Rockets and Parachutes

My friend Bill, Jr. sent me a couple Honest John rockets, they are sold as missile loads for flat cars.

Their scheme is orange tips and white body.  I am repainting the orange to red.

Rust-Oleum Gloss Apple Red.  It's really red.  Industrial strength red.

Here are the transporters, no flat cars, and the missiles bodies with the fins or warhead.  I already repainted the transports from horrible bright green to Olive Drab.

I am also painting some downed parachutes that have been languishing for about 35 years.  Time to get the project finished.

First painting them flat gray primer.

It was just at twilight, and the lighting came out weird, but kinda cool.

Yellow, obviously.

Red ones.

And the rocket ends look like some surreal space adventure!
 

Hi Rise Buildings

I am testing some techniques for making high rise buildings that can be used on the inside for wargames and role playing games.  Sort of like a doll house with an open back so the figures can be moved around.  Here is a test for a second floor.  Paul Heiser Jeep and Airfix figure or size.

This is cardboard and foamcore board inside a small plastic crate.  The kind you store CDs or Blu-Ray discs inside.

I am testing different types of support for interior floors. I want it all to be modular and easy to take down and set up.

Here is the crate, it is about 7 x 9 x 6 inches deep.
 

Testing the Kiss Kiss Club

The final lay out for the Kiss Kiss Club.

I still have to print and paste posters, glue the band name onto plastic so it will be legible, and put pins in the fences so they stay put.

I also need to make dancing partners for the dance floor.  Henchmen and Moll for Largo to chase Mr. Bond with.

And the final painting of the ground cover.  But I am getting close.  The ground cover paint takes a full day to dry between coats and it will take three, probably.  I have not even started on the dancers, henchmen, moll, or even Mr. Bond.
 

Painting the Crane

Close up of the serrations on the bucket, cut from the Boley Concrete Breaker.

Cleaning up the bucket.

The model disassembled before painting.  I returned the screw to it's location and covered it with tape to keep the threads clear of paint.

This is the "window glass" for the cab.  To remove just push the little pin on the top straight down and it pops right out.  The cut off concrete breaker pin will be saved for some other project, maybe.

Ready for paint.  I paint my models with a spray can, outdoors on bits of thin wood, or even foam core board or cardboard.  Toothpicks, and BBQ skewers are useful to minimize contact with the painting surface so the models don't stick.

I put this skewer inside this little part so it would not blow away under the spray paint pressure.

Typically, I paint one side, wait until this side is dry and then paint the other side.  It has been rainy, hot, and humid recently I have been waiting at least 24 to 48 hours before I flip the models and paint them to make sure they are dry.

Painted by spray paint and ready for touch up, detail painting, and reassembly.

Now it's time for the white crane.

I did them separately because this one will be Testors Olive Drab and the other one was Rust-Oleum Deep Forest Green.  I use the Olive Drab for WWII and the Deep Forest Green for early to mid-Cold War US Army.

Neither of them required primer painting since the colors are very dark and opaque.
 

Crane from Concrete Breaker

I got more of these concrete breakers than I wanted.

So while I was taking them apart to repaint as US Army cranes, I decided to fix that problem.

Nice detail even under the main body.

This breaker will become a bucket.

Cut off the breaker, I used my sprue cutter.

It came off easily as the plastic is soft.

I cut serrations in the end of the bucket with my sprue cutter and trimmed it with my X-Acto knife.
 

Destruction of a Ruin

Two concrete breakers destroying a war bombed building.

Civilians help with removing the debris.

Heavy wall broken up by the cranes.

Thick walls can't always be cleared by explosions.

So concrete breakers and picks and shovels are the order of the day.

Useful building destruction.
 

Yellow Breaker

A few years ago I got a bunch of these vehicles from Fidelis Models.

Recently I pulled some out of my storage with the intention of painting them for my US Army.

It's a very nice, sturdy, and durable model.

My plan is to dis-assemble the model and repaint it in olive drab.

Usually I paint my windshields glossy black and that is the plan here.

None of the model is glued together, just one screw to remove and it's apart.  Be careful when removing it as the screw is very tight!
 

Concrete Breaker

Boley Concrete Breaker is a great little model.  https://fidelismodels.com/collections/boley-civilian-vehicles/products/boley-2305-7  I got a few of them from Fidelis Models.

These models come in both orange and yellow, with the tracks painted in silver, and so is the "glass" in the cab windows.

Vehicles like this are used to break concrete apart when demolishing buildings, roads and other concrete structures.

I have no idea if this represents a specific make or model of tractor, but it is generic enough to use in World War Two until today, as the basic design has not really changed.

These models are fully assembled.

It has a nice arm and has a long reach.

The whole thing is held together by a small screw.  It is easily removed and the model taken apart to repaint it.

I got this from Fidelis Models.  These come in different colors and their stock may vary.  https://fidelismodels.com/collections/boley-civilian-vehicles/products/boley-2305-7