The light box project

 At one of the recent online BreyerFests, there was an online workshop on making your own lightbox for photography.  Fairly low budget - you need a cardboard box, some parchment or tracing paper, and posterboard or something for a background.  And tape.I made a fairly large one, but thought a small one for Stablemates and similar things would be useful too. So, off I went. 

 

I made some upgrades yesterday - the edges got extra layers of cardboard for reinforcements.  Today I cut the posterboard for the floor and back.  Turned out pretty good.  The lighting is a work in progress.  Right now I've got an Ott-lite on one side and a small lamp on the other side, and a reading light that you wear around your neck for a moveable light.  I think the workshop version had an open top, but I did a window top for more stability.  I need to find the tracing paper, though.  Parchment paper was barely large enough, and the tape doesn't like to grip the parchment paper very well. 

 

But it does a pretty good job so far.  

 

The DIY Light Box, version 1

 At Virtual Breyerfest, one of the things I did was watch all the workshops, how-to sessions, and seminars I could fit in.  One was about making a DIY light box from a cardboard box, tracing paper, and some office supplies.  I watched twice and took notes, and then let it percolate for a while.  I did stash a couple of large boxes over the summer, and ordered a roll of tracing paper from Amazon since the local Michaels & Jo-Ann Fabric didn't have any.  Last week, I googled some more blogs on DIY light boxes and found another similar version, since I misplaced my notes.  

 

Step one - assemble components

 I got motivated last week and rounded up all the parts, after reading the how-to blog again.  Very large box, wooden yardstick, utility knife, pencil, tape, tracing paper, and scissors.

 The Breyerfest version didn't include a roof/lid, but I thought I'd leave it for stability.  

Cut windows in the sides and roof

I left a good margin of cardboard all around, for structural integrity and to give me something to tape the paper to. 

Add tracing paper

Measured and cut the tracing paper, tacked it down with scotch tape, then trimmed it up and taped it with box tape for sturdiness.

Cell phone shot

Canon Powershot

Stablemate

Traditional

The test run was on the dining room table, with a bankers lamp on either side, and the dining room light overhead.  Took pictures with iPhone (SE2) and the camera (Canon Powershot A2200).  The phone does better with white balance for quick shots, but it's eternally out of free space.  The camera has Macro mode and other nifty things, but I'll have to remember how to tweak the white balance.  I also need more light, especially overhead.  I found an Ottlite floor light at the local auction this week and won it for a good price, so that's going to help the lighting issue.  It might make the white balance a little more difficult though - the camera has WB presets but I may need to do a custom WB instead. 

And that's the first installment of the DIY light box saga.  This will be a lot better than the cluttered, distracting pics I usually take on the office desk, with keyboards, computer monitors, and other stuff in the background.  It needs a little work on the backdrop, and I probably need to find a larger box for Trad-scale photos.

Shelves and more shelves

 The stupid pandemic has put the squash on my usual weekly round of thrift stores and estate sales, but the local consignment auction is all online, and I've had a bit of luck there.  Last week, it was a trio of DVD/CD/media shelves (made by Sauder, circa 1996).  About 3.5 feet high, just under a foot wide, 6 inches deep.  Perfect for SMs, along with the Schleich/Safari/CollectA brigade.

These models are black inside, although at least one of mine is woodgrain interior.  Since the black turns them into a black hole, I lined them partially with white paper, from an end-roll of statement paper from Husband's work.  The shelves got a lining of assorted scrapbook paper in a variety of patterns.  (To paraphrase Adam Savage - This is the rainy day you were saving that thing for!).  

 

I didn't line both sides with paper, because the shelves are a tight fit and wedging them in makes the paper wrinkle.  So, white on the back and one side it is. And it does make a difference, as you can see.

