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Hiya Chuck. Welcome home and it sounds like you had a very enjoyable trip. I chuckled to myself about Mrs. Chuck not being overly enthusiastic about certain parts of the journey. Teri is the same way. She's a good sport and tolerates my indulgences. It's also nice to see that you're still, in some ways, adhering to the work smarter and not harder philosophy. I just wish I had the patience, self confidence and talent that you do when it comes to your level of detail work. Keep up the great work. Mike

"So, there you have it. This build has left the Shelf of Doom and its full steam ahead! Not only have the rookie errors been fixed, but a few of the sub-assemblies are made better than before..." So you are a mere mortal like the rest of us? Nice work on the recovery Chuck.

First off, I hope you and Mrs. Chuck are feeling much better after your bout of Covid. Secondly, I hope you're making some favourable progress and recovery with your shoulder. I have my fingers crossed for you pal. I read your post and probably felt many of the same emotions you did but not as severely as you did because I'm an interested observer while you're than man investing all the sweat equity. It was refreshing to learn that you'll be able to re-use many of the cockpit and fuselage related parts that you've already painted and assembled while incorporating them into the new build. Lessons learned. I'm looking forward to "1/24 Spitfire Mk IXc Kicked Up A Notch" V.2. Best of luck as you march forward on this build, Chuck. Take care and I wish you and the family a very Merry Christmas and extend my best wishes for a safe, happy and healthy New Year. Mike

Kinda like the F-4 Phantom. Brutishly handsome. You love them or you despise them

You beat me to it. I was just about to say a highback Spitfire XIV with non-clipped wings. Call me crazy but I think the highback XIV with the Griffon is prettier than any Merlin powered Spitfire.

Well...that was a very quick hiatus. I thought you might take a little bit more time to let the shoulder rest. Apparently I thought wrong. I'll be following along as usual. I look forward to seeing you work your magic on this build. A very nice start, Chuck. As for weathering, sometimes less is more. As a personal preference (and I'm also a bit anxious)I build my kits clean as if they've just come off the assembly line but use a little bit of pre-shading or post completion sludge wash in the cockpit and gear bays for a bit of depth. In the end, just do what feels right for you.

Top shelf Chuck. Amazing how small she is compared to the other 32nd scale builds.

Beautiful results as usual Chuck. Perhaps I should have checked this thread first as you seem to have answered my question here. With the diminished dexterity, I can see how knocking off a wick here or a probe there would be a distinct reality. Keep at it Chuck. Let the arm heal a bit before you move on. Mike

I'm sorry to hear of the complications resulting from your surgery Chuck. That's most discouraging. Hopefully the antibiotics will fully get rid of that nasty infection. Sounds like it's going to throw a bit of a monkey wrench into your recovery time. Not to rub it in, but my progress has been less adventurous than yours but I still can't use an airbrush and I find that I sometimes have 'the shakes' when trying to do certain manipulations with my right hand and arm so I can certainly relate to your frustration about fine motor skill impairment. They say that time heals all wounds. I certainly hope my 5-6 month rehab and recovery schedule doesn't take too much of a beating but if it does, so be it. After all the work I've put in so far, the last thing I want is for things to go sideways. I hope the same for you. Again, heal well Chuck and take all the time you need. I'm rooting for ya! Mike

Visited the place when my wife was working at the Canadian Embassy in Tokyo in 2008. I'd have brought the whole store home if I could but I ended up bring home three kits; Mosquito MkVI, Me-262 and Razorback P-47 - all in 1/48 scale. They were half the price (including exchange) that I'd have paid here at home. I wanted to bring home a couple of 32nd scale kits (Tomcat, Phantom, Zero) but I'd never have gotten them into my luggage. Too bad cuz the prices were a steal. If you get to Tokyo, visit this place. You won't be disappointed.

Hi Chuck. I stopped by to have a gander at the thread to check on the build (outstanding in every aspect!) and saw that you and I have had similar surgeries. I share your pain, trials and tribulations. Had mine on 19 July. The mutt tripped me while we were out for a walk in early March. Completely torn right suprastinatus tendon. Sore as all get out, as you can relate to. Got out of my sling last week and am currently undergoing physio. Making progress but some motions and movements still cause a grimace. Teri became chauffeur, cook, dog walker, back yard doggy poop picker upper, trash taker outer, etc. She told me that she now has a real appreciation for all I do around the house. I'm sorry to hear that your recovery wasn't progressing as favourably as you'd like it to. That's a bummer but I hope you were able to make some positive strides throughout August and that you're closer to a full recovery. I wish you well on your road to recovery and that there are no further surprises or setbacks. I just say short term pain for long term gain. When I start feeling sorry for myself, I reflect and tell myself there are others in worse pickles than me and I shouldn't complain. Best of luck, my friend and take care. Mike

Hiya Chuck. I haven't visited these parts much lately but here I am now. I'm sorry to hear that you and Mrs. Chuck had to put the brakes on your retirement trip. Bummer. Having said that, I'm thankful to hear that the intestinal blockage has cleared and it wasn't something more serious as happened to a late friend. Long story short, abdominal issues led him to a colonoscopy too late to be of any benefit. Colon cancer metastasized to liver cancer and he passed in December at age 60. I wish you good health as this issue goes forward and that there are no recurrences. I've reviewed your progress since you returned from your hiatus. I can't say much that doesn't parrot everyone else. Great work and attention to detail. I've also noticed your few 'work smarter, not harder' moments as you narrate your build. Nice! Keep up the great work. Mike

