# Aurora Frog restoration WIP.



## Auroranut (Jan 12, 2008)

Hi guys,
as you all know Denis and Marko gave bought me (at not inconsiderable expense!:drunk another of my grails- the Castle Creatures Frog. I'll be doing a WIP from start to finish showing how I restore old rare kits.
I did have a pic of Floyd (that's his adopted name) as he was but I've accidentally deleted it (yes folks I'm an idiot). Denis, would you be able to post a good pic of him for me please? It's too late for me...
The first thing I did was inspect it to see how the buildup looked paying particular attention to the seams and how much glue was used. I prodded around the glue which looked very thick but my knife kept hitting air bubbles and it ended up that the glue was very brittle. So far so good...
Once I'd decided how much to take apart I started to strip down the base. The way I like to do it is to make some cuts under the base around all the pins and tabs. I cut as far as I think the base is thick....










...then I cut through the join between parts being VERY careful not to slice either part as much as possible. With the frog I'm working on in the pic I started at the back of the foot and nicked away 'til it felt like I'd hit the tab (you develop a feel for it after a few restos) then I worked my way around the feet...(please excuse the poor quality of this pic)










No damage to the frog and hardly any damage to the base. What damage there is is hidden under the feet.
Once the whole part is loose I push on the tab and the part comes free intact. I'll tidy around the parts and clean up the seams to remove the old glue. 

Chris.


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## mcdougall (Oct 28, 2007)

Denis, would you be able to post a good pic of him for me please? 
Sure Chris...Here ya go...








Cheers
Denis


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## Auroranut (Jan 12, 2008)

To remove the frog suspended by his arms from the nameplate I had to sacrifice the surface of one of the parts. The nameplate has a square flat surface that'll be easy to repair so I kept the frog intact. When I made my cut I took a slight shaving from the top of the nameplate which allowed me to remove the frog with no damage. It helped a lot that the glue was bubbly and gave way easily. I'll use Zap-A-Gap to rebuild the edge of the nameplate....










Here's a pic of the stripped base. You can see all the glue stains but it's also easy to see just how little was actually holding the parts! All tabs and pins on the parts are intact and Floyd was only just in contact with the base.The tabs weren't even in the holes ! Most of the glue holding him down was on his butt.
The glue staining makes the base look bad but it's not bad at all and will clean up great! once the contact scars are repaired and the parts primed you'll never tell that it had been assembled (I hope)....










more very soon.... I'm having a blast!!!:woohoo:

Chris.


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## Auroranut (Jan 12, 2008)

Thanks Denis:thumbsup: It just wouldn't be the same without a pic of the unstarted kit....

Chris.


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## mcdougall (Oct 28, 2007)

.....a couple more, before restoration!
Denis


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## Auroranut (Jan 12, 2008)

Thanks again mate. In these shots you can see how bad the glue looks. The parts almost appear to be welded....

Chris.


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## rkoenn (Dec 18, 2007)

There's frogs everywhere! Quick, where's the net? We need to capture them before they run amok!


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## Auroranut (Jan 12, 2008)

Frogs are cool! I just hope Vampy doesn't live up to her name- can you imagine little vampire frogs running around? Little Frogulas......

Chris.


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## MonsterModelMan (Dec 20, 2000)

Chris,

I've always loved this kit... FROGs are cool!

Looking forward to your WIP pics.

MMM


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## Auroranut (Jan 12, 2008)

It's definitely a must have for me MMM! I love these humourous kits- they have a charm all of their own. 
There'll be more pics in the next day or two.

Chris.


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## Marko (Jul 11, 2002)

Hey Chris!! Thanks for posting as you go. That is really a charming kit. Love that silly stuff. Good luck on the building process. Denis is King!


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## Cro-Magnon Man (Jun 11, 2001)

Yep, good luck on the building - "May your seams never show, especially after you've finished the paintjob"


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## IanWilkinson (Apr 23, 2010)

this kit is amazing!.. wish i had picked it up when first released!.. the prices now are too much for me!.. there is a sealed kit on ebay now!.. way too much!


