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Hello all, lurked for a little while and joined recently for inspiration and a push to keep my recently refound love for this hobby. It's been quite a few years since I've put paint to plastic so I'm hoping this isn't just another Hobby phase. We shall see... I attended the big model show in Telford and got 'the itch' bought a bunch of different paints to test and play with, as well as some btis and pieces that postage costs had made prohibitive to try... I've always pined over a whole bunch of 1/32nd Jets, in particular F-14s .. most Jets with twin tails seem to just do it for me.. But I've never had the cash or time to really get into it. Queue a nice bonus at work and decided to sploosh a bit on some kits, found a cheap seller in China on eBay and managed to get a nice little haul... However I don't trust myself and wanted to ease into it.. so picked up this thing quite cheap and have been quietly mulling away at it since Christmas. It's a pretty much OOB build, this is all just me getting used to the tools and paints and all the shiny new things that are available that were definitely NOT as easy to get hold of before. I don't think this will be anything like top notch show worthy and I'm not a rivet counter so accuracy on this kit isn't really that much of a thing for me, I just want to be happy with the end result. it's literally just dipping my toes in the water, seeing if I get the bite.. And giving me something to do that doesn't always involved using a computer or screen all the time (even if I am currently limited to my office desk). Anywho enough wafflin' have some photos! Getting down to business with the internals, attemping some basic stuff with weathering (never done that before, especially not with oils) Turned out okay Pit part-painted and test fitting, I used the kit provided decal for the dials, it wasn't super accurate in some places (mostly the dials on the right) but it gave me a chance to try microset and microsol for the first time.. WOW that stuff is magic. Pit now assembled, gloss coated, oil washed, and flat coated Micro Krystal clear added to some dials for depth, I'm aware it's too much now.. but hey ho.. Also realised I had bought the worlds most expensive PVA glue... lesson learned... Marrying up the wings after painting the wheel well and inner surfaces with the green called out in the instructions More parts setting up, also a view of the not-so-great paint on the inner fuselage, post oil-wash and such. FIrst time really having a proper go at deleting a seam and getting a nice finish, was pretty happy with the result. Definitely justifies how much I blew on sanders!! Fuselage setting up, yep, no pit.. I actually found it easier to get a nice bond without the pit fitted, got the plastic properly welded then slotted the pit in from underneath to give the fuselage the proper width to marry up with the wing roots, worked perfectly! A dry-fit of the main fuselage bottom engine cover and wings (glued and seams removed on all) Never done glazing masking before, so this was just after they were Krystal cleared in after cutting the masks and before filling the gaps First layer of paint on the glass frames to match the interior colour, after filling and smoothing out the gap in front of the main screen (seems to be the done thing, might not be the accurate colour though :S ) put FAR too much paint in the airbrush so used it as a way to check my seams.. all seems fine. Tried to rescribe a few lines with my dandy new Tamiya scribing tool... didn't go well... wibbly wobbly lol Realised I'd filled most of the rivet holes in the nose so had a bosh at trying to sand that back a bit and re-drill them (far too big and deep it would seem after later priming) Fuselage and wings now setting up Test fit of the bottom nose cowel.. thing after having sprayed the interior of it black (before realising it has a blanking piece inside that I missed DOH!). Also did a small amount of pre-painting to the inside of the radiators before fitting them. Radiators assembled and fitted required a little persuation on one of them for it to lay 'flat' but looks fine. Front cowel thing is now also attached And you'll have to forgive me, I missed a few steps between, but, this is now after being primed with Mr Surfacer 1500.. which is _amazing_ stuff. I've never used anything that gives such a silky smooth finish (after a super light pass with 600 grit). It did however, probably give me a little cancer as I grossly underestimated how much I would need, how long it would take and how much it would gas me out... Immediately ordered a Respirator and had a good root through for the power supply for my extractor (not been in use since we moved house a few years ago). And this is where I am still, I have since refilled, sanded and reprimed the way-overdone holes and used a Trumpeter rivet tool to re-do the rivets in the top covers but don't have a photo of that yet. I was waiting on the right colour paints, which after seeing someone elses Mosquito build, I picked up some of MRPs colours, but finding the right time to spray lacquer (the Mr Surfacer probably took a few years off my life) I just haven't had the time yet. Thanks if you got this far! (and sorry for the monolithic post) This is my first 'OP' here so if I've screwed up, missed something, or done a massive Faux Pa let me know. Cheers Mark