Modelling whilst on the road

[Big Kahuna]

Hi everyone,
I've not posted for a long time as life, new work, family etc has been chewing up my time, but have tuned into the boards when time permitted. I have a job where I work away from home for 2 weeks and back a week (they call them FIFO - Fly In Fly Out jobs) before repeating the cycle. I stay at a camp, where everyone has their own single room decked out with normal simple amenities. Anyways, I have a few hours a night after work that's free and struggle to watch TV and movies all the time. I go to the gym regularly, but was wanting to do some modelling if I can.

So, my questions and asking for advice are concerned with any effective means of modelling on the go away from home?
My modelling interests are cars, Airliners and military jets. I suspect that the cars would be easiest to pack.

I would be interested to hear from anyone in a similar situation or has done something like this before and can offer some handy hints. I fly back out in 3 days, so type fast please...;-)

Cheers
Nenad

[griffin-gt40]

Nenad,

I use to do the same thing, and I would take models with me to work on in my downtime. You'll need more then one in rotation to keep you going, pending on how much time you have each night. I would prime/paint with spray cans or airbrushes before leaving home and leave them till my next cycle back. Then swap out kits on the next out. Personally I liked race cars because there are usually lots of decals and decal work ate up a lot of time.

I packed my kits in plastic Tupperware containers from the dollar store with bubble wrap. Boxes get crushed in transport, made that mistake once. For paints, if you have engines or interiors to work on, I use Tamiya acrylics or other water based paints. Those I put in another small container and only took the standard colours with me, flat aluminum, black, flat back, red, blue, gun metal and an assortment of the other metallics . Brushes, files knives sandpaper etc, in the same container as the paints.

Never take spray bombs with you, airport security will take em, happened to me once. I was lucky, they gave me back the rest of my stuff but were not happy about the sprays. Do all your spraying at home. Never take any of the tools with your carry on. That'll be a no no too. I did take my kits with me in my carry on with no issues.

I did all my finally assemblies at home and just took WiPs with me on the road. Sometimes I'd have 3 or 4 kits with me at once and just to bits and pieces of each one at nights.

Hope this gives you some ideas.

David

[Kjenjak]

I sometimes take a painted body with me, when I have to stay in a hotel for several nights. I can do the sanding and polishing there. Or some work on P/E parts, since I only need the P/E sheet, a cutter, some twiezers and soem CA-glue.

If you stay over there regularly, you could also try to have some paint etc. sent to your working address, or a post office nearby, to pick it up yourself. This way you can avoid trouble at the airport. And you could completely do the prep-works on a body, prime it, paint it...

[Big Kahuna]

Thanks guys.

I appreciate the help.