derex3592

The Modeling Santa was good to me this year!!! 😁

That's absolutely beautiful work!

@Gabe QIt's my belief that you need to take the valve assembly out and give it a thorough cleaning. Watch out for the little tiny washer (part 7) in the top though. Very easily lost. This SHOULD cure sticky triggers. You might not need to take part 8 out, just run a cleaner brush and Q-tip up through it, depending on the situation. Also, maybe something other than the Iwata "SuperLube" might be better to lube the trigger plunger. I find that stuff over times gets gummy and you're back to square one.

Probably around 8 years ago now, (jeez time flies) I purchased my first high end airbrush. The Iwata Eclipse HP-CS. Coming from a good old double action Paasche, this was quiet the upgrade and it painted a LOT of kits over the years. Well, as the years went on, the trigger kept getting sticky and that was annoying, no matter how many times I cleaned it and lubricated the trigger, the problem would always return. About 2 months ago, I went to use it and the trigger didn't push down anymore. Uhh--Ohh! So I decided it was time to try taking apart the air valve assembly and replace it, I ASSUMED that was the issue. So, I ordered ALL the air valve replacement parts along with the two O rings and thought to myself, "This will be SWEET!" It'll be like brand new again! Now I've got my GSI Creos' now and didn't REALLY need the Iwata anymore, but I couldn't let it go out like that! After all, it still is my most expensive airbrush.... Got the new parts in and got the valve parts out with a pair of cheap tweezers, (if you don't ever have to do this...DON'T), and replaced all the old parts with the new ones aaaaand......The trigger now feels like new again, HOWEVER, only like 1/5 of the air was coming out of the brush compared to how it used to spray...HMMMMM.....Long story short, after another online Iwata parts order, I got a new nozzle, because why not at this point, along with the ONLY other part that could be shot, being the Needle Pack Screw. Now I honestly didn't think I could get it out, Lord only knows how much dried paint was in there from 8 years of accidents and whatever else, So I shot WD-40 down there and let it set for a few hours and it actually DID come out. PRO TIP - Jewlers flat head screw driver set that I just happened to have in my tool pouch from years ago was the ONLY reason I got it out. Veeeery small screw and a long reach down there to get to it! So I got that in, then had to watch a YouTube video on how to set it, I didn't realize that was a thing. BUT IT SO IS! Gotta back if off a turn or two and then veeery fine adjustments to make the needle slide in and out smoothly but firmly. OK! CHECK! Here we GO! To the bench! Yeh....not so fast. STILL was losing air but this time I could here it coming out around the trigger and into the body so I deduced I hadn't gotten the valve screw back in tight enough...and I mean TIGHT. So back to find a slightly angled set of cheap tweezers I don't care about and could grip down tight close the bottom of the valve and tightened it up REAL tight. BAAAAMMMM!!!!! WE HAVE A WORKING IWATA AGAIN. Now before you guys say it, yeh, the Iwata is now BY FAR my most expensive airbrush....LOOOL! Basically over $100 in new parts plus two shipping charges, but once I was down the rabbit hole, I was NOT going to be denied. I also upgraded to the newer back handle for the airbrush with the locking screw on the back like you get with most brushes worth a crap today. I am now NOT AFRAID to take any airbrush ALL the way apart. Hilariously, now my GSI Creos .03 trigger is starting to be sticky ALREADY....GRRRRR........I swear once you have a bad day and get paint in the back of these high end tools, they don't really ever seem the same again, no matter how much you clean them. I case anyone needs it, here is a great diagram of the Iwata with all the parts labeled. Spraygunner has all the parts. Hope you guys all have a very Merry Christmas!!!

Mr Finishing Surfacer Black and Tamiya Flat White for pre-(I've been baking in the desert 🏜 sun for a few years)- shading have gone down on the Tamiya 1/35 M2A2 Bradley. Got this idea from Andy over at Andy's Hobby Headquarters YouTube channel armor builds...

Is this line kinda the HINT HINT that an HM-R version is maaaaybe gonna happen one day or is it a deathnail to the very thought of an HM-R happening? Just wondering???....

