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A new place to work in

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  • Guest

    #1

    A new place to work in

    Since I started back making models in November last year, I have been building them on the pull out keyboard shelf on my computer desk. To be honest, I am amazed that I have managed to do anything let alone do anything without glueing my keyboard up. Thank goodness the Mac has a small keyboard or there would have been no space for anything.

    To do my airbrushing, I have had to get the box out the cupboard, unpack the compressor, connect up the airbrush and put newspapers down on the kitchen worktop, get all the paints out and do the business. After airbrushing, it was pack everything away, clean up and put all the paints back in their drawers. Not what you would call ideal.

    For some time I have had my eye on a small section of our outdoor shed which has a separate 3'6 x 5'6 bit where we have our chest freezer. The plan was to insulate and line this section to make a modelling 'cave'. However, we decided that there was no real option but to keep the freezer where it is so I was a tad scuppered so it all went on hold.

    Last week my wonderful partner took me into B&Q and said let's look at a shed for your modelling. I immediately got turned down on a £3000 'Log Cabin' with two rooms so I looked for something a bit more realistic. A few years ago before we moved, I used to make dolls house furniture for fun. I had a 'workshop' which was basically a 7' square shed but it was very cold impossible to heat and gradually became a place to store stuff until there was no room to work. With this in mind I decided that I would go for something not big enough to use for anything else and yet big enough to model in.

    I then saw the perfect thing. A 6'x4' plastic shed! It was a kit! what more could I ask for. Anyway, it was ordered for delivery and I had a day off to build my biggest kit. Well, today I finished the electrics and at 9:45 16/05/2010 I sat down in my 'Cave' and did my first airbrushing without having to do anything more than clean up afterwards, it is all still sat there awaiting my next visit.

    Have to say that to have your own space, no matter how small, is so good. Some may say that this space is too small. Trust me it isn't I have a(nother) computer desk in there with a swivel chair and a set of floor standing shelves (yes, in plastic, just another big kit) to hold my stash and other bits. Plenty of room to work and not enough room for there to be suggestions like "Can you put the lawn mower in there out the way?" NO... There isn't room lol. Wall mounted paint racks and other fine touches will follow.

    Oddly enough, to be sociable, I will probably still do a lot of my actual building odd bits on my computer keyboard where I am now as I can keep an eye on the forum while I do it but just having that 'special place' where I know I can go and get away from everything and concentrate on some serious stuff is really nice.

    Only thing wrong now is that I will still have to go to work and not just go into my Cave with a mug of coffee. Odd how life kicks you back when things are getting good.
  • John
    Administrator
    • Mar 2004
    • 4659
    • John
    • Halifax

    #2
    Where's the pics? I have the spare bedroom but I have to share it with 3 chinchillas and it's also a dumping ground for any over flow we have like large bags of dog food so I have less space than you all my stuff is in stretching distance.

    Have fun in your new cave
    www.scalemodelshop.co.uk

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    • Guest

      #3
      Hi Graham are you going to show us some photos of your cave then? I know what you mean about a place of your own. I've just moved from our dining table to the back bedroom and have a whole work area with my own computer and a tv, very upmarket from where i was before.

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      • Gern
        • May 2009
        • 9249

        #4
        I hope you're going to be suitably grateful to Mrs Graham! Not many modellers have womenfolk who are quite as generous to hubby's foibles.

        Gern

        PS I'm trying very hard not to feel too jealous.

        Comment

        • Guest

          #5
          Lucky Man, I have to unpack/pack each time I do modelling and spraying. Should I change my aftershave???? Cheers Derek

          Comment

          • Guest

            #6
            Lol, I will post some pics although, it does look like a portaloo at the moment!!!! Let me get some more stuff in there and I will snap a couple.

            Dave, not so generous, she just wanted me and my rubbish out the living room and my spraying out the kitchen lol. (she is very generous though and it was a nice surprise)

            Don't know about changing your aftershave Derek but if you left bits of kits laying about and piles of, so called, junk on your desk, I have found that it is one way of getting a place of your own.....

            A back bedroom would be luxurious Colin, all that space and a TV!!!!

            Modelling with 3 chinchillas must be fun John (suppresses cruel thoughts of what could be done with 3 chinchillas and a tube of superglue)

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            • Ian M
              Administrator
              • Dec 2008
              • 18272
              • Ian
              • Falster, Denmark

              #7
              Congrats on the new Modle center!

