Following instructions sheets

styrene

Member since
May 2003
From: The flat lands of the Southeast

Following instructions sheets

Posted by styrene on Wednesday, January 21, 2004 9:06 AM

Was just wondering: When you build a kit, do you follow the instructions closely, or do you build like you want, and only occasionally glance at the sheet when there's a question or to make sure things are proceeding correctly?

Also, do you tend to complete an instruction step completely before moving on, or do you work on several things at a time?

I tend toward following the instructions to start, but after I get going I'll hit step 8 after I've completed step 12. I also only tend to work on one thing at a time (pure laziness) Big Smile [:D]

. Of course it all depends on the kit type, too!

Gip Winecoff

1882: "God is dead"--F. Nietzsche

1900: "Nietzsche is dead"--God

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pdunkel

Member since
December 2003
From: Englewood, CO

Posted by pdunkel on Wednesday, January 21, 2004 9:25 AM

For me, I skip around and work on one part then another, then combine the two togetherand so forth until it's complete.

Phil

Phil Dunkel http://photobucket.com/albums/v335/pdunkel/ "People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf" .........George Orwell "This is a war of unknown warriors; but let all strive without failing in faith or in duty. . . "...........Winston Churchill "The only thing neccessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing"...............Edmund Burke

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Jeeves

Member since
February 2003
From: Saratoga Springs, NY

Posted by Jeeves on Wednesday, January 21, 2004 9:51 AM

I usually tend to follow them.... although the times when they attach gear and ordinance early on--I'll hold off until I've painted the fuselage...although on my Mustang I finished, I put the drop tanks on before the gear and ended up finding out too late that that was a mistake Sad [:(]

....lesson learned.

Mike

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Anonymous

Member since
November 2005

Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, January 21, 2004 10:03 AM

I tend to skip arround. I try keep in mind the final assembly but have on ocation I've got ahead of myself and either forgot something or had to take parts apart to reasemble in the instructed order. All part of the fun.....

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J-Hulk

Member since
February 2003
From: Tochigi, Japan

Posted by J-Hulk on Wednesday, January 21, 2004 10:40 AM

I thoroughly read the whole thing may times over to see what they want me to do, then I decide what I'm going to do based on that, whatever extra stuff I might be using (PE, resin, etc) , and my painting plans. Sometimes I just disagree with the sequence in the instructions, and after taking all things into consideration, build in a manner I find more logical.
One example would be the Skif BMP-3 I just finished yesterday. Skif has you putting all the upper hull detail on before gluing the upper hull to the lower, which would have been disastrous given the extremely poor fit. All those detail parts would have been destroyed in the power moves needed to take that to the hoop!

For beginners, I would recommend following the instruction sheet pretty close, though.

Ya gotta know the rules before you can break 'em!

~Brian

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Anonymous

Member since
November 2005

Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, January 21, 2004 11:09 AM

I follow tank instructions more than airplane instructions. But I mostly assemble a kit based on how it will be painted.

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Anonymous

Member since
November 2005

Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, January 21, 2004 11:33 AM

I usually use the instruction sheet only to tell me which part # goes where. I assemble according to the way I will paint. I wouldn't recommend this system for novices, but its the only way I can build now. Dryfitting will also determine my building sequence within a sub assembly.

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Jeeves

Member since
February 2003
From: Saratoga Springs, NY

Posted by Jeeves on Wednesday, January 21, 2004 2:07 PM

Good point in reading them and then deciding.....the good companies like Tamiya that offer more than one variant of a plane in the same kit tell you in the instructions what to add or leave out for each one-- but in other cases, the instructions will tell you to add something as if they wouldn't dream of you doing some other variant....in those cases, I divert away....or in the case of my Texan-- they would have me add rocket pods and machine gun pods, as well as radar....but none of that wil be on there....

Mike

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Buddho

Member since
March 2003
From: Newport News VA

Posted by Buddho on Wednesday, January 21, 2004 2:15 PM

I usually start off with the most difficult subassemblies and go from there. I also build with regards to how the painting will be done...

