What do model builders overlook that could improve their models?

[Harry P.]

Those "cup holders" would be pretty useless on the road!

I remember those circular indentations stamped into the inside of the glove box door on my old '67 Belvedere. I assumed they were supposed to be "cup holders," but they're actually useless as such (unless the car isn't moving)...

[Tom Geiger]

Those "cup holders" would be pretty useless on the road!

I remember those circular indentations stamped into the inside of the glove box door on my old '67 Belvedere. I assumed they were supposed to be "cup holders," but they're actually useless as such (unless the car isn't moving)...

Yes, my Valiants had those same indents on the glove box door. I believe they were for holding your drinks at the drive in restaurant!

[sjordan2]

Thanks Harry. Just about everything I posted in this thread is easy to do. When I got back to the hobby as an adult and joined a club, my model quality jumped enormously and quickly. I found everything that my new club mates taught me were easy to do things. The only thing that kept my models at grade school level was that I hadn't thought of the techniques on my own. And that's what this thread is all about.

Pretty much so Dan!

Bingo. That's what I had in mind when I opened this thread. I thought it would be good to compile a list of simple, illuminating things that CAN be done to build better models. Sort of an a la carte menu of opportunities, not a list of musts. As has already been mentioned, it's up to the individual modeler to determine how far to go with these suggestions.

Edited July 28, 2014 by sjordan2

[southpier]

to think.... there was a time when it wasn't the norm to dine at 60 mph!

[Pete J.]

to think.... there was a time when it wasn't the norm to dine at 60 mph!

Frankly, it wasn't the norm because you had to be physically involved in driving a car. All roads were not paved. Driving on dirt or gravel roads required your constant attention. The old cars with bias ply tires were not as inclined to go in a straight line as the newer radials. There were far less traffic control devises so you had to be aware of the traffic at every intersection. Your car was more likely to brake down so you had to be paying attention to how it was running and the gauges. Remember gages? Those were those funny little dials that you had to read and interpret if everything was working right. But enough of the old guy rant! Back to your regular program.

Edited July 28, 2014 by Pete J.

[Tom Geiger]

Frankly, it wasn't the norm because you had to be physically involved in driving a car. All roads were not paved. Driving on dirt or gravel roads required your constant attention. The old cars with bias ply tires were not as inclined to go in a straight line as the newer radials. There were far less traffic control devises so you had to be aware of the traffic at every intersection. Your car was more likely to brake down so you had to be paying attention to how it was running and the gauges. Remember gages? Those were those funny little dials that you had to read and interpret if everything was working right. But enough of the old guy rant! Back to your regular program.

I remember reading an account of people driving from Philadelphia to Wildwood on the New Jersey Shore in the 1920s. The car broke down once, and they got three flat tires along the way. It took them 12 hours or more.

Today? About a 2 hr drive! And a modern driver wouldn't have any issues!

[Ace-Garageguy]

I remember reading an account of people driving from Philadelphia to Wildwood on the New Jersey Shore in the 1920s. The car broke down once, and they got three flat tires along the way. It took them 12 hours or more.

Today? About a 2 hr drive! And a modern driver wouldn't have any issues!

And, you can eat, put on makeup, send and receive mail, play games, watch TV, talk on the phone, pay bills and read a moving map (that even TALKS to you !!!)...ALL while you DRIVE!!

The wonders of the modern world !!!

Edited July 28, 2014 by Ace-Garageguy

[sjordan2]

And, you can eat, put on makeup, send and receive mail, play games, watch TV, talk on the phone, pay bills and read a moving map (that even TALKS to you !!!)...ALL while you DRIVE!!

The wonders of the modern world !!!

Don't forget being able to take out other people or yourself.

[Ace-Garageguy]

Don't forget being able to take out other people or yourself.

I guess that counts as a "modern driver" issue.

(from post 106): " And a modern driver wouldn't have any issues!"

PS. My sincere apologies for the off-topic digression.

Edited July 28, 2014 by Ace-Garageguy

[Tom Geiger]

Okay back to the subject matter...

One of my big rules for beaters... "If you remove a body part, you need to create the detail that would be underneath that part."

Doesn't matter what kit manufacturer, if you remove fenders, nose etc. the kit maker hasn't invested time in creating details nobody normal would ever see. I see soooo many models with parts cut off, and just model kit innards showing! Note all the shapes etc that went into creating the Honda inner details.

[Harry P.]

Is that a finished model? Because the front wheel is unpainted and there are no hinges holding the door in place... apparently only magic.

[Ramfins59]

How about having steering wheels not touching the driver's seat.

Including gas/brake/clutch pedals, interior headliner support bows, visors and dome/courtesy lights on kits and promos that don't have them....... interior rearview mirrors too.

[southpier]

that's one of my big ones. if a Uhlrich mini-man can't squeeze between the wheel & seat, something needs to be adjusted.

[lanesteele240]

If people built models to the extent that some on this tread suggest, you could maybe pound out 2-3 models a year. At that rate, the kit pile will overflow or kit manufactures will go out of business.

I suggest not missing out on having fun putting the model together. If having the ac quick disconnects on a ford is fun for you then have at it. But that is not an over looked item the op was looking for.

Overlooked items i see me leaving off

Rear view mirrors

Pedals

Radiator hoses (most never fit)

[Kennyboy]

Hey Gary.....quick tip for your radiator hoses....

