As scale modelling goes, it’s been a really weird year with everything going on with the Coronavirus. It has been an absolute nightmare for everyone. It should have given me a ton of free time to make models, which I have been doing to be fair, but I haven’t actually finished many models. I seem to just constantly start new projects. I think currently I have about 22 wips on the bench.
Models that I’m working through and I’m constantly starting new ones. So I thought I’d just give you guys an update of what I’m working on right now and what you can expect to see come in between now and Christmas.
Firstly I decided to get my craft room in order, so I picked up a couple of storage units from Ikea and a load of empty mushroom containers from work and got to organizing my model stash and my works in progress. Also, I have all my reference books in one place now.
Now everything is stacked neatly and labelled which makes things so much easier to find.
So I’ve been doing The Cars The Star thing, that is really an idea where I wanted to learn some new skills and improve my technique and come outside of my comfort zone. With my comfort zone being military models. The idea is to work on tons of cars and just, you know, learn about airbrushing, learn about gloss finishes, practice masking and just get that really nice clean finish that you need on a scale model car.
So as it stands at the moment, I got around to finishing my rusty Mustang. So here’s a picture of that and a link to the full report on that one.
Monogram 125th 1966 Ford Mustang GT-350H Step By Step Full Build
I’ll probably come back and edit this page at a later date to link to all the finished projects. So right now I have finished the Mustang also the Mazda MX-5. That guy was a little bit of a learning process with the glossing, stripping paint and respraying.
Tamiya 124th Eunos Roadster Step By Step Full Build
Finished off two VW Beetles, an Afrika Korps one and a modern Era Beetle.
MPM Productions 135th Volkswagen Typ 87 Step By Step Full Build
I’ve started to get into a couple of group builds and haven’t finished them, of course! I’d started on this Mustang and had to strip the paint a couple of times and it’s still a huge learning process with airbrushing and gloss finishing. So that guy is on the back burner at the minute. I have built the engine up nicely though. I’ve inserted some ignition cables and everything. So it looks pretty good so far.
Also, apart from that, I’ve been working on my Kublewagon, which is a ton of photo-etched parts, which really does my head and my eyes in. So again that is a real slow build.
I’m working on the Tamiya Shwimmerwagon. I’m doing this one as an Allied one. One that has been captured, resprayed and being used by the U.S Army.
Also on the car front, I’m working on a Nissan Sylvia from Tamiya, a simple one just to practice some paintwork and masking.
This little Toyota Corolla World Rally Championship car was really to practice masking and applying a ton of decals.
Made a slow start on the Tyrrell Six Wheeler F1 car.
And finally, I have a Rolls-Royce Phantom II. It’s going to be a real slow build. I’m gradually building it a bit here and there and I want to try loads of different things. Literally, I have only just got the paint colour on the bodywork and started out building the chassis on that guy. I wouldn’t expect to see this completed anytime soon!
I’ve built a Meng World War Toons Pinky Sherman for The Sam. She saw a picture of it online and loved it. So I had to get that and make it for her.
Meng Model M4A1 Sherman Pinky World War Toons Step By Step Full Build Video
I had a few other kits in the stash away from the Car models as well just so I could get back to doing what I really love doing. So a couple of these kits. A Demag D7 halftrack and a T55. I don’t have the tracks for the T55 at the minute, but I’m going to get some. They were both already started models that I picked up secondhand. I’ve been working through them.
I bought four kits at the start of the lockdown
The 1/700 Titanic kit. I have the 1/400 kit, but I didn’t want to get started on that. I wanted to practice on something first. So I thought I’d practice on this one, sort of understand how the ship is put together and just practice some of the techniques like rigging and some of the masking. That’s coming along nicely. I should be done soon.
I bought a space shuttle Atlantis. I’ve got to be honest. It’s one of the worst fitting models I’ve ever built but I’m persevering. That’s another slow burner. I kind of do a little bit of that at a time.
I picked up from Revell a Type 7 U Boat. I built one of these several years ago, and it was really enjoyable. So I wanted to get it again and see if I could do a better job on it this time around.
For another group build, I picked up the Tamiya Type 97 Japanese tank from the Second World War. Of course, I missed the cut off date for that build as well, but it’s coming along nicely. It’s built and been sprayed up with primer and now I’m ready to move on to the next stage and start getting some colour down.
Finally, the Huey helicopter UH1 just as a quick build. The scale is not perfect on it, but it’s a nice little kit. I made mistakes and of course, I didn’t lighten my olive drab paint enough. So once it was varnished it came out really dark. But you know it is what it is you live and you learn!
I’ve started on the Battle of Berlin box. First off the T34-85 Russian tank. I’m soon going to be starting on the King Tiger, but I want to do it as one that is straight from the factory with the red primer on it, so that’s waiting to be started!
I’ve also crept on with the Ot 26 Russian flamethrower tank that I picked up from the Zveda, it has been quite a quick build.
A Revell Harbour Tug Boat took my fancy next. I just thought it was such a cute little model as well as that we are onto some of the revell Star Wars models quick little builds stuff. I started on the Millennium Falcon and the Star Destroyer.
As well as that I’ve still got loads of models in partial stages of the build. I’ve got the half-track with the anti-aircraft gun and back.
I’ve got the key to the Tiger tank.
We’ve got a bf109 1/48 scale Messerschmitt from Academy
There’s a German Scout car that’s on the way.
I’m just trying to think now of some of the things, Oh! a Space Marine Predator Tank. I’ve made a start on it so I’ve got to start painting.
On top of that I’ve just this literally this week started on the Mistercrarft Alfa Romeo Alfetta. So yeah, there’s so much on the go at the minute.
I’m hoping gradually I will finish off at least one model a week up until Christmas, maybe a couple! If I can do that I will be very happy.
So that’s how my builds are going. I’m glad if you’ve been keeping up with me. The YouTube channel is starting to pick up a little bit and I’m trying to do some more stuff on there. With all these models and builds at the minute, I’m trying to do a little video log as well as I go along building them just to show you what processes I go through and how they come together.
As always the model stash continues to grow. So this is my latest mail call. You can see some of the bits and pieces there. I’ve picked up a new set of Cutters and these are so much nicer than my other ones. They are actually for electricals but work perfectly for scale modeling. I’m going to put a link below. I’ve picked up a few really simple model tank kits and also some of this water acrylic stuff from AK as I want to do something with maybe the tugboat, in a diorama or something. I want to try out these Xtreme metal paints from AK. From what I’ve seen and heard they look awesome.
So until next time thanks for checking me out and Happy modeling.