The Secret to Building a Better Model

[afx]

1. Buy an expensive air brush – Wrong.  An air brush can certainly improve your builds, when used correctly.  However many award winning builds have been finished with nothing more than rattle cans.

2. Start with an expensive kit – Wrong.   Whether it is a plastic or resin kit the price of the kit will not ensure great results.  In fact buying a kit above you current skill level often results in a disappointing build.

3. Kit bashing – Wrong.  If the additional parts aren't installed correctly or inappropriate parts are added this detracts from the finished build.

4. Aftermarket parts – Nope.  You can buy as many aftermarket parts as you can fit on your build but if they aren’t installed or finished correctly this again will lead to disappointment.

5. Study your subject – Ding Ding Ding we have a winner!  The best way I have found to improve my builds is to understand the subject as fully as possible before I start to build.  Instead of buying a bunch of aftermarket parts buy a book on your subject or do some research on the internet.  Understanding what each kit part is supposed to represent and what its function is on the vehicle allows you to:

• install it in the correct location and in the correct orientation

• finish it correctly– should it be shiny,  dull, textured etc.

• refine or correct the part’s shape

• wire and/or plumb the part

• scratch build a part that is not included in the kit

Knowledge and understanding of the subject has helped me become a better builder.  I think it will help you too.

Edited December 27, 2018 by afx

[Mustang Madness]

Good post JC,  I totally agree with it. 

[Matt Bacon]

6. Clean up every part throughly when you remove it from the sprue: remove all the mould parting lines, ejector pin marks and the remnants of attachment points. Fill dings and holes.

7. Test fit every assembly, and trim, shape and clean up every part until they fit together cleanly in the bare plastic.

There's nothing that spoils a build quicker than parts not fitting together properly because they just haven't been cleaned up adequately. 80% of the time, it's not the engineering and design of the parts that is responsible for bad fit... it's failure to get them the way they were meant to be before putting them together. Of the other 20%, maybe 15% can be fixed by test-fitting and remedying BEFORE glue or paint comes near them. And for the other 5%, well, that's where scratch-buulding comes in...

bestest,

M.

Edited December 16, 2015 by Matt Bacon

[afx]

6. Clean up every part throughly when you remove it from the sprue: remove all the mould parting lines, ejector pin marks and the remnants of attachment points. Fill dings and holes.

7. Test fit every assembly, and trim, shape and clean up every part until they fit together cleanly in the bare plastic.

There's nothing that spoils a build quicker than parts not fitting together properly because they just haven't been cleaned up adequately. 80% of the time, it's not the engineering and design of the parts that is responsible for bad fit... it's failure to get them the way they were meant to be before putting them together. Of the other 20%, maybe 15% can be fixed by test-fitting and remedying BEFORE glue or paint comes near them. And for the other 5%, well, that's where scratch-buulding comes in...

bestest,

M.

Absolutely Matt and the best part these suggestions are FREE. They cost nothing more than a little extra time doing something we all enjoy.

[Jantrix]

Excellent post with good info.

[Miatatom]

1. Buy an expensive air brush – Wrong.  An air brush can certainly improve your builds, when used correctly.  However many award winning builds have been finished with nothing more than rattle cans.

2. Start with an expensive kit – Wrong.   Whether it is a plastic or resin kit the price of the kit will not ensure great results.  In fact buying a kit above you current skill level often results in a disappointing build.

Gosh, JC, where were you when I returned to this hobby? I'm guilty on the first 2 for sure. Bought a relatively expensive AB and found that the Paasche H was better for my style. The first kit I started wasn't expensive, but was a little rare. It was the BRE 510. Thank goodness they released it again.

[afx]

Gosh, JC, where were you when I returned to this hobby? I'm guilty on the first 2 for sure. Bought a relatively expensive AB and found that the Paasche H was better for my style. The first kit I started wasn't expensive, but was a little rare. It was the BRE 510. Thank goodness they released it again.

Check with me next time Tom.