Good morning, Chuck. Sorry that I'm a little late to the party. I hope you had a wonderful summer and that you managed to put a few miles on the little roadster. The Mustang got a bit of a workout but nothing too strenuous. A few friends and family have lamented about the snow you've received already. Ack! Although it's unlikely I'll ever build an F-16, I'll be following along, as usual, as the tips, hints and suggestions you bring to the masses are usually transferable to any other build. I've benefited from your sage advice so thank you for that. Also, congratulations on the occasion of your retirement. Enjoy the next chapter of life's journey. I start year eight of it in January and to bastardize the old Canadian Armed Forces recruiting slogan, Retirement...there's no life like it. Does it feel like retirement yet or do you still feel like you're on a really extended vacation? Take care Chuck and I look forward to your updates. Mike

Another stunning build, Chuck. I've followed from the beginning but without much comment. 'The flaws are minimal.' We are always our own worst critic. Your patience and dedication to the craft are beyond words. I wish I had half the 'game' you have. I look forward to your full spread of photos. Thanks for sharing your journey with us...again. Take a breather and enjoy the top down weather. Not sure if your little roadster is out yet but the Mustang will be coming out shortly. Enjoy your summer and I await your next project. Take care and stay safe, Chuck. Mike

Chuck, There's not much more I can say other than to parrot the others who have commented on the level of detail and precision you aspire to in your build. Simply incredible. Further, welcome to the club. May you enjoy much more quality time with family, friends, hobbies and interests now that you've entered the ranks of the retired. To bastardize the old Armed Forces recruitment slogan from years ago; Retirement...there's no life like it. Enjoy your vacation and new found freedom, my friend.

I recently did two commission builds, well a build and a restoration of a previously built kit, for the widow of a CF-101 Voodoo pilot; a build for her son and the restoration for her daughter. Both kids were under 10 when their dad died. Her husband was KIFA in July 76. His body was never recovered. I supplied a Voodoo and decals from my stash to build Voodoo 061 for her son. She asked a price and I quoted her one. As I continued on with the build, I decided that I was going to do it for free as a way of paying my respect for the loss of her husband and the children's father. Long story short, I told her to make a donation to the charity of her choice to cover the prices I quoted for the build and the restoration. She made a donation the RCAF Museum in her family's name. I've also given away built models at shows rather than cart them home. I've also built many for pilots who flew the actual subject I modeled. It all depends why you're doing it and your personal convictions. To me, seeing the looks on the faces and the reactions of thanks of the people I've built for or given models away to is payment enough for me.

And now the waiting game begins. I wonder how long it will take to get from 'over there' to your neck of the woods? Guesses anyone? I wonder where the bottle neck will be? Her Majesty's postal service? Canada Customs? Canada Post? Spin the wheel. It's anyone's guess. You pays your money and you takes your chances. I'm going to take a stab and say 21 days, just for poops and giggles. I certainly hope it takes less time than that though.

Another extremely informative update, sir - as are they all. It seems like things are either perfect (or close to it) or not so good and it requires you to do some extra fiddling around. Airfix's reaction to your request for a replacement part is quite discouraging. I echo Squizzy's comment that Airfix and Hornby should be replacing that piece, gratis. Bad form, as some Brits might say. Keep up the awesome work Chuck. Sounds like the engine will be a kit in itself. Stay safe. Mike

Welcome back to the bench, Chuck. I hope you had an enjoyable summer and it's good to hear that the batteries are recharged. That show, and your recognition by the judges and fellow modellers, was quite the fine end to the summer. Congratulations to you and they're all well earned. As others have said, I look forward to more of your work during this build. Informative as always and I pick up little tips from you that I can use on some of my projects. Thank you for that. Take care and stay safe. Mike

Okay. Game on! Like everyone else, I look forward to what you do with this build, Chuck. I'm sorry to hear about the ruptured appendix. I hope you weren't in too much pain for too long. For pain and discomfort as a result of your ailment, this doctor prescribes a couple of nice, long drives with the top down when weather permits. Take care Chuck and stay safe. Mike

Good morning Chuck. I just wanted to let you know that I shared the photos of your build with my friend Des and I spoke with him on the phone moments ago. He checked his log books. Closest he ever got to 12760 was 12763. He went on to say that he was very pleased with the level of detail in your build. He said you "got the colours and stencils just right." He regaled many fine stories of his CF-104 time in the nuclear strike role but he will never tell anyone what his target was had they been given the order. Among the 50 some odd aircraft her has flown, he said the Starfighter was right up there at the top. I thought you'd like to know the sentiments and comments of a man who has 'been there and done that'. Enjoy the soon to come top down weather! Mike

Beautiful work, as usual, Chuck. You are much more patient and talented than I am. Yet another build to be extremely proud of. A friend of mine flew Starfighters with 422 Sqn in Europe. Not sure if he ever flew 760 but I know he flew 711 (after checking his logbook briefly) when he was on Course 4 at 6 ST/R OTU and that's what I'm going to build my large Starfighter as. He's 95 now. Would you mind if I saved your completed build photos and shared them in an e-mail with Des? I know he would appreciate them and the memories. I thought I'd ask your permission before doing so. I look forward to your Hellcat build. Take care and stay safe. Mike

Brilliant remedies. Happy New Year, Chuck.

Moe, They're cut from thin vinyl, not masking tape. Mike

You can try contacting Hobby House here in Ottawa. They have a very good selection of Chris' EZ Masks in the store. Chris' home/business is located just outside Ottawa in Smith's Falls. You'll have to call Hobby House as they don't have a website (in today's day and age, really?!) but you'll probably be able to pay via credit card. I don't know if they'll ship internationally but you can try. I'd offer to go there myself for you but we're in a 28 day COVID lockdown with trips outside for essential shopping, medical appointments, etc only. If you're so inclined, their phone number is 613-749-5245. Mike