I watched that clip last night you YT. What a wonderful honor for such a talented kind hearted good man who was the voice of my childhood and WAS and STILL is the ONE AND ONLY OPTIMUS PRIME!

@505thAirborne - BIG OLDER GUY fingers need little itty bitty helpers bruh...either one of these sets I HIGHLY recommend! YF-23 is looking GREAT! Very smoooooth and seamless! Amazon.com: 6PCS Precision Tweezers Set, Upgraded Anti-Static Stainless Steel Curved of Tweezers, for Electronics, Laboratory Work, Jewelry-Making, Craft, Soldering, etc, by kaverme. : Tools & Home Improvement Amazon.com : Majestic Bombay Fine Point + Slant Tweezers for Women and Men – Splinter Ticks, Facial, Brow and Ingrown Hair Removal–Sharp, Needle Nose, Surgical Tweezers Precision best tweezers for chin hair : Beauty & Personal Care

Love the Intruder! Looking forward to seeing yours! For those keeping track, 4 years ago these poor pilots got sealed into the cat's eye. Today they were freed! Got both broken winglet parts glued back on today and now I'm going to cleanup around the cockpit. I still believe I can save this awesome Moscato kit! 😁

Thanks @505thAirborne!

Academy B1-B reporting in. Calling it DONE! 😁

Free marketing plug here for the $40 NEOECO airbrush on Amazon through Barbotos Rex's YouTube channel. I freehanded clouds with it today with the point 02 needle installed. Pop off the front protective needle cap and just put a few drops of thinned out paint straight into the body of the thing for small detail work. No paint container to clean. Impressive to say the least for $40! Great cheap tool to use for whatever. 3 needles and different size containers, a dropper, a quick release part and other stuff as well. Check it out!

I'm not sure about after market parts for it @wm cheng. I would imagine there probably are. So the first bay is a giant fuel tank yes. Now I was excited when building it and didn't really think through the fact that those doors wouldn't be open on a bombing run but oh well! 😆 There WERE enough parts to make another bomb rack that could have been put in that spot with only minor modifications, but the instructions didn't event hint at that being an option and I had already glued the fuel tank in and would have had to damage it and or the plane to get it out. If I had it to do over again, I would have ditched the extra fuel tank and loaded out all 3 bomb bays! I had the 1:72 kit of this when I was a teenager and it was HUGE! It hung right over my head in my bed! I remember it had a larger center bomb bay with ICBM's in it cause ya know, 80's = NUKE the Russkies!

Thanks guys! I see the flaws to easily, I guess. I'm my own worst critic! @wm cheng - 13 inches long from nose to tail. no stand included OR pilot figs..Boooo. Gonna knock up a cheap basic wood stand this weekend and just stick in on a painted brass rod.

I missed the first one in IMAX, I won't miss THIS one!

Trailer of that and Axel F. look pretty good! I'll prob watch both at some point without the wife in the house!

@Sildani - The times, they are a changin....

So here's the 1/144 Academy Bone 🍖.. LOL. Bottom...perfect in my eyes. Top.... Well the wing walkway decal film was funky or something reacted bad with it.. So I tried to fix that then I tried to fix the fix and made it kinda ok....Then the flat coat made it more noticeable. Not sure what else to do at this point. Might just call it done... 🤔 🙄 Great kit! Just beware the decals!

Getting there now....

Yes, I'm aware of the pricing situation, I'd just rather try to pick up one from Japan after release and pay a nominal shipping rate with good delivery options and also have the toy 2 to 3 months ahead of US retailers getting them!

Well I TOTALLY missed this pre-order because of being out of town for work last week, which sucks because I really want this one! Oh well, I'll try to snag one from Anime Export upon release. I'm NOT paying that crazy US markup.

@Lolicon --- sooooo many pwettty valks.....

I've done a LOOOOT of waterslide decals over the years, and if I screw up it's usually on me, but I'm not taking the blame for this one!

@Big s - YES! That's exactly what kind of happened on those two big ones, it seems like a few spots on the middle clear part of the film actually partially DESOLVED after I put it down and put Micro Sol on it! I was like WTF?!

Thanks @sh9000! I picked up Duke/Snake Eyes/Destro and a B.A.T. shipped for like $86!!! NICE!!! LOVE these figures!