I think I may pack it in.......

[Dave Ambrose]

On 4/27/2021 at 11:50 AM, youpey said:

i found very recently that my eyes are getting very bad. i am having trouble focusing on small pieces when trying to glue or paint. unfortunately for me, modeling is my only real hobby, for the last 35+ years. I am not going to stop building, but I also might have to learn to live with models that have mistakes. 

once covid gets better, i am going to have to visit the eye doctor to see if its just my prescription changed. i have had the same prescription for 10 years, so it might be that. the issue for me, is my eyes cant seem to focus on the small bits and its fuzzy

This sounds like presbyopia. I was diagnosed with it at the ripe old age of 45. Get yourself a magnifier lamp. I have one that looks like an adjustable desk lamp with a ring of LEDs around it. Makes all the difference in the world. 

[youpey]

57 minutes ago, Dave Ambrose said:

This sounds like presbyopia. I was diagnosed with it at the ripe old age of 45. Get yourself a magnifier lamp. I have one that looks like an adjustable desk lamp with a ring of LEDs around it. Makes all the difference in the world. 

do you go to the eye dr for this or a regular dr?

[John1955]

When my arthritis first hit, I never thought it would also spread to my hands and fingers. So for a few years, hardly able to move my neck up and down, I built models at eye level by stacking books on my bench. It was irritating but I was stubborn. Then my back got arthritis, it was too difficult to go back and forth where my tools and supplies are stored. So I moved everything into my kitchen, pounded nails and hooks into the walls around my kitchen table to hang all the stuff up within close reach. (I left a small space for eating, LOL).  

But when my hands and fingers got arthritis, I quit building models. But I didn't get rid of anything. I couldn't stay away so I adjusted my standards. When it's bad, I do only simple and basic curbside kits or restore old dealer promos. Molded in color models are given a quick wipe with Endust to make them shine like glass. (Works on older painted models too). On the few good days, I put those aside and try more complex builds again. It's not a great way to build I suppose, but it keeps me involved in my favorite lifetime hobby. 

Also, my eyes are failing now, so I use a magnifying glass for detailing and for small parts. I'm sure I look silly with a magnifying glass hanging from my forehead and with wrist bands on (to steady my hands) but that's okay. I live alone, no one can see me and I was never that good looking to begin with. I was never mistaken for Cary Grant or Brad Pitt. 
 

[Tom Geiger]

I’ve posted this before, but if you need to steady your hand, get a bean bag or the large bag of M&Ms (if you can resist temptation) and rest the ball of your hand in it. It’s an old sign painter’s trick.

[John1955]

35 minutes ago, Tom Geiger said:

I’ve posted this before, but if you need to steady your hand, get a bean bag or the large bag of M&Ms (if you can resist temptation) and rest the ball of your hand in it. It’s an old sign painter’s trick.

I can't resist the M&M's, LOL. I love jelly beans but I hate the black ones, so what I did was save up black ones over a period of time and stuff a bunch into a plastic bag and rest my hand on that. 

[slusher]

7 hours ago, Tom Geiger said:

I’ve posted this before, but if you need to steady your hand, get a bean bag or the large bag of M&Ms (if you can resist temptation) and rest the ball of your hand in it. It’s an old sign painter’s trick.

I can use that as sometimes I have my good hand shake...

[Dave Ambrose]

22 hours ago, youpey said:

do you go to the eye dr for this or a regular dr?

Optometrist. Be sure to mention it when you get your eyes examined. They can prescribe bifocals, and/or a second pair of glasses. 

[1972coronet]

Failing-with-age eyesight has been a problem for me for the last ~7 years ( I'm 51 ) . I have 'dollar store' reading glasses ( I'm a skinflint Celt )  which help some , but really only masque the real age-related problem . I've got to get my butt to an Optometrist , pronto !

As far as frustration with attempting to assemble fiddly and or small parts --newer tooling or otherwise-- is concerned , I'm right there with you , @larman     . Conversely ; many of the ages-old simplistic , promo-based kits are oft fraught with flash and / or "core-shift" of the tooling ( e.g. , the MPC 1976 Dart Sport et al. and its stock chassis plate's off-centre left-front wheel mount ) , which is another source of frustration .

Another cause of my own frustration is having an aging parent who's always bustin' me bollocks over why I have my bedroom door closed : "Are you okay ? Are you sleeping ? Are you sick ? " , and so on . Then there's the main reason for the closed-door : that bratty Barn Cat love bug kitten of mine ! Haha ! It's like having a kid around who's going through the "terrible twos" , and starts messing around with my work area .

Keep your kits , even if you never get around to building them . 

  

Edited May 2, 2021 by 1972coronet