Contest judging - lessons learned

[Jantrix]

The article below was written and posted by me about two years ago. I recently found this again on my hard drive and since this subject has been brought up again recently, I figured it my be useful to someone. Anything in italics I have added today.

Contest judging - lessons learned

It’s been a couple of years, but due to the benevolence of my wife (it was on Valentines Day) I was able to attend IPMS Jaxcon this year. I’m an on-again, off-again member of one of the clubs putting on the show and I was asked again to help out with the judging. Usually I end up judging the sci-fi or figurines or something, but this year I got to judge the automotive categories that I wasn’t entered in. I got partnered up with two other members that are doing national level work and have been judging for a long time. Needless to say, I learned an awful lot.

I was approached afterward by several people who wanted to know the whys and wherefores of the judging criteria, so that they could improve their work for next year. After chatting a long while I figured I might write this to help out any folks with plans on competing someday.

First Impressions - this step usually eliminates about 25% of the cars in the catagory.

A gleaming paint finish. It is the hands down the first thing that draws the eye and will make or break you. A gleaming paint job with a clean build and no extra detailing will beat a super-detailed car with dull flawed paint nearly every time. Also glue marks, scratches, haze, orange peel and miss-matched paint on separate panels will kill you. If you are a matte/satin/suede enthusiast like me this part is going to be tough. The flat paint better be flawless to get noticed next to a similar quality car with a great gloss finish. So far in my experience, if the contest doesn't have a beater/rat rod catagory, your rat rods will not do well against the glossy hot rods.

Cleanliness. If you took an uncased model off the shelf, dusted it off a bit and brought it to the show, you just shot yourself in the foot. Dust gets everywhere, and we will see it on the inside of the model if not outside. Display cases are $4.50 with a 40% off coupon at Michael’s. Get some.

Decals. Yellowed, badly placed, peeling or covering a bad spot in the paint will get noticed. Using a setting solution is highly recommended. Also clearing over your decals will certainly help here.

Pitfalls and no-nos

Once we are passed the first impression stage and get on to the in-depth examination, we get down to brass tacks. Here is some stuff that will get you knocked back a spot or two.

Mold lines, and injection pin marks. These two are the big unforgivable sins.

Paint or chrome missing where a part was cut from sprue. A lot of folks paint parts right on the sprue, snip them off when dry, and touch up paint after. That can bite you later if you miss one.

Missing or broken parts. Usually gets a ??? look from the judges and a “That’s a shame.”

Road weary. Some folks do a lot of these shows and after a while the cars start to show it no matter how well they are done. The BMF will start to wear off at the roof edge from getting handled so much. Same with wear marks in the chrome bumpers from its time in storage containers. Also grills, bumpers, rear views and spoilers that have been re-glued multiple times may be noticeable.

Poorly done detailing. This includes BMF, wiring, detail painting, aftermarket goodies etc. Please don’t wire the distributor with thread. BMF bunched up or wrinkled in the window trim corners is very obvious.

3-Wheeling. Unless your model is supposed to be on only three wheels, all four better be on terra firma.

Wheels rubbing the fenders. I’m sure this one would vary from judge to judge, but for the guys that I was judging with, the wheels better look like they could spin/ front wheels turn unimpeded. These are models of cars after all.

Paint chips. Lacquers especially dry hard and tend to chip if your not careful.

Too much glue or SA glue haze on parts. Nuff said.

Scratched windshields and other windows.

Now I’m not saying that if you have any of these issues, don’t bring the model. By all means do bring it. If for nothing else than the fun and experience of competing, and socializing with your peers. Besides a third place trophy is still better than no trophy.

Things not to worry about

This is a pretty short list.

Accuracy. The judges don’t care if that isn’t a factory color for that year car. Or that the rally wheels for that car should be aluminum and not chrome. They don’t care that Rusty Wallace didn’t have a Champion Spark Plugs sponsorship that year. They just care how well you did it.

Making judging difficult.

