What "level" model builder are you, and why?

I know this really doesn't answer your question, and is probably a cream puff reply, but that's OK.

Really, I'd call myself a "Happy Modeler". Some days I think I do some good work, other days it's so-so. But through it all, I'm enjoying the hobby. Not just from a standpoint of smiling and whistling while I work, but feeling fairly confident that I can decide I want to do something, figure it out, and execute the work satisfactorily. 

I guess, in terms that you describe, I'd say I'm somewhere between intermediate and advanced when you get down to it. I think in understanding and potential, I'm "advanced", but I'm fairly lazy, and am wiling to say "Good enough" pretty freely, so in execution "intermediate".

Wow, what a politicians answer..... ROTFL.

Look, I glued some P/E to my elbow....

Awesome reply, dude.  I'm pretty lazy myself.  I can't believe how a lot of projects featured in magazines go like this:

1) Buy an expensive kit
2) Buy extra PE for the expensive kit
3) Buy extra resin for the expensive kit
4) Buy extra decals for the expsnsive kit
5) Throw away half the remaining parts in the expensive kit (because they have like 13 rivets here, not 14--stupid kit designers!)
6) Replace the discarded parts with stuff you scratchbuilt and/or
7) Parts cannibalized from *another* expensive kit
8) Etc.

Ok, so I'm a bitter merely-intermediate modeller with little patience and insufficient resources for projects like that.  I'd rather glorify my own laziness than spend $800 and two years on a project followed by a nice, pricey divorce.

I'd call myself an 'Inconsistent Modeler' because the finished results are inconsistent and because I go through phases where I'll work on something in every spare moment and then I'll go weeks without touching anything related to the hobby.  Right now, I have 4 kits lying around in various states of completion and I haven't gone to the bench in about 2 weeks...it's not that I have other things that take precedence and time over building and painting, it's just that I don't currently feel like working on anything. 

It took me a year to finish a Pz.II (and the result wasn't all that great) and yet I banged out a stellar (to me) 234/1 in about a month.  Like I said, inconsistent.

BGuy wrote:

What attributes determine what "level" a person is at skill-wise and what do you call those levels?  Why?

The attributes are Strength, Perception, Endurance, Charisma, Agility and Luck. I'm a lever 30 modeler.

I'm a dirt-bikin' Cheezit-snackin, guitar-playin' modeler!

'nuff said! ......................

To make a long story short, I'm an inconsistant intermediate.

Jim

I do think that this and other forums that allow modelers to share the hobby really raises the bar all around. It can sometimes be intimidating when someone first arrives. (Was for me...)

Bill, you and Guns are being modest. You guys do some great work.

I'm not even talking to you Doog..... Shep Paine has you on his speed dial, who are you kidding?

Shep: Doog! Buddy! Help me with this armor weathering....

Doog: You again....? *sigh* how many times do I have to tell you... paint first, then weather....

Seriously- there is some great modeling happening here, and it's so cool how everyone shares in their knowledge.

As a modeler, I might make a hair on Doog's butt.

smokinguns3 wrote:

id consider myself as an intermediate modeler.

Smokie,  we all remember your B29 Superfortress, and I think you are selling yourself a bit short there........

BGuy- I could'nt remember where I had seen your avatar before....and then I remembered a comic book I had from 1973...  and found the same picture !  Whats the significance ? 

Wirraway--OMG, how'd you know where I got my avatar pic from?  I never thought anybody would have noticed it.

For those of you now thoroughly confused, my avatar picture (the shaggy goat) is from the "Victor Book for Boys 1973", an old British comic-book "annual" that my mom got me from a church bazarr when I was just a kid. This had some seminal influences on me.

Wirraway--if you check out both inside covers of the 73' annual you'll find a section called 'Flying Freaks' about some of the strangest aircraft a kid's ever seen.  It got me started on a lot of stuff around and about aviation, including scale modeling.  Further, I decided that the aircraft listed there would comprise a kind of 'lifetime list' of (I'm preferring 1/72) models to build, a challenge of procurement as much as anything else.

The goat, meanwhile, seemed like a decent, nicely obscure link to the above that managed to be unpretentious and self-effacing.  Never thought anybody would ever recognize it.

BGuy wrote:

For those of you now thoroughly confused, my avatar picture (the shaggy goat) is from the "Victor Book for Boys 1973", an old British comic-book "annual" that my mom got me from a church bazarr when I was just a kid.

I KNEW I had seen that goat somewhere before! I had a bunch of those books when I was a kid (no pun intended), along with Asterix and Tintin.

I'm a "Master Four-footer"... If they look good from four feet away, I'm a master... Using the model kit skill levels, I'm about a 2.5 to a shaky 3...  I don't airbrush, it's all rattle-cans and brushes for me.  Reckon I'll start Ab-ing soon though... The works I see here with airbrushes are forcing me to get with it.  Since I can model full-time if I want, I got no excuse, knowhutImean?

I am a builder with very limited ability.

joe 

 Hmmmm I don't fit into those catagories at all. I once met a fellow who had just been awarded the title of Master Modeler for Scatch building a Grizzley Engineer Vehicle at the AMPs convention. He looked at my stuff and oooed and awed a bit which made me feel pretty good. Figured he was being nice.

