What kick-started your return?

[Adrian "Marvel" Reynolds]

My GF at the time was big into card making and my mom also started the hobby, so there I was sat watching the TV whilst they would craft away, so I went and bought a model kit and it all snow balled from there. Now its the thing that keeps me going. Just a thought whats your favourite part of modelling, the build, the painting the decals, weathering? I love the assembly part

Adrian

[Guest]

Lights,camera,action ?I take snapshots with an old Canon Ixus 40,admitedly a decent small camera in its day,but nothing fancy. I'm lucky that my workspace is effectively a conservatory which means decent natural light,even on a day like today.

I crop the photos (I usually have something in them that shouldn't be there!) and resize them for uploading and posting on the forum using the basic software which comes in Microsoft Office.

If I can do it then anyone can. There are some very capable photographers here but I am definitely not one of them.

Cheers

Steve

You've made me feel guilty now Steve

I'm a techy so no excuse really for not getting on with it. I'll read up on the GB & SIG stuff and about uploading images.

Really interesting reading about how you all got back, or into, this hobby. It is definitely a magical hobby, and not being weather-dependant helps.

[Vaughan]

I really ought to try and involve myself more in the forum with builds etc, it's just that the fussing around with camera-lights-action etc has put me off a bit Maybe I'm lazy, or shy.

Mark I don't use any fancy cameras just my good old iphone4S, two A2 sheets of white artist board and some modelling lights which I use for all my build shots plus the finished ones.

[Guest]

thanks Vaughn

[michaelm]

My Mrs and son (10 yrs) found an airfix Lancaster in a charity shop and got it for me thinking I might like it.I went the LMS to get some paints and discovered a new world of modern paints and kits and endless things to build.

I used to to make models as kid and found it still great fun, there's loads to learn and plenty great kits so got hooked.

After a couple of kits I found this forum, the rest as they is history.

Great thread, M

[Guest]

I, too, had started as a lad, putting kits together from about 8yrs to 12 or 13 (1950's!), then quickly drifted away during High School, too much "make work" to do much else. Quite a load of time goes by, and 2008 came along. I had been reading on the IMDB about a favorite movie,"The Pride and the Passion," all about a giant cannon being dragged around Napoleonic Spain by the Guerilleros, and needing a wood-work project, and having acquired the DVD, dedcided to model the cannon. After 3 years, entered two cannons and one cannonball wagon into the Sonoma County Faire models and miniatures competition, geting a blue and a red ribbon for the entries.

With all the display shelves at home suddenly empty, I felt that I needed to start making something, and that point really started the return to model building. I even tried a 1/72 plastic PBY kit (too small for my comfort), and a good friend bought me Guillows PBY kit, which is "in progress" along with my scratch built 1:24 sub miniature. I had not conciously decided to get back to model building, it just happened! Entering competitions and winning a few blue ribbons did not hurt!

Regards, John

[stona]

This is a great thread,well done Mark.

I've thoroughly enjoyed reading everyone's stories so far. Keep 'em coming.

Cheers

Steve

[Guest]

I had great fun building models as a lad in the 70s -I can remember I had a WWI dogfight hanging from my ceiling and a huge (well it seemed huge to me) P51D that had folding undercarriage. Anyway, a little while ago I found a box of my old stuff in my parents' loft. In the box was a model of a Grant tank, that I had been particularly proud of. The little pilot light that was still flickering inside me got stronger, and whenever I was in a toyshop with my kids, I was drawn magnetically to the model section.

A couple of birthdays later I was given two models and the gas burners became fully lit.

I think my wife regrets getting me the two models though.

[MORIARTY1177]

I too built kits as a lad but moved onto wargaming and painting figures and then grew out of that. Around 5 years ago me and SWMBO moved to Duxford a stones throw from the IWM and the combined joy of getting free access to the IWM + getting a reasonable view of the airshows from my garden got me all juiced up. (having spits, husa's & mustangs roaring over ones house almost every weekend is pretty awesome) so thought id make a model kti for old times sake. One 1/72 Airfix Spitfire and 5 years on I'm still at it and loving it more & more, especially as I can share my work with like minded folk on this fine forum.

