1/32 Datsun Bluebird

And so, a 1/32 scale Datsun is my purchase for the day. My only reasoning was that it would look good in a 1/35 scale diorama which does not even exist yet. The problem with scale models is that none of the 'fit' (in my case) when it comes to ideas.

For example, I have some 1/35 figures that will be used in a 1/35 house, which is ideal. But then I discovered none of the 1/35 figures has a motorbike license and so, I cannot use the 1/35 bikes. Sure, you can drive a 1/35 tank or even a 1/35 Jeep but in peacetime, you need to drive a 1/35 civilian car, which, sadly, does not exist.

And so, this is where the 1/32 scale from Arii comes in. It will be slightly bigger when compared to a 1/35 figure. Heck, everyone likes cars with roomier interior anyway. Arii created about 64 cars under this Owner's Club range and for a kit this size, it is very detailed. The reason why I chose this particular model is that it is a bit ridiculous for everyone to drive a sports car just after a war or something. You can even see this on architectural models where all cars are either a Porsche or some Mercedes or something. Never a real civilian car.

But then again, if a manufacturer did sell model car kits, 'normal' cars would not sell well. Anyway, here is a brief look at the Datsun Bluebird...

When I first held the box, it was very small, as if this
kit was really 1/43 instead. I am not sure why I chose
this model but in my head, all I could think of was the
taxis or cars used in those Indian movies. But then,
those were Ambassadors, based on some Morris if I
am not mistaken.

This is basically everything in just one plastic
bag. But don't be disappointed, OK?

Because when you look at the details on the model,
You will be very very happy.

And once you have built one, you will want to look
for more. And for 1/35, they are ideal for adding
into dioramas (provided its Japanese) where normal
folks drive normal cars. Or just use it as a rusted junk.

1/35 Ma.K Nutcracker

This is another gift from a friend. When he first asked me if I was interested in the Nutcracker, I took a quick look around his place and said, 'No'. I said No not because I was not interested in it but I sort of knew what is going to happen next.

And so, after much friendly arguing and pushing, it was mine, whether I like it or not. And it is free, as a token of my contribution for the Forum and THE workshop.

I can tell you that this is my second Ma.k kit, with the first being the 1/20th Falke. The Nutcracker is actually a 1/35th model. This was way back in the 80's when Kow Yokoyama created his Machinen Krieger series, and the only available scales were the Tamiya's 1/20 F1 cars and the 1/35 Military series.

So, using parts from various plastic models, Kow created his masterpieces. Also, this was how Star Wars models came into being too. Nitto originally came out with the injection plastic kits at that time (and I was too young to appreciate them, being 'dirty' and all compared to those 'clean' WWII models from the Tamiya catalogue) but this time, Hasegawa has the license to do them. And The Nutcracker is their fourth model so far.

Once again, this box is huge, and I told my Wife,
it was a gift and I did not buy it. However, I am
not sure of she believes me.

In brief, this Nutcracker (originally Nutrocker) is a
robot which is designed to destroy armoured suits
or 'Nuts'. I was told of some reason why it cannot be
piloted by humans but I forgot. Something to do
with radiation.

When you open the box for the very first time, you
will be amazed at the size of the kit. It is huge.

The kit is huge, mainly because of the 'main body'.
It comes with 5 plastic bags. All in all, a very simple
kit to assemble. But somehow, I have no inspiration
to do them just yet. Still, this is a nice kit because it
also have parts to build two 1/35 Armoured suits,
namely the Gustav and Melusine.

And if you're a Star Wars fan, by now, you will notice
the similarity in the base of the Nutcracker which is
very similar to Boba Fett's Slave-1.

But let's not rush things. I still have the Falke to start off with. Yep, I am slowly going back to model kits again. Something to take my mind off a lot of things.

The New TOS Cylon Basestar Part 1

Hokay. I am happy. No, that's not right. I am over the Moon. Why? This is one of the times I am very happy to receive gifts even though I did not expect it. And this will be a very special one because its from SFTPMS as token of appreciation for the two Lighting Workshops conducted over the last two Saturdays. I was an unexpected thing and so, I don't have no fotos to show yous, of da one I gotten di kit.

