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Long exposure landscape photography I will discuss the practical aspects of long exposure landscape photography later, but first, we need to consider other key factors in getting quality long exposure photographs. Location is the key The first step in creating stunning long exposure images is choosing the correct landscape, one that is conducive to this kind of photography. Long exposures are ideal for conveying movement, but it can also be used to blur unwanted movement, removing the ripples or waves on a lake or sea scene can give a surreal feel. While showing a river, a waterfall, waves crashing onto a beach, or stormy passing clouds can depict movement and drama. Once a location has been identified, consider the time of day. The golden hour is undoubtedly the best time, and it happens twice a day. The golden hour is the short window of time right after sunrise and again right before sunset, when the air is filled with a flattering golden hue that is perfect for photographing everything from landscapes to portraits. During this time, the sun is low in the sky and more diffuse (and redder) than normal thanks to being filtered for a greater distance through the atmosphere. At golden hour, you will not find the harsh shadows seen at high noon. Because the sun is so low on the horizon, the light is directional, creating long, and soft shadows giving dimension to photographs. That soft dimensional light can be used to achieve creative effects that are not possible at other times of the day. So, when does the golden hour occur? It varies depending on the location, the time of year, and weather conditions. Apps, like PlanIt, can help determine sunrise, sunset times, the direction of the sunrise and sunset, and the optimum golden hour times. A general rule of thumb is that the golden hour is about an hour after sunrise and an hour before sunset. Subject matter Consider ways that can be incorporated into the frame, like static objects, a boulder or two, a tree, jetty, or island in a lake, icebergs, or a wreck on a beach. Walkabout looking for interesting subjects that might provide a focal point. Shoot in RAW ​RAW is a file format like jpeg, but unlike jpeg, it captures all the image data recorded by the camera’s sensor rather than compressing it. Shooting in RAW provides higher quality images but also allows for more control in post-processing. For instance, correcting underexposure problems or adjusting aspects like colour temperature, white balance, or contrast. ​However, one negative aspect of shooting in RAW is that the files take up more space, so I advise using larger SD or Micro SD Cards. Furthermore, RAW photos need some sort of post-processing, so photo editing software is essential. Set the cameras White Balance If the camera is set to Auto White Balance, it will compensate for all the beautiful warm tones you are there specifically for. Auto White Balance makes images bluer than required for the golden hour. In RAW, it is easy to adjust the white balance in post, nevertheless, it is still a good idea to manually set the white balance to get a better idea of what the scene is meant to look like. For beginners, a good initial point for beginners is setting it to shade or cloudy to help get the required golden hues. Aperture Priority mode Aperture Priority mode allows you to choose your aperture and the camera will automatically determine the best shutter speed. Set the ISO of the camera to 100 or lower if possible and let the camera decide the shutter speed. ISO determines the sensitivity of the camera sensor to light, so using the lowest value means that the sensor is minimally sensitive. Additionally, using the lowest ISO can minimize digital noise or grain in the shot. The less noise, the higher the image quality will be. Of course, a sturdy tripod is essential, and an external shutter release device or set the camera to a 2 or 5-second shutter delay to prevent camera shake. Post-processing Shooting in RAW will undoubtedly require some post-processing to enhance the look and feel of any long exposure landscape image. First consider increasing the blue primary in Lightroom or Photoshop as this will increase the vibrance of any rocks, boulders, tree trunks, etc. Then, think about enhancing colours by boosting saturation or vibrancy. Adjust the levels and curves to create an image with a more robust dynamic range. If you find areas of the shot are too bright or too dark, try your hand at dodging and burning to create a more well-exposed image throughout. ​ However, post-processing is all about personal preference and one’s own creative perspective on photography as it is to compose the shot taken on location. Always make small adjustments that you feel are necessary to create the image desired and keep the master copy unaltered and safe.

