Has anyone tried this in their 70's?

[Bills72sj]

5 hours ago, Keef said:

That’s how I felt after following his 68 Coronet build and seeing the finished product ??

Myself, I am inspired by his 68 Coronet. I may never obtain enough skills to get to that level but I think 80% is possible. I just wish I had more bench time.

[Bucky]

4 hours ago, Big John said:

keeping the floor clean is essential to finding those small parts when they fall on the floor, that and a good flash light.  Each decade brings it's own challenges.

After years of feeding a hungry carpet monster in the hobby room, and scratch building replacement parts because of that, I removed the carpet and found most of those lost parts! They are now in the spare parts bin!

[Bugatti Fan]

Even with laminate flooring it never ceases to surprise me where parts can 'ping' off to!

I'm in my 70's, still modelling after all these years and hopefully still turning out reasonable stuff.

Yes, I have had to assist myself with magnifying spectacles and boost up the lighting with LED lamps to keep going whilst I can but still enjoy the challenges of scratch building as well as intricate kits and detail work.

Not quite succumbed to Netflix or Disney streaming just yet however!

Edited January 10, 2023 by Bugatti Fan

[doorsovdoon]

I have astigmatism in my left eye which isn't great for detail work, but makes my models look like they're going fast on the shelf!

Edited January 10, 2023 by doorsovdoon

[customline]

10 hours ago, StevenGuthmiller said:

I hate to make you bring it up with her again, but if you want to torture her a little more, tell her that the lighter is the random dash knob in between the radio and heater controls. 

 

 

Steve

I told her it was inside the ashtray in the shadow. "Can't see it, but it's in there!" I said proudly. ? That ashtray is flippin' awesome, Steve, with or without the lighter.

[StevenGuthmiller]

2 hours ago, customline said:

I told her it was inside the ashtray in the shadow. "Can't see it, but it's in there!" I said proudly. ? That ashtray is flippin' awesome, Steve, with or without the lighter.

Actually, I’m serious.

The lighter in the ‘64 Bonneville is in the dash. ?

 

 

Steve

[Keef]

15 hours ago, Bills72sj said:

Myself, I am inspired by his 68 Coronet. I may never obtain enough skills to get to that level but I think 80% is possible. I just wish I had more bench time.

Oh don’t get me wrong, I am inspired by his, as well as others on here. But I’ve come to accept that my attention to detail and scratch building will never be at the same level. Although I have taken some of his advice and started slowing down and taking some time with each sub-assembly, treating it as if it were a separate model. I think my biggest fear is trying something major like custom body modifications and ending up with a parts kit because I screw something up.

[Keef]

18 hours ago, StevenGuthmiller said:

I’m sitting here right now trying to read these responses on my phone.......at arms length of course. ?

 

 

Steve

I fought it as long as I could but my arms never got any longer. 

[1972coronet]

18 hours ago, StevenGuthmiller said:

I’m sitting here right now trying to read these responses on my phone.......at arms length of course. ?

 

 

Steve

My Dollar[twenty-five] Tree +1.75 reading glasses help dramatically -- now my arthritis is the stumbling point. I used to be able to spot a Penny in a Copper mine from a mile away... 

[Joe Nunes]

At nearly 73 years old I find myself wearing reading glasses and a magnifying visor while working on a model. If you were to look at me sitting at the bench you would most likely be laughing as I sit there with reading glasses on, a magnifying visor sitting on my head and stereo headphones on my ears. Good thing I am doing this model thing down here in the basement work room!  ???  And we call this FUN!  

Joe

[customline]

19 minutes ago, Keef said:

Oh don’t get me wrong, I am inspired by his, as well as others on here. But I’ve come to accept that my attention to detail and scratch building will never be at the same level. Although I have taken some of his advice and started slowing down and taking some time with each sub-assembly, treating it as if it were a separate model. I think my biggest fear is trying something major like custom body modifications and ending up with a parts kit because I screw something up.

You are going to screw things up. I screw things up. WE ALL screw things up, Keefer. It's part of the deal. But you can  succeed. My hands hurt all day long but when I'm chopping a top or cutting a door my mind is on the task; not on my pain. The idea is to keep busy doing what you love to do. You don't have to chop anything to build a nice model. But if you want to do that sort of thing, you are in good company here.( not me, of course, I mean the others like Steven. ? )

[StevenGuthmiller]

53 minutes ago, Keef said:

Oh don’t get me wrong, I am inspired by his, as well as others on here. But I’ve come to accept that my attention to detail and scratch building will never be at the same level. Although I have taken some of his advice and started slowing down and taking some time with each sub-assembly, treating it as if it were a separate model. I think my biggest fear is trying something major like custom body modifications and ending up with a parts kit because I screw something up.