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## hedorah59 (Nov 24, 2008)

And he's off! Go Chris go! :thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:


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## MadCap Romanian (Oct 29, 2005)

Looks like you need a bottle of Debonder Chris!


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## deadmanincfan (Mar 11, 2008)

How can I NOT love this kit? I live in Calaveras County, home of Mark Twain's "Celebrated Jumping Frog"! Lookin' sharp so far, Chris! Glad the old glue isn't going to be an issue!


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## Auroranut (Jan 12, 2008)

Thanks for the good vibes guys:wave:.
I've been working on the nameplate and base today. I'll have pics up tomorrow (tonight HT time).
Trevor, I have my own cement debonder- it's razor sharp......:thumbsup:

Chris.


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## Auroranut (Jan 12, 2008)

Marko said:


> Hey Chris!! Thanks for posting as you go. That is really a charming kit. Love that silly stuff. Good luck on the building process. Denis is King!


 Mate, you're both kings in my book:wave:.
It really is a charming kit Marko. It's like the Vampire, Mad Professionals, and the Whoozis- nothing but pure fun! I really love these funny kits. Born Losers, Finks, Weirdos (though I'm partial to the Frantics),etc. So many.....
But in my opinion the Castle Creatures top the list!!!

Cheers mate. 
Chris.:wave:


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## Auroranut (Jan 12, 2008)

deadmanincfan said:


> How can I NOT love this kit? I live in Calaveras County, home of Mark Twain's "Celebrated Jumping Frog"! Lookin' sharp so far, Chris! Glad the old glue isn't going to be an issue!


 It'd be fantastic if one of our favourite manufacturers could reissue the Castle Creatures James! If they ever see the light of day again do yourself a favour....

Chris.:wave:


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## Auroranut (Jan 12, 2008)

The computer's not reading my camera card thingy!:woohoo: My father's gonna have a look at the problem soon so I'll put them on ASAP.....

Chris.


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## mcdougall (Oct 28, 2007)

Cool Chris...I love WIPS on Aurora Classics :thumbsup:
Hope it's all going alright :wave:
Denis


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## Auroranut (Jan 12, 2008)

It's going swimmingly Denis:thumbsup:. 
Last night I got adventurous and removed Floyds left leg.... no damage whatsoever apart from the tab. It looks like the tabs were glued then at a later stage they ran a thin bead of glue around the seams. Once the seams are scored the parts separate pretty easily but I'm not gonna chance taking the arms off.....
No joke- I actually dreamt of how I'm going to restore him last night. I really do need to get a life.....
This is the most fun resto I've ever done!!!:woohoo:

Chris.


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## deadmanincfan (Mar 11, 2008)

Auroranut said:


> It'd be fantastic if one of our favourite manufacturers could reissue the Castle Creatures James! If they ever see the light of day again do yourself a favour....
> 
> Chris.:wave:


Chris, if ever there's a reissue kit I'm ready to hop on :tongue: it's this one! When I saw the Frog advertised on the backs of DC Comics in the '60s, I always thought, "Man, THAT is a model I want to get!" Alas, no happiness there... ...and can you believe I NEVER saw the Vampire until you guys posted her here?


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## Auroranut (Jan 12, 2008)

It's my camera card thingy that seems to be the problem. I lost the pics of the finished sign and base in the raw so I'll just have to describe what I did-
I gently scraped all the old glue off the base with a curved blade then very lightly sanded the damaged spots with 800grit paper. I then used Tamiya liquid cement to put the texture back in. After the cement dried hard I very lightly sanded the lumps with 1200. The repairs are almost invisible!
Here's a couple of pics of the primed parts....



















The repairs to the sign are invisible. The only filler is superglue and it's impossible to see where the repairs are. That's 2 parts ready for paint.....
Next come the little girlie frogs.....

Chris.


