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What kind of builder are you?


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In any hobby there are different degrees of builder/collector. I'm curious to know what kind of builder you guys consider yourselves. This is not a thread to put down a novice builder or worship an advanced builder, I just thought it would be neat for us to tell others how we look at our own build styles. I'll go first...

I'm an "if it looks good on the shelf" builder, but that's not to say that I'm lazy about building. I don't have the detailed knowledge about trucks that a lot of guys do so I don't sweat over rivets, bolts, and every little hose or air line. If an occasional hood doesn't open or an axle doesn't roll so be it. I do my best to make those things happen but if they don't I'm certainly going to lose sleep over it. I'm just as happy with a decal of a dashboard gauge as I don't have the dexterity to paint a needle on a speedometer gauge! LOL!

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In any hobby there are different degrees of builder/collector. I'm curious to know what kind of builder you guys consider yourselves. This is not a thread to put down a novice builder or worship an advanced builder, I just thought it would be neat for us to tell others how we look at our own build styles. I'll go first...

I'm an "if it looks good on the shelf" builder, but that's not to say that I'm lazy about building. I don't have the detailed knowledge about trucks that a lot of guys do so I don't sweat over rivets, bolts, and every little hose or air line. If an occasional hood doesn't open or an axle doesn't roll so be it. I do my best to make those things happen but if they don't I'm certainly going to lose sleep over it. I'm just as happy with a decal of a dashboard gauge as I don't have the dexterity to paint a needle on a speedometer gauge! LOL!

Mike

Hi I would consider myself an average to below average builder. Have a lot of shortcomings. The way I look at it if I can't rip myself and feel okay about it then who can. Be realistic about yourself is my motto.

JerseeJerry55

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I don't collect. Everything in my stash is either parts or I have sufficient interest in building it.

As a builder, I figure I'm an intermediate level builder. And frankly I'm content to stay there. I need to learn to air brush and polish. With everything else, I'm content with my skill level. I build what I think is cool. As far as quality, I try to build to a competitive level. I do a few local contests and do pretty well. But not always, sometimes I just build a two-footer for the shelf. Those decisions are made though before the model is even started. I don't make a mistake and then say, "The heck with it, I'll just put it on the shelf, and face that side to the wall".  I plan it and stick to the plan.

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I think of myself as somewhere between an intermediate and an advanced builder.  While I like to compete in contests, not every model starts out to be a contest entry.  That decision comes when the model is finished and if IMHO everything went together well and turned out as planned in my mind's eye.  I try to do the best job I can on just about every model I build even though they may not always look like it.

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My models are built for fun ,relaxation and something to do with my hands. Not a rivet counter or info freak. Don't much care if my model is lacking or incorrect in some way .

I love to look at other peoples builds and can truly appreciate those that super detail their  work.

I am not a collector at all. Though I do collect kits and parts for builds. Not into finite detail, too tedious for me. I do try to eliminate all the seams and ejection pins marks. Do a decent job on the paint. I do some scratchbuilding, quite a bit of kit bashing to create what if builds.

 Though I have competed in contests and even won a trophy or two. That is not my thing. Most of my models are at least five footers and look best in the showcase.

 

Enjoy the hobby at whatever level you choose to build , respect others work and each other. We all put our trousers on the same way. One leg at a time !

 

 

  Be Well

    Gator

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I don't consider myself to be in the category as most of the great builders on this forum. I simply like old iron; Trucks, tractors, equipment, trains, and sometimes cars. I build what interests me as a hobby. AS far as building, I kind of learn as I go. I build for enjoyment. When building becomes nerve racking I stop. I truthfully don't like to tie up as much time in a build as I have in my current build. My models are never perfect, but they look good enough for my shelf.

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What type of modeler am I?  Well, I'm just a kit assembler who's imagination & own ideas of his skill level tend to get beaten back down when reality sets in.  I have dreams that I can do things detail wise, but I'm usually just amazed at the end of a modeling session that all the parts are there, the frame is straight-ish, and most of the wheels touch the ground.

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What type of modeler am I?  Well, I'm just a kit assembler who's imagination & own ideas of his skill level tend to get beaten back down when reality sets in.  I have dreams that I can do things detail wise, but I'm usually just amazed at the end of a modeling session that all the parts are there, the frame is straight-ish, and most of the wheels touch the ground.

Could not have said it better Jim, this pretty much sums up my day as well !!

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Well, I guess I'd have to call myself an "advanced" builder. I have advanced in quotes because there are some things I haven't tried yet as far as building/painting, and there's always room to learn something new. 

Yeah, I do get a bit crazed when it comes to certain body lines and whatnot-----that's only because I like to build the car as I can remember them as a kid (if the car's out of the '50's-'70's), and to obviously match pics I have.

Not always the kit makers "interpretation" of what the car should be.

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I don't consider myself to be in the category as most of the great builders on this forum. I simply like old iron; Trucks, tractors, equipment, trains, and sometimes cars. I build what interests me as a hobby. AS far as building, I kind of learn as I go. I build for enjoyment. When building becomes nerve racking I stop. I truthfully don't like to tie up as much time in a build as I have in my current build. My models are never perfect, but they look good enough for my shelf.