The Model is one of my favourites in the BSG
World because well, I just like the shape.

I do not have the original model with me and so,
I cannot remember the changes brought on to
this new model. But in this instruction, this is
something I have not seen from the old kit.

I am not sure about these parts either but they
look quite nice.

And definitely, not these 5 parts which is on
the neck between the two saucer halves.

Still, these new parts look very nice and well, my
brain is going crazy trying to think up of a way to
light it up even though the original model does not
have any lights.

Anyhow, I have passed this kit to a friend of mine, who has the original (complete) set and he will do a review on it soon.

SFTPMS LED Workshop Session II

Today is the last session for the Lighting Workshop for SFTPMS members, and it was still hosted by ICW (Infinite Creation Workshop). Due to the previous week's response where the thread being read spiked, I had to go there early in case someone else wants to join and get them up to speed before the session starts. However, before I can come out of the house, there are some chores to do since laundry has been piling up. but now, my Wife understands that I have this session, she said I should be going. But I still need to do what I can first.

There was a lot of things to be done and I was juggling between last minute checklists and doing the house chores. Yes, I could have done this packing earlier but for the past few days, I was really feeling under the weather.

The girls were happy too because once
Mommy has finished her chores, they
are going to their cousin's house.

Once again, ICW has made sure the session would not be interrupted and rayloke has made sure the tables and chairs are ready.

While I was setting up, he was also trying to catch up by doing some 'homework'. Which, was not possible because people kept coming to the shop. But I am happy for him because this means more business and more people would know about ICW.

By 1400, the session started and this time, we went straight into practical as there was not enough time last week. All was fine until I discovered in my haste to design the circuit, the markings for the batteries were wrong.

But this did not deter them from trying to complete the kit. Thanks to Loo and Alex, we realised that error and so, the session continued. This time, many participants have brought their own accessories which helps in soldering the boards and also to see better.

Then came the second problem where the 555 & 4017 boards were concerned. But we managed to trace the problem which was in the board's design (sorry, folks). But they were glad that it happened because now they know how to *ahem* 'rewire' and modify circuits. And they were happy about this. Weird.

The problem lies in the pulse signal from the 555. It was too weak to give the 4017 a proper clock pulse. Finally, once I cut the track, not only does the rewiring solves the problem, but I get to demonstrate the characteristics of the chip when its clock pulse was 'floating'.


Alas, there was one error which I could not repair, which was the microprocessor board. It worked fine in simulation but when it comes to putting it on the board, it refused to work. This was my mistake as I did not prototype this design beforehand and assumed everything would be OK in the end. But then, with so much things to do before this session, everything was in a rush and by hoping to skip a few steps to save time, I get a red card instead. So, with nothing else, I decided to get some of the members to try soldering surface mount LEDs instead.

Loo CK. Success!

Viper. Success!

somac. Success!

(OK, he was afraid he burnt it as he was trying
to solder without using the double-sided tape)

Finally, as the session was drawing to a close, everyone was happy and I had to sell an additional pack too. Also, I explained to them that with the kits soldered, they can experiment further with it and also, modify it in the hopes of putting them into the model kits. Maybe I was a bit too sensitive but overhearing them talking, they are now not very afraid of going to Pasar Road and with the theory about surface mount LED wiring, I can see that their imagination has started....

Last but not least, I would like to thank SFTPMS and ICW for their help in making this a success. And also the gifts. *ahem* But if I were asked to do this session again, I seriously have to think it over since the costs involved is quite a tidy sum and I would have to re-design the two error boards again.

(Or, should I? This would leave them to 'troubleshoot' the boards themselves.....)

Sleepy Birds

When I came home today, these girls were sleeping
while Mommy did the same in the next room. Seems
like they were so excited that Mommy's back that
they wore each other out...