Those super duper revolving, mirrored display stands with the strobe lights and the disco ball are all great for getting your car noticed. But it makes it darn hard to closely examine the work. So do yourself a favor and either get rid of it prior to judging or use a stand that has no back and does not revolve so that the judges can turn the stand 360 and be able to clearly see the whole model.

NOTE: Judges do not care about the following. How much aftermarket billet, photo etched, resin cast goodies you bought and used. They do not care how many parts you scratchbuilt/modified. They do not care that you have 500+ hours invested in the model.

All they care about is how well you did the work. A flawless box stock model WILL (or should) beat a super scratched, highly aftermarketed build with a flaw or two EVERY TIME. It's not the quantity of work, but the quality of work. This past February an older fella showed up with a handful of cars with the most perfect paint and painted detailing I have ever seen. No one had seen him before. After speaking to him for a while (a great approachable guy) he has been doing this and 1:1 stuff for 50 years. He painted using a detail gun for 1:1 painting and was shooting automotive paint he'd had for 40 years. He had some mild customizing done to the bodies, but had nearly NO added detailing beyond paint. He kicked everyones butt. We were glad he'd come but even happier that he hadn't brought more models or we would all have gone home empty handed. I hope he shows again this coming February.

That's all I got. If anyone has anything to add feel free.

Edited September 23, 2011 by Jantrix

[Scale-Master]

I'd like to add to what you started here as knowing what to expect can be helpful...

This is what I wrote up years ago to explain our judging philosophy. We still adhere to it uniformly and consistently.

We also do not have the entrants names attached to the entries to further cut down on any perceived bias. Only the registrar has that info until the judging is over. And the registrar does not judge at all.

As one of the judges so poignantly points out, "the model doesn't know or care who built it", so we don't either.

Judging is done in groups of three or more, sometimes five or six.

Some of the judges enter in the contest. They do not judge any category they enter in, and are subject to the same rules as all other entrants.

If a judge places in the competition, he is removed from the judging pool before the Best Of awards are chosen so there is no way of a conflict of interest. He is not told what he placed with, or where, until the awards announcement like everyone else.

We also stay around afterwards to discuss with the entrants anything they want to know about how we arrived at our decisions.

What are the Judges looking for?

Our intent is to promote the modeling hobby and encourage everyone to build to whatever level they are comfortable with. If that means improvement, we are pleased to offer assistance. We think if you know what the judges perspective is, it can be a benefit to you. These are some of the fundamentals.

First is general quality and command of the basics of model building. This means the parts are assembled neatly and aligned correctly. For example, all the tires are touching the ground symmetrically and the model is sitting evenly. (Obviously there are exceptions to this example, some lowrider cars for instance. Think generally and common sense.) The sprues have been completely and cleanly removed and touched up if needed, this includes chrome and clear parts. Ejection pin marks (those pesky round indentations) and flash (excess plastic) should be removed as well as any other imperfections. No excess glue should be showing.

The paint should be uniform, no dirt or fingerprints. If multiple colors are used, the masked lines should be clean and sharp. Orange peel and runs, as well as poorly executed body work, will result in a lower "score".

Adding extra detail is great. But if the basic construction is not executed well, the extra parts won't matter much. An Out-Of The-Box model built very cleanly will almost always beat a model that has been super detailed, but not met the requirements of basic quality construction.

If you do add details or do something special, note it on the entry form, but we study every model regardless of notations.

Moving parts are not a plus or a minus. If they are done well, and all things are equal between a model with moving parts and one without, it may tip the scales toward to working one. But rarely are "all things equal".

Difficulty of the kit used is considered, but the primary focus is the end result. That is another reason we use anonymous entry forms. It does not matter who entered what, it is the model that is being judged.

Subject and color do not matter to the judges. While an attractive vehicle or a flashy color may get some instant attention, every model is fully studied. An ugly color on a boring subject that is well built will beat the flashiest color and coolest design if it is not built as well.

