Perfection!

[Pete J.]

We hear a lot about the "perfect" model being unobtainable. I heard a quote tonight that really resonates with me.  It came from the show Craftsman's Legacy.   "Perfection is doing the best you can do today"  I think this really sums up the reasons and technique that everyone builds model.  Comments?

[Snake45]

General Patton said something along the lines of, "Almost any reasonably good plan, executed right now with vigor, is infinitely preferable to the perfect plan executed sometime next week." 

[Ace-Garageguy]

Set high standards for yourself and then try to live up to them, moment by moment.

You may not always succeed, but the conscious, honest effort to be the best you can be is what counts most in my book.

Edited April 15, 2023 by Ace-Garageguy

[peteski]

"Perfection" is a very big word. Most modelers like to build models just for fun, and aren't as fastidious as others.  To some gettign to "perfection" would be considered a tedious labor. To them "good enough" is good enough.  When I build models I like to make them as good as I can, but I would not call them perfect by any means (although some might consider them perfect). I know they are not.  But I have fun building, and satisfaction when I complete them.

People are all individuals, and we all have different personalities.  Striving for perfection is not everybody's goal.  But I do know that  some (after a very lengthy build) sit back, look at the finish model and declare perfection.

Perfection, by definition means "flawless". Why even use that word in this context?  They way you described it Pete, perfection has a sliding scale.  That doesn't seem right.  We should just ban usage of "perfect" when it comes to describing models, to free modelers from the word's burden.

[Ace-Garageguy]

Why not define perfection, for our purposes, as achieving the results you set out to achieve? 

If you set out to build a model that is as reasonably accurate as can be expected in the scale you're working in (it varies enormously, of course), with good fit of parts, a finish that represents well what you wanted to represent (gloss or patina, etc.), and mechanical elements that could actually work in reality...all with a consciously defined level of good-enough...fine. You've achieved what you set out to achieve.

If you set out to assemble a model without correcting flash, sink marks, paint everything with a brush and leave the brush marks showing, and aren't bothered by glooey fingerprints on clear parts, wavy masking lines, and some parts on backwards, then you've also achieved what you set out to achieve.

EDIT: Trying to define perfection is like calculating pi. No matter how far you go, you can still go farther. The goal is unattainable because it's infinite, but it might sometimes be of interest to see how close you can actually get. For me, 3.14 is usually "close enough".  

Edited April 15, 2023 by Ace-Garageguy
CLARITY

[Ace-Garageguy]

DELETE IMPERFECT DOUBLE POST. 

Edited April 15, 2023 by Ace-Garageguy

[Ace-Garageguy]

And speaking of pi...it's been calculated to over 62 TRILLION places behind the decimal point, and still it ain't quite right.

How "perfect" do you want to get?   

EDIT: And also speaking of which, I've always thought pi was a marvellously sublime cosmic joke.

Pi is, of course, the ratio between the circumference of a circle and its diameter. On the surface, this looks like it should be a pretty simple relationship.

But try to calculate the EXACT number...you never can. It's an irrational number that keeps going to infinity.

I think it's maybe the universe's way of letting us know that, no matter how hard we try, there are just some things that seem simple enough, but that we'll never really fully understand...and it's prudent to know when to quit.  

Edited April 15, 2023 by Ace-Garageguy

[Bills72sj]

5 hours ago, Ace-Garageguy said:

Why not define perfection, for our purposes, as achieving the results you set out to achieve? 

If you set out to build a model that is as reasonably accurate as can be expected in the scale you're working in (it varies enormously, of course), with good fit of parts, a finish that represents well what you wanted to represent (gloss or patina, etc.), and mechanical elements that could actually work in reality...all with a consciously defined level of good-enough...fine. You've achieved what you set out to achieve.

If you set out to assemble a model without correcting flash, sink marks, paint everything with a brush and leave the brush marks showing, and aren't bothered by glooey fingerprints on clear parts, wavy masking lines, and some parts on backwards, then you've also achieved what you set out to achieve.

EDIT: Trying to define perfection is like calculating pi. No matter how far you go, you can still go farther. The goal is unattainable because it's infinite, but it might sometimes be of interest to see how close you can actually get. For me, 3.14 is usually "close enough".  

Pi to "X" amount of decimal places is a good measure of effort vs. results in my builds

I pretty much have modifications and assembly down. It is the PAINT part that makes or breaks the build.

3.1415927 = The desired goal

3.14159 = An excellent result for my skillset

3.1416 = A satisfying result

3.142 = Good enough

3.1 = Do over

3 = Put it back in the box

[Pete J.]

On 4/15/2023 at 7:40 AM, peteski said:

"Perfection" is a very big word. Most modelers like to build models just for fun, and aren't as fastidious as others.  To some gettign to "perfection" would be considered a tedious labor. To them "good enough" is good enough.  When I build models I like to make them as good as I can, but I would not call them perfect by any means (although some might consider them perfect). I know they are not.  But I have fun building, and satisfaction when I complete them.

People are all individuals, and we all have different personalities.  Striving for perfection is not everybody's goal.  But I do know that  some (after a very lengthy build) sit back, look at the finish model and declare perfection.

Perfection, by definition means "flawless". Why even use that word in this context?  They way you described it Pete, perfection has a sliding scale.  That doesn't seem right.  We should just ban usage of "perfect" when it comes to describing models, to free modelers from the word's burden.

Peter, I believe that perfection is attainable, in effort, not results.  The craftsman who has put forward their best effort  has attained perfection for the day,  even though their outcome may not be. 

  Yes, the end product is a sliding scale, but best effort never changes even though the skill level does.  Each of us has their own perfect experience.  If you sit down to have some fun building a model and you do that to the best of your effort, what is sitting on the table in the end is irrelevant.  You maximized your fun.  Perfect!  

  We are often so blinded by concern over what others think of our end product that we fail to contemplate what we did.

  For me personally, perfection is using a new technique or process on each model.  Others may not like the outcome but that is focusing on someone else judging your end result.  Focus on your internal voices.  How do you feel about effort?

  This goes along with the old saying, it is the journey and not the destination.  If your destination is perfection, no, you will never get there, but you can have a hell of a journey and have a thousand perfect moments. on the way. 

[Ace-Garageguy]

2 minutes ago, Pete J. said:

...We are often so blinded by concern over what others think of our end product that we fail to contemplate what we did.

Interesting, as that kind of thinking is pretty much alien to me.

Half the time, people have no real idea of what it is I'm trying to accomplish, and while I do appreciate those responses that "get it", for the most part, I just don't care.

I'm my own harshest critic, and I judge my own work from the standpoint of having looked critically and honestly at a lot of really good stuff done by other guys over the years, from whom I've learned more that I ever imagined I would.

So if something lives up to my standards of "good enough", which are pretty dangity high, that's good enough.  

[89AKurt]

I'm my own worst critic, so I should talk.  I usually strive to do a perfect job, and it never materializes.  My trick is to assemble enough perfect parts, in the hopes they overwhelm the imperfect parts.  I don't have the time to make everything perfect, that's why I have so many WIP on the shelf of doom.  If I didn't have to sleep, eat, clean house (which I did today after many weeks of not doing anything, it was the perfect ghetto), work, shower, see my mom more often, I could make the perfect model.  But I don't, time waits for nobody, and I have a stash to build, and more awesome project ideas than time.  It always amazes me to see things some humans make that are perfect, like pocket watches that actually work, I can hardly make a hinge that works good enough.  I would be more depressed if I obsessed about making the perfect model. /end rant/