SPA Modeler

Frickin' NICE!!!!! WOW man!!!

Yeah that's just a dream shop

Looks great John. There was a dude on one of the 1:1 forums who built a garage and he had a soundproof closet for a compressor and plumbed the entire garage with airlines and quick disconnects. Google Speedy's Garage Shop Build - lot's of videos.

I want that shop.

keavdog wrote:Looks great John. There was a dude on one of the 1:1 forums who built a garage and he had a soundproof closet for a compressor and plumbed the entire garage with airlines and quick disconnects. Google Speedy's Garage Shop Build - lot's of videos.

Sounds like my brother in law’s garage. Except that he didn’t soundproof the compressor closet…

Thanks, guys. The compressor probably will have a little house of it's own, plumbed to three buildings.

The inspectors have come and gone yesterday and today and the framing and roof sheathing inspections are signed off. Feels like I just passed a checkride with the FAA, good feeling! Might be time for a party, except that it's supposed to rain Saturday and I need to get the roof underlayment up at least.

That's looking really nice John - so is it weather proof now?

Roofing is always fun

So are boils and a locust swarm...

At the moment, I have a tank on my work bench. For the first time in 25 years or more. I've started work on Tamiya's 1/35 M41 Walker Bulldog. That tank was always one of my favorites, just based on its rather "sporty" look. I've had the kit for many years and have almost begun it several times before but now, I'm all in.

Thus far, I've done the road wheels and return rollers and they only require some weathering now. I have attached most of the small parts on the hull and turret and have been working on the "canvas" mantlet cover so often seen on the Bulldog. The kit instructions have a "tutorial" on making one from the box-wrap cellophane, involving two different sized threads, etc. I tried to replicate my cover with PVA-soaked tissue. I've used that technique before to good effect on tarps but this multi-angled mantlet cover proved much more challenging for me. After several attempts, I've stopped. It's fully painted and weathered, needing only a flat clear coat.

The canvas cover was held in place by steel rods with short clamps; the clamps bolted to the turret top and the rod held the canvas down. I've tried to replicate that with plastic rod and aluminum "clamps". I hope to glue a Grandt Line nut on top of each clamp after I get them glued down. They aren't exact copies of course, but I think they'll look okay when painted in the tank's color. There is one long rod across the top and two shorter assemblies on each vertical side-face. I haven't made the short ones yet.

I'm doing a Bulldog of ARVN forces. They were the ones who used the M41 in combat most and scored several kills against NVA T54/55 tanks. All of the many photos of them in ARVN use show a dark green color, with lot's of mud on the lower surfaces and rather dusty on top. I picked out a darker green last night just to spray up to the canvas to check the contrast. I don't think that's the final shade of green though. I could sure use some suggests in that area. I had a bottle of ModelMaster Dark Green enamel that seemed pretty close to the photos, but it had turned to gel.

Here are a few pics to demonstrate my progress after a few days of sporadic activity. It feels good to see something taking shape and I hope to get some paint on her soon!









Here's the cover before any painting was tried:









This is a bit truer color, with no additional lighting at all:



That's all I have so far folks! Thanks for having a look at the Bulldog's progress!