Ben Builds: S8 - PV-1 Ventura - ep. 1

What is up everybody! Welcome back to Ben Builds. Today, we are starting a new kit for a new season of Military Mondays. This is the Revell, 1/48th scale, PV-1 Ventura and I am very excited to dive into this twin-engine beauty.

On this episode, we are simply opening up the box, taking a look at the parts, the decals and the instructions. On our next episode, that is when we are going to start building up the cockpit and doing some painting, but we need to get the unboxing out of the way. I can't wait to crack on with this one.

So, until next week, thank you all so much for joining me, take care, happy modeling and I'll see everyone on the next installment of our PV-1 Ventura.
See you soon!

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Ben Builds Season Six: Albatros D.III ep 17 Final

Today is the day that we can finally call this one finished! Yes, this is the final episode for our Eduard, 1/48th scale, Albatros D.III. While there are still a few things more that we need to do such as rigging and some touch-up painting, this bird will be done today! 

This has been a great build and I have really learned a lot from this process. I have to admit, I didn't always know exactly what to do, but I had a blast reading articles, experimenting with fresh ideas, watching videos and trying new techniques. I had such a fun time and I want to say thank you to everyone, who followed along.

This was a build of "firsts" for me. Not only was this my first time  building a 1/48th scale WW1 aircraft, but it was also my first time trying oil paints to replicate wood and my first time rigging and working with EZ Line string. Yes, it was challenging, but I am very happy with the end result. It isn't perfect and the rivet counters would probably have a field day with inaccuracies, but I achieved something that I have never achieved before and that is awesome.

A huge thank you to each and every one of you, for hanging in there with me on this build. I know this took a bit longer than my normal run, but I really had a blast and I think I pulled off a nice looking DIII.  Next week we will be back with a new kit and a Group Build entry. Until next time, happy building and we will see you soon!

Ben Builds Season Six: Albatros D.III ep 16

Welcome back to our Eduard, 1/48th scale, Albatros D.III. After today, just one more episode to go and we will be finished! So close now.

Today, we are going to tackle the decals and some basic weathering, so keep your fingers crossed that this stage goes well. I mean, how does one weather a First World War airplane? I don't know, but let's see what happens.

I should mention that I am no expert on weathering (or anything else for that matter). I generally have very little faith in my weathering skills, but we are going to give it a try. I strongly believe that you learn by doing, by trying new things and by pushing past that comfort zone. This kit has really pushed me past my comfort zone and I have been having a ton of fun doing so.

Next week will be the last episode for this series. On that bench day, we will attempt the rigging and show the completed, finished product. I can't wait to get this one on the display shelf and I really hope that it turns out as a mostly-passable Albatros..

A huge thank you to each and every one of you, for hanging in there with me on this build. Stay strong and we will see everybody next week. Happy building!

-Intro Music by Chillhop: http://youtube.com/chillhopdotcom

Artist - Title: Birocratic - Sleepyface

Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/birocratic

-Video music by Epidemic Sound (http://www.epidemicsound.com)

Ben Builds Season Six: Albatros D.III ep 15

What's going on modelers! We are back on our Eduard, 1/48th scale, Albatros D.III. Thank you so much for stopping by.

Today, we have a shorter episode. We are going to start by adding a bit more wood grain texture to the propeller, then we are going to finish installing all the rest of the small parts. That means the tail skid, exhaust pipes and finished propeller with spinner. After all of that, we are going to apply some Future and let everything dry for a few days.

Next week we should be tackling the decals and working on preliminary weathering, so hang in there, we are getting so close to calling this one finished. It won't be long now.

As always, thank you so much for hanging in there with me on this build. I know it is taking more time than I'd like, but this is my 1st WWI aircraft and I want to make sure I don't screw it up. Plus, I'm really enjoying the work. Until next week everybody, take care and happy building!

-Intro Music by Chillhop: http://youtube.com/chillhopdotcom

Artist - Title: Birocratic - Sleepyface

Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/birocratic

-Video music by Epidemic Sound (http://www.epidemicsound.com)

Ben Builds Season Six: Albatros D.III ep 14

Welcome back, everyone to our Eduard, 1/48th scale, Albatros D.III. I'm so glad you have all  stopped by.