Dan

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shermanfreak

Member since
January 2003

Posted by shermanfreak on Wednesday, January 21, 2004 3:17 PM

I tend to jump all over the place with my builds.

Happy Modelling and God Bless Robert

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scottrc

Member since
December 2003
From: 37deg 40.13' N 95deg 29.10'W

Posted by scottrc on Wednesday, January 21, 2004 3:34 PM

I build a lot of Heller and Italian models and find that instructions in another language tend to make more sense. Of coarse it really gets to be fun when all I have is ONE orthgraphic three view, a typed up copy of the instructions written in Italian, and a box of sticks that is supposed to some day represent a sailing ship.

I read through them all and make a lot of notes, then at times, make up my own drawings and a assembly plan (in otherwords, I "reverse" engineer the mother).

So, to answer the question, I use the instructions to mix my paint and glue on.

Scott

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Anonymous

Member since
November 2005

Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, January 21, 2004 4:52 PM

I also readthem, study them and decide afterwards if I want to follow them or not.

There have been some instruction sheets where I wondered if they guy that drew them EVER assembled any Model.

On average I like to work on a few sub-assemblies at the same time, but that naturally depend on the type of Kit I am building.
Some sub-assemblies require detailed painting(time) and thus I will start them earlier.

Motorbike, Robots and Car kits are easy to split up air-planes are a bit more difficult.

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Anonymous

Member since
November 2005

Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, January 21, 2004 10:39 PM

I read them, and reread them, and reread them again.....then when I go to build the kit I forget they even exist. Mind you, I have absolutely no good long term memory function. I just get a little bit too excited, and jump into it.

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lizardqing

Member since
July 2003
From: Dahlonega, Georgia

Posted by lizardqing on Wednesday, January 21, 2004 11:17 PM

I have gotten to where I go all over the place, every now and then it tends to bite me in the rear though.

Chris The Scale Firehouse The Lizard's Workshop

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Anonymous

Member since
November 2005

Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, January 22, 2004 9:21 AM

I give the instructions a good reading then I break out my pen (if I'm using any add ons or PE parts) I will make notes on what to replace or keep off until the final steps.

I also "check off" those steps I have finished and circle those that have yet to be completed.

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Anonymous

Member since
November 2005

Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, January 22, 2004 12:22 PM

Instructions? Thats what those lil pieces of scrap paper are! Whistling [:-^]

Actually the only time I follow the instructions step by step are when building Accurate Miniatures kits, as they plainly say follow these or you will be sorry....Well I dont think they say exactly that but close enough

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J-Hulk

Member since
February 2003
From: Tochigi, Japan

Posted by J-Hulk on Thursday, January 22, 2004 12:57 PM

QUOTE: Originally posted by HistoryinScale
...they plainly say follow these or you will be sorry....Well I dont think they say exactly that but close enough

That's funny!
The only instructions I've ever seen similar to that was the booklet that came with a Bose video sound system. It said, basically, "Do exactly as we say or your sound will suck beyond belief."
I think those were their exact words, too.
Harsh lads, those Bose boys! Big Smile [:D]

~Brian

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cassibill

Member since
February 2003
From: Indiana, USA

Posted by cassibill on Thursday, January 22, 2004 1:14 PM

read it then ignore it

cdw My life flashes before my eyes and it mostly my life flashing before my eyes!!! Big Smile The 1/144 scale census and message board: http://144scalelist.freewebpage.org/index.html

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Anonymous

Member since
November 2005

Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, January 22, 2004 4:01 PM

Golly! I read the instructions and laugh like crazy Tongue [:P]

at the really bad translations and misplaced historical and advice attempts. I've found that translating the original instructions (where possible) myself sometimes helps clarify the point they're trying to make. Regrettably, a lot of the info. in illustrated instructions belongs in the "What's wrong with this picture?" category.

Since I use a lot of scratch-built and after-market resin, PE , etc. stuff, I study the plans, note the modifications in various-colored fine marker pens, make notes to refer to separate photos/references, and use that as the general guide to action. I do a lot of detailed brush painting on the sprue or in sub-assemblies, and at that stage the plans only serve to help with determining what not to paint.

