On the workbench today 11/7/18

I have not been updating my blog for the past couple of years as I should have. The biggest challenge for me has always been writing something up. Now, if I eliminated write up would it these kind of posts be of interest to anyone? It is hard to tell without trying, isn't it? Therefore, I am launching "On the workbench today". I'll try to do at least 2 posts per week and if there is any interest I'll continue. I am thinking I might start separate blog though. But let's not get ahead of ourselves. Here is the first picture. From this point forward OTWT posts will be mostly silent.

Edited: The caption was an afterthought.

Glued the 'painted sign' on one of the FOS Dead Horse Bay kit walls.

The spray can cap info for my EXPO clinic attendees

I found the source of my spray can caps. They are from Art Primo. There are others out there like Spray Planet, etc.

Building Chippys Hollow Hardware Co by Fine Scale Miniatures Pt.3

Two years ago after seeing a MRH TV episode on Cricut cutting machine I decided I had to have one. I was going to use it to cut many things and then I even didn't take it out of the shipping box. At first I just didn't want to go through the learning process. Later I learned that it wasn't as good as it was being portrayed. So it sat on a shelf until few days ago.
The reason for this change of heart was that I needed to paint the tires for the truck that was included with the Chippys. I could have done it with a paintbrush, but those wheels are small and painting just the tires on them without messing up entire wheel isn't very easy task. I thought I would do a better job if I could use a mask and an airbrush. However, cutting the mask by hand with such accuracy is nearly impossible and very time consuming. Using a liquid mask is pretty much the same as painting the tires with a paintbrush. Then I remembered the Cricut and decided to bite the bullet and at least try it. After several hours I had my wheel masks cut out. I have yet to see how well the masks did the job since I did airbrushing late last night. If everything went well I will have the truck done in a week or so. The rest is already finished.

Mrs. Williams House by American Model Builders

It looks like I have been in a rut for the past couple of years. All this time I have been building the kits just as they are using the same techniques over and over. There are several reasons for that though, but the biggest of all is perhaps a number of kits that I own. I don't think I have enough time left to build them all, but I am still trying. I should start selling some of them off instead. However, there is a problem. I have hard time selling unbuilt kits. I have gone through the list and I have come up only with 4 kits that I would let go. It wouldn't even make a dent in my collection. On a bright side, there aren't many kits left that I would like to own and therefore my collection eventually may stop growing.
AMB Mrs. Williams House was yet another kit that I acquired without paying attention to what I was buying. Do you see the pattern? The condition of it wasn't too bad, but the part sheets were out of the bag so it would have been not easy to convince the potential buyers that everything was there if I were to sell. Therefore, I built it. I don't have much to say about the kit though. Just like other AMB kits this one is well engineered, easy to build, but somewhat boring.

Boot repair shop by BTS

This is my step forward after making few steps back in attempt to complete the started kits. Suddenly, I found myself not being able to continue any of the lunch break projects because they all needed something that could be done only at home. What else could I do other than to start something new? I know, it is poor excuse, but what can be better than the smell of the laser cut  wood?
The boot repair kit adds a little of counter weight to the situation, but the chances of getting to the bottom of the list are slim to none at his point. It is like mortgage. You see the end in the tunnel. You will have you house paid off and then you buy new house, bigger or more expensive, and you start over. Perhaps, it is meant for me to have this quite long unfinished project list forever? I would finish some, add some, but it would never go away.

Building Chippys Hollow Hardware Co by Fine Scale Miniatures Pt.2

This is a long overdue update. I have separated the main structure and the dock. They will be installed at different spots on layout. I am also working on couple of sub-assemblies. The project is getting close to the end, but I still have a ton of castings to paint and a truck to build.

Building Dewitt's Depository by Campbell Pt.2

I took some time off from work and the modeling at the beginning of July. I went overseas. I thought the trip would cure my burnout. It didn't. I had to force myself to work on my projects for the first two weeks after coming back. I even had some thoughts of giving up the hobby and doing something else with my time. It got all better over the other two weeks. I even managed to finish the Dewitt's kit.
I weathered the building a little bit more than any of the others I built. I added some water streaks at the bottom corners  of the windows. I did that on one other structure and I didn't like it. I am not sure if I like it this time around either. I think I'll just let it to soak in for awhile and then decide if I want to do this again.