In this episode, we are going to install the tail assembly, the wheels and landing struts. We also get to do a bit of painting on the wheels and the cockpit surround. There isn't that much left to do before we can apply Future and decals, plus we need to do some weathering and finally attach all the rigging. We are getting so close with this one. 

Also, we need to scratch build some pipes for our radiator. Those parts do not seem to be included in my kit, or I just didn't see any. Either way, that just means we get to stretch some plastic.

As always, a huge thank you to everyone hanging in there with this build. I know it is taking some time, but I'm really enjoying the work and I hope that everyone is having fun. Until next week, take care and happy building!

-Intro Music by Chillhop: http://youtube.com/chillhopdotcom

Artist - Title: Birocratic - Sleepyface

Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/birocratic

-Video music by Epidemic Sound (http://www.epidemicsound.com)

Ben Builds Season Six: Albatros D.III ep 13

What's going on everybody? Today, we are back with more Eduard, 1/48th scale, Albatros D.III and in this episode we are finally going to begin to assemble this cool little plane. But before that, we need to do a few things before we can hit that glue. For example, I want to do some shading on the rear tail and I want to install some of my homemade turnbuckles and see how that all goes.

A side form that, we are moving right along and this kit is getting closer and closer to being done.

As always, a huge thank you to everyone hanging in there with this build. I'm really enjoying this build and I hope that everyone is enjoying   watching this journey. Until next week, happy building!

-Intro Music by Chillhop: http://youtube.com/chillhopdotcom

Artist - Title: Birocratic - Sleepyface

Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/birocratic

-Video music by Epidemic Sound (http://www.epidemicsound.com)

Bandai A-wing Build Report

RZ-1 A-wing Interceptor

Kit: A-wing Interceptor 

Mfg: Bandai

Scale: 1/72nd

Of all of the many ships in the Star Wars universe (and trust me, there are a lot,) my favorite design is definitely the RZ-1 A-wing interceptor. From the first moment I watched it in Return of the Jedi as it went careening into the bridge of the Emperor's Flagship, I became an immediate fan. Sure, it isn't as iconic as an X-wing or as prolific as a Tie Fighter, but this plucky, little interceptor immediately earned my admiration and respect.

Even with its very limited screen time, the A-wing became embedded in my brain as the sleek, sexy, F1 race car of the Rebel Fleet. Unfortunately, when I was a lad I never got a chance to build a kit of this subject. My local hobby shop and toy store, never had one on the shelves. That was fine, since I usually stuck with World War II aircraft and Cold War jets, but I kept the A-wing on my Model Bucket list.

As the years went on, I still maintained a healthy admiration for the little ship and when Bandai began pumping out Star Wars model kits I knew my time had come. The A-wing Interceptor was my 1st target in the Bandai line. After a good 25+ years, it was finally time to build that awesome ship.

Now, back in the 90s, most of the Bandai kits that I built were based Anime series like Patalabor, Tekkaman, Neon Genesis and of course Gundam. Even though, none of these shows were well known here in the U.S. that didn't stop me from trying to get my hands on as many as I could. I have to admit, I built a lot of these subjects and loved every moment of assembally.

Fast forward to 2016, I find out that Bandai is producing Star Wars kits. Based on my earlier experiences, I figured that these models would probably be great in both fit and function, but I needed to see for myself. I can happily report that after eight YouTube episodes and a completed A-wing, I can confirm that these kits are in fact, awesome.

Construction Report

Let me start out by saying that Bandai makes excellent models. Their ability to engineer kits that are both detailed and intricate, yet extremely simple to build is unrivaled in this market. I can honestly say that I have never been disappointed by any of their kits.

While building the A-wing, I didn't have any fit issues. I didn't have confusion at the instructions. The parts were flash free, cleanly molded and right on the money. Assembly went along without any issues. From the cockpit to the cannons, this kit just flowed, from one step to the next.

Much like my old 90's Gundam kits, certain aspects of the Bandai A-wing give it an almost toy like feeling. Yes, it has stickers for markings and it has some gimmicky laser bolts for the guns muzzles, but these are all optional. Bandai has included parts and pieces that gives this a very legitimate, fine scale vibe. You have the option to use actual decals instead of stickers, you can paint and weather the kit, instead of keeping it molded in colored plastic. There are some really nice details in the landing gear areas, the cockpit and the engines. This kit can be enjoyed by modelers of any skill level and that is a beautiful thing.

