K2Pete

Thanx Joe ... but it won't be necessary. I was missing the 2 front RCS housings, #19 and #20 but I've got a kit I cannibalized a few years ago and two #19's were in it, so I'll build up the other one. I've already started on it. Plus the astronauts were missing ... ... this was an unopened kit, so I'm baffled! I may go to TorCan next month and enter a collection of LMs, if you're there you could go home with one under your arm ... you know, for your desk! Maybe see you there! Pete

Your PE LES structure looks pretty dang good! And the added detail on the SLA and IU looks perfect! Question, when I built my 1/48 Apollo 'stack', SLA and up, I couldn't find specific reference for the SLA and IU details. I watched launch videos and took screenshots but couldn't get my -Y and -Z co-ordinate landmarks. What are you using? All the extra detail you're installing makes this model look a lot bigger than 1/144 ... Well Done Randy!! Pete

This is coming along nicely! ... And the "Blarg" ... is that the name of the sanding material? ... those seams will disappear and nobody will be able to tell how much work you put into it to get the seams to go away. It always surprises me just how much better a model looks with a coat of paint on it, eh? I hope you meet your deadline! Pete

I thought I would finish up the LM and work on the Ascent stage ... but, I'm missing a few parts. I looked up Revell USA and they refer me to Revell of Germany for spare parts, however, it seems that this model, judging by the online instruction manual, has been updated and the model is completely different. I may contact RoG anyway but I will probably get a "negatory" on my parts request so I may have to build these parts myself. This new kit though, looks interesting, still inaccurate, but interesting! Pete

I assumed you were quite familiar with an airbrush Manfred! How did you paint the MLP? This method of determining the proper consistency of the paint, seems much too time consuming. Shake the bottle for 3 minutes? My goodness, how much had the paint settled? These bottles look quite small, do they in fact hold 1L of paint? Is there propellant in the bottle too, that requires complete mixing? I'm joking of course ... but if the paint is just a bit too thick, you can increase the compressor's pressure. Plus seeing as this paint is called AIR, I would assume that it's ready to spray with just minor, very minor adjusting. I can tell if the paint is too thick by seeing how it drips off the mixing tool, ( a brush ) and if it's just a bit too thick, I just add a bit more of thinner in my airbrush's paint cup. I hope you won't have to go through this entire process every time you use some of this paint. But thanx for posting this procedure ... it is interesting! Pete

Gee guys ... thanx very much! The 'Black" I used was a mix of Medium Grey and Gunmetal. I base my paint colours on pix from the Lunar surface, and the Blacks are more of a Dark Grey. The chocolate bar wrappers are from Caramilk and Aero bars here in Canada. But the packaging has changed in the last few years so my stash of wrappers is dwindling ... The Porch colour has always baffled me but I referred to Vincent's latest model and he used something like "Tan", which is what I then used. Model Master Tan. Hope this helps gents!

Exactly what I was thinking!!! And you did a terrific job on these bells, both the 3D work and the paint! ... they look GREAT!! Pete

Thanx Mick! The tiny RTG is done and installed And the Descent Stage is just about done. All that's left is the Gold Tape, MESA blankets that are opened, various lanyards, and the like. Small details that won't be installed till the end Quad 4. The Plume Deflectors are just dry fit. Quad 1, LRV Bay with some hardware used to deploy the LRV. The LRV will be the 3D Meens version. Quad 2, ALSEP Bay Quad 3. LRV Pallets. You can also see the Solar Wind experiment attached to Quad 3's ALSEP door Now onto either the LM Ascent Stage or the CSM ... thanx for following along! Pete

John, the image from your March 4th posting isn't showing up ... just FYI. And this is looking great! I will assume this'll be displayed horizontally with the stages separated ... and the details, these precise details, you're adding are gonna make this look spek-tak-yoo-lar!

Nicely DONE!! All the little extras you put into this little 4" model really makes it 'pop' ... you added just enough wiring and bits to make it look right, and not too visually busy. And CA glue is pretty touchy stuff eh? How many times it stuck before I was ready for final placement ... ! Your engine placement looks just fine! Thanx for posting here ... your name sounds quite familiar from the Yahoo Group, I haven't even visited there in a couple years ... but I do submit photos of my completed builds to Sven on his site. I hope we see more of your builds here! Thanx Pete

I've had the same issue with this adhesive. ( Don't you just hate it when guys respond that have not used the stuff and then tell you how to fix the problem? sheesh! ) I've used this stuff for years and this newer bottle beads up on the household Aluminum foil. I was about to contact the maker and ask them if they've changed the formula. To get it to flow better, I've used Isopropyl Alcohol. Dip the brush ( it doesn't matter what type of brush ... ) in the Alcohol and brush it onto the foil, let it evaporate and the Adhesive goes on smoother. I don't use Mineral Spirits because it's oil based and this adhesive is water based, so to my way of thinking, any residue of the spirits will repel the adhesive. When I first used this Adhesive, about 10 years now, it flowed bee-yoo-tee-fully ... but this new bottle, it's frustrating. And you're the first post I've seen that has had this issue too, so thanx for this thread! Your pix do look good, but I know what you mean about the foil not laying down nice and smooth, because ... I've actually used this adhesive ... Pete

... I hope you don't rush through this to meet the 'end of the month' deadline ... this is coming along very nicely, Vern ... and I wouldn't want to see you unhappy with the final result. It's nice to hear that Vince will be continuing his Shuttle build. Thanx for setting a little fire under his ... uh ... derriere And I hope he'll resurrect his old thread so we can all watch his continuing progress. I've got 2 Shuttles waiting to be completed as well, so he'll have some company. Pete

This is looking pretty good! Don't worry about getting the names right, sheesh, if you call the 'kadiddle' a 'remistran', who's gonna know? The 'round thing-y' and the 'point-y thing-y' will be good enough for most of us! And adding wires and stuff to the frame will serve to busy it up visually. You just wanna give us viewers a sense that there was a helluva lot of 'things' on that frame. And your Altimeter casting was a terrific solution. Why don't you post this in the Group Build thread too? We'd love to have you over there too ... but posting on this Forum, well, we'll enjoy watching this little build come together, just as much! Pete

Now it's getting fiddly ... these are the downlocks with the New Ware PE glued on. The kit parts were wrapped with foil first ... The underside was foiled using household Aluminum foil ... ... the SLA to LM umbilical ... ... and the foiling continues ... Primary struts installed and another sheet of foil waiting for the adhesive to 'dry' so I can foil the ALSEP door ... The LRV pallet bay with the bits that will be installed into the open bay. That's just Window Screen cut to fit. The start of the little RTG is also there. The RTG, Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator, is a Tube and Rod glued together and filed to round off both ends. This is one fiddly, frustrating tiny piece of @%$^&&!! This is taking longer than I think it should ... but, the what the heck eh? I would like to get these two models, the CSM and LM done sooner than later ... Thanx for taking a peek gents! Pete

I just went through all your pix and descriptions for the CSM and I was most pleased to see that you have indeed kept the clear panels so that all those lovely internal details can be seen. The amount of work, the research, the planning and the 3D work is most impressive, Vincent. This is such a visual treat ... congratulations on a job very well done! Will these be housed in a Museum or public display somewhere? I certainly hope so! After you've taken a few days off ... is there anything else on your 'to do' list? Is there another model you're making plans to build? Merci Beaucoup Vincent! Pete