PURCHASED:
061101

BEGUN:
061115

CONSTRUCTION LOG



061101
Arrival! The resin has a smell to it, but it was the plastic packaging after all. I primed the pieces tonight. I have to research resin glue and stop by the model shop tomorrow


061102
Maybe plain old crazy glue will work. However, I'm trying a test by simply bonding with putty. I will check in the morning.


061103
Crazy glue it is! It works perfect. I may need a second tube... I spent several hours slicing away to make the parts fit. I puttied the gaps as well. Looks like I'll have to paint some parts while puttying, others only to sand and prime them before final paint.

Theoretically, I could have them done by Sunday night. PS the one complainer about this kit left feedback saying he was angry about the kit not the seller. He said the kit had a terrible fit to it. It does. Making it look right and sweet is the challenge, a challenge I will beat and exceed.

Not only will the diorama be a nice touch, it may be a requirement. It doesn't look like these two are going to stand by themselves. If not, I will drill a hole up their foot and put a screw up there through the base. Maybe I can just glue it?

The base will be a couple pieces of scrap masonite. If I do this then a lazy Susie may be nice on the bottom. It's going to look incredible!

061104
Parts are in final paint, all skin gets second and third coat with a sanding and Spike's pants get a second coat. When Faye's face skin is done, I will glue and putty her hair on her head. Her coat needs far more red layers, Spike's arms go on and putty into place before final painting. I need to do the jacket bottom and shirt first then all the body goes together. Putty. Sand. Paint. Attach head.


061106
More paint


061107.
I sanded the blobs and globs off Faye's skin. More painting. I ran out of skin paint and this is holding up the work. The order of construction has been determined. The final step is a matte coat.


061108.
I got the wrong color: instead of skin, a light yellow. It does happen to be perfect for Spike's shirt, with a dab of white in the mix. One coat painted. Also, I did second coat on Faye's stockings.


061109
Another hour of painting. Another full skin coat. The red tunic is now done. Spike's hair may get another coat of olive/and or light brown. Spike's shirt may be done, though, I need to determine the tie color. Faye's stockings need a last touch up, then her boots. Finally, I can begin to yellow her up.

The head will be ready for hair by tomorrow night. Then Sunday I can paint that. I started a dark blue final on Spike's pants, but may have used a mix initially. And now they are two tones, one lighter than I want.

Four days and four trips to the hobby store! Once the skin dries, I painted Spike's sleeves, though not in the upper sections as I have to putty them into place still. Also, I can rim Faye's arms with a red as well. I can't paint connection areas until ready for final gluing into place, filing, a sanding and painting...

I am still considering how to attach the base. A screw allows for flexibility of removal and later repositioning; the danger is drilling a hole in a delicate body part and cracking it. It will also stress the resin over time, cracking it.

Glue means no removal or base upgrade in future days. No repositioning once in place. The good thing is that the statue maintains self integrity and no stress points going up the leg. Minimal contact points mean a break may be cleaner if done right -- or in an accident/earthquake. Still a ways to go, but I'm about to make a giant leap towards completion.


061112.15
I'm in mid-leap now. Faye's hair has been pre-painted, and glued to her head and puttied. I will now wait until tomorrow at the earliest to paint all her hair.

Spike's arms are glued and putty to his body, leaving only the head unattached. The full jacket is still to paint with touchups, glue head and final wash and done. All of Faye's yellow is just about their I'll do final round tonight. Then, it needs skin touchup with stockings as well. Then gluing torso, together with a red tunic around waist.

Next step is to sand/grind one of her arms down so that tunic fits proper. Right now, left arm sits a quarter inch above the resting spot in tunic. Preliminary test fit suggests that these forearms will need major reshaping and the tunic to get hands resting on hips, naturally. This should look all right, as the upper forearm is shrouded in tunic and can be shaped any which way.

Then, it's a final painting for her and done. Both of them will then get a couple light matte coats to kill the shining. I'm considering putting semi gloss on Faye's vinyl as that would utterly rocked the realism having variable specularity based on material involved.