Hard Drives (HDD) A hard disk drive (HDD) is a storage device used for storing and retrieving digital information (data) HDD retains their data even when powered off, unlike memory RAMs. ​ There are three types of hard drives: SATA , SSD, and NVMe . ​ In 2003, SATA (Serial Advanced Technology Attachment) was introduced as the default interface for most desktop and laptop hard drives and referred to as SATA hard drives, but they are rotary hard drives with spinning platters coated with a magnetic material, with a moving needle that writes data to consecutive sectors on each platter. ​ Most computer HDDs are fitted into an internal drive bay in the computer and connect to the motherboard using a SATA cable. ​ HDDs can also be used as external devices these are reasonable as backup drives reducing the risk of data loss if the HDD fails. ​ The two most common form factors for modern HDDs are 3.5-inch for desktop computers and 2.5-inch for laptops. ​ A single drive can range from 80 GB to 16 TB and are reliable drives if you need a lot of cheap storage and do not need extremely high reads or writes. Since data is physically written to a disk, deleted, and re-written numerous times, it can become fragmented, meaning that different sectors can be spread across different areas of the disk, thereby slowing down the drive. HDDs also are vulnerable to shock or sudden movement since there are moving parts in each drive, which makes them a poor choice for laptops. Pros: Low cost. High disk sizes. Cons: Not good for laptops. Requires regular de-fragmentation. SSD stands for Solid State Drive , SSDs do not have moving parts. Instead, the data is stored on non-volatile flash memory. So, there is no needle that must move to read or write data, and this makes them significantly faster than SATA drives. It is difficult to define exact speeds because it varies by manufacturer and form factor, but the lower-performing drives are comparable to SATA drives. ​ The disadvantage is that they are significantly more expensive and do not come in as many sizes. SSD drives generally range from about 80GB to 2 TB. Since there are no moving parts, these drives are also more durable, and there are form factors built specifically for laptops, making them ideal for storage on the go. But they are still prone to failure. Pros: Fast More durable, especially for laptops Cons: More expensive than SATA drives Lower disk sizes Non-Volatile Memory Express, or NVMe Released in 2013, is a type of SSD that is attached to a motherboard fitted with a PCI Express (PCIe) slot. Incredibly fast, PCIe slots were originally designed for graphics cards. Speeds on NVMe drives can reach an interface rate of 32 Gb/s with a throughput of 3.9 GB/s, useful if gaming or high-resolution video editing. ​ Most older BIOS do not support booting from NVMe, so installing an Operating System on an NVMe, a motherboard upgrade may be required. Having worked for a major IT company and saw the distress on customers' faces when their HDDs failed and they lost their data, I always recommend the Cloud Storage option for important data or photographs. Data recovery on failed drives is awfully expensive and not guaranteed. ​ ​ ​ Protect your data, if you scrap an old computer DO NOT throw away your HDDs as they can be connected to your new computer using a USB adapter. Also, the important data stored on them can be retrieved by a second or third party, meaning they could have access to ALL your personal information, including passwords and bank details, so BEWARE! Dealing with HDD Error messages and issues

RAID Redundant Array of Independent Disks (RAID) is a group of hard drives, controller cards, and software to increase the reliability and redundancy of data storage on hard drives. RAID comes in multiple configurations, offering enhanced performance and/or better data reliability. Data is distributed across the drives in one of several ways called ‘RAID levels’, depending on the level of redundancy and performance required. ​ RAID numbers are allocated according to the required protection or reliability level required, RAID-5 for example, is not representative of the number of drives involved. The most common RAID implementations are 0, -1, and 5 . RAID can be implemented with and without the ability to hot-swap a drive. ​ RAID 0 ­- The data is written across multiple drives to improve access performance. There is no data redundancy. For example, a 4Meg file would be written across 4 drives in 1Meg pieces. Note that the failure of one drive will render the data inaccessible. The advantage is a much higher throughput. The RAID numbers are, click on each for its meaning: RAID 1 RAID 2 RAID 3 RAID 4 RAID 5 RAID 6 RAID 10 Almost all manufacturers provide a diverse of plug-in controllers that allow RAID execution. These controllers interface with SCSI drives and are available in ISA (Industry Standard Architecture) and PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect) configurations, the highest throughput is via the PCI format. RAID support for IDE drives is not generally available. ​ All SCSI drives can be used with a RAID controller, and different drive manufacturers' sizes and throughputs can be used on the same bus. Controller manufacturers provide additional information on expectations. RAID controllers can also act as generic drive controllers interfacing to CD, DVD, and Tape Drives and external accessories like Scanners. ​ RAID drives either be permanently mounted in a chassis, mounted in external drive bays, or externally using Hot-swappable enclosures that each hard drive can be installed or removed without powering down the host computer. eSATA, FireWire, and USB are examples of interfaces that are hot-swappable on computers. ​ Full RAID protection can be realised even in non-removable drive situations where the RAID system provides data protection and time to take the system off-line to replace a failed drive. This can certainly be a less expensive and potentially more reliable option in place of using expensive removable drive carriers.

