Sera’s Blog 2018

You can now follow the latest news from Staples & Vine with Sera’s Blog.
Updates from the workbench with news on the latest aircraft being sculpted.
I hope you enjoy the blog and I appreciate your feedback.
You can email me directly via sera@staplesandvine.com
You can keep up to date with my news by following me in the social media links at the bottom of the page.

December 20th 2018

This week I have been focusing on the Martin Baker undercarriage. Mouldmaking and casting the metal masters before hand-working them for casting in bronze. The great thing about casting bronze undercarriage is the strength. This allows me to make the parts far more slender and refined than if they were cast in pewter. I have really gone to town on these parts. I know they are just undercarriage but attention to detail is something I have always aimed for, and going that bit further is the difference between a good model and an excellent model. Here is a quick photo of the parts taken on my new phone. I am still experimenting with the settings so hopefully I will be taking better pictures soon.

I will be taking a break from Monday the 24th of December through to Wednesday the 2nd of January when I will be back on the MB5. It’s been a tough year but I am full of hope and determination that 2019 will be a great year for us all. That just leaves me to wish everyone a wonderful Christmas holiday and I look forward catching up with you all in the new year. All the best, Sera.

December 13th 2018

December is flying by, maybe because I am so busy? I find it all so thrilling, the new projects I have underway, and planning new models for next year. I am currently very focused on the Martin Baker MB5 and have just started moulding up the undercarriage which will ultimately be cast in bronze. To provide a master for the bronze casters I have to make a metal master which means the usual cold cure silicone mould routine. I have poured the first half today, tomorrow the second half and then casting on Monday. Then I have to clean up and detail the masters and get them to the bronze casters ASAP. Hopefully I shall get them back in time for my prototype and production.

I am always trying to get new projects lined up in the background ready to hit the ground running. Back on September 15th 2017 I posted on the blog photos of the 3D printed parts for the Sherman M4A3E2 ‘Cobra King’. It always bugged me that I couldn’t 3D print the tracks and wheels together as it created errors in the print. After many evenings of fiddling on the computer I have finally reached a good compromise that will cast well with excellent levels of detail.

The Sherman will be the next release after the Martin Baker MB5 and I am planning to launch ‘Sera’s Vlog #6’ and ‘Project Maus #3’ videos on Youtube for Christmas so you will have some festive entertainment. As you can see I am very busy but happy, now back to the files.

November 27th 2018

I am now only just finishing the first batch of orders since the re-launch. Thanks to everyone who ordered the new models and pre-ordered the next releases. It really encourages me for the future.
I have also made some updates with new self adhesive labels and certificates for the models.

I have wanted to ‘sharpen up’ the packaging for some time and these simple little labels help me indicate the model, limited edition number, and whether you have figures or not. They look smart as well. I was trying to go for the look of the metal tags you see on industrial machinery – I hope you like them.

The new certificates are printed on a heavyweight card and are printed thermographically. This makes the text raised to the touch. This is specialist printing of very high quality and compliments the models well. Previously we had different certificates for the tanks and aircraft but now this universal certificate will cover all the models.
Episode 2 of ‘Project Maus’ is now live on Youtube where you can see just how much work goes into cleaning up the parts. Don’t worry these side projects won’t interfere with Staples and Vine sculpting and production they are carried out in my spare time.

That’s about it for this post – sorry it has been a while, so may aircraft to make. Within the next few days I will be starting the MB5 and posting updates so keep checking in. Sera

October 26th 2018

Over the past months there has been a long list of irritating little projects I have had to tackle. Some more necessary than others. One of these has been building an enclosure for my 3D printer. Why do I need an enclosure for my 3D printer? Well I print in ABS which isn’t the most co-operative material to print with. It needs to be printed on a printer with a heated buildplate. That is ok, my printer has one and it works fine. ABS also likes a warm, stable environment with no draughts. The draughts can cause the ABS to cool unevenly and distort the print (warping). This is something that is hard to recover from, so most people put a box over the printer to keep the heat in. It works fine but you can’t see what is going on. You can buy custom made enclosures but they are expensive. Some people make doors to go on the front. I thought I would make my own.. As you can see I started with the traditional cardboard box and a polite notice to enquisitive parents and Winston. My creation is made from plywood and acrylic, and allows me to see everything going on. It works well and keeps the heat in and the draughts away. The plywood makes a 3 sided box with a front pannel of 4mm acrylic covering the front face of the printer.