I'm still debating this screw/glue connection to the base mount. Either way, once the figures are done and poseable on the base, I will mask out the footprints so that Fleck Stone doesn't interfere with future attachment. Then, it's all done.

P.S. Newspaper print will dirty your paint job and won't come off with rubbing. I will try water later.


061224.00
The new sculpting tools I got were perfect for this next phase of work. Indispensable, even. I spent most of the time on Spike's shoulders. Several hours of scraping.

Minor work on Faye. I'd painted Spike's jacket completely, now on to touch up for that. I got Faye's yellow down and her blue boots. Now, needs skin, then faces. More work on Faye's hair. Skin is next. I want this finished in days!


061225.00.
I've pondered the skin. I will be ready tonight.


061229.05
I put off work until yesterday. I wanted the skin to be thoroughly dried before the next round of work on a Faye's legs. Spike is now ready to have his head glued on. Then, just his eyes and brows need painting.

Today she needs her legs done next and the jacket needs a brief touch up. Then, it's masking time! Torso and legs get matte coat first. Then, skin is masked off to a couple coats of gloss goes on to Faye's vinyl.

After this has dried, it's on to glue the torso to legs with shawl around her waist. Once that has thoroughly set, it is time to jockey her arms into Poz. Meanwhile, her hair goes back on her head -- broken pieces are fixed, and final painting and matte coat. Once in, the arms are glued, puttied and painted on, the head goes on; and both characters are glued to the base. Another week, probably, doing as many little bits as possible every day.


061231.03,
Spike got his head glued on and matte applied. He needs one last matte coat and then it's just down to his face details. Faye got her hair glued on and puttied. Legs are all painted, but wondering if I should do one more stockings' pass...

I sprayed clear gloss into a container and I am keeping it as a liquid. Once Faye's face matte is done, I paint her final gloss with a brush. It will look wicked! I'm considering satin on her boots and stockings...

Next, it's torso to legs and shawl to torso, arms to shawl, head to body and body to Ally Base. Done.


070101.06.
Spike is matted. It's down to his face. I painted Faye's hair and that is set, though her hair broke again. It will be glued on once her head is glued to body. I matted her legs, skipped the second coat of new stockings. Once dry later, I will match her top 1/2. At that point, it's gloss on her vinyl and gluing her shawl on. Then arms to shawl. Lastly, head to body. Glue to base and done.


070103.03
Faye -- glued to shawl, painted gloss and glued head. Arms will need some finagling to get into place, touchups here and there, paintable faces and completed!


070107.03
All parts, minus Faye's broken hairpiece, are assembled. Gluing Faye together took some effort. The shawl fit to one shoulder or the other, but not both simultaneously... So, I got the good fit on the left arm and am throwing putty on the right arm to build up the missing section.

While the lower arms would fit into the shawl slots, the hands were sticking out in the air when they should be firmly planted on her hips. So, dremel time! I cut away the shawl slots on the arms near to nothing!

I had to cut away at her right arm to fit it properly under the shawl. I painted all the flesh colors and touch sup on the red tunic where the putty was going in. I painted eyes white on both characters. Faye still needs her right arm built up, then paint touches and face.

Spike needs his eyes, brows and lips done. Lips will be difficult... Then again, he has none in the show, so maybe I'll skip. Faye will need to some red lips, though... later today,

if I finish, starship modeler.com has a contest ending today, whose only criteria is' yellow'. Will I get to her in on time???

070110.21.
I finished last night I had done the gloss on her yellow previously and it looks good. Her eyes were a pain to get in there. I messed up Spike's right eye, but it's okay enough.

Faye's eyes went much better. It took a day for her shawl paint to dry, then I did her arms. I wanted a day for that to dry before the second coat. I did a matte coat over those touch ups. I glued Spike to the alley 1 1/2 days ago. I glued to Faye down to the alley this morning.

They now stand on display upon my bookshelf.

Finished.


070219
I still haven't taken any pics of the completed asembly. There's a few other kits that need pix taken as well.  Gotta get busy on that!