Time out: Tamiya M151A2 Ford Mutt

A kit that took 32 years to build..

I bought a simple model kit from Hobby Jaya, one of Kuala Lumpur's most renowned model kit store which was located in Sungai Wang Plaza.
It was a Tamiya M151A2 Ford Mutt and it costs around RM16.90.
I was 14-years of age then and it was a real big deal forking out 20 Ringgit for a model kit.
This was one of my many craft projects as a teenager and barely into building it's undercarriage, I abandoned the idea of completing the miniature vehicle.
I tried using a brush and Tamiya acrylic paint, but the results were just too horrible even to show to a six-year-old. 
So, I boxed it up and kept it at my Aunt Lorraine's house in Setapak and left it there after relocating to Subang Jaya.
Since I patched up with my aunt, I went back to her house to rustle up all my old kits. And the Ford Mutt was still in it's box, with parts in the sprues still in "pristine" condition.

The Tamiya kit recovered after 32 years

Model kit building, a form of relaxation...

So, I had a situation at the workplace. Things are getting tough and the only way for release to me, is to build something. I use my brains to think of something constructive and some creativity to put things together and in perspective, broaden my horizon by acquiring a new skillset.
For starters, I am never good at building models and painting them.
The only success I had, was with a Tamiya Panzerkampfwagen kit sometime in the early 80s.
Recently, I bought a Tamiya single-action airbrush which is powered by a can of propellant. Since I had some really bad experience with propellant airbrushes, I was rather skeptical.

Airbrush: A game-changer

I have little experience when it comes to handling an airbrush. 
The only time I got to play with a handpiece was in art school. I sprayed twice. That was all. What I bought, was a Tamiya High Grade single-action airbrush. I believe it was manufactured by another company called Iwata.
Being skeptical at first, I tried spraying some acrylic paint on the Ford Mutt kit. I started with the tires on the sprue and found that the coating of paint was pretty event.
To spray, expert modelers suggested a mix of 2:1, that is two part pain and one part thinner. 
This is tricky, but if you have a plastic pipet (these can be bought from Daiso), you can measure the ratio by how many drops of paint you put in the handpiece cup.

Spraying the wheels in a circular motion..

Priming

Before I began painting and assembling the kit, I sprayed the parts which is still on the sprue with a can of grey paint primer.
This gives the parts an even coat before the acrylic is sprayed over it.

The painted kit, before assembly

Building not according to specs

I wanted the Ford Mutt to have a minimalistic look.
So, I ditched the TOW missile launcher and other parts that fills up the vehicle.
After painting the undercarriage, exhaust and suspension system, I was pretty pleased with the finish.
To get a solid base colour, I used the Tamiya Dark Iron acrylic paint. When applied with weathering, the results were awesome.
I wanted my Ford Mutt to be  a two-seater and there were options on the kit to build it as I like it.
There are no engine on the kit, so detailing it's interior wasn't an option given. Tamiya had produced this kit with the option of having the US Army's colour and markings or simply a US Marine workhorse. I chose none.
My Ford Mutt is as simple as it is..

The finished kit, with some weathering rendered

Another view of the Ford Mutt

Achieving the desired "look"

With the airbrush, I was able to touch-up the kit.
Some unsightly "blemishes" can be removed by spraying a light mist over it.
On the whole, I am pretty happy with the way the kit had turned out.

A pictured of the Ford Mutt with it's box..

I used two cans of propellant to complete the kit.
An airbrush compressor would be even more practical in the long run.
Building this kit was not difficult and having an airbrush is a big advantage if you want your kit to stand out.
The only part that is pretty tough to fit was the windshield. It's just a flimsy piece of plastic that needs to be glued to the windshield's frame.
Since I am not good at painting figures, I gave the Ford Mutt's driver a miss..

Damansara's hobby shop returns..

"Katon Tomodachi"...

Frankie Lim, a friend of mine whom I came to know through master Lee Hong Leng (another old friend who is a Wushu exponent), told me about a new hobby shop in the newly refurbished Atria shopping mall in Damansara Jaya.
I was told that the owner of the store used to operate in SS2 Mall, which is about to be torn down for a new residential project.
As far as I know, there was a small stall in the mall and there was a guy who runs it. He sold an assortment of hobby kits. 
At the time I made contact with the dude, he wasn't too friendly. But, then again, I could be wrong or be too quick in summing up my first-impressions.

The timeless B-29 bomber kit shown at the store's window

Some assembled armor for sale

Once regarded as a nuisance, China's Trumpeteer is now highly sought-after

A selection of warships

Fully-stocked

The store's facade.. 

