Finished: Sky Warden
This was my entry for the Sci-Fi and Alternative History XI Campaign.
The last three months of my life were very difficult but I managed to get in some model building. This project was started on September 24, 2025 and concluded on January 6, 2026, taking 108 days. As usual, I worked on many projects during that period, drastically slowing things down. This is a habit I am resolved to break in 2026.
This model is almost completely built from rod, sheet, and tube plastic stock. If I recall correctly, it uses less than a dozen scavenged model parts, all of a small size. That makes it the closest thing to a true scratch built model I have completed.
The paint job may seem strange. It is supposed to be modern US desert tan. It looked really plain in solid tan so I added heavy panel lines and lots of oil paint to liven things up. Why is a brand new piece of machinery rusting? I am dubious.
I try to learn from my mistakes and this model suffers from three.
1] I use Winsor and Newton Burnt Umber for panel line work. It is too gritty and tends to leave tide lines no matter how it is cut or thinned.
2] When making completely enclosed plastic boxes, there is a point when the box seems dry but is actually still setting up. If a box is sanded in this condition, seams will sometimes pull back later. Walls may also cave in as excess glue escapes. Never flood the seams of a completely enclosed box and give time for the glue to evaporate.
3] Keep a clean work area. A small amount of dust will contaminate a project. This one is obvious but catches me every so often.