tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-81339462846877273912012-02-16T22:54:45.438Zscience fiction scale modelling and other random stufftak5hakanoreply@blogger.comBlogger381100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8133946284687727391.post-15212482878686513302009-03-15T20:39:00.002Z2009-03-15T20:41:08.519Z

After clearing out lots of old shoes from the shoe cupboard, and starting to clean up my man cave, I find myself ironing all my shirts for the week as well as any other stuff that needs it.Where did I go wrong?

tak5hakanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8133946284687727391.post-66426087865185021542009-02-02T22:20:00.005Z2009-02-02T22:25:14.562Z

It's been a long time since I've posted anything. To be honest, I've not really had much to say!Model-wise, I've completed a couple of new builds and have several on the go - the main one being a 1/35 Gunther (a walking tank from an alternate WW2). I'm attempting to get this finished in time for the South Cheshire Militaire model show at the end of the month.You can look at the photos on Flikr

tak5hakanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8133946284687727391.post-21046667652406438212008-10-29T08:13:00.002Z2008-10-29T08:14:57.142Z

Yep, that time of year again.The car is frozen solid and, after battling penguins to get inside, I find out that it won't start.Very, very annoying!Time to think about a new car methinks.

tak5hakanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8133946284687727391.post-70926885938368032212008-09-21T21:47:00.008+01:002008-09-25T16:37:15.682+01:00

It's been a while since I posted anything and I have now completed three different builds that have been ongoing for a while!First up is the 1/20 Maschinen Krieger Krupp Kröte:Although the Kröte itself is finished, I still have to get around to completing the base and a figure to go with it.Next off the conveyor belt was the 1/35 Dinomania Group Build entry, Dinodistopia:Finally, I finished the 1

tak5hakanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8133946284687727391.post-65659760982279694972008-08-25T13:11:00.012+01:002008-09-25T16:32:55.766+01:00

Given my usual glacial building pace, this was an extreme challenge!The idea, devised by Homo Ferratus, had only three rules:You must use 1 Ping Pong ball!You must build it within 1 hour!Don't cheat, watch the time! ;)So, I ploughed through my sprues and bits and gathered a few things that might come in useful ...After a manic 45 minutes cutting holes and randomly gluing on parts, then shooting

tak5hakanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8133946284687727391.post-77678818640758829122008-07-29T09:25:00.004+01:002008-07-29T09:35:47.732+01:00

As you can see, there has been quite some progress over the last two weeks. To summarise:Triceratops is donePanzerhoudah (for want of a better word) is in progress, with a new floor and sculpted padding. Need to add seats, boxes and cargo.Panzerhoudah driver and riders built (using a kit from Miniart), need to clean up and then paint.Two of the machine gun walking figures are built, I have

tak5hakanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8133946284687727391.post-20785120395909980942008-07-17T23:40:00.003+01:002008-09-25T16:33:37.220+01:00

Not the song by B. Bumble and the Stingers mind you, but an AI hovertank employed by the SDR to hunt and destroy Mercenary SAFS troops.This is a 1/76-scale kit (the only official Ma.K kit at that scale sadly - there are some garage kits but they are very hard to get hold of) which consists of the Nutrocker itself (with photoetch wide-band antenna) and an in-scale SAFS (teeny tiny!).I managed to

tak5hakanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8133946284687727391.post-7701020586772962042008-06-29T13:32:00.004+01:002008-06-29T14:11:58.254+01:00

At the end of last night's epsiode of Dr Who, fans were left with a series of cliffhangers which had them on the edge of their seats (not least in my house!).However, we were all excited to be told that at 1pm today there would be a special trailer for the series finale - so I expect that there were a lot of fans like me waiting patiently for the end of the Politics Show to get a glimpse of what

tak5hakanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8133946284687727391.post-79787704032824837422008-06-26T23:31:00.002+01:002008-09-25T16:34:04.913+01:00

