The downside of the hobby - what annoys you?

[Mark]

9 hours ago, Mike 1017 said:

Comparing Model Cars to 1:1. Then complaining if the windshield is slanted back a 1 millionth of a degree off.

Mike

It doesn't bother me when someone compares a model kit body to the 1:1 item.  It does irritate me to see someone declare some aspect of a model kit body wrong after comparing it to ANOTHER KIT. 

As much as I usually prefer the older stuff, it ain't all perfect.  Some of the promo model based car kits are undersize, or resized to fit the box they came in, or resized to look proportionally "right" with tires already tooled.  One manufacturer used the same tires on Ford Falcon, Corvette, Imperial, and Lincoln Continental kits in THE SAME YEAR.  They might ALL be wrong, but at least two of them are definitely wrong.

As for the parts getting lost in the carpet, I can relate.  Many years ago, upon receipt of a '63 Cadillac kit bought on eBay, I noticed one fin tip (that overhang the taillight lens) was broken off.  Finding it in the box, I then picked it up with tweezers and held it up to the fin to locate it in preparation for gluing it to the body.

Tweezers went "snap", part flies across the living room into the carpet.

That thing didn't lay in the box for fifty-plus years only for some idiot (me) to lose it.

Three hours later...found.

Haven't done anything that dumb since (not with a model kit, anyway...)

[Ace-Garageguy]

37 minutes ago, Mark said:

...That thing didn't lay in the box for fifty-plus years only for some idiot (me) to lose it...

Well suh, that struck a chord.

Some of the 50, 60, and 70 year old model railroad "craftsman" kits I've been acquiring come with really miniscule parts, usually die-cast, about the size of your Caddy fin tip. Honest.

Although most parts that small were on sprues when new, at this stage of the game it's inevitable somebody will have been in 'em and have broken stuff off the runners.

Then, when they're handled or packed on-end to be shipped and the shipper boots 'em around upside down, the tiny things tend to get lightly stuck between the box top and the inner, so when you open them, you hear several tiny little "tinks" as parts hit the floor.

I have hardwood floors, so it's usually not too hard to find 'em on my knees with a flashlight, but I'm never really sure if I got 'em all.   

[1972coronet]

12 minutes ago, Ace-Garageguy said:

I have hardwood floors, so it's usually not too hard to find [ fallen kit parts ]  on my knees with a flashlight, but I'm never really sure if I got 'em all.

Then another 75 years to stand-up again, only for this to happen :

[JollySipper]

John, don't think you're getting through the day without someone wishing you some Happy Birthday-ness............ 

[Bugatti Fan]

Indifferent model builders who inhabit FB and other Social Media who set themselves up as so called 'Experts' in order to gain worthless 'likes' to boost their own over inflated egos and for monetary gain should they get enough views to attract advertising.

Edited April 17 by Bugatti Fan

[Mike C]

12 hours ago, peteski said:

Who needs all the drama. I'm also not on any social media except for some old-school forums (like this one).  I guess there is something that bugs me: more and more manufacturers only sell on FB  - no websites.  But that's a general irk as it doesn't just apply to hobby stuff. 

Me too, I don't belong to any social media. I just use some model building forums and a mountain bike forum.

[bobss396]

I have to move my dining room table back 2 feet soon... and start looking for small items I have dropped for a while. I'm at the point where it is easier to make the item over rather than crawl around.

I'm getting smarter. If I have to make 4 of something, I make up 6 of them. Need 8, make up 10 to 12. 

I lost a piece of 1/8" aluminum tubing about a month ago, part of a magneto I was making a run of. Not really a small part... but GONE. Yesterday, I see the part under the table as I walked by... the sun coming in the windows revealed it like a searchlight. 

[Mike C]

2 hours ago, bobss396 said:

I have to move my dining room table back 2 feet soon... and start looking for small items I have dropped for a while. I'm at the point where it is easier to make the item over rather than crawl around.

