Barry's Modelling Corner

17/03/2023

04/02/2023

The Turtle was built and designed in 1775 by David Bushnell, and was the first submersible used (unsuccessfully) in combat. It’s an interesting story which is well-documented on the net, so I won’t lengthen this post by going into it here.

Bushnell’s Turtle captured my interest several years ago. I’ve seen kits made by cottage manufacturers that were okay-ish but still looked a bit crude, so I passed. When I saw this kit by Mousemuffins Design, I couldn’t resist picking it up. I’m glad I waited, because this thing is wonderful!

This is the first full 3D-printed kit I’ve built and it’s impressive all-around. The printing is flawless with scan lines so faint they’re almost imperceptible. Included is a small fret of photoetch, clear portholes, rope and brass rod. No decals are provided (because really, what would be needed…a “how is my driving” sticker?) Instructions were provided on the site vs being included in the rather unique laser-cut wooden box. A good choice as the box is small, and folded paper crammed inside could end up damaging the delicate parts.

Fit is exceptional. The only adjustment I had to make was a light sanding around the perimeter of the clear portholes, as they were very snug and I didn’t want to risk damaging the upper hull by pressing too hard. Metallic surfaces were represented using Model Master Metalizers and some Alclad II. I used oils for the hull exterior and interior bench as they’re perfect for wood finishes, very workable and versatile. I made the base using the plastic surround from a discarded car speaker, the top of which I covered in sheet styrene. Mounts for the hull halves are modified parts that I pulled from my spares bin.

Mousemuffins Design was a one-person operation run by Craig Clark. Sadly, Craig passed away last month. I had limited communications with him, but from Craig’s words and the work he put out, it was very apparent he took great pride in what he did. His death and the closing of Mousemuffins Design saddens me and is a great loss. I feel very fortunate to have the opportunity to own one of his kits. It’s not only a wonderful representation of an historical subject, but also of the passion in which one person lived his life. Rest peacefully Craig.

11/12/2022

This will be a long post but there’s lots to catch up on.

Well, over a year later and at long-last the Javelin AMX Pro Stock is finished. This has been without question the most laborious and challenging build I’ve had to date. Not so much due to the kit itself (being a Johan release I was prepared to deal with fit issues and some basic details that could be improved upon). But because pretty much anything that could go sideways did, at every step along the way. If I wasn’t so stubborn you wouldn’t be seeing this right now, but I refused to give in no matter what it took. Gotta admit there were times I questioned whether I’d see it through to the end.

Rather than go on about what went wrong I’ll mention a few main points of the build:

•The firewall and radiator walls needed to be widened with strip styrene to meet the inner sides of the body. I wasn’t concerned enough about doing the same with the wheel wells to put in that extra effort, although it would have looked better

•I removed some heavy locating tabs on the front bumper which weren’t really necessary, and also removed a molded-in “wall” that was blocking the radiator. My goal for the engine bay was not to make it particularly accurate, just clean and more visually plausible

•The sides of the interior tub and chassis had strip styrene added to bring them flush against the body

•It was evident from measuring the rear spoiler that the “You’ve Been Zapped” decal is too tall to fit. I extended the spoiler height, again using strip styrene and putty

•The kit is 48 years old, so the decals took a lot of care bordering on surgical work to salvage them. A test showed that they would (not surprisingly) shatter in water. I airbrushed several mist coats of Games Workshop clear satin, followed by a heavier coat straight from the can and let it sit for several days. It was then necessary to cut out each decal individually, standard practice when clear-coating decals. After dipping in water they refused to release from the backing. So I had to peel back the paper as close to each decal as possible with a new blade then gently rub away the remaining paper from the inner surface using a damp cotton swab. I applied Tamiya’s Markfit setting solution to the inner surface of each decal, to the location on the car it was being applied to and then overtop once positioned in place and rolled over with a damp cotton swab

I didn’t take progress shots along the way. To be honest I was finding the process of taking pics, uploading and creating a post for each was becoming more of a chore than anything during my builds and was taking some enjoyment out of it. Feels like a somewhat selfish decision, because I realize they could potentially be of help to someone. But this is first and foremost supposed to be an enjoyable hobby; if something detracts from that and we have a way to lessen it, it makes sense to me to do that. For the most part this will be my approach moving forward, but I’ll definitely share as much as I can about how I arrived at the final result with anyone who is interested in reading or asking.

In the time between my last post and this one, I completed several models. I’ll be posting them in the weeks to come, so stay tuned!

25/10/2021

I wasn't able to add photos to the previous post, so here they are.

25/10/2021

Remember in my first post I mentioned that I bought this kit sealed but wasn't sure whether it had been done at the factory or at some point along the way? Well, whether it wasn't included or I somehow misplaced it, I have not been able to find the rear spoiler. No other choice but to make one.

The spoiler is a challenge because it angles from the centre point, sweeping slightly forward and is concave on both sides. I chose some reference pics from the net and carefully mapped out the dimensions with thin strip styrene. I did this to give the edges a crisp finish.

Then, I prepared some Green Stuff putty and contoured it to shape. When it was dry I applied a thin layer of Tamiya putty and finely sanded it smooth, followed by Mr. Surfacer 1500. This was a process of switching back-and-forth, sanding and re-applying because the green putty didn't react well in spots to being sanded. Partly because there were small areas where the blue and yellow putty weren't mixed completely.

After several days of work the spoiler was as good as I feel I can get it, not 100% smooth but close. Then...disaster! Okay I'm being dramatic. But I came to the realization that even though the spoiler seems to me proportionately correct, it's too small to take the height of the kit decal (which reads "You've Been Zapped"). Disappointing but not the end of the world; my main reason for buying this kit was to take another shot at it since building it as a teenager and get the paint looking much better than I did back then.

And so, here we are. After much fussing cleaning up the spoiler I airbrushed the entire body Badger Stynylrez grey, and gave it a coat of Tamiya fine white primer this afternoon. I'll let it dry overnight, then the next step will be to airbrush a colour coat of Tamiya's LP-80 flat white lacquer paint. Stay tuned!