HAPPY NEW YEAR! On The Workbench 2026

Baby It's Cold Outside... Time In The Mancave Then! 😆

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Christmas 2025 Haul

Santa was exceptionally generous (again) this year. And just like last year he really stocked up my hobby stash shelf and it will take me well into 2026 for me to make a dent in the projects waiting for me.

Before I get to the Christmas gifts proper, I just want to highlight a couple of modes that were bought just prior to Xmas but were right at the front of my project cue...

Actually, to be honest, I think this COBI brick kit of a Vietnam F-5 had been loitering in my cue for some time, but it kept getting pushed back by other projects until it finally came to the fore in December. I had intended this to be my Christmas holiday project but unfortunately I had not realised just how many events the wife had scheduled for the holiday. SO now it's a January project!!! 😉

Again, this ;Library of Books' book nook kit is not new and is another lurker! But like the F-5 it has finally floated to the top of my model pile. Still I haven't seen either of these kits for a while - which you can tell by the layer of dust - so they kinda seem new (sorta)!

However, now to the really new Christmas haul...

Earlier last year I made a wonderful card model of Cologne Cathedral and so I was very pleased to get this '3D puzzle' card kit of France's Notre Dame De Paris! It's not as big as the Cologne one I did but I find medieval architecture fascinating so this should be interesting.

Last Christmas my eldest daughter bought me a model of a Sushi store and I had a great time making all the numerous pieces that made up the shop's contents and the building itself. It wasn't easy and I made a few errors but I learned a lot about making these wood, card and paper dioramas, so hopefully I shall not so many mistakes with this years model from Kayleigh! 😁

My youngest daughter - Stacey - and her husband also spoilt me with a small collection of Hotwheels cars to add to my GASLANDS conversion project. Not only that but Stacey got me a special limited edition MAD MAX V8 Interceptor model - which I will NOT be converting as it's just too cool!

Additionally, my wife gave me a couple of vintage Matchbox cars which I would love to convert but maybe too nice and might be left in their original condition and for display.

And finally, so big that I wish I had a larger workbench, my brother Ian - who had obviously been watching my ill-fated progress (or lack thereof) of my attempt to make a couple of 1/72 scale biplane fighters - gifted me a superb Revell 1/32 scale Tiger Moth biplane kit!!!

This wonderful kit is the very first time that I have *ever* had a 1/32 aircraft scale model aircraft kit! And whilst it's sheer size is kin of intimidating it would actually solve some of the issues that I came across trying to make the smaller 1/72 scale aircraft... They were just too small and fiddly for my shaky hands - and my old eyesight - to cope with!

I dearly wanted to make a bi-plane but the task of rigging such small models turned out to be beyond my abilities and the Sopwith Pup - in particular - turned out to be something of a cursed project which I accidently broke multiple times (though I am persevering with it just through sheer bloody mindedness).

So... Chistmas 2025 has been a very exciting one and I look forward to 2026 and my completing - hopefully - all these fantastic gifts.

While I Decide What's Next...

I still have a few projects left over from 2025 to complete before I start any of the new acquisitions, so let's take a look at what's ongoing...

I have a couple of 28mm miniatures to complete - not least one of the presents I got last Xmas, my ORUK set - but as I am a bit rusty with painting figures I thought I'd start with a random single mini first. I did a test in December where I attempted to mix my own paint wash - similar to Citadel's Nun Oil - and I us ed a spare mini I had laying around - this was one of the Death Korps of Krieg troopers.

So, while I had him on the bench I thought that I might as well get in some painting practise...

I've gotten as far as applying all the base colours prior to shading. There are so many different styles of Krieg uniforms to chose from but I decided to go with one that mixes WW1 German & French influences by going for blue as the main uniform colour.

Next on the to-do list is - sadly - one of my most disappointing failures from last year - my ill-fated 1/72 Airfix Sopwith Pup model…

In short, my wobbbly hand problem struck again and I ended up breaking this model when it was so nearly completely! 😟 A unfortunate spasm caused me to crunch the wings breaking the bi-plane’s spars and snapping the delicate rigging that I spent an inordinate amount of time painstakingly threading between the wings.

As discouraged as I was I eventually decided to try and repair this model and began by stripping back the damaged spars and removing all the snapped rigging threads. And then, I had to start replacing these parts, starting with the intricate threading…

The wing rigging set in place on the bottom wing and fuselage I then had to reattach the top wing prior to stretching the threads and going them in place again.

And finally, we come to my ongoing GASLANDS project. The actually car customisation side of this project is - as I said - ongoing, but I wanted a way to display my competed car models so that I could photograph them. So, I decided to try my hand at making a small display base in the form of a wastelands diorama (of sorts).

I’ve only ever made very small scenic displays before - mostly bases for my other models - so I don’t have a lot of experience, but I thought I’d have a go at a desert diorama anyway. My first attempt was made from whatever bits and pieces I had to hand and DIY texture materials and paints - washes and pastes - to create the arid and rocky landscape…

Above: This photo of my first wasteland diorama attempt makes it look a bit better than it actually is. I went overboard with the ground textures and the rocks are a little featureless.

It’s wasn’t terrific by any means, but was more of a learning experience, so I decided to try again this time using some commercial texture materials and 3D printed scenics. And this time I was a little more happy with the result…

Above: Version 2 - A bit better and I am quite pleased with the job I made of the broken tarmac road. Still have to work on the plants and the scrub grass, but it's nearly there.

Obviously, practise is the key and I am sure that if I keep at it my dioramas will improve with time. But that's the problem with being a model making 'jack of all trades' as I skip from one theme to another, I never really concentrate on one particular subject long enough to master it.

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And that's the start of 2026. I think it's off to a pretty good start - aside from the snow, of course - I hope to ramp up the rapidity of project completions this year. I certainly have plenty to get through!

Happy New Year to you all!