Bad Ambulance - An eBay Find

Found this model while browsing eBay today ... and I loved the description: "12th west german infantry ambulance in fine condition. great attention to detail in painting and decals."

Let's see ... the German army used only round white backgrounds to their red crosses. They also had large "neutrality markings" on the side of the ambulance body. They, however, never used the word "ambulance" as seen in the picture. And they also did not use the iron cross on the doors of these vehicles. Oh, nearly forgot - there are no red strobes on German ambulances, they are blue.

This model looks to be in urgent need of a complete overhaul with real attention.

Mine is longer than your's - and I've got more plastic too

Just wondering ... why do modellers have the urge to post pictures of their stash of unbuilt models on the internet? Is is some primeval tendency to see who is the strongest, has the most toys or the longest part of anatomy? Is it a way to show off how much we are able to spend (not to build, note)? Is it "keeping up with the Joneses"?

Don't get it, really. And never had the urge to do so. Okay, I might mention a good deal I got. And yeah, I might chip in with the observation, that such and such a model lurks somewhere in my house as well. But snapping your newest buys and posting then just to prove that you have and can? Puerile behaviour.

Recently read a statement from a guy whom I would rate as a rookie - according to his own statements he has built 16 models, none of them to a standard that he likes (whatever that means, they looked good to me). Yet he proudly announced that he has a stash of 975 models and spends about € 300 per month on his hobby.

Which, obvious to me, is hoarding kits.

Lacepunk - Monte Christo and all that ...

I admit I have a soft spot for 28mm and "high adventure" ... witness my "Ali the Corsair", a Wargames Foundry mini not-quite-finished-yet. Still have a bunch of "Darkest Africa" figures, a large number of pirates, lots of Vikings, a good cross-section of bronze age warriors, some Assyrians, a mixture of Apaches, all awaiting basing, primer and the paintbrush. Well, one day.

Anyway - with such eclectic taste it is no wonder that I should spot "lacepunk", a mixture of fantasy and/or science fiction in a fictitious 18th century Principality of Monte Christo. Okay, it is a weird site and will take some getting use d to, but there are excellent ideas here.

Though, I have to say, I am somehow not taken with the "sci-fi" element here. While "steampunk" and Victorian spaceships are just within my concept of "realistic weirdness", "lacepunk" is a step too far. Or a period too far back. Admitted, the adventures of Münchausen fit right in here. Still I'f rather have more fantasy elements than the whole "colonies on Amrs" thing.

Wet, Wet, Wet - Belfast Tall Ships

Just back from Belfast where the Tall Ships Atlantic Challenge has made a stop-over, including the Portuguese "Sagres" (built as "Albert Leo Schlageter" for the German Navy more than 70 years ago). As a colleague asked me to prepare a photo-portfolio of the "Sagres" (and some other ships) with the modeller in mind, I hopped a ride northeast and ... got thoroughly soaked.

Anyway, pictures have been taken and now we'll just have to bring them into a decent format.

I am a bit scared though ... I might kick off a new trend in super-detailing by having documented the different-coloured stair threads on the "Sagres", red and green respectively. Now taking the quite good Minicraft "Sagres" kit in 1/350 this would work out at, let me see ... roughly 2 mm wide and 0.05 mm deep. Oh well, can be done I suppose.

Painting Tyres (or even Tires) Without the Pain

Interesting thread on the Airfix Tribute Forum on painting those wheelie things easiest and best - excellent material for newcomers and "dabbling amateurs", who don't want to feed a guru's ego before getting some hints.

Project "Pagoda" - Kawai 1/250

A glimpse at a current project of mine - a Kawai pagoda in 1/250 (well, so it says on the box). Cheap but cheerful model from Japan with loads of potential. More pics and detailed report to come up sometime soon(ish).

The Seven Samurai

Got lucky on eBay and managed to score a bundle of Tamiya 1/16 "Sengoku Period Samurai" kits - seven to be precise. Which were, all in all and P&P included, at a bargain bin price. Now I have nine of these, one started "out of the box" (or rather "out of the plastic bag" in this case), the rest awaiting ... I don't know what precisely.

While the figure is well done by Tamiya, it certainly does not lend itself to easy conversion. The main assembly is two parts, back and front, and that goes from the horns down to the toenails. Only the arms are separate. What's more, the samurai (actually it would be a commander, not a mere warrior) is moulded with a rarer type of body armour and an overcoat. So some carving and sculpting might be in order anyway.

Don't hold your breath yet!