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## mcdougall (Oct 28, 2007)

Beautiful work Chris...invisible repairs ...Looking good :thumbsup:
Denis


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## Auroranut (Jan 12, 2008)

Thanks Denis.
Sorry about the blurry pics. I'll take more once the little frogs are cleaned up (they're nearly finished).

Chris.


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## deadmanincfan (Mar 11, 2008)

Repairs? What repairs? Looks like pristine Aurora plastic primed and ready to go to me...beautiful work, Chris!


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## Auroranut (Jan 12, 2008)

Thanks James. It's getting there that's for sure!

Chris.


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## Auroranut (Jan 12, 2008)

Well, Floyds little admirers are all cleaned up and primed. In the pic they're not fully seated in their holes but they fit really well. Next is Floyd himself.....










Chris.


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## mcdougall (Oct 28, 2007)

deadmanincfan said:


> Repairs? What repairs? Looks like pristine Aurora plastic primed and ready to go to me...beautiful work, Chris!


Agreed :thumbsup: Man Chris this is shaping up nicely!
Denis


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## Auroranut (Jan 12, 2008)

Thanks Denis. It's powering along great! 
The big job is gonna be making sure Floyd fits the base correctly. I've managed to remove his left leg but when you look at him side on it's apparent both legs need to be removed to get him to sit correctly:drunk:. Now the fun starts.....

Chris.


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## mcdougall (Oct 28, 2007)

Hey Chris, just steering a bit off Topic (you know me)
But just now on Ebay a MIB Frog kit sold for $1049.00
Check it out... http://cgi.ebay.com/Aurora-1960s-FR...Domain_0&hash=item5193dadb0a&autorefresh=true
Rare kit indeed :thumbsup:
Denis


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## bizzarobrian (Oct 4, 2009)

Wish someone would repop this kit!!


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## Chinxy (May 23, 2003)

Denis, am I reading that bid currently?:freak: I have that kit too in the box but WHY???????? Guess someone wanted it really bad!:drunk:

Chinxy!:dude:


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## mcdougall (Oct 28, 2007)

Chinxy said:


> Denis, am I reading that bid currently?:freak: I have that kit too in the box but WHY???????? Guess someone wanted it really bad!:drunk:
> 
> Chinxy!:dude:


There were 26 bids and if you Check the bidders out there were 5 main guys that drove it very high ... It must be a pretty desirable piece:thumbsup:
Now back to Chris' WIP !
Mcdee


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## bizzarobrian (Oct 4, 2009)

mcdougall said:


> There were 26 bids and if you Check the bidders out there were 5 main guys that drove it very high ... It must be a pretty desirable piece:thumbsup:
> Now back to Chris' WIP !
> Mcdee


Just another valid reason to repop it.


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## Auroranut (Jan 12, 2008)

mcdougall said:


> Hey Chris, just steering a bit off Topic (you know me)
> But just now on Ebay a MIB Frog kit sold for $1049.00
> Check it out... http://cgi.ebay.com/Aurora-1960s-FR...Domain_0&hash=item5193dadb0a&autorefresh=true
> Rare kit indeed :thumbsup:
> Denis


Off topic?? I've never known you to go off topic before....
Mate, that's incredible!! It just shows how desirable this kit is!! I wonder how many others are gonna pop up now....
The Castle Creatures definitely need to be repopped just so everyone gets a chance to build these beauties. If Atlantis was to decide to give them a go I doubt they'd have to look to hard for the pattern kits (hint hint...) I can direct them to a couple of unbuilt kits for a small consideration....

Chris.


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## mcdougall (Oct 28, 2007)

Auroranut said:


> Off topic?? I've never known you to go off topic before....
> Mate, that's incredible!! It just shows how desirable this kit is!! I wonder how many others are gonna pop up now....
> The Castle Creatures definitely need to be repopped just so everyone gets a chance to build these beauties. If Atlantis was to decide to give them a go I doubt they'd have to look to hard for the pattern kits (hint hint...) I can direct them to a couple of unbuilt kits for a small consideration....
> 
> Chris.


