Saturday 24 November 2007

The Obsession Begins..

An internet enquirer recently asked me what I did for a living, when I was not making models. The answer is - make models! This is my profession, my job, and it pays the bills.
When I was six, my grandad bought me my first 'Fixit' kit, a 1:600 scale Airfix Destroyer. I was hooked. At 2 shillings for an Airfix kit in a bag and sixpence for a tin of paint, I could do a lot of damage for five bob! As I got older, I did develop the occasional tangential interest in the opposite sex, and cars, as men will, but models have been the one consistency in my life. Usually model-building and women do not go well together - something about the dust and the bits of sprue that end up in a shoe, and the glue on my clothes. Women want ALL your time and attention, and I have another mistress.
My wife, however, is different. She does not consider my model-building to be her arch-nemesis. In her view, when I'm working, she knows exactly where I am. I am allowed to rub down joints and seams in the living room, on the settee, whilst watching TV. She is a woman to be worshipped and cosseted. She has just got her degree, First Class with Honours, and I have been able to reward her support for me with the same encouragement and belief in her.
This year, for the first time, I have moved into a room which is purpose-designed for model-building, with an array of work benches and light points, and endless storage for books and equipment. I am a lucky man.

Monday 5 November 2007

The decals are a bit unresponsive and just want to lie there. However, a bottle of decal setting solution and a little persistence ensures a proper fit.
A second coat of gloss varnish now seals the decals and the following day it's ready to have its panel lines inked in. A medium brown matt paint was used for this job, and the panel lines are mostly deep enough to be effective.
Moving swiftly on, it's time for the final varnish stage where the gloss gives way to matt. This blends in the assorted textures on the model. The uniformity of finish really brings it all together. On drying out thoroughly, the model is ready to accept the balance of the parts. This was mostly accomplished without incident.
I decided to fit all of the underwing stores including two 250lb bombs, eight five inch HVARs and a 150 gallon drop tank. The rockets have their pylons moulded on, so may not be fitted separately. They are not a great moulding, but a good job can really make a difference.

Before closing, I must say that the undercarriage assembly is about the best moulding I've seen in this class - crisp detail and a positive fit. It can all be installed towards the end of the build, contrary to advice given in the instructions.
It's taken around 28 hours to complete. A very enjoyable 28 hours. There were some fit problems here and there and a couple of areas requiring filler, but these are minor problems, and a first timer would have no difficulty in building a lovely representation of this great aircraft.

Sunday 28 October 2007


There are fine gaps remaining which I filled with Kristal Kleer. The model builds up quickly, and mostly problem-free. A note on the engines: I drilled holes at regular intervals in to the crank case into which I cemented copper wire. I also drilled plug holes into the cylinder heads. The result - a very convincing engine ignition harness. Likewise with the landing gear, the addition of brake pipes can make a lot of difference. In the case of the F7-F, these are moulded onto both gear legs. From here I moved onto undercoat and pre-shading, after which a couple of days were set aside to allow adequate drying. The top coat was a mixture of black and tan. This produces a warm or 'light' black that allows the earlier shading to show through.


Twenty four hours later and the surface is dry enough to accept panel toning and exhaust stains. Because the paint is applied in such small amounts, it's dry enough to have a decent layer of gloss varnish. It doesn't need to be a piano finish, but smooth enough to allow decals to go down well.

Friday 26 October 2007

I'm working on the F7-F-3N Tigercat in 1/48 scale. Why choose this one? The aircraft was developed too late to see service in WWII, and only saw limited service in Korea as a nightfighter/ground attack plane. It was heavily armed and fast, and purely from an aesthetic point of view, it's big and meaty!
For those of us with one or two grey hairs, this was a new tool nearly twenty years ago when it was released by AMT. It was a nice blend of Monogram style and detailed interior with finely engraved panel lines. A right good boxful of plastic for about fifteen quid. I built three in the first year of release. Now it's out under the Italeri name, who've changed very little - notably, the rubber tyres are now plastic.



The main centres of detail are the crew positions of course, the landing gear bays and the lovely engine. These areas are really very good and it's worth taking the time to add a little extra detail and fine paintwork. The fuselage is a good fit, but weight needs to be added to the nose to avoid tail sitting, although an integral oil drum/wooden crate assembly is included to prop up the tail if you prefer. I like to add a short length of curtain weight - very effective and it adds to the heft of the finished model too. The part fit is generally very good, my only concern centreing on attaching the engine/landing gear nacelles. These had to be braced with cocktail sticks while being pressed in to position.
More to come later.


Monday 1 October 2007




Here's a couple of photos of the Trumpeter 1/48 Wyvern, the early version. It was a terrific kit and I enjoyed building it. Excellent detail and very interesting propeller section. All in all a great build.



Thursday 13 September 2007


Just a word on the wish list. MPM have just released a P39 in 1/32 scale. Uncanny or just good luck? You decide - I'm off to buy one.
We all know that Trumpeter has had a huge influence on large scale modelling, but it was Tamiya and Hasegawa who showed the way, offering great value wartime fighters and big jets. We could build in 1/32 scale for the next five years and only scratch the surface.

I've just ordered the Trumpeter Hellcat and the SBD-3 with the Big Ed set in 1/32, and I'll be adding photos on here of the progress.

Here are some photos of my recent builds. Both are Hasegawa with Aires cockpits and some Eduard additions. Anyone know who flew them?





















Monday 20 August 2007



Since my daughter left home, I've been able to move from a narrow room at the front of the house to this larger, square room at the back. She's very happy living in a flat with her pet rat, Nelson, and I'm very pleased with my dedicated model room. This is where I do most of my construction, and I have another room where I can spray without worrying about paint mist landing everywhere. There's good light from the window to the left in the second photo, and plenty of shelving for prospective builds. I'm looking into building a surface around the other two sides of the room, above the shelving, where I can put my trains. Railway modelling is my genuine hobby - scale modelling has been my job for the last twelve years. I've got plans for an L-shaped layout which can grow and take shape to suit the space. There's no noise back here, except for the duelling magpies in the garden, and if I get too lonely I can take my work into the lounge. How many modellers' wives let them sand and scrape sitting on the sofa? This means I work roughly nine or ten hours most days, but that's fine with me.

Monday 2 July 2007

Welcome to Philmodel's Blog



Blogging may not be seem like a natural extension of the scraping and rubbing down associated with scale modelling, but it seems like an ideal opportunity to get out there and come across like-minded people and share some of my enthusiasm for my life-long hobby I've made into a full-time job. Bear with me as I learn new skills (you can host a photo?) and blunder with my scalpel into the technological ether. If all goes well, I'll be showcasing some of my builds, discussing the pros and cons of new releases and sharing methods and tricks that I've acquired over a lifetime of building scale models. I favour 1/48 scale but have worked in all the alternatives.
Since everything on here is new to me, please allow a little latitude. Feel free to comment on my wish list - some of these kits are in the offing, others will never see the light of day. And if you know better - please let me know.

And if you know of any other modeller's blogs, or have one yourself, do get in touch or leave a comment. Suggestions are welcome.

Phil