Now I will be able to monitor what is going on without having to furtively steal a quick glimpse before rapidly replacing the box. I am very pleased with the result which will also allow me to photograph and film this mesmerising process.
Now to tackle something else on the to do list – it seems to get longer rather than shorter – that can’t be right! Have a great weekend, Sera.

October 23rd 2018

Production on the new models is going well, the feedback I have had has been wonderful – thank you everyone. I am starting to get into a rhythm with the Youtube videos as well. I have invested in some new camera equipment and I am slowly learning new techniques in film-making and editing. My videos aren’t anything flashy, hopefully just informative and entertaining. My latest vlog has a little on the new 1/48 scale Spitfire Mk IA and Bf 109E-4 but mainly focuses on the highs and lows of 3d printing the Martin Baker MB5. It is 13 minutes long so I recommend putting the kettle on and settling down with a nice cup of tea. Just click on the image below to go to the Youtube video.

It may look bad but trust me, it will get better. Just look at the Focke Wulf Fw190D-9 which was produced in the same way.

October 19th 2018

The samples of the new 1/48 scale Spitfire Mk IA and Bf 109E-4 are now complete and the photos are now on the site. I was worried that I had forgotten how to make the models but it all came quickly back and I am very pleased with the result. To see more click on the images below.

The Spitfire MK IA of Flt Lt J C Dundas DFC of 609 Squadron as flown on the 28th of November 1940 is a limited edition of 25 only with optional figures.

The Messerschmitt Bf 109E-4 of Geschwaderkommodore Helmut Wick of 3./JG2 as flown on the 28th of November 1940 is a limited edition of 25 only with optional figures.

I chose the Martin Baker MB5 as my first major release for many reasons. I think it is a stunning aircraft, the perfect balance of power and elegance. A lot of people seem to think so as our 1/72 limited edition of 50 sold out very quickly. It represents the end of an era and the dawn of a new age – I’ve just realised the significance of that! It was the ultimate propellor driven fighter of World War II, had it come a year or two earlier surely it would have seen service as it was praised by those who flew it.

The Martin Baker MB5 is now fully 3D printed and I am about to start the process of cleaning up the parts to make the masters. Some parts will be converted to metal masters via cold cure silicone moulds others will go straight to moulds.
My next vlog will feature me tackling the MB5 and pointing out some of the stumbling blocks along the way. The technology has its successes and failures as does the sculptor.

October 10th 2018

It has been a long time but at last, Staples and Vine is back in business. As you know there have been a lot of changes, I have also had to pick up a lot of new disciplines now I am running things single handed.
And now for the new releases! I am starting with a couple of familiar 1/48 scale classics. This will help me get back into the swing of things before I take on an all new project. Released simultaneously will be the Spitfire Mk IA of Flt Lt John Dundas DFC and the Bf 109E-4 of Major Helmut Wick. These two famous aces fought against one another in the Battle of Britain with Dundas victorious. They will both be limited editions of 25 only, and I will provide matching numbers for customers purchasing both models wherever possible. Clicking on any of the profiles below will take you to the relevant page where you can read more.

The Dundas Spitfire Mk IA will be £159.00 plus shipping, and the Bf 109E-4 of Helmut Wick will be £159.00 plus shipping. Both aircraft will be available with figures. Following on from these two ‘Knights of the Sky’ will be another 1/48 scale release, the incredible Martin Baker MB5.

This amazing aircraft came too late to see service in the Second World War but received praise from those who flew it. This will be a limited edition of 50 only with 2 new figures. 3D printing has already been completed on the MB5.
To see more on these releases watch my latest vlog via the thumbnail below.

Now I just have to turn the metal on and make some aircraft. Samples for the Spitfire and Bf 109 will be out soon as will updates on the MB5.
I learned a lot from Tim during the happy years we spent together, but my speling is still awful. I hope he would approve. There is so much I still want to do.

October 3rd 2018

Get ready for the relaunch on of Staples and Vine on Wednesday the 10th of October when I will announce my first new releases. Subscribe to my newsletter at the bottom of the page to get the news as it breaks so you don’t miss out.