[MrObsessive]

If I can throw my 2¢ in------I've learned to treat every part as if it's a kit in itself. If you're opening doors, treat that door and the hinges as a kit. If you're building an engine, treat that as a kit. It helps me stay focused on that one area, and not get bogged down trying to do too many things at once.

Sure it gets tedious and it may take longer to get the model done, but sweating the details IMO yields better results in the long run.

Now with my last build, I'm guilty of parting lines. I didn't want to deal with rechroming the bumpers (at the moment), and I don't like simply spraying 'em with Alclad or trying to cover them with BMF. To me, that appears "fake" and while it may look nice and neat, nothing replaces chrome with well..........chrome.

Not every detail will be perfect, it never is. But the little things can go a long way in getting the desired results.

[disabled modeler]

I agree....Its not a race and is meant to be enjoyed to build them.  Treat ever part as if it were a model itself is great advise I got years ago.

[Ramfins59]

I totally agree with Matt Bacon and Bill Geary.  While cleaning mold lines, ejector pin marks, etc. on every part is the most tedious part of working on a model, the end results really show in the quality of the built up model.  When you treat every part as if it is its own model, when all of those "little models" are assembled properly and neatly, you wind up with a spectacular looking finished product.

[High octane]

I'm sure that all of us could build a better model or improve on some of our skills, however I believe there is no "perfect" model. Some guys lookin' at your model might think that it's perfect, but.......... they didn't see how we "fudged" this or patched up that, or? Anyhow, it is suppose to be FUN, and if we don't enjoy building and it becomes a "chore," maybe we should find something else to do with our time.

[StevenGuthmiller]

I'm sure that all of us could build a better model or improve on some of our skills, however I believe there is no "perfect" model. Some guys lookin' at your model might think that it's perfect, but.......... they didn't see how we "fudged" this or patched up that, or? Anyhow, it is suppose to be FUN, and if we don't enjoy building and it becomes a "chore," maybe we should find something else to do with our time.

Bingo!

I agree that there are things that all of us can do to improve, but becoming obsessive takes the fun out of everything.

I don't want to be a buzz kill, but I don't worry a whole lot about being 100% accurate on every aspect of a project.

I let it be what it is, a model kit, & just enjoy building them the way I want to.

Of course, that's not to say that we should stop trying to improve, but improve for "yourself", not for anyone else.

 

Steve

[blunc]

somehow, I just knew the word "fun" would end up in this thread...

what is the logic that says a "technically correct" (and possibly well detailed) build is not (or can not) be one persons' version of "fun" ?

I have "fun" doing real upholstery in my builds, I have "fun" figuring out how to make my door hinges look and act closer to the full size item.

can't we just assume that everyone is having "fun" doing their builds whether the build is a slammer or a brass masterpiece?

( and maybe get back to the thread topic)

Edited December 18, 2015 by blunc

[afx]

Didn't mean to put anyone off by suggesting there is a right way and a wrong way to build. It was just an effective way to make my point that information and knowledge has helped me improve my builds more than throwing money at them.

[snacktruck67]

 Good one JC.  I picked up a couple of pointers there.  I liked your sense of humor, ie:  wrong, ding, ding.

[Twokidsnosleep]

Didn't mean to put anyone off by suggesting there is a right way and a wrong way to build. It was just an effective way to make my point that information and knowledge has helped me improve my builds more than throwing money at them.

It is a good thread and I really like what you wrote

So many ways to skin a cat when modelling, we all have our bias views. Some want to be a scratch builder and some want to be an assembler...nothing wrong with either 

I find it very satisfying making parts and details myself more than aftermarket purchases...I can see a mill and lathe in the future, but not yet.

Personally, I see a model kit as a starting point and take it from there with my own imagination...... especially like adding a background or at least small diorama to set the model off and tell a story

 

Good thread topic my friend

[STYRENE-SURFER]

I don't think I like those "secrets".

Too many rules.

Kinda reminds me of this guy...

 

 

[StevenGuthmiller]

somehow, I just knew the word "fun" would end up in this thread...

what is the logic that says a "technically correct" (and possibly well detailed) build is not (or can not) be one persons' version of "fun" ?

