Miko
SMF Supporter
The reason we build models and what we get out of the experience seems to be quite variable, I would think nostalgia plays a part for many of us, it is a hobby most of us enjoyed as youngsters, and seen by many as a kids thing even today, although I can't think of any that do, but the one remaining local model shop in my area assures me kids do occasionally take home a kit which is encouraging. for the most part we are of a generation that learned the art of model building in the sixties to early eighties and significant amounts of pocket money filled the coffers of messrs Airfix Matchbox Revell et al! and now we have disposable income to indulge our preference we seem to be in a second golden age where every subject imaginable is available or easily could be with the advent of 3D printing, we are so spoiled for choice!
Personally, I build kits that have some interest to me usually in themes, I find the research one of the most enjoyable parts of the whole venture, I collect lots of books regarding military aviation, mostly British in origin, (and Japanese more recently) I have quite a collection of test pilot biographies which goes someway to explain my 'raspberry ripple' fetish! I like to connect in someway my current build to my next, making it one long progression, a journey if you like without a destination but many stops along the way. once a kit is built it goes on display in my modelling space on one of two Ikea 'Lack' shelves, builds move along like on a conveyor as further builds are added, once a build reaches the edge, it gets boxed up and placed in storage waiting for it's moment to make a guest appearance when appropriate. I can't have all my builds out on display at the same time, it would just be too cluttered for me.
A matter of exponential stash expansion is avoided by building in aforementioned themes, I once had a stash of many hundreds of kits of all manner of subjects and generas, it was quite cathartic to reduce down a more reasonable fifty or so, I achieve this by limiting the subjects I build to mostly aircraft, almost exclusively British military or JASDF (the Japanese thing is quite recent) and a handful of Cold War Soviet aircraft. I have nothing from before the cold war in the stash, nothing from the USAF, not since 1986 when TopGun was in the cinema I had to have an F-14 Tomcat! although I have build AFV's previously I have non in the stash, same thing with ships, I've never built a motorcycle but I do have one in the stash, this is more to a genra of modelling I started with my anime obsessed step daughter, this involves kits from Bandia and Kotobukiya of Gundam like female figures, the idea was to make stop motion movies with them, this goes a long way to explain my Japanese fascination!
I really enjoy classic kits, simple to build usually with low parts count, it's a test to my ever improving modelling skills to get a reasonable result that I'm happy to display. I not too concerned with super detail and finite accuracy, I don't understand those who measure their nice new kits, they are on a hiding to nothing and disappointment is almost inevitable, I have great admiration for super detailers who go to extraordinary lengths to add after market parts such as resin and photo etch, weathering too is a highly skilled art form! but it's not for me, I prefer the showroom look. and if someone wants to argue that my builds are wrong! I call it a 'what if'! They are always one hundred per cent accurate! What if builds are completely stress free and a nice distraction away from continuing a theme. I rarely 'arm' my military aircraft, I like to build more interesting and more colourful research and development aircraft, green and grey camouflage aircraft are very literally 'dull'! I don't have some pacifist agenda it's just arming my builds is mostly not needed, however, after reading a history of 74 Squadron RAF I've added a few to the stash to build their cold war jets, complete with 'what if's' of those types that didn't serve in the 'Tiger Squardon'
I could go on, but I suspect that's enough
What's your modelling philosophy, a recent thread suggested throwing kits away when they become problematic, is it just me that doesn't do that?
Miko (waiting for paint to dry)
Personally, I build kits that have some interest to me usually in themes, I find the research one of the most enjoyable parts of the whole venture, I collect lots of books regarding military aviation, mostly British in origin, (and Japanese more recently) I have quite a collection of test pilot biographies which goes someway to explain my 'raspberry ripple' fetish! I like to connect in someway my current build to my next, making it one long progression, a journey if you like without a destination but many stops along the way. once a kit is built it goes on display in my modelling space on one of two Ikea 'Lack' shelves, builds move along like on a conveyor as further builds are added, once a build reaches the edge, it gets boxed up and placed in storage waiting for it's moment to make a guest appearance when appropriate. I can't have all my builds out on display at the same time, it would just be too cluttered for me.
A matter of exponential stash expansion is avoided by building in aforementioned themes, I once had a stash of many hundreds of kits of all manner of subjects and generas, it was quite cathartic to reduce down a more reasonable fifty or so, I achieve this by limiting the subjects I build to mostly aircraft, almost exclusively British military or JASDF (the Japanese thing is quite recent) and a handful of Cold War Soviet aircraft. I have nothing from before the cold war in the stash, nothing from the USAF, not since 1986 when TopGun was in the cinema I had to have an F-14 Tomcat! although I have build AFV's previously I have non in the stash, same thing with ships, I've never built a motorcycle but I do have one in the stash, this is more to a genra of modelling I started with my anime obsessed step daughter, this involves kits from Bandia and Kotobukiya of Gundam like female figures, the idea was to make stop motion movies with them, this goes a long way to explain my Japanese fascination!
I really enjoy classic kits, simple to build usually with low parts count, it's a test to my ever improving modelling skills to get a reasonable result that I'm happy to display. I not too concerned with super detail and finite accuracy, I don't understand those who measure their nice new kits, they are on a hiding to nothing and disappointment is almost inevitable, I have great admiration for super detailers who go to extraordinary lengths to add after market parts such as resin and photo etch, weathering too is a highly skilled art form! but it's not for me, I prefer the showroom look. and if someone wants to argue that my builds are wrong! I call it a 'what if'! They are always one hundred per cent accurate! What if builds are completely stress free and a nice distraction away from continuing a theme. I rarely 'arm' my military aircraft, I like to build more interesting and more colourful research and development aircraft, green and grey camouflage aircraft are very literally 'dull'! I don't have some pacifist agenda it's just arming my builds is mostly not needed, however, after reading a history of 74 Squadron RAF I've added a few to the stash to build their cold war jets, complete with 'what if's' of those types that didn't serve in the 'Tiger Squardon'
I could go on, but I suspect that's enough
What's your modelling philosophy, a recent thread suggested throwing kits away when they become problematic, is it just me that doesn't do that?
Miko (waiting for paint to dry)
), get high on TET, get my hands skin cracked by the 
) and my fingers stuck by superglue (see previous parenthesis...
), fight against a sputtering 
Ok, not exactly, but being a NASA test pilot would have been my dream job. I was a professional Rugby player for 22yrs.,.................Fed LEO. They run, we Ruck Over, HA! Where else could a guy be given a 4x4 for a company ride and get paid to play Rugby everyday? I can think of no other. I'll keep it a mystery and let you figure that one out.