Some colors and paints are inherently more difficult to work with. Consideration is given to them, but they still must be applied well. Another case of "all things being equal", a more difficult paint job can sway the results in that direction.

Models also should be constructed as logical counterparts to real cars. For example, while an incorrect firing order on a wired engine is not catastrophic, plumbing the fuel lines to the spark plugs would certainly be noted as a negative. The more accurate and logical the mechanicals are the better.

Granted, many models are not exact replicas of real cars, but that does not negate reasonable and logical requirements of mechanical construction.

When you can see clean through the wheels, wells, engine, chassis and out the other side, that is not mechanically sound either. Same thing with being able to see through gaps elsewhere on the model. While these situations may not bump a model out of serious competition, by not having those problems it elevates it substantially.

Models that are replicas of real cars should be just that, copies in as many respects as possible of the real car. Documentation, while not required, is a benefit. On the other side of that coin, documentation that shows the model does not match the intended real car is of no benefit.

Some models are weathered to some degree. Just like other aspects of modeling, well executed dirt is usually better than poorly done clean. Weathered models are judged on their own merits just as any other entry.

[highway]

Things not to worry about

This is a pretty short list.

Accuracy. The judges don’t care if that isn’t a factory color for that year car. Or that the rally wheels for that car should be aluminum and not chrome. They don’t care that Rusty Wallace didn’t have a Champion Spark Plugs sponsorship that year. They just care how well you did it.

Making judging difficult.

Those super duper revolving, mirrored display stands with the strobe lights and the disco ball are all great for getting your car noticed. But it makes it darn hard to closely examine the work. So do yourself a favor and either get rid of it prior to judging or use a stand that has no back and does not revolve so that the judges can turn the stand 360 and be able to clearly see the whole model.

NOTE: Judges do not care about the following. How much aftermarket billet, photo etched, resin cast goodies you bought and used. They do not care how many parts you scratchbuilt/modified. They do not care that you have 500+ hours invested in the model.

All they care about is how well you did the work. A flawless box stock model WILL (or should) beat a super scratched, highly aftermarketed build with a flaw or two EVERY TIME. It's not the quantity of work, but the quality of work.

Rob, great topic! Here are my feelings on the parts I found most important, even though everything in your post as well as everything Mark added is important to consider for anyone building models for contests.

1. I agree and disagree with the accuracy of the subject. I agree because if you are building just your ordinary run of the mill daily driver, who cares is if the shade of red, and I'll use the paint on my 1:1 1990 Ford F350 as an example, is not the proper Ford Cardinal Red but may be a shade or two lighter or darker? As long as the paint is done nicely and smooth, the correct paint color shouldn't be a factor. That is the same as your example of a Rusty Wallace stock car, if there are one or two sponser decals out of place or missing, that should not be an issue. Also, if you mix up a plug wire or two or maybe some other detailing item, as long as it is not something that stands out as glaringly out of place like a fluid hose going from the power steering pump to the alternator, who cares if you have the correct firing order on your Chevy small block? As long as the detailing is nicely done, it shouldn't matter.

Now, here's the disagreement part, and this is just my personal opinion, and again I will use my 1:1 as a example, since I have the build of it in progress, and may just be more of my personal taste than really a judging requirement. If you are building something specifically for a replica stock class, and I know there are some that require pics of the 1:1 you are replicating, you should do everything possible to match that vehicle exactly. As in the build of my 1:1 F350, I have the proper Ford Cardinal Red for the model as my 1:1 is painted, and there is many things I have to scratchbuild or heavily modify to build the model like my 1:1. I will also have pics of the truck next to the model whenever I do finish it when it finally goes to a contest, and I feel any replica stock should be done to that standard. After all, if you enter replica stock, you are building a replica of a certain 1:1, and if the replica has aluminum wheels and not chrome, the model should not have chromed wheels. The same goes for your NASCAR example Rob, if it is a certain car raced in a certain race and there is a reference pic with the model, if that car had a Champion Spark Plugs sponsership decal on the rear deck lid, the model should better have it too.

