Custom Hearse Posted January 31, 2007 Share Posted January 31, 2007 When I was a wee lad, I used to hang out at my LHS in San Clemente, Ca. The lady who owned it, once asked me a question that inspired my builds from that day on. I had taken a Tom Daniels fire truck, and added the the front 3/4's of a dragster frame to it. Then I built 2 Hemi engines and added them to it. I finished it, and then took it to the LHS to see what they thought. The first question she asked was "Will it work in real life?" Ever since then, I've strived to build my models to that question.... Will it work in real life? She was the one person who truly inspired my work! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chromecop Posted January 31, 2007 Share Posted January 31, 2007 I don't know if I've ever had any advices like that when it comes to my hobby. But, I do however ask myself the same question as the woman in the LHS asked : Would it work in real life??? I always try to build my cars in a "functional" way.... (more or less, sometimes less LOL!!!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniel Peterson Posted January 31, 2007 Share Posted January 31, 2007 Interesting... I pretty much ask myself a similar question. "Would I want to drive it in real life?" Perhaps that explains the style I generally build in. The models would be driveable in real life. Doesn't matter if it's a drag car or a street machine. Taking it a step further, "Would I want to be seen driving it?" There were a handful of technical tidbits recommended to me at various points since I was a kid that overall improved my work...BMF, lacquers, polishing kits, sanding seams, and so on. They helped, but were more a subset of the overall approach. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
62rebel Posted January 31, 2007 Share Posted January 31, 2007 seems kind of odd to ask that question as regarding a tom daniels kit; most of them are pretty clearly a "concept" car and couldn't be driven if they did happen to be a real car in 1:1 ! not that they weren't cool; far from it! but in the area of styling exercises, i believe that imagination over engineering is the rule. make it WORK after you make it look cool! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ismaelg Posted January 31, 2007 Share Posted January 31, 2007 A good friend and my hobby mentor, asked me this question more than 15 years ago: "If you take a picture of it, does it looks real?" This question combines 2 of my hobbies: models and photography... Thanks, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Custom Hearse Posted January 31, 2007 Author Share Posted January 31, 2007 seems kind of odd to ask that question as regarding a tom daniels kit The kit that I used doesn't really matter.... What matters is that I learned something valuble from that experience. There was a person who wanted to see me do my best in my chosen hobby, and I was curious as to who else had a mentor, and what advice did they get. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Custom Hearse Posted January 31, 2007 Author Share Posted January 31, 2007 A good friend and my hobby mentor, asked me this question more than 15 years ago: "If you take a picture of it, does it looks real?" This question combines 2 of my hobbies: models and photography... Thanks, Your welcome! It's been 35 years since she asked me that.... My how time flies. I'm big on photography myself. I started to learn about it in high school, taking pics for the yearbook. I loved that class! Thank you for your reply, that was exactly what I was wanting to know! Thank you also Daniel, and Darryl. I think I've found the meaning of life.... If you build it, make it real! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
62rebel Posted January 31, 2007 Share Posted January 31, 2007 wasn't trying to sound sarcastic; sorry. i've gone from the days of $1.79 kits at drug fair and 15 cent tubes of testors' glue to $15 kits and $2 bottles of cement and paint, so i might seem cranky at times! building models is a way to express your imagination, IMHO; and however you choose to construct your idea is always up to you, yourself. some builders challenge themselves by limiting their builds to only what is in the box; some use anything and everything they can imagineer (thanks to walt disney for that word!) into a build. i admire any and all builds for the effort and care involved. i would suppose the best advice or support i was offered was to be more patient with my builds and not rush them. of all the skills required of a good model builder, patience is the one that pays off the highest dividends. one more thing; NEVER criticize a beginner modeler for making mistakes! point them out KINDLY and show how to avoid them in future. i've heard from so many people that they had given up as children on their first kit because someone had badly criticized their work. that's sort of the other piece of advice i learned as a youngster, only the other way around. