What do you do when...

Sometimes, you've just got to move on.  I finally turned a Dragon Panther II into a source for spare parts.  It was my second kit after starting up again and I lacked the fine motor skills to deal with the tiny parts involved.  I hadn't developed the motor memory in my fingers to allow me to complete the kit and no amount of airbrushing could hide all the problems.

Now, after 6 Tamiya kits to relearn model techniques, I'll tackle a Dragon Maus.  Granted there are larger parts involved, but step-by-step I'll reach a satisfactory level of execution.

Its okay to quit a kit.  The revenge is in stripping it of its useful parts to use on other more friendly kits. 

the doog

I think a serious question you shoudl ask yourself is if you are clinically depressed about something? Lack of interest in hobbies can be a sign of Depression that needs attention. I would put some serious thought into it.

Not sure about that one, especially since your origional question seems to pertain just to a part of this hobby. If this was affecting most of your hobbies/activities, then yeah, I'd agree with doog 100%, but the emphasis here is on one kit, and heck, that happens to me a lot, and I'm a happy guy. For me, it just means that I'd rather be doing something else.

the doog

I think a serious question you shoudl ask yourself is if you are clinically depressed about something? Lack of interest in hobbies can be a sign of Depression that needs attention.

I'm with the doog on this one, I've been there and it ain't pretty. Another reason (without knowing where the OP resides) could be the weather. The weather started to change here in the Twin Cities and suddenly I felt less motivated. I rarely put a model away. I try to alternate subjects to keep my interest. I build planes WWII and modern jets but a 1/24 car can break the monotony. I'm currently working on a RoG Rafale B and Typhoon 1/48 but as soon as I finish them, there is already a Tamiya Toyota Corolla WRC staring at me. Building a model in a different scale we don't usually build helps boost our interest too. Heck, even a E-Z Snap kit from Pegasus is something refreshing IMHO.

jbrady

I know that there will be a lot a different answers to this but what do you do when you start a kit and just can't get into it?

I recently started an AM Avenger for a group build here and I'm telling you every time I go into the work room and look at that turkey I just get turned off. I haven't been building long but my other builds all went the same way, close up the fuselage put the wings and other bits on and really get excited to see how I would finish. Even builds where I screwed something up I kept at it until I solved the problem. This kit fights me every time I work on it and I just don't like it. Too bad really, because it's my first AM kit and I look at the others in the stash and just have no enthusium for them any more.

I tried walking away for a week, that didn't work I hate to just give up on it because there is nothing inherently wrong with it. At this point I'm going to keep plodding along knowing that I'm going to end up with a back row Avenger at best.  

Sorry for the rant.

Hope you find right way and get back

Having ADD/ADHD causes me to do this all the time, to varying degrees.  I lose interest in some projects fairly quickly, others are interesting enough that I stick with them for awhile longer, but inevitably they get set aside as well.  It happens with modeling, remodeling, hobby activity 'X'....  My current modeling project is a Revell Ford Tri-Motor, and one I had no real interest in before I even opened the box; it was to satisfy a club theme build of "between the wars".  My modeling interest is pretty much gone, but I figured I should build something, and this was the only one I had in my stash that met the theme requirements.  I never break out a ruler or count rivets, so this being 60's box scale and sorely inaccurate (so I'm told) is completely irrelevant.  I'm glad there was no interior as that would have meant extra work that I really didn't want to do anyway.  It would have been nice if there was a lot less flash on the leading and trailing edges of the corrugated wings.  It also would have been nice if the windshield fit, even a little bit, because now instead of being at a simple fork in the road with an arbitrary decision of markings at hand, I am at a railroad crossing with arms down, lights flashing and a 9,000 car westbound headed east with a replica of the "Tom Thumb" as a tug.  I really, really have no desire to fill in the gap around the windshield, sand, touch up fill, sand again, prime and paint, then polish the windshield back to some semblance of clear.  I'd love to revert back to the ten year old me and do what I used to do, but I don't have any firecrackers....

Shoot at the rate I build if I sat one aside I might never get back to it.

