Paulw
Well-known member
I don't know if this would be acceptable here or not but I had to do this as a bit of a memorial to Tom's memory. After I had my triple CABG about 8 years ago I got involved with a few guys from another modeling forum that rekindled my interest in building models. A few of you guys here may remember some of my earlier works of "art". SA Dave got us to get together on Skype and this is where I made quite a few friends of which one was Tom. We talked on the phone quite a few times and forged a friendship that I was grateful for.
During that time my income was non existent and almost everybody that I knew on the forums sent me kits, paint and other tools to get started. This is when Tom offered to send me a couple of kits. I really didn't know what they were and was surprised when they came to me in the mail. Two Hasegawa Ju-87 Stukas. One was a D and the other a G. I built that D and was very proud of the job that I did on it even though Nothing I did made sense. Tragically, before I could show Tom my completion, he passed.
A couple of years later I tried to get the G all together but for some reason I didn't have the desire to finish it. I had the pit done and the wings assembled but that was as far as I got. So it went into the box and in the closet with a bunch of others that I had boxed up and forgotten about since.
For the past few months I have started quite a few kits only to box them up and shelve them. I knew I wanted to do something and every time I got on the computer I bought something, started it and boxed it and put it away for some reason or another.
Last week I went digging in the closet and opened that box with all those other older kits that I had stowed and re-discovered the Stuka. I decided that I wasn't going to redo anything. I am not splitting the fuse or the wings to redo my work so I just went right to finishing the kit. I finished masking the glazing, put the wings and the cowling on and shot it with primer.
Here is where I got to this afternoon and I will do some more this evening. I just hope that I can do it justice in honor of a modeler that became a good friend.
During that time my income was non existent and almost everybody that I knew on the forums sent me kits, paint and other tools to get started. This is when Tom offered to send me a couple of kits. I really didn't know what they were and was surprised when they came to me in the mail. Two Hasegawa Ju-87 Stukas. One was a D and the other a G. I built that D and was very proud of the job that I did on it even though Nothing I did made sense. Tragically, before I could show Tom my completion, he passed.
A couple of years later I tried to get the G all together but for some reason I didn't have the desire to finish it. I had the pit done and the wings assembled but that was as far as I got. So it went into the box and in the closet with a bunch of others that I had boxed up and forgotten about since.
For the past few months I have started quite a few kits only to box them up and shelve them. I knew I wanted to do something and every time I got on the computer I bought something, started it and boxed it and put it away for some reason or another.
Last week I went digging in the closet and opened that box with all those other older kits that I had stowed and re-discovered the Stuka. I decided that I wasn't going to redo anything. I am not splitting the fuse or the wings to redo my work so I just went right to finishing the kit. I finished masking the glazing, put the wings and the cowling on and shot it with primer.
Here is where I got to this afternoon and I will do some more this evening. I just hope that I can do it justice in honor of a modeler that became a good friend.