"I Have Returned"

I started building models when I was really young, say 4 or 5. I kept at it all through grade school, high school and college.

I modeled and gamed during my batchelor years. I can say that my armor collection contributed to a few unplanned breakfast guests.

After we were married, I shifted my interests to carpentry, woodwork and cooking. My modeling morphed into model railroads. 

But I've never really stopped. I build models at work as well.

I've heard these stories about "playing with toys", "childish". I wouldn't get a divorce over it, but that's a rude attitude to take with a person you like. About the only thing I can think of she'd protest is some of the music I like. But I don't need to listen to the Ramones except on my ear buds.

What's been a game changer for me is the internet. Prior, you'd build according to the instructions. Now, it's all about the research. I often joke that modeling is an excuse to buy books, but so is cooking.

Bill

Quit when I was around 15 or so.   After the wife passed away in 2014, I went and bought a kit to have something to do in the evenings other than just watch the tube, and turn into an alcholic.

Went nuts buying, and starting kits,would get bored with it about halfway through, and start the next best thing.  Have a house of doom rather than a shelf of doom.

New lady kind of supports the idea, but wants the mobile home remodeled first.  Slowly getting there.

Started at 6 and can't remember a time when I wasn't building models. I'm now 79. That means I've been building them for uh...........................oh yea 73 years. 

Jim  

Stay Safe.

I started way back when I was 5 and kept it up until I was drafted and went into the Air Force in 1970.  I did a little building during my first S.E.A. tour and none on my second because there were no kits available on our base.  Once I got back to the states I had the fortune to have a hobby shop right outside of the base and it was run by someone who had been in MACV.  He sent his combat pay to his wife and started the shop when he returned and also got the club started and had the meetings there as well.

When I met my wife she thought that models were just unassembled toys until I got her to attend a couple meetings at the shop.  Now that I'm here, she doesn't go to the meetings but during Modelpalooza she handles the Orlando club's table, which she enjoys and has me helping her...when I'm not out looking at the entries and buying kits.  All she has to do is call my phone, darn it.

Like many of us, I was an avid teenage modeller, but other things became much more interesting and important. I always did have a model or two on hand during the child raising and career years, and they were available on the few occasions when I could visit with them. As the life demands began to recede, I found that modelling is still a happy thing to do, still subject of course to plenty of interuptions.

Fast forward to the present, when I'm just returning to the bench after over a year's worth of life issues, and very relieved to finally reopen some unfinished models after monthes of pawing thru the stash wishing I had the time and energy to work on them.

My wife's attitude is sort of benign indifferance; she realizes that I enjoy "working" on my models as much as she enjoys her pursuits. We're both retired and give each other the space to relax in our own ways - from what I read in other posts I'm a very lucky guy.

I want to take this opportunity to thank all of you who post WIPs, product info, tips & techniques and just top of mind blogs. They sustain my interest and enthusiam when the light on the bench is dark.

Mike 

I started back when I was 5 or 6 sometime in the late 1950s.  I never stopped, in fact, I remeber in 1963, I thought that when I started 7th grade that I should stop modeling.  I should out grow modeling.  If I dont, I'll probaly always be a modeler.  I still am.  My life has worked out great with it.  My ex and current wife have a good feeling with the hobby.  I never got into cars, woodworking, gardening, metal, booze ,sports or other things. I have no military service.   My daughter loves my hobby.  She always has.   I joined IPMS in 1978.  I have lots of good friends from them.  I've been to many, many contests, local and National with them.  I still (untill covid) have IPMS meetings at my home.  The internest have minimal impact on me.  I started long before it was around.  