Canmore Alberta’s Rockies Canmore is between Calgary and Banff. It took about 1½ hours to get the 50 miles (81 kilometres) from Calgary International Airport. ​ Canmore is only minutes away from Banff National Park, Kananaskis Country and Bow Valley Provincial Parks where 5 famous ski resorts and 6 breath-taking golf courses are located. ​ Canmore is situated in the Bow Valley within Alberta’s Rockies, it is an old mining town; because of this, it went relatively unnoticed for a great number of years, unlike Banff. ​ However, Canmore is more than a ski resort base. It offers over 70 kilometres of trails, a Nordic centre, hiking, climbing, mountain biking, kayaking, canoeing, rafting, and scrambling provide an endless assortment of outdoor activities. ​ To enhance your experience of the Rockies, visit the Rafter 6 ranch resort (currently up for sale), this ranch has a colossal variety of activities and the location is second to none. While there I was lucky enough to view the white buffalo, a herd of elk and some precious wolves. Being an ardent photographer, I was lucky enough to get some great photographs of the white buffalo, elk, wolves, and landscape in and around Canmore and Banff National Park. ​ Canmore's town’s elevation is 4296 feet (1309 metres) with the surrounding summits extending to heights of 9,633 feet (2936 metres). The Bow River flows through the town linking it to a network of wildlife corridors and trails. An abundance of local wildlife, wildflowers and mountains provide boundless opportunities to experience nature and take photographs of the wildlife, flora and The Three Sisters. The Three Sisters ​ The Three Sisters are a trio of peaks near Canmore. They are known individually as Big Sister (Faith), Middle Sister (Charity), and Little Sister (Hope). ​ Albert Rogers, a nephew of Major Rogers who discovered ‘Rogers Pass’ in the Selkirk Mountains named the three peaks in 1883. ​ Albert Rogers recollected, ‘there had been a heavy snowstorm in the night, and when we got up in the morning and looked out of the tent, I noticed the three peaks had a heavy veil of snow on the north side, and I said to the boys, ‘Look at the Three Nuns.’ They were called the Three Nuns for quite a while but later were called the ‘Three Sisters’ and first appeared on George Dawson’s map in 1886. ​ Heights: Big Sister (Faith) – 9,632 feet, (2,936 metres) Middle Sister (Charity) - 9,084 feet, (2,769 metres) Little Sister (Hope) - 8,840 feet, (2,694 metres) Out of gallery History In 1884 Donald Smith the director of the Canadian Pacific Railway officially named Canmore. In 1886, Queen Victoria granted a coal mining charter to the town, and the first mine was opened a year later. In the 1890s a North-West Mounted Police barrack had been built on Main Street, but it was vacated in 1927 and was restored in 1989. It still remains in the main street. ​ By the 1970s the market for coal had diminished and in 1979 the Canmore mines ceased operations. Unfortunately because of safety and reclamation policies initiated by the province of Alberta, most of the mining structures were demolished and today, only the lamphouse and a few mine entrances remain. Canmore’s commercial future seemed gloomy until the announcement in the 1980s that Calgary would be hosting the 1988 Winter Olympics. This opened the door for Canmore, as it would host the Nordic events, resulting in increased tourism.

Airbrushing If you are committed airbrushing will give you more options. ​ Airbrush - there are many airbrush variants and many manufacturers, it is often personal preference. Double or dual-action airbrushes are considered more flexible than single-action airbrushes because they allow users to modify paint volume accordingly. This is more beneficial when building scale models. However, this does not imply that the single-action brush cannot be used for painting models. Some users prefer single action because they are easy to use and handle. There are a number of types available: Single action - Press down the trigger controls airflow, basically, it is an on-off device, so do not try to control the airflow or pressure. That is done using the regulator on the compressor. Twisting the knob at the rear of the airbrush counter clockwise starts and increases paint flow until the knob is twisted completely out. ​Advantages: The separate air and paint controls make single-action airbrushes easier to use than double-action airbrushes. Allowing users to concentrate on moving their hand instead of concentrating on how far back the finger moves. Provides repeatable actions as everything is pre-set. Keeping air pressure and paint flow steady. Double action - Press down on the trigger for air release - pressing down further release more air. Pull back on the trigger for paint release - pulling back further will discharge more paint. Dual-action, sometimes referred to as double-action, allows modellers and artists greater control. Dual-action airbrushes provide the user to produce incredibly fine lines and provide greater control of fading and blending for more detailed work. Good dual-action airbrushes are more expensive than single-action airbrushes because of the greater accuracy. Dual-action airbrushes also have a steeper learning curve than single-action airbrushes, so can take longer to develop full control and a disciplined technique. Trigger or Pistol grip style airbrushes are