All the best

Chris.

[Guest]

My story starts two years ago... I was looking and (I never said it) writing my own Land Rover book (miniatures references), I was bored and ask myself: - "I can do a kit!! Why not?". I has start the Pink Panther that evening, I start the Rover ambulance too, but never end it.

And looking in Google I found the Land Rover "proud" of Tiking (scale model member).

"Wow!!" I think!! "Fantastic people and models!!!"

I decided that made models again, it should be a very nice activity!! And here I am!!

Regards

Polux

[mossiepilot]

My story's much the same as you other guys. I'd built kits in my teens during the seventies, the bedroom ceiling was covered, and then I "grew up" and modelling was a thing that kids did. In Feburary 2011 I suffered a minor heart attack, but it meant I was off work for 11 weeks before the Doc let me go back, and I was going stir crazy for something to do. When SWMBO asked me what I would like to do to relieve the bordom, I had a short think and asked for a model to build and she got me an Revell 1/48 Mosquito which I put together, and failed quite spectaculaly. So I had another go with an 1/72 Airfix Hurricane which I built, not too badly, and painted. When it was done i thought to myself I can do better than that, and so the modelling bug bit. I found you guys in July, signed up and ain't looked back since.

Tony.

[AlanG]

Built models from age of 6 through until 17. I then was getting posted around all over the world with the RAF so gave it up until i had something more stable. Bought my first kit again in 2000 but didn't start it for various reasons until 2005. It was then only still a very small part of my life as i was mainly into sea fishing and would spend whole weekends away doing it.

I seriously got back into it in 2007 when i found out my wife was pregnant with our first child. I figured that she would like to have me at home more often to help around the house and with the children so i have done so. I now rarely get to go fishing and do models more. Although the modeling has turned out to be just about as much time consuming and expensive as fishing was lol

[Dave W]

I started model making when I was 8 (1966).It was quite popular back then.My dad made me a Canberra, an F89 Scorpion and a Douglas Skyrocket.I loved them and soon bought my first kit,a Revell 1/72 Zero.Thats when my love of aviation started I think.I built loads of models through my teens,was in the Air Cadets and joined the RAF as an airframe fitter in 1975.I gave up around then and got into motorbikes.The inevitable crashes occurred over the years and I made the occasional kit whilst recovering.Usually Phantoms because that was what I worked on at the time.Left the RAF in 1988 aged thirty and went to work in Saudi on Tornado's for BAE.Too bloody hot out there for doing much outside so I started modelling again.Found this great shop in Al Khobar that did loads of modelling stuff and I was hooked again.Used to come home every 4 months and having discovoured Hannants would buy stuff to take back with me.Shared a villa out there with two blokes who were both into modelling which was great.Then I got home sick and packed the job in.Came home in 1995 and stopped modelling again as I was working long hours contracting in civil aviation.Went to college and became a Licensed Aircraft Engineer.Now I have a permanent job with regular hours.Got married in 2000 and took on a 6 year old girl as well.Then about 5 or 6 years ago I got fed up sitting watching telly every night and remembered I had a load of unmade kits in the loft from my days I'm Saudi.So I started building again.Then I discovered this site and found I could get help to make better models.My wife reckons I'm obsessed and she's probably right!.

[Guest]

I had done a few kits in my early teens and being a typical youngster lost interest, then around seven years ago I had been flipping through a magazine and seen an advert for a ChrisCraft Cobra and that was it. Took me several months to finish it and I have been modelling ever since.

[Guest]

When I was first into kit building the reign of Tamiya with the RIKO importers lable on the box was a must every Saturday. At the age of 15-16 it was a bus ride to the coastal town of Redcar with my mate and then spend hours in the model shop looking at the vast amount of different kits from Tamiya. This got me hooked and up until just leaving the kit building to pursue my career and chasing girls which obviously took over the need to build kits. Returning to the fold about 4 or 5 years ago I was amazed on just how much the hobby had improved with photo etch, resin and the vast amount of kits coming from SE Asia. This got me hooked and to this day I always look forward to getting ino the garage and spending some time at the bench. So in short I can only say that the SE Asia influence on the kit world made me return.........

Andy