I was probably about 7 or 8 when I started, and I remember well the table I sat at.... mom had a perfect view of me from the kitchen so she would know if I spilled a bottle of paint, or sliced a finger off!  Model building continued through my early teens, then my attention turned to girls, and RC airplanes.  And that interest continued for many years until 3 years ago when I got divorced and bought my real airplane, a 1966 Cherokee 140.  But I've always liked models, and now that my life has settled down some, I am really enjoying getting back into the hobby.  But there is so much to learn.... stuff that was for the most part always out there, but those were the secrets kept by those select few master builders that we were all in awe of.  Now all that good stuff is on you-tube for the whole world to see!  I doubt I'll ever be anywhere near as good as many of the people here, but I'm sure gonna learn some new techniques!

My modelling career really took off when I was in Jr/Sr. High School when I made enough money from mowing lawns to buy a kit or two a month.

    Went active duty Navy after graduation in ' 87. Was slapped with the death of my father, an overpowering mother and a new found "friend".... Alcohol. Tinkered off on on through a now ex-wife/ child, a girlfriend,another child, she just wanted a doner to be a " liberated woman". No harm no foul. 20 yrs of child support and bouncing from job to job kept the building low, and collecting lower.

       Now my wife of the past 20yrs and 4days....but who's counting lol, is very supportive of me and my hobby. I fell into some good paying jobs and so long as we ate and bills got paid I got to buy models. My stash is out of control however this Covid19 thing, the shelter in place, has made me feel more like myself....ready to attack my stash. 

      I think I have always been a modeler and always will be.

Aha!

     Let's see, I built models out of wood for a while. Cars and Planes. Yup! the rubber band powered ones! Yeah, the cars went aross the driveway. That was about seven or eight. I was in the Cub Scouts and the FFA. Learned about putting glue on carefully by the school shop teacher. Yeah, we had shop in third grade!

   Then I started on plastic because someone gave me a kit of the old Gowland and Gowland "Highway Pioneers". It was an old Renault "Closed Car". Yup, take a hot knife to melt the end of the axle to make the wheels stay on! Then Revell's multi-pieced model cars.

   Then, Their ships. Scads of them. I probably built two a week! Then my number came up about a week after graduation. No Army for me! We were a seagoing family. Whatta dummy! Instead of the C.G. I went Navy! Oh Well, Boot Camp, Then Schools. There was a two years time that I built models after school and finished my "Homework".

   Got transfered to a ship. Not a nice big slow rolling vessel for me. Nope a Greyhound of the sea! Yeah! a Gearing Class Destroyer! The nice thing? My rack was on the port side aft in the compartment and so, on one side I had a place to sit with a fresh air vent on the bulkhead and a Stringer on the hull side just above the halfway point to the next bunk(rack)

      That was a great place to put my ship Models! They never fell off or turned over! So I guess till I transfered to the Marines I modeled continuously! Twelve long years before I had the time. Didn,t touch a model till about Ten years after service time. Too busy making a living!

    Then sporadically till Jack's Hobby shop opened in Jacksonville ,AR. Yup! dove in with a large budget and lots of time. I worked long hours so building a model with my children looking on or at least being in the same room made it easy to do. I actually enjoyed the interruptions from the kids.

 You'd be surprised how that kept me pumped and sometimes the old saying "Out of the mouth of Babes" held true with the simple questions and suggestions they would make. For instance questions like "Dad, Why don't you use that color, It looks almost like the picture"? or "Dad, why don't you use these little clips instead of those aggilator crips"" ( the littlest one). Yup! it was a great time to be alive!

        While I was contracted to build the V.A. Hosp. Pavillions and Patient rooms. Someone came to my office and asked if I knew anyone that could do a four foot model of an old river steamer! I took the contract and did it in H.O RailRoad scale. My wife painted the details while the kids helped her!

    I modeled for myself between all it took to earn and live life as the father of four precocious children! It worked too! Ah, Poop, they grew up, joined the service, went to college and got married and all the usual stuff. I was one short then ( Won't go into that ) and the modeling was the one thing that kept me sane. Started teaching adults in the community center and, boy, was that a blast!