September 27th 2018

The ‘SERA TO DO’ list is getting shorter and things are starting to fall into place for me to re-launch Staples and Vine in the next couple of weeks.
A year ago I was struggling with my 3D printer and, to be honest, I was dreading trying to get it up and running again what with everything else going on. This Monday I finally ‘bit the bullet’; gave it a little TLC, treated it to a new reel of filament, and it is running like a dream. After its year off it has some catching up to do, and is now running almost non stop on my first all new aircraft for almost a year. The image below will give you a clue what I have planned, but to find out more make sure you are subscribed to the newsletter to get the news when I go live.

In other news you may notice the site now has a crucial little ‘S’ added to its address. This means the site is secure for online sales when I get back to selling merchandise. It’s a little thing that has taken a long time to set up for technical reasons, but it is another thing off the to do list and closer to re-launch.
Another mini-milestone – I have just passed 1500 followers on Instagram. I find Instagram very useful to post news quickly from my phone without having to fire up the PC. It certainly is a lot more instant (sorry).
Now back to the list.

September 21st 2018

In my spare time I have been trying to keep my skills honed by starting a personal project. This will allow me to try out new materials and techniques in a situation where, if things do get ‘a bit sticky’ I will have time and space to reassess and try again. The new project is called ‘Project Maus’ and is my attempt to build a large scale model of the famous super-heavy German Maus tank. I am going to document this on Youtube so if you would like to follow along click on the thumbnail below to see the video.

The groundwork for this project may allow me to produce a pewter Maus at some stage (probably 1:72 scale). Let me know what you think. I won’t be posting news about ‘Project Maus’ on the blog only on Youtube as this isn’t strictly a Staples and Vine project but hopefully it will enable me to develop other models for the range.
In other news I finally paid a visit to the Cobbaton Combat Collection. This is a military museum near here, and houses a collection of military vehicles and artillery as well as an extensive collection of weaponry. I thoroughly enjoyed my visit and took loads of pictures, here’s a few.

The museum will close at the end of the month and re-open for Easter 2019. I am still tying up loose ends as well as setting up new projects, and hope to relaunch Staples and Vine soon. Make sure you subscribe to my newsletter to get the news when I am back in production. Sera.

September 12th 2018

The new workshop is finished and here is my latest vlog to prove it. I have created a place where I can truly enjoy working, creating new and exciting models. If you watch the video you should see a clue about a pet project I have been working on.


I am looking forward to getting back to work in this new, bright, efficient, space. There is still some refining to do but at least everything is now in place. As you can see I have plenty of light and power. Everything is well organised and I intend to keep it clean and tidy.


I have even reserved a place for Winston although I will have to make him a ladder. My new storage boxes will help me find things a lot easier and make an efficient use of the space I have available.


Soon I will be opening the hangar doors and announcing my new releases. So make sure you are signed up to my newsletter, then you will be the first to know what I have planned for the future.

September 8th 2018

I have the power! The electricians finished yesterday and I now have sufficient power and lighting (the lighting is amazing) to get back to work. There are a few things I still need to set up but I am nearly there. Another 3-4 weeks and I should be good to go. I am so pleased with the new workshop it is the best space I have ever worked in. I have also decided on the next FOUR releases! So to get the news as soon as it breaks about the new models make sure you subscribe to my newsletter. All the best Sera.

August 24th 2018

At last on Monday the 20th everything was finally moved into my new workshop. The move went very well, and everything arrived safe and sound. It is so good to have all my equipment, tools, and books with me. Now I have the task of getting things organised.

I have electricians coming on the 6th of September to install new high output LED lighting and more power sockets. I currently have 1 double socket and need a total of 10! The workshop also houses some items collected by Tim and I which will make it a more comfortable space to work in. I have been catching up on some book purchases for some future projects. When a large delivery arrived a few days ago it seems Winston wanted to read them first. I wasn’t going to argue, his claws are sharper than mine.


Things are going well and I hope to be back up and running soon. New projects are underway and I plan to be back better than ever. I can certainly see the light at the end of the tunnel, and soon the hangar doors will be open again. Sera.

