Monday Many Things

I am writing this Tuesday morning and am already running late and having trouble focusing. In other words, it is Tuesday morning. I am not ready for the rest of the week, but let me try…

I rose after 7 and closer to 8. I did not want to write all morning, but 1400+ words that are not trash take time. The weather was cooler, and the sun backed off from being the desert-bleaching California nightmare sun we have had most of the week. The skies were again dark blue with grey, only on the Coastal Mountains from the cold ocean mists, but the smell of smoke persisted. I found frozen Trader Joe’s French Onion soup in the freezer. These are placed in a cup or bowl and then microwaved. While not great, it was still good. I watched YouTube while eating the soup and enjoyed the latest updates on ShipHappens.

Cleaned up, dressed, and remembering my meds at the last minute, I was ready to board Air Volvo. I got to Reedville Creek Park and saw those dreaded words, “No Phone Attached.” I returned to Air Volvo and got my phone. While it is unlikely I will have a vertigo attack or fall hard, it is not OK to have no means to call for help. While still comfortable with a nice breeze, I decided to go to the park. Forest Grove or Hillsboro seemed good alternatives now that I was starting over, but I decided to return to my usual practices.

I managed five loops for about 3,800 steps. The park was busy, but as my timing was different, I did not see anyone I met before. The tennis courts were full with what looked like a line to get the next time. The skateboard park was busy as usual, and a tall dad and daughter passed me, smiling, on skateboards and doing the park together. Yes, that dad is cool.

Next, I enjoyed Safeway and getting the few items I missed last time and a few other items. I finally have cream cheese to go with all those NYC bagels sent from Zabar’s by Joyce! I got a bunch of bananas (mine soon to run out) and tomatoes to go with the lettuce and bacon and good bread I also bought. Jambalaya mix to go with the sausage I bought. I found a pre-cooked chicken, full-sized, for $9.99, slightly cheaper than a raw one–I never understood this. That became a late snack and early dinner with some coleslaw.

Air Volvo loaded and delivered a few bags and chicken-in-a-bag to the Volvo Cave. I soon unloaded and had my snack/dinner of chicken, as mentioned. I had a few hours before a church meeting (not a charge conference like I thought) with the new District Supervisor (the administrator who is the boss of Methodist preachers and nominally of the churches and works at the pleasure of the Methodist bishop who appoints preachers to churches). I washed in alcohol the etched-brass sheets for SMS Derfflinger 1916 that came with the deluxe kit (I also bought a second etched-brass kit, not knowing that the deluxe kit had one). I then let that dry and painted it with fine surface primer, one coat on each side. The bending process will scrap the paint, but the primer allows the regular color to take and cover the scratches. I washed the hard plastic model parts in soap and water. I will let it dry overnight and then spray a coat of primer on it on Tuesday.

After processing and waiting for drying, I board Air Volvo, head to First United Methodist Church, and park outside of the Pride Progress flag, which is pleasantly waving in the cool breeze. We are now in the low 80s, and the church, without the breeze, will be, at best, unpleasant.

The meeting is about two hours long, with a bonus of fifteen minutes for the S/PRC committee (which includes me). It is a pleasant, if not warm, and mostly a meet-and-greet with the new DS, Rev. Karen Hernandez, who is also the DS for all of Idaho (and parts of Eastern Oregon). We listen and tell stories, and I make the mistake of telling a good story and am now tasked with writing it and repeating it for the Conference; next time, I will just listen.

I have many observations, but none I feel should be shared here. I would say the DS seemed to be relieved that we happily received her and were busy trying to make it work in Beaverton still as First United Methodist Church. We did not split off or decide to go on alone when the opportunity arose (with the United Methodist church schism this year). We survived an unpleasant review of our church, the start of the process of closing a church, from the conference. We had many reasons to be unhappy, but instead, Rev. Karen found us ready to try things and pleasant.

I stayed late and showed the DS the signature of the maker of our glass windows. I suggested that she look for who made the windows as she visited churches. It would be interesting to collect that information and share it. She seemed to like the idea, but we will see. Rev. Karen Hernandez has many duties.

Air Volvo brought me home and I had a snack of more chicken and then started on the model of SMS Derfflinger 1916. I finished all the painting of the main decks and started with the nerve-wracking and only-one-chance-to-get-it-right application of the decks. I used my scalpel to carefully separate the plastic from the sticky material of the bow section, then pushed the deck and aligned it to the holes. I had to adjust the deck and risked destroying the overlay, but I managed to align it better on one side. I then did the same with the stern section and it aligned better than the front section. You only get to do this once; usually, you build a certain model ship once in your life (unless you are doing a YouTube channel, then you would do it twice or three times with filming on the last version).

I then took out the tiny brush (called The Pycho by The Army Painter) and painted some missing black for the chain plates for the anchor line, and some mostly accidentally sanded off the mooring cleats that have cutouts in the overlay. The black will hide the fact that they are missing. I have to be careful as the wood overlays are made of wood, and I will drink the paint if I make a mistake.

My plan is to paint all the remaining assemblies before mounting them to avoid wrecking the deck. Next, I will spray the model with a light gloss coat and then use oil paints to add depth and stain the hull. I will also apply the decals as they work better on a smooth gloss coat. Once that is done (and any fixes are made), I will lightly cover the model with a final dull coat to even out the look.

But before I can get to that, I have to fix the deck. The deck overlay is complex near the guns as the original cut a path in the deck but left wood on the other side. This makes the overlay broken, and I have to glue tiny bits back in. I kept the bits when I first removed the decking from laser-cut wood. I have special cement for this kind of task and for the etched brass: G-S Hypo Cement for jewelry and watch work. It is a tough, clear resin-like material that dries slowly (and has toxic fumes, but is used in tiny amounts). I glued the tiny bits in place and created a bit for one area that did not survive. It will be below a gun and likely not even seen. The final work is excellent. I place the next level of decks; it covers well and aligns with the overlay. Perfect. It has been a long journey to reach this first milestone.

I took up the etched brass and started building the first three pieces (of many), which took me a stressful hour. I carefully moved the parts to an Occre storage system (Occre makes plastic storage bins as part of their modeling experience). This idea of storing parts in closed bins is one of the reasons I look forward to building their wood models next year (I have one waiting for me to get it in my work queue).

Bending, gluing, and storing the tiny parts is harsh, but it will get easier as I do it more. I remember having these issues on my build of HMS Dreadnaught 1906 1/350. I got better and better as I went on. I am also happy that the first parts are not in direct view, so slight imperfections will not draw the eye (and may be invisible to most folks at this scale). Care on the decks, guns, mast, and funnels are needed; most have little etched brass.

I stop at about 11, shower, and spend another hour reading in bed, enjoying General Grant’s plans for 1864. I sleep but wake in the cold and have to prove hydration a few times.

Thanks for reading!