     Well here it is, I am going to be 77 soon, "God Willing" and I can't seem to stop! It can be a glue bomb or a pristine kit of Paper or Plastic or even Wood and White Metal (R.R.KITS) and so on. I apologise for being long winded. I have never learned to mentally edit what I mean to say.

I’ve never really truly stopped and left the hobby from when I first started building models as a little boy. I enlisted in the Army shortly after I turned 18 and though I was gonna stop then. But after basic & AIT, then arriving at my first line unit, I discovered that our PX was well stocked with models. And that PX was just across the street from my barracks. So I got right back into building after a six month pause. I finished my enlistment, went back home, got jobs, married, had kids, continued serving in the National Guard (including 18 months of mobilization and deployment), did a 30 year career in law enforcement, and thru all that kept on building. It’s been my relaxation focus point for over fifty years now. 

Started when I was 7. Every penny of my allowance, paper route money, gift money went to buying models up until high school.  Never stopped building but it did taper off now and then. When I bought my first house I had a room for my models, that was great. In the 2 houses since then that has been a requirement.  The kit I have that has survived the longest is an old 1/72 Hasegawa P-51B that I built around 1990

Congratulations on your retirement Stik. I also started young stopped at 17 started again at 36. I'd pop into a local model show when I was living near Bletchley admire the models on show. Looking for something to relax with in the evenings when the kids came along it was a natural process to to get back to building my own. Nostalgia kicked in I went looking for some of my old favourites glad I got back into the Hobby. 

I started at about 5 or 6 doing mostly stick and tissue. Built most of the Guillows line, then got into the large free flight gliders for awhile. My first plastic kit was a Revell Fokker Eindecker and I was hooked. Built regularly through high school, college, graduate school, marriage, kids, then stepped slightly away as we, the family, got into antique cars and WWII re-enacting which we still enjoy. Now I'm semi retired at 66 and slowly getting back into it.

My wife, of 46 years, is a saint. She always supported my hobbies and actually gravitated toward them herself, except modeling which she leaves to me. She does Red Cross Production Corps in our Home Front re-enacting group, and collects period accessories for the Model T's and A's. Our daughter loves everything about the 40's - swing dancing, period fashion and can drive the Jeep. Our son, who did some modeling with me when he was young, and daughter-in-law love it all as well, but it's not their thing. He loves most anything to do with aviation, though, and can still name the plane from the sound of the engine.

I started at 5 when I received the Hawk Cessna Skymaster. I melted the wings from too much Testers tube glue. I continued to work on the occasional airplane kit including the Monogram B-58, you know the one with the push button to drop the tank? and Aurora monster kits. After my father and I worked on the USS Constitution together, I was hooked on ships. When I went into the Coast Guard it became harder. There's no room to build on a cutter. When I was able to get my own place in Hawaii, my mother bought me the Tamiya Missouri for Christmas, which I still have, and I went back to building, mostly 1/700 ships. In 1998 after remarrying, we bought a house, which I rebuilt from the foundation up. That took about 2 years out of the schedule. I did build myself a hobby room/workshed in the back yard so I was able to start up again. When I started driving a Simi truck the hobby took a back seat, no pun intended, and wasn't able to do much with the room I had. In 2012 I got a job not driving and was finally able to get a dedicated area to work. I joined the forum in 2014 and haven't stoped since.

During my building career I build plastic, stick and tissue, RC and trains.

I built my first model when i was 9, back in 1979. My dad had moved in to a flat and the guy below got me and my younger brother a welcome gift. He gave me an Airfix 72nd F-86 Sabre and helped me build it. And i have never really stopped being a model builder. I didn't build anything for 5 years from 2003 after i seperated from my wife and i didn't really have a home where i could build anything. But all my model stuff was kept in storage with the intention of getting back to it when i was able to. That finally happened in 2008 and i have not stopped since.

These stories are interesting to read from top to bottom on this thread. I've noticed that alot of us started at about the same age and strayed for a while and then for one reason or the other came back to it. Awesome stuff fellas.