I put this together during the Bay 37 build so took the odd ten minute slot to finish it off.This is a prototype of the AFS used by the Mercenary Forces in the Maschinen Kreiger universe, it existed only as a sketch in one of the books until Jason Eaton created the kit master for the IHYC and sold a limited number during the Japanese Wonderfestival earlier this year.Anyway, I choose to finish it

tak5hakanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8133946284687727391.post-52147337931874091042008-06-24T23:13:00.003+01:002008-09-25T16:34:22.103+01:00

Playing around with Photoshop tonight using directions from www.myinkblog.com.A very nice effect that I think I'll use again on some of my other model photos when they're done.

tak5hakanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8133946284687727391.post-24648249003153326522008-06-11T20:48:00.003+01:002008-06-11T20:57:54.990+01:00

Okay, so I've just been to Sainsburys' supermarket to quickly get something to eat. Whilst I was there I thought I would just get some new deodorant - it's quite warm at the moment and my current one is running out.So I trundle up to the meager men's toiletries section (not even a full aisle) and all they have are body sprays.That's it. Two brands at the most, but all body sprays.So I enquire as

tak5hakanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8133946284687727391.post-80442293549999653932008-06-10T07:15:00.005+01:002008-09-25T16:34:46.062+01:00

Well, it didn't get first place in the SFM:uk Group Build, but imagine my surprise when my Bay 37 diorama nabbed the top slot in the Mecha Model Comp Maschinen Kreuger online competition.The results table can be found here, but to summarise, the diorama received 24.67 points overall with the following comments:"I love the display base on this one, it's got a satisfying level of grime to it, looks

tak5hakanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8133946284687727391.post-33710623597059895462008-06-05T22:55:00.006+01:002008-09-25T16:35:17.354+01:00

Some progress on the news legs for the Hundespinne. Essentially using parts from the Scopedog arm, with other parts from the Uchikoma legs and a 1/72 Tiger (plus some styrene tube).Now I just need to assemble three more ...

tak5hakanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8133946284687727391.post-62544163564079679722008-06-04T15:25:00.003+01:002008-06-04T15:28:25.268+01:00

An oldie but a goodie, this post is from 2006 and looks at the trends associated with logos for the Web 2.0 apps and sites.Although it could be considered dated now, I feel it is still relevant and worth a look at:http://www.fontshop.com/fontfeed/archives/the-logos-of-web-20/

tak5hakanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8133946284687727391.post-6105208618182720782008-06-04T07:27:00.007+01:002008-09-25T16:35:17.356+01:00

Yet another ongoing build, this started off with the cockpit from a 1/20-scale Scopedog and will eventually become an experiemental walker for the SDR. I see it as a prototype for the Sturmkafer (which is a design I love, but is almost impossible to obtain).The pilot's head is a resin one and the canopy is from a Hughes helicopter. The last picture shows the start of the engine block, taken from

tak5hakanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8133946284687727391.post-78165711516462756972008-06-02T18:43:00.004+01:002008-06-04T07:49:15.963+01:00

Here is a link to the PDF of some homebrew Space:1999 emblems that I created back in 2006. Feel free to use them as you will, just as long as you credit me at some point.PDF of emblems scaled for PE 12"ZIP archive of Adobe Illustrator files

tak5hakanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8133946284687727391.post-17803261341095380782008-05-29T20:00:00.004+01:002008-05-29T20:06:51.385+01:00

Some sideways progress indeed. Chopped up the Flakpanzer and just tacked it onto the dinosaur just to see what I need to do to make it look a bit more realistic(!). Some sort of padding and strapping is in order methinks.You'll notice a different diorama base, a better one from Miniart. Think I need to get hold of a square wooden base to put it on or something.

tak5hakanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8133946284687727391.post-77840413462572004592008-05-29T08:12:00.002+01:002008-05-29T08:13:52.884+01:00

Went to see Iron man last night.What can I say? Excellent film, no complaints whatsoever.No spoilers from me - just go and see it, you won't be disappointed!

tak5hakanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8133946284687727391.post-79512742435814145642008-05-27T00:18:00.001+01:002008-05-27T00:18:26.236+01:00

