Post retirement modeling

[MeatMan]

I've been retired since this past August. I too got tired of the corporate B.S. and all the mergers and org changes, and luckily I didn't have to take it anymore.

I find myself doing more research, and learning about cars and models than actually building them. Part of it is that my daughters pet occupies my "one day" workshop, and I tire of having to set up and take down every night. 

I do spend more time on my models than before, but I get up every week day and after breakfast and newspaper (sic), I go to the gym. Then the honey do list. 

I have an inventory of my kits, and a build sheet for most of them outlining my build ideas for each one. I don't always stick to the original plan though.

[vamach1]

On 11/29/2018 at 9:50 PM, Tom Geiger said:

Very interesting perspectives from both sides of retirement.  I have just turned 60 and think about this quite a bit.  I will work from home sometimes a week at a time, and after a few days I feel like a house cat and go stir crazy!  So I cannot imagine retirement.  I like to build models, but realize for me it's done in evening length sessions. I've taken a vacation week and decided I'd do nothing but work on my models, and was ready to tear my hair out after a few days.   I can and will collect a pensions from two former employers at 65, but cannot collect Social Security until 66 and 8 months.   Like Bill, I'm thinking I wouldn't retire until 70 at least, later if I'm still having fun.

I have a hoard of those "someday for a special project" parts and such, and I've asked myself what I was waiting for. I've been using those parts on my current projects. 

This is a personal decision for each person, still it's interesting to discuss.

You can collect Socail Security at 62,  you just collect less per month than waiting until later.  My father died at 59 so he got nothing expect I guess my mom got some survivor benefits and my brother died at 57..  I do not plan to wait untill 66 or 65 or 64 or 63.  Think about what you are NOT collecting sooner than later and the way it works is you will not catch up for those four years (62 to 66.8) until you're in your 80's.. Something to think about.

Edited December 5, 2018 by vamach1

[oldnslow]

Yeah , that was my understanding of how early retirement payments worked out . I was retired by the company when I no longer fit into the Boss's son's vision of the work force ( I made too much money). I looked at the amount I'd draw if I waited to 65 and what I'd get at 62 and I would have to live into my mid 80s before it started to be a drawback . I wanted to be able to enjoy my retirement a little before getting too old to get around like I want to . 

I think we keep buying kits because it gives us hope of being alive to build them . 

[russosborne]

I'm 59. Probably many years before retirement as I don't think we could live on SS alone. Wife is on disability for another year I think then she gets moved to SS.Trying to max out the 401k stuff since I had to start over again from nothing after essentially being unemployed most of 4 years.

Hoping that whenever I do, my output increases. It certainly can't get any worse than zero a year. Lots of partial builds though.

I've already seen a major decrease in what I can do physically. So currently I am trying to force my body to get my 1:1 79 Pinto done, and then my 72 Ranchero, as in a couple more years I may not be able to do mechanical stuff at all. Hands are still good, but stamina and getting up after laying under a car is very bad. I have to plan how I can support myself when getting up before I can get down. And it is usually 10 minutes working, 30 on break.

Hoping that I can still build models when I get a few more years older.

Russ

 

[disabled modeler]

23 hours ago, jeffdeoranut said:

retirement for me has been strange...in 2014 I suffered a stroke at the age of 52 losing the use of my left hand(of course im lefthanded) and was able to walk short distances with a cane. before this I completed 3-5 models per year-usually a wild custom with lots of detail and scratchbuilding.  about 10-15 hrs a week.  since then I have built exactly one-not much added detail but did involve converting a vw beetle into a pick up-95 % of the work done with one hand.  next, 3 months of therapy-could walk without cane but could barely use my left hand.  im a stubborn sob so in spring of 2015 with help from my son and a friend I built a 25 x 25 shop, landscaped the yard, built a deck around a tree in the back, planted trees, extended and graveled driveway, built a 6' x 8' entertainment unit-can hold about 75 builts, bought a 40 chevy truck rat rod to piddle with, bought a welder and forced my lefthand to work and lost the cane.  I hike a lot now-love being in the woods and fish a lot but im not building any models.  im about 2/3 done with a 6 axle stretched can do wrecker but have not touched it for 2 years.  ive acquired several holy grail kits-2 of which are about 1/2 done.  I don't know why but im just not motivated to build much which is weird because now I have time. between my lady friend and myself there are 9 grandkids n one otw. my first grandson is 2 months old-im hoping that I live long enough to interest him in models but have began selling some of the stash as no family member builds models.  I have many project ideas floating around in my head but am doing nothing-if any of yall have a tip on how I can motivate myself-let me know, please.

