The drought is over! I’m finally getting new models to review 😁! I got word from my trusted dealer that some models that I had pre-ordered last year (!) will arrive this week. So I’ll finally have new stuff to show. Besides, I just scored a nice Bang locally last week. The review is done and I already made all the photos, so it’s ready to go. HOWEVER, I’m having what I think is DNS issues at home, so I first need to sort that out before I can upload anything 😣. The problem is waaaay beyond my mediocre computer knowledge, so I’ll need outside help. Yet, I think that in a couple of days I’ll get it sorted.
- Typ B #1 - 1935 AVUSrennen (H.Stuck)
- Typ A Rennlimousine ("Typ Lucca") #4 - 1935 AVUSrennen (B. Rosemeyer)
- Typ C/D #125 - 1939 Grossglockner Hill Climb (H. P. Muller)
- Typ D Stromlinie #18 - 1938 French Grand Prix (R. Hasse)
I first found out about these models in early 2020 (I talked about them here). At the time, however, I was really skeptical that Minichamps would ever release them. After all, Silberpfeile collectors are a rare breed. Yet, to my surprise, in March Minichamps did actually release some of the models from that list. I found the ones above on eBay, and few online retailers are also offering them. Nonetheless, Minichamps made only a limited quantity of each (200 or 300?). And what that means is that they are already hard to find online 😣. Therefore, DO NOT wait to get them.
In August I finally got a proper shop. After nine years since we moved to our new house, I now have a decent workplace. And as expected, it wasn’t 100% done (will it ever be?). Courtesy of my dad, I now have a bench vise, something that I consider fundamental in any shop.
I also installed a curtain beneath the work bench. I would rather have the shelf below exposed, however I quickly realized that was not good. Every time I drilled, sanded or worked on wood, it was a pain to clean the wood chips and dust below the workbench. So I installed one of those plastic bathroom curtains on a rail below the bench. Not exactly handsome but saves me a lot of work during cleanups.
And as you can see, there are new tools 😊. Oh come on, don’t give me the same look my wife gives me… Of course I had to get more tools. Of special note are two Japanese saws (a Ryoba and a Kataba), which made me think about why I ever used Occidental saws before. And a new (and better) jigsaw and a nail gun, both battery-powered. Unless it’s some sort of bench-top tool, I’m going cordless 100%. Next on the list is a random orbit sander and a (plunge?) router, cordless of course.
And this is the first diorama project I made in my new shop. A couple of years ago I bought a guardrail like this, though it was shorter and frankly poorly made. So using chopsticks, a strip of MDF as base, water-based paint, wood glue and LOTS of sanding and cutting, I made another one. I already made some photos using it, and it turned out pretty good. I think.
Since I’m a gearhead, of course I have some interest in F1. Yet, I’m not exactly a big fan. While that may be so, I do have more than a passing interest in the sport’s history. And a BIG part of that history in my eyes is occupied by Niki Lauda. To me, he was one of F1’s finest personalities, both in the cockpit of a F1 car and in the back scenes. And quite frankly, it is hard to find another driver with such colorful history.
I got this book on my Kindle, and it’s a bit poor on the photo content. Even so, it makes up with loads and loads of stories from Lauda’s carreer. And just as enticing, it gives a good idea of the inner workings of the F1 circus in the 70s and 80s. So I would say this is a must read to the Niki Lauda fan and a great book for the F1 fan.
All the dioramas I have so far I built there. Yes, it was really sad as far as a workshop goes.
When we built our new house almost 9 years ago, one thing that I wanted was a dedicated workspace for tools and crafts. A room to work on my hobbies, bikes and store my tools. And I got the space. However, as you can see in the shot above, it was kind of shabby in terms of a workspace. All right, let’s be honest: it was an utterly pathetic excuse for a tool shop 😣.
All manual tools are now at easy reach.
So in the last month, I started to work on it, transforming it into a proper workshop. And by “working on it” I mean buying what was needed. Of the highest priority was to have a work bench, and that was the first thing I bought. I also bought those wall panels to hang all my manual tools in the open, at easy reach.
Previously, I had to use the drill press over on my daughter’s drawer 🙄.