I feel like if I lose interest in a model at some point then I probably wasn't interested in building that kit to begin with. A lot of times I find myself sucked into kits because they fit a particular Group Build criteria. If that's the case, its not uncommon for me to be more enamored by the idea of the build rather than actually going through with it. If you lose interest and don't want your model to be built with a 2nd rate disinterested effort, put it aside for a while and do something else. Good thing about Group Builds is that they generally run for a long period of time. Do something else in the mean time.

the doog

Also, the whole "group build" pressure could be making you set up unrealistic expectations and fear of not measuring up to the whole. That could be working against you. Build for yourself; you might find more motivation?

You know in all seriousness, I have to say that I am doing a group build right now for the first time and I am really obsessing about little things that I would not normally even bat an eyelid about.

I think a serious question you shoudl ask yourself is if you are clinically depressed about something? Lack of interest in hobbies can be a sign of Depression that needs attention. I would put some serious thought into it.

On the other hand, if the kit is a real dog, trash it. That's all. Just trash it, and build something that tickles your fancy.

Also, the whole "group build" pressure could be making you set up unrealistic expectations and fear of not measuring up to the whole. That could be working against you. Build for yourself; you might find more motivation?

What do you do when you start a kit and just can't get into it?

Basically, you figure out where you can stash it. (Those "Really Useful Boxes" come in handy. I've got dozens.)

One of the worst mistakes I ever made was, having scratch-built a maple & walnut model stunt biplane as a presentation piece for my CO's retirement, I allowed myself to be talked into building a duplicate for money. What had been fun was now drudgery. I suppose that it's one of those "life lessons" you need to learn before you do something REALLY stupid.

It comes down to this: This is a HOBBY. It is supposed to be FUN. If it stops being fun, why are you doing it?

Winning!

Hercmech

Well if it is of a HO 229 would it be considered a video of a super model?

Hmmmmmm, that changes everything... YAY, video!!

Well if it is of a HO 229 would it be considered a video of a super model?

Manstein's revenge

Build it, marry it and then post pics---or video...

Video!?!  EEEEEWWWWWWWWWWWW!

VanceCrozier

carsanab:

You mean like Vance and his paper napkin 229????

 

Yes, referred to as "The Albatross Method"...

I LIKE IT

carsanab

You mean like Vance and his paper napkin 229????

Yes, referred to as "The Albatross Method"...

You mean like Vance and his paper napkin 229????

Leave the built part on your bench (or near it) to remind yourself that you need to finish it.  One day the motivation to finish it will come.  Have two of them sitting there staring at me saying when am i going to get finished?

Build it, marry it and then post pics---or video...

Manstein's revenge

...build a model...

...marry a model...

...build a model...

I built the A-M Avenger recently and although it was a rather difficult kit, especially the rear turret, I enjoyed the challenge, and it turned out relatively well, or Okey-Dokey,-  no prize winner, but I'm pleased with it.

But I agree, if you find a model to be a PITA, put it aside and do something else, and then maybe you will go back to it some day and find success.

 I don't often loose interest in the middle of a build. It's usually right at the very beginning. Whenever it happens, it promptly gets restashed, unless no other project jumps out at me. If nothing else is calling me, I'll leave it on the bench and just force myself to do little bits at a time. After a while, whatever was holding me up is finished and I'm gung-ho again.

sideline it... if you have no model building motivation, keep away 'till it comes back... But if you do, go get that project you know is gonna keep your atention and has a reputation for no snags or speed bumps. This is where most Tamiya kits shine. Great for recharging your batteries with.

My motivation for a model has I think lasted a month at longest. It all comes in spurts. I had all the motivation in the world to do a Mustang, started that, been waiting on seat belts. No more motivation. Been trying to finish a StuG, got to painting the wheels, not too motivated anymore. I for me it does with certain steps in building a model. I just dont like to do certain parts (tank wheels). but I to it a little at a time till its finished.

If I can't get into a kit I re-box it and add it to the semi-build Pile in the "Closet o' Doom", usually at the some time I pull out another unbuild kit that strikes me as a good build now. 

spadx111

we hear your pain i have been there too i start something new and get back to it later but i keep building.

Ron

What Ron said.  Take a break, try a different model.  Maybe something not aviation, armor, ship?

we hear your pain i have been there too i start something new and get back to it later but i keep building.

Ron