I kind of feel the same way as you do on this....I build to make myself happy but I do try to make them better as possible each time I build one.  I do collect a few but many end up getting built in time or traded off for others Id rather have.  Building gives me something to do to pass all the time I have besides I love it anyway....maybe its just the challenge of it all...?

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i like to build for fun and i like truck,s and car,s

most i like truck,s  , and i like to make old one,s 

workhorses from the past

and the challenge is to make it like it was [ not for colors but the model ore type ]

and for plessure and fun to build something when its done i can see WOW thats look,s nice one the shelf ore vitrine

jacobus

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I agree with all of the above, some of you guys really hit it right in my opinion.  It's all in fun and we do what pleases us. 

When things get tight and uneasy during a build, then I'm going down the wrong path.  I like using and making small metal parts , because it's something I've been doing for a living now for more than 40 years.  But when it comes to gluing styrene, like in the finishing phases of a build, I always mess something up, usually glass or something slips and glue gets on a finished painted body or fender,  always.  I get the shakes big time, 'cause it's new to me.

So, I see myself as a beginner, an intermediate, and an expert.  Just depends on what's up next on the bench. 

Every build though, lets me learn something new, and lots of truckers here have helped me along the way!

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I would consider myself an average builder. Most of my builds are based on real trucks that I find appealing. 

I enjoy doing research for a project, scratch building and I don’t sweat the small details.

Building models should be enjoyable, not a hassle.

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I would consider myself an average builder. Most of my builds are based on real trucks that I find appealing. 

I enjoy doing research for a project, scratch building and I don’t sweat the small details.

Building models should be enjoyable, not a hassle.

Perfect.

Edited by 10thumbs
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I've been building model cars since 1958, trucks since the late '60's and fire apparatus since the early '70's.  I don't categorize myself as I build for the fun of it, and depending on the model, I can go all out on detail or just do a build that looks good on the shelf.  This is, and always has been, a hobby for me and when I don't find it fun, I take a brief break, but always end up coming back.  I must admit that I have always found it hard to build a model just like the one shown on the box, and have always done something to make every model I've built unique in one way or another.  I seldom try and duplicate a 1:1 truck, car, or piece of fire apparatus down to the smallest detail as that would be more taxing for me personally than to build something that is a reflection of what I have in my mind. 

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I agree with the idea that model building should be fun and relax. But fun and relax may be different things for each one of us. A model truck ( or car, or train, an aircraft... whatever ) is a scale representation of something real. I always try to make a model that corresponds with reality. For instance, if Bill Signs kit have a short hood and in-line 6 Cummins underneath it, while the real truck has extended hood and 8V CAT, I wouldn´t be able to sleep sound if I hadn´t changed those components.

I don´t remember me counting rivets but if I find some inaccuracy in the kit, I try to repair it by modifying or replacing the kit part with something more realistic. I scratch build a lot of things, do a research for my projects, listen to those who know better and obey the basic modeling rules. I can´t stand visible seams where there should be none, I hate wobbling wheels and childish murals of some Italeri kits.

I am a slow builder, I take a break if things go wrong. But I am also stubborn and keep trying till I get what meets my idea of a satisfactory part or subassembly. I like the challenges that come with this hobby. I learn a lot of things about big rigs and hopefully improve my model building skills.

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I agree with the idea that model building should be fun and relax. But fun and relax may be different things for each one of us. A model truck ( or car, or train, an aircraft... whatever ) is a scale representation of something real. I always try to make a model that corresponds with reality. For instance, if Bill Signs kit have a short hood and in-line 6 Cummins underneath it, while the real truck has extended hood and 8V CAT, I wouldn´t be able to sleep sound if I hadn´t changed those components.

I don´t remember me counting rivets but if I find some inaccuracy in the kit, I try to repair it by modifying or replacing the kit part with something more realistic. I scratch build a lot of things, do a research for my projects, listen to those who know better and obey the basic modeling rules. I can´t stand visible seams where there should be none, I hate wobbling wheels and childish murals of some Italeri kits.

I am a slow builder, I take a break if things go wrong. But I am also stubborn and keep trying till I get what meets my idea of a satisfactory part or subassembly. I like the challenges that come with this hobby. I learn a lot of things about big rigs and hopefully improve my model building skills.

This hits it on the head for me. I consider myself a collector in the sense that I have a ton of kits, but they will all be built. I approach a build as if Im building the real thing. I love doing research on a truck and planning out a build. I love challenging myself to get better, only because I enjoy that. Some trucks I build with the hood glued shut, but theres still a motor in there. I collect lots of reference materials because part of what I enjoy about trucks is the engineering that goes into them.I dont build any show pony Peterbilts, but I will build plenty of ugly iron Autocars. I have defintely "advanced" since I started building, but Im not going to rate myself as a builder. I have fun, and I love doing it. I love when another builder raises the bar and makes me want to try that detail on my own build. My down fall is I only finish about 5% of what I start, but Im ok with that. I can always come back to them later. The only thing that matters is that we are each happy with our own builds, and some other peoples builds! Theres a few trucks on this forum that I wouldnt mind having!