Hmmm I wonder if those old molds still exist somewhere?? or would they have to be reverse engineered...
Mcdee


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## Auroranut (Jan 12, 2008)

Well Denis, I'm probably wrong as usual but I'd say the molds for these ones are long gone. I can't imagine Monogram taking these ones seriously and they're reported to have gotten rid of some of the molds for the copper beryllium. I also suspect the last time they came out was when the molds were in Holland (it was cheaper to send the molds overseas than send kits- something to do with government duties and taxes) so who really knows? Maybe the molds had to be sent back to the US and they're tucked away somewhere...
The Castle Creatures really should be repopped.....

Chris.


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## mcdougall (Oct 28, 2007)

Auroranut said:


> Well Denis, I'm probably wrong as usual but I'd say the molds for these ones are long gone. I can't imagine Monogram taking these ones seriously and they're reported to have gotten rid of some of the molds for the copper beryllium. I also suspect the last time they came out was when the molds were in Holland (it was cheaper to send the molds overseas than send kits- something to do with government duties and taxes) so who really knows? Maybe the molds had to be sent back to the US and they're tucked away somewhere...
> The Castle Creatures really should be repopped.....
> 
> Chris.


Yes Chris , that would be very cool ...but like Randy says...Nothing like an Original :thumbsup:
...Now... How is Floyd doing???
Mcdee


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## Auroranut (Jan 12, 2008)

Floyd's still in surgery mate. I have no choice but to remove the right leg as well if I want him to sit properly on the base. It's either that or take a chunk out of his arse and I really don't want to modify such a rare kit!! Did you notice while he was with you that his legs weren't sitting level and flat on the base? The tab on his left leg wasn't even in the slot!! It looks to me that whoever built him originally put him on a table to dry and his legs shifted higher on his body so the tabs (not the bottoms of his legs) were level with his bum and it threw the whole figure out of kilter. When he's done he'll be as Aurora intended him to be....:thumbsup:

Chris.


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## Zathros (Dec 21, 2000)

mcdougall said:


> Hmmm I wonder if those old molds still exist somewhere?? or would they have to be reverse engineered...
> Mcdee


*I believe those molds were destroyed long ago...They are not on the revell/ monogram list of aurora tools that I have seen.and we need to keep in mind that even though a sealed kit sold for $1,049.00, does not mean a full production run of say..4,000 kits would sell well...its an esoteric subject...The vampire, due to the nature of her being a horror/silly style subject, might do better..but still, imo, not enough for atlantis or even moebius to justify tooling costs..to me..it would be a risky gamble...and don't get me wrong here...I LOVE those kits..but repopping them...I dont think, would be on any companies future plans...but as we've seen before..anything can happen...but I wouldn't be too optimistic on these...


Z
*


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## Auroranut (Jan 12, 2008)

This is probably gonna sound really stupid or naive but I feel kind of funny sometimes knowing I have these kits when there's guys out there who'd love to be able to have them in their collections too. I don't want them for their rarity or to say I have them and no one else does- I want them because I like them. If it was within my means I'd pay for Moebius, Monarch, or Atlantis to repop them myself!! I know exactly where you're coming from Zathros and I understand it'd be a major gamble from a purely business standpoint but it'd still be great to see (maybe if some of the other kits sold well enough to be able to justify the risk) one of the companies take a chance on these two.
I give full kudos and have immense admiration for Frank who has taken some bloody big risks putting out kits that most companies in their right minds wouldn't touch like Big Frankie, the MS series, and most recently the Confederate Raider. He's shaken things up enough that even Revell are testing the waters with 2 of the knights. I hope like hell they sell well. Maybe with the way our genre's going at the moment we might see a full on Aurora resurgence. As I said. Im probably being naive but I can hope....

Chris.


