New Tip - Sharpie to the Rescue

There is a saying, use the right tool for the job. So many times when doing carpentry / building and working on the computers we try and go about it the easiest way, picking up whatever is close at hand, applying a bit of duct tape and making due. I learned along time ago things are usually easier when you spend the time or money and get the right tool.

This evening I stumbled across the right tool. This may not be new to some but it is to me. I was standing at the kitchen sink wet sanding the A-7 (because the basement is way too cold) and was looking for something that could help me identify if my sanding was taking care of the seams or not. I picked up a Sharpie and decided to draw a line down the seam with the intent of running a bit of sand paper across the top of it to identify where the bubbles and sinks were in the seams and putty. Low and behold I find that it is better than that. With the naked eye the sharpie made the spots stand out. Better yet, when I took a paper towel and wiped away the Sharpie, it made the spots even more clear because the parts below the surface that needed reworked were not wiped away and remained a deeper black. So, I took it a step deeper and found sanding the Sharpie off even revealed more.

Try it. The Sharpie will take the place of that first coat of primer it seems.

It Has Been A Long Time...

Yup, sure has. I started this thing last spring with the intent of keeping it up to date and here we are in January, seven months from the last post. Lets hope I can do better with the coming posts. Earlier today over on ARC someone had a post asking for blog addresses and I thought it was time to get this thing rolling again.

I stopped posting because of work that needed to get done with my job. You have to prioritize and this and modeling fell by the wayside. Over the Christmas break (I am so blessed - I work for a College and get two weeks off at Christmas) I picked up modeling again and low and behold, it is fun and relaxing.

So, to kick it off, I am working on two models, the Hasegawa FA-18E and Fujimi A-7E, both 1/72. The pictures to the left are of the FA-18E. Later I will do the same for the A-7E, which is actually my focus at the moment.




The A-7 is one I have been wanting to build for about six years. We live in a little town in central Illinois and this town of 15,000 has a small agricultural airport and an aviation museum. The museum has a Gulf War veteran A-7E so this is the aircraft I am building.



The second kit, the one of the FA-18E is just for fun and to experience an aftermarket set I have had for more than a year, the Wolfpack FA-18E/F Wingfold set. What a nice set. In 1/72 it is delicate and that is the real reason I switched over to the A-7. Being out of modeling for a few months I thought I would do a quick build to get back in the game. So, here are some pics. I would post some of my thoughts about the kits and AM parts later.