Clarafacation I hope.

[DRG]

Yesterday I posted something that was for the most part misunderstood.

1- I have a lot of respect for the members of this forum and attempt to always show them the respect they are due.

2- I used the word skills when I should have used the word talents. Skills can be learned, can talents be cultivated??

3- In refernce to the money issue I was referring to collecting 500 or more models to build. I limit myself to a stash of three or four as that's all I can afford at any given time.

4- Those that use after market parts, God love ya, but I can not afford those things so I don't worry about them.

5- I was strictly trying to point out that there are builders out there that are not at your level and more than likely never will be. Whether that is by choice or some other limitations really has no bearing on anything. They love building Model Cars and will continue to do so.

6- Some of the guys have workbenches to die for. They have all the tools and gadjets needed.

My workbench is simple and I posted a few pictures to illustrate.

I respect everyone here and I understand there are different opinions, I was strictly voiceing mine.

[MikeMc]

Yesterday I posted something that was for the most part misunderstood.

1- I have a lot of respect for the members of this forum and attempt to always show them the respect they are due.

2- I used the word skills when I should have used the word talents. Skills can be learned, can talents be cultivated??

3- In refernce to the money issue I was referring to collecting 500 or more models to build. I limit myself to a stash of three or four as that's all I can afford at any given time.

4- Those that use after market parts, God love ya, but I can not afford those things so I don't worry about them.

5- I was strictly trying to point out that there are builders out there that are not at your level and more than likely never will be. Whether that is by choice or some other limitations really has no bearing on anything. They love building Model Cars and will continue to do so.

6- Some of the guys have workbenches to die for. They have all the tools and gadjets needed.

My workbench is simple and I posted a few pictures to illustrate.

I respect everyone here and I understand there are different opinions, I was strictly voiceing mine.

Your opinion IS important!! Ignore the naysayers and have a good time and lots of fun...I know you will make some great friends here,and your skills will get better. As good as Rommell??That dude is over the top...I will never be that good...but as long as I progress on each build I am satisfied!!!!

[george 53]

The Only difference between you and Rom, is EXPIREINCE and desire. BOTH are obtainable IF you have the desire. I THINK Rom, just got so good at it caz he WANTED to be THAT good. After all the years he's been doin it, it WILL come to point where he HAS learned from every build, and it shows. IF you want to be that good, you can. If not, well as long as YOUR enjoyin yourself, really, WHO CARES?

[highway]

Yesterday I posted something that was for the most part misunderstood.

1- I have a lot of respect for the members of this forum and attempt to always show them the respect they are due.

2- I used the word skills when I should have used the word talents. Skills can be learned, can talents be cultivated??

3- In refernce to the money issue I was referring to collecting 500 or more models to build. I limit myself to a stash of three or four as that's all I can afford at any given time.

4- Those that use after market parts, God love ya, but I can not afford those things so I don't worry about them.

5- I was strictly trying to point out that there are builders out there that are not at your level and more than likely never will be. Whether that is by choice or some other limitations really has no bearing on anything. They love building Model Cars and will continue to do so.

6- Some of the guys have workbenches to die for. They have all the tools and gadjets needed.

My workbench is simple and I posted a few pictures to illustrate.

I respect everyone here and I understand there are different opinions, I was strictly voiceing mine.

Donald, I really don't think it's a matter of misunderstanding, and please don't take this comment as an insult because it is NOT meant to be one, but a matter of your attitude towards the hobby. You made a comment in the thread yesterday that you weren't concerned with mold lines, but you wanted to build the best models you could. I did see later you did also say you were going to work on the mold lines on your next build, and I know from experience you will be happier with the results. Another reason I say that it seems to me it might be more your attitude towards the hobby is just in the post I quoted you made to start this thread. Please read through my opinions to some of the comments that I feel you might be misunderstanding that all of us have huge bank accounts that fund our hobby, which is NOT the case.

1- I agree 100% with you on this.

2- I feel talent and skills go hand in hand. You could be the most talented artist in the world, but without even the most basic building skills, you would not turn a model into a work of art.

3- I'm sorry, but you are way off the mark here! I have a collection of about 425 unbuit kits at the present time. Here's a picture of just a small sample of my collection.

Do you think I bought all of them at one time? I WISH! I started this collection with just about the same three or four kits like you have in your collection right now, and as I had some extra cash after the bills were paid, I would add one or two more. The collection I have now has been built up over the past ten years or so, sometimes working long hours to get overtime just to buy some of the more expensive kits in the collection. You even say that 3 or 4 kits are all you can afford at a give time, but maybe instead of buying all at one time, buy one or two at each pay. You would be surprised how quickly your collection will grow. I'm unemployed at the moment and have been for a little over a year, and things get really tight most weeks, but I still have just enough after the bills are paid I can still be lucky enough to buy at least a kit or two each month.