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest zebm1 Posted February 1, 2007 Share Posted February 1, 2007 In 5th grade, while overseas, my Teacher Mr. Swain, told us that with our imaginations we could build our realities. I don't as a rule build replicas, I build my models as I would do them in real life. Race cars are painted and numbered my way. Customs are my way...tha only true replication is that they should look like they could be driven, if they could. Zeb Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soonerolds Posted February 1, 2007 Share Posted February 1, 2007 The best sisngle peice of advice i ever got was from Russ Schwelnkler who said, "Treat each part of the model like a model itself" I know that all of the master builders do that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Custom Hearse Posted February 1, 2007 Author Share Posted February 1, 2007 wasn't trying to sound sarcastic; sorry. i've gone from the days of $1.79 kits at drug fair and 15 cent tubes of testors' glue to $15 kits and $2 bottles of cement and paint, so i might seem cranky at times! building models is a way to express your imagination, IMHO; and however you choose to construct your idea is always up to you, yourself. some builders challenge themselves by limiting their builds to only what is in the box; some use anything and everything they can imagineer (thanks to walt disney for that word!) into a build. i admire any and all builds for the effort and care involved. i would suppose the best advice or support i was offered was to be more patient with my builds and not rush them. of all the skills required of a good model builder, patience is the one that pays off the highest dividends. one more thing; NEVER criticize a beginner modeler for making mistakes! point them out KINDLY and show how to avoid them in future. i've heard from so many people that they had given up as children on their first kit because someone had badly criticized their work. that's sort of the other piece of advice i learned as a youngster, only the other way around. I have to apologize myself.... I had no intention of sounding mad. Just not feeling well these last few days. Imagineer.... I'm from Orange County Ca. originally.... Believe me, I know that word! LOL!!!! I like seeing builds from anyone who does them, whether they are new at it, or old hands, I could never say anything bad about them.... I was once there myself. You seem to have had a great mentor! My mentor was the same way. She helped me with any question that I had, and even made me proud, when she took my dual Hemi firetruck, and put it in a case to display in her shop. Her husband was also a good friend to me, and hired me to build an airplane model for him. And I was only 9 years old at the time! LOL!!!! Anywho, I appreciate the response of the things that you learned when you were starting out! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crispy Posted February 1, 2007 Share Posted February 1, 2007 Just like soonerolds, the best advice I received was from Bill Geary. I had asked him a question and and received an email response just like that, build each part of the model as a model unto itself. I've since tried building that way and noticed a big improvement. Thank You Bill! Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billy Kingsley Posted February 1, 2007 Share Posted February 1, 2007 Man oh man...I've gotten so much advice from so many people, it's hard to limit anything... I can honestly say that I would no longer be a model car builder if not for the TNMCC, Rick Hanmore in particular... If I had to limit it to one thing, it would have to be when Rick and the guys taught me how to spray paint in August 2003 at the club Picnic...That was the turning point, for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zoom Zoom Posted February 1, 2007 Share Posted February 1, 2007 Can't say there is any one bit of advice that really opened my eyes, but in the early 90's I took to heart the "treat every part like it's a model itself" and the IPMS "pay attention to the basics" mantra. Helping to judge model contests was a great way for me to get an up-close look at the best ways to build/detail model cars, with lots of cross-discussion between the people on the judging teams, some of whom are very well-known. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barbo Posted February 1, 2007 Share Posted February 1, 2007 Well for me , I did not get any advice at first, What inspired me in modeling was the models used in special efects sci-fi and horror movies. King Kong , Ultraman, Voyage to the bottom of the sea, Land of the Giants, Lost in Space, War of the Worlds(original), Star Trek,etc.etc.etc. My first horror movie model was King Kong . From there on I kept building models,asking and recieving good advice in model buiding . I also got a great model kick by George Lucas and Star Wars. This situation has led me to a big problem , I just can't build a model and just let it stand by it self , I always have the need to add something to it , a figure, a tree , a street, a structure , a backdrop ,what ever...I am a Diorama fanatic....Barbo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
62rebel Posted February 1, 2007 Share Posted February 1, 2007 i'm a victim of that urge myself! i really do try sometimes to build a kit right out of the box but WHAM i get this demonic voice telling me to "just add this one thing, curt; it'll look so cool" and it just balloons from there! another great piece of advice is to research whatever it is you're building; even if it's fantasy there's a reference for it somewhere! the best part of that is the learning aspect; it teaches you the history attached to the subject just as much as building teaches math (OOOOh no not MATH!) while you're learning to calculate proportions and scale. for me, model building was never a "waste of time" as i've often heard it referred to by the unknowing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bob paeth Posted February 2, 2007 Share Posted February 2, 2007 This is a very good topic and I am glad to see so many responses. By the time I had any feedback on building it was too late to make a significant difference to me. I started my modeling experience some 69 years ago using rubber cars and changing them with modeling clay. With the plastic models getting under way in 1949 I gladly switched to a more durable material. However it was still a much alone hobby. I didn't meet another modeler until 1960. This meant 11 years of experimenting with techniques on my own. Let me say this, above all, realism should be the most important aspect