.......use a piece of solder to bend to shape then cover it with a piece of shrink tubing and heat to shrink. Looks just like the real thing with "clamps" added.

Edited July 29, 2014 by Kennyboy

[sjordan2]

If people built models to the extent that some on this tread suggest, you could maybe pound out 2-3 models a year. At that rate, the kit pile will overflow or kit manufactures will go out of business.

I suggest not missing out on having fun putting the model together. If having the ac quick disconnects on a ford is fun for you then have at it. But that is not an over looked item the op was looking for.

Overlooked items i see me leaving off

Rear view mirrors

Pedals

Radiator hoses (most never fit)

My idea was to look at both overlooked basics (such as you mentioned at the end of your post) plus what has turned out to be a wide range of perhaps overlooked opportunities to go to a higher level.

As mentioned in post #103, "to compile a list of simple, illuminating things that CAN be done to build better models. Sort of an a la carte menu of opportunities, not a list of musts. As has already been mentioned, it's up to the individual modeler to determine how far to go with these suggestions.

If that ends up being fun for modelers who are so inclined, so much the better. If not, nobody said you should bother with it.

Edited July 29, 2014 by sjordan2

[unclescott58]

OK, one detail I almost always do. Black out the ends of tailpipes, headers, and velocity stacks. A little flat black can go a long way in helping those items look right.

Scott

[Tom Geiger]

Is that a finished model? Because the front wheel is unpainted and there are no hinges holding the door in place... apparently only magic.

Silly wabbit! It's obviously on the primer table, actually at GSL a few years ago. See the orange dot? It got photographed.

[Harry P.]

Silly wabbit! It's obviously on the primer table, actually at GSL a few years ago. See the orange dot? It got photographed.

Sorry, I don't do contests... so a "primer table" and orange dots are news to me.

[southpier]

surfboards.

they are not flat sticks. there's about 3" of rocker, starting about a third of the way back from the nose (pointy front end).

when mounted on a vehicle, the skeg (fin thing) goes towards the front of the vehicle and pointing towards Heaven.

[sjordan2]

I would suggest that the superdetail modelers are the most rabid of the "I build for me / I build for fun" guys. No reason to add so much unless it gives you personal satisfaction. (And don't take that as a slam against anybody who builds at any level of detail.)

I think Brady Ward, a well-known professional builder of mostly Pocher models, expressed it well. He became a professional because of his love of the detail, and the challenges. Even though he actually builds for others, whatever he does for customers involves commitment and the reward of personal satisfaction:

http://www.bradywardmodels.com/

"I never planned to build model cars for a living. After some training in art and design, I spent my spare time working on my own full size cars (decidedly non-classics), having more and more fun with the mechanical troubleshooting and rebuilding. At the same time, classic cars began to look more like art than old vehicles to me. Not having access to a full-size classic to lay my hands on, I built my first 1:8 scale model. Eventually my customers convinced me they wanted more models than I could produce on nights and weekends and pushed me into business full-time. Since then, almost every customer but one has ordered additional models after receiving their first. One has eleven, another sixteen and counting.

So I am fortunate to make a living doing what most of my friends regard as "playing with toy cars". It is very fulfilling, using my hands to create cars that are both mechanically and aesthetically beautiful. There are drawbacks: I have many unproductive days, banging my head against a mechanical problem, or struggling to get into the frame of mind to polish paint for 10 hours. Because of this (and a constant backlog of orders) I cannot promise specific delivery dates. I will give my best guess when an order is placed, and will not require a deposit until I have actually started a model (or sometimes when a rare kit must be purchased). I willput my heart into every model, and won't deliver it until I know it is right."

Edited July 30, 2014 by sjordan2

[Tom Geiger]

I would suggest that the superdetail modelers are the most rabid of the "I build for me / I build for fun" guys. No reason to add so much unless it gives you personal satisfaction. (And don't take that as a slam against anybody who builds at any level of detail.)

Agreed. I add most details because it pleases me, and I try new things like scratch building some small detail just for the personal challenge... can I do this? There are times I've succeeded and are most pleased with the result and myself, and there are times I've failed, but learned something along the way.

Nobody does everything perfect all the time. Internet boards with build threads are good because they humanize the best builders. When one of the 'big boys' confesses that he did that paint job three times before he got it right, it's down right encouraging for the rest of us. For example when people see my '53 Ford pickup with the scratch built work box on the back, they assume I just did it. No, the one on the truck is box three or four. I just refused to give up.

[Ace-Garageguy]

... whatever he does... involves commitment and the reward of personal satisfaction..."It is very fulfilling, using my hands to create cars that are both mechanically and aesthetically beautiful. There are drawbacks: I have many unproductive days, banging my head against a mechanical problem, or struggling to get into the frame of mind to polish paint ..."

Yup.

And when people see something I've done that took several tries, including failures, and they say something like "boy, you have a lot of talent", well, to a certain degree talent does come into it, but I was God-given whatever talent I may have, so I can't take any credit for it. In the long run, it's not so much "talent" as it is, like Tom said...

... I just refused to give up.

...and THAT'S where a heaping helping of personal satisfaction comes in: knowing I stuck with something difficult and beat it. For MYSELF. For FUN.

Edited July 30, 2014 by Ace-Garageguy

[Harry P.]

Almost everyone forgets to add the muffler bearings and the Johnson rod...

[Ace-Garageguy]

...and kenniffler-pins should NEVER NEVER be chromed !!!