How much time?

[Guest]

I’m new to scale modelling so I’m obviously pretty excited/motivated at the moment.
Got myself a bit worried thinking maybe I should slow down a bit. Don’t want to burn myself out & loose interest.
Made me wonder how much time people spend per day/week/month modelling?

[Guest]

My advice: Don’t measure yourself by what others do

If you think you may be going too fast, slow down — but only if you think it miht be a good idea, not because you seem to be going faster than other people say they’re going.

[dave]

Work at the speed you feel comfortable.
We all work at different speeds, because of work some weeks I can do a lot, others like this week I have been to Geneva and Kiev and have not even seen my bench.
Last year I built 5 kits, so far this year it has been only one.

Relax, if you feel like modelling do, if you don’t don’t. Do not feel that you need to keep up with other people.

[Dave Ward]

Sam,
I'm retired, so there's not many external constraints on my benchtime, and I usually spend about 2 hours a day, on average over a month. I find that I begin to lose concentration if I spend too long, and the hands start to give me trouble. I like to work by natural light, so my benchtime moves around over the year.
DON'T set yourself timetables for finishing models - it's a hobby, and self inflicted stress will rapidly reduce your enthusiasm. Speed is purely a personal matter, don't be put off by modellers who produce a model a day, or one a year! Above all enjoy it!
Cheers Dave

[minitnkr]

All the above is good advice. I used to binge when the mojo was hot, sometimes only surfacing for food & a little sleep, but less so now. Being retired & all the grandkids grown, there are fewer requirements on my time. No more all-nighters or even late-nighters. Usually 4 to 6 hours a day now at most. PaulE

[PaulTRose]

what the guys said....

for me, it all depends on what im building, what stage im at, what sort of day ive had at work lol

i tend to find i spend some time in the evening at the bench...sometimes it can be an hour, sometimes as much as 10 minutes!.....weekends strangly enough i do very little.....unless te memsahib is watching some rubbish like 'x factor' or 'brits got no talent but need to earn simon cowell more money' in which case i retire to the bench

key thing is not to rush what you are doing

[Mini Me]

She who knows all will govern your time as well...if you have one that is. If not you are the master, model when it suits you.
Cheers, Rick H.

[Tim Marlow]

Hi Sam
All good stuff above. All I would add regarding how long to model is that it’s natural when you start something new to want to do it all the time. That keenness will eventually wear off, and you will do less. It really isn’t a problem, you will eventually settle to a rhythm.
During some builds you will find things aren’t going your way, or a certain aspect is really tedious, and you want to give up....that is also natural. The secret, if there is one, to overcoming that problem is to start mentally breaking the build or paint process into small operations and plan to complete one process at each sitting. That way you will see progress and that will feed the mojo to allow you to continue. Remember, you can only eat that elephant one bite at a time....
Other advice I would give is to occasionally work outside of your comfort zone. Making Tanks, Trucks, Aircraft, Cars, Trains, Motorcycles, Figues, or Busts are all aspects of modelling, but all require slightly different skill sets. Occasionally building an aircraft if you normally build tanks, for example, can give you a different view on the modelling world and refresh your interest. You may find something you really enjoy that you never considered building before.
Don’t get overly hung up on detail. Nothing kills the fun more than obsessing over things like scale colour and hyper accuracy. I know, because I got there once and gave up the hobby for about ten years. These days I mostly build out of the box.
Lastly, it is far easier to spend money that time. Most modellers could probably forego kit spending for several years and not run out of subjects. That is also normal.
Don’t fall for the “latest and greatest” hype in kits, paint or tools either. Learn to use what you have, trying something a little different for each new build...this will increase your skill set faster than anything. After all, you don’t get to sound like Eric Clapton or Angus Young by buying a replica of their guitars, no matter how well made they are, you get there by putting in the hours and expanding your knowledge base.....
Go with the flow. If you start getting frustrated or burned out, switch it up and vary what you are doing....and never think “I can’t build like X, or paint like Y”. Perhaps you can’t.....yet......but remember, they have the same hands, eyes, and brain that you do, so if you work the problem you’ll get to where you want to be.....and they may well be thinking “I wish I could model like that Sam blioke, he’s awesome”....
Cheers
Tim

[Guest]

Hi Sam

I retired early from ill health and it took me a few years to find a hobby that would fill the empty gaps in my life. Modelling fitted the bill for me as it required both concentration and time, and I must admit that, given the fact that the kids are more or less grown and I have even more time on my hands, I find myself spending more hours of the day sitting at the bench. My average would be 3-4 hours a day, and as long as I get all of the domestic stuff done, my wife sort of tolerates it (that's the main problem for me!).

Also, as others have said, the more time dedicated to the hobby, the better we get.

If it feels good, do it. It's a worthwhile hobby, both mentally stimulating and creative, and you can even convince yourself that it's better than sitting in the pub for as many hours.

[Jim R]

DON'T set yourself timetables for finishing models - it's a hobby, and self inflicted stress will rapidly reduce your enthusiasm. Speed is purely a personal matter, don't be put off by modellers who produce a model a day, or one a year! Above all enjoy it!

For me the above from Dave sums it up.
Jim

[AlanG]

As many have said already. Don't set yourself limits or timetables. I used to do a lot of modelling but as my responsibilities as a husband and father increased i found less and less time to do the hobby. But that doesn't detract from the enjoyment. It just means when i do get time to do it, i enjoy it. Sometimes i get frustrated with certain builds and need to take a break from them to reset my mojo. But other times i get engrossed in a build. It's all swings and roundabouts.

Enjoy the time you make models and don't push yourself to much.

[colin m]

much time people spend per day/week/month modelling

Well, as an example, I've got two builds on the go (side by side) but haven't been near them in nearly two weeks. I'm just to busy doing other things. But that's fine, the builds are always sitting there, waiting for my return. So what I'm really saying is, don't set your self targets or your hobby might seem like a job !

[Guest]

Thanks for all the replies. I actually wasn’t looking for advice I was just genuinely curious as to how much time people spend modelling.
However I am grateful for the advice & am going to take it all on board & hopefully continue to enjoy the hobby.

[Guest]

Ah, sorry, misunderstood you there In that case: for me it varies a lot. Some days I spend several hours building models, other times it can be days or even weeks between doing anything with them at all.

[Mini Me]

Same here.