Musings, reflections and self-arrogance from the now-former editor of a small weekly newspaper, And, occasionally, even something interesting!
posted by Frontier Editor at 22:20
Fourteen years in the journalism biz, but don't let that stereotype about commie pinko bleeding heart liberal journalists fool you - I manage to disappoint conservatives and liberals alike. Whatever happened to common sense and rational thought? At least I'm not a neo-fascist, neo-Nazi or other political extremist. In fact, just about my entire political, social and metaphysical outlook can be explained in the movie "Blazing Saddles." My journalistic idols? Carl Kolchak (thus the profile pic) and Irwin M. Fletcher. As for my professional choice, it beats retail, restaurant management and scrambling around to fund graduate school. I'm also pretty smug after 30 years - I knew back in 1976 that everyone else would come around and agree with me that the Electric Light Orchestra was cool. Just listen to those Monster.com, Volkswagen and J.C. Penneys commercials.
30 Comments:
Ah, we all have our vices.
Mind you, mine are actual vices, where as yours is, well, a hobby...
"curses Red Baron..."!
Ah! Would you happen to be a linear thinker? Being one myself, I find that linear thinkers are attracted to such activities! Fascinating to bohemians I tell you, FASCINATING!
"Meet the Fokkers"?
That's a lovely job. Is that a balsa frame model? And why those paint colours particularly?
Fronty, that is class.
I recently bought an old balsa model kit from our local reclamation yard. It is a 60" wingspan Flair Black Magic. I think it was designed just after the war (WWII).
I might have a go at it one day, if I can free up a bit of time from this blogging. I could send it to you instaed, couldn't I.
Ah, Metro, you shouldn't have gotten me started . . .
The basic coloration (blue undersides, streaky green uppers) are Fokker factory standard colors. While it has some pilot's personal markings, I wanted something less garish and more representative.
And it's all plastic, careful finishing, and paint.
Tom, don't get me started . . . .
Ziggi - check your blog. We seem to have a common set of childhood experiences.
Miz B - I doubt I'm all that linear. I rarely use the instructions except as a guide to how I'm going to revise the entire process and scratchbuild half the kit parts to something more accurate.
I have a friend that is into this. I lack the patience to tackle such a project.
It's more than patience sometimes it's knowing when to step back and take a deep breath - this model was done over 8 years.
It shows, too. I sat there squinting at the screen for ages trying to figure out what the prop was made of.
I looked at the struts underneath and thought "balsa"--wow.
Now, though, it's "plastic?--WOW!"
After 30 years, painting wood grain and laminations is a snap >B^D>
Fronty, beautiful piece of work. I built a lot of model airplanes, submarines, cars, etc with my boys when they were little and nothing ever came out anything like this. I really admire your talent.
"I rarely use the instructions except as a guide to how I'm going to revise the entire process and scratchbuild half the kit parts to something more accurate."
You mean instructions have another purpose?
Wonderful work FE ~ have any more to share with us?
my post is just for you ;)
x
I am going to steal this one of these days!
Fronty, how big is the model? Did you have long times away from it over the eight years? How did your wife feel about all that time spent out in the shed with an aeroplane?
I've built this kit four times in the last 32 years. The first time it was produced was in 1959 - three years before I was born.
If 1,000 monkeys typed 1,000 years . . .
Let's just saay I know more about obscure paint, technology, markings and history than I should even care about >B^D> And there's far, far, far better out there than me.
Tom,
It's 1/28th scale - about a foot in wingspan and about 6 inches tall. My wife's learned a long time ago that it's a black art that's far cheaper than booze or prostitutes >B^D>
Carmentza,
One day I sat down a figured something. When I was 18, I built about 20 models a year. Now I finish about 1 every 2 years and that's partly because of my job.
Not much talent to it - just a doing it over and over til it's right.
LE, maybe I'll go photograph some of the storage this weekend.
Metro - the machine gun/emmon can assembly is removable because I had the trmors by the ime I got to that - one day I'm replacing it with some creative brass work once I get my miniature lathe up nd running.
Awaiting - Trust me on this; if you can scrapbook, you can do this.
Completely unrelated to your lovely planes - you're the same age as my husband.
I'm sure you're fascinated by this exciting fact.
Either that means I've struck a chord with you, or you're grossly disappointed with me too . . .
We'll go with the chord, although I hope you don't like Bob Dylan too.
Only 'Tangled Up in Blue'
Laura E - there's more up on the main page
Wow. That is one amazing paint job, and you are FAR, FAR too modest.
I know what I'm talking about, because I won figurine-painting competitions for a few years. And my riding teacher, who was obviously a major influence on my life, showed model horses. They have all the same classes as a regular horse show, only they compete via photographs. If you think dressage is too thrill-a-minute, try model horse showing. At least the trailering fees are cheaper.
Did you ever compete with these? Seriously, that is amazing. I can almost smell the varnish on the prop.
Thanks, Rain. I may even suspend bad jokes for a day or two >;^D>
I never got into IPMS competitions because they were always way too far away for safe transportation, but this creature took a first in a fairly competitive regional contest three years ago.
The prop is the kit part - heavily reshaped and refined, and laminations drawn on with a pencil and shim rig before painting the woodgrain with enamels and watercolor pencils. After that, three dips in Future floor acrylic wax (probably Johnson's Kleer up your way). Finally, a scratchuilt hub plate.
The gunsights are model railroad handwheels. Turnbuckles on the landing gear and center wing strut pylons are also model railroad parts.
The only decals are the imperial insignia, the weight table under the cockpit, and the part serials on the cabane struts. The 'K', 'Kempf' and 'kennscht mi noch?' were photocopied, the paper coated with Post-It adhesive and cut out into masks for spraying. Base underside and light olive green were sprayed, and the streaked finish hand-brushed.
More than you wanted to know, probably
Not more than I wanted to know. Far fewer steps than my own meisterwerks. Sigh, like anyone cares, now that the paint is chipped and everyone has already seen realistic orcs.
*over that!*
Seriously, you used airbrush? This surprises me. And so does aerosol primer; I mean, I always used it, but I always felt totally guilty!
Do you really have to ship the planes to compete now? We used to do it by photos, but that was before Photoshop and Reuters, of course!
Yup, IPMS stll wants to be able to have judges gang rape entries by dental mirror >B^D>
Scroll up to the top of the blog and check out my last figure.
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