F7F-3N

[deafpanzer]

Nice jig! Nice wingy thing... looking better every time! Nice avatar... you are starting to scare me! Mommy!

[thug626]

Thank you most kindly for the compliment Dicky. If you do take that up, do you think you could do up a bumper for my wasser schlepper that is lurking in my stash.

Joe, thank you very much for the compliment. I really does mean a lot. Thank you for dropping in.

Andy, The jig has turned out to be quite handy. Nah! you've nothing to fear from me. I pretty mush keep to myself. The fun starts when I get my "cage kicked".


Apologies for the delay gentlemen. The flight line went idle for a bit. My wife and I got the heck out of Dodge for six days.A much needed break for mom and dad. We loaded up the Harleys hand headed southerly. I took her to the Avenue of the Giants, as she had never seen the redwoods up close and personal. Suffice it to say she was gobsmacked. All in all we logged a bit more than 1300 miles. Gorgeous weather save for the snow halfway between Redding and Susanville. Fortunately the slush on the road only lasted about 200 yards.talk about "pucker factor". You could of held the bike upside down and I would not have detached from it. Home now. Gear all stowed.....time to ramp up the build.

Dave

[Leon]

Dave good to hear you and wife had a nice break :DLooking forward to seeing you back at the bench.

[wbill76]

Sounds like the perfect get-away Dave! Glad you've returned to the flight line safe and sound.

[thug626]

Thank you Leon. It was a nice break. It also helped to "reset" the headspace. I did get some progress done at the bench shortly after we got back. All it was, was masking off the the wings and nacelles (underside) to fill in the gaps with my trusty red Bondo. The masking took a bit of time due to the compound curves.

Hello Bill, It was the perfect get away. Though I must say that I almost became a statistic on highway 36. Some yahoo came around a tight comer Waaaaaaay too fast in a jacked up small pickup Not only was the chassis leaning but, so were the sidewalls of the too big tires. Fully a third into my lane when I saw them. At that point, veering off into the ditch was looking like a pretty good option. When they passed me, I could see that his eyes were brown and, hers were blue. It took my pulling over until the shakes stopped and the the obligatory checking of the BVDs came back negative that we resumed our travels. All in all it really was a wonderful trip. Better than a psycho therapy sessions and, the scenery changes.

Dave

[Deleted]

I'm so envious of your trip buddy, I'm sat here in a rainy UK with a nasty cold feeling so rough that I've not picked up the kit for over a week.
How I could do with throwing off this bug and riding a HD over 1300 miles through great scenery 

[wbill76]

Oct 16, 2013 11:54:34 GMT -5 thug626 said:

It was the perfect get away. Though I must say that I almost became a statistic on highway 36. Some yahoo came around a tight comer Waaaaaaay too fast in a jacked up small pickup Not only was the chassis leaning but, so were the sidewalls of the too big tires. Fully a third into my lane when I saw them. At that point, veering off into the ditch was looking like a pretty good option. When they passed me, I could see that his eyes were brown and, hers were blue. It took my pulling over until the shakes stopped and the the obligatory checking of the BVDs came back negative that we resumed our travels. All in all it really was a wonderful trip. Better than a psycho therapy sessions and, the scenery changes.

Dave

Well that will certainly make you appreciate the 'quiet' of being at your bench instead! Always plenty of yahoos on the road ways it seems...we have more than our share here I think especially if you throw in any kind of weather event. Desert dwellers don't know how to handle little things like 'rain' or even, god forbid, snow!

[thug626]

Oct 16, 2013 14:20:14 GMT -5 @stevem said:

I'm so envious of your trip buddy, I'm sat here in a rainy UK with a nasty cold feeling so rough that I've not picked up the kit for over a week.
How I could do with throwing off this bug and riding a HD over 1300 miles through great scenery 

Hello Steve, It was a great mental reset that the wife and I needed. Sorry to hear of the weather and the cold. I hope things are on the mend. Colds just make me a surly bear. It's just getting cold here but, the rain festival is coming.

Hello Bill, I always appreciate the quiet of my bench But there are times that a purring/growling/snarling V-Twin and, a full tank of gas is purely meditative for me. You show see this place when we get a measly one inch of snow.....the whole thing grinds to a halt. People are freaking about "all of that white stuff on the ground". It's as though all sense and logic are suspended as are the laws of physics. Anywho, I need to get the pics off the camera from the trip and then I'll get some updates posted.

Dave

[Deleted]

Thanks buddy 

[thug626]

You are most welcome Steve. My kids of late have been the "Outbreak Monkies". This may be the first time that hermetically sealing myself gives me the last laugh. Though the neighbors still look at me a bit funny.

It may not look like much but it actually did take a fair amount of prep and work to get to this point. Masking multiple compound curves to make sure the filler goes where it's needed.

The sanding of the join was made easy by this simple, handy-dandy home made sanding block. A piece of balsa whittled down to a blunt tip. Wrap whatever grit of sandpaper you wish to use around the pointed end. A couple drops of water for wet sanding and, violà.....sanded filler without obliterating the surrounding detail.