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## Zathros (Dec 21, 2000)

Auroranut said:


> This is probably gonna sound really stupid or naive but I feel kind of funny sometimes knowing I have these kits when there's guys out there who'd love to be able to have them in their collections too. I don't want them for their rarity or to say I have them and no one else does- I want them because I like them. If it was within my means I'd pay for Moebius, Monarch, or Atlantis to repop them myself!! I know exactly where you're coming from Zathros and I understand it'd be a major gamble from a purely business standpoint but it'd still be great to see (maybe if some of the other kits sold well enough to be able to justify the risk) one of the companies take a chance on these two.
> I give full kudos and have immense admiration for Frank who has taken some bloody big risks putting out kits that most companies in their right minds wouldn't touch like Big Frankie, the MS series, and most recently the Confederate Raider. He's shaken things up enough that even Revell are testing the waters with 2 of the knights. I hope like hell they sell well. Maybe with the way our genre's going at the moment we might see a full on Aurora resurgence. As I said. Im probably being naive but I can hope....
> 
> Chris.



*So far, according to Revell, The knights have been a disappointment,
and are not selling as good as they had hoped....'nuff said...

Z
*


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## Auroranut (Jan 12, 2008)

...damn....
That'll mean no Gold Knight....


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## Zathros (Dec 21, 2000)

Auroranut said:


> ...damn....
> That'll mean no Gold Knight....



*not necessarily.....

Z
*


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## Auroranut (Jan 12, 2008)

...oooooh.... is the thick plottening?.......

Chris.


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## MonsterModelMan (Dec 20, 2000)

I think your FROG kit will look much better with the feet being even with the base as intended. Don't chop off the arse...it needs that piece! LOL

On the other comment in this thread, not to stray too far off topic...well, if there was ever a clue...take a look at the horse and its pose in the original boxart of The Gold Knight. There is a pic of it in the Thomas Graham book of Aurura Model Kits on page 141. It looks mighty familiar to the same horse pose that Atlantis is already re-popping of Zorro (wink-wink)...so half of the molds are already done. But they have not made any announcements about the Gold Knight...I'm just saying is all...

Hmmmm, I would never say never on that not being done at this point!

MMM


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## Auroranut (Jan 12, 2008)

Yum yum.....










....tastes like rubber chicken...

Chris.


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## MadCap Romanian (Oct 29, 2005)

Frog Legs! Frog Legs! 

Now here is the one - A Frog Leg burger on a fried green bun!

Doc Harper - Muppet Movie.


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## Auroranut (Jan 12, 2008)

Chris.:wave:


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## mcdougall (Oct 28, 2007)

Hmmmm...Looks like the Australian Post Office has taught you some bad habbits 
Denis:wave:


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## Auroranut (Jan 12, 2008)

Yeah Denis- at least I'm only using small forks....

Chris.


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## deadmanincfan (Mar 11, 2008)

:jest::jest::jest:


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## Auroranut (Jan 12, 2008)

Here's a few more pics:
Here's Floyds left leg with the foot sticking up when it's supposed to be flat with the base:










Here's the foot after repair. It sits nice and level:










Here's Floyd all fixed, deseamed, primed and ready for paint:










Chris.


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## MonsterModelMan (Dec 20, 2000)

Much better Chris. Your corrections and seam work look great! :thumbsup:

Now get some paint on him. He looks naked! Maybe we need to put this in the Adult Forum?? LOL!

MMM


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## mcdougall (Oct 28, 2007)

Looking Good Chris:thumbsup:
Great Job on his foot and seams !
Lloyd is green with envy








Denis


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## Auroranut (Jan 12, 2008)

Thanks Denis and MMM. I'm really happy with the way he's coming up!! I can see in the leg pic that I need to do a little puttywork but it's only a smidge on the bottom of the join. 
Lloyd shouldn't be envious Denis- he won't have to go through Floyds surgery and also we know when you get around to building him he'll look great!:thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:.
Mate, I'm really itching to start the painting! He's honestly the most fun build I've undertaken since Vampy!!:woohoo:

Chris.


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## deadmanincfan (Mar 11, 2008)

Looking sharp, Chris! :thumbsup:


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## Auroranut (Jan 12, 2008)

Thanks James.
Painting starts tomorrow....

Chris.


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## Mitchellmania (Feb 14, 2002)

I love seeing these old kits! Great work!


