Medway Modellers at the RE Museum

Yesterday I went to the RE Museum in Chatham for the second time this year.This time though I was there to see the Medway Modellers display their magnificent kits and scratch built models. Kit building takes modelling skills to a whole different level and I was genuinely in awe of the quality of some of the vehicles on display. 

Lots of kit vehicles by a wide range of manufacturers

I particularly like the tanks (of course) but its also interesting to see the innovative materials sometimes used by kit builders...such as this block of foam for the base. 

Sailing ships with rigging are always impressive...

...but this camouflaged model of the Olympic was mid boggling in its detail.  

I also rather likes this Desert diorama

This model is actually several kits used together with a significant amount of scratch building to make the trailer.

An Italian SM79 Bomber...another rather nicely done model

Tanks with some amazing camo and weathering

Another example of the hyper realistic weathering  

British Officer from the Zulu Wars

There was even a wargame on display...just the one.

The Royal Engineers Museum is always worth a visit but this event made the venue even more interesting. 

Hornby Visitor Centre

The third museum I managed to fit into our recent short holiday was the Hornby Visitor Centre (thanks to Fraxinus for telling me about this). This compact collection features some rare products from the Hornby, Scalextric, Airfix and Corgi archives that will be sure to unearth some cherished childhood memories.

Meccano - At one time it seemed as if every boy in Britain had some

Scalextric was another childhood favorite and there was a big track set up for visitors to play with...great fun!

I had some of these Scalextric Mini's as a kid

All about Humbrol. Not my paint of choice today but it was the first paint I used on my mini's back when I started.

Airfix Lancaster in trouble

A large diorama featuring several Airfix kits showing a Lancaster crew being rescued after ditching 

Plans and materials for a new kit

The tool for injection molding a new kit

There is also a lot of Hornby trains and track on display here (not surprisingly) 

This was an interesting collection and well worth taking the time to visit. I was never much into railways or train sets but if that is your 'thing' you'll love this collection. But with a range of Meccano, Airfix and Scalextric toys on display there is probably something here for everyone. 

Airfix Model Workshop

I don't know about you but when I was a kid it was common for parents to buy their children Airfix or Revell kits of aircraft or such like to build. For a while though it seemed as if this sort of present had gone out of fashion in favour of toys with a much more 'instant' appeal. But lots of plastics companies (especially Armourfast and Airfix) have cottoned onto the clever idea of hosting free model workshops at game shows or living history events. I suspect that for many of the kids taking part this will be their first encounter with a traditional model kit and (guiltily) I have to admit that's certainly true for both my children. 

On Sunday I took the whole family to Duxford, and as in previous years Airfix were there offering a chance for kids (and their parents) to build a model for free, and even paint it if they wanted to. We arrived quite early to get a good parking spot so we had a couple of hours to kill before any of the flying displays started and so decided to head over to the Airfix stand to build ourselves a model aeroplane. 

The Young Padawan carefully clips a small part from the sprue. She did most of the work herself, I just 'interpreted' the instructions and helped with the fiddly bits. 

Both daughters (and my eldest's boyfriend) built a model and were kept happily amused for nearly an hour. 

She went on to paint her finished model and was even given a box to bring it home in. Not bad considering this very kit was being sold for £8.00 in the museum shop!

I haven't done a lot of modelling or painting over the last few weeks but this was a nice chance to 'indulge' myself while also passing on a few skills to the kids. 

Airfix Magazine Guide - 8th Army in the Desert

When I was at the Military Vehicle Day at Duxford on Sunday I bought several relatively low priced books. One of my best purchases was an old Airfix Magazine Guide about the 8th Army in the Desert. Written by John Sanders and first published in 1976 this copy is in excellent condition with just a slight fading of the colour on the spine of the book. I've seen this on sale before with prices ranging from relatively low up to about £20, I bought mine for a mere three quid and I'm really chuffed with it. 

These guides were aimed specially at the needs of modellers and wargamers and I suspect that most old Grognards have at least one book from the series in their collection somewhere. Despite its age I can't fault the book for its contents, which seem quite detailed in a concise sort of way. Within its hard backed 64 pages there are ten chapters and dozens of B&W line drawings and photo's, every one of value to the modeller and wargamer. 

