Pastimes and Past Times.: Clearing the decks part one

Building model plastic construction kits was something I got in to at a very early age, probably like most people. I started out building the Series One Airfix kits in little bags that my dad bought me at the weekends. As I got into my teens I built larger projects (Saturn V Rocket springs to mind) until I discovered other more interesting things to do with my free time.

Fast forward to recent times. The quality of kits available has improved enormously, my skills are a little better now and with the masses of available resources from model making masters out there it is easier to make a real eye catching model to be proud of.

So when I received an Airfix 1/48 scale Sea Vixen kit for Christmas from my very bright sister I had to change my approach to my hobby time.

I usually have two or three projects on the go at any one time and for the past couple of years they have all been miniatures or in a couple of cases some model specifically for the miniatures. But this Sea Vixen will demand a great deal of attention if I am to do the kit justice.

As most people will know the Sea Vixen from Airfix is a part of that companies resurgence. Having been saved from the scrap heap the company is now reinvigorated as a significant model making company again. Just like the 1/24 scale Mosquito (which I have waiting in the closet) this is a completely new model of an intriguing subject. The quality of the kit is up there with the best of them.

In order to give this kit the attention it deserves I finished up all my projects, totally cleared off my work area, cleaned all the surfaces, repositioned the lights and only brought back in to the work area those tools I know I will need for the project.

The first item to be finished off was two DBA armies I had been working on. After having watched the movie Centurion I determined to fight some Pict versus Roman battles of my own. I bought my miniatures from Essex Miniatures and painted them up using the Osprey Reference Warrior 50 and pictures of similar models I found on the internet.

The Romans benefited from some shield transfers from Little Big Men Studios but I still need a few more so I have some transfers in the mail from Veni Vidi Vici to complete the auxilliaries.