Abandoned another kit - is this hobby for me?

[colin m]

Well as you’ve said, you don’t enjoy aircraft (ignore my suggestion on my Tempest build thread) so how about a rewind and relaunch doing something you enjoy, cars?
Note the word enjoy, it’s quite important. No hobby should cause you undue stress - as me how my aquarium is going - no don’t !

[Valeron]

Steve,

I've failed to complete quite a few builds in the 3 years since I started this hobby. I've only binned one model as this was completely unsavable.

I'm still persevering thoigh and trying to just build things I enjoy. Although my build rate is very slow these days.

I still struggle on many occasions and for.now are working in 1/35 scale vehicles. I found that with the 1/72 aircraft I was building, I was often getting very frustrated.

I do have a shelf full of incomplete models and may go back to them at some point.

I

[boatman]

WELL Steve i must say ive not ever abanadon a model since i took to building serieus in the last 30 odd yrs an not bein big headed at all its just a fact as ive a stubbon streak in me as i must admit i came close with my tomcat but mojo came back an im still building it but you say you have bought several aircraft kits was your mojo strong then an as the guys say hang on to them KITS esp the big spitfire an you may soon get like me a stubbon streak to think im goin to build this model an try an enjoy it an yes try a tank or something but dont give up modeling
ATB SIR
CHRISB

[Miko]

I cannot conceive of a circumstance of tossing a kit in the bin! Hard earned cash binned, that's crazy talk!

You really have to stop doing that, surrendering to a kit that isn't going the way you want it to should resolve you to develop the techniques and skills to overcome the problems you're having, don't bin it, put it on the back burner until a time you can fix the problems you're having, use it as a 'hack' to practice various processes you're struggling with.

For me, it's an individual modelling philosophy we all have, seems to me, yours needs work or you need to redraw the lines of your expectation of what's in the box. Scale modelling is as much an art form as it is an engineering exercise and perfection does not exist, my realisation of this helped me overcome some modelling hurdles, including peer pressure from modellers far superior me and my build experience

It's supposed to be fun

Miko (off to compose a thread on modelling philosophy)

[boatman]

I cannot conceive of a circumstance of tossing a kit in the bin! Hard earned cash binned, that's crazy talk!

You really have to stop doing that, surrendering to a kit that isn't going the way you want it to should resolve you to develop the techniques and skills to overcome the problems you're having, don't bin it, put it on the back burner until a time you can fix the problems you're having, use it as a 'hack' to practice various processes you're struggling with.

For me, it's an individual modelling philosophy we all have, seems to me, yours needs work or you need to redraw the lines of your expectation of what's in the box. Scale modelling is as much an art form as it is an engineering exercise and perfection does not exist, my realisation of this helped me overcome some modelling hurdles, including peer pressure from modellers far superior me and my build experience

It's supposed to be fun

Miko (off to compose a thread on modelling philosophy)

well said Miko you think like i think so we may be two peas in the same pod lol
chris b

[Guest]

okay, thank you. I'm sorry

[Guest]

Whoa!!!! slow down....
We have all experienced this problem, at one time when coming home from the model shop, if I dropped the kit it would not get built, it would eventually be given away...

Later when a model became so aggravating it actually went into the bin, and I am sure I have actually binned one I was building at the time on this forum as it became an absolute PITA.

You are finding out that making models of aircraft is not really your subject, and in your own words you prefer AFV's, others prefer it the other way round and some would rather go blind than touch either....

Sort out your unbuilt kits and advertise them on our For Sale section where you will get at least a decent price for them, or box them up and store them.

As for giving up the hobby, what will you do when you have sold off all of your equipment and the 'itch' starts again???? In fact what will you do, because you will take the occasional sneak look at the forum just to see what is happening.

So you want to build AFV's and here you can come across another minefield, subject, area of interest, era and on and on... But you will eventually settle into a subject you enjoy.

[Guest]

Steve too many people worry/compair with what other people do wich is a big no no setting doubt in what ever you do ,your not the first person to throw the dummy out of the pram take it from us we've all done it and still do ,if you go back through my armour under construction you'll find quite a few that ha e made me raise the white flag SO WHAT ,im not going to carry on with something that isn't giving me any pleasure ,ive also built quite a few that have given me much pleasure but I've no inclination to ever paint them just 100%enjoyed the process of building them the plastic police havent knocked on my door so far. Me and the other half have been together a long time long enough to do our own hobbies about the house she's aware of the stash just as I'm aware of the shoe addiction so don't speak of my stash and I won't ask why you've only worn that pair once sounds a bit harsh but why start to build something your heart wasn't in in the first place number one factor in this hobby is enjoyment no matter how far you go with it ,its about just sitting and enjoying what your doing .