I saw this a the local hardware store whilst picking up other items. It was less than $5 USD. I saw some judges at the last show using these. I thought what the heck. I tried it and it certainly does help. It helped me see that the gun charging handles in the CP are MIA. (insert your favorite chain of expletives tirade here) Well, those disappeared some time ago.


Dave

[bullardino]

Ferking carpet monsters, they're getting way to daring if they start to eat from inside a cockpit

Great progress, Dave, the sanding tool is another brilliant idea I'll surely steal some time in the future

[thug626]

I thought the sugar ants were bad. It had to have happened when I joined the fuselage halves. They are nowhere to be seen.
Any ideas you read here is like a box that reads "Free to a good home". Feel free to use it at anytime. Sand the edge to whatever shape will help you out.....that and the wet sanding certainly seems to help as well.

Dave

[wbill76]

Nice and clean sanding work there Dave! The LED light looks like a handy thing to have around even if you don't like what it reveals!

[thug626]

Thank you BIll. I'm not sure why I never utilized wet sanding before but, I certainly will be doing more of i when needed. I figured the LED would likely show me stuff that I may not like. If I wasn't going to like that or improve on the flaws it was going to glaringly point out to me, then, I figured if that was going to be the case then I had best not by the light. As you can see I bought the light.

Dave

[deafpanzer]

Thanks for another great tip! Man, I am starting to loose how many beer I owe you now...

[thug626]

You are most welcome my friend. I am not worried about the count.....how about we start with one each and, go from there? There are some local/regional seasonal brews that are out now and, I must say, for those who like their microbrews/craft brews, it's like christmas came early. Speaking of which the Microbrew Fest is coming up. Mmmmmmm....beeeeer!

Dave

[bbd468]

Hiya Dave, i see your still makin progress. I like your sanding tool and it worked nice on the seam....looks great! I want me an LED light like that.

[fightnjoe]

dave she is really looking good. i know i keep saying that but dang it she is.

jcon has one of the lights, looks like a good tool. may have to pick one up at some point.



joe

[thug626]

Good evening Gary, Thank you for the good words. Now mind you, that LED light is like a digi camera. It's unforgiving and unbiased. It will show you flaws you might not have spotted otherwise…. well the digi camera would have pointed it out to you.

Hello Joe, Thank you for the compliment. They are certainly handy. The build was idled this week….read on.

I spent the weekend prepping and primering the twins rooms. I thought two coats of primer would be enough. Wrong! Their colors were nuclear. Third coat goes on tomorrow. Ugh! THen color later this week.

Dave

[deafpanzer]

You are paying the price of having kids... just like me! LOL Take your time... just let me finish my duck first.

[thug626]

Yeah, but, it's worth it. At my glacial pace with this build, your kids will be in college.

Dave

[fightnjoe]

Oct 28, 2013 12:04:06 GMT -5 thug626 said:

Yeah, but, it's worth it. At my glacial pace with this build, your kids will be in college.

Dave

although this may be true dave. your build may still be done well before andy's.



joe

[thug626]

Hello Joe,

Sorry for the delay in replying. Extra shifts and, doctor appointments for the boy have kept me from the bench and those other soul replenishing things. He's had another kidney biopsy and, though while not horrible, the results were worse than earlier this year. Right now we are hoping to arrest the progression of the illness. Suffice it to say, the building mojo has taken a kick to the clusters. I am hoping to get the build going again but, right now I'm just not "feel in'" it.

Dave

[deafpanzer]

Hang in there... hope your son get out of this. It would have happened to me if it was one of my boys too. Just hang around... perhaps be my personal cheerleaders. I recall Gary might have an outfit in your size.

[bbd468]

Hiya Dave, I hope all turns out well for you and the family....they will be in our thoughts.

As for the "outfit" Whats your fancy?

[wbill76]

Hang in there Dave! We're here for you as always buddy!

[thug626]

Hello Andy,
Thank you my friend. I'm not going anywhere. I'd be glad to cheer you on but, I am not wearing the David Lee Roth chaps again. The last time was awkward enough……

Hello DickyF,
Thank you so very much for the sentiment. I hear ya about bodily abuse. With my misspent youth I would have laid even odds on my having issues. It isn't so.

Hello Gary,
Thank you for keeping him/us in your thoughts. Please see the comment to Andy…..anything but that.

Hello Bill,
Thank you kindly for the support.

Gentlemen, thank you all so very much. I'm not going anywhere. I just need to recheck my headspace. I did get a bit of "retail" therapy in today. I hadn't been by the LHS for a bit and, I walked into a sale I knew nothing about. I ended up with 20% off of Academy's new F-4C. I haven't built a Phantom since I was 10. I figure 37 years is long enough……as soon as I get this 'Cat across the finish line.

Dave

[deafpanzer]

F-4 Phantom? Go for it... always fan of its three tone camo.

[thug626]

Dec 1, 2013 22:07:11 GMT -5 deafpanzer said:

F-4 Phantom? Go for it... always fan of its three tone camo.

We had an F-4 at the local museum that had the three tone camo. I really do like that scheme. And, this one is Col Robin Olds bird. I also did stumble across some decal sheets that have options for the Oregon ANG when they were flying Phantoms in the 80's. I am deciding between Olds bird and a bird for the "home team".

Dave

[Leon]

Keep up the good spirits Dave.