 As for myself I started building somewhere around the 11 year old mark and continued to build until around 19 years old when I joined the Army. I would get back into the hobby sporatically for a build here and there, building one model and then waiting another few years and then building another one over the next 3 decades until I got into the hobby full force in 2011 to have something to do with my time besides stay drunk.  I haven't turned back since and have recovered from alcoholism. While my wife doesn't fully get into my hobby, she can appreciate the time that I do put into my models and gets "wowed" every time I do show her one of my in progress or completed works. She'd alot rather put up with a model builder than she would a drunk mess. lol.

I have alot of fun doing what I do in the scale world. While not being the best out there, I'm always searching for ways to improve and try new ideas as well as enjoying my time on the forums with others that share this hobby.

I have read everyones post and enjoyed them all. I started scale modeling in the mid 60's (around 6-7). I think what got me started was watching by older brother build them to a high standard. Every week I would get my allowance from my farm chores and use it on either something modeling related or on 45 RPM records. I still remember my AM/FM radio and sisters box record player. They both ended up with glue and paint on them, as did my dresser where I bilt them (Mom was not happy with that). 

In the late 60's I can still remember building the 1/72 scale military vehicles and later using a BB gun to play war from the second story window of our farm house. If I recall, I would sometimes cheat to ensure the allied forces would always win (sorry to my AXIS friends).

When my brother left for college I inherited his model stash and supplies then never looked back. As with many of you, there were brief pauses during my teens for sports, music, and girls. Even during those times the thrill and challenge of scale modeling never waivered.

Within a month of graduating high school I went into the Army. While it was difficult keeping active in the hobby (basic and AIT), I still enjoyed it starting at my first duty assignment. There was a time I remember building many scale models of Soviet and WARSAW Pact vehicles for our S2 shop to use in thier Friend or Foe vehicle recognition classes when assigned to 2/83 Field Artillery in Europe. During my assignment in West Germany in the 80's I also built models for numerous officers and other soldiers. Two that I remember were the Revell Monogram USS Constitution and the Monogram 1/32 F14 Tomcat. Being there was no internet, I have fond memories of the relationships I developed with the owners of the toy /model shops in the local German economy.

I also remember building models for others when stations at Ft Bliss, TX in the 3rd Armored Cavalry. Kits like the M60 MBT, UH-1 Helicopter, M88 Recovery Vehicle, M577 Command Post, etc. 

After my military tenure I took a very short respit from building while working my butt off supporting three children as a single parent. In less than a year I was busy building more and more kits of varying subjects though my first choice was always race cars (Indy, F1, Rally, Endurance, NASCAR, NHRA, etc.). I remember the modeling books by Shepard Payne and the annual Testors, Revell, Momogram, MPC, AMT, Tamiya, Airfix, Autoworld modeling books or flyers you would receive in the mail. 

During those lean times, I was asked to build a scale model on commission using a large train scale Lionel building as the base. I was to build a scale replica of one of thier banks for a TV advertisement. That commission really came at an opportune time.

In the 90's I developed a friendship and business relationship with an owner of a string of hobby stores in Columbus, Ohio. A deal was set where I could pick ANY current kit from any manufacturer in any scale to build from his store. He would provide the kit and all building supplies for free. The stipulation was I had to display the completed model in one of his stores for 6 months, then it would be mine to take. Many models were built but I only took a very few home. Later they were given away to friends or people interested in the hobby. Some that came to mind were a 1/32 F104 fighter, ME-109 in 1/24, XB-70 and B-52 in 1/72, several cars like a 1/16 rail dragster, 1/24 Daryl Waltrip Western Auto NASCAR, Academy large scale USS Titanic, etc. 

Those were also the days I began to compete seriously in IMPS contests (90's and early 20K's). That is when the after market suppliers of the hobby really exploded. Before that it really came down to just your abilities, now it is not just your abilities but the size of your wallet when purchasing detail parts from other vendors. I quickly found that between the cost / effort to ligitimately compete and the politics involved, it was no longer a hobby and not enjoyable,.... it was almost a business. Even though this was a time of getting to know many good people who are still friends and I learned new techniques, after several years of mixed success at contests I stopped and started building once again for the enjoyment of it.  