August 10th 2018

Sorry it’s been so long but I have been working hard on the new workshop getting things ready for my move on the 20th of August. My latest vlog should help explain what I have been up to. Just click on the thumbnail below and it will take you there.

It is all a bit touch and go whether I can fit everything in. I think it will be a constant process of editing and finding new creative ways of storing things. So far things are looking good, I would describe the workshop as ‘cozy’. Most things are within arms reach. I don’t know how long it will take me to get finally set up but when I do I am planning a workshop tour video for vlog #3 which I am really looking forward to shooting. Thanks to you all for your patience, have a great weekend. Sera.

July 12th 2018

Over the past week I have been working hard on the new studio. The clearing, sorting, packing, filling, prepping, and painting have all gone very well and so far I have 2/3 walls painted and 3/4 of the floor. Next week the remainder should be finished then I can start thinking about moving things in. I am calling the grey on the floor ‘Winston Grey’ as it is a very close match to the ‘furry  wonder’.

Both the walls and floor have had 2 coats of the best paint I can find. It has made such a difference, the space is so much brighter. I painted a message to myself where my work-desk will be. I have come such a long way and there is still so much I want to do. I am proud of what I have achieved so far and look forward to the future when I can move in,  get set up, and start sculpting new projects. 

When I get the desks, benches and shelving in I shall get some additional power sockets and lighting installed. To see what this space used to look like take a look at my first vlog on YouTube (click on the thumbnail below). It looks like the Youtube channel has gone down well. If you do like it please subscribe as it will help me a lot. The vlog seems to be very popular, so that will be regularly updated. Thanks for your patience Sera.

July 2nd 2018

Another small step. My First vlog! This will bring you up to date with what has been happening and my future plans. My blog is great for quick news but sometimes there is so much more to tell. I will be producing more behind the scenes vlogs about how I design, sculpt, mould, cast and produce the aircraft and tanks. If you click on the image below it will take you to the film. I hope you enjoy it.


Still lots to do but I am well on the road to get back up and running again.

June 29th 2018

This is my vlogging kit! Vlogging is  video + blog = vlogging, I have had to do some research to find out what I need but this is what I have so far. The plan is to film what I am up to and post it on YouTube. This will show you in more depth than the blog how I design, scuplt and produce my aircraft and tanks and also allow me to talk about other plans and projects. If you sign up to YouTube and subscribe to my channel you can set up automatic notifications which will let you know as soon as I upload a film. It is going to be a bit complicated to get all of this kit set up and working – but how hard can it be?


The pros make it all look so easy, but believe me it takes a lot of hard work to make a film look good. Lots to learn, but I am up for the challenge. Have a great weekend everyone.

June 28th 2018

Aircraft film number four is now live on Youtube. As you can see it tells the story of the Spitfire Protoytpe and its development. I have learnt a lot making these few films  and have decided to make a vlog to bring you all up to date about what I have been up to within Staples and Vine and what my next step is.


Hopefully you will enjoy my latest film, I am improving  – I think!?

June 22nd 2018

Aircraft film number three is now live. I am trying to make the films as interesting as possible, telling as much of the story around the aircraft as I can. As you can see they do take a lot of time and effort but I am learning a lot of new techniques and shall soon be posting vlogs of progress on other projects.

Next week I plan to release another aircraft film and then I am onto some physical work!

June 15th 2018

Film number two has just gone live. I am slowly learning new skills and techniques, and hopefully improving. I have chosen the Fairey Battle as it played a significant role in the early stages of the Second World War. If nothing else it showed how not to design an aircraft, although the responsibility should lay with the Air Ministry of the day. As before clicking on the link below will take you to the film on Youtube.

I hope you enjoy the film and please share it with you friends, as I am trying to get 100 subscribers so that I can get a URL. This will make promoting the channel a  lot easier.  Many thanks Sera.

June 11th 2018

I have just uploaded my first aircraft film to Youtube. Please watch it and leave give me your comments so that I can create something you can enjoy. I am trying to get 100 subscribers so that I can get a channel URL. This will make publicising the channel a lot easier. This is my first ‘proper’ film and has been a very steep learning curve. I have a lot to learn and I am determined to improve. I have set up a playlist for ‘PEWTER AIRCRAFT’ where all the aircraft films can be found. Just click on the image below and it will take you to the film. I will be adding a link to the film on the Hurricane Prototype page as well.