 My ratings are all based on my kids. They are , 1. it's ok 2. very cool and 3. Your absolutely crazy dad.

So I am one of those, take your pick.

jwb wrote:

I do think that this and other forums that allow modelers to share the hobby really raises the bar all around. It can sometimes be intimidating when someone first arrives. (Was for me...) Bill, you and Guns are being modest. You guys do some great work. I'm not even talking to you Doog..... Shep Paine has you on his speed dial, who are you kidding? Shep: Doog! Buddy! Help me with this armor weathering.... Doog: You again....? *sigh* how many times do I have to tell you... paint first, then weather.... Seriously- there is some great modeling happening here, and it's so cool how everyone shares in their knowledge.

You always know how to crack me up, Jon!  (...and "Thank you" for the nice compliment!)

Sfcmac, you're definetly a 3-super crazy

Me though, I'm just a beginner by your standards, but I try to get better with every build.

raider83 wrote:

Sfcmac, you're definetly a 3-super crazy Me though, I'm just a beginner by your standards, but I try to get better with every build.

 Thanks Raider 83. Seriously I have never had the time to compete or judge but The fellow I mentioned explained the title and progression as not competing against others but yourself. A measurement is taken of how you evolve and improve overtime. Awards like best in show don't necessarily = instant title. Really complex rules and judging standards. He wasn't bragging about the title actually joked and said the difference between an advanced expert and master was the need for a judge. He was being modest I am sure.

I am certain there are plenty of people here experienced in clubs and such that know way more than me. In truth it is pretty complicated for a simple fellow like me.

This is as good a place as any to tell my sob story. Several years ago I was battling some health issues which took me away from my model railroading hobby. I was good enough at building and scratch building that people bought my models and some were displayed in railroad museums. I won a few awards and had some things published in Model Railroad Craftsman magazine. I also helped a few manufacturers with kit projects, decals and detail parts but as I said illness brought all that to a halt. About the time I was getting well Hurricane Rita hit me full force and did around $113,000 worth of damage to a $210,000 home. Praise God I had replacement insurance and a flood policy but it took the best part of the last three years to repair the home.

Now that I have time on my hands away from the 1:1 scale building I was doing I decided to get back into modeling. Burned out on model railroading I chose ships. I bought a dozen or so 1/350 scale war ships, photo etch, resin parts, rebought tools and ordered paint (no hobby shop within 150 miles). I began doing some sub assemblies on a couple of ships when it dawned on me, the scale is too small for me at my age. Even with the optivisor I was struggling and becoming frustrated which isn't fun. Someone used to being successful has a hard time with a big dose of failure. What I have completed isn't much and isn't bad but probably won't get finished in this lifetime.

I have switched gears to 1/24 1/25 scale autos and am much happier working with this size. I don't know what I will do with the ships perhaps sell them. I am a purple star ebay buyer, seller with 572 positive feedbacks and a 100% rating, perhaps someone here would like to make me an offer on some great WWII warship kits.  I am definately sticking with the automobiles.

Oh, wait ... I thought all of this was referring to mental stability for some reason ...

*goes back to painting his itty bitty 1/700 sailors* 

Ok, so, given that everybody here (myself included) seems to think of themselves as merely intermediate while other "intermediate" people judge us more advanced--what defines an advanced or expert modeller? Does anybody dare to try and lay out a definiton?

Discussion please? 

BGuy wrote:

Ok, so, given that everybody here (myself included) seems to think of themselves as merely intermediate while other "intermediate" people judge us more advanced--what defines an advanced or expert modeller? Does anybody dare to try and lay out a definiton? Discussion please?

BGuy wrote:

Ok, so, given that everybody here (myself included) seems to think of themselves as merely intermediate while other "intermediate" people judge us more advanced--what defines an advanced or expert modeller? Does anybody dare to try and lay out a definiton? Discussion please?

 I really do think that the AMPS Judge told me right. You compete against yourself to see how far you can push your skills. I mean line everyone up. Give them the same model tools, research and such what do you have? A bunch of the same thing over and over I Would think, but if you insist here goes!

1. Beginner---- Builds with glue and paint all over his fingers and totally afraid to use aftermarket parts, resin or PE. Tools are glue and a Hobby knife.

2. Intermediate----- Likes to experiment. Shows some thought to overcoming issues. Researches the subject enough to see his mistakes after the fact. Fixes what he can. Uses AM parts and Pe as long as they are easy.

3. Advanced--- Researches everything!  To the point he can recognize when the Germans used the wrong thread screw on a BMW fender brace. Has all aftermarket parts handy and is not afraid to use them!

4. Expert----- same as 3 but is not satisfied with After market parts or kit options and scratch builds his own parts!

5. Master--- the highest level of Modeler! Can do everything and anything with almost nothing.

However he always builds straight from the box with paint and glue all over his fingers trying to reduce the size of his still growing stash.

There you have it. As you see it comes full circle so why worry about it?

btw I am still in the DAD! That's just crazy! category.