Not only do you get a very nice A-wing, you also get a stand to showcase the A-wing in flight and a bonus Turbo Laser tower that attaches to the A-wing's stand. Of course it is WAY out of scale, but it is still a nice addition. Even the clear engine parts are designed with the potential of lighting them with LEDs. This kit is truly awesome.


Final Thoughts

As a kid, Bandai had a very impressive list of selling points for their models. Not only were these kits robust and well engineered, they didn't require any glue or paint. They came molded in color, with clearly illustrated and very colorful instructions. They used stickers instead of decals, (which for a kid is excellent news, by the way.) They could take quite a beating without breaking or snapping apart.  They were designed in such a way that you could actually play with your finished models. That was unheard of in the fine scale hobbies. These kits were poseable, colorful and looked epic on your display shelf. For a young boy, every step with these kits was super fun. 

Fast forward to today and my modeling tastes have changed a, yet the Bandai kits still appeal to me. It isn't just for kids or younger builders. No, this kit possesses enough detail to give a more advanced builder a ton of options. If you want to super detail this kit, you can. Go crazy! The nice thing is, even after you are all done, the kit will still retain that "fun" factor that Bandai instills in all of their kits. And after an imaginary flyby, past all of your other finished kits, it will look great on the shelf.

If you are so inclined, I have the full build series on my YouTube channel and the images of my progress are on my Facebook page, so feel free to check them out.

Until next time, I hope you enjoy your kits and thanks for stopping by.

~GB

Ben Builds Season Six: Albatros D.III ep 12

What's up modelers! After a few weeks being away from the bench, we are back at our Eduard, 1/48th scale, Albatros D.III. It is good to be back.

Today, we are going to paint the tail surfaces, the wheels, the propeller hub, the wing struts and a few other odds and ends. We will be using Tamiya Flat White, Gunze Flat Red and a custom gray-green color mixed with Vallejo paints. This should be fun.

A side form a bit of touch ups here and there, I think we will have the majority of the painting done. That means that next episode will have to be the beginning of the building and rigging phases. Those should be interesting to try.

A big thank you to everyone hanging in there with this one. For my first WWI aircraft, I am really taking my time. I really appreciate everyone watching and happy building!

-Intro Music by Chillhop: http://youtube.com/chillhopdotcom

Artist - Title: Birocratic - Sleepyface

Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/birocratic

-Video music by Epidemic Sound (http://www.epidemicsound.com)

4Wheel Fridays - Revell '41 Chevy Pickup - Ep. 6 Final

Welcome back to another episode of 4Wheel Fridays! Today we are finally finishing the Chevy Truck Month, '41 Chevy Pickup! Let's get on with it.

We have a few things left to do such as painting some whitewalls on the tires, a gloss cost of future, some black washes on the grill and the main final assembly. After all of that, we will be done.

I have to say, this kit was a lot of fun. Not only was it my very first truck kit, it was also my first civilian vehicle since the late 1990s. I had a super time with this one and I'm thinking, I'm going to need to get a few more trucks.

As always, a big shout out to Fred Henry over at West Georgia Rod and Customs! I know this was a week late, but I still had a ton of fun. Thanks Pappy!

Check out "Pappy's" YouTube channel for more awesome builds: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmuE3MANu2RDKINwDWtUBZA

Thanks for watching and I hope you enjoy!

Music by Epidemic Sound (http://www.epi

Ben Builds Season Six: Albatros D.III ep 11

Welcome back to our Eduard, 1/48th scale, Albatros D.III.

Today, we are going to start preparing for the rigging. A few episodes ago, I created some wire loops to act as anchor points. I want to try my luck at installing the majority of those loops. I figure that that will be enough to tackle right now, since they are very small and will probably be difficult to work with.

Just a short update this time, but next episode should be a bit more intensive.

Until next week, thank you for watching and happy building!