At the spacing for SM sizes, I could fit at least two more shelves into each unit, but Sauder doesn't seem to sell replacement shelves, or at least won't tell me how much they cost without my providing a lot number that I don't have.  So, for now, I'm on the lookout for 1/2-inch plywood or board of some kind.  Michaels may have something close, but they seem to be closed temporarily at t he moment (probably because of the stupid pandemic). 

Incoming Stablemates

 The next horse in the Stablemate Club is on the way - a glossy bay G1 Arabian Stallion called Sultan.  I'm doing a slight experiment with mine - ordered one alone, one with a ride-along - to see if my idea that ride-alongs slow things down in the shipping warehouse might be right.  

And Tractor Supply had the paint-your-own suncatcher SMs on sale, so I ordered 5 for in-store pickup.  Ended up with 3 Magnolias, a Warmblood, and a Walking TB. 

Virtual Breyerfest Day 1

Well, Day 1 of Virtual Breyerfest was exciting and frustrating.  As expected, there were technical problems.  The SR Tent times were running about 3 hours behind, so my 3:00 ET slot ended up being available sometime between 4:30 and 6 (when I got back from the grocery pickup run).  For the Tent horses, I ended up with Brighid and Beltane, the new mare and foal set, and Thorn, the appaloosa Trakehner who's a 50/50 split between matte and glossy.  I think both of those were high on my preferences.  I like the old Trak mold, and while I would love a Georg, I have some worries that Breyer will be able to pull off the resist dappling and mottling well.  Can't wait to see who the Slainte Surprise mold is. 

Just before I left, I finally managed to refresh the Fling store and find some things in stock.  Shock!  First was an attempt to get Greenman, Eire, and Benelli - Benelli sold out while Paypal was processing, but I still got my green ponies.  Then when I went back to the store, Benelli was still in my cart, and the SM set and Mackenzie the plush were in stock, so I tried another purchase.  That ended up with only Mackenzie still available.  But, that's 3 of the 5 I wanted taken care of, with two days left to shop.  And, since Breyer's holding everything to combine shipping, it doesn't matter if I have to buy one thing at a time. 

Still trying to get Benelli and the SM set (even though I'd be reselling at least the Arabian), but Breyer's offering pre-orders of glossy Benelli, Cheesecake, and Topgun as an apology for the technical glitches.  So, I could just get a glossy Benelli and stop trying to score a matte one. 

For the rest of Breyerfest, I watched some videos.  There's a video of last year's performace of the RCMP Musical Ride.  Watched part of it last night, and am in awe of their ability to do all that riding at a sitting trot, with a double-bridle's worth of reins in one hand.  Some of them were smiling pretty hard, too.  Seeing the Ride in person is on my bucket list.

Then there are all the workshop and how-to videos.  So far, I've watched 2 on Arabian halter making, one on paint matching for touchups, and one on making braided reins.  the color matching was helpful, but I really need to know if there's a way to match the hooves without an airbrush.  The black Stretch Morgan is having hoof issues, thanks to someone with glitter nail polish somewhere in his past. 

Shopping haul so far

• Brighid & Beltane
• Thorn
• Eire
• Greenman
• Mackenzie

Still chugging away

The pandemic project continues.  Working on the G1 horses now.  Part of this is getting the inventory tidied up - for example, standardizing all the mold names.  I've got the same mold down as, for example, G1 Morgan Stallion, SM Morgan Stallion, and SM OM Morgan Stallion.  I'm starting to realize, I might need a new column, to mark the SMs as to whether they're old or new plastic.

And then there are the twins, and look-alikes.

For example, this foal could be one of three options.  Or two options, depending on how you look at it.  There was a Target exclusive of this foal and the Cantering Warmblood.  That pair, identical, was released later as a regular run under a different number.  And then the foal or one identical to it came in a play set. 

And that is why I need to keep up with tagging all the horses as I buy them. 