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Sounds like I'm on the same page as the rest of you guys! I'm not a collector, I have plans for all the kits I have. As far as actual building, I guess I would be considered "intermediate". That's to say that I am amazed at some of the work I see on here, with my knowledge, and experience with the real things, and my being a perfectionist, I would really like to make models like them. But, at the end of it, I don't have the same skills as them, if I'm reasonably satisfied with it when I put it on the shelf, and if people that see it there like it, and maybe even start a conversation about cars when they see it there, then I have accomplished what I try to do when I start a model!

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I'm definitely an average builder, a lot of the builds here make me want to take all my stuff into the yard and set it on fire. I really just build to satisfy myself though, if I try to make everything perfect I get bogged down and end up abandoning the project. I build each vehicle as if I owned it and would build it myself if I had the money so each model has custom parts and things borrowed from other kits which makes them more challenging so I frequently hit stumbling blocks that stall projects until I can find a solution.

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Well...I guess I'm middle of the road builder...not a collecter,but as been said...everything is going to be built or its parts for a build.I'm not a rivet counter,but I reseach and want it right.I'm a slow builder...I'm in no hurry.I don't post a whole lot cause I'm building.I've learned so much from builders here and the old (MTDG) on yahoo and I don't hold other builders to any standard,I guess thats why I like shows over contests.

I love seeing others work,creativity, and thought in the subjects.

I love it to look real and play its part.work trucks is what I'm into and it has to work.I scratch build all the time...so detail is a big part for me.I build snap kits just to see what I can make of it with whats there.

Rebuilding models is a blast to me.try to make it what I see it could be.I let the model lead me in construction. 

Scale modeling has to be challenging. from reseach,plans and construction. ..its all a blast to me...over all modeling has to be fun...other wise...why do it............thats me,.......Chris 

                                                                    

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To be honest, I'm not sure what kind of builder I'd consider myself.....I LOVE to build.....And I love to create......Sometimes I get to building something, and everything I do seems to work.....And then Boom....I turn out an awesome (IMO) model.....Then other times, I may as well have stuffed it with Black Cat firecrackers and set it off on my work bench.... :angry: Not sure.....But I do love the hobby.....

I build and collect die cast models, as well.....It's kind of like when you were a kid and collected Hot Wheels, except I don't play with them in the dirt, any more.....Often times there exists in die cast what doesn't exist in a plastic kit.....But it's also a blast to find a die cast and build a plastic kit of the same kind and display them together.....Gives a certain satisfaction knowing that I can build it "better" than "They" can..... ;)

But one thing I do know.....Cranking up the music and going to town on a model while my wife is out is PRICELESS !!!!!! Love my wife, but Me time is fun time.....Incredibly relaxing.....

 

Edited by kilrathy10
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I build to please the voices in my head.  I love to see the model in my mind's eye come alive in 3d in front of me on the bench. To me, building models is a zen like relaxation from the daily grind. Unlike TV or other passive activities, it takes my total concentration and cleanses my head.  I come from a building session feeling refreshed.  The hobby is also the circle of many of my friendships, which I value more than the little plastic cars.

My inspirations come from many places.  It can be a vehicle that I remember from my life, or some interesting old commercial vehicle that I see a photo of or simply drives by.  There are things I will see as a challenge, whether it's scratch building some odd  truck body, or a pattern of rust and weathering. The interest is always to see if indeed I can create it in scale, especially if I'm stretching my abilities.  I like my models to have my signature and style, and to be unique. I have to have a connection to the vehicle.

There are times I will want to compromise to finish a build, and I know in my heart that I will never be happy with it, so I will persevere to build it the way I intended... no matter how many years it takes! For instance on my Volare Messenger Car, I had always wanted to do a super detailed engine compartment with all the 1970s smog plumbing. At one point I wanted to glue the hood shut just to get it done, but I knew that just wouldn't be right.  So I sucked it up, and did the engine bay the way I had envisioned it.  And now I'm pleased I did so.

I am not chasing the cutting edge of building, it bypassed me a long time ago.  I build with normal hand tools.  I rarely use a Dremel and own two air brushes I have barely opened.  I'm not interested in super detailing nor owning  and operating a lathe.  That just wouldn't be fun for me. So I don't do it.  As long as I can express myself through plastic, I am happy with my level of building.

I am a bit of a collector and will continue to buy whatever I want without worrying if I'll ever build it. Sometimes I like to just get lost in that hoard and spend time going through the boxes.  I consider it all fair game for building or robbing parts needed for one of my creations. I'll open a sealed kit to give a friend a part he needs.  And in the end, you can all fight over it at my estate sale.

When I first got into building, I was into contests since I always wanted to do so as a kid but never had that chance. Now I'm content to build what I build without thoughts of pleasing judges, just to satisfy myself and the odd folks I call my friends.  I love sharing my models in an NNL type setting, and will put a few out on contest tables just to share them and participate.  

The hobby is very important to me.  

 

 

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