Do You Recycle Your Old Builds?

[oldcarfan]

Obviously I don't mean put them in the recycle bin, but do you ever come across an old build and think, "I could do that better." Or maybe your tastes have changed. I came across an old Skoda Favorit that I bought when in the Navy a long time ago. It's one of those 1/24 Klik Klak kits. Funny I can remember that but can't remember the company that made it. Anyway, I bought it at the fleet landing gift shop in Napoli while waiting for the boat to take us to Capri. I had several other kits I bought there, but I guess they are gone now. I built it then, just snapped it together. I found it recently and decided to redo it into something more in line with what I would do now. I don't have pictures as of yet, but I may start a thread on the in progress page. Well the point of this was supposed to be about re-using old kits rather than throwing them away or blowing them up with M-80s, but I got sidetracked.

[MrObsessive]

Did just that recently! I originally built this 30 years ago, and when I was in a modeling slump a little while back, I decided to take a bit of a "break" and restore this. It's a 1963 Porsche 356 B Coupe which was part of Fujimi's Enthusiast Model series.

Practically took it all apart, cleaned up the body and gave it a good wax job, redid the engine wiring (it was totally wrong), and spiffed up the wheels. Now it sits in a nice case where no dust (or cats) can get to it, and I got to rescue a model that otherwise might have been tossed.

The original build (rebuild) thread is here.....

I've got some others I want to rescue down the road............quite a few as a matter of fact, but they weren't all built by me. There aren't enough hours in the day!

[Ace-Garageguy]

I recycle other people's old builds.

I don't have any of my own yet that need it (having lost all the stuff I built earlier in life)...but I would, definitely.

[martinfan5]

Yes at times I do, of mine, I really dont have an interest in other peoples built models.

Edited July 15, 2017 by martinfan5

[crazyjim]

Very rarely to never.  I usually trade off builds for kits.

[Ron Hamilton]

Yes I do!!!

[StevenGuthmiller]

I recycle other peoples builds quite frequently.

Possibly half or more of my builds over the past 5 years have been restored built-ups.

I do occasionally redo an old built kit of my own, but rarely.

Although I have a couple slated for restorations in the future.

Usually, I won't mess with rebuilding a kit if it's a modern tool that's easy to find.

I'll just start with a fresh kit if that's the case.

I will usually only mess with a "recycling" if it's a rare or hard to find kit.

At this point, I only have one of my old builds that I've refinished.

I bought this X-EL 1959 Plymouth back in the 80s, picked up a Modelhaus interior for it & built it in the color that it came in.

I just recently decided that it was a good candidate for a re-do.

Unfortunately, I don't believe that I have any "before" pics other that the starting pics for the restoration.

This photo was taken after the interior had been stripped & the foil & other body details had already been removed.

 

Steve

 

 

 

Edited July 15, 2017 by StevenGuthmiller

[Tom Geiger]

I have not taken apart any of my own builds. I believe your old builds and the builds from then to date, are a chronicle of your growth as a builder.  Of the 28 years I've been building as an adult, I have only finished about one a year.  I have only given away one build, and that was of my sister in law's Chevette and I gave it to her.  If I was to want another of a model I already have, I can come across a fresh kit easy enough. Then I'd want to display them side by side.

I also have a collection of the great old custom builds that people had done in the early years of modeling.  Those are history, and the art of our youth.  Those I preserve, and if they need a bit of work I will do that but never improve them beyond the original build. I do have a bunch of old builtups that are not significant builds that I will redo as I have the time.

[DeeCee]

Quite often, i will build a New kit, then recycle an old build, or use an old one for donor parts, as kits are $40-70 here in Australia.

This way, it off sets the price of modeling..

[Dennis Lacy]

Lately, I've started to give away my older models to forum friends that I remember commented nice words about them back when they were fresh. As I continue to progress as a modeler and build (what I consider) better models (than I did 8-10 years ago when I returned to the hobby as an adult) I prefer my finished models in the display case to show consistency in quality and detail. The older ones I lose interest in and rather than shove them in boxes (to make room in the case for newer models) I'd rather give them to someone who will enjoy having them. 

[vamach1]

Here are a couple builtups I will eventually recycle.  One is a resin body.  It is interesting how AMT made minor changes to the emblems to make each one a little different.

Edited July 16, 2017 by vamach1
typo

[vamach1]

One of my oldest builds in the corral.  I'm guessing I built it in the late 80's but it still looks okay.

