**Update**
Hi Everyone. Apologies for delay in getting another update posted. I always seem to be just one small step away from being at a stage where I feel it's appropriate to break off and document where I'm up to. I realise that time is slipping by though, and always concious that people are waiting patiently to see where their commissions are up to. So here we are....
Batch two is so incredibly close to being finished! So close in fact that I'm going to start sending out shipping/commission invoices later today, so that I can get these booked in and on their way as soon as they're finished.
The V2s are practically finished, and I'm in the process of assembling the finished parts:
The two at the front are completely finished and ready to send out, but I'd like to have them all ready before I move on to shipping them out.
Here are some beauty shot I took, in order to compare the darkened/weathered commissions with the undarkened/idealised ones:
The amount of work that goes in to the V2 commissions cannot be exaggerated! Stencilling and painting is, believe it or not, the easy part! *
*De-stencilling**, is FAR more time consuming in comparison.
Once the stencils are removed, and any residue is cleaned off, the edges of the paintwork has to be knocked back/weathered, so as to look natural. This is especially important on the grenade section and on the emitters. The edge of every ring section is rubbed down with a wooden stick to soften any harsh edges that are present in the paintwork.
I've been working methodically on these, so completing each individual task for the entire batch before moving on to the next task. So these have all appeared to be very nearly finished for some time now. But when you multiply each individual task by the number of commissions, even the smallest of tasks can end up taking all day.
Tasks like turning these:
In to these:
Or installing D-Rings....
All of these little tasks have added up to what has been an incredibly busy few weeks, with what might appear on the surface to be, slow progress.
The Obi Wan Stunts are now
VERY close to being finished too!
They have all been painted for quite some time, but they have all now been wired up and installed too:
All the Obi Stunts now have their clamps install too, so the next step is to install the pommels, after which, the wire can be fitted with it's Anderson connection, and they're done!
So very, very close to the finish line! None of these steps can be rushed, as I want to deliver these to the standard you've come to expect.
I'm very much aware of the time that is passing though, and the number of people waiting on these! I
REALLY appreciate the patience that everyone has shown!
Batch Three is very much in my mind also, and I have made a start on preparations for this batch. I am in the process of cutting the stencils for this final batch and very nearly have these all cut and ready to use. I've stocked up on A14 and paint too, so we can hit the ground running.
I have contacted everyone from batch three with regard to their preferences, and have now collated all of this in to a spreadsheet. This was itself quite a big undertaking, and I'm happy to say that we're good to go as soon as Batch two is out of the door.
I always regret putting a time on these things, as I always seem to shoot myself in the foot and give myself far too much to do, in too little time...
There really are very few things left to do now though, so I'm confident in saying that this week will see me wrapping up Batch two, and moving on to the third and final batch!
Thanks again everyone, for your patience and support throughout this entire run. It ended up being
FAR bigger than I anticipated and has encountered it's fair share of setbacks along the way. It's been an absolute pleasure to work on though, and I can't tell you how much I appreciate having had the chance to go on this journey with you all!
Looking forward to getting a few more of these out to people very soon!
Thanks again everyone, and MTFBWY!
Dave