Jeff buddy... do what I do..look at what you have to work with and think of what you could do with it.  I understand the lack of motivation issues well...lack of parts..funds...etc. stops me most all the time from making progress on ones id like to get done or have again.  Take something that has been just laying around for years and a couple of handfuls of parts and see if you can see a build project in them...sometimes there the best and most fun builds...and one can be surprised at what one can come up with...just look at the 69 Plymouth 4 door wagon I made from damaged kits and parts.   Sometimes we have to think outside the box..LOL..

[TarheelRick]

I am quickly approaching 70.  Have been semi-retired since 2012.  I retired from the USAF 29 years ago today (woo-hoo), so I have that piddly pension.  Bounced around for a few years in public work  before getting the call into ministry.  Church politics got the upper hand so I walked away from it in 2012.  Now I drive a school bus and am tentatively planning on retiring from that after the 2020 graduation class.  Right now I am in a building slump.  I have three active builds on the bench, and about 8-10 more in boxes on the shelf, plus around 200 more waiting their turn.  As most of you have stated I continue to buy, knowing I will not live past 165 to be able to build them.  There are no kids to leave them to, I am the final one in my family tree.  Have been trying to downsize the collection, while at the same time am planning on expanding my work area.  Right now I am using a corner of the basement, but my lay-out is less than ideal.  I am having some work done in the basement to alleviate water seepage during heavy rains and that will require me to dismantle the area I am now using, which is a perfect excuse for rearrangement of the work space.  Hoping that will motivate me into getting back to the bench.  Of course the honey-do list continues to grow exponentially as I get closer to full retirement.

[Mike999]

Well, I'm part of a common theme in here...forced into retirement back in 2013, when my entire dept. at a Big Los Angeles Aerospace Company was axed.  In one way I was very lucky; I had just hit the age to qualify for early retirement with a pension.

I was also lucky with the bonkers L.A. real estate market.  Sold my townhouse in the San Fernando Valley in 2015 and moved back to the rural South, where I grew up.  Told the local realtor there was only one thing the new house absolutely HAD to have; some place to work on my Weird Hobby.  Found a place with a huge basement.

I thought I'd be spending 8 hours a day working on models but...well, it hasn't quite worked out that way.  I'm easily distracted, especially by books, old movies and true-crime shows. I've started a lot of projects but many end up on the Shelf of Shame.  I still love the idea that I can wander down to the basement any time and pick up the glue or the airbrush. 

One way I look at it; if I did spend 8 hrs. a day at the bench, that might be more like a job than a hobby.  So I'll keep poking along, building and painting when I want to and wasting time when I don't.

[Lizard Racing]

I've been retired over three years now. I thought I would have all the time in the world for building.  But it seems like other things creep in and now I seem to have less time than when I was working.  Sometimes I go for a week without touching a project.

I have to keep in mind this is not a production job.  At least for me I can only work on a project when I feel like it and no interruptions.

A friend of mine who retired some years before me had several 1:1 projects going.  He said that the urgency was gone.  You had to get a car running to get to work.  Now, there's always tomorrow. 

[Jon Haigwood]

Been retired for 4yrs. I started back into building just afterward. Thought I would have more free time available. As it turns out I have less time.

Retirement= more work, lower pay and the boss NEVER leaves

[Silver Foxx]

I retired 7 years ago , worked 40 years for the government , took redundency package at age 60 , still enjoy my modelling and since retirerment have now got 4 grandchildren who keep me busy in the nicest ways . Only do your modelling when you feel like it , remember it is a hobby not a job you have to finish

[cobraman]

I retired about 5 years ago at 62. I figured the difference in my payments wasn't really worth waiting and hoping I would live that long. As far as modeling goes............ more time, less money.

[RichCostello]

2 hours ago, cobraman said:

I retired about 5 years ago at 62. I figured the difference in my payments wasn't really worth waiting and hoping I would live that long. As far as modeling goes............ more time, less money.

Same here, I retired earlier this year after losing my job at 61, and not being able to find a decent job that paid enough to live on(nobody is jumping at the chance to hire a 62 year old guy). Besides, I had 3 older brothers who didn't make it past 68, and parents that barely made it to 71, so I figured I might as well collect some of that money that I paid to SS while I was still kickin.

While I was working, I'd finish 1 or 2 models a year. This year I've finished at least 20, and will get at least 2 more done this month.

[vamach1]

17 hours ago, RichCostello said:

Same here, I retired earlier this year after losing my job at 61, and not being able to find a decent job that paid enough to live on(nobody is jumping at the chance to hire a 62 year old guy). Besides, I had 3 older brothers who didn't make it past 68, and parents that barely made it to 71, so I figured I might as well collect some of that money that I paid to SS while I was still kickin.

While I was working, I'd finish 1 or 2 models a year. This year I've finished at least 20, and will get at least 2 more done this month.