one of the most useful types of airbrushes available, but they are not so popular amongst the average modeller. There are plenty of trigger or pistol grip airbrushes on the market today, like the: Grex TS. Iwata - TRN1, TRN2, Neo TRN, HP-TR1, HP-TR2, HP-TH, HP-TH2. Sparmax – GP-35, GP-50, GP-70 and GP850. Harder & Steenbeck – Colani. Mr Procon Boy - PS-275, PS-290. Zoukei - Mura PM-C. PointZero. Despite the number of Trigger or Pistol grip style airbrushes available the interest in this specific style of airbrush is minimal. Some manufacturers denote the ‘T/TR’ as ‘Trigger’ other ‘P/PS’ as ‘Pistol’. ​ The benefit of these types of airbrush is being a dual-action airbrush, it works somewhat like a single-action one. Pulling the trigger automatically mixes the air and paint, the more you pull the trigger the richer your mix becomes. Advantages Variations in finger or hand motions benefit people who do not have the dexterity to use a normal trigger. The trigger mechanism stays cleaner for a longer period. Tighter tolerances are obtainable. Disadvantage Trigger mechanism is more problematic to maintain. Sparmax GP-50 Grex Tritium TG Iwata TR1 ​ Gravity-feed - Gravity-feed airbrushes have a paint cup at the top of the airbrush where the paint is poured. With the aid of a compressor, gravity pulls small amounts of paint into the mixing chamber where atomization occurs. ​ Side-feed - Side feed airbrushes are in-between, with the aid of a compressor, they can use a side gravity cup or side siphon-feed bottle. Most side-feed airbrush sets include a cup and bottles. ​ Siphon-fed - Siphon-fed airbrushes feature a bottle or cup connected to the bottom of the airbrush with a tube running through. With the aid of a compressor, the air is drawn into the top of the tube causing the paint to be ‘siphoned’ into the mixing chamber where atomization occurs. I have separate airbrushes for different tasks I do not like mixing airbrushes with different types of paint, primers, or varnishes and each of my airbrushes is labelled for a specific task. Examining the list below, yes, I have a lot of airbrushes, but these were purchased over many tears to see if one airbrush is better than the other, like many of my pieces of equipment. And, yes, there is a great disparity between airbrush manufacturers and models of airbrushes. Often it is personal preference what airbrush you use, an airbrush recommended by one person may not be suitable for you. Airbrush parts vary greatly in quality. I have two cheap-no-name airbrushes that I have been using for many years that provide extremely good results and three expensive ones that I do not like. I have found that the two most important features when considering an airbrush are the quality of the tip and the needle. I have found that many expensive airbrushes have poor quality needles and when examining a tip under a microscope have found that the quality is not as good as one might expect. Airbrush tips also vary greatly and I have had two tips from €250 airbrushes with damaged tips and a number high end needles not Unlike the expensive airbrushes where replacement parts are easily accessible, cheap airbrushes replacement parts are almost non-existent, so over the years I have learned to interchange parts and modify the cheap models with great results. All my airbrushes are thoroughly cleaned and lubricated after use; I do not leave dirty airbrushes on my workbench. If you spend money buying a good product, it should be looked after. ​ I use - ​ Harder & Steenbeck 2 x infinity CRplus – one with a 0.15 mm needle, and the second with a 0.2 mm needle used for fine detail work, used for acrylic paint. 1 x Evolution ALplus with 0.2 mm needle used for fine detail work, used with enamels and lacquer paint. 3 x Evolution CRplus with 0.15 mm, 0.2 mm, and 0.4 mm needles used with enamels and lacquer paint. 2 x Evolution Solo with 0.2 mm, and 0.4 mm needles, used for acrylic paint. ​ Sparmax GP-50 – 1 x with 0.3- and 0.4-mm needles, used for acrylic paint. ​ Badger - 2 x Sotar 20/20 Fine 0.21 mm needle, used for acrylic paint. 1 x Patriot 105 0.33 mm needle used for acrylic paint. 1 x Patriot Extreme 105 0.33 mm needle used for acrylic paint. 2 x Renegade Velocity with a 0.21 mm needle used with enamels and lacquer paint. 1 x Renegade Rage with a 0.33 mm needle used with enamels and lacquer paint. ​ Iwata - 2 x Hi-Line HP-BH 0.3 mm needle one used with acrylic paint, second used with enamels and lacquer paint. 1 x Custom Micron CM-B with 0.4-mm needle used with acrylic paint. 5 x Revolution Neo with various needle sizes used with acrylic paint, enamels, lacquer paint, primers, and vanishes. 1 x Neo TR1 with 0.3 mm - 0.4-mm needles used enamels and lacquer paint. 