Model Kits that you remember

[Silicone Carne]

Originally Posted by 73north

The trick with Models - is put them somewhere peaceful , like your
Study-room ( my 2nd bedroom - which I converted ) or your livingroom
and above all , get them inside a Display Case ( Acrylic are the best type )
so it deters someone trying to touch them ..

why not try again , or if you don't have the time and its something you are interested in ?
get someone to build it for you , for a fee -
if you like I can recommend a couple if you are in the uk ??
( and then get it delivered using a box full of micro poly-balls - so its cushioned from postal transit damage )
just a thought ...

I do have the time actually and I think almost 30 years later that I might have the patience I didn't back in ol'days. And I must admit, there are some model kits that I'd really like to build. Like this submarine from Revell which is not that expensive, looks promising and not that difficult to realize, I guess.



The Revell VIIC/41 U-Boat

I'm not from UK unfortunately and I must admit I'd prefer build the models myself but thanks for the information 73North. I guess I wanna be proud again looking at my creations.

[73north]

excellent news , then for you !
The superb thing for you is that the quality ,variety of model range and above all , the fine plastic detail ( no longer is it chunky raised details ) its far far better now
and above all , the ease or precision of kit parts fitment have dramatically improved since your time - also - slide moulding is the new kid on the block -

this has multiple parts that slide at different angles to the two primary mould halves. They allow detail to be imparted on the parts at different angles than the two surfaces of a standard mold does.
You want a gun barrel with a hollow end for a ship ?
So you want to mold the end of a rifle or gun tube hollow?
Well, you can't with a two piece mold because the part would not "draw," that is, come out of the mold.
You have to put a loose piece in the mold, the slide. When you close the mold, the slide is in the "in" position to mold the hollow end of the tube. After the plastic is injected, you pull out the slide and open the mold - Then you pull out your gun tube with the hollow end ( or gun barrel ) .
that's the great stuff that you will be working with -
I recommend you try a little photo-etch - with scale model ships it really helps !
if you get the time and inclination afterwards - once you have your submarine built
get a BECC Naval Fabric Flag -
and remember TRUMPETER , DRAGON and TAMIYA are the three best Model Ship Companies ,
followed by Merit , Aoshima , Fine Molds , Hasegawa , Pit-Road and Academy
good luck !

[Silicone Carne]

Wow Thanks a lot for all the tips and advice 73north.
Glad to read that there have been some major improvements in quality since the 80s. I'll take a look at all these brands you told me and seek a ship I could build after the U-Boat.
Frankly, there's one model kit I'd love to make. It's the Arcadia Space Ship from Captain Harlock. The Hasegawa one looks fantastic and not that expensive either so it could be a good investment.

https://www.1999.co.jp/eng/image/10321565



I'll keep the thread in touch with my work in progress.

[73north]

Tetra Model 1/350 Vickers Cal.50 Machine Gun (4 Set )

I decided to buy this today - which has a few Photo-etched parts and machined brass parts ( machine gun barrels )
plus a detailed instruction manual over 2 pages -
I need 4 of these for my Trumpeter HMS Repulse Model
( Trumpeter only supply 2 sets in plastic - that will not be used )
- the other 2 sets will be used on the aft Main Mast platform where they were installed in 1938 after the refit -
see my set of pictures of HMS Repulse , where they are clearly visible )

( I got more shifts to work this week and next week for my Occupation -
so decided to splash out today ! )

[73north]

I am pleased to show you my preparatory work today -
- I have got the Trumpeter ' Dry Dock ' Display Stand made ready for use next year , and have used the 2 Silver Pedestal stands that I bought on ebay last year .
I went to a local Metal Engineer Firm and got my 2 Silver Ship Pedestals
ready to fix to the Repulse Kit Hull of my 1/350 HMS Repulse -
ready for early next year .������������

I have used the black plastic Trumpeter Kit Display Stand ( this was strengthened underneath ( my idea ) with
2 Aluminium Base Supports to transfer the weight of the completed Model to the ground surface - rather than just onto two areas ( which might be potentially weak ) of kit plastic of the Kit Dry Dock display stand ( better safe than sorry ) .
I have taken a few photos to show you - note the Silver Pedestals did NOT have any bolts or washers supplied and in fact the 2 original ebay brass screws were not that great - so the new ones are made of Steel = total cost for me £ 18
and I think thats not a bad price for the work involved and the craftmanship . This is British Engineering ���� !!