-Intro Music by Chillhop: http://youtube.com/chillhopdotcom

Artist - Title: Birocratic - Sleepyface

Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/birocratic

-Video music by Epidemic Sound (http://www.epidemicsound.com)

4Wheel Fridays - Revell '41 Chevy Pickup - Ep. 5

Welcome back to 4Wheel Fridays and Chevy Truck Month! Thanks for stopping by.

Today, we are going to try and get as far as we can, but we have a ton of work still to do and little time to do it. Based on that alone, I'm afraid that I am not going to be able to finish Chevy truck Month within the month of June. I know Pappy is pretty relaxed about it, but I had high hopes that I would finish it today. Oh well, it is what it is. We are still going to get it done, so next week should be the finale.

For this episode, not only do we have exterior painting to do, there is masking that needs to be done, a lot of fitting and of course final assembly. I also wanted to paint on some whitewalls to the tires, but that will be next episode. I think one more week should really help me to get this truck off the bench, but in the meantime let's see how far we can get.

Again, a big shout out to Fred Henry over at West Georgia Rod and Customs! I'm sorry I wan't able to make the deadline.

For more Chevy Truck Month info, Check out "Pappy's" YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmuE3MANu2RDKINwDWtUBZA

Thanks for watching and I hope you enjoy!

Music by Epidemic Sound (http://www.epidemi

Sci-Fi Wednesdays - Bandai A-Wing - Ep. 8 - Final

This is it everyone, this is the last episode for this cool, little 1/72nd A-Wing. Today, we are wrapping this one up.

For the last few steps today: we airbrushed Future on the Turbo Laser tower and the stand, dry brushed and flat-coated the pilot and weathered up the A-Wing with pastels, oils, colored pencil and powders. I used earthen tone pastels to add some subtle color shifts, some Lamp Black oil paint for laser burns and my trusty AIM weathering powder for staining around the engines and guns.

Once that was all finished up, I over-coated it all with Mr Hobby Top Coat - Flat. That helped to seal everything in and reduce the shine from the Future.

The Turbo Laser tower and stand also received a coat of future, a then a wash of lamp black and some oil paints to represent laser burns.

It took eight episodes to finish this kit and I can't tell you enough, how much fun it was! I highly recommend that if you are a Star Wars fan, go out and pick up a few of these Bandai kits. They are super fun to build, very easy for modelers of all skill levels and they look excellent, when finished. 

As always, a huge thank you to everyone for watching and I hope you all enjoyed this journey! I'm not sure what is next on the Sc-Fi bench, but I'll look at the stash and we'll see what speaks to me.

Until then, take your time, build something new and have as much fun as you can!

(Just a quick side note on the video. I'm still learning about video editing and all of that, so I'm sorry for the color balance on this one. For some reason, the Red looks really Brown, but I assure you it is not Brown, it is actually Red.)

Ben Builds Season Six: Albatros D.III ep 10

Welcome back modelers, to Military Mondays! We are continuing to push through on our Eduard, 1/48th scale, Albatros D.III. I hope you enjoy this quick update.

Today, we are going to do more detail painting on the fuselage. I have to paint some vents, hatches and a few other things in a Gray/Green color.  I'll need to match the front "metal" panels around the engine and nose that I painted last time. These are small details, so I'll probably brush paint them to eliminate excessive masking. We'll see how it goes, brush painting can be a bit of a challenge.

I also want to start working on the tail. There is a black, fuselage band that we will need to paint, so I'll get on that today as well.

I hope everyone is having fun on their kits! Until next time, thank you for watching and happy building!

-Intro Music by Chillhop: http://youtube.com/chillhopdotcom

Artist - Title: Birocratic - Sleepyface

Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/birocratic

-Video music by Epidemic Sound (http://www.epidemicsound.com)

Ben Builds - Channel Update and Shout Out

Just a quick channel update a BIG shout out to a good friend, Al Wood​.

Al surprised me with an awesome gift and I wanted to share it will everyone and let him know how much it meant to me.

A big thank you to Al. Go check out his YouTube Channel and show him some love. He is an awesome builder and an all around great guy. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCm-mUkECW9RwZnkeA22uEZw

That's all for now. Thanks for watching and we'll see you all soon.

4Wheel Fridays - Revell '41 Chevy Pickup - Ep. 4

Let's do this! We are back for more 4Wheel Fridays and Chevy Truck Month!