1 X Neo TR2 with 0.3 mm - 0.4-mm needles used with acrylic paint. ​ MIG Ammo - Aircobra with 0.3 mm needle used with acrylic paint. ​ Grex TS - 0.2 mm, and 0.4 mm needles used with acrylic paint. ​ Mr. Procon Boy PS-290 - with 0.5 mm needle used with acrylic paint. ​ Zoukei - Mura PM-C with 0.3 mm needle used with acrylic paint. ​ PointZero – with 0.35 mm needle used with acrylic paint. ​ 8 x Cheap, no name - airbrushes used mainly for primers and varnishes. I do not have or have never used either of - ​ ​ ​ Paasche ​ AK Interactive Harder & Steenbeck iwata TR2 Harder & Steenbeck Airbrush Nozzle Wagner Portable Paint Booth Portable Spray Booth Spraybooth - Airbrush spray booths help remove unpleasant odours and noxious fumes while airbrushing your model kits/parts. They have large fans with filters and long flexible hose pipes to help suck harmful paint particles and fumes from the booth and filter them out of your house through the window or extraction system. But I still advise wearing a respirator mask for best safety. They also protect pets or people close to the spray environment. Airbrush spray booths can also protect items kept near the spray area, reducing over-sprayed. ​ Air compressor - a compressor specifically designed for model makers or artists is vital as the gauges are marked for the ease of lower pressures. Also, purchasing a compressor with a larger air tank will help reduce excessive noise. There is a colossal amount of no-name compressors available, but some of the best-named compressors come from: ​ ​ ​ Badger Iwata Sparmax ​ I use a Sparmax TC-620X Compressor with a 2.5 L tank that is connected to a Sparmax 5 L tank with regular and water traps. And have an older Badger Aspire Pro TC910 compressor as a backup. ​ I have used cheap unbranded compressors, with and without air tanks and apart from the noise, they work well. But I would not recommend a compressor without an air tank as the air pressure fluctuations vary greatly. ​ Cleaning equipment - whether you opt for a named or no-name airbrush, cleaning, and maintenance of airbrushes on a regular basis is a priority to ensure reliability. ​ I clean my airbrush thoroughly after each spraying session, but only deep clean my airbrush when weekly. Laqauers and varnish is a different matter, I always deep clean after use because lacquer and varnish tend to stick everything together if not removed entirely. ​ I use Dental absorbent paper points (the same dentists use to suck out moisture when doing a tooth root canal) to clean out the nozzles, these come in various sizes and fit through the smallest nozzle nicely. Each dental stick is colour coded according to size. White the smallest and black the largest in this pack. ​ When deep cleaning I place my airbrushes in a heated ultrasonic cleaner for 10 minutes, this helps dislodge any persistent residual. I do not use chemicals in the ultrasonic cleaner to prevent damage to the 'O' rings and springs. Sparmax TC-620X Compressor Cheap No Name Compressor Airbrushes needles come in several sizes and qualities: ​ ​ Why have so many, and what do they do? Airbrushes are sophisticated devices used for the application of mediums onto a surface. The main element of paint atomization is an airbrush needle. An airbrush needle is responsible for the mixing of paint with air and forming a spray pattern. Because of their sharp tips, needles are the most fragile parts of airbrushes. They can be easily damaged when knocked or dropped. At best, the needle will bend, and I have lost count of how many airbrush needles I have damaged, and often you may not notice the bend in the needle until it affects the spraying results. How to choose airbrush needles ​ There are a vast variety and quality of airbrush needles from many manufacturers. And each offers a vast number of needle sizes for all types of airbrush models. ​ The main factor influencing needle choice is what is it intended to be used for, the type of airbrush you are using, and the size of the surface being airbrushed. ​ So, changing an airbrush needle will determine the amount of paint or varnish sprayed onto a model. Or will it? There are other factors to consider. The nozzle, also known as the tip, and the needle size of the airbrush will determine the amount of paint that can be sprayed through it. Most airbrushes come with one nozzle and needle already fitted. ​ When you change an airbrush needle size, the nozzle and often the needle cap will need to be changed to allow the correct working of the spray amount and pattern. Also, forcing a large needle into a smaller nozzle can damage it. Another factor is the type of paint being used. Although the likes of Vallejo, AK Interactive, MIG Ammo, Games workshop, etc provide paint ready to be airbrushed straight out of the bottle, I have found that not all paint is equal, it varies between manufacturer and even by the same manufacturer in the pigments of different colours. Many people advise, ‘thin your paint, primer or varnish’ others suggest ‘don’t bother'. Personally, I have found you can not equate a ‘do’ or do not’ paint thinning as it depends on the colour pigment or type of paint being used. ​ And if you decide to thin, buy how much? Over-thinning can breakdown the pigments, while not or under thinning may increase the incidence of tip drying or block. ​ How much to thin? Again, there is a wide consensus, and I have heard: ​ Consistency of ‘single cream’ (found this method too thick) Flows like ‘ milk’ (I find this difficult to visualize) 1:1 Ratio (Does not work for thicker pigment paints) So that it runs down the airbrush cup easily without the pigments breaking up (my method, I can easily see how the paint reacts in the airbrush cup). Airbrush Parts Airbrush and spraying troubleshooting Needle Caps help protect the tip of the needle from being damaged. There are a few designs, some enclosed, and others are partly open to ease needle tip cleaning when in use. Most experienced and professional users remove the needle cap entirely to make needle cleaning easier and to get better views while spraying.

