George, @gblair
Somehow I have missed this entire build journal of yours until I noticed it tonight. I just finished reading it from the very beginning to where you are now. I am VERY impressed with your acrylic putty trick that you used on the canopy. I am also liking the idea of using the sonic cleaner for the air brush. My darling wife has one, so I might just have to commandeer it and see how it works.

I use mainly enamel and lacquer based acrylics, so I will take it outside when I try it out for the first time. I use automotive grade lacquer thinner (I use it a lot out in the shop where I restore cars), and sometimes I even use leftover acrylic enamel reducer for the same purposes. These thinners are VERY flammable, and I don't want to burn down our house.

I miss not having Model Master anymore, but recently I tried out the MRP pre mixed paints, and they just might become my new "Go to" paint source as I deplete the Model Master assortment.

I'm hoping that Santa will bring me one of these die cutter machines, as they are very handy for making masks as you have demonstrated for us here.

Your modelling skills are very impressive my friend, and I'm looking forward to the next installment. I have one of the ancient Classic Airframes Fokker kits, but it will be a long while before I will build it. You have presented a lot of great documentation for anyone who is planning on building one of these kits, so I will definitely keep your build journal in mind when that time comes around.

Your model is looking great, and having the markings painted on in place of using decals is a definite plus. They look so much better this way.

Keep it going ! Take care, and I hope you got to enjoy some quality time with the grand daughter. They always grow up way too fast it seems...

Hi, Louis (@lgardner):
Welcome to the build. It has been fun even if the kit requires more TLC than my last Dora Wings kit. For a long time, I used only enamels and lacquers, and then had a really difficult time transitioning to acrylics when the other paints became non-existent. My first successful acrylic was Tamiya, and now I can add AK Real Colors. As you know, both are acrylic hybrids, but both can be thinned with lacquer thinner. I use Tamiya Lacquer Thinner for Tamiya, and AK has their own lacquer thinner. I have been using a synthetic lacquer thinner from Home Depot that is supposedly less toxic and less smelly, but I am still using it carefully.

When I first switched to acrylics, I couldn't find any acrylic metallics that I liked, so I hung on to my Metallizers and Alclads just in case. Now it seems like all of the acrylic manufacturers have a line of metallics that work very well. I didn't have the right color in acrylic metal, so I took a chance on my Metallizers.

I am using my wife's die cut machine more and more. It is one of those machines that will do more and more as you gain experience using it. I didn't think the machine would cut masks for letters this small, but it did fine. I am thinking about trying it on some 1/72 markings and see how it does. Their prices have really come down, and sometimes you can find them on sale at Hobby Lobby or Michaels. I have really jumped down the rabbit hole on doing planes from the Spanish Civil War, and the markings for Republican planes are virtually non-existent, so I figure I will need the die cutters more and more.

Hopefully you are taking care of yourself and not over-doing it with your back. Have you had your last surgery yet? Modeling is one of those hobbies that you can do without stressing your back too much. Hopefully you haven't been working on any of your cars lately.

I plan to finish this kit soon and then jump into Spiros' motorcycle group. I have never built a motorcycle, so it should be interesting.

George, @gblair
Thanks for the kind words and concern. I'm still recovering from the second back surgery. Unfortunately I have injured myself three times post surgery, each time helping out my elderly mom who has advanced dementia. This by itself has been a very trying time for my wife and I.

Thankfully I don't think I have done any real nerve damage, but this has set back my healing time considerably. The lower back surgery will likely happen early next year now, also because of this. It's not been much fun, but I do sincerely think I have made some progress, and I'm not hurting quite as bad as I was before, so things are getting better.

I also just joined the motorcycle group build. I don't have a kit to build, but I have owned numerous motorcycles over the years, and I started working on them when I was 7 years old. My last bike was a 2005 Harley Davidson Fatboy, and it was a special Firefighter edition that HD made available to First responders, Police, Firefighters and Medics.

I sold it several years ago. The roads we travel on today are not nearly as safe as they were back then. That and I'm getting older, was the main reason why my wife and I sold off our motorcycles.

I have not been working out in the shop on cars since the last back surgery. Like you, I don't think I could (or should) go out there anytime soon.

I'm definitely going to look into getting one of those cutters like you have. This would open up countless model building possibilities.

If you don't want these motorcycle pictures on your build journal, please let me now and I will pull them down immediately.

Take care my friend.

Thanks, John (@johnb). I didn't think the die cutter would cut letters that small and that close together, but it had no trouble at all. I am thinking about all kinds of possibilities.

Glad you have joined the motorcycle group, Louis (@lgardner). I have a kit coming in the mail, but I have no experience at all in the 1:1 bikes. My wife has several different kinds of die cutters. I have been using a machine from Brother called the Scan and Cut. It allows you to scan designs into the machine, and it will then cut them. The contrast has to be fairly high to get a good image, but most of the stuff we do has good contrast. I used a Cricut "Maker" to cut the masks for the D.XXI. There is also another one from a company called Silhouette, and theirs is called the Cameo. They all cut patterns, but some have features that others don't. My daughter swears that the Cricut Maker is better at cutting small patterns and letters. There is a learning curve, but they are all designed for a novice to go from zero to 100% quickly. The instructions that comes with the cutter and some YouTube videos are all you need. Watch for sales. I know it is difficult to take care of yourself when you are trying to take care of someone else, but be careful. Went through similar with my Mom, but she was pretty sharp mentally until her last year. Looking forward to seeing your model on the Motorcycle Group.

Glad you sorted out a way to insert and secure the wheels, my friend @gblair! The final coat really brought everything together. Close to the finish line and looking absolutely superb!

Thanks, Spiros (@fiveten) and John (@johnb). I hope to finish today with the weathering and final assembly. I have my fingers crossed on keeping the small bits in place and out of the carpet.

Excellent result, George @gblair
You really got the best out of this not so easy build.
Definitely a better job done than what I did with mine.
It was a pleasure to follow your thread.

Indeed an excellent job, my friend @gblair! Up to your usual standards! Loved the research, as well as your thoughts on how the plane should have looked. A most challenging build for sure, a fantastic result, a rare sight. It was a purely joyful to follow your thread.
Well done!