The yellow drawer was from my daughter’s old bedroom, which works perfectly as a space to store supplies and small stuff. The yellow chair (and yellow table under the workbench) were also from her bedroom. If you care to know, that small chair is perfect to wash my car’s wheels 😁. I also installed more power sockets, both in 110 and 220 v.
The small desk, in front of a window, is great for delicate jobs.
I had an old office desk that I didn’t use any more, and it fitted perfectly in that niche in the back wall. It’s a fantastic station for the delicate stuff, like working on models or making dioramas. The whole space came out as a true carnival of styles, furniture and parts. Yet, I for one dig the “repurposed look”. Can’t say why, though I think that mishmash style makes the tool shop look homely.
My battery drills and Dremel. I’m a confess Bosch and Makita fanboy.
Of course I’m not 100% done yet, with some things still missing. For instance, I desperately need a Nº 5 bench vise, as I need a bench grinder. And I would love to have a small belt sander… Nonetheless, I’ll eventually get there. Most important of all though, now I finally have a decent work space. 😊😊😊
“The IROC Porsches: The International Race of Champions, Porsche’s 911 RSR, and the Men Who Raced Them” – Matt Stone
Right around when I ordered my 911 RSR IROC #1, I also ordered this book. It took a looooong while to arrive, and I just finished it this week. Hardcover, with an embossed cover, 192 pages and a gazillion photos. The author dives DEEP into the 1973/74 IROC season and the cars that were in the race. To the point that he describes the history of every single one of the 15 chassis that participated in the championship. For the Porsche fanboy (me) a treasure trove of information on this specific model. For the gearhead in general (me again) a fantastic description of a very interesting race series.
The eagle-eyed coffee connoisseur probably identified that coffee as Nespresso 🤮. Yes, I confess, it is Nespresso. No, I don’t drink Nespresso (last one I had was before the pandemic, I think). Yet, I was in a hurry and didn’t have time to fire up my ECM and make a proper espresso. Looking back, though, I should have made a pour-over, instead. May the God of Speed have mercy on my soul.
On the 24 Heures du Mans’ official page today they posted an article with all the brands that will participate in the Hypercar class starting in 2022. From Acura to Toyota, the list is quite long. And to be honest, until now, I wasn’t aware of all those manufacturers. Of course there’s a long road ahead until we arrive at Le Mans next year, however things do look good.
Something that was bothering me was that my “Le Mans P-Z” page was getting too long. And that’s because I have a LOT of Porsches. Not my fault that Stuttgart’s cars are popular at La Sarthe…😋 So on top of the page I added a “Le Mans Porsche” link where you now can find all my Le Mans porkers. With that, the “Le Mans P-Z” will only be for manufacturers from P-Z other than Porsche.
I’m half way through this book, and I can’t recommend it more. Very nicely written, with tons of info specially about the back-stages of what happened in Maranello. I always knew Enzo Ferrari was kind of an a-hole, but in reality, the man was a grade A+ summa com laude a-hole. Still, the best thing about the book in my opinion is to see how absolutely brutal GP and F1 racing was back then.
Even if you are not a ferrarista, this is a very interesting read for the gearhead and race fan in general.
That’s it, this was the last straw. I’ve used Photobucket for years, but after that absurd price hike they attempted in 2017, and with all the blackmailing attempts, I went to Flickr. Flickr is a pretty neat photo hosting service, but the fact that they scramble file names after you load them makes manually writing a photo address impossible. And, they’re photo browser stinks, it’s too convoluted to manage your photos.
But then PB reconsidered their stance and things seemed to go back to normal, so in 2018 I went back. Still, there was a LOT of downtime last year. However, for the last month or so, every single time I log on, I get an annoying message that I’m over my bandwidth quota. And if I don’t upgrade my account they’ll shut me down. According to my account data, I’m using about 80% of my bandwidth, so this sounds like they’re trying to bully me to upgrade. And as the cherry on top of the cake, today their servers have been down all day long.
So that’s it, I’m done. SCREW PHOTOBUCKET. I’m migrating all my photos elsewhere and this is the last time they see my money.
