September 28, 2025

On Saturday I bought a GI Joe Cobra at the swap meet for $5.  From what I can see it was in perfect condition, and I thought it would be fun to add to my spaceship collection.  I painted it immediately.

On Monday the mail delivered an Action Fleet Skyhopper that I bought on eBay for $3.50.  I have never seen one at the swap meet and when I looked on eBay they seemed surprisingly expensive even for ones that were missing parts.  This one was missing the rear panel to the cockpit, but for $3.50 I thought it was worth buying.  Monday evening I began working on a new panel, and I finished it on Tuesday morning.  I’m happy with the end product, and I doubt that anyone will notice once I paint the entire craft.

I’m getting close to finishing my Action Fleet TIEs: this week three TIE fighters, two TIE bombs, and one last TIE interceptor.  I also finished a third Action Fleet A wing in the gray and khaki color scheme. 

I ended the week painting three Action Fleet sand crawlers and two more Action Fleet AT AT’s that will serve as high tech support for my 15mm Africa Korps.

This week was particularly special in terms of this hobby of mine because for the first time since before the Covid shutdown, Brookhurst Hobbies held one of its “Bring and Buy” events… I love these events and have really missed them.  My big buy at this one was a large Games Workshop Necromunda Hab Module layout… picture of one completed attached.  I got a number of other Games Workshop items with it as a package deal and believe me, for the $60 I paid, it was a real deal.

September 21, 2025

I began the week painting another Galaxy’s Edge Coke bottle, another scrubber, and a random piece of a toy that I found at the swap meet that looked like it would work as a terrain item for Star Wars. 

With that done, I turned my attention to a Gian landspeeder… I think it’s by Action Fleet.

With those done I painted three TIE Crawlers by Wizards of the Coast.

I just started painting my Imperial fighters.  I began with a combat damaged TIE/Advanced and then a TIE Interceptor.  As their bases indicate they are by Action Fleet.  They are painted with Vallejo Model Color… a mix of Blue Grey Pale and Dark Blue. 

I decided to take a short break from painting 28mm Star Wars equipment and provide my 15mm Afrika Korps with some high-tech support in the form of an Action Fleet AT-AT.  This is just the beginning.  Years ago, I was able to buy Action Fleet AT-ATs, AT-STs, and Sandcrawlers for a dollar or two at the swap meet… all perfect for 15mm.  Those days are gone, but fortunately I didn’t miss out on that opportunity to get a box full just in case they might come in handy in the future, and the future is here.

After that short break I returned to painting TIEs… two more Interceptors and one undamaged TIE/Advanced.

September 14, 2025

I continued painting Action Fleet X-wings…. this time with red markings.

On Saturday at the swap meet I found the Tatooine scrubber droid. It's plastic and 2" long. Actually, I had never seen one before so I'm glad my instincts told me to buy it... and it was only $2. All I did was give it a paint job to get rid of that plastic look.

About a year ago I found a “broken toy” at the swap meet consisting of a crashed wing section and engine.  I think it was a base for something, but I never discovered what.  I had the cockpit from a broken Razor Crest sitting around doing nothing, so I decided to make the wing into a crashed spacecraft in the shape of a flying wing with cockpits on each wing.  I used Milliput to hide the gaps between the wing and the cockpit and to give the whole piece the appearance of having ground all over it from the impact of the crash.  Then I painted it.

We went to Disneyland on Thursday and while in Star Wars Galaxy's Edge I bought two Cokes in themed containers. Today I painted one of them.

I ended the week painting A-Wings.  I have five in the green color scheme and two in the gray color scheme.  The gray scheme is harder to find at the swap meet, but vastly less expensive than buying them on eBay, so I’ll keep looking for one or two more.

September 7, 2025

Over the years I've picked up five T-47 Airspeeders at the swap meet. Yesterday I decided to give one of them a practice paintjob. I will not be using them in snow combat, so I decided on a paint scheme entirely different. I don't know how the Lucas team would feel about it, but I like it so I continued  and I just finished painting 4 more Airspeeders. Three are by Action Fleet and one of those shows serious combat damage. The fourth is a die cast version (unknown manufacturer) with two seated crew members. I got all of them over the years at the swap meet.

I got this print Tuesday at Savers thrift store. It is printed on canvas. It's 22" x 28", in great condition and cost me $6. It now graces a place above my workbench.

With the Airspeeders done, I began painting the Action Fleet X-Wings.

Because I’ve been spending a lot of time recently working on Rebel spacecraft and since they will be spending a lot of their time on the ground at a secret base, I’ve been keeping my eyes open at the swap meet and Savers thrift store for a structure that would serve as the central terrain/backdrop piece for that secret base.  This week I found the structure that I believe will be perfect for my needs… the True Heroes Military Base aka the Dinosaur Fortress Playset.  I found it at Savers for $2.50.  I added a little Evergreen Plastic to fill in two open areas and a large Star Wars gun on the platform center top.  I added a ramp (two Plasticville awnings) in front of the large doors and some Milliput for shrubs.  Once that was done, I gave it a new paint job, and I think it will work out great for my needs.

With the structure for the Rebel secret base done, I painted two more X-Wings with blue markings and finished the week with an alternate gun for the platform of the secret base structure… having options is a good thing.