Dinner

With Wife being away for a short course. I am stuck with the task of getting dinner. And so,
for tonight, I was supposed to take-away some food. However, when I came back, the house
was empty. Apparently, my Parents took the girls to the new shopping centre which ironically, was within 300 metres of my Office. And they bought dinner too because they forgot about the plane of my buying the dinner. What a waste of money and throughout the whole evening, I was giving everyone the cold shoulder. RM38 can buy a lot of things such as:

1) 7 plates of chicken rice.
2) 3 packs of condoms
3) 6 lunch-time Big Macs
4) A NERF gun
5) Some toys
6) Enough petrol for trip to nowhere, and so on.

So, in the end, we ate the friend chickens I
bought and the fried rice they bought.

I bought a House!

Finally! After much searching and planning, I finally committed to buying a house. The seller promised that the documents would be arriving in three week's time. Yes, it has come to a point that one must buy a house during the lifetime. Not because its a 'must' thing but to me, it feels quite like the natural part of Life.

However, when one buys a house, there are problems such as location, access and more importantly, the price. Its no point getting a nice house but in a remote part of a remote area. But still, after looking at this house, I am convinced that it is the right one. Also, this is something, which in my very personal opinion, a decision which I do not have to inform my wife. Really. And what's more, its actually a corner lot which means I should have a big garden too.

And so, after three weeks, the package finally arrived.

And from the stamps, you can tell its a very old
house and so, it uses 2nd class service. Why, I
have no idea myself.

Buying a house is a very serious matter and so, the
buyer has decided to send a scale representation
of the house before-hand. Just to make sure that
the Customs are not fooled, this is really not a toy
for a very serious subject.

And there you have it, folks. My very own house!
And this scale model, when built up, will represent
the house that I will be getting.

For a beginner modeler like me, this is going to
take some time building it since I am not very
knowledgeable when it comes to vac-form kits.
But I can tell you that the material is thick
styrene, and has a lot of details, something
which is very uncommon based on my experience
going through vacu-form kits.

Sadly, as I go through the kit, I realised that the house I bought had some minor defect as seen in the scale model. The back part of the walls have crumbled and there is no roof. Its as if a bomb has exploded near the house. So, I have to decline this purchase and make do with the model kit instead. Then again, the cost of daily commute from Hungary to my Office will kill definitely me not to mention the arduous travelling time.

Cheaper Bread

Stumbled on these at the 99mart and for the
asking price, this is very cheap compared to
my usual 8 buns I get at 7-11 or petrol kiosks.

RM1.90 for 10 pieces and each is as
soft and fresh as if it came out from
the over hours ago. Unfortunately,
it was so delicious, I finished it in a
day and could not leave them for
the next. So, I would have to return
to the more expensive bread which
can keep for days.

Sore throat

Woke this morning with a feeling as if I have a sore
throat. Then again, this is expected since I was in
the office making phone calls and doing the emails
right in front of the air con blower. But them I am
suspecting this since I have done this many times
and did not come off worse. I suspect that there is
a more valid reason, in the sense that I got the
flu coming on...

1/32 Mercedes Benz SSKL

The price for this model, is very tempting, even with the type of discounts I get. But why am I getting this now? It was sitting there, gathering dust in the old Miniature Hobby shelves for years. I have my own reasons and it is not something I would like to tell on this blog. But for decades, I have seen these models for sale and I was never attracted to it, particularly since the SSKL was 'rare'. And to tell you the truth, I have no desire or any feelings in acquiring these vintage car models.

That was, before "The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen" came out. And by then, to me, these cars, are appealing. But with minimum fenders, that is.

Anyway, with the 1/35 or 1/32 idea in my mind coming
up, this car is ideal for the project. I was figuring that the
model would be built as is, maybe a GPS system on the
dash to make it more updated. The plan is that this car
belongs to the Pub owner who restored it and kept it
safe throughout the war. Now, it is his personal vehicle.