4- I do not use much in the way of aftermarket products, but I do have some for certain builds. You really would be surprised how cheap some of those parts are. Some of the resin and photoetch parts I have were less than $10, and some were less than $5.

5- I used to feel the same way, but through the help of not only asking questions here when I want to know something, I had the help of the builders I had the honor of being in a local model club with before the club folded. Also, as with anything, the more you practice, the more you will improve. The more you build, the better the quality of your models will be.

6- I feel again you might think everyone's workbench and supplies were bought at one time, and again in most if not all cases, they were not, and they don't have to cost a lot, either. This is how mine looks today.

The most expensive part of my desk is the hutch on top of it, which I bought at an auction new in the box for $25! If you look close by the cutting mat, you will see a crack in the middle of my desk. That is because I pieced this workbench together to be want I wanted, I started with just the small student type desk that is to the right of the crack, and I bought it at a church rummage sale for $1! The part to the left is an old TV stand that my in laws were going to throw out and I sat the two beside each other just so I could put the hutch on top of it. As for supplies, it is just as I said with building your collection size. If you get a tool here and a set of files there, you'll have a well stocked desk in no time!

These are my opinions on the subject, and as you said, everyone has different opinions, but please take my opinions in the way I intended them, to hopefully helpfully become a better modeler in the future.

[DRG]

I have done a lot of soul searching to-day and trying very hard to remember what it was like in the sixties when I built models.

They are long gone and only the memories are left.

Perhaps that weren't as good as I remember them.

Perhaps I am strictly trying to get back into a better time.

I really don't know.

I do appreciate the comments and encouragement that I have gotten on this forum.

You guys are ALL nice people and willing to help, something I've never experienced before.

[lordairgtar]

All ya gotta do is ask. 99.99999% of the people here are willing to help with any trouble you might have, model wise.

[Mr. Moparman]

All ya gotta do is ask. 99.99999% of the people here are willing to help with any trouble you might have, model wise.

100.00000000%

[Hawk312]

I too have hundreds of models by now, but it took me more than a decade to acquire all them too. For some reason, I still convince myself that I am going to be able to build them all. But something else needs to be addressed in this thread:

:o :o

Highway, where is the in progress thread for that one?!

Edited August 29, 2010 by Hawk312

[chris coller]

My work area is my living room right in front of my television. I have no elaborate work area. Wish I did cause it kills my knees and my back. But it is a hobby and meant as such. There are all different skill sets in the hobby. I learned the hard way and by others. Learning from others is the best least expensive way to learn(recommended)There are by far enough folks on here that would help you with an issue, offer advice, help locate certain parts, models, or whatever it is you are seeking in the hobby. Some will even offer their political views(not recommended)

I chose to start detailing things just out of trying to push my skills and admired the others that have detailed out their projects. It is a rewarding thing when everything comes together. Either way enjoy the hobby and start with small details and build on from there.

[Art Anderson]

Most all of us builders on this, and just about every other model car message board are, or at least were, rather average modelers at some point in time. For every newcomer in this hobby who seems to break out, explode on scene, there are dozens, if not hundreds who have't experienced that just yet.

Teenager Jordan Romero, who before his 14th birthday had climbed 6 of the legendary 7 summits (the highest mountain on each continent) including Mt Everest while still a 13yr old, has an interesting challenge that he presents to any group he speaks to, be they kids, or adults of any age: Find your Everest, and climb it. For him, that has meant astounding accomplishment for one so young, but that challenge works no matter the pursuit, whatever a person's path through life might be--it even can apply to scale modeling in any subject area. That "climb" can be as gradual, or as stratospheric as one's imagination and dreams can make them. There's very little in this hobby that is "greek to me", or anyone else. One learned skill leads to another, then another,and still others over time. Even something as mundane as making an ill-fitting part fit can be the beginning of even simple kitbashing--trust me, the same skills will be needed. A simple conversion of a body shell from one style to another will plant seeds of the skills and knowledge needed to scratchbuild something, whatever that something might be. The use of aftermarket details or even a fairly complex transkit are merely quick paths to the goal of having something that one didn't have before, be that the look of realism, or something one never thought would be achievable. And face it, most of us don't have the requisite knowledge or perhaps the tools to make some of those details which are out there in anything from photoetched metal to cast resin parts or bodies.

