Time For Stripage

As I mentioned before, I wanted to detail paint as much as was feasible rather than resort to the decals. Employing the 'hairspray' technique again to keep the weathering consistent, the blue was applied using Mr.Hobby Colour H323 Light Blue and then washed away with a stiff brush for the cockpit canopy and the side stripes. In the background you can see the nacelle caps nice and worn as well. _pL

Off To A Good Start: Main Colour Coats Are On

Mr.Hairspray Technique

The kit comes with a great set of decals including some very well rendered battle damage but I wanted to incorporate this by using paint and weathering techniques. I first laid down a base coat of XF-63 German Grey to create a blank canvas for the main color coats, which are Tamiya flat white for the front module and the engine caps while using off white by Mr.Hobby Colour for everything else - I really like the subtle contrast between the two. The colors were sprayed using my Badger 200NH in light coats, letting the German Grey show through to add some depth. I wanted the Y-Wing to look like it had logged a lot of combat hours and this was achieved by using the hairspray technique. It turned out really great, the paint was chipped away heavily on more exposed areas while fading the color on flatter surfaces. It looks well worn and it hasn't even received a wash yet - off to a great start! _pL

Time To Break Out The Tweezers

Mr.Detail

Decided to spend an evening and detail the cockpit with hoses and cables using fine copper wire - definitely looks a lot more busy! The front module also received some attention in the form of panels, lots and lots of panels, made from styrene sheet. Once secured in place, they were sanded down some. Now let's get some paint on her! _pL

FM Y-Wing: Almost Ready for Paint

Mrs.Y-Wing

Alright, happy to say that she's coming along, the sprues are empty of parts - just need to super detail the nose, including the cockpit area. Getting closer and closer to breaking out the paint!  _pL

FM Y-Wing Progressing Nicely

Mr.Vector Vane Installed

They're on! I think it was worth the extra effort, especially for such a visible area. Still have a bit to do before paint but it's progressing nicely. _pL

And So It Begins

Mr.Vector Vane

As promised, here is an in-progress pic of what I've been working on: FM Y-Wing. It's a fantastic kit and something a lot of collectors/builders have been waiting a long time for. I began this kit about three years ago and then shelved it. I wanted to up detail certain areas of it but didn't know to what point. After I finally finished unpacking, I felt the Y-Wing deserved to be the first kit I should work on in the new place. I've finished scratch building the vector vanes as they were a little simplified in the kit and though they took longer to construct than expected, I'm really happy with the effort! _pL

She Finally Arrived

Mr.Aventador

I managed to nab a kit early from HLJ and when the email confirmation came stating she had been shipped and would be arriving at my new home,  I waited patiently. The daily routine consisted of peeping out the window in anticipation of mr.Mailman. If I took a washroom break, went to snack in the kitchen or make a cuppa, I would always come back to peak out that front window in the hopes to see a cardboard box waiting for me. But nothing. I finally decided to actually leave my humble abode and wander among the people of my new city. In this case, I went to work on my portfolio, which had been in the works for some time now... and sure enough when I got home there is a notice indicating that delivery was attempted and as no one was home, the package would be available at a nearby post office as of tomorrow afternoon! YES! YES! YES! Finally! I picked her up the next day and tore through the shipping box and... no matter how many images you see of a kit in an online review or of the box cover, nothing compares to having it RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU!

All I can say is this is gonna be a good one! _pL

New Beginnings

Mr.(relocated)Workstation

The year began with me leaving my job and moving to a new city. I spent the first month getting the place together and figuring out storage issues - amazing how much one can accumulate over the years! Mainly books and models, lots of boxes of models... and two gym bags worth of clothes - we all have our vices. I was able to set up my original tables - one is now shared with my significant other but I gained a third table where I can airbrush in comfort, so not a bad trade off. I have had some time to build but only in the last two weeks. The kit in question is coming along nicely and I will post some pics showing the progress soon. _pL