of any build. A new comer to the hobby may not have the expertise to create an award winning model or anything close to it but he should be encouraged at all costs. So far as realism is concerned, most of Tom Daniels models, in my opinion, were "jokes". Perhaps along the lines of what would be at home on the comic page. In building a model, not only do I strive for realism in appearance but also if it could actually be built in a 1/1 situation. Case in point: If I want to change the windshield on a custom, I will fit a windshield from another kit rather than just making a new one out of a piece of clear plastic. I have judged models that looked "cool" in every aspect except that there was no possible spot to have an engine. How about the model that is so loaded down with paint that all door, hood and trunk lines are "filled in". I have seen models with no drive shafts, I have seen models with the tires cut off so that they could be lowered to the extreme and I have seen models with no semblance of a brakeing system . I will be lenient on some points, however. If you scale down the thickness of the styrene in any model, a 1/1 vehicle would have some pretty thick sheet metal. With this in mind I have never critisized a model that could not be steered because of a lack of fender clearance or any other part that might have been influenced by the wall thickness of the model. I seem to have gotten on a "soap box" here. Please excuse the tirade. Just chalk it up the the ravings of the resident curmudgeon. bob :shock: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j_nigrelli Posted February 2, 2007 Share Posted February 2, 2007 good points all. when i was just about 10 or 11 i had the then new AMT Chevy Nova wagon kit [with the little u-haul trailer]. i shared my great plans for this kit with someone [who will respectfully remain nameless]. enthusiastically i detailed how i would cut open the doors and tailgate and make them work, add upholstery, et cetera, et cetera. i concluded with "won't it be a cool model?" their response was "what does it matter, you'll never finish it anyway." so i guess the message is: be cautious in the advice you share. it can be either very beneficial or very detrimental.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jbwelda Posted February 2, 2007 Share Posted February 2, 2007 so did you finish it? anyway bob, im glad someone else shares my feeling about tom daniels creations. there is a place for them, but not on my building table im afraid. i dont believe i ever saw one that i liked. now ed roth on the other hand, he was my hero, rumours of empty chromed engine blocks, totally unusable bubble tops (ever wonder how it would feel under one of those in the california sun?), and all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
62rebel Posted February 2, 2007 Share Posted February 2, 2007 forget california sun; i read a great article on the ford futura show car (which barris made into the batmobile) and the drivers had to keep the sliding canopy opened to keep the heat and moisture down, even in the winter. a friend of mine worked an auction where one of the copycat cars built on LTD chassis were sold, he said it took three people to drive the car; one to operate the car itself and two spotters on the street to tell him when and where to turn! but i'd LOVE to have one of those copycats.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j_nigrelli Posted February 3, 2007 Share Posted February 3, 2007 well, Bill........ sort of...... i put it together with no paint and a couple of decals and then cut up a transistor radio earphone and stuck it in the cargo bay of the station wagon and had "music" in my ride. i also nailed two pieces of wood together and this formed the back & floor of my showroom diorama. i think i filled up the trailer with the welding tanks from AMTs '53 Ford pick up and cinderblocks, toolboxes, and gas cans from wherever and called it complete. but who knows how far i would have taken it given a little encouragement? why, i may have even raided the sewing basket for some thread and wired the engine! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric C Posted February 3, 2007 Share Posted February 3, 2007 Can't say there is any one bit of advice that really opened my eyes, but in the early 90's I took to heart the "treat every part like it's a model itself" and the IPMS "pay attention to the basics" mantra. Helping to judge model contests was a great way for me to get an up-close look at the best ways to build/detail model cars, with lots of cross-discussion between the people on the judging teams, some of whom are very well-known. For me, I would say it has more to do with influence than advice. People like yourself and a few others in our club, just through your own work, have pushed me to build better models. When you're in a club with Bob Downie, Brian Venable, Matt Wadlinger and more... if you pay the slightest bit of attention to what they do you can't help but improve. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Metallic Posted February 4, 2007 Share Posted February 4, 2007 Best advice pertaining to the hobby i ever got was from Vince Lobosco. You might remember his Orange Yenko Camaro from the cover of Car Modeler #49, among many other fabulous builds(including last years NNL East winning Supra Tuner) He tought me to build for me, not to meet anyone else's standards. He then proceeded to take one of his award winning models and show me the flaws. He was happy with it, and that was all that mattered to him. Ever since then I build to my own standards, for my own enjoyment. The detail and accuracy level varies from project to project, but I build what makes me happy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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