So, fast-forward to the new Atria mall... I made a beeline to the refurbed building and found parking at the upper-levels of the mall.
Took me a while to locate the store, and I finally found it. It was on the far South-end of the building. 
Katon Tomodachi is located on the second floor. It's a small shop with just enough space to move around. 
There, I met Vincent Leong, the owner.
I found the guy to be very friendly and enthusiastic. There, I engaged in a conversation and learned that he has been in the business for more than 13 years.
"My shop was in the old Atria until I moved to SS2 Mall," he elaborated.
The selection of kits at Katon Tomodachi is quite impressive. 
To sum it up, they have more Tamiya kits compared to the Tamiya Underground. 
And when it comes to prices, I would say it's pretty decent. 
With inflation in mind, there are a lot of kits that can be considered as "overpriced". But I found the rates at this shop pretty reasonable. 
This store has potential to grow as long as people are willing to spend their money there. Apart from retailing, Vincent is also a master-modeler. His craft can be found on display at the store's showcase.
Katon Tomodachi is at lot S05, Second Floor, Atria Shopping Gallery, Jalan SS22/23, Damansara Jaya, 47400 Petaling Jaya, Selangor and opens from 10am - 10pm. 

Archery for all..

Kolonel Sander's legacy..

Our "last-fling" with bare bow archery at the MSN Keramat Archery range was a month ago. 
Haji Ghazali, our go-between guy at the range told us politely that bare bows are not allowed at the range.
We have had a good time at the range, which in my opinion: is one of the most beautiful archery range in the Klang Valley.
There were some power-struggle in the club that occupy a small section at the range and it spiraled out of control when two camps tried to dominate the scene.
Cikgu Lau, a buddy of mine and I went to the Keramat range to shoot some arrows. We were reprimanded by one of the "official" club committee members. 
In short, we got thrown out.
Seems to me, the Keramat fiasco was more like a Kentucky Fried Chicken archery. Spare the few friendly faces, there were some really cocky characters. 
Michelle and I had decided not to go back there. Ever.

Caught in-between..

While the war wages on, the conflicting parties had reached a compromise. The "archery academy" folks had full control of the turf while the other club were given a small space at the range. Not bad. I hope they will resolve all hostilities and move on.

A big break

Mr Tan, an old friend of mine and a US-NAA Level-3 coach told me that traditional bows are allowed at the Kg Pandan Sports Complex.
Then, Raymond Chew, a customer of Tan confirmed this and made arrangements for us to give the range a try.
And since it's place where we can rent the target lanes, the "type" of bow was never an issue.
Best of all, the hourly rate is RM8/hour. I took the opportunity to check out the range in Kg Pandan with Michelle, my wife and found the place to be quite suitable for recurve bows.
The longest distance is 70-meters and this is also the range used by a group of Traditional Japanese archers.

With En Zaki, Raymond and Michelle at the Kg Pandan range

Mr Tan, who also came to the range was with his traditional bow. But the lanes were full as a group of islamic archers were training their customers there.
Then, came the Kyudo archery practitioners.
Raymond said he knew someone at the range by the name of En Zaki. 
And true to his observation, a guy and his son had turned up. They set up their target bud at a concrete pavement and invited us to give it a try.
Zaki was there to train a kid, whose parents had paid him for coaching.
I noticed that he had a Primal Gear Compact Survival Bow and was shooting with a thumb-draw technique.
We exchanged notes and Michelle and I had the opportunity to shoot two ends before I head over to work.

The Kyudo sensei in action

Michelle having a go a the target bud

Shooting my Hoyt Buffalo takedown bow

A decent group of people..

The folks who were practising at the range were all good. 
Although there were some Samurai-wannabe, we paid no heed to their customary bow and Zen-like form.
It's fun to watch the Kyudo archers in action, but in terms of practicality, their accuracy would come in question.
I see that some of the guys were really strained and their shots were either too low or wide.
But hey, it's not the target that matters but the form.
The number of people with traditional horse bows were overwhelming at the range.
Most were beginners while a few seasoned archers showed what they can do with their Korean bows and bamboo arrows.

An early morning session where we had the range to ourselves

Michelle's pretty happy with her grouping at 12 yards

What sets Kg Pandan apart from Keramat is the fact the folks there were pretty friendly. No egoistic Kolonel Sanders-like characters, selfish left-handed compound bow shooter, fart-faced committee members and that "I am too good for you" kid.
The pace at Kg Pandan is more relaxed and I found the Kyudo archers totally amusing. These guys practise from 10am - 12noon.
If done right, we can sustain our training sessions at this range and block off some dates by paying in advance..