Modeling - The Tool Kit

Originally when I started this blog, one of the intents was to follow progress on modeling. I got some kits, and the intention to start working on them, but then I got busy. Not anymore however. During the break I found some time to get a new tool kit together with the help of my buddy Big Mike. We went to several shops for the kit, here is where we went and what we got...


PM Hobbycraft
This is an all around amazing store for the hobby enthusiast or just for even just crafty people. It is in Calgary on 32nd ave NE just east of deerfoot. It has everything from model trains, remote controlled aircraft, kits, paints and all the tools. It was here that I got...

Various paintbrushes – for the level of detail, picked up some flat brushed of three sizes for making even textures across flat panel surfaces. Also required brushes for the small detail.

Small files – with the level of customization that I will be doing, filing back bits to rebuild them will be necessary but also for the simple fact of cleaning up excess material from the injection molding process.

Glue – regular modeling glue that I have always used but this time with finer point application ends

Primer – Got some weird Japanese spec (no English on the label other then a wee little sticker) primer in white to start the Corvette.

Matte Clear spray – This was one of Big Mike’s suggestions. Typically after you are done modeling you want to spray it will a clear spray to seal and protect the paint. Gloss works great on car bodies and surfaces that should shin, but not all surfaces should shin, and for this the expensive matte clear spray exists.

Various Paints- I went with the expensive paints that come in the little jars. You get great coverage out of them and some awesome colors and metallic effects. I did get the acrylic though to make it easier to clean up afterward

Princess Auto
Princess Auto has all sorts of cheap cool tools and surplus. Whenever I go there I buy more then I intend to.

Tweezer set – for holding small pieces when you paint them or apply them it helps to have something that can grab a small edge. For holding a finished surface dip them in hot wax before hand and let cool, it will scratch less then

Cutter – just a small snip tool for getting pieces off the mold.

Exacto knife – it was two dollars and useful before using files for material removal.
Alligator clip stand – with magnifying glass. You can place pieces here to glue them together or to hold them while painting fine details.


Myth Games
This is my buddy’s game shop of choice. His buddy owns and operates and it is where he goes to play. We went looking for a hand dremel but they didn’t have one. He did have

Pin set – When making models, especially custom models, glue isn’t always enough. What you do instead is drill small holes in places glue won’t hold and stick it with a pin or several to limit a degree of freedom. Usually you use the hand dremel to make the holes. I will have to get one at a later date.

Roll out Tool Box
For Christmas Gran gave me this box which rolls up and actually works great to section tools. I do have to keep an overstock box for extra material I am not using but I can keep all current materials for the model I am working on in here.

Manitowc box
This is a funny story, at work an engineer was needed to build a model crane for my boss Alex. Fred Yousif and I were tasked with the job and it was easy but all the lines took so much precision and we had to redo them several times. It was the most stressful day that I had ever had at work. At one point and much frustration later we had it all done, but realized one of the lines was off. We debated on redoing it, not wanting to open up that can of worms but in the end we decided if we were going to do it, we would do it right. Two hours after that we finished again. After the endeavor I asked to keep the box because I knew it would be great for modeling. This is where I will keep all the parts of the model I am currently working on, and work out of this box. The top of the box will also work as a work surface for spraying, gluing, and painting.

Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception

I have decided to do my part and try to give feed back to the game makers for the games I love. I signed on to Metacritic and have started to review games.

This is a game that plays like a movie. Think of Uncharted as a love child between Indiana Jones and Tomb Raider. The graphics are amazing to the point of just showing off. They dynamics of the environments is very detailed. The characters are among some of the best developed and realistic in gaming. They aren't over the top and you become invested in them as it plays out. Greg Edmonson, the man behind the internationally flavored music of Firefly does another amazing score here. The multiplayer has a lot of varied gameplay with the powerplay and load out system really making it a more engaging experience.

I highly recommend this game to everyone. It is platform gaming at it's best with each iteration being a winner.

Now for the bad. The story is I hate to say it the only weak link in this chain. And that is not to say that it is bad but at times it feels at times that the progression of the story is to move from one amazing set piece to the next. The overall motivations for the antagonists and who they are is fairly unknown, and with the heroes not a lot of risk is taken with their story. It does give a few really solid shock moments and heartfelt ones. A few reveals are made that aren't explored in any detail or consequence. It was a fun game, but in truth, Uncharted 2: Among Thieves had a story that was more engaging and satisfying overall when you finished it. Drake's Deception didn't seem to climax as hard. I kept waiting for the narrative to give me that really intense feeling of danger or need to fight and move onward but it never truly came. Again I blame Among Thieves, it set the bar too high.

Get this game, play it, love it, and then try the multiplayer. With so many varying game modes you will find some that will hook you, if at least until you can compete with the higher level characters.

Winter Driving Tips

I live in Canada, more specifically Calgary Alberta. Living in the north requires certain skill sets. For example how to write your name in the snow, or to own a wardrobe for -40 as well as plus 40. The topic of conversation though is driving in the winter, which happens often. The problem is that when it happens, people forget how it dynamically changes the whole driving experience.

I wanted to write some tips on how you can more successfully navigate the winter roads based on experience and instruction.

Engine Braking
This is a simple technique where you gear down causing the natural resistance in the engine in a higher rpm range to slow the vehicle at the source. In a manual this is easy to do and done often. In cars that are manumatic, this is also easy, put it into manual mode and when you want to decelerate, drop a gear. In automatic cars you usually put it in D for drive, however in a winter driving scenerio when you want to slow down you can shift to 3, 2, or 1 (but don't use 1). This doesn't actually downshift the transmission, but instead it remaps the engine to run at higher rpms. This is typically for if you get stuck and such, but it works great to engine brake the car as well. Just remember to click it back in D or 3 before you start to accelerate again.