Mangamax shares his feelings about the start of the iconic British comic 2000AD. I for one agree with him that it was the start of something wonderful, not only in the storytelling, but with the fantastic artwork that the comic promoted week after week. Truly a legend that is still going strong!View Original ArticleBlogged with the Flock Browser

tak5hakanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8133946284687727391.post-41177318594116936092008-05-26T00:52:00.001+01:002008-05-26T00:52:29.218+01:00

From the BBC's Entertainment section: UK Eurovision entrant Andy Abraham finishes last as Sir Terry Wogan says he may quit as contest commentator.I agree that the voting system has to be reviewed as even I was able to predict where the scoring was going and I know nothing about geography! Are we even certain that these countries actually hold a public vote?What a farce.View Original

tak5hakanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8133946284687727391.post-47626846277022355302008-05-25T21:05:00.005+01:002008-05-25T21:11:31.604+01:00

So, I started putting together the build for the SFM:uk Dinomania Group Build.The Triceratops went together very quickly, but it is not the best fitting kit in the world and will need a lot of clean up. But I wanted to get an idea of how it would look with the other stuff, so I put together a 1/35 German Infantry figure and the house corner (a very disappointing kit, but salvageable). And this is

tak5hakanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8133946284687727391.post-5706128564940549412008-05-25T21:01:00.004+01:002008-09-25T16:35:17.358+01:00

Here are some pics of the Meteor in situ with a Fireball SG.

tak5hakanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8133946284687727391.post-19421542441859538072008-05-24T18:18:00.007+01:002008-09-25T16:35:17.359+01:00

Managed to get some time today to progress this build. Basically added some more cabling to the back pack, assembled the arms and legs and shot some white primer on to have a look.Lots of seams to fill and the pose to finalise before I start painting!

tak5hakanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8133946284687727391.post-71736381226365458402008-05-23T00:25:00.002+01:002008-05-23T00:41:26.181+01:00

Think you know who the secret skinjob is? A Costa Rica-based gambling site lets you back your best theory with a wager.The secret identity of Battlestar Galactica's final Cylon is one of sci-fi's biggest mysteries, fueling endless debates and theories on blogs and web forums. Now a gambling website is letting BSG fans place bets on which character will be revealed as the last skinjob.View

tak5hakanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8133946284687727391.post-40897755070880635042008-05-23T00:17:00.003+01:002008-05-23T00:39:20.036+01:00

BBC Wales and BBC Drama has announced that Bafta and Hugo Award winning writer Steven Moffat will succeed Russell T Davies as Lead Writer and Executive Producer of the fifth series of Doctor Who, which will broadcast on BBC One in 2010.View Original ArticleBlogged with the Flock Browser

tak5hakanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8133946284687727391.post-83484040010354990462008-05-20T23:39:00.003+01:002008-05-20T23:50:55.172+01:00

Just kicked off the second of this year's Group Builds over at SFM:uk, called "Dinomania".Essentially several of us are taking a 1/35 Tamiya Triceratops (or two) and doing anything we like with it. Currently there are four participants, but there may be some more in the future.My plan is to somehow turn mine into an alternate universe Dino Flakpanzer (anyone with a better name, let me know). I

tak5hakanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8133946284687727391.post-49244425530294273462008-05-13T23:22:00.002+01:002008-05-13T23:32:20.132+01:00

Well, it's not the first time I've been to Chicago and the city certainly lived up to my memory of it.The hotel was elegant (although the room was a tad pokey compared to the others I've stayed in over the past few days) and the deep pan pizza I had at Gino's was fantastic (although I couldn't eat a whole medium one - I only managed two slices!), just watch out for the buffalo wings - they are

tak5hakanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8133946284687727391.post-33689223959288701792008-05-11T02:35:00.002+01:002008-05-11T13:56:20.207+01:00

On the face of it, Toronto is a clean, vibrant city with lots of nice shiny buildings, a scenic waterfront and bags of culture.However, this seems to come with a price.You can't seem to walk 100 metres without being approached by a homeless person wanting money. The problem is worse at night. On the steps of the hotel I'm staying in, not more than five minutes ago there was a drunk homeless

tak5hakanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8133946284687727391.post-2847909616184007662008-05-09T23:12:00.002+01:002008-05-09T23:19:05.430+01:00