As for not having the wherewithal to gather expensive tools, or model kits bought for building someday out in the future, those things can have a tendency to come about in time--when perhaps one's priorities in other areas of life have been accomplished, whatever those might be.

As for me, the things I work on today are the culmination of close to 60 years of building models--they didn't happen last week, or even within the last decade. But when I start on a project, no matter the delays that may happen for whatever reason(s), my motto is to "never give up".

Art

[Clay]

Donald, I know where you are coming from. From the skills here to not having the money. Being in the military I don't have the money all the time to get tools, detail stuff or kits. Now as for skills, mine have improved, not to what these guys are but I think my skills have improved 100% just look at my builds. Also its not buying the detail stuff, its what you use that you already have or getting the right paint.

This is a 63 Avanti I built a couple years ago, brush painted and everything.

This is a 69 Camaro

I used a wired magneto, bare metal foil, lacquer spray paint and fabric paint.

All I can say is save your money, and ask all the questions you can here and you should be able to advance your skills.

Edited December 29, 2010 by Clay

[MikeMc]

My workbench is a closet...the light is hanging instead of shirts.......

[Railfreak78]

I started my collection at the age of 9. By the time I was 16 I had a "few" kits. By the time I was 22 I had about 300 built kits all destroyed by a Jerk that thought they belonged to a roomate. You can look at my bench and my stash of kits and a few years ago I'd say it's all about the pocket book too. I changed that thought process with MY own doing. I decided to to take actions where I could get models at discount prices. Such as thrift stores, yard sales, friends, found some in a dumpster once. I rebuilt alot in ten years and very cheap. I agree with someone elses comment and that is that ONLY... your attitude towards the hobby will affect your building.

[Railfreak78]

Perfect example of poor 2 Mad mudder kits ( One free from a friend ) Tank kit $5 at a thrift store. Plow posts are wood sticks from a food package and the plow is actually $0.38 cent posted board from Fry's grocery store. The rest is parts box. Sometimes the imagination beats the wallet

[runsw/scissors]

Donald, participate in this hobby at whatever level you want to. Don't let those with a narrow mind tell you if you are doing enough. who cares what they think. If you listen to them it'll take all the fun out of the hobby and you'll end up quitting. It also doesn't matter what your work space is like. I've got a whole room to myself. But only because my kids are grown and have moved away from home. My work bech used to be the dining room table. Now it's an old kitchen table in a room in the basement. I also have about 80 kits in my collection. but it's taken 15 years, several swap meets, and a number of kits bought on clearance ( i buy faster then i build). I started out alot like you, no I'm no Romell, but every model gets alittle better, and everyone is a learning experience. Whatever you do JUST HAVE FUN.

[Eshaver]

Unlike some people here , I know my work area is overly messy. I work in a chaotic abyiss. I clean it up periodicly and for what it's worth. , occasionaly somebody pays their bill for work I have produced ..........

Ed Shaver

[krow]

Hi Donald,

I usually lurk here, but thought I would throw my two cents in: There are people here (and on several boards out there) that are talented to the point of being a little intimidating. What you'll find is almost all of them are willing to share techniques and ideas with you. Not all of us have lathes, milling machines, drill presses or the skills to whittle wheels from solid blocks of brass or aluminum. But we can get a whole lot of ideas and inspiration from them. It never occurred to me to look at the plastic I was throwing out as a source of sheet plastic and shapes that can be used in models, but someone posted a tip on using parts of a McDonalds coffee cup lid for subwoofer cones and it really made me think about what else is out there. Another one came from someone who mentioned beauty supply shops as sources of sanding and polishing sticks (manicure finishes aren't all that different from our stuff) and airbrushing nail polishes for paints. It doesn't always need to be modeling by checkbook, though there are some pretty neat aftermarket bits that don't cost an arm and a leg. Hang out for a while, and check out what these folks can add to your modeling experience, they're good folks and they know their stuff.

[highway]

I too have hundreds of models by now, but it took me more than a decade to acquire all them too. For some reason, I still convince myself that I am going to be able to build them all. But something else needs to be addressed in this thread:

:o :o

Highway, where is the in progress thread for that one?!

David, at first I was even trying to figure out what you were talking about until I seen the arrows! Sadly, I don't have a WIP thread started on that yet, I did some of it about 3 or 4 years ago long before I started posting on any forums. When I do finally work on it again, I will start posting it! Of course, I see you noticed my famous "levetating" engine for it, too!

[highway]

My workbench is a closet...the light is hanging instead of shirts.......

Mike, you give the term "closet modeler" a whole new meaning!