Gondor's Grumblings

[Rick Lowe]

What about "ZZ9ZZZZA"? 

Not even slightly possible in the UK, and never would have been either.

Not over here either, but I wasn't sure how many characters you have.
7? then how about ZZ9ZZZZ and 'Alpha' on the surround underneath it. 

[Gondor]

Having received my two pre-ordered Wessexes direct from Airfix, I am rather tempted to start one of them. I later succumbed to the free kit offer by Airfix. I found this rather difficult to do, as there is not much on their site that I wanted. The actual reaching of the target of £50 was not helped by being a club member, as everything I put in the basket kept getting a discount taken from it, thus messing up my rather basic calculations. Oh well, I got there in the end, and the parcel should reach me by the end of the week.
I have also decided to upgrade my computer system a bit. Not that there is anything wrong with what I have, I just wanted more. So I have a second monitor, a dual monitor stand and a new keyboard on their way to me. This should enable me to start trying to learn Fusion360 as I will use one monitor to show what I am working on, with the second monitor open to tutorials and/or help pages. This will mean a reorganisation of one corner of my modelling room, which I am not looking forward to, as it will have to be a carefully planned operation. A bit like the puzzles where there are a number of squares you move around inside a square frame, but there is only one free space, it's going to be a bit like that.
Going back to Wessexes, a build I started some time ago, not unusual for me, has had a little work done in smoothing out the contours between the supplied nose in the kit with the Air Graphics early nose. Not sure what's used as a master, but it's not the kit I am grafting it onto. This aircraft has a two-door cab, one on each side, just to be different.

[Weaver]

Having received my two pre-ordered Wessexes direct from Airfix, I am rather tempted to start one of them. I later succumbed to the free kit offer by Airfix. I found this rather difficult to do, as there is not much on their site that I wanted. The actual reaching of the target of £50 was not helped by being a club member, as everything I put in the basket kept getting a discount taken from it, thus messing up my rather basic calculations. Oh well, I got there in the end, and the parcel should reach me by the end of the week.

Hah, that was me exactly earlier this week! 

I struggled even more because I had Hobby Reward points to spend too. I eventually solved the problem by buying another Buccaneer as well as the Wessex. That might seem extravagant, but at one point I was considering buying a Vulcan (nowhere to put it), or the "Airshows" bundle, which is fantastic value (£150+ worth of kits for £99) but contains nearly nothing I actually need or want, so I'd just be selling most of it on.

Just about the only thing I want now from Airfix is a couple of Pumas whenever they come out, but I'll get those with Flying Hours.

[Gondor]

The second of my orders from Airfix was left for me at my local post office. See the appropriate thread for details. I have no real idea what I am going to do with the items. The two WW1 aircraft are really for practising on, as I have a couple of 1/48 Alatrosses, without big noses. I also had arrived today, a set of 1mm drill bits. Almost half of them were broken as they were in a plastic bag, which was in a cardboard box inside the standard Amazon small package. Not worth sending them back, I now have more than I had a day or so ago. My mains extension block was attempted to be delivered today, too big to go through the letter box thankfully. I have asked for it to be delivered to my local post office, so that may take a day or two, as they will probably do an automatic redelivery to my home.
Bang on time this evening, I received my second monitor and my new keyboard. Now I just need to get the stand for the monitors before mayhem descends onto the computer corner of the model room.

[Gondor]

Next to nothing modelling-wise is going on. I have checked the fit of some 3D printed parts that I bought from a modeller on Britmodeller. The parts are to detail the engine compartment, complete with engines, they look as if they will fit into the Airfix kit with a little fettling so most of the parts I have will be going into one of the two I have.
I have also found where the mains socket for the extension lead I have to my modelling bench is. You kind of forget where these things are when the socket is buried behind racks and bookcases for several years without having to touch them. This means I can power off the lead so I can change the sockets. I have a 30A cable between the plug and the socket block, which I want to still use, so being able to switch the juice off is kind of helpful. I also have all the parts to upgrade the computer corner of the model room. This is another fun project with lots of electric knitting going on. I will then have to decide what I am doing with the old computer and the ancient DVD player I am using as a monitor stand, probably going to try and get them recycled locally.
I did receive a new tool for my current build. A metal scriber. One of the ones that looks like a torture device a dentist might use with the short bend at one end. I thought it would be helpful to make a real mark rather than relying on pen marks to stay on the metal surfaces.

Gondor

[Gondor]

Time 13:55. Just finished my lunch. Spent this morning changing the four-block extension lead into a six-block, with individual switches, extension lead. My poor knees! Almost everything was at the wrong height to be able to sit and work comfortably. There was not enough cable to allow me to do anything other than work in the immediate area of where the sockets were to go. One of the big problems was that some of the insulation decided it wanted to split, then I cut too deeply into the cable down to the wire, so I had to shorten the cable by about three inches overall. That was a pain, but I got as far as wiring up the block only to find the screw had fallen out of the earth cable clamp.      Found it, but would the dam thing go into the hole while I tightened it? Would it heck for what seemed like five minutes. Eventually, everything was in place; it had taken two goes to get the mounting holes lined up correctly for the socket block to fit onto. A little bit of untangling cables, and then back into the bottom of a rack to switch the extension back on. I then switched everything back on, one item at a time and checked that they all worked. Result! I now have all the modelling bench lights plugged in, the soldering iron and the mini drill at the same time, and a free socket to use as required. And I am knackered. My poor knees. Good job I have a doctor's appointment later this afternoon. Then once I get home its remove the computer corner of the room and rebuild it.

ondor

[Gondor]

I have now gone from this



To this



To say that it was an effort would be an understatement.