Tools Whether they be scrap build or model kits there is a vast array of tools available to make and modify models. Before deciding what tools you need, decide what type of models you are going to build, a few are: ​ Scale model building, plastic model kits, have a magnitude of types, such as: Model military vehicles, figures, and terrain. Model aircraft. Model cars, commercial, and construction vehicles. Model rockets. Naval, ship models. Architectural models, cardboard, or high-density foam buildings. Model figures or busts. Rail transport modelling (probably the most well-known). Gundam models. Scenery to stage models. So, model building is not exclusively a hobbyist pursuit. The complexity of assembling representations of actual objects has become a career for numerous people. Some build models to commemorate historic events or commissioned to construct models using past events as a basis to predict future events of high commercial interest, while others work for the film industry. ​ In the 1950-60s, a relative built live steam engine models from scratch, and I can remember watching him work. The UK has an extremely high fraternity of live steam engine modellers, partly, I think to the vast community of steam engines/traction engines in the UK. There is a basic list of tools required to build plastic scale model kits, mine is: Sprue cutters – removing items off the sprue. Finer plastic cutters – trimming off excess. Scalpel handles or hobby knife – trimming and removing mold lines, cutting decals. I prefer scalpel handles and have: Numbers 3, 4, 5, 7 and a long scalpel handle that takes N◦.20/22/24 blades. But I use mostly the size 10 blades that have a sharp point. I have medical sharps boxes for the disposal of blades. Dissecting Forceps – plain dissecting forceps, I use a variety suited to handling models and decals, such as: Atraumatic – thumb style used for grasping delicate tissue. Adson – serrated jaws with wide, flat thumb grasp area used for delicate tissue. Artery clip – used to apply and remove scalpel blades from knife handles. I use a variety, but mostly: De Bakey Forceps. Dunhill Artery Forceps. Mosquito Artery Forceps. Various pliers –non-aggressive. Scissors – straight and curved, plus special scissors for decals. Toothbrushes – fine, medium, and hard. Marking pens – various. Alligator clips placed on barbecue skewers for airbrushing. Sanding sticks – various grades. Paint - as mentioned in the paint section, water-based acrylic paint is the most commonly used to spray plastic models. Paintbrushes - sizes of models vary greatly if you are interested in Warhammer 28mm figures or painting busts a good selection of paintbrushes is vital. They range in size, from 000 up. Specialised Equipment Among my tools, I have some specialised equipment that makes life a lot easier, such as my: ​ Vortex Mixer – I have used this to mix my paint for many years and it is fantastic and a godsend (as I have arthritis in most of my joints), I have just ordered a replacement as it eventually failed, not surprising really considering the amount of use it gets. ​ Food Dehydrator – I have one that heats to 80°C but tend to run it at 70°C, it has 10 shelves and a fantastic piece of equipment, large enough to get a 1:32 tank fully built easily. If you decide to get one make sure it is large enough, the smaller plastic dehydrators will not take anything big. We also use it to dry fruit, meat, and flowers. You must let the sprayed models dry to touch (about 20 minutes) before putting them in the dehydrator. But the dehydrator will cure primer, varnish, and laquear paint in 4 hours that would normally take between 2 to 3 weeks. And when using acrylic, I have completely sprayed a tank and weathered and built it in a day. Mine is ECO friendly and uses minimal electricity, it came with 10 stainless steel and 4 plastic trays. ​ Additional Air Compressor Tank – my air compressor has a 2.5L tank, which is fine, but I purchased an additional 5L air compressor tank just to keep the noise levels down when videoing in my workshop. Nova3D Printer – I use this to print replacements for damaged model parts or when designing terrain for my dioramas. ​ Colour Laser Printer – I rarely use decals from the manufacturers who make the model kits as I find them of poor quality, so, I either airbrush the design directly onto the model or scan it onto my computer, edit it (if required) and then print them.

Sandwich Bread Loaf Making home bread is easy. We do not buy bread but make our own, and with a little patience and the correct utensils, anyone should be able to make their own bread loaves, rolls, or French sticks. When making your own bread you know what is in it and how it has been handled. In my locality we found the bread and pastries to be over-baked. If you prefer hard, crispy tops to your loaves, it is amazingly easy to do without over-baking them. ​ Large 2lb Soft Sandwich Bread Loaf – around 74% Hydration Bread Recipe ​ 435g - Strong White Flour - ideally it should have a protein level of 12.5 to 13g. 245g - Warm Water – roughly 40°C / 104°F in a jug or bowl 20g – Olive Oil 7g – Instant Dried Yeast OR 15g of Fresh Yeast 6g – Table Salt 6g – Granulated Sugar Word printable recipe PDF printable recipe Method Weigh 245g warm water in a container and stir in the 6g sugar , then the yeast and 20g extra virgin olive oil and stir until thoroughly mixed. ​ Cover and leave the yeast to begin to show signs that it is active (you should see bubbles on the surface of the mixture), this can take up to 10 minutes , but at lower temperatures, it may take a little longer. If the yeast shows no signs of being active, discard and use new yeast. I place the container in a bowl of warm water at 40°C and keep topping up as required. ​ Mix 435g - Strong White Flour and 6g salt in a separate bowl. ​ Mix active yeast mix with flour and knead correctly for at least 10 minutes (my video on bread making explains this). ​ Grease clean bowl with extra virgin olive oil, drop in the dough into the bowl, lift and turn so that there is olive oil on top of the dough. Cover and leave to prove for about 40 minutes (according to room temperature). I place the container in a tray of warm water at 40°C and keep topping up as required. After 40 minutes the dough should have doubled in size, if the room is cooler, let it prove longer. ​ I grease my 2lb bread tray with butter and then olive oil, and do not have problems with the bread sticking to the container. ​ Knead the dough for about 5-6 turns to get rid of the air and then shape the dough and place in a bread tin. You can dust the bread with flour at this time. I'm a paragraph. Click here to add your own text and edit me. It's easy. I put the bread tin with the dough into a large plastic container with about 30mls of warm water for the second prove. The plastic container has a tray in the bottom to prevent the bread tin from resting in the water. Cover with its lit and place in a tray of warm water to prove for about 40 minutes or until the dough has doubled in size. Preheat the oven to 190°C / 374°F or gas mark 5 . Place the bread tin into the oven and turn the heat down to 180°C / 356°F or gas mark 4 and cook for 15 minutes , the centre of the oven turning the bread tin and cooking for a further 15 minutes , for even cooking. *I have found that all ovens are not equal, mine, when set at 180°C its actual temperature is 160°C , so I must accommodate this variation by turning the dial to 200°C .