[pierrelm]

When I was a kid my Dad would arrive home and, if he'd had a bit of overtime, would sometimes produce a plastic model kit from his cycle saddlebag, usually by Airfix, sometimes by Frog or Revell.
In recent years my family have taken all my spare time, but now my kids are in their late teens and mesmerised by their phones, I have some spare(ish) time for myself when I'm not in the garden or running 'Dad's Taxi' service. So, last Christmas, I asked for this:



It's a big beggar. 1/32scale - the Mossie has always been my favourite WWII aeroplane, and I've been down to the excellent DeHavilland Museum outside London to visit the birthplace of this amazingly versatile machine. I've long had an interest in the Mossie and have numerous reference books including inspiring tales of those who flew it.
I won't be able to produce anything like the Tamiya house modellers have done but I have started on the interior and it's a great way of de-stressing up in my mancave of an evening, even if it betrays my somewhat less than sharp eyesight these days. As I make headway I'll try to put a couple of pics up as WIP... it'll be a slow build though!

[73north]

This is more work being completed for use on the Trumpeter 1/350 scale HMS Repulse Model kit next year - the replacement 15 inch Gun Turrets -
from Shapeways




They are far more accurate than the Kit Turrets
They have underside plating at the rear of the Turret
( unlike the Trumpeter kit Turret ) so when you swing the kit supplied turret outboard to pose , you could easily see into the hollow turret at the back of it ....
another HUGE improvement is that you get a proper mounting post
for the Turret to easily rotate - through a hole inside the kit Barbette -
This is far superior to the Trumpeter kit system and more reliable .

I prefered the more costly materials ( Frosted Extreme Detail ) that they were printed with as it shows off their exceptional detail better

Details include:•
3 x Mountings with 6 separate barrels and can be angles as desired
• accurate rivet and hex nut placement
• 15ft rangefinder in B, whilst A and Y Turret have 30ft Rangefinders
• 2 Oerlikon Stands on Y Turret roof and 4x Ready Use Lockers on top of Y Turret Rangefinder
• open rangefinder hatches, Blast bag hood fasteners, accurate venting and access hatches ( which can be SEEN with the naked eye )
• correct Turret curved face geometry (not angular like Queen Elizabeth Class) with splash guard on bottom of A and Y Turret

[73north]

I finally got all the research together to aid the building of the Trumpeter 1/350 HMS Repulse - this photo shows them spread out on my desk

( 1 ) 3 pages from the Polish ' Kagero ' Book on the HMS Repulse
that detail the aft ( rear ) of the ship , where it will make the plans and diagrams so much more clearer ..
especially the Main Mast ( rear ) where the 2 sets of the Vickers 0.5 inch MG guns were located
( 2 ) the Forward Conning Tower Plans , and
( 3 ) page 3 of the ' Flyhawk ' etch instructions for completing that same area - the Conning Tower and Ships Bridge
and got those printed HUGE to aid in getting it built more easily - and save my eyesight -
( 4 ) 4 pages of photographs of the same super-detail Flyhawk etch added to the Repulse Model by another builder ( from internet )
which will help clear up any query from the Flyhawk instructions ...
( 5 ) I finally got printed off the Plan from Raven and Roberts British Battleships of WW2 ( 1976 ) -
of HMS Repulse as she was in 10th December 1941 -
as a final aid to where is all the anti-aircraft armament is located on the ship

[73north]

The final addition - I am getting this super detail kit next week
The Pontos ( 1/350 scale ) from HMS Prince of Wales -
and I am going to ' raid ' it for the deck ventilators ( or mushroom vents )
as the kit vents shown here on the sprue
are just bloody awful and undetailed ( zero detail )
you don't believe me - check parts number 5 on the sprue and look at the brass parts
( best saved to your desktop and zoomed into for better resolution )

This will be my last addition to the kit , as my Big Blue Boy 8 barrel pom-pom set
has arrived yesterday and will be handed over to me tomorrow ( Xmas day )

and now I wish you all a Merry Xmas , and thanks for your kind attention to my Models over the last year ... HMS Repulse will be next in 2018 .

[BustyWomenLovr]

Somewhere I still have an original boxing of the Revell 1/48 Bf 109G circa 1979. And I have one of the recent re-releases of same. Still a good kit, but wow what a price increase! Even counting for the rise of costs of everything, surely the molds have been paid off long ago. Makes getting a new Eduard 109 more appealing, esp when found on sale.
But for Christmas I may have to get myself a Wingnut Wings 1/32 Taube...
What to build on holiday break? WWI, WWII, or jump from aircraft to a UBoat or tank? Hmmm...