I am currently working on more films and which I plan to release next week. People on Youtube make it all look so easy, but there really is a lot of work that goes into that brief six minutes and fifty seven seconds.

June 10th 2018

Time for celebration – my new PC has landed. As you can see I have gone for the Staples and Vine red/ black scheme. The case is a Kolink ‘Aviator’,so the choice was a no brainer. It is really fast, so far I have just installed my software and transferred my data. I am amazed how well it handles my 3D design software, this will be a big help in the future. I have experimented with some video editing, and it handles that without breaking a sweat.

While waiting for the new PC, I designed some company stickers on my old PC for some RnR. These 60mm discs I have had printed on high quality chrome vinyl and I am thrilled with the result. This was really a trial as I intend to get some labels printed for our boxes. We used to print our own but the software we used became obsolete and other priorities took over. There are a lot of improvements I need to make to Staples and Vine, these are being addressed as I rebuild. I plan to get onto the workshop soon and document it on Youtube, so why not subscribe to my channel and you can get notifications of my progress. Link HERE

May 31st 2018

More progress this week the new PC has been ordered and should keep me out of trouble for a few more years. It will be very fast because it is a red one, and has lights in it!!! The repaired PC now has Corel Draw X8 installed, and I am gradually adjusting to the new spec reasonably well, while I await the new machine. The new machine will have a 2TB backup drive built in with auto backup, so I shouldn’t loose any data. To cheer myself up from PC withdrawll I bought myself a couple of long promised books.

I am a big Horten & Maus fan and I am so pleased with these two books. The Horten books has the Arthur Bentley drawings and lots of photos. If you like this subject this is THE book. The Maus book was a bit of a gamble, as so little is available on this tank, but I am amazed at this book. So many previously unseen photos, and lots of drawings to accompany the text. This book has it all. I am so pleased with my purchases – excellent bedtime reading.
I now have to wait until Tuesday to get my new PC, then install all my software which is never fun. It has been a frustrating couple of weeks, as I have been champing at the bit to get on with projects. I have had to find other tasks to do, so I have made progress elsewhere, which is good in the long-run.

May 25th 2018

Well this week has been fun and games! Video camera work is making progress and I was learning Adobe Premiere (video editing software) until my hard drive failed. Fortunately there is a good PC repair shop in town so I dropped it off on Monday. As my laptop was ok I could still manage to do some work on that although all my graphics programs are on the other machine. Today I got my PC back (upgraded to windows 10) and managed to back up the few files that I hadn’t pre-disc failure. Next stage to re install the design software. Slight problem my version of Corel Draw doesn’t work with windows 10. So I have just purchased Corel Draw X8. Fortunately it looks like my Adobe software will be compatible. I have decided to bite the bullet and go for a new PC and use the repaired machine as a backup so that I don’t get stuck again. I can handle the cost, I just get so frustrated about the lost time, there is so much I want to do. I guess we have all become more and more dependent on technology over the years. I am really looking forward getting my hands dirty and sculpting something new. At least Milliput and files don’t need upgrades. On the plus side it looks like I’m ok for GDPR. There is now a privacy statement in the ‘ABOUT SV’ section. I took myself off to see ‘Deadpool 2’ yesterday and had a great time. I’m now recharged and inspired to take life by the scruff of the neck, and make things happen again. Have a great weekend everyone.

May 17th 2018

I have just uploaded my first youtube video. It is an introduction to the channel, please subscribe, like and, comment if you wish. It helps me a lot with listings and allows me to grow the channel. I have also added a youtube link button at the bottom of the page which will take you straight to the channel. I will be adding more videos soon. Videos won’t be posted on this site but I will post a link and thumbnail as below. Just click on the image below which will take you to the video on the Youtube channel.

May 16th 2018

As you may be aware there has been a lot going on about personal data protection recently and new legislation is about to come into effect from the 25th of May (GDPR). At Staples and Vine we have always made every effort to protect our customers information and never shared any with any third parties. This is something I will continue to rigorously uphold. I will be sending out an email to existing customers asking if you wish to continue to receive our newsletter. We have traditionally sent out our newsletter when there is a new release or important information to communicate. I know how annoying lots of sales emails can be! You will I hope notice I have added an email newsletter sign up form at the bottom of the page where you can subscribe at any time. A duplicate is here below.

