Note: With this post, I've finally caught up my StoryWIP with my PhotoWIP. But the story you're about to read has set me back 2 weeks.
It's been more than 3 weeks since my last update, or blog post, after that Pinoykon event at Magallanes. I make no excuses, but, I wasn't slacking off or anything (though I wish I had been). After the Pinoykon event, I was so heat-stressed (the event was held in a tented open-air spot) that I probably lost a few brain cells that day. I was disoriented and tired, that I led Bryan Mallorca to a long walk along the Magallanes line, only to walk back to EDSA/Osmeña to get a jeep to Waltermart (because there were no empty cabs passing us by). We went to Kitaro and gobbled on Shoyu Ramen, which I craved for after that long day of relatively mild humidity. Humidity has always been mine enemy, not during paint jobs, but, I'm rather sensitive to it. When relative humidity goes up, so does my inability to regulate my body heat. I sweat like a pig, then stop sweating altogether, leaving my skin so uncomfortably sticky, I just feel hotter thinking about it.
After parting ways with Bryan, I still managed to get some groceries. It was a bit cooler at Waltermart, but not cold enough to relieve my heat-stress. Carrying those groceries, plus two red GTO bags with full kit boxes, I still had to contend with my backpack, which was already heavy by itself. I marched on and got into an Advanza cab (it's relevant), with ALL the things I was carrying at the back. Along the way, the cabbie and I did some chitchat, but I was so tired, I didn't really care nor could remember what we were talking about. It was a short trip from Waltermart to my place, and I couldn't wait to get home, take a shower, slip in into something cool, and fall asleep on the couch while browsing.
When I got down, I got all the bags, except I forgot that I put my backpack on the floor of the cab, right behind the passenger seat, something I wouldn't have done if it was a regular, Sedan-type cab. I didn't realize it until I was next in line to the elevator (which was a good 5 minutes after). I ran as fast as I could to chase the cab, insanity and logic fighting inside my head, because I left ALL my other bags unguarded near the elevator door, but after a few blocks, I realized and have accepted that the cab was long gone the moment I let my guard down.
The loss wasn't tragic. I was over it the moment I left the police precinct (wherein, I already know they weren't going to do anything, and if the cabbie, or whomever got in after I did had any plans of giving my stuff back, they would have already done so, because I have identification documents in that bag), got my spare keys from my (cough) ex-wife (my keys were in the backpack), got home, took a shower, and fell asleep on the couch, after sending a lock command to my iPad, which happened to be in my backpack.
The day after, I realized I lost more than just the backpack, since my trusty old camera was also there, along with my tools. So no work can be done at all that day. I only managed to get new "replacement tools" a few days after since my entire body wain in pain from the heat stress. I got a couple of side cutters, a toothless pair of pliers, three DAFA knives (two as cutting knives, the third, smaller one as a needlepoint scriber), and as a treat, a small cutting mat (which I was planning to get since I work mostly on the couch nowadays).
Still, I couldn't get any Gunpla work done, since I got called into a few afternoon meetings, along with visiting my sister, over the past couple of weeks. I haven't really fully recovered from my heat stress, and the funny thing is, it's not really even that hot yet.
Finally, I was able to start working on a lost detail part (I believe I popped that in into the toolbox I lost along with one of the knee spikes of the Hellraiser), then I realized both my Tamiya pin-vises were in the toolbox, because I needed them while working on the replacements. So, it's off to Lil's tomorrow to get a new one. A week before Pinoykon, my client loaned me one of his dSLR cameras for a project, so that covers that.
Lesson learned: Since I basically have two of each tool, I should NEVER bring all of them with me, especially if I'll be out all day with 99% chance of heat stress ruining my brain cells. I should also NEVER leave my backpack or bag on the floor of the cab behind me, where, in case of burnt brain cells, I could forget.
The Devil in the Details
It might be strange to you if I tell you that losing the iPad and/or the camera wasn't really a big deal and that it didn't affect me as much as it would anyone else. I didn't feel a pang of loss upon realizing that I may never recover those things, but I did feel a bit heavy-hearted when I realized I also lost my tools. The silver-lining of the entire ordeal, also strangely enough, was at least, I didn't lose the Ronin and the Hellraiser. I consider those two irreplaceable, and when I contemplated selling or auctioning off the Ronin to cover for the cost of replacing my tools, I felt a pang of guilt, which is something I rarely feel nowadays when it comes to Gunpla.
Which makes this story actually relevant to my post, about paying attention to details. Well, okay, not so much, but, it sure sounds kewl.
Anyways, a month or so ago, someone lost one of the yellow, skirt detail part (gray for MG DSH) of their MG Deathschythe Hell. Since I'll be building the same part for the Hellraiser, I thought why not make a tutorial for building detail parts from scratch using WHIPS (or plaplates)? It'll be good practice on my part.
The part is simple and easy enough top build from scratch. I used one of the 4 detail parts from mine own MG DSH as reference (they are all the same anyways), starting with a relevant-sized piece of 1.0mm WHIPS. I simply estimated the shape based on the reference part and filed as needed.
I then used a small strip of WHIPS as the connector, using the skirt base slot as a guide. I then cemented the main shape over the connector (waiting a full 30 minutes for the cement to cure enough to be handled, then added relative details afterward.
The Devil's Advocate
I beveled the lower part of the skirts, then added 0.5mm WHIPS to the main skirts to create the panel line running from top to bottom instead of scribing them, for an even groove.
Next, I cut the top sections of the main skirts to make way for the detail parts, but I decided to change the Hellraiser's skirt detail a bit by skewing the bottom side of the detail part, making them mirror-symmetrical from each other. Using the masking-tape-transfer method, I cut the same shape on a piece of 1.0mm WHIPS, the attached another piece for 2mm, placed that on the skirt groove, and drilled a hole for the peg. The peg is attached to the base of the detail part, and the secondary piece of WHIPS helps hold the peg in place even without cement.
I added more interlocking WHIPS (for a stronger connection), allowed the part to cure for a couple of hours (while in that time, I was doing the other three), before beveling the edges, giving it that gem-like shape.
Next: Scythe Beyond Sight