Yep, here I am in a very sunny Toronto and I'm cooped up in my room tippety-tapping on the keyboard (albeit a nice shiny keyboard now that I've cleaned it).The main problem with business travel is not the meetings and the endless taxi rides to and from airports and hotels. For me, it's the bits in between. The hours that seem to stretch on and on when you've done all your prep work for the next

tak5hakanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8133946284687727391.post-48054820598666136052008-05-08T17:52:00.007+01:002008-05-08T18:24:18.376+01:00

Having conducted my business in Quebec, I took some time out to walk around the city and soak in the sights.My impression of Quebec is that it is deeply proud of its history and heritage (2008 is the city's 400th anniversary) and much of the architecture reflects this. However, because it is such a clean city (in the old area at least, which is the area I'm concentrating on) it looks to be a

tak5hakanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8133946284687727391.post-81891989585822906122008-05-08T03:22:00.004+01:002008-05-08T03:28:26.628+01:00

is that it has free WiFi, so I can access the Internet whenever I like!I don't know if this is the norm with hotels in Canada (I've only stayed in a few), but it is a real selling point for me, especially if I'm looking for a hotel to stage a business event in. It makes such a difference if there are no access rates (which seem to be standard in the UK and in Europe as far as I can tell).Perhaps

tak5hakanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8133946284687727391.post-74269520536693713742008-05-08T03:12:00.003+01:002008-09-25T16:35:17.360+01:00

This is my second Polar Bear, "Long Walk".Essentially a stock build, with modifications to the left hand (to make it grip) and a new right hand (built from another left hand). The rocket carrying tubes are scratchbuilt from the filters from a 1/35 Tiger tank kit, with styrene tubes and channel.The snow is a product from Games Workshop, which worked quite well. I brushed some Future on the suit to

tak5hakanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8133946284687727391.post-28076152086828904562008-05-08T03:03:00.003+01:002008-09-25T16:35:17.361+01:00

Well, the Group Build is over and the group have cast their votes and the winner is ... not me! :DThere were three of us that all got 4 points, so the admin's vote was given to CFX for his creativity. All the entries can be found here.Anyway, here's some pictures of my finished diorama, "Bay 37".

tak5hakanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8133946284687727391.post-43439174292088578072008-03-29T20:21:00.002Z2008-03-29T20:27:48.604Z

Well, my Polar Bear split suit diorama is coming along nicely. Been working on the engineer and some of the equipment, and things are slowly nearing completion.Here's some pics:

tak5hakanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8133946284687727391.post-33206822620961343052008-03-21T23:16:00.001Z2008-03-21T23:17:56.319Z

I have added links to my model galleries. Bear with me on this one, as they are linked through to my old web site and need to be reorganised.

tak5hakanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8133946284687727391.post-52627684550339132482008-03-02T18:26:00.002Z2008-09-25T16:35:17.362+01:00

Just a quick update, I've finished the new camo and have gone over with a fine grade sandpaper to simulated scuffing and wear.Removed all the cabling, as I plan to replace these with some better ones I recently picked up and given everything a gloss coat ready for decals.No pics yet, it looks really weird with the gloss coat, so I'll wait until I dullcote it.

tak5hakanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8133946284687727391.post-29511329421822668062008-03-01T00:14:00.005Z2008-09-25T16:35:17.364+01:00

The 2008 SFM:uk Group Build is currently going strong.Several of us are using the WAVE 1/20 kit of the AFS-CD Type Polar Bear from the Ma.K. universe as the base of the build.The rules are simple: do anything you like with the kit!I chose to create a "split suit" - basically modifying the kit to represent a suit in maintenance mode, opened up to show the inner workings and pilot. This will

tak5hakanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8133946284687727391.post-48863571534812458722008-02-29T23:50:00.000Z2008-02-29T23:52:07.842Z

Okay, I've cheated.I've decided to use Blogger as the backbone of my site - simply because it will be easier to update information and pictures of the stuff that I'm working on.I will spend some time migrating some of my old content over the next few weeks - so stay tuned!

tak5hakanoreply@blogger.com0