Fully agree, I have the affliction that I cannot for the life of me build a model straight from the box, its a mental block...

[Guest]

As an aside but on subject. I can tell you how many aircraft models I have built on this forum - 1.....
How many have i got in my aircraft stash 30+


This is just the stash under my desk, all awaiting the day I feel like a change of subject....

[Waspie]

I've been sat in the wings for a week or so, popping in to see what's going along and bang!! Steve's got both hands in the air :surprised: - don't totally surrender buddy. It's supposed to be enjoyable.
You have said you enjoy wheels :thinking: - then do wheels! Simples!
I've walked away from my Wasp for a wee while until I can muster some enthusiasm to apply myself to it again. Totally not happy with it but I will not submit to plastic. But that's me - we are built differently.
You've invested time and money into getting thus far. You have discovered much. Now it's time to start building what YOU want to build. Wheels!! If that's what floats yer boat then build road vehicles. :thumb2:
I've mentioned before, what I have been building are models I have a connection with. That simple formulae seems to work for me thus far. (Less the Wasp - I really can't wait for a half decent manufacturer to produce one).
If you are disposing of your air stash - flog em on here! eBay can be a right hassle.

[David Lovell]

No one seems to be able to get to the bottom of your feelings towards your involvement with the hobby ,as I and others have said just do what you want there are some fantastic members here both as human beings and modelers who never criticise will only offer help and encouragement ,they didn't get to where they are over night they've been at it a long time ,dont worry about what other people do or the standards reached in magazines just take inspiration from there work if it makes you think wow and want to get up to the bench thats what it's all about and don't forget a lot of magazine features are nothing more than a products feature (that won't get the results for you that they get belive me i know)this hobby should hold no fears most kit boxes have even got a age rating ok some need a bit more thought but thats all ,from previous people have told you you'll find tamiya the way to go no matter what subject , even now and ive been back to the hobby probably 16 years I still have bad ones but my ethos is that this one will try and be better than the last not necessarily the whole thing but even if if its only a certain aspect (yes even after 16 years that might be even doing a good job with the air brush) if you get/learn one thing to take to your next build you've got that in your learning curve. Its your kit your way thats all that matters I know this sounds blunt but we've all jumped in the deep end and found our selves struggling to climb out bob about in the shallows and have fun the deep end will still be there when your ready.

[PaulinKendal]

To be honest, I think Steve's got the message?

okay, thank you. I'm sorry

[boatman]

To be honest, I think Steve's got the message?

WELL Guys as paulinkendal says so lets leave this thread at that no need to go any further on this suject
chrisb

[Jim R]

For goodness sake this discussion is getting far to "deep". We are a bunch of adults who stick bits of plastic together and then paint the result hoping it will look summat like it's supposed to. It's a hobby which we do for fun in our spare time. Regardless of how much time we spend, how much money we invest, how much research we do, how much skill we have or what our interests are we are all just modellers.
So Steve, build what you like, when you like and chuck a model in the bin when you want to. Only you know whether modelling is the hobby for you. Just don't take the hobby too seriously, because when all is said and done it is just a hobby.

[Miko]

This response is somewhat over negative isn’t it? It is on the cusp of being a personal attack. Steve isn’t “crazy”, isn’t “surrendering” and doesnt need to “work on his individual modelling philosophy”. He simply needs our support and understanding.

From my perspective , I can easily imagine circumstances in which I will bin a kit. After all, I spend the money as a form of entertainment. Once the entertainment is over, be the kit built, half built, or unbuilt, then disposing of it in some way is part of the purchase life cycle. Once the kit has served its purpose, which is for personal entertainment remember, no matter how we dress it up, then its usefulness is really at an end. Calling Steve crazy to do this is totally unnecessary.
Admitting you are unable to complete something is as much, or maybe more, a part of the learning curve than completing it. It is not surrendering. Flogging away at something day after day just so you don’t waste money is a sure way to complete dissatisfaction. The first step to learning anything is wanting to. If the aircraft aspect of the hobby is giving you grief and disappointment, then don’t do it because you won’t grow as a modeller. Find something you do enjoy and do that. The true joy in this hobby is achieving something you want to achieve, not in grinding through something just because you think you should.
As to “modelling philosophy”, whatever the hell that is, tell it to the birds. This is a hobby front and centre. It is not an exercise in art, if anything it is artisanal at best. There are a very few proponents of the hobby that do genuinely generate art, we have some on this forum. However, the mainstream, of which I am happy to be a member, are box builders that follow a set sequence of techniques to achieve a result. The pleasure usually comes in the building, not in (self) admiri the finished article.

Wow, so much hostility!

Not sure how you 'completely' missed my point

Miko (under attack!)