I'm getting smarter. If I have to make 4 of something, I make up 6 of them. Need 8, make up 10 to 12. 

I lost a piece of 1/8" aluminum tubing about a month ago, part of a magneto I was making a run of. Not really a small part... but GONE. Yesterday, I see the part under the table as I walked by... the sun coming in the windows revealed it like a searchlight. 

Yeah, sometimes I wind up finding a lost part when I'm not looking for it.

[Bugatti Fan]

More manufacturers using Facebook instead of their own websites !

Ah well !       Something has to pay for the gold fittings on Zuckerberg's yacht !

[bobss396]

21 hours ago, Mike C said:

Yeah, sometimes I wind up finding a lost part when I'm not looking for it.

The machine shop I worked in, we made tiny parts. The floors were old asbestos Ken Tiles and you could eat off them. A crew came in each night and when we came in, the place was mint.

Myself included, drop something small and look all over for it... finally bite the bullet and make a new one. A couple of times I would come in... the part would be in plain sight on the clean floor.

I busted off a piece of a 3D printed chassis, a sizeable piece that would be difficult to replicate. I don't recall hitting it on anything. I spent time off and on looking for it... BACK IN THE BOX!

About a week after, looking for something else on the carpet.. 8 feet away, I saw the chassis piece all by itself.

[bobss396]

I have slowly realized that there are many 3D printed parts sellers who are not modelers. They merely sling parts for sale.

I thought that most designed their own parts.. wrong again. Some will give credit to the file's originator. I see many of the same parts from a variety of sellers. Some are nicely done, some are not.

One thing that irks me is distributors with too-small wire holes that are also too shallow. Try to carefully drill out them out and the part shatters.

There is also zero regard by some for attaching things like wheels and mufflers for example. For mufflers it would be convenient to be able to use a stock-size aluminum tube, or even plastic rod. Wheels are the same issue. I see hubs that are not concentric to the rest of the part.

So there are puppy-mill sellers out there, I'm learning who is to be avoided. I store my parts with notes in them, who it came from, what some dimensions are.

[Ace-Garageguy]

2 hours ago, bobss396 said:

I have slowly realized that there are many 3D printed parts sellers who are not modelers. They merely sling parts for sale...

...So there are puppy-mill sellers out there, I'm learning who is to be avoided. I store my parts with notes in them, who it came from, what some dimensions are.

Yup. I've been sorely disappointed by about 50% of the 3D printed stuff I've bought, with scaling oopsies (arithmetic is SOOOOOOOOO hard), parts that will never cure covered in goo, proportions wrong, etc.

On the other hand I've been blown away by the exceptionally high quality from the guys who get it right.

We need a name-names thread advising potential buyers about who's making good stuff and who's not.

 

[JollySipper]

What is kind of annoying to me right now is my vision isn't what it used to be........ We get given those small CF light bulbs here in the apts. Between reading on the computer and working under poor lighting, my eyes are pretty strained. Gonna get a lamp to work under here soon, though, which should help!

[TonyK]

I've been dealing with 3d printed wheels that are a tad too big for the 3d printed tires. A long tedious process hollowing out the tires for the wheels to fit.

[peteski]

3 hours ago, bobss396 said:

I have slowly realized that there are many 3D printed parts sellers who are not modelers. They merely sling parts for sale.

I thought that most designed their own parts.. wrong again. Some will give credit to the file's originator. I see many of the same parts from a variety of sellers. Some are nicely done, some are not.

One thing that irks me is distributors with too-small wire holes that are also too shallow. Try to carefully drill out them out and the part shatters.

There is also zero regard by some for attaching things like wheels and mufflers for example. For mufflers it would be convenient to be able to use a stock-size aluminum tube, or even plastic rod. Wheels are the same issue. I see hubs that are not concentric to the rest of the part.

That is so true on all counts.