Cornwall Out of gallery

2.GALLERY Vanda

Diodes Diody to elementy półprzewodnikowe, które działają jako jednokierunkowy przełącznik prądu. Diody umożliwiają swobodny przepływ prądu w jednym kierunku, ale poważnie utrudniają przepływ prądu w przeciwnym kierunku. Diody mają biegunowość, określoną przez anodę (przewód dodatni) i katodę (przewód ujemny). Wiele diod umożliwia przepływ prądu tylko wtedy, gdy do anody przyłożone jest dodatnie napięcie. Wcześniejsze Znane są również jako prostowniki, ponieważ zmieniają prąd przemienny (AC) w pulsujący prąd stały (DC). Diody są oceniane zgodnie z ich typem, napięciem i wydajnością prądową. Diody występują w wielu konfiguracjach, takich jak: Metalowe opakowanie Mocowanie szpilkowe Plastikowe etui z opaską Plastikowa obudowa ze ścięciem Szklana obudowa Diody są spolaryzowane do przodu, gdy pozwalają na przepływ prądu, a gdy są spolaryzowane do tyłu, nie pozwalają na przepływ prądu i działają jako izolator. Wcześniejsze Strzałka symbolu na schemacie obwodu diody wskazuje na kierunek przepływu elektronów. Napięcie przyłożone do anody jest dodatnie w stosunku do katody. Ponadto napięcie w diodzie jest wyższe niż napięcie progowe, działa więc jako zwarcie i umożliwia przepływ prądu. Jeśli stan katody jest dodatni względem anody, dioda jest spolaryzowana odwrotnie. Będzie wtedy działać jako obwód otwarty; dlatego żaden prąd nie będzie płynął. Do czego służą diody? Wcześniejsze Ochrona przed prądem wstecznym Diody blokujące są używane w niektórych obwodach elektronicznych do ochrony, na przykład w przypadku problemu z przypadkowym odwrotnym połączeniem: Podłączanie zasilania DC w nieprawidłowy sposób Odwrotne polaryzacje Ponieważ przepływ prądu w złym kierunku może uszkodzić inne elementy obwodu. Prosty regulator napięcia Regulatory napięcia służą do obniżania napięcia wejściowego do wymaganego poziomu i utrzymują go na stabilnym poziomie pomimo wahań napięcia zasilania. Mogą również regulować napięcia wyjściowe, diody Zenera są zwykle używane jako regulator napięcia, ponieważ są zaprojektowane do pracy w stanie odwróconego polaryzacji, ale zachowują się jak normalne diody sygnałowe, gdy jest ustawione w przód.

CMD - Command Promt Before Windows was created, the most usual operating system that ran on computers was DOS (Disk Operating System). ​ I can remember learning how to use DOS and still use it on a regular basis. ​ Over time, newer versions of Windows were developed, and DOS was finally phased out with Windows ME. However, even with Windows 7, 8, 10, and 11, the CMD (Command Line) in DOS (disk operating system) system still runs in the background, and a command line or command prompt window can still be opened. It has a similar appearance to DOS and can be a useful tool when diagnosing problems. ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ The command prompt/line is also used in Linux operating systems and many seasoned computer users use the command line as much as the graphical user interface. ​ Whether you are using MS Windows, macOS or Linux, there is a Shell, (Shell is a computer program that presents a command-line interface that allows you to control your computer using commands entered with a keyboard instead of controlling graphical user interfaces (GUIs) with a mouse/keyboard combination), Console window or the likes lurking in the background. Windows and Linux use different commands to access and use these Shells, so if you use both you will need to learn two types of command language. Using the Command Prompt or Dos Window ​ When people refer to the command prompt, they may refer to it in different ways. Some call it: ​ A Shell Console Window Command Prompt Cmd Prompt Terminal Command Line DOS ​ To find and open an MS-DOS prompt or Windows command line for the various Windows versions press the Window key and type CMD , this will highlight the Command Prompt , then click it to open the shell.