The first problem was finding, as I was opening the box, that the stand was designed for monitors between 17" and 23", mine are 27", so I took the box back to the store. They had a stand that would handle the size of monitor I have, so I paid the difference and started to assemble it at home. I was not happy that the stand appeared to have only an edge mount, as that meant a big reorganisation of my desk. However, reading, or at least looking at the pictograms that came with the stand, it could be mounted by a large bolt through the desk, so that is what I went with, and that is what I have. I did get a little help from my middle sister, she held the stand steady while I was under the desk tightening the bolt. Now it's just a case of getting used to two monitors and putting, mostly, everything back where it was earlier.

Gondor

[NARSES2]

Mission Control 

Well done, you can come round and sort my new Tower extension block out if you want ?  Seriously I didn't know such things existed until I read your piece about getting one farther up in your Blog    Then went on Amazon, and bingo.

[Gondor]

Mission Control 

Well done, you can come round and sort my new Tower extension block out if you want ?  Seriously I didn't know such things existed until I read your piece about getting one farther up in your Blog    Then went on Amazon, and bingo.

That's one of the good things about this site, we share information, and not just about models. I did start "My Toolbox just got Bigger!" so that useful things could be shared, it even gets used now and again.

Anyway, I should have gone to a Work Social event today. I'm simply too exhausted and worn out after yesterday to do anything strenuous, such as canoeing, or even driving for about an hour, so I called the organiser and said I wasn't going. It was not the moving of anything that wore me out. It's the getting down on the floor, crawling around to get the mains switch, and then the getting back up that's the real problem, which I am sure several of you will understand.

Gondor

[George the Cat]

Talking of the stash which I can see several boxes I recognise. RAF and FAA Phantoms and  Whirlybird P1121 among others.

[Gondor]

Talking of the stash which I can see several boxes I recognise. RAF and FAA Phantoms and  Whirlybird P1121 among others.

The Whirlybird P.1121 is the one I am currently building. I started buying the Fujimi F-4s years ago. Since then, the Airfix kit has come out, so several of the Fujimi kits are getting whiffed while the Airfix kits stay real-world, or at least the majority do. Those models are just the tip of the iceberg, as it were. I have a "listed" number of 1226 models; there are quite a few that are not on the list. Something for me to do when I retire.

[NARSES2]

the getting down on the floor, crawling around to get the mains switch, and then the getting back up that's the real problem, which I am sure several of you will understand.

Gondor

Tell me about it 

[Gondor]

Yet another day with no modelling done. I did visit my mum this afternoon as usual, ended up going to Currys to buy her a new printer as hers, some five years plus old, was deciding that the black ink nozzle was going to stay blocked regardless of how many clean cycles were performed. That is going to be a task for Friday afternoon once I have finished playing taxi for her visit to the physiotherapist.
Monday, I will definitely get to work on finishing the frame of the P.1121, he said hopefully. The new computer monitors are working well, well, one of the monitors is new, the left one. I ended up having to move a magazine box from both sides of the monitors, but I have managed to put four document trays under the monitors to hold odds and ends, mostly notes scribbled on the back of Hannant's packing slips. Still finishing off, placing things and tweaking the layout, but it is in effect there.
Spot the cat was home today as well. Very tempted to call my next cat Shark, just as well I don't have dogs and go for walks on a beach 

Gondor

[Gondor]

NARSES2 has reminded everyone that the time to Telford is getting far shorter. I have so much to get done in the remaining eight weeks but I have done nothing modelling wise for a good week. This is totally unacceptable and I must endeavor to do more modelling. Not much of a chance until the weekend though. This evening when I get home, the Housing Association that I rent from, want to do a stock check. I am very willing to stand outside with them and point out that the flat is still there.    Unfortunately I don't thing they would go for that 
I took a whole pile of cardboard boxes to the tip last night in an attempt to disguise the quantity of model boxes etc., that I have in the flat. There is a pile of electronics that need to be disposed of sitting at the top of the stairs, which is unavoidable as I can't get them to their various destinations until the weekend. Thankfully I cleaned the cat's litter trey, and he had not turned up this morning so it's still as fresh as it will ever get.
Tomorrow I have to play taxi to my mother who needs to go to physiotherapy in the afternoon, then I am replacing her printer and her scanner with a new combined unit. The mini tower she has will be moved to where the scanner was due to the new printer taking up a bit more space, but maybe not, we will see.
I am thinking that the next modelling task I need to do, other than braising the frame for the P.1121, is to start painting the ejector seats. A few cockpits need painted as well, a canopy needs cut out for one of the P.8's too. The wing joints on P.8's need attention, this sounds like a job for the electric sanding device I bought ages ago.
In other words, too much to do in too little a time 

Gondor

[Rheged]

In other words, too much to do in too little a time 

Gondor

That, sir, is the chorus that most of us can join in!

I'm very impressed with the new monitor set-up you have achieved!