Leave this field empty if you're human:

That’s the boring (but important) stuff taken care of now onto some good news. I am just about to start a new big project that I have been wanting to get going for years. There will be blog updates but to find out more why not subscribe to the newsletter.

May 7th 2018

Good news today! My arm is a lot better. I have made good use of my RnR by merging the pewteraircraft and pewtertanks websites into the Staples and Vine site. This has been a big project as there were over 300 pages to recreate. The site navigation on the Staples and Vine site will make it a lot easier to find what you are looking for. Under the home section you will see a quick link to the latest releases, and next to that my blog for all the latest news.
In other news. I have been masterplanning the new workshop ready to extract everything from storage. I have some admin to catch up on and I have at least one major project to get up and running.
Thanks for checking in… Sera.

April 24th 2018

Lots of news! Winston and I are staying with my parents who have kindly offered to let me run Staples and Vine from their home. Winston is very pleased as he is being treated like royalty. Dad has Alzheimer’s so at least being here I can help mum, and keep an eye on dad. Broadband speed is very good here which makes a huge difference. So far I have got a working office just about up and running and have started to plan the main workspace. Everything is still in store so production is still a way off. Unfortunately about a week ago I badly tore the muscles in my left arm so lifting is out of the question for a while. I am not taking it too easy though as I am still working hard on the computer.
As you know we have multiple websites which has it’s advantages and disadvantages. I have decided to integrate the pewteraircraft and pewtertanks website into the Staples and Vine website. No information will be lost, in fact I should be able to create a more user friendly site. I am well advanced with this major project but there still is much to do. I have also invested in a 28 inch 4K monitor which makes computer work so much easier (shame my graphics card won’t output 4K). I will invest in a new PC next year. The text is so much clearer I am noticing embarrassing spelling mistakes in my blog posts – hopefully that will be a thing of the past. The pewteraircraft and pewtertanks websites will be up for another year eventually with an automatic redirect to Staples and Vine.
Thanks to everyone for your support and patience, more news soon.

April 12th 2018

Hello everyone sorry for the ‘radio silence’ but as you can imagine I have had my hands full. I have now moved out of the old house and I am planning where and how to resume production. There is a chink of light at the end of the tunnel. I just wish I could get to the end a bit quicker as I am desperate to get back into the swing of things. I am sorry if the blog is a bit ‘off topic’ but I thought you would appreciate me keeping you up to speed with developments. Hopefully some good news soon.

February 23rd 2018

I am sure many of you are asking questions regarding my last post. Sadly my husband and partner, Tim Staples, passed away on the 12th of February after a long battle with prostate cancer. We started Diverse Images together more than 20 years ago and have come a long way together. I have been overwhelmed with the cards, thoughts, help, and best wishes from everyone. I knew our customers were great people, but I just wanted to say thank you all so much, your support has been touching.
I am now clearing and packing, to get ready for the big move, and should be here until the end of March. After March 31st the best way of contacting me is by email at sera@staplesandvine.com Please keep checking in on the blog as I will be posting news about projects I am working on behind the hangar doors.
Thank you all. Sera

February 14th 2018

IMPORTANT NEWS PLEASE READ

Due to a change in personal circumstances I will no longer be able to produce new orders for merchandise, aircraft or tank models with immediate effect. This is only a temporary situation and I fully intend to resume production later this year. In the meantime I shall be relocating to new premises and working on developing new projects. I will keep you all updated with regular blog and social media posts so please keep checking in to find out what I am up to. You are welcome to contact me by phone or email at sera@staplesandvine.com The hanger doors may have closed but plenty is going on inside and they shall open again.

January 30th 2018

Our Malta Spitfire Mk VB is now in full production and you can find out more about it and the exploits of George Beurling by clicking on the image below.

This was an interesting project and I learnt a lot. Now I have to get on with production and casting as we have lots of orders to fulfil before I can get cracking on the new Sherman M4A3E2 ‘First in Bastogne’. but more on that later.