Glad to hear you are building more and maybe you will be one of the few to make a dent in building all the kits that have found their way into your abode. . Most of us will need to build a kit a month for 15 years just to have a prayer of building them all.  I don't even know many kits I have - maybe 250 give or take.

[shoopdog]

I would like to retire at 62 but I'm not sure if I would be able to get insurance before Medicaid/Medicare kicks in. Had a heart attack and triple bypass at 55 so I'm not sure if anybody would be willing to insure me or how costly it would be. Oh well, still have four more years for before 62.

[ZTony8]

I'm 64 now and I'll really never be able to afford to retire so I'll need every dollar I can get. I'll start drawing S/S at age 70 when I hit maximum benefit and keep  on working. My kits are my life insurance policy. I'll have to live to be 700 to finish them all. So far, so good. 

 

[RichCostello]

2 hours ago, shoopdog said:

I would like to retire at 62 but I'm not sure if I would be able to get insurance before Medicaid/Medicare kicks in. Had a heart attack and triple bypass at 55 so I'm not sure if anybody would be willing to insure me or how costly it would be. Oh well, still have four more years for before 62.

That is a problem, I have NO medical ins. I'm lucky that we have a clinic here that charges you based on your income, which makes it pretty affordable. If I can manage to stay semi-healthy for two more years, I might survive.

[RichCostello]

3 hours ago, vamach1 said:

Glad to hear you are building more and maybe you will be one of the few to make a dent in building all the kits that have found their way into your abode. . Most of us will need to build a kit a month for 15 years just to have a prayer of building them all.  I don't even know many kits I have - maybe 250 give or take.

I won't make much of a dent if I keep buying as many as I build!

[BigTallDad]

On 11/30/2018 at 10:27 AM, sjordan2 said:

Work fast. Your hand skills may desert you sooner than you think.

 

I'm finding that out the hard way. At 75, my hands are barely steady enough to work on 1/24 or 1/25. Maybe I need to go to a larger size model...

[misterNNL]

Thanks for all of the insight into the various situations we all find ourselves in at this stage of our lives. We all seem to still have the desire to create,build and collect. Some have more challenges than others with health and physical abilities and yet here we are still enjoying our common love of this hobby. I think it is great we have these forums to share those things.

[robertw]

I retired a decade ago and had wonderful visions of turning a very large stash into finished projects on the display shelves.......ya, right!  My output has barely exceeded what I produced during my working years, and my job left little time to build. It seems that just as many things get in the way of building now as they did then work in the house and the yard, family and the list goes on. Another thing that I've found is that when I was working a day off would have me at the workbench for a whole day but now I find I tire and have to take a break after an hour or two so not as much gets done in my free time.I will continue to build as long as my mind, my eyes and my hands allow.  To paraphrase a French philosopher, " I model therefore I am (alive.).

[PatW]

I retired at 64 that's 6 years ago. About 2 years before we (my wife and I) built a kit cabin 3.5 metres X 2.5 Metres in the sloping garden on a deck in 2 weeks, electrics, heating , sorted out Ikea shelving & chairs, DIY store table various lights, a home made spray booth with fan to the outside and Ikea Billy bookcases with glass doors. My production has gone through the roof. A kit built in 10 days, even with home printed decals, cast surfboards etc. Retirement is superb! 

So three hours in the morning and 2 hours in the afternoon, 5 days per week. Weekends off, just like work!

Edited December 3, 2018 by PatW

[crazyjim]

Nice area to work in, Patrick.

[PatW]

Thanks Jim.

[vamach1]

On 12/3/2018 at 4:38 PM, PatW said:

I retired at 64 that's 6 years ago. About 2 years before we (my wife and I) built a kit cabin 3.5 metres X 2.5 Metres in the sloping garden on a deck in 2 weeks, electrics, heating , sorted out Ikea shelving & chairs, DIY store table various lights, a home made spray booth with fan to the outside and Ikea Billy bookcases with glass doors. My production has gone through the roof. A kit built in 10 days, even with home printed decals, cast surfboards etc. Retirement is superb! 

So three hours in the morning and 2 hours in the afternoon, 5 days per week. Weekends off, just like work!

Now we're talkin.,  It seems like with an extra 45 hours a week some building should get done.  How else did we work AND get all that other stuff done AND have time to build a little.

Edited December 5, 2018 by vamach1

[Motor City]

10 hours ago, misterNNL said:

Thanks for all of the insight into the various situations we all find ourselves in at this stage of our lives. We all seem to still have the desire to create,build and collect. Some have more challenges than others with health and physical abilities and yet here we are still enjoying our common love of this hobby. I think it is great we have these forums to share those things.

This has been one of the most interesting threads I have read here, Tom.  Thanks for posting it.