That of course was my fear for quite some time as well, especially working mainly with vintage kits.

But at some point, I came to the realization that I don’t usually hack on the bodies too much anyway, and besides, it’s just plastic.

In almost every case, if a mistake is made, with the attitude that it’s just plastic, virtually anything can be fixed.

It was a pretty freeing revelation for me once I began to think that way.

I was no longer afraid to completely cut up that rare kit’s interior anymore.

I figure it can only be better.

 

 

Steve

[Joe Nunes]

I believe the older we become the more we are apt to see what a hobby like building plastic models is really all about. As an example, the other day I unknowingly stepped on the steering wheel for an original 1960 Buick HT. It lay on the floor in pieces and I can assure you I was not happy. During my younger years I would probably turn the air blue, toss out the broken steering wheel in a not so nice way and then just pull another steering wheel from the parts box. Instead, I told myself it's only a plastic part and it can most likely be fixed. And fix it I did and I enjoyed the time spent with the part. It's the same thought going through my mind as I work on a model...having fun is the most important aspect and if the desire comes along to make a change along the way then let me at least try out the idea. If the work comes out to my level of satisfaction then that's great; if not then at least I gave it a go and can always try another direction. If we all built our model exactly the same way it would be a very dull hobby indeed. Instead, we get to see what other folks are building and also enjoy the information being shared with us. ?

Joe

[Ace-Garageguy]

3 hours ago, 1972coronet said:

...I used to be able to spot a Penny in a Copper mine from a mile away... 

You must be a Scot...   

[1972coronet]

1 hour ago, Ace-Garageguy said:

You must be a Scot...   

Surely am, haha. Welsh, Scots, and Irish. This rainy weather's perfect for a 'Celtic Car Wash'.

[landman]

I managed to finish it just in time for a few games of shuffle boards at the Old Age Club.

[customline]

Can shuffleboard be played sitting down??

[misterNNL]

I look at current engines with all of the uber complicated wiring electronics,and gizmos and shake my head. No way I am going to attempt to detail one of those. I will gladly stick to my '20's /'50's era projects.

[peteski]

6 hours ago, misterNNL said:

I look at current engines with all of the uber complicated wiring electronics,and gizmos and shake my head. No way I am going to attempt to detail one of those. I will gladly stick to my '20's /'50's era projects.

Actually, if you pop the hood open on most modern cars with those uber-complicated engines, all you see is some fancy plastic engine covers. No wiring, maybe few simple hoses - mostly just a black plastic cover with a logo on it. Very simple to model.

[StevenGuthmiller]

23 minutes ago, peteski said:

Actually, if you pop the hood open on most modern cars with those uber-complicated engines, all you see is some fancy plastic engine covers. No wiring, maybe few simple hoses - mostly just a black plastic cover with a logo on it. Very simple to model.

 

Yeah well, they’re not all that clean.

 

 

Somewhere under that mess, there’s an engine.

 

 

Steve

Edited January 17, 2023 by StevenGuthmiller

[Bucky]

On 1/9/2023 at 11:59 AM, customline said:

Yup. Between the arthritis, the hearing loss, the cataracts and the dimentia................................uh....what was I sayin'?

Just found out last week that I have cataracts. Both eyes. Getting them fixed, soon. Maybe that will help me build better models! LoL

I do have arthritis, and moderate hearing loss (due to 48 years in the construction industry).

No dementia yet....that I'm aware of.

[seniorgeek]

On 1/9/2023 at 9:04 AM, landman said:

Yes, but I use magnification and PATIENCE as I am 75 and still trying. 

Edited January 17, 2023 by seniorgeek

[Andrew McD]

Huh, what stogie, what ashtray?  My 4x magnifier is in the basement on the workbench. ?

[peteski]

16 hours ago, StevenGuthmiller said:

 

Yeah well, they’re not all that clean.

 

Somewhere under that mess, there’s an engine.

Steve

Eh, somebody probably just took the plastic engine cover off (because the BWM engine I showed earlier is likely just as complex under that pretty cover). 

[customline]

46 minutes ago, Bucky said:

Just found out last week that I have cataracts. Both eyes. Getting them fixed, soon. Maybe that will help me build better models! LoL

I do have arthritis, and moderate hearing loss (due to 48 years in the construction industry).

No dementia yet....that I'm aware of.

I should not have made light of dementia and, for the record,, I apologize to anyone who may have found it offensive. If anyone found it funny, SHAME ON YOU! ?.  As far as building better models goes, I wish you the best.  After I had mine done 5 or 6 years ago, I didn't notice any difference. I still build crappy models. I still have trouble driving at night. My floaters are much worse and my eyes are always filmy. I still need a lot of light and magnification to work on said crappy models. I hope you have better luck with yours. ?