Harry P.

Yes.

The model was photographed on a bright white paper background, then I used Photoshop to adjust the brightness and contrast so that the background becomes pure white.

I don't even want to think about that.

Just put this one "Under Glass."

Got the second MRI done earlier today. Just as creepy and noisy as the first one. Now the lab will send the images and their written analysis to the orthopedist, who will go over their findings and the images and make his diagnosis. Then I will see him in a day or two to learn the bad news. Boy, life sucks right now.

This is the recent (2015) Italeri release of a car that was built for one reason only: to break the existing land speed record (which it did). Scale is 1/12, and if any of you have any questions or want further info on this car or this kit, a fully detailed, blow-by-blow WIP can be found here. The only thing I haven't finished is the hood hold-down straps. At this scale, I can't make the buckles functional, let alone last through more than one or two openings/closings, so I'm showing the model here with one last chance to see the engine. Once I install the belts, the hood is shut for good. I will post new photos of the model once the straps are installed. But for now, I'll call it "finished."

The results of m MRI are inconclusive. The doc said he couldn't see anything particularly wrong... so this afternoon at 5pm I have to get another one, this time from a different angle. At least this time I'll know what to expect, and all those clanging and jackhammer noises won't freak me out like they did on the last one.

Yes, I know that different gear sizes would affect top speed. But it's only a model.

It's 3:35 AM. Pain is intense. I don't know how much longer I can live with this. Something has to change. I can't take this anymore.

Well, I start out in the bed. And after a few minutes of tossing and turning and trying to find a position–any position–where the pain is less, and not being successful, I go to the living room and try the chair. It's not a recliner, but it's a big, cushy leather chair that I can sort of "spread out" in. Some nights I actually feel less pain in the chair, some nights it makes no difference, so I go back to the bed... then the chair... then the bed again... you can imagine how fun my nights are. And if you look at some of the time stamps on my posts, you'll see that I definitely wasn't sleeping that night.

Actually I also have some prescription Vicodin, too. Man, with all the meds I currently have, I could make a good living as a drug dealer!

Well, I guess somebody has to do it. Just glad it's not me!

I use the el-cheapo "Tupperware" knockoffs from Walmart. They cost a buck or two and come in many different sizes (with snap-on lids).

Hilarious! Corporate Speak at its finest! And the best part is... he wasn't kidding!

And now we cross the line into insanity. I used a razor saw to slice off some of the molded-on nut and bolt detail on the kit sprocket and glued them to the Grandt Line sprocket. Hard to see in the photo because we're talking tiny here, people. While the larger kit sprocket has eight nut/bolts, I only used four on the smaller Grandt Line sprockets. The reason the sftermarket sprocket is so much smaller than the kit sprocket is because the next size up for the Grandt Line sprockets would have been bigger than the kit sprockets and so would not have fit under the chain guard. So I had to go with a smaller sprocket to avoid scratchbuilding new chain guards.

Next, I scrounged around in my stash of rod and tubing and found some styrene tubing that wouldn't quite fit into the sprocket shaft. Using a small round file, I opened up the shaft hole just enough so that the styrene tubing would have a nice, tight friction fit. I left the end of the tubing back a ways in the sprocket shaft. You'll see why in a sec... Then I cut the tubing flush with the other side of the sprocket. This tubing "sleeve" was needed so that I could use the kit-supplied screws to eventually attach the sprocket. Unmodified Grandt Line sprocket on the left, modified one with styrene tubing "sleeve" and kit-supplied mounting screw on the right...

The Grandt Line front sprockets also needed changes made so they would work on the model. First, about half of the protruding mounting shaft was sawn off with a razor saw. Before (left) and after (right)... A brave shish-ka-bob skewer gave its life in this operation (man, those things really have 1,001 uses!).

Tramadol is one of the ones I've been prescribed. In fact it's right here in front of me.

Revised sprocket with Grandt Line gear teeth... I got lucky. The diameter of the aftermarket gear ring and the kit sprocket front is identical! In fact, in this photo it's almost impossible to see the joint (as in real life).

I have been on 6-7 different pain meds... none of them worked. So now all I take is OTC stuff once in a while...ibuprofen or Aleve. The doc said today that pending the second MRI results, I might need cortisone/steroid shots. He said it usually takes from one to three injections, and the results (no more pain) can last a long time... months, even years, before another shot is needed. He described how the sciatic nerve feeds through a small opening in the bone as it passes from the spine and on down your leg. He said that small opening may have become smaller over time due to normal aging (calcium deposits, etc.) and the nerve is now being "pinched" at that point. If that is the case, the only remedy is surgery. But it all comes down to what he will see on the second MRI. And no... lotta pain, very little sleep. Got maybe three hours last night, and that is a lot for me lately. Too many nights where I get zero sleep.

Finally met with the orthopedist today regarding the MRI (he was so booked up that I had to wait a week between the MRI and seeing him). The good news is... he sees nothing particularly out of the ordinary in the MRI results. The bad news is... since something is causing my pain, I have to go back and get another MRI from a different angle. Tomorrow at 5 PM. Oh goody... so looking forward to this...

Here is the kit sprocket teeth removed from the kit sprocket (center), and the replacement teeth on the right... The circle of tape on the sprocket is where it glues to the back of the rear wheel. By taping off the area now, I can then paint the sprocket, peel off the tape and reveal the bare plastic gluing surface. No paint scraping necessary!

Next, the spokes and hub of the Grandt Line sprockets had to be removed. All I want is the ring of teeth...