Ch. 1 - The Campaign

Ch. 2 - Organisation and Signals

Ch. 3 - Tactics

Ch. 4 - Armour

Ch. 5 - Infantry

Ch. 6 - Artillery and engineers

Ch. 7 - Lines of communication

Ch. 8 - Dress

Ch. 9 - Camouflage and Markings

Ch.10 - Modelling

This really is an excellent little resource and definitely worthy of a place on my list of books that I think are essential reading for anyone that wants to recreate the North Africa Campaign on the tabletop.

Airfix P-51D Mustang

I recently bought an Airfix Minikit while I was at the Rampage show a week ago. This is a 1:100 scale painted model that just requires assembly. I bought this model on a whim, just to give it a try, and I quite enjoyed putting it together.

The models come pre painted but you have to be a little careful when cutting them from the sprue. Small areas may need a little touch up of paint if you've been a bit slopping cutting it out. I also found it useful to be very sparing with the glue as any that got on fingers soon eneded up on the outside of the model. Having said that the build was very easy indeed and the whole thing took less than an hour to assemble.

1:100 scale models are almost perfect for 15mm wargaming much better than the 'official' FOW aircraft scale of 1:144 which comes up a bit small looking. This range of models also includes the P-47D Thunderbolt which would fit nicely into my US Flames of war forces, providing some much needed air support.

Airfix Tiger

This week I've been tinkering with an Airfix model. This is something I haven't done in many many years. As a kid I was never very good at fixing the models together and always seemed to get covered in glue as soon as I looked at the tube. None the less, like many men my age, I have fond memories of building and playing with my Airfix models. So when I got the chance to pick up a model Tiger Tank I couldn't resist.

I bought this particular kit while I was at Duxford last week (The irony of buying a tank model at an air show hasn't eluded me). There was an 'Airfix' tent amongst the traders where eager fathers tried in vain to get their iPod wearing, Social Networking, techno kids to tune out for half an hour and make a model. The heady fumes of Polystyrene Glue wafted out the tent door and many a '40 something' could be seen wandering into the tent with a far away smile on their faces.

I was one of them, and enjoyed my brief visit to this tent enormously. Just as I was leaving I saw the boxed Tiger Tank and knew "it must be mine"! Its a 1:76 scale recreation of the infamous Tiger I as it appeared in 1942. There are two sets of water decals inside the box and a comprehensive set of instructions.

I've made a bit of a mess gluing it together but it was fun non-the-less. The most difficult part was putting together the multiple layers of road wheels. The whole job took about an hour and half to put together, although it is far from complete. I didn't do a great job of building the rest of the tank and gaps are showing in several places. I'll have to use a bit of gap filler to clean up these areas before having a go at painting it.

I doubt if this model will ever make the display shelf but it has been great fun to play around with and has brought back a lot of childhood memories.

Applying Water Based Decals

I’m in the process of applying decals to several vehicles and thought it was long overdue that I discuss how to do this. Now I’m not an expert by any means, and my experience is limited to the water based ‘slide’ decals that one associates with Airfix Kits (also known as ‘Transfers’) and the type sold by Battlefront for their FOW vehicles. I’ve also bought several other types from other manufacturers but always the water based variety because these are what I am familiar with. Over the years I have encountered several problems when trying to handle and apply these often small and temperamental details. So here’s my troubleshooting guide to applying decals.

Planning the Job

Take a few moments to decide what decals are being applied and where they will be positioned. This is a fiddly job so the more organised you are the easier it will be. You will need several tools before you start, including a sharp knife, tweezers, q-tips, tissue paper, gloss varnish and setting solution (described below). You will also need a shallow bowl - I use a ramekin dish - with warm distilled water.

Prepare the surface

Decals applied directly to a Matt surface can develop a silvery sheen. This is caused by micro bubbles between surface imperfections in the paint and the decal. There are two solutions to this problem. First you could use a Decal-setting solution which softens the decal allowing it to bind more closely to the surface. However setting solutions can cause decals to melt if they are too strong, which could be a problem if you use decals from different manufacturers. The second option, and the one I use, is to use a gloss varnish on the area where the decal is to be applied. Once dry it provides a smooth surface for the decal to adhere to and prevents silvering.

