What is wrong with just building things (or me)?

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steveracer
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Re: What is wrong with just building things (or me)?

Post by steveracer »

Sometimes I just get a few items done at the bench at night, then mess around cleaning up, organizing things, rummaging through old parts boxes looking for spare parts, listening to music and having a beer, looking at old Scale Auto magazines for entertainment, looking at my stash and deciding what next to build, what is rare, all that stuff.

It is lucky I get a model built. This year I have built more than in the past ten years. And I have 5 or 6 going at once in varying states of build.

Typically I am a box stock builder. My Ferrari 512bb 1/16 Revell kit is just that. Nothing fancy but strive for fit and finish and quality paint and execution. This year I will share one later with you guys that for me is quite detailed with small scratch building pieces, wiring and some trickery with the bodywork and chassis to make the model look correct. That is a process really new to me and I am most pleased with it's progress. It also leads to me having some beers and tunes instead as I don't feel comfortable at times doing that detail work. And AFRAID of failure on the paint side, always an issue.

So in a way you are not alone. I am kinda anonymous so check me in at the door.
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fooesboy
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Re: What is wrong with just building things (or me)?

Post by fooesboy »

Hi Roman,

I know that you have recently joined the LSP forum, given your interest in the Dr1 and this thread I thought you might like this build log.
https://forum.largescaleplanes.com/inde ... -skeletal/
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Re: What is wrong with just building things (or me)?

Post by turboF1 »

steveracer wrote:Sometimes I just get a few items done at the bench at night, then mess around cleaning up, organizing things, rummaging through old parts boxes looking for spare parts, listening to music and having a beer, looking at old Scale Auto magazines for entertainment, looking at my stash and deciding what next to build, what is rare, all that stuff.
That is what I do. For me it’s more about relaxing after work when the kids are asleep. Sometimes I’ll just think about how I’ll put something together and then go to bed.
I also agree that what I strive for is the best OOB build with an emphasis on paint and good assembly. I try to limit any modifications to CF decals, and small
PE details like rear wing enhancements. That’s it. I’m not an advanced modeler and don’t strive to be at this time in my hobby. Someday I can see going down that route but I’m not good enough yet for it to be fun.
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Re: What is wrong with just building things (or me)?

Post by Eagle »

I sympathize with you; my desires are too far beyond my building skills as I age; things I was good at [body painting, minute detailing] I can no longer accomplish to my satisfaction. I have resorted to curbside builds on my 'must haves' , a very few I have built both curbside and 'exposed' chassis versions. which is an expensive method. I have tried a few model building services but am not satisfied with the build quality and cost.
My advice is build to the best quality you are capable of, and not judge yourself badly when one of the expert forum builders here 'outbuild' you, admire their craftsman and be satisfied with that.
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tubegenius
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Re: What is wrong with just building things (or me)?

Post by tubegenius »

Well said, Eagle. Not starting a kit for fear of not being the best builder on the planet is no fun. We're here to have fun, not die with the biggest stash.
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fade_to_black
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Re: What is wrong with just building things (or me)?

Post by fade_to_black »

Oh well, since this is an anonymous meeting, I guess I can spit out my 2 cents. :lol:
I can really relate with sky1911, CK and the Advance Modeler Syndrome, as well as Eagle and tubegenius.

I just love building kits. When I was younger, I usually build a Tamiya kit (for instance a rally car or similar) in 5 days, with very good looking paint job and detail, without shortcuts. But I had no airbrush, did not make research on the cockpit, did not had to choose between XF-something or the Mr Hobby color range, did not put fabric and PE seatbelts and wasn't scared to ruin the decals with clearcoat, because I did not had those options.

But then came the Advance Modeler Syndrome, and I am now dealing with clearcoat and an airbrush problem. And I spent a lot of time searching at reference photos of cars with few photos. For instance, I am trying to finish a Tamiya Ford Escort in Repsol trim. I have one with the whale tail, so I would like to take a go on the WRC wing format, which is an "easy" scratch build. But that means change the front bumper. And that it NOT easy... so I spent a lot of time thinking to have it a go or not... It never raced with Gr A front bumper and WRC wing... and I don't have any reference photo for the cockpit...

And then, comes in Eagle and tubegenius thoughts... this is an hobby. If we have pleasure to build it with lots of add-ons or fully scratch, it's fine! If we do it curbside, with some shortcut, it is fine as well! More, if we do a never race version, F!!! it. It is fine, as long as we have pleasure painting some parts, create some others or do it our way

I am just struggling with clear coat, beacause I want my models to endure over time, otherwise, I am trying to get back to the times when I could finish a car in the least possible time, enjoying the process and getting to another one

Take care!
Finishing: Sauber C30; Lotus 107C
Next: Porsche 917k; Ford Focus WRC 2010
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sky1911
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Re: What is wrong with just building things (or me)?

Post by sky1911 »

fooesboy wrote:Hi Roman,

I know that you have recently joined the LSP forum, given your interest in the Dr1 and this thread I thought you might like this build log.
https://forum.largescaleplanes.com/inde ... -skeletal/
Yup, although "recently" is a point of view as I signed up in 2017 and just marveled at the builds and techniques shown - and didn't post until recently. Funny btw, up until your post, I hadn't seen that build, but the triple build of the DR.1 was by the same guy and he even had a picture or two of the stripped DR.1 in it. At the time I thought it was a render or a clever photo montage. Turns out, it was the real thing. Thanks for the link. Now, please don't tempt me further ;).

On the opening boxes having a beer or wine and letting the imagination run free. I've done and keep doing that. I think I will try and force myself to just build a kit and build it OOB. See if I can actually do it ;). Actually I've already built one this year, a 1/72 Tie Fighter. But now I have to take it apart and airbrush it. I think this whole issue is a mind thing really. Fear of not being able to achieve the result you want to achieve keeps you from doing anything other than thinking about what could be. The shrinks probably have a fancy name for that. How do you "treat" it? Probably by just doing what you are afraid of. And what fade_to_black said rings a bell. Nike put it in their ads "Just do it!". ;) WIll probably report back next weekend with another session from the couch ;)
Cheers,
Roman

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Re: What is wrong with just building things (or me)?

Post by jaydar »

CK wrote:Hi Roman,

Someone call this AMS: "Advance Modeler Syndrome".

Well, hope everyone just relax and enjoy whatever we do with our hobby.
WOW, i haven't heard the term AMS since I moved from aircraft to cars...takes me back to lots of HyperScale discusssions.

Best regards,

Joe.
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