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## otto (Jan 1, 1970)

Coming along quite well Nut!


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## OzyMandias (Dec 29, 2004)

Floyd's looking great Chris! Looking forward to seeing the continuation of your WiP...


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## Auroranut (Jan 12, 2008)

Chinxy, PM sent....

Chris.


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## Chinxy (May 23, 2003)

Thanks Chris! 
Check out my lasted post. Lots of Aurora's!

Chinxy!:dude:


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## Auroranut (Jan 12, 2008)

Cool pic Chinxy!! How about some pics there of your whole Aurora collection????

Chris.


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## Auroranut (Jan 12, 2008)

Guys, I'm gonna cast the little frogs to help out a fellow Hobbytalker. Does anyone else need them to complete their kit????
Please LMK.....

Chris.


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## mcdougall (Oct 28, 2007)

Nah...already got 3...
Denis (ain't I a Stinker)


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## Auroranut (Jan 12, 2008)

If the mold works, I'll have dozens....:tongue:

Chris.


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## mcdougall (Oct 28, 2007)

Auroranut said:


> If the mold works, I'll have dozens....:tongue:
> 
> Chris.


Dozens of little froggies??????
Floyds' not a Frog....
He's a horney toad!
(ducks and runs...)
Mcdee


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## Auroranut (Jan 12, 2008)

With Vampy hanging around, do you blame him????
It explains their silly grins.....

Chris.


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## otto (Jan 1, 1970)

I had a frog in my throat awhile back, should I replace it?


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## Auroranut (Jan 12, 2008)

I'll send you a couple Otto, just don't choke on 'em.....

Chris.:wave:


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## OzyMandias (Dec 29, 2004)

Well, I was lucky enough to have Floyd as a guest in my house today. Chris brought him for a visit and I have to say I am in awe of Chris's modeling and restoration skills. The errors in the original build have been eliminated 'seamlessly' and he is well on the road to a successful completion. 
I can't wait to see the finished product!


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## Auroranut (Jan 12, 2008)

Well guys, Floyd's FINALLY finished!! He's been done for a few weeks now and I'm glad I can now post him here.










Here he is with his ghoulfriend Vampy. Don't they make a wonderful couple???...










Chris.


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## OzyMandias (Dec 29, 2004)

Ohhhhhh Chris, Floyd is beautiful!!! All that hard work really paid off Mate. Kudos. 

Great to see him in stately residence with Vampy. A classic pair reunited.


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## mcdougall (Oct 28, 2007)

Auroranut said:


> Well guys, Floyd's FINALLY finished!! He's been done for a few weeks now and I'm glad I can now post him here.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Wow Chris.... Lloyd never looked so good...!!!
...Excellent Job 
LOVE THE EYES!!!

Denis


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## Auroranut (Jan 12, 2008)

Thanks Bruce and Denis.
I enjoyed every minute of the resto and he and Vampy have pride of place in my collection.
Denis and Marko, I can't thank you enough for this great gift. I'm forever in your debt guys!! I never thought I'd ever see the Castle creatures in the flesh let alone own them!!
Denis, Marko and Ed, I love you guys....
This is one of the reasons Hobbytalk's such a great place!

Chris.


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## scooke123 (Apr 11, 2008)

Great work Chris!!!! What a nice pair of old Aurora kits for your collection. Well done!!!
Steve


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## deadmanincfan (Mar 11, 2008)

Ohhhh, Chris...that is BEAUTIFUL! Finally I get to see an actual build-up instead of the (admittedly very nice) box art. Wonderful work, mate!


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## Auroranut (Jan 12, 2008)

Thanks Steve and James.
I'm definitely lucky and fortunate to have these 2 grails...

Chris.


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## Whiteraven_2001 (Apr 12, 2008)

The frog's face reminds me of another character ... "Witch Hazel" from the Looney Tunes, perhaps? Or maybe Bugs' Halloween mask?


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## Marko (Jul 11, 2002)

Excellent work Chris. No seams showing and great paint job.


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