At what point do you walk away?

I totally understand your dilemma. Right now, I have a Mongram Panther that I had quit on a couple of times, but I'm still plugging away on it, however, it may still run into some AAA

It's too bad that we can't toss the paint jobs instead of the kit!

Glenn

Not a rant gunner, it's a reality check and we've all been there. I get to the point where the kit feels like work and not play and as you say it gets hard to motivate yourself just to get to the bench and work on it. I have been working on a 1/32 TBM-3 Avenger and I have had the canopy on and off three times and I have stripped the future and paint as many times and still not got the result I wanted.  Keep your chin up and solider on brother.

ICIT

In that situation,let it go back in the box for at least a month!The paint disasters have created a problem that is getting to you so give it a break!One suggestion;you could ask fellow forum members for tips on painting and masking.There is a logical reason for your difficulties and it is best to id the reasons and overcome the problems.

I COMPLETELY understand, gunner. Actually, I go through a little of that with every model I build but I've got a 1/32 scale Stuka that damn near killed me. I put sooooo much work into the paint job, weathering and decal work and effed it all up with a botched clear coat. I literally cried when it happened. I return to it every few weeks and work a little bit on carefully sanding and such. Strangely, I keep it displayed where I can see it everyday, as much as it pisses me off. It serves as a reminder to BE CAREFUL every step of the way with these works of art. It'll probably take years of fits and starts but eventually  I'll get it finished the way I want.

Put yours away for awhile and take it out when you're feeling particularly ambitious. Just don't destroy it. You definitely would regret that.

Oldest box-of-shame loft-fodder I got is 30 years old.....

put a lot of work in scratching an interior, then the college/dating/marriage/kids/moving/divorce thing... 

Can't say for sure,I have tossed my share of builds,breaking point has been different on each one.

That's the thing to do, set it aside and come back when your head is clear.  I have the same problem w/Mono B-36, just take it in bits, you have to stay sane you know.

I have a shelf of doom that I put work-in-progress kits when I get frustrated with them.  I know I am way too ready to put a project there and it ends up never coming back on bench. I do not feel bad about ships- especially sailing ships. I never finish one of those in one period on bench. But I have too many airplanes there. I am working hard on improving my patience and not giving up so easy.  The shelves of doom are full right now, and we'll see if that helps.

When I start dropping tools and parts on the floor more frequently than usual, spilling bottles of paint, or my hands start shaking, or the next step in the instructions seems to make no sense at all, then I know it is time to walk away, get a beer, and watch a football game. I'll leave the project sit there for a few days or even a week, until my interest gets refreshed.

A very few models got to the unfixable point, and ended up in the circular file.  A guy just has to realize when it's time to yell "Uncle!"

You certainly have my sympathy. Just this weekend I "temporarily" bagged up the mostly finished parts of a kit, dumped them in the box, and put the box went in the basement. It will likely go in the trash later, but I couldn't face that just yet.

My problem was paint. Nothing went right from the start.  The first try had unexplained bubbles that went all the way from the surface to the primer and appeared hours after the paint went down. My second try got the paint on OK, but the gloss coat did something I have never seen gloss do before - something very ugly.  If it was a project I really wanted to complete, I would. But, the subject is outside my usual realm and a I have only a lukewarm interest in it.

So, when do I walk away?  First, when there are obstacles beyond the normal modeling ups and downs., and second, when I have no real motivation to finish.  Sometimes a project just seems cursed, though in this case the kit was superb, even if t I wasn't.

You did the right thing.  It's a hobby, not work.

I haven't reached a point to where I "threw in the towel " yet. I have a ton of patience / persistence and have the "I have to fix it" mentality. My recent Fw190 build was awful at first. Warped parts left and right! Thats what I get for leaving my stash in the garage here in south Texas!!! I had too much work put into the kit by the time I reached the wings to chunk it so I ended up unwarping the wings/ lower wing areas. A kit has to be REALLY unworkable for me to walk away from it for good. I usually walk away for a short bit and obsess over it until I come up with a solution (this I usually get in trouble for because I start neglecting stuff around the house!! lol). I've had one kit that I SHOULD have walked away from because I just botched it up so bad but I was overseas when I built it and had limited resources so I decided to finish it anyhow.

By Mustang:  "I haven't reached a point to where I "threw in the towel " yet. I have a ton of patience / persistence and have the "I have to fix it" mentality."

I don't know if it is any consolation, but we Thralls have a reputation for starting things and never finishing them.  I have a 1/48 Fujimi T-38 (for 33 years), a Pak 48 "powered armor" by Dorvack(?) (6 years), a M4A3 Tamiya (3 years), and a couple unfinished R/C build ups, including several R/C cars that all need to be finished in my stack.  Not to mention a 1/72 scale Panther (5 years) that I sealed a heavy coat of dust onto with a quick paint job.  I haven't found any "round to its" yet, but their time will come either by "grandsons" or by actually getting finished!  

Just figure the point of diminishing returns and when you will pass that. Are any more efforts likely to produce results worth the time devoted? If so, sideline, move to another build until the urge to complete this one returns. If not, figure a way to wrap this one up and call it a day.  Not every project is a contest winner or even an entrant.