HDD Error Management Hard Drive Error Management ​ A healthy primary becoming a RAW partition can be caused by several reasons, such as: ​ Virus infection Format failure Accidental OS shutdown Power outages ​ How to do RAW partition fix easily in Windows 7/8/10? There are a few ways you could choose from. ​ DISCLAIMER: The examples that I have illustrated are ones I employ to deal with hard drive problems. They might be dangerous to use for some systems. These procedures may also be ineffective. If you try them, you may cause damage or irreparable data loss. Because of this take great care. Therefore, I take no responsibility for anything you do based on my examples or the information that I have provided. ​ How to Fix: Internal or External HDDs that became RAW. A commonplace and bewildering problem with computers is the unexpected and mysterious disappearance of a hard drive (HHD) that has been working properly. It can be a horrendous experience to suddenly find that your data might be gone forevermore. I still get the stomach tightening when a message box reports that your HDD has given up the ghost. ​ It is easy to say, ‘ Don’t panic ’, but most inexperienced people will have that gut-wrenching moment when the hard drive is no longer usable. ​ If approached sensibly and carefully, the situation can usually be resolved, and the data saved. Below we will look at a few of the causes, fixes, and preventative measures for occurrences involving HDDs used with Windows XP and Windows Vista/7/8, Yes, I know they are old systems, but I know of a major computer store that still uses XP because of the cost and management implications of upgrading to MS Windows 10. ​ Error Messages Usual error messages associated with the inability to access an HDD. When attempting to access the drive in Windows you may see a message asking you to format the drive - ‘You need to format the disk in drive before you can use it, Do you want to format it?’ ​ DO NOT FORMAT THE DRIVE Another error that you may see when trying to access the drive in Windows from a program or the command line is - ‘ This volume does not contain a recognised file system. Please make sure that all required file system drivers are loaded, and that the volume is not corrupted. ’ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Attempting to run chkdsk with a RAW HDD to repair the problem will give the error – ‘chkdsk cannot be run on the drive’ The type of the file system is RAW. CHKDSK is not available for RAW drives.’ Before going on, you need to be aware of the risks involved. ​ If the problem with the drive is not a logical error but is a symptom of physical damage, the more you try to use or repair it, the worse the damage may become. ​ The drive should not be making strange clicking or beeping noises. If this occurs it indicates physical damage. ​ In these situations, I disconnect the drive from my windows machine and plug it into a purely Linux machine to repair or recover the data. Even so, this can make the situation worse. ​ If you wish to continue your own there are a couple of important rules to remember. If you do not have a dual boot system with Linux perhaps a friend does. ​ Do Not try to write anything to the raw DRIVE apart from trying to repair the Master Boot Record (MBR) and Boot Sector. Any other data transfer, deleting partitions, or attempting to format the drive can overwrite data on the drive. ​ If you have important data or photographs on the drive do not mess about it, take/send it to a professional for data retrieval. ​ Computer problems are erratic and not set in stone. So, try other ideas, search the web. Not every option will work so it is important to think laterally. ​ If the drive does not hold important data you can try to format it using the command line - I have had several successes, but also many failures. ​ If you do not need any of the data - use the 'Disk Clean' method below Open the Disk Management window and click on Disk Management in the left pane and make note of the disk in the middle pane of the disk that you want to clean or clean all (Fig: Be sure that you have the correct disk, check the number, mine is drive ‘T’ No. 4. You would not want to wipe clean the wrong disk. Press the Windows + C keys to open the search dialog, type command on the left side of your screen right-click the ‘ Command Prompt ’ tab and choose ‘ Run as Administrator ’ at the bottom of the page, and click the link. Once the Shell opens (Fig: 1) a line will display: C:\WINDOWS\system32\ Fig: 1 Type ‘ diskpart ’ (Fig: 2) and press ‘ Enter ’ Fig: 2 Beside DISKPART> type ‘ list disk ’ and press ‘ Enter ’ ​ You will see in (Fig: 3) that there are 6 disks listed 0 to 5, remember I am using disk 4. (Double, no triple check you have the correct disk before continuing) Fig: 3 Now the prompt (Fig: 4) displays ‘ Disk 4 is now the selected disk ’ ​ Beside DISKPART > type ‘ list disk ’ and press ‘ Enter ’ You will see in (Fig: 4) that I have 6 disks listed 0 to 5, remember I am using disk 4. (Double, no triple check you have the correct disk before continuing) ​ Beside DISKPART > type ‘clean’ and then press ‘ Enter ’ Fig: 4 Disk 4 will now be cleaned, once complete it will state ‘ DiskPart succeeded in cleaning the disk ’ (Fig: 5). Fig: 5 For a full clean, just type ‘ clean all ’ instead of ‘ clean ’ and press ‘ Enter ’ as before – a clean all will take many hours if you are using it on a large drive. ​ Go back to the Disk Management screen and format the drive, normally it will format fine using efat system, but I have had problems with some hard drives reverting back to RAW when trying to format them in NTSF .