I have "fun" doing real upholstery in my builds, I have "fun" figuring out how to make my door hinges look and act closer to the full size item.

can't we just assume that everyone is having "fun" doing their builds whether the build is a slammer or a brass masterpiece?

( and maybe get back to the thread topic)

Didn't mean to put anyone off by suggesting there is a right way and a wrong way to build. It was just an effective way to make my point that information and knowledge has helped me improve my builds more than throwing money at them.

Don't get too defensive guys.

I don't have a problem with the thread.

Anything having to do with modeling is a legitimate issue on this forum.

Whenever you start a topic you have to know that there will be all sorts of differing opinions.

My only point is, as Mike stated in his post, people have "different versions of fun".

So wouldn't the same be true of "better"?

I think lobster is better than prime rib, but I'll bet that there would be those that will disagree.

So, continue on.

I think that all of the items that JC mentioned are legitimate areas that a person "might" want to consider to improve his builds, but omitting one of them does not necessarily make that build less "better" than another.

Possibly a better name for the thread would have been, "how to make your builds more competitive in a contest" or something along those lines.

 

Steve

[blunc]

well, at the risk of sounding defensive about not being defensive...

there have been similar threads on this site before that degenerated into "I only build for fun, so I'm not going to add blah blah blah".

I think the posts in this thread that were "on topic" had some great info for builders that want to be competitive in contests or just maybe want to build something that may add skills to their repertoire.

I've got nothing against the builders that "build for fun", I get my inspiration from many places... even things that were built for fun.

 

[bobthehobbyguy]

Good thread. Don't see that any of the comments will prevent anyone having fun. In fact most of the these tips can prevent frustration which isn't fun.

[StevenGuthmiller]

I guess I just thought that some differing opinions might start some actual discussion rather than 30 posts saying "I agree".

Have a nice Christmas guys!

 

Steve

[slusher]

Real good tips and ideas. Rich Manson has helped me a bunch this year and shared info on my short comings. I always like to read shared experience and knowledge. You can work hard and get less or put a little more in and so much more. It's all up to the builder. I think passion for the hobby is the main thing that drives us...

[afx]

For the record the tips where directed to any builder who wants to add more detail to their build. I don't compete in contests, I build just for the joy of it.

Well that's not entirely true. I have entered a grand total of (1) contest - it was an online contest (on another forum) and I finished dead last with zero votes.  Come to think of it maybe I shouldn't be offering up tips then.

All opinions are welcomed.

Edited December 14, 2022 by afx

[MeatMan]

Well, the topic of the post was "How to build a better model".  

Anyway I agree with all of the suggestions for doing so.  I

'll be participating in one of the community builds and I'm doing a twin turbo diesel, and boy have I learned a lot about the subject!  I totally agree with you JC, if you plan to do anything beyond what's in the box you should do plenty of research.  For me it was fun and educational.  Even for an O.G. like me.

[Tom Geiger]

Learn Patience -  It's important not to lose your temper and throw the model at that big paint spot on the wall!   Learn to work slowly and not rush, that's when things wrong!  And when things do go wrong,  realize  it may be time to put down the exacto and walk away for the evening.  You will be in a better frame of mind when you return to the project tomorrow. I always say that once you've sunk a drill bit half way into your thumb... you are done modeling for the day!

Plan your work and work your plan!   Set small goals,  finish small assemblies and celebrate that accomplishment. It will keep you fresh and enthusiastic!

And when the project stops being fun. Stop!  There are those models that become frustrating for a variety of reasons. Sometimes there's a hang up you don't see the solution.  Other times you lose vision and don't know what to do next.  And there are times we've over reached our current skill level and don't feel able to continue. Pack it up! Move on to the next project.  I've gone back to those projects days to years later.  I immediately saw the solution to my hang up when viewed with fresh eyes. I've regained my mojo and know where to take the model and I have models that I've since conquered the skill needed to complete the task.  

Modeling has taught me the skills of patience and planning.  There are lessons here that translate over to the rest of your life and make you a better person!