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Post by Faust on Jul 8, 2023 11:47:56 GMT -5
One of my favourite things as a modeller is seeing kits in person you never thought you’d see; Either built, at a show, or better yet, for sale somewhere so you can add it to your stash! For me, that’s tied with the thrill of finding out there IS a kit of THAT, whatever weird and wonderful “that” that maybe. No wonder, then, I love going to antiques stores and swap meets – it’s like a giant garage sale of potential sprue awesomeness! It’s rare to find a lot of variety, but this spring proved to have a bumper crop of old and varied models out there waiting for me! About the only thing I build that I didn’t get was armour, but that’s okay. Check out my last few months’ haul below for a little bit of everything from around the world! There’s gotta be something in there to make you smile! adamrehorn.wordpress.com/spring-2023-haul/
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Post by Faust on Jul 8, 2023 11:37:44 GMT -5
Oh man, what a find, and what a build!
Nice work! Wish my thrift stores had that kind of stuff.
Congrats on a great piece of work!
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Post by Faust on Jun 12, 2023 15:21:22 GMT -5
There’s a certain kind of good feeling that comes from knowing that people enjoy what you do. For me, I get that when people comment on my builds or articles and appreciate the work I put into them. However, once in a while, some people go the extra mile. They recognize the weird and wonderful that make me and the Sprue Lagoon tick, and out of the kindness of their hearts send me kits that they think will make for good review material and additions to my eclectic stash. One such event happened very recently, when I received some emails from a fan in Texas who clearly understood my brand of oddness. To fuel the styrene insanity, this fellow sent me a box of some of the weirdest car kits I’ve seen, of subjects I’d largely not even heard of. Were they up my alley? Heck yeah! Check out this in-the-mail infusion of mostly Italian style and engineering, and some of the strangest, most “borrowed” kits I’ve run across yet. Even if supercars aren’t your thing, you’ll love this, trust me! adamrehorn.wordpress.com/may-2023-italian-supercar-score/
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Post by Faust on May 15, 2023 21:46:14 GMT -5
With trees and flowers busting out into bloom as we enter the middle of spring, I thought it would be appropriate to go back in time a bit and check out something else that was a breakout – the classic Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water anime! This was a huge success that put Gainax (later known for Evangelion) on the map, and proved to be a show with a large, devoted fanbase. Oddly, though, despite its success, Nadia did not generate a lot of love in styrene. So far as I know, only the main ship, the Nautilus, saw mainstream release as a kit back in the day. This was a time when Bandai seemed to be playing it tighter-to-the-vest than now, so while it’s not a surprise, it’s still a bit unfortunate that we didn’t get more. That’s made the Nautilus kit rather hard to get, although thankfully it has been reissued once or twice in more recent times, and that’s how I got my hands on mine. With other companies now challenging Bandai’s hegemony in the anime kit field, and more kits of more obscure subjects coming out all the time, it seems like a good time to take a look at this kit and see how esoterica was done back in the day! adamrehorn.wordpress.com/bandai-1-700-nautilus-oob/
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Post by Faust on Apr 17, 2023 20:06:39 GMT -5
A great spring tradition here in Ontario is the HeritageCon model show in Hamilton’s Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum. This year’s show was the biggest ever, with more than 1000 kits on display! Of course, a model show wouldn’t be complete without a vendor’s room, and it’s not a surprise that I tucked into multiple helpings of old and interesting kits, as well as managing to find some newer and nicer ones as well! Part of my yearly pilgrimage to Hamilton includes doing a hobby shop run in the area, so that helped with the count of kits procured, even if it wasn’t exactly what my wallet wanted to hear! Check out this year’s score for an odd mix of new and old, advanced and bare-bones, Eastern and Western. When you’re done, there’s a poll so you can vote for your top two favourites – I’ll review the winner first! adamrehorn.wordpress.com/heritagecon-2023-score/
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Post by Faust on Mar 13, 2023 20:01:10 GMT -5