              I work in the study, at my desk. Also with a pull out shelf- OK is a big shelf I can have a two foot long boat on it, and still have room for all the other rubish, sorry tools that need to be at hand.

              My compressor is under the desk and being almost silent, its no problem noise wise. The misses even holds conferance calls over Skype and has no issues when it starts up!

              A whole shed or room would be nice, but I fear I would never see the wife again!

              Ian M

              PS hows the insulation in your plastic shed?
              Group builds

              Bismarck

              Comment

              • Guest

                #8
                In some places the insulation is not too bad, Each side panel and the two roof panels are double skinned with ridges in between so it has an air gap. The corner sections are quite thick and have about 50% double skin. The floor is a softish plastic which is very comfortable to walk on and does not feel cold to the touch. It has a vent at each end in the roof apex and I plan to put an extractor through the back wall. As I spray only acrylic paint I feel that a domestic extractor and a face mask will cover the safety issues. Although I have no ideas that it will keep warm in the winter, I have a small thermostatic control heater in there which I had on last night as it was pretty cool around here. The heater got it comfortable in minutes and only kicked in twice for a few minutes over an hour. Being so small, it will be economical in winter to heat while I am in there, certainly better than my old wooden shed which lost heat like there was no tomorrow.

                You are right about the antisocial aspect of this and I think it will mainly be used for airbrushing and storage of my clutter which is the real issue in our house. Larger builds will be done in there as will dio building which I tend to do now in the kitchen stood at the worktop, I don't like using the table but I don't know why lol. Most of my part building will still be done at my desk at one end of the living room while Mrs Graham is at the other end one her computer and facebook..... I have yet to take the Netbook in there and see if I can connect to the wireless router. If I can then at least I will be able to talk to Mrs Graham over MSN or something lol

                Comment

                • Guest

                  #9
                  Hi Graham i hope you christened your shed with with some suitable bubbly and i know how you feel, my wife and i have just moved house two weeks ago and i find that i have a whole double bedroom as a modelling room like you i hav'nt had much chance to sort it out as it takes 45 mins to drive to work now. Good luck in the new shed and a rather large box of chocolates for the misses i think.

                  scott

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                  • Guest

                    #10
                    OK. Had a gardening weekend this weekend so no modelling got done. I did however move my stuff into my 'Portaloo' Cave. You can see why it has been christened the 'Portaloo'

                    Anyway, here it is in situ.

                    Yep, it is small inside but it is very workable. The space is really quite comfortable and will be economical to heat come winter

                    The workbench, a small computer desk is ideal for me, any bigger and it would be covered in rubbish so I would end up with less desk space than this.

                    So there it is. Up to now, I have only used it for spraying in (extractor to be fitted behind the desk soon) but I will be getting back into the routine soon and getting some of that stuff on the shelves cleared.

                    The Portaloo cave is now open for business. (still holding out for the £3000 two roomed log cabin though)

                    Comment

                    • Gern
                      • May 2009
                      • 9249

                      #11
                      I don't know! You tell a bloke you're trying not to get jealous over his new 'cave' an' what does he do? He posts photos - that's what he does!

                      Now I can't help being green with envy an' I'm gonna suggest the same to my missus - not goin' green with envy but gettin' me a man cave - as soon as I get an opportune moment.

                      Gern

                      Comment

                      • Guest

                        #12
                        Well done, very nice.

                        I am relegated to a corner of the lounge/dining. Photo just before given notice to clean and retract back within the confines of the desk.

                        Keep up the great modelling

                        Cheers

                        vnkiwi

                        [ATTACH]23926.IPB[/ATTACH]

                        Comment

                        • Gern
                          • May 2009
                          • 9249

                          #13
                          Graham, you're a sly one! You told me at Hinckley you don't do the larger scales 'cos you've got no room, but ......

                          Just looking over your new cave again (I'm still jealous so it's a bit like 'window shopping' for me) and spotted the box for the 1/32 Eurofighter! The one on your workbench doesn't look big enough for 1/32 - or is it just me?

                          Gern

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                          • Guest

                            #14
                            No, it is the Revell 1:48 Dave which I started back in February thread here. As you can see, I have done nothing more with it as yet simply because it, like some others, have been put away and slightly forgotten. I really must get around to finishing some of these kits.

                            Comment

                            • Guest

                              #15
                              Graham the cave looks cosy and well laid out nice, iam am still trying to get the modelling room in the new house in order.....oh yes and i do like the look of some of your stash very nice indeed looks a little like santas grotto.

                              scott

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