[Sport Suburban]

I have rebuilt many of my old builds but not all of them. Some I keep because they were some of my best at the time and I was proud of them. Others that were redone were ones I finished but new I could have done better. Some I just got a fresh kit and built it again and now have two done almost the same way but show my skill advancement.

I do buy vintage built up kits to restore and have redone many of them. It is a little bit more work but I really enjoy the final results. One that I am currently redoing is a 68 Shelby GT500KR convertible that I built with a Mini Exotics Resin kit about 15 years ago. The paint was blotchy, I used silver paint instead of BMF, and the decals were Fred Cady. Stripping paint off Resin is a gamble and if I destroyed it I could not get another one. That changed when HRM released his Resin kit. I tore it apart and the paint came off with no issues. I ordered Keith Marks decals and now everything is well on its way.

It is harder to redo one of my own old builds but much easier to redo someone else's. I'm currently redoing a 67 Thunderbird AMT annual and a Johan 70 Roadrunner.

[gtx6970]

Typically. The only rebuilds I do are old replica stock annuals/drag car builtups I've picked up.(and I certaintly  have my share of those stockpiled )

 

As a general rule once I built it...its in the case for eternity .

Plus I'm proud of some of the builds in have that are probably 25 - 30 years old.

This particular car was built Im guessing  maybe real early to maybe mid 80s at the latest time frame . And unless some major catastrophic event happens  there is ZERO chance it will ever be redone by me  . Its not accurate to a S+M Roadrunner by any means. But it will stay as is as long as Im on the green side . The next owner can worry about redoing my stuff . IF the family decides to part with them...... ( Im told the finished builts will stay but ,,,good chance the rest will go away in one lump pkg ) 

 

 

Edited July 17, 2017 by gtx6970

[CometMan]

I like to look at the work I did as a kid compared to what I do now. But, sometimes, if I built a kit that's not easy to come by now that wasn't done very well, I will rebuild it.

[High octane]

NO, I never recycle or rebuild any of my old builds. Once they're built, they go in the display cabinet and stay there, unless I take them out to display them at a club meeting or take them out to dust. I have plenty of model kits that I'd like to build, so I have no time to rework anything that I've done in the past.

[Jantrix]

I have not taken apart any of my own builds. I believe your old builds and the builds from then to date, are a chronicle of your growth as a builder.  If I was to want another of a model I already have, I can come across a fresh kit easy enough. Then I'd want to display them side by side. 

I couldn't have said it better. I'll let whomever receives my models after I'm dust do the rebuilding. 

[gtx6970]

Ive got a couple builders I bought as  shown. My original plan was to take them apart for a redo. But  I just cant bring myself to do it to these two.

 

 

Edited December 2, 2017 by gtx6970

[ChrisBcritter]

I'm doing one (but only one!) at the moment, a '64 Coupe deVille I built back in the '70s. So far it's been an excellent reminder of how thoroughly I used to glue things together.

[Snake45]

Since the thread title is YOUR old builds, that's what I'll discuss here. (I LOVE restoring and rebuilding others' builds, though.)

YES! I've "freshened up" quite a few of my old builds, including a '68 GTO, two '69 Chevelles, a '69 Maverick, a '68 Javelin, a '66 Skylark, a '56 Chevy street freak, a '69 Road Runner, a Monkeemobile, a 289 Cobra, a '66 GTO, and probably a few others I can't recall at the moment. And I have at least a half dozen more to do--maybe more than a dozen. These are all old originals I built before 1972.

I've also stripped several back to bare plastic for eventual complete rebuilding, including a '66 Riviera, '66 Bonneville convertible, and '69 El Camino.

[John Goschke]

Not as a general rule, but when the inspiration struck to build a "paint custom" '59 Plymouth and I had a tired old build from 1976 of the Jo-Han kit, out came the Easy-Off!

[El Caballo]

Easy Off will take the paint off without destroying the plastic? Do you then rinse with just water or would acetone be advisable?

[StevenGuthmiller]

Easy Off will take the paint off without destroying the plastic? Do you then rinse with just water or would acetone be advisable?

Stay away from acetone!

it will eat the plastic big time!

 

Steve

[carrucha]

I have some old builds that I am going to redo because they were built early in my modeling days and they are horrible or they fell apart over the years and need to be redone.

[carrucha]

Easy Off will take the paint off without destroying the plastic? Do you then rinse with just water or would acetone be advisable?

If you are going to use Easy Off, be sure to wear eye goggles and to cover up any exposed skin because it burns when it contacts your skin.  I found out the hard way.