2. 100% wholeheartedly agree!! Unless you are a gloryhound that HAS to have EVERYONE look at your model, the fancy disco ball revolving display bases are a pain in the you know what to judge from!! Many times at the show I judged at, we would reqiure the builder to turn off the revolving bases or we would just plain not judge the model. There was also one truck that had the electronics for the lights to work, made engine sounds, and air horn sounds and every time the builder brought one like that, within 10 minutes we told him either shut the sound effects off or leave! Great for the WOW factor, not great for the nerves! I've always lived by K.I.S.S, Keep It Simple Stupid, for displaying my models at shows, a simple mirror just slightly larger than the model itself and the little "tables" that come in the center of your pizza to put the model on top of for a complete view of top and bottom of the model, and for big rigs I use just small mirrors placed to where you can see under the truck at the details I want shown.

3. Again, 100% agree! If you don't care enough to remove mold flaws such as sink marks, mold lines, and copyright markings, $100 of photoetch and add on goodies will do nothing for you! In my opinion, models like that are just $100 piles of junk! I feel taking your time and building a nice model with the little work fixing those flaws takes is much more enjoyable than cranking out models with obvious flaws like a factory assembly line.

[Jon Cole]

The #1 recipe for disappointment is to walk in to a contest with the attitude of winning.

Even Charlie Sheen lost with that attitude.

I would much rather win something, never expecting it, than vice versa.

Often, it's the newbies. People who have never been to a contest, and probably never been exposed to things like this forum.

Edited September 23, 2011 by Jon Cole

[Romell R]

there are judging rules at contest?????? Why didn't anybody tell me these things .......

[Kaleb]

I won 1st place in the first car show only because I was new and a few cars in my category lol, Its nice to know these things. All judges are different you may go to three local car shows and different judges at each and have a different outcome each time, Now wouldn't that be something to win 1st 2nd and 3rd on a car.

[Jantrix]

Rob, great topic! Here are my feelings on the parts I found most important, even though everything in your post as well as everything Mark added is important to consider for anyone building models for contests.

If you are building something specifically for a replica stock class, and I know there are some that require pics of the 1:1 you are replicating, you should do everything possible to match that vehicle exactly.

Okay, I smell what yer steppin' in. And I agree. If the catagory requires photo-documentation of the vehicle you are replicating then of course accuracy is important because the rules state that it will be judged by this comparison. But for the most part judges should be judging on build quality.

The #1 recipe for disappointment is to walk in to a contest with the attitude of winning.

You bet. I chatted up a guy in the parking lot of Jaxcon, while helping him unload, and he was really upbeat about his chances although it was his first big show. He'd won a trophy or two at a couple of little hobby shop contests where there were 6 or 7 cars to compete against. He went in, registered and started setting his builds in place on the table. As he started really looking around at his competition and the quality therof, his face fell and he left shortly there-after.

Edited September 23, 2011 by Jantrix

[Eshaver]

Posted Today, 12:59 PM

there are judging rules at contest?????? Why didn't anybody tell me these things .......

Why yess Rommel, uh unless it's an I P M S sponsored contest . Rules there are if ya sponsor a close by chapter , ya gotta give them preference on trophies too. I KNOW cause I withdrew my membership in an I P M S chapter over this nonsense too !!!!!!!!!

Ed Shaver

[Jantrix]

Sorry you had a bad experience Ed, but don't judge all IPMS clubs by that one. I really dislike it when I see IPMS bashing on the forums because it might stop someone from joining one or participating in their shows because of someones bad experience in Seattle, when they live in Virginia.

[imatt88]

Good stuff, guys

[superhornet1015]

Nice article. Glad I had read it.

Pete

Nice article. Glad I had read it.

Pete

[Agent G]

Good stuff there.

I whole heartedly agree with the "shiny" paint issue. A Rat Rod will be ignored unless it's in a class of it's own. I have seen it happen time and again, not that I'm complaining just helping to bolster Rob's "First Impressions"

G