A MODELMAKER’S LIFE: ALL THE SMALL THINGS…

Along with the painting, I decided to embellish some of the details with a few additional decals, that though not entirely accurate, looked to be realistic enough to pass muster.

29th September 2025

So here we are, almost at the end of September – where has the time gone! I know that those around me like the autumn months, dark nights, colder temperatures and the run up to Christmas, but to me it’s nothing more than the end of the summer and the start of six months of wanting those light nights and warm days to return!

The advent of Autumn, brings with it the last of the model shows before everything closes down until the end of January. As this is being written I’m preparing for two major events, Scale Model Challenge in Eindhoven and then Scale Model World in Telford, both of which need to have brand-new models finished for them. 

This morning, I had a very pleasant catchup with my friend Haris Ali, who will be accompanying me to Eindhoven. During our chat, I mentioned that we only had a week or so until the show, to which Haris replied “don’t you mean two weeks?”. I the took a look at the dates only to discover he was indeed correct and my rushing my latest piece, which included missing the football on Saturday had been rather unnecessary! Though rather embarrassed by my error, I am now very happy to have the extra time, meaning that everything will be fully finished, with nothing left to chance. It doesn’t though mean thatI will have some downtime, because I still have to finish the ICM Marauder for SMW in Telford, a model that I will now have to start before travelling to Eindhoven, rather than after the event. Swings and roundabouts…

Today has been all about the final details from my build, undercarriage, exhausts, weapons, that kind of thing. It is at this point, as mentioned last week, that I can sometimes start to rush the details, but as those on this model are so much a part of the overall picture, I’m resisting the temptation. So this afternoon, I settled in to what proved to be an excellent period of painting and assembling, the results being rather pleasing even if I do say so myself. My desk is now littered with all manner of details and though it was tempting to start gluing them in place, I’m not yet fully happy with the overall finish on my little aircraft, so will continue to work on that until it looks to be fully complete and not as it is now, lacking in a few areas.

Along with the painting, I decided to embellish some of the details with a few additional decals, that though not entirely accurate, looked to be realistic enough to pass muster. It is the addition of these tiny details, fake though they may be, that I think brings a model to life. Along with the moulded detail and my paintwork, little stencil decals can trick the eye into believing that you have something that is way more complex than it perhaps is. You only need a few of them as well, added to obvious places, they not only look appropriate, they can add much-needed splashes of colour, with little need for the kind of accuracy needed with a paintbrush. Not only that, it’s relaxing as well. It’s all a bit science fiction, but I like that. 

Over the next few days, this thing should start to come together and I can then assess its finish and detail. I’ll probably have to leave it for a few days after that so that I can use distant to refresh my objectivity, an important part of any build that I have looked at for as long as this one. That will in turn given me the opportunity to gather together the other models I’m taking to the show, one of which, my Harrier, needs some repairs and a deep clean, which is likely to take a few days to complete. 

So that’s it, I’m now well on my way to being prepared well in advanced for the two major shows I’m attending over the next month or so. There will be no need to rush anything and no need to panic as both draw closer. Oh, who am I kidding? Panic will set in this year as it has every year, which as well all know is just part of the game…

See you tomorrow.