So, after taking off the 'factory' plastic seal, I decided
to examins the box more carefully. I mean, anyone
nowadays can 'factory' seal a box. What I was afraid
of, were missing parts.

OK, so this was made in China. But if memory
serves me right, it was made in the UK during
my time. Weird. But with the Matchbox logo in
the front. I could not be a duplicate, right?

The side details on the box were, according to
my memory, was accurate enough. This was, I
think, Matchbox's way to compete with Airfix
by using a three colour plastic sprues, which at
that time, was unheard of. Later on, Bandai
took that concept to a new level with their
Gundams.

OK, so the sprues looks 'OK', I think. And the
instruction sheet is a bit funny but then again,
I have never bought this model kit at that time.

What the heck!? Chinese? Oh no! Now I can't do the
model! Just joking. I still have my Wife to translate...
But Googling for its history has reavealed some very
interesting facts. Maybe I should take a closer look
at my SSKL model, for it could be an 'original' afterall.

Well, well, well! It has six wheels! OK, so the two
were spares and meant to be placed at the rear,
but six wheels! Woo hoo!

[Update 02052011]

Apparently, this is the real thing and yes, its actually made in China. After looking at the sprues, there were two that have their 'Made in China' words covered up. Unfortunately this was not done very well and so, with a play on lighting, you can see the works. The question that I have now, is, are the plastics made of inferior quality or is it still the same?

I am not an expert on this and since I do not have an 'original', it is hard to answer. Still, during the process of making the model, I noticed that it is very 'weak' at certain parts. But then again, where thin areas are concerned, this is normal, even on the modern kits today. Oh well, just get it done....

As you can see from the half covered blob, the word
China is in there.

And the same can be seen from this sprue where
it was covered up.

Rimless Humvees

Passing by Hobby HQ, I noticed that two of the the

Academy's 1/35th scale rejected Humvee was still
sitting behind Mr. Low. This was because the box
had double sprues packed into it in place of the
missing sprues. This means a lot of extra parts
for a kit-bash but because the missing sprues
contained the wheels, it was practically not
possible to complete even one Humvee. I
offered to take off his hands and as a reward,
it was sold to me with a very heavy discount.

But, after a much closer look, this kit has an
extra wheel rim which acts as a spare tire.
Doing, the math, one Humvee has an extra rim.
And each box has a duplicate rim, I can use the
extra four rims to make one complete Humvee.
But Ladies and Gentlemen, this is not my plan...

Its going to rain again

Man, after coming out a customer's place, I took a
look at the view and know that I have to work fast
to get to my car. This is a sign that a very heavy
thunderstorm was about to be released...

Trip to The Curve 24042011

By hook or by crook, we need to go to Popular bookstore so that Kristine has enough workbooks to prepare her for her coming exams. Initially, we drove to Jalan Tun H.S. Lee since Popular's website listed it still as one of their branches. How wrong we were because by the time we arrived, the building, which was called Wisma Wawasan, looked very run-down and from the outside, crowded kiosks meant that the is a very high chance that the bookstore is no longer there. So, once again, I have to keep my guard up with local websites which have problems when it comes to regular updates.

By the time we reached The Curve, it was already raining very heavily to the point that it was a very good idea to give up and go home just in case one of the trees get uprooted by the strong winds. And looking at the sea of cars queuing at each parking entrance, it was already very discouraging for me. That was, until I remembered that there is a car park still 'unknown' to a lot of people at one of my customer's office. What was so appealing was that once we entered the building, it is connected to the Curve's Cineleisure and IPS (new name for Ikano),

After buying all the books, it was time to go home but
before that, we used the normal way of escalators so
that we can have a look at other shops on the way to
the bakery located in the basement.

Someone has successfully turned bread into the
new black. And boy, it looks unique but for the
price it is asking, I decided not to get it. And it
was displayed out on the open, near the doorway
which, well, like any other curious person, they
would be picked up, smelled and subject to a lot
of fondling which, in my terms is not delicious.

Luckily, the girls passed and went on to normal pastry.

One for the road...