This '41 Chevy is moving right along and today we are going to push forward on the cab. We are going to install the door panels, the dash, the bench seat, the firewall and the interior handles. We are also going to install and paint the frames on the windshield and rear window.

There isn't really that much left to do, but I still need to push on. Next week I am planning on the final video with a reveal of the finished kit.

Another big shout out to Fred Henry! Thank you for hosting! I am having so much fun on this build and I hope ya'll are having fun on yours too.

For more Chevy Truck Month info, Check out "Pappy's" YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmuE3MANu2RDKINwDWtUBZA

Thanks for watching and I hope you enjoy!

Sci-Fi Wednesdays - Bandai A-Wing - Ep. 7

Welcome back to the 1/72nd scale, Bandai A-Wing!

On this episode of Sci-Fi Wednesdays, we are going to airbrush Future on the kit, paint up the base coats on the stand and Turbo Laser tower and install the tips of the A-Wing's guns. We are also going to try our best to paint up the pilot. Nothing too crazy, but all steps in the right direction!

I know this is just a small update today, but with this update the A-Wing will basically have all of it's parts installed. Next episode, we will tackle overall weathering and I think this kit will be finished. Fingers crossed, everybody!

As always, thanks to everyone for watching and I hope you enjoy!

-Intro Music by http://www.bensound.com

-Video music by Epidemic Sound (http://www.epidemicsound.com)

Ben Builds Season Six: Albatros D.III ep 9

Welcome back to the Eduard, 1/48th scale, Albatros D.III. Thank you so much for stopped by!

Just a small update for everyone! Today, we have more painting to do, so that means more masking. I really want to tone down the wings and start to blend the colors all together. This should be fun to try. 

After that, we need to do a bit of painting on the fuselage, which means that we are going to need to mix up a custom Gray/Green color for the front "metal" panels around the engine and nose.

Alright, let's get on with it.

Thank you for watching and happy building!

-Intro Music by Chillhop: http://youtube.com/chillhopdotcom

Artist - Title: Birocratic - Sleepyface

Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/birocratic

-Video music by Epidemic Sound (http://www.epidemicsound.com)

4Wheel Fridays - Revell '41 Chevy Pickup - Ep. 3

Welcome back to 4Wheel Fridays and Chevy Truck Month!

We are back on the "41 Chevy and we are going to paint up the lower frame, the interior door panels, the cab floor, the firewall and a few other odds and ends.

Also, it is time to install the engine into the frame, attach the driveshaft and hook up the radiator.

Just a small update today, but this kit is really starting to come along now and I can't wait to see it with all the body work on. If all goes well, that will be on the next episode!

For more Chevy Truck Month info, Check out "Pappy's" YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmuE3MANu2RDKINwDWtUBZA

Thanks for watching and I hope you enjoy!

Sci-Fi Wednesdays - Bandai A-Wing - Ep. 6

It might be a bit late, but technically it is still Wednesday, so that means another episode of Sci-Fi Wednesdays!

We are back on paint for the A-Wing. This time around, we are going to paint on a marbling coat for the Hull Red. That should give us some nice subtle shifts in color and add some depth to the paint. That way it isn't just one large monochrome layer and it matches the same technique that I used for the Off-White, from the last episode.

We are also going to be adding the accent panels of Hull Red and Dark Gray. We will be using Dark Sea Gray by Tamiya. Yes, it is a bit darker then the instructions call out for, but I'm OK with that. I like the darker shade.

Not a huge update, but this WILL finish up the basic painting for this little ship.

As always, thank you for watching and I hope you enjoy!

Ben Builds Season Six: Albatros D.III ep 8

Welcome back everyone!

Today on the Eduard, 1/48th scale, Albatros D.III we are going to try and post-shade the wings with lightened shades of the base colors. That should give us our first step toward getting this wing looking right. Of course, the wings might look a bit stark, but I should be able to blend it all together.   

After that, we are going to over coat the fuselage with a 50/50 mix of clear orange and clear yellow. That should be a really nice color for the varnished wood look.

Of course, the fuselage has already been painted with our blend of oil paint, so this is the next step in getting this kit closer to being finished.

Thank you for watching and happy building!