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Why make things so b****y hard! Sorted. I sold it!

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  • Gern
    • May 2009
    • 9253

    #1

    Why make things so b****y hard! Sorted. I sold it!

    There was a thread here a couple of weeks ago about folks not wanting to spend time and effort on tricky builds nowadays. Here's a classic example.

    I've just spent some time looking at this as a possible build:

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    Nice big kit and a slightly unusual subject which is just what I like. I did the Dora rail gun some years ago and had to spend AGES painting individual sleepers for the tracks. Hobby Boss have excelled themselves and come up with this idea:

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    Paint the ballast, paint the sleepers separately then join them together. Great! Quick and easy although the iron pads the tracks are mounted to still need to be done individually.

    And then they come up with this lunacy! There's a rack of machine guns which are hidden under a hinged cover. There are four springs which lock into a pair of hinges at each end, making the doors movable. So far, so good. Then there are some PE covers for the springs. I don't know who the genius was who designed these but he should be taken outside, put against a wall and shot!

    The PE has to be rolled to go round the springs with a small tab at each end which needs to be left straight. WHY has the designer made these in two halves, about 5mm x 10mm (PE-A2 and PE-A3) which have to be glued edge to edge after they've been rolled into roughly quarter circles?? (I can't see even a soldered joint staying together if you try to roll these pieces after they've been joined). There is NO reason why he couldn't leave these as a single piece, making the job of rolling them much simpler - although still tricky due to their relatively small size.

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    That stupidity means this kit goes back on the shelf until it goes on ebay - unless anyone here wants it. £42 + P&P. I don't mind tackling tricky stuff, but I'm not prepared to struggle with stupid stuff!
  • SimonT
    • Apr 2018
    • 2824

    #2
    Just because they have chosen a slightly odd way to solve the problem doesn't mean you have to use it Dave

    Decide whether you want the doors open or closed - moveable doors is a bit of a gimmick on a static model as far as I'm concerned

    It's an easy fix, just ignore the PE and just roll your own spring cover from a single bit of pewter/copper/brass/drinks can etc - use the PE as a template for the dims of the rectangle

    Add the tabs from micro strip or a strip cut from the same material as you make the cover from

    Job's a good 'un - simples

    Comment

    • boatman
      • Nov 2018
      • 14498
      • christopher
      • NORFOLK UK

      #3
      OH you are havin a good ole moan this month Dave lol :smiling2: what with the pegasus rocket an now this an whats happening with the burger cart eh !!!!
      but back to this as Simon says build it but make it simple an i think he's right
      chris ps this is meant to be an enjoyable hobby so ENJOY IT lol :rolling::thumb2: ATB

      Comment

      • KarlW
        • Jul 2020
        • 1522

        #4
        On the bright side you only have to do it 4 times.........1 a week you'll be done in a month. still faster than I build.

        Comment

        • boatman
          • Nov 2018
          • 14498
          • christopher
          • NORFOLK UK

          #5
          Originally posted by KarlW
          On the bright side you only have to do it 4 times.........1 a week you'll be done in a month. still faster than I build.
          HI Karl what are you a slow builder then ? an what is your subject you like best ? but slow is better than none at all
          ATB chris

          Comment

          • KarlW
            • Jul 2020
            • 1522

            #6
            Originally posted by boatman
            HI Karl what are you a slow builder then ? an what is your subject you like best ? but slow is better than none at all
            ATB chris
            Not known for my speed, never completed a Group Build on the MM forum.......

            Comment

            • boatman
              • Nov 2018
              • 14498
              • christopher
              • NORFOLK UK

              #7
              Originally posted by KarlW
              Not known for my speed, never completed a Group Build on the MM forum.......
              HI again Karl ok a slow builder but what is your main subject you like ? as like mine is ships an aircraft
              chris

              Comment

              • KarlW
                • Jul 2020
                • 1522

                #8
                Originally posted by boatman
                HI again Karl ok a slow builder but what is your main subject you like ? as like mine is ships an aircraft
                chris
                I'm a bit of a tart in that respect, stash has 1/48 planes, 1/35 armour, 1/350 boats, 1/12 motorbikes, various busts and figures, some sci-fi, some 1/100 stuff.