It might be my line of work that has something to do with that. It really bugs me when I have something unfinished. Call it obsession I guess. I guess thats why it takes me almost a year to complete even a single engine fighter. You know, when I was a kid I did too do that. Just not finish stuff and walk away from it. Maybe that's why it bugs me.lol

Thanks guys. A little reassuring to know I'm not alone on this one

I like the shelf idea.  I've always left it on my workbench which takes up room and becomes a constant reminder of its incompleteness.  I think instead f sending it airborne ill put it up for awhile and work on a different kit.

Sometimes I pack it all up and take a few weeks off.  I get to a point where I'm rushing a build or not putting enough attention into an area because I'm burnt out.  At that point I just need to step back and take a break.  Usually in the time I take off I can get re-inspired.

depends. i have 14 shelf queens right now. most i will get back too, a couple probably never. OTOH had a painting disaster with syrian police BRDM but worked through that and it looks interesting (see armor section)

It's a hobby, not a job. My motto for military modeling is, "If I don't enjoy it, I don't do it." I've thrown away several half-finished models.

Why don't you just strip the paint, do a little research, ask some question here about how to get what you want, and THEN go in for a proper finish?

the doog

Why don't you just strip the paint, do a little research, ask some question here about how to get what you want, and THEN go in for a proper finish?

Wasn't there a 1/72 dive bomber that did not live to completion on here once upon a time...

stikpusher

the doog

Why don't you just strip the paint, do a little research, ask some question here about how to get what you want, and THEN go in for a proper finish?

Wasn't there a 1/72 dive bomber that did not live to completion on here once upon a time...

Terminated with extreme prejudice IIRC.

I have a few, but recently I've made a push to finish them. Sometimes one needs to lower ones expectations a little.

I just recall something looking vaguely Monty Pythonesque with a large boot and the model in the same photograph....

Well gunner I completely feel your pain. I am currently in the middle of repairing a paint job that was botched not once but twice on my 1/72 FW 190 for the Butcher Bird GB. Initially I miss set a decal so in taking it off with a piece of tape a healthy chunk of paint came off. So, I set it down, walked away and took a deep breath. I then set my head to "What can I do to fix this?".I preceded to sand  the edges of the chipped paint, applied some Mr. Surfacer on the edges to feather it and repainted the affected area. It looked great. And then when I went to reapply the glosscote it came out of the spray can in a huge amount and totally ruined the entire right side of the fuselage. Again, walk away, hang head, take a breath and yes, cuss. After a couple days of thinking about it I decided that "dadgummit, I've put too much time and money into this to toss it". So, I took out a can of Polly S Easy Lift Off paint remover and set to work. I stripped the glosscote and paint from the entire right side of the fuselage. I then used the same formula as before and sanded the paint edges and applied Mr. Surfacer  to feather. That is currently where I am at. It may not come at perfect but, at least I'll feel good about making an effort to fix it. Yes, it is taking a fair amount of time but, I believe it will be worth it. Here's a pic prior to the Mr. Surfacer application:

So, gunner, my point here is that I take the motto"It's not about the mishap, it's all in the recovery". Indeed, set the model aside for a while and then come back and see if there is a solution. Certainly the folks here are a magnificent source of options. I wish you the best of luck should you try to remedy the paint job.

  Joe

The only kit I ever tossed was the Testors F-4. It just wasn't worth finishing.

Otherwise, I insist on finishing them, no matter how bad the result. I can learn more from a failure than a fall together Tamiya build.

Displaying the end product is another story. I have sent a finished kit straight to the parts box.

Hi,

I don't have half the experience I lot of fellas here have but I'm pretty sure I got the bug just as bad.

So I've been there too. Cursing over a scale model disaster.

Cause, speaking for myself, one can get pretty obsessed with wanting to see their scale creation DONE.  

When I was 12 I built models, but always wanted to see them done in a day.  No patience whatsoever, so they look like models built by a 12 year old.

My favorite stages of model building are the START (when I get to imagine the endless possibilities) and the END (when I'm on the homestretch to completion, 'bringing it to life').  It's the MIDDLE that tries my patience, that's why I too have have growing shelf of doom.

One thing I try to remember: it's when I'm so obsessed with seeing one done and I'm out burning the midnight oil, tired and half cross-eyed, that's always when the disasters happen.  When I'm up early on a day off with the sun shining in and there is nothing more enjoyable to me in the world than building, things usually go pretty well :)

I try to remember that anyways...

Cheers and happy modelling,

Blake

I've been there a few times myself in my younger years.

In another way, I've had kits touched and find pieces that fell off after my wife's handling it dusting my desk where I keep my kits on display. After venting out on my missus NOT to TOUCH them, I literally toss it in the trash in anger and sulk for a couple hours. LOL!

She meant no harm but I've told her thousands, millions of times not to touch my models. She doesn't get it that I've put in a lot of blood sweat and tears in to building it.  End rant...  :)

I may need help digging a hole in the back yard if the cleaning lady ever goes near the airplanes again.

She took out the open cargo door on a KC-135R and cleaned the antennas off my RC-135V