There is no thought put into assembling or painting a 3D printed item.  Like small model cars 1:160 scale where the entire model is printed as a single part.  It is an awesome testament of a 3D printing capabilities, but how the heck do you paint the interior or install "windows"?  And before you say it, I'm not a fan of "liquid windows' like Microscale Kristal Klear. Fortunately many designers are starting to realize this and are printing the body separate from chassis/interior/wheels.

[Ace-Garageguy]

40 minutes ago, JollySipper said:

What is kind of annoying to me right now is my vision isn't what it used to be........ We get given those small CF light bulbs here in the apts. Between reading on the computer and working under poor lighting, my eyes are pretty strained. Gonna get a lamp to work under here soon, though, which should help!

I have a suggestion, or more accurately an anecdotal observation.

Every time I go hiking for at least an hour or so, I notice a real improvement in my vision.

I assume it's from increased blood flow to my old brain and retinas and optic nerves.

Do with that what you will.

PS: Good work lighting is essential as well.

 

[1972coronet]

1 hour ago, Ace-Garageguy said:

Every time I go hiking for at least an hour or so, I notice a real improvement in my vision.

I assume it's from increased blood flow to my old brain and retinas and optic nerves.

I agree completely. A good walk warms up the ol' vacuum tubes in (what's left of) my brain - gets the ol' vision up, and kicks-up my hearing .

[peteski]

My vision has deteriorated over the last few years.  Solution: strong illumination of my work area glasses and a headband magnifier (Optivisor with a #7 lens plate).  For *REALLY* small tasks I have a stereo microscope.

 

[johnyrotten]

34 minutes ago, peteski said:

My vision has deteriorated over the last few years.  Solution: strong illumination

100%. I've had vision problems my entire life, and my profession doesn't help. The more lighting, the better. Using magnifacation has taking me a bit to get used to.

[bobss396]

20 hours ago, Ace-Garageguy said:

Yup. I've been sorely disappointed by about 50% of the 3D printed stuff I've bought, with scaling oopsies (arithmetic is SOOOOOOOOO hard), parts that will never cure covered in goo, proportions wrong, etc.

On the other hand I've been blown away by the exceptionally high quality from the guys who get it right.

We need a name-names thread advising potential buyers about who's making good stuff and who's not.

 

I bought an intake and carb set on eBay from a popular 3D print source. The carb itself was small, more like 1/32 scale than 1/25. I'll have to dig it out and take a picture.

One of the guys in my club does some printing, he says that scaling is something that can be difficult. 

[bobss396]

19 hours ago, TonyK said:

I've been dealing with 3d printed wheels that are a tad too big for the 3d printed tires. A long tedious process hollowing out the tires for the wheels to fit.

I see this with many stock car tires and wheels. I'll file and sand the wheel outer diameter, roll up sandpaper to open the tires up.

Now I wrap the wheels in tape before I prime and paint. Even that small build up will make assembly difficult. 

[Musclecars]

On 4/16/2025 at 9:58 AM, NOBLNG said:

What I find most annoying is conspicuous sprue attachment points on chrome parts. Second would be extremely vague or non existent mounting points for parts. Third is tiny parts being launched across the room by my vindictive tweezers.

couldn't have said that any better. I always wonder why they just have to mount some chrome parts in 4 directions,especially those that are always going to be seen where you have no choice but to strip those parts and re-chrome...just very annoying

and I have lost count how many times my tweezers have failed me in critical situations

[slusher]

When your spray painting and have a really good paint job going and then the half full can start spaying som drops on your paint job.

[Mike C]

21 hours ago, peteski said:

My vision has deteriorated over the last few years.  Solution: strong illumination of my work area glasses and a headband magnifier (Optivisor with a #7 lens plate).  For *REALLY* small tasks I have a stereo microscope.

 

I have much better lighting than I used to have in past. No more fluorescents, only bright, white LEDs.

[Falcon Ranchero]

I have a pretty good lighting situation, my one lamp emitting ample light and also acting as a heat lamp; nice during winter months since the basement gets pretty cold, plus, leaning the painted parts on the tree against the poles of the lamp have them dry faster from the heat.