                Comment

                • boatman
                  • Nov 2018
                  • 14498
                  • christopher
                  • NORFOLK UK

                  #9
                  Originally posted by KarlW
                  I'm a bit of a tart in that respect, stash has 1/48 planes, 1/35 armour, 1/350 boats, 1/12 motorbikes, various busts and figures, some sci-fi, some 1/100 stuff.
                  IN OTHER words then Karl a bit of everything then good on you but better not hog dave thread an lets get back to what he's on about
                  chris

                  Comment

                  • Guest

                    #10
                    Originally posted by SimonT
                    Just because they have chosen a slightly odd way to solve the problem doesn't mean you have to use it Dave
                    Quoted because that’s what I wanted to say too I would probably glue the hatch how I want it and then stick the PE parts to it, or remake them from plastic strip (which looks like it will be easier at the size these appear to be, going by the instructions alone).

                    Comment

                    • Gern
                      • May 2009
                      • 9253

                      #11
                      I take your point guys. Scratching a replacement wouldn't be impossible - certainly easier than trying to build what's supplied in the kit.

                      My point though, is why? Why make it so difficult when that creates extra work and expense for the company - making two parts will cost more than making one? More importantly, why should I have to go around replacing parts due to poor design? I have no issue adding/modifying parts for extra detail, and I have no real issue with poor fitting parts - on older kits at least, but having to replace parts 'cos the designer got them so badly wrong is a definite no no for me.

                      Any takers for the price I offered it for? I don't know exactly what the postage would be - but less that £10 for sure.

                      Comment

                      • Gern
                        • May 2009
                        • 9253

                        #12
                        Originally posted by boatman
                        OH you are havin a good ole moan this month Dave lol :smiling2: what with the pegasus rocket an now this an whats happening with the burger cart eh !!!!
                        but back to this as Simon says build it but make it simple an i think he's right
                        chris ps this is meant to be an enjoyable hobby so ENJOY IT lol :rolling::thumb2: ATB
                        You should know by now Chris that I'm only happy if I got summat to moan about!

                        The burger bar - so much fancier than a mere cart! - is progressing. Got the chassis done and painted the body, got a couple of touch ups to do, then it's just a case of adding the posters and I'm done. I want to get it finished this weekend as my weekly sessions with my grandson resume on Monday so I'm going to lose one day a week from my builds.

                        Comment

                        • Gern
                          • May 2009
                          • 9253

                          #13
                          Originally posted by SimonT
                          Just because they have chosen a slightly odd way to solve the problem doesn't mean you have to use it Dave
                          I don't think 'slightly odd' covers it Simon. Totally insane would be closer to the mark methinks!! :smiling: :smiling:

                          Comment

                          • SimonT
                            • Apr 2018
                            • 2824

                            #14
                            Well, it doesn’t bother me Dave - if you can do it posted for less than £50 I’ll take it off your hands

                            Comment

                            • Guest

                              #15
                              Originally posted by Gern
                              My point though, is why? Why make it so difficult when that creates extra work and expense for the company - making two parts will cost more than making one?
                              Because more parts equals a kit for more experienced builders equals a kit that they can charge more for?

                              As for having it in parts costing more … I kind of doubt it. How much spare room is there on the etched fret? If there is plenty where other parts can go, then making this as two parts costs exactly the same as making it as one. Only if they would have to make the sheet bigger to accommodate the parts, would it cost more to make it as two.

                              Originally posted by Gern
                              More importantly, why should I have to go around replacing parts due to poor design?
                              That’s the real question, yes I get the strong impression that sometimes, manufacturers do things like this because they can, not because it’s the best way to go about it. Also wouldn’t be surprised if the people designing the kit had wanted to make it as one part, but a boss higher up told them to split them up, for the reason I mentioned at the top of this reply (and this being from an East Asian manufacturer, the designers’ reply will almost certainly have been, “yes, boss” instead of, “are you sure that’s a good idea, boss?”).

                              Comment

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