30 May 2013

Blitz Crane (Bonnie Doon)


Whilst spending yet another weekend in Marysville - our future residence in the Victorian high country - my wife expressed an interest in going to Mansfield for the day, which is about a 90 minute drive from the B&B that we were staying at. So being the ever obliging husband that I am, I thought well OK, why not? 

Passing through the various townships of Buxton, Alexandria, Yarck and Merton, it was whilst entering the township of Bonnie Doon that I suddenly noticed a vehicle standing at the bottom of a paddock, which looked decidedly familiar but had been modified for an entirely different purpose. Needless to say this resulted in a sudden detour off the highway to allow for a closer inspection and the obligatory photographs.

Although there are many Chevrolet blitzes still languishing on farms around the countryside, this was the first time that I'd ever come across one of the short-wheel-based C15A versions, which had been modified with such an impressive looking crane.

Despite it's age and location, the vehicle appeared to be essentially complete and in remarkably good condition making it a worthy candidate for a restoration project. However, this is something I personally would never contemplate as I prefer to work on my examples in a much smaller scale. It did however provide a great opportunity to take some photographs - for reference purposes - and it may be something I'll consider modelling - in 1/72 scale from IBG - some time in the future.





14 May 2013

History Comes Alive 2013


'History Comes Alive' is a bi-annual event organised by the Geelong Branch of the Military Historical Society (MHS) and the Geelong Military Re-enactment Group (GMRG) and this year the event took place over the weekend of the 4-5 May at the Barwon Park Mansion in Winchelsea.
 
The theme for 2013 was 'The Age of Gunpowder' and once again the grounds of the mansion and several out-buildings were transformed into a variety of military encampments and set pieces, containing a number of restored military vehicles, pieces of equipment and many original and replica items. Helping to provide some context to all of this were 100+ members of the MHS and GMRG, all of which were dressed in period military uniforms dating from the Napoleonic Wars through to the Vietnam conflict.

A number of military re-enactments were also performed throughout the day, but the real highlight for me this year was seeing the M3 Stuart Tank in action - complete with operating gas guns - showing off its speed and maneuverability - impressive.

The Stuart at speed
The sheer variety and number of restored military vehicles on display - more than in 2011 - was also great to see and these consisted of the following:

Bren Gun carrier, CMP Chevrolet Blitz Portee with 2pdr anti-tank gun, CMP Chevrolet Blitz, WOT Truck, Daimler Dingo, M3A1 White Scout Car (2), Dodge Weapons Carrier with trailer, GMC CCKW 6x6 cargo truck, Marmon Herrington, BSA motorcycle, BMW motorcycle, Harley Davidson motorcycle,  Willys Jeep (4), 25 Pounder field gun with limber (2), Mack NM 6x6 tank transporter, SAS Jeep and LRDG Chevrolet

This is only the second time the event has been held at the Barwon Park Mansion and despite the day being very cool and the surroundings quite dusty - due to a lack of rain - it was nevertheless a great day out. The best way of staying warm, was to partake of the tea and scones served on the verandah of the Mansion by the local Historical Society - delicious. http://www.facebook.com/GeelongMRG









 

























27 February 2013

New Zealand 'Caterpillar Experience' (Rotorua)



When it comes to visiting Museums I usually have a preference for those that are aviation related, however I've been known to visit almost any kind of Museum as long as it offers something that is unique and unusual. Whilst traveling around New Zealand in 2010 a came across a Museum in Rotorua - 'The Caterpillar Experience' - and much to my families protests, I had to go in and have a look.


What really impressed me about this private collection was the standard of the facilities and the manner in which the machinery was displayed. From the moment I entered the display hall - or large shed - I was immersed in a forest of trees - which was not what I expected - and within this were various bulldozer in their unrestored state, set in mini dioramas showing just how they'd been employed. Once I cleared this area - figuratively speaking - it then opened up into the main gallery, in which are displayed many rare and unique caterpillar products - graders, tractors, bulldozers etc - and a line up of fully restored caterpillar bulldozers ranging from the diminutive D2 right through to the mighty D8. Just when I thought I'd seen it all as I rounded the corner to exit the gallery I was greeted by a fully restored WWII GMC 6x4 logging truck complete with trailer loaded with a mighty Kauri log. Impressive!

For me this Museum was a truly unique experience and if your ever traveling through Rotorua I'd recommend it is one not to miss, as it has something that will appeal to everyone.











01 January 2013

Moebius 'The Moon Bus'


This is my first ever Sci-fi/Space subject and is another commission piece, which was built for a customer as an Out of Box model. Upon opening the box - which was similar to that which a jigsaw puzzle comes in - I was rather shocked at just how crude the kit parts were, but discovered that it was originally released under the Aurora label in 1969, which helped to explain a few things especially the warped cabin roof.


As I'm not a Sci-fi modeller by any stretch of the imagination and have never built anything like this before, I decided to invest in an issue of Sci-fi & Fantasy Modeller magazine, as it just happened to have an article in it on a Moon Bus diorama. This purchase proved invaluable as it became my sole source of reference throughout the build, as I'd only found a few build reviews on the internet and those which I had, varied significantly especially in regards to the color scheme for the interior. Another decision that I made early on in the build was to permanently affix the cabin roof to the lower hull, as its warped condition left significant gaps in several places, which I just couldn't live with.

With the interior built-up the main cabin was then sprayed with Gunze H50 Lime Green and the forward cockpit floor then sprayed with Gunze H68 RLM74 Dark Gray. The remaining items of the interior were then painted according to the instruction sheet and my reference source, with just a little artistic license used here and there to add some interest.






Unfortunately, although this was the most time consuming part of the build once the cabin roof was fitted, little if any of my efforts were to be visible. With this part of the model now complete I then turned my attention onto building the landing legs and engine nozzles, which sadly are not the kits most endearing features. In all honesty had I been building this model for myself and not a customer I'd have definitely invested in some after market replacements, especially for the engine nozzles and attitude thrusters.

With the build now essentially complete, all joins tidied up and any gaps filled it was time to get down to the painting. The model was firstly primed with Tamiya Surface Primer (L) White and then checked for any imperfections. Satisfied that all was OK I then applied several coats of Games Workshop Skull White to ensure a consistent and overall color. Various areas where then masked as required - anti-glare panels, cabin door, attitude thrusters etc - and sprayed in their respective colors using Gunze and Games Workshop paints. Once this was all dry the Model was then sprayed with several light coats of Future floor polish, the decals then applied and another coat of Future applied to seal them in. 

An oil wash was then made - consisting of Paynes Gray mixed with a little Titanium White - and applied with a fine brush around the various details and panel lines. Once this was dry the model was then sprayed with several light coats of Vallejo Satin Varnish, which gives it a very nice, overall, light sheen. With the painting now completed it just remained for the final bits to be attached - landing legs, engine nozzles and roof antenna - and the Moon Bus was finished. Eureka!............