In the last 10-15 years, modeling on the internet has really opened my eyes to a whole new experience. Now, instead of enjoying a phone call, e-mail, or a monthly model meeting with people you know, we get to enjoy similar minded people from across the world any time of the day or night. While I still enjoy building automobiles the most, the various model forums with Group Builds (GB's) or theme builds has allowed me to branch out into modeling subjects I previously wound not have entertained. Technology in the last 20 years and stand-up sites have allowed modelers the ability to research and purchase anything they need on-line (at a cost unfortunately to the local retailers).

Now there are fewer local modeling / hobby shops. Many of the companies I remember are no longer with us. Many new companies have launched, mostly overseas. Generally speaking, the quality and accuracy of models has greatly increased as well. And while the age of many modelers has risen to over 50, one thing that has not changed is the enjoyment of building, sharing the enthusiam with peers / friends / family, and the real excitment in what to build next....

Keep this string going, this is great! Oh, and thanks to our FSM forum as a place where we can share these kinds of threads.

Ben

Well, I seem to have struck a nerve with this thread, So I'll throw in my own two cents worth.

I started modeling at around six years old and built them on and off as my meager allowance or birthday cash would allow. When I was thirteen my family moved to Arizona and I met a neighbor of my age who was also into modeling, so between us we built all sorts of things. Though I'd always liked ships, for a while I got into the Monogram series of 1/48 scale aircraft. Many of them had retracting gear and folding wings which I liked. After high school I enlisted in the U.S. Navy, subsequently staying for 20 years. My modeling during a good percentage of that time was rather curtailed, but at one point, while on duty one night, I was working on a hybrid cruiser design drawing, a kind of 1970's Spruance classer on steroids. An officer I knew saw my work and asked at what college I'd learned my hull design. When I told him I didn't go to college and that I'd picked up a lot of hull design concepts from modeling, he told me that I'd missed my calling! I still think that the design would have done well in the real world, but at this point who knows.

After the canoe club, I got back into modeling somewhat, but until the last few years didn't really embrace the arts quite as I have recently, getting into scratchbuilding.

You certainly did strike a nerve so I suppose I'll pitch in as well. My earliest modeling memories are watching my dad build models at the kitchen table, and there's no question it was my motivation for picking it up myself. I remember watching him build the old 1/40 scale Skyraider and Revell's Catalina too. He was an ex-marine so had a fondness for Navy/Marine aircraft. A Neptune and Albatross are a couple others I rememeber. This of course led to my own childhood foray into the hobby. It seemed models were available everywhere in those days (late 60's/early 70's). Every hardware store, dime store and drugstore had them. A drug store up the street had an ever changing rotation of built models in the storefront that my friends and I would oggle every time we walked past. There was an old, abandoned delivery truck in the alley behind my home, and a few friends and I comandeered it as our model building hangout - with everything built to the standards of the day: tube glue, no paint, and it never took more than an hour to slap one together. This continued for a few years until each of us moved and lost contact, and at least in my case, "outgrew it".

I did continue to buy models every now and then throughout adulthood but can't say it was ever anything serious. Just something to play around with for the moment until the next thing came along. In the mid 90's I strolled into a hobby shop and discovered FSM and I was off to the races. The images in the magazine lit a model building fire and I became obsessed with building "serious" models. Weekly trips to the library followed as well as the start of a decent library of my own, and an ever growing stash. The vast majority of my current stash are kits I purchased over the next 10 years or so. As much as I'd like to say this continued right up to the present, it did not. I began to drift away again about ten years ago, and although I've started several kits over that time I haven't finished one in 7-8 years. It's time to finish one. Or two. I'm staring at two of them on the bench right now. I think I'll work on those today.