Smooth Driving
"If you drive with a twitch you will end up in the ditch." This is the mentality you need to keep when driving on slippery surfaces. Some of the best advice I ever read was from Motortrend, and it described how the best drivers even when they driver fast, drive smooth. The reason that they can do both, speed and smoothness, is they know how to approach corners, how to take them wide and cut the apex. When you can drive smooth you can control your vehicle better at higher speeds.

Accelerating on Ice
Now when you are accelerating on ice and your wheels are slipping and spinning the trick is to not lean on the pedal a bit more. When you spin your wheels and they finally get traction it can really shock the drivetrain which can cause damage. You should try to avoid this.

Winter Tires
Winter tires can help you with winter driving. A winter tire's composition is softer at lower temperatures, giving you better traction. Now I live in Calgary and in truth the roads are only really bad two maybe three weeks out of the year. The rest of the year even during winter the roads aren't that bad and with these tips you should be able to drive in the winter weather without.

Big Horn Sheep in Jasper

Since work has given me so much time off for Christmas break(paid) I decided to do a bit of a family tour before the Christmas rush and went to Edmonton – Edson – Jasper – Red Deer to visit everyone.

On the way to Jasper we got stopped by about forty Big Horn Sheep blocking the roadway as they wanted a bit of a salt lick. This was al fine and dandy. Cars were stopped on both side of the highway and people were taking pictures. After about five minutes this lost it’s charm, and the sheep needed to move to make way for traffic. But they wouldn’t. With Big Horn sheep it isn’t a good idea to get out and try to herd them. That idea is made worse as right now is there rutting time, wherein they are herding together for mating purposes. And Big Horn’s are good at slamming into things.

To try and clear the road some people were trying to honk their horns, or put the car in neutral and rev it to simulate a growl. However what worked is when I tried clapping. Rolled down put my hands out and made two loud claps. That was the thing that raised their heads and made them start to move away.

So word of advice. If are blocked by a bunch of Big Horn sheep in your car, roll down the window and clap to herd them away. But still watch for a male that may want to dent your car.

Surviving Fort Mac - Camp Wapasu

I know that this blog series is called Surviving Fort Mac, but the thing is real estate in Fort Mac no longer makes sense. There is a joke about how a one bedroom apartment overlooking the business district up here In Fort MacMurray costs $800k. Of course the business district up here is actually a Wal-Mart. Because of this, big projects up here are now in the habit having plotting off land and building camps make out of pieced together Atco trailers.

Working up at the Kearl Oil Sands Froth site means that you live at a place called Camp Wapasu. Or Denman camp if you are in the safety department or IT.

Denman is the onsite camp. It is still a twenty minute drive from the main site plot, so it is not all that close really. It is reserved for those that may need to be onsite in cause of an emergency, and don't want to make the long drive to Wapasu (hour and a half round trip). This isn't about Camp Denman though it is about Camp Wapasu.

With these camps, the trailers are dropped on level plots of land, Metal prefabbed trailers are dropped down, bolted together, and furnished. The water is all brought in by truck and loaded into tanks. Same thing with fuel that is trucked in for the generators and heating systems. Communication like tv, phones and internet is via satelite uplink and all the food is trucked in and the waste is trucked out. It's remote location would be great in a zombie apocolpyse other than completely tied off of the grid, and any supply lines.

The rooms are what you would expect, with essentially three different types. We have Craft rooms, with a small bed, basic finish and Jack and Jill bathrooms. What is a Jack and Jill bathroom you ask? It is a bathroom between two rooms shared by both individuals. Wapasu is great in that if your roomie accidently or intentionally locks you out can fix it with a quarter rather then a call to security. Supervisor rooms are similar to craft rooms. Jack and Jill, but with a larger bed and better finishing. Executive rooms are where it is at, an individual bathroom, a mini fridge, leather recliner, but the best part is don't have to sign out of your room after your 2 week shift is done.

I like the craft rooms. More space with the smaller bed off to the side, roomies typically tire and bed earlier and wake up after I do.  Also he room layout makes more sense.

Also every day when you come back to your room, bed is made, towels are folded. That is nice. And if you leave your dirty laundry on the bed with a twenty when you leave to site, when you return it is washed and folded on your bed.

Here are some interesting facts about Wapasu...

It is the 2nd largest occupancy complex in North America... next to the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

Camp Wapasu nearly became Town Wapasu. The population was nearly high enough, despite the fact no one is a permit resident, that legally in the province of Alberta the place would have to be declared a town. It would require a mayor and a fire marshall to be elected and everything. Apparently they expanded the next section far enough away to avoid this.

Wapasu is made of three parts and Main, East and West and each are managed differently

Wolves sometimes prowl the perimeter.

It contains the longest damn hallway I have ever seen. From one end to the other, is about a 2-3 minute brisk walk.

Occupancy of the camp is 5000

They make a shitty curry.

Halloween 2011 Pumpkins

Here are all the pumpkins that I carved for halloween. It was a lot of work and I actually had more pumpkins than Trick r Treaters. I think next year I may scale it back, but I had learned from using a wood carving kit on some of the pumpkins to try new things. I also broke a lot of tools the blades especially. The steel seems to be weaker then it was before.

Next year I may have to use a jig saw, especially if I want to do the same volume.

SPLIT

The end of the night, all of them on the front steps