"Should we prosper it shall be as is our custom...by Miracle!"

Captain [4:-)]

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tigerman

Member since
March 2003
From: Rain USA, Vancouver WA

Posted by tigerman on Thursday, January 22, 2004 7:31 PM

I will follow the instructions to a point. I will generally build all the basecoat parts first. Sometimes I will build subassemblies. I use them only for placement of pieces.

Eric

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Anonymous

Member since
November 2005

Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, January 22, 2004 8:19 PM

I sometimes build different sections at a time. eg) i'll build most of the turret, then somehting else, the figures and then finish it up

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Anonymous

Member since
November 2005

Posted by Anonymous on Friday, January 23, 2004 12:18 PM

QUOTE: Originally posted by pdunkel

For me, I skip around and work on one part then another, then combine the two together and so forth until it's complete.
Phil

this is kinda the way i do it, also...
first i look thru the entire sheet of instructions ( i've learned this 1 the hard way !)
then i figure out my building sequence from there based on what i'm doing w/ the kit .
i usually break it down into logical (4 me anyhow) sub-assemblies which r then combined during final build stages.
here's an interesting dilemma:
what do u do when the instructions contradict the fit of the part ?
i had this very problem w/ my italeri M4 Sherman tank...
(i don't think that instruction sheets r always rite...but u have 2 start somewhere, LOL !)

frosty Smile [:)]

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styrene

Member since
May 2003
From: The flat lands of the Southeast

Posted by styrene on Friday, January 23, 2004 2:20 PM

frosty,
Been there; done that; have the t-shirt. The AFV Long Tom has the same problem with locating the brake handles on the bogies. It's easy to get them on backwards. I think AFV finally produced a correction that is now included in the instructions.

Gip Winecoff

1882: "God is dead"--F. Nietzsche

1900: "Nietzsche is dead"--God

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paulnchamp

Member since
January 2003
From: Warwick, RI

Posted by paulnchamp on Friday, January 23, 2004 5:26 PM

There are some instructions out there that aren't worth the paper they're printed on Angry [:(!]

I always build in subassemblies, and like J-Hulk, I frequently disagree with the order of assembly. But somehow it always comes out looking good. Wink [;)]

Paul "A man's GOT to know his limitations."

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qmiester

Member since
May 2003
From: Central USA

Posted by qmiester on Friday, January 23, 2004 9:24 PM

I tend to follow the aircraft mechanics second law - When all else fails, read the instructions.

Big Smile [:D]

Quincy

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nicholma

Member since
September 2003
From: New Zealand

Posted by nicholma on Saturday, January 24, 2004 6:10 AM

I build a lot of 43rd race car kits and for many the instructions are just an exploded diagram with vague lines indicating where things should go. In this instance I make my own way.

For plastic race car kits I generally start at their instruction 1 and deviate from there. I generally look to paint all the bits colour by colour so that sometimes means building parts out of sequence then bringing them all together. I'll generaly prepare the body shell very early on so it has plenty of drying time (eg this week prepared and painted 2 body shells for building during the winter) but won't decal until the last.

I have built several kits with all the instructions written in Japanese which I don't speak or read but this was no difficulty as long as there was a paint table and good diagrams and preferrably a parts diagram as well.

Kia ora, Mark "Time flies like the wind, fruit flies like bananas"

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KJ200

Member since
July 2003
From: Bicester, England

Posted by KJ200 on Tuesday, January 27, 2004 6:32 AM

I usually read the instructions through especially on those kits with multiple options or configurations, noting sub assemblies and the colurs required.

I then build up components dependent upon what the painting requirements are, so on a Luftwaffe aircraft I'll spray all the RLM02 stuff in one hit, ie bay doors, wheel bays and landing gear struts. This saves on spraying time and wasted paint, and also gives me detailing work to do while I wait for larger sections to dry etc.

I often find the construction sequences provided with the kit make little sense, and often contain quite glaring errors. Whish just goes to show the value of dry fitting not just sub assemblies, but large portions of the kit.

Karl

Currently on the bench: AZ Models 1/72 Mig 17PF