Releasing the Decal

First I cut the individual decal out from the sheet leaving enough backing paper around the decal to hold with tweezers. Soak the decal in WARM water for just 10-15 seconds then take out of the water and wait another 30 seconds. The Adhesive binding the decal to the paper should now have dissolved and the decal can be applied. Soaking too long in cold water runs the risk the decal will separate and end up floating in your water.

Bubbles

Sometimes large visible bubbles can ruin a decal. At the application stage bubbles can usually be brushed away (hold the decal in place with a cotton bud or blunted toothpick then brush the bubble towards the nearest edge). If a bubble is detected on a dry decal the only solution is to pierce the bubble with a pin or knife and smoothing with a damp brush. Weathering (see below) and varnishing can cover up smaller bubbles.

Excess water

I usually wet the surface before application to make it easier to reposition the decal. Once in position though it is necessary to remove as much excess water as possible and start the drying process allowing the decal to adherer. A dry brush tip can be used to draw off excess water, or for larger areas a dry cotton bud or q-tip. Another option is to use the corner of a piece of tissue paper. Whichever method you use be careful not to touch the decal at this point because it will not have adhered to the surface yet and could be moved.

Cracked Ink

I have found that decals often vary in quality from one manufacturer to another. Think decals can sometimes crack or split when applied on uneven or curved surfaces. If this happened the modeller has only two options. Either remove and replace the decal before it dries, or paint over the decal filling in the gaps. For simple decals like American Stars or Balkan Crosses this can be quite straightforward but is a nightmare for complex unit insignia.

Deep surface detail

In real life unit or national insignia were often applied across door breaks and engine covers etc. It may be necessary to apply a decal across a deep grove or other large surface detail which can use creases or bubbles. The best solution is to use a sharp knife to score the decal once it is in place. The knife needs to be sharp because the last thing you want is to move the decal as you drag a blunt blade through it. Apply a small amount of setting solution to ‘melt’ the decal into the grove or around a bolt etc.

Adhesive Stains

Some decals have more adhesive biding them to the backing paper than others. Sometimes this adhesive is not entirely dissolved when the decal is applied and creates a ‘stain’ on the model surface. These can usually be removed by wiping the area with a wet brush or q-tip but again, be careful not to touch the decal and accidentally move or damage it.

Seal in Place

I always varnish my models to make them durable when handling but even if you don’t do this you should consider applying a gloss varnish over the decal. This softens the raised edges and blends them into the paint job. Additional weather can be added over the top of this coat to further blend the decal into the model. Finally I apply Testors Dulcoat over the whole model to create a uniform surface.

I hope you've found this guide useful, and of course if you have any other suggestions or tips I'd love to hear them (this dog likes to learn new tricks). There are also several other guides online that you can refer to such as the Flames of War guide to Decals and Doctor Faust's Painting Clinic.

Biggest Airfix Ever

This programme is still on BBC iPlayer and well worth watching if you have time.

Plastic Miniatures

28mm Plastic miniatures seem to have come of age recently. Or maybe they have been for some time and I’ve only just noticed. Either way I was struck by the number of manufactures of plastic figures that seem to have sprung up recently.
Most non-gamers would associate plastics miniatures with companies like Revel or Airfix. Within the hobby (or within my limited view of it anyway) I have long been aware of Games Workshops wide plastics ranges. The quality of these has seemed to get better year after year but of course their ranges have been limited to their core games Warhammer, LoTR and WH40K. But this year I have seen a number of excellent ranges from companies like Victrix, Warlord Games and Perry Miniatures that have used this technology to create high quality plastics ranges for Historical periods. Primary amongst these are Napoleonic, ECW, ACW and Ancients (Imperial Roman/Celts). There are probably more available but these are the ones that I have noticed.

This all creates a bit of a dilemma for me because I am tempted (Oh so tempted) to buy these and start painting like mad. But I have an insurmountable problem before me. Which period to pick? The quality of the models is very high and each army has something to lure me in. My mouth is drooling just thinking about it! I'd love to paint an Imperial Roman army but I also have a keen interest in the American Civil War period. I saw both Victrix and Perry's Napoleonic miniatures in display games at this years Salute and both ranges looked spectacular.

Then of course there's my painting speed (snail paced at best). I'd never get an army finished! Maybe I could focus on just painting a unit, for display purposes... hmmmmm... how much were those boxes again?