January 28th 2018

Ok! – here’s a heads up on what’s going on. The Spitfire Mk VB trop is finished and I am photographing it tomorrow. This is after a lot of detective work regarding the camouflage and markings. The defence of Malta was a desperate period and aircraft kept in the air at all costs to protect the island so schemes did vary – a lot. However aircraft fresh from England we can be pretty sure about. Back on November 10th 2017 I posted a profile of the Beurling Spitfire Mk VB based on research information and widely reproduced profiles. At the time I was a little suspicious of the scheme but decided to revisit it when I was producing the sample. A good thing I did as my profile drawing was wrong. Let me explain, the Spitfire VB tropical scheme is Dark Earth and Mid Stone over Azure Blue. What many people assume is that looking at a classic Spitfire Mk I (see illustration below) the darker colour (the green) should be the darker colour on the tropical Spitfire. This is incorrect (see second illustration). In fact basing the scheme on a Spitfire Mk I the Dark Earth should remain and the Green replaced by the Mid Stone (see final illustration). I have changed the spinner and code colours as well.

Here you can see what I mean with this factory fresh Spitfire Mk VB in Dark Earth and Mid Stone. Indeed the more I look the more I see this scheme on period Spitfire Mk VB photos and the incorrect scheme on other models.

So there is a lesson to us all – ‘measure twice cut once’. I should be posting photos of the now completed Spitfire Mk VB tomorrow.

January 19th 2018

Sculpting the new Spitfire Mk VB is going well. The majority of the work is going into the wing as the fuselage will be modified from the existing Mk I. Chasing down all the fuselage differences has been fun but the wing is all new. The photos below show the finished wing with cannon and radiators. Also in the shot is part of the raw casting from the silicone mould so you can see how much filing has taken place.

The cannon masters in the wing were turned up by hand in my trusty ‘Dremel’. That was fun and they came out really well. The greenish grey parts are Milliput details added to recreate the various blisters for the 20mm cannon.

Whilst thumbing through an old volume of ‘Aircraft of the Fighting Powers’ I found this advert for Folland which mentions Gerorge Beurling shooting down the 1000th enemy aircraft in the defence of Malta. I thought you might like to see it as it ties in nicely with our next aircraft release – the 1/48 scale Gladiator.

January 12th 2018

The tail end of last years orders are now away and I am fully committed to the Spitfire Mk VB. This should be fairly quick to get into production as I can utilise many parts from our Mk I and Mk IXC. I will of course be sculpting a new wing, various detailed parts and two new figures. The figures will be George Beurling (pilot) and an officer. You can see the completed Milliput masters below and mid way through mouldmaking.

While the silicone is curing (12 hours per side) I have cast a new blank wing for the VB. This is cast from a large silicone mould held together in a vice with clamps while the molten pewter is poured. This is quite a good reliable mould, some moulds leak molten pewter (280 degrees C) which can be a little alarming.

Once the pewter has cooled the casting is removed from the mould. I usually take two or three castings and choose the best for the master. You can see the casting in situ here, the ‘head’ of metal in the mould provides pressure to force the molten pewter into the mould.

I have just poured the second half of the figure and parts moulds. These will be cast on Monday but in the meantime I shall be working on the wing – time to bring out the big files. Have a good weekend everyone.

January 1st 2018

Happy New Year to one and all! I have a lot planned for this year and have spent a lot of the Christmas break on my PC designing new projects for 3D printing. Our regular customers will have already had a heads up on the Gladiator we plan to release this year. Progress is good with all the files loaded on the 3D printer I hope to have the printing finished in the next 10 days. Here is a render of the 3D computer model to whet your appetite.

Of course being 1/48 scale I have been able to go to town on the Bristol Mercury engine so here is a rendered image of that too. The finished engine has a diameter of about 1 inch (25 mm) so should look very impressive.

I have been working on several other projects as well and here is a teaser image of one of them. This is a screen shot of a project I have completed the 3D modelling for and now have to 3D print.

This year we plan to build on the tremendous success of our Tiger I and not only follow up with the M4A3E2 Sherman Jumbo but release at least one more tank as we want to build the range as quickly as possible. The tank following the Sherman has already been modelled on my PC and just needs breaking down to its component parts for 3D printing. Here is a teaser image for you to try and identify what tank it is.