When the French say “Vive la Difference!”, I doubt they were talking about the difference between aeronautically sound and advanced airplanes and whatever kind of flying aquaria/blimp gondolas the various French designers of the ‘20s and ‘30s were thinking about. However, one can’t deny that there is a difference there… and it is a big one! Since I already have the Amiot 143 from Heller, it should come as no surprise that I also have the nearly-equally-hideous Potez 540 in my collection! So, with spring about to sprung (or something) I thought it would be good to have a look at what is one of the ugliest ducklings to take to the skies of interwar Europe. Check out the 1/72 Potez 540 at the link below, and remember, someone, somewhere, thought THIS was a great idea. There’s a reason they don’t make ‘em like THAT anymore! adamrehorn.wordpress.com/heller-1-72-potez-540-oob/
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Post by Faust on Feb 13, 2023 20:36:42 GMT -5
When it comes to cars, you guys know I love something a bit different. I mean sure, I love losers, and Euro-weirdness (usually ugly Renaults), but there’s something about cars with the wrong number of wheels that really get me. I love six-wheeled cars, but hey, something with three wheels is also something to get excited about! A couple of years ago, I got a bunch of 1/32 Arii three-wheeled trucks from my Uncle for Christmas. I thought it was time to see how they built up, and I have to say, it was pretty fun! If you want to see something you’re not likely to come across too often, check out my 1/32 Mazda K360 truck at the link below and be prepared for the weirdness! adamrehorn.wordpress.com/arii-ls-1-32-1958-mazda-k360/
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Post by Faust on Jan 16, 2023 20:25:27 GMT -5
Quick question: What’s black and white and is technologically -inconsistent-with-modern-military-hardware all over? Think about it… Nothing? Okay, I’ll give you a hint; it’s also retro-as-heck (and involves Ernest Borgnine). No? Well, if you’re stuck, I forgive you. If you’re not, though, you’ve already reached the right answer: Airwolf!! This ridiculously overpowered Bell 222 was one of the most popular of the ‘80s TV supervehices, and with Hellfire missiles, machine guns and afterburners, it tore up the screen in the mid-80s! No wonder then that Airwolf was also made available as a model, since kids were still into modelling at that time. I came across this particular kit recently and thought that the winter was a perfect time to dive into some cool retro ‘80s sci-fi. Check out this decent, although somewhat minimal-effort offering from AMT at the link below, and make sure you’ve got your mesh T-Shirt on and synth ready while you do it! adamrehorn.wordpress.com/amt-1-48-airwolf-oob/
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Post by Faust on Dec 12, 2022 20:59:16 GMT -5
It’s been a busy number of months at my end, and I haven’t got as much building time as I’d like to. Of course, that is a common story for most of us, I’m sure! However, one thing I have gotten done is my customized Wing Gundam Fenice Rinascita. While I like most of the redesigned Wing Gundam Master Grade kits, Katoki’s take on the Wing just doesn’t work for me. It’s clowny, busy and just… too much, I guess. I decided it would be a far cry better to use the Wing Gundam Fenice Rinascita from Build Fighters Try to make my own Wing variant. So, with some slight rework, and my own colour separation, I set to work on just that! I have to say, it’s a gorgeous kit that responds well to any work you put into it! Check it out below, and let me know what you think. Also, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to everyone out there in Sprue Land! adamrehorn.wordpress.com/bandai-mg-1-100-wing-gundam-fenice-rinascita-wing-gundam-redux-custom/
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Post by Faust on Nov 10, 2022 21:47:30 GMT -5
Well, can you believe it? It’s been 10 years of the Sprue Lagoon already! It was on Remembrance Day in 2012 that I first sent my site live; I really didn’t know how it was going to go or what I wanted to do with it, exactly. Since then, I’ve tried to steer it towards showcasing my own builds, as well as bringing you guys (and gals) out there in the world a look at some interesting, and maybe somewhat offbeat, models. I like to do the stuff that not everybody’s going to cover, and that usually means weird, old or both! To celebrate my 10th anniversary, I thought I’d pull a fairly recent, but definitely odd, acquisition out of the stash. The signpost to mark my first decade is something I can find almost nothing on the internet about, and that’s the Academy “History of Transportation” miniature kit giftset! If you ever wanted a Whitman’s Sampler” of mini-kits, then this is definitely going to be your bag! And, if you think it isn’t your thing, check it out anyway, you might be surprised! Have I ever let you down? adamrehorn.wordpress.com/academy-history-of-transportation-set-oob/
