Tuesday, January 10, 2023

Scale Modeling Update

Fuji asked recently if I was still into scale modeling, I assured him I was indeed and fully enjoying it. Its a nice creative outlet for me. The last couple of years were pretty productive, mostly because I made it a point to focus on kits I had started in the past but never got around to finishing. So most of the building was already done, I just needed to paint them and do some final assembly. Below are about 2/3 of the kits I finished since my last Modeling Update in October 2020.

Heller 1/75 Santa Maria
I've always loved sailing ships. This one tested my simulated wood finish skills as well as trying to do the rigging.

Aurora 1/80 Roman Bireme Warship
The subject captured my attention the first time I saw this kit. Being an older kit most of the oars were warped.

Revell 1/40 Aerojet General AerobeeHi
Revell put out a series of missile kits in the 60's, all of which are unique subjects.

AMT 1/25 1958 Edsel Pacer
I only built a couple cars as a kid; however, when I started building again several years ago, I immediately took to cars. I like how the tail end of this Edsel turned out.

Testors 1/48 Curtiss R3C-2 Racer
The wire bracing is a little oversize and clumsy, a test of my old eyesight and unstadey hands.

AMT 1/25 1965 Lincoln Continental
A lot of fit problems with this kit, but a fun build, and the result makes for a cool custom car.

Matchbox 1/72 Brewster Buffalo
I built a Buffalo as a teen, and it ended up hanging from my rearview mirror in my first car. After one Summer the wings had warped so much from the heat thay were basically hanging straight down! This one will stay on the shelf.

Matchbox 1/72 Armstrong Whitworth Siskin
Another rigging challenge. I used, for the first time, a product called EZ Line. Its stretchable and adhears quickly with super glue. I'm very pleased with how it came out.

MPC 1/63 X-Wing Fighter
I modified this kit to represent Red Three, the X-Wing flown by Biggs Darklighter, Lukes old friend. Kinda in tribute to my son.


Revell/Monogram 1/25 1939 Chevy Coupe
I bought this kit used, already started, and not started well. We call them"glue bombs". I was able to disassemble it, strip it and rebuild it as a gasser. The decals came from my spares box.

AMT 1/25 International Scout
This was a kit my daughter found for me at her resale shop. I thought a little outside the box with the camo pattern. Actually won me my first award ever in a contest I entered it in.
 
Aoshima 1/72 Seiran
A simple but awesome little kit, and the box art is fantastic.

Unknown (Russian Manu?) 1/72 Vultee Vengeance
Had this one in the stash for a long time. Weird wing design for a dive bomber, but a really cool subject.


Testors 1/35 Horch Command Car
I built two of these in the early 80's, then bought two more for my son and I to build together in the late 90's. We got them started but never finished. I ended up finally completing them both.

AMT 1/25 1923 Ford Model T Delivery
One of my all-time favorite model kits.
I combined this Model T Delivery kit with Model T kit that offers two car versions: you can build a traditional Model T and a custom hot rod. I obviously went for a custom hot rod. It was inspired by an actual hot rod that looks similar.

Lindberg 1/25 '34 Ford Truck
I scratchbuit a new frame, and used the rear wheels from a semi truck kit, to make this into a Rat Rod.

AMT 1/25 '32 Ford Coupe
I bought this used/already built and had to tear it down and strip it so that I could rebuild it as a gasser. First time I tried a method of making the finish look rusty. I used an eyeglass cloth for a tarp to cover the cockpit.

MPC 1/25 Barris T Buggy
A dune buggy modified by the famous customizer George Barris to look like a Model T Delivery van. The VW engine in the back had some pretty small parts, and the suspension parts were really brittle. It was a challenging build.

And thats it. I hope you enjoyed seeing some of the kits I've knocked out.




11 comments:

  1. I am amazed at the expertise shown in building and replicating the little details shown in these models.

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  2. Really nice work! I dream of owning a real Edsel some day. The ships are really impressive. I have a couple in my stash but I'm scared to attempt the rigging.

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    1. Thanks. I know how you feel about the rigging. Just gotta go for it.

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  3. There's a lot of neat stuff here, but none more so than your Santa Maria. That's just awesome!

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  4. Thanks. I'm much more confident in rigging now!

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  5. These are fantastic! I was going to say the Santa Maria was my favorite... until I saw the X-Wing and the tribute to your son. I think it's really cool that you were able to finish off some of the sets that you and your son started. Thank you for taking the time to show off all of these wonderful models.

    P.S. The "rust" paint job is fantastic.

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  6. Excellent work sir! Thank you for sharing.

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