2020 Hobby Goals

Hobby goals for 2020

1.  Get the inventory up to date, including tagging all the reachable horses
2.  Look into converting the spreadsheet to a database
3.  Thin out the duplicate blind-bag SMs (I do NOT need 8 chestnut ASBs)
4.  Start learning to do paint touch-ups and minor repairs.  The list of scuffed and broken horses is getting out of hand.
5.  Set up a photo area and get showable pics of at least 20 horses
6.  Find another curio for the Lakeshores


Right now, the injured list is:

1. Dapple-grey Kelso with broken leg
2. Dark brown Kelso with broken leg
3. Ballylee with broken leg
4. Green Shermie with broken tail
5. Buck deer with broken antler
6. Incoming Elk from Tracy with broken antler
7. A lot of Western Horses with missing ear tips

Hobby goals 2016

Goals for 2016

- To at least dip back into photo showing, either online or mail-in.  That requires getting a site for photo work, getting the old PC running so I can have Paint Shop Pro again, and unpacking at least a few horses.

- Dig through the collection and see if there's anything to re-home.

- Work on display options.  I would like/love to have a china cabinet or curio cabinet of some kind, so that the breakable stuff can finally stop living in boxes where I can't see them.


The wish list

• a HR Kelso
• Breyer Elk, Antelope, and Bears.  I managed last year to find the Moose, Bighorn Sheep and Dall Sheep, Elephant, and both Jolly Cholly and the brown Bloodhound.
• Too many more to name
• The full set of original Love Racehorses.  I have Kelso and Swaps, I think.  Need Terrang, Silky Sullivan, and Man O'War.

Today's gamble

I haven't bought many flea market horses in a while, and usually don't find any screaming deals, but I may have gotten close this time. I stopped in one of the local antique malls yesterday and found two slightly overpriced vintage Breyers - a glossy charcoal Fighting Stallion and a black pinto Western Horse with a snap saddle, $65 each. I've got a snap-saddle WH already, although mine is missing an eartip. This one had both ears, but is horribly yellowed. Same for the Fighter, he's so yellowed that the tag said "gold mane" on it. But, the dealer had everything 30% off, so I thought about it overnight and went back for the Fighter today.

After the discount, he was just under $50. His paint job otherwise is very nice, as far as I can tell. Minor eartip rubs, but the eyewhites are there, and no major rubs anywhere. Hopefully he'll clean up nice. He can be my rehab project for the year, although sunning him may have to wait for summer.

Project horse

I've got a bit of a project going. Here he is:


There's an online offshoot of Freecycle here, called Kwikswap, sort of an online yard sale. I scored a deal last week: the large Breyer truck and trailer, a vintage black tobiano Stock Horse Stallion, and the SR Stud Spider that came with the truck & trailer set a few years back. Plus a Ben and Brenda Breyer, with most of their clothes. And all for $35.00. The truck set went for $90 when it was in the stores, and that may have been the sale price.

Spider, though, has seen better days. Lots of black marks in the white areas, some rubs in the black areas, pink stains on his back legs, and an odd-looking blue-ish patch on his shoulder. However, he's unbroken, and he's black and white, so I figure he's a good start for learning to do small bits of restoration work.

So far, he's been cleaned up with soap and water to get any random grunge off. I tried the old toothpaste method on the black marks, with a little success. Then someone shared a tip on Haynet about using rubbing alcohol - on the white areas only - so I gave it a shot. It did a pretty good job, most of the black marks came off. Still have the pink stains, though, and that weird blue-looking spot. I may try a bit of bleach on those, I'm not sure what else to try.

After that, it'll be time to dig out the black acrylics and see if I can manage to cover the rubs without being glaringly obvious.

After seeing Spider next to the vintage 1980s Stock Horse Stallion, though, I wonder about Breyer's black & white paint jobs. For some reason, the work on Spider looks really flat. Maybe it's the contrast between the colors - Spider's white is very white, while the SHS is from the glossy-white-areas years (different paint? no paint?) and has yellowed a bit. He seems to have more shading than Spider, though.