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Post by Faust on Oct 13, 2022 20:18:34 GMT -5
That old saying about not judging a book by its cover seems to be true! When I got the Sword 1/72 TF-9J Cougar with the Vietnam-era decals and weapons, I was pretty excited. The kit looked decent, and despite being a bit expensive, I figured it would be a fairly easy project. Yeah, well… turns out, it’s not quite as nice as it looked. I’ve been battling this thing for a bit, and while I’ve now got it together, I have to say it’s a lot more short-run than I’d have thought. However, I’ve wanted a Twogar forever, so I’m still glad I’ve got it. I think. Check out how it’s going at the update below, and when they say “buyer beware”, remember that they may have had this thing in mind! adamrehorn.wordpress.com/2022/10/13/sword-1-72-tf-9j-twogar-update/
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Post by Faust on Sept 14, 2022 19:46:00 GMT -5
If it’s not “what you’ve got” but “what you do with it”, then, unfortunately, the armoured vehicles of the WWII Imperial Japanese Army come up short no matter what you do. As a nation that had no real need of conventional armoured forces, the Japanese never really developed powerful tanks in the vein of their German allies or the Americans and British. However, as the American island-hopping campaign got underway, it became apparent that some new weapons would be needed to counter the types of tank their enemies preferred. Thus, like many other nations, the idea of the “tank destroyer” gained some traction. One such vehicle was the Ho-Ni. This rather pedestrian effort was largely a “too little, too late” effort, and there weren’t enough to make much of a difference. Of course, I love oddballs, and this rather wheezy attempt at anti-tank artillery grabbed my right away! Check out the old 1/76 Fujimi kit of this understandably forgotten tank killer at the link below! adamrehorn.wordpress.com/fujimi-1-76-ho-ni-type-1-tank-destroyer-oob/
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Post by Faust on Aug 15, 2022 18:29:55 GMT -5
What’s black and white and red (and yellow, orange and purple) all over? If you said “A newspaper!” then you need to share whatever you’re putting on your Cheerios in the morning, because hogging that isn’t cool. If you answered “WTF are you talking about?” then you KNOW you’re on the right track for something crazy. What uses that palette? Well, here are some hints. MPC. Harry. Bradley. Minitruck. If you guessed the “California Sunshine” kit based on the Datsun 620 mould, then pat yourself on the back, because that is correct! I received one of these classic beauties for my Birthday, so let’s all share the fun and check out this as-yet-to-be-rereleased classic, at the link below! adamrehorn.wordpress.com/mpc-1-25-california-sunshine-oob/
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Post by Faust on Jul 14, 2022 16:15:42 GMT -5
The ‘50s were an exciting time, with airplanes improving, performance-wise, in leaps and bounds, and with new, futuristic shapes taking to the skies in increasing numbers. Swept wings, delta wings, rockets and afterburners… it was as if all the sci-fi serials had exploded into life overnight. For aviation-minded youths of the time, it was only natural to want to build the “latest and greatest” of these new aircraft as soon as possible. To that end, the modelling companies of the day often tripped over each other to be the “first out” with kits of new and racy planes, sometimes to the detriment of accuracy. In North America, Revell, Renwal, and Aurora battled fiercely in the styrene arena (Styrena?), while in Britain it was Airfix vs. FROG. Recently, I had a chance to get some of these ancient gems, and I asked which one people wanted to see first. The winner was the FROG 1/72 Javelin, which represents a prototype, not even the initial service marks! Check out this classic beast at the link below! adamrehorn.wordpress.com/frog-1-72-gloster-javelin-prototype-oob/
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Post by Faust on Jun 23, 2022 20:42:05 GMT -5
When I say “silver”, what comes to mind? Is it a very precious metal? Is it the hair on an elderly gentleman? Or, is it the streamlined shape of a prowling fish? One thing that should come to mind is fast ‘50s jets, with their penchant for bare-metal silver chrominess! And, just like those real jets, there were a lot of kits from that time that tried to capture the look with silver plastic! I recently came across a quintet of such kits, and they’re silver in that they are supposed to look fast, they are aged, being from the ‘50s, and they are somewhat precious! For some really classic, early-run-not-retro old-skool modelling excitement, check out my score of 1950’s FROG jets at the link below! Vote on your favourite, too! adamrehorn.wordpress.com/1950s-frog-collection/
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