Man cave 'finished' - first live project

Well, not a new project, but it's nice to get back to some actual work. I say that the cave is 'finished' but obviously it will never really be finished, but it's set up enough that I can make use of my spray booth set-up...

A bit disappointed this isn't a job for my new airbrush, but I have decided how I will slowly integrate that into my workflow. But in any case Humbrol's Light Olive acrylic spray is one of the nicer of the rattle-can paints to work with. The finish is quite nice, obviously it's a flat coat and not the sort of fancy multi-tonal effects you can get with an airbrush using a overspray technique...

So - onwards and upwards, no excuse for things not rolling off the production line now! ;)

Man cave progress - modelling zone

OK, it's a bit messy while I sort out where everything goes but this is the model work bench...

Now...Back to work!

Man cave update - painting zone complete

I've put the finishing touched to my painting workstation today...

I guess the main point of interest will be the green tray - this is actually a dirt cheap seed tray (pun for Tim!) from Aldi of all places, it was just £6.99. The idea is that it will keep all the paint exactly where I want it.

The spray booth has been raised to a more useful height and I bought another of those nice paint pot racks from Progressive Engineering for my Tamita 10ml pots (it also happens to hold my Vallejo weathering powders and enamels).

Next: The final phase, the modelling bench.

Man cave progress - station 2, spray paint corner!

Having finished my computer workstation section of my 'L' shaped desks I am now moving onto the first of my modelling areas - or rather the last bit in the modelling process, if you see what I mean. This is my spray paint corner...

There's still things to do. I want to raise the spray booth up a bit but I have discovered that I have a lot of spare space. So this may end up being my painting area, which is logical when you consider that the window is just above this section.

Hmmmm, think...

Man cave update - Man, he build shelves, ug!

Never mind cave painting, in my mind prehistoric man became 'man' when he first thought that he needed some sort of thing on the cave wall to place his mammoth tusks or conch shells. This was the first shelf, and since then it has been a mark of a man that he takes pride in his installation of such a thing...

OMG! There IS carpet under the muck!

Well, I got my shelf system up OK and now I am starting to re-organize the junk. I need some more shelving of course - when did white Melamine get so expensive by the way? - so I can start clearing down the desks. At the moment I am just re-assembling my spray booth in the corner.

...It's amazing how uneven the wall - and floor - is! Honestly I used a spirit level - that shelf IS level!

So, nearly there. I need to get a Velux blind for the window, the sun shines right in my eyes at this time of year, in the meantime I've pinned a piece of cloth up as a make-shift curtain. Otherwise it's all very comfortable and pleasant.

Next, organising the modelling desk and adding all my tools and paints.

Man Cave Refurbishment - progress

Modelling has been intermittent over the past couple of weeks as I try to get my 'man cave' in order. What was our dumping ground for all our detritus has been officially assigned to me as my new Man Cave.

First job was clearing out a lot of the rubbish so I could actually get into this attic space. This is an ongoing job but at least I managed to move my gaming computer and desk in (priority!) as 'World of Tanks' is my overriding source of calm and sanity!

Having created a bit of space at the far end of the attic I discovered that the back wall was in dire need of some emergency decorating as we seem to have developed some damp (possibly due to some deteriorating chimney flashing). The house is Victorian and such niggles are inevitable I suppose.

So I am half-way through my temporary DIY damp-proofing and patching. I know short term fixes like this are self-defeating in the end but our schedule was to have the roof and chimney looked at next year and this half-assed measure will have to suffice.

My intension is to make an 'L' shaped work bench at the far end to accomodate my modelling and airbrushing...IF I can eBay more of our 'junk' that is! :)

Above: World of Tanks - for when a chap can't actually make some tanks!