the SAM's.

Nice shot of the on the runway.

Another view of the cockpit.

This has taken a long time to post from finishing to blog but he ho. I have anther of these kits and I will be doing anther build.

Thanks for looking and any comments more than welcome.

Italeri M4 sherman fast build tarp how to.

Hello all,

I have finally got off my arse and did the tarp over the stowage of this Pacific Sherman. I thought I might as well show you how I did it. I used white tissue paper, PVA glue, fly brown wash and Tamiya weathering powder.

fist I cut a piece of tissue paper about 3CM X 3CM.

Then with a bit of watered down PVA glue on one side of the paper.

Then lay it over the area in a not so neat or straight angle.

Once dried, I gave it a coat of Panzer aces old wood.

Again once the old wood had dried (oohh eeerrr) and quick wash of flory modeller dirt brown was applied.

Then (again) once the wash had dried a light brush of Tamiya weathering powder sand.

Final picture, what do you all think?

I reckon these could be used in a dio with the Sherman?

Well that's it, I finally got off my arse and did it! all I have to do now is the base and mad Japanese soldier with a bomb on a stick!

Thanks for looking and any comments more than welcome!

Italeri fast build M4A3 1/72 WIP

HI all,

It's been a very a very long time since I have posted anything let alone build anything!my life has been very mad over the last year or two and not in a good way, but never mind that I have now found my hairy sticks again.

I tried to build this M4 in the style of a Pacific variant with scratch built wooden side skirts and stowage on the engine deck.Now the question is should I cover the stowage with a tissue paper tarp? I don't think it looks right just "sat" there.

The Sherman was painted using a rattle can and MiG pigments dusted over with Tamiya weathering powders, I do like the subtle smoke on the gun barrel.please be gentle as I'm not quite back in the groove of model making and still trying to get my mojo back!

Thanks for looking and look forward to any advice.
Cheers Rich.

Italeri Hawk MK100 1/72 WIP.

Hello all,

Here is a build of an Italeri Hawk 100 that I picked up for about £4 in the local hobby shop that I finally got around to building.

I find building the cockpit and painting the inside of the cockpit the most off putting bit of a plane build, once I have got this bit out of the way its no problems, just need that kick up the arse.

I have tried dry brushing panels and tried just spots of paint and this is the method I went for on this one.

The seat belts are a bit of a let down , but that was more to do with beer again than anything else to be fair.

I do like the red trigger button on the control column, not sure if it correct or if I have been watching too much "Top gun".

Here it is in position to give a better idea of how it fits in.

I have jumped a bit in the build, I will tell you about the nose wait tomorrow.

I will fill you in on how it went tomorrow!

PLEASE CLICK ON IMAGES FOR A LARGER VIEW AND ANY COMMENTS MORE THAN WELCOME.

Cheers for looking,   Rich.

Revell Warrior MCV 1/72

Hello all,

This is the Revell offering of the Warrior MCV without the add on armour. If  you are lucky enough to get one get it, if not you will have to wait till the Trumpeter kit turns up. I have had this kit at a near completion for I reckon two years nearly and finally got around to weathering and basing it.

I don't normally like track and link builds but this one was not to bad to work on.

The figure is from CMSC or Kingfisher as they are now known, and the Ariel's are from copper wire but I will use paint brush bristles next time.

The AFV was painted in Humbrol 86 light olive for ages, but it didn't look right in plain olive green so out came the black and it was worth the hassle.



The mud look was a combination of Tamiya mud stick, Tamiya weathering powder and airbrushing.
The stowage can from the spares box.

The base has had an outing before, but space is a t a premium so I will have to make do.

The colour is a good choice in my eyes so I bought a couple of pots because I know for a fact they will stop making it.

Not a bad build in the end, took a while to do mind you but that was my fault, my aim is to build my only add on armour in the UN colours of the Balkans mission.

PLEASE CLICK ON IMAGES FOR A LARGER VIEW AND ANY COMMENTS MORE THAN WELCOME!

Cheers for looking,    Rich.

Matador models WWII RAF pilot 1/72.

Hello all,

 Just a quickie  tonight. This was knocked up for a competition but decided to go with something else instead. I think that He would look good in front of a spitfire or hurricane on a nice green airfield.
I picked up this set at Poole vikings model show and wished I had bought a couple of other set as well.

This bloke took about half an hour to paint.

The yellow on the Mae west behaved itself  after a second coat.

There was a little bit of flash on this bloke but even though it was a metal figure the knife sorted most of it out.

I had a bash at doing a shoulder patch with a eagle on a blue patch.

Should have based him on grass and posted the picture, I suppose it would mean I have to build that spit I have in the stash.

I like this figure but not as much as the entry so watch this space!

PLEASE CLICK ON IMAGE FOR LARGER VIEW AND ANY COMMENTS MORE THAN WELCOME.

Cheers for looking,   Rich.