Scratch build ?

Depends. If you're making a model of something without a kit at all, like from scraps of plastic, pieces left over from other models, etc, then you are scratchbuilding a model. If you're superdetailing, say, a cockpit, with bits of plastic, wire, or other, then you're still doing some element of 'scratchbuilding'. It's alot easier to do with companies like Evergreen (styrene of many helpful shapes and sizes) and others that give you the building blocks to do this kind of modeling. It's fun and worth a try if you've never done it before. Improvisation is the key, and if it doesn't exactly turn out the way you wanted it to, then you can always pass it off as 'sci-fi' :) hehehe. Just kidding to all the sci-fi-er's.

It can mean both Bek13. You can scratch build components and add them to a kit or scratch buuild an entire model.

Check out djmodels post on the staff car in the Armor forum. He built the entire thing from scratch for a company to use as a master for producing a multi-media kit to sell.

So actually scratch building is creating anything out of basic materials but will vary on how much is done.

Hope this helps ya!

Eric

Damn, u guys are fast...

thanx

A complete "Scratch Build" is where the modeler has fabricated every single piece of the model - this is fairly unusual. More common is to find modeles that have scratch built areas like in a cockpit or landing gear bay. The Revell B-17 F is a good example as the main gear bay is devoid of detail and the fuselage interior has virtually no details also. Many modelers will add hydraulic lines and tubing to the gear bays and dress up the visible areas of the interior.
This picture for instance is the tail turret from a B-24,

the basic turret is an aftermarket (not from the kit) turret but I built the gunner's seat, foot pedals and reflector sight from scrap plastic and fuse wire hence those details are "scratch built."

Wow, what a plethora of responses and so quickly too. Isn't this a great group of people?

Than there are kits that the instructions are so bad you spend most of the build scratching your head tring to figure our colour and placement of parts.
Modelcraft and Hobby Craft spring to mind but there are many more.