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Ever built a kit without using the instructions ?

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  • Member since
    January 2006
  • From: Pineapple Country, Queensland, Australia
Ever built a kit without using the instructions ?
Posted by Wirraway on Tuesday, November 11, 2014 3:57 AM
If you buy second hand kits, it may be par for the course, if you cant dig up replacements from elsewhere. Or have you built so many of a particular model that you just decided to wing it ? For 1/48 jets, I think I'm almost ready to take a walk on the wild side. For those that have, how did it end up ?

"Growing old is inevitable; growing up is optional"

" A hobby should pass the time - not fill it"  -Norman Bates

 

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  • Member since
    July 2013
Posted by DURR on Tuesday, November 11, 2014 5:50 AM

i have many times with various results  the only type of model i would recomend doing in this manner would be cars  building them is hard to screw up   the only painfully hard part of cars in the painting  getting that perfect gloos finish is  ......

  • Member since
    May 2003
  • From: Central USA
Posted by qmiester on Tuesday, November 11, 2014 7:34 AM

Sure have, done it several times over the years, although I really prefer to at least have a set of instructions on hand or readily available for reference.

Quincy
  • Member since
    February 2014
  • From: N. MS
Posted by CN Spots on Tuesday, November 11, 2014 8:15 AM

The older stuff maybe.  These new kits with hundreds of pieces, lots of extra parts and PE, like Eduard's Profipacks... no way.  Especially not for 30+ bucks.

  • Member since
    March 2010
  • From: MN
Posted by Nathan T on Tuesday, November 11, 2014 8:30 AM

Between these 2 sites I rarely don't have access to kit instructions: www.1999.co.jp/eng, www.model-making.eu

 

 

  • Member since
    March 2012
  • From: Corpus Christi, Tx
Posted by mustang1989 on Tuesday, November 11, 2014 8:41 AM

CN Spots

The older stuff maybe.  These new kits with hundreds of pieces, lots of extra parts and PE, like Eduard's Profipacks... no way.  Especially not for 30+ bucks.

Ditto

                   

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  • Member since
    November 2014
Posted by BLACKSMITHN on Tuesday, November 11, 2014 9:17 AM

EmbarrassedThat's how I ended up with my M4 Sherman Helldiver....

  • Member since
    March 2005
  • From: near Nashville, TN
Posted by TarnShip on Tuesday, November 11, 2014 4:33 PM

and BlackSmithn, I have to say that the NASA stripes on your Battleship model turned out beautiful, and the wiring on that Hemi engine is great.

but, to answer the OP, yes, I have,,,,,,,,but not one of the Hasegawa Tomcats or anything like that,,,,,in fact, a lot of the time the instructions have to be modified anyway. Many aircraft kits want us to put the clear parts on far earlier than is sensible.

Rex

almost gone

  • Member since
    July 2008
  • From: Vancouver, the "wet coast"
Posted by castelnuovo on Tuesday, November 11, 2014 9:56 PM

Not without instructions but one of the instructions were so poor that I might as well not have them. It looked like a photocopy of a photocopy of a photocopy made on a photocopy machine that was running low on ink. I was on the internet all the time looking for photos of other people's models to see just where to hack do the pieces go. It is still work in progress.  

  • Member since
    April 2005
Posted by ddp59 on Tuesday, November 11, 2014 10:16 PM

built a cheyene attack helicopter about 40yrs ago. the instructions that came with it in the sealed box was for a huey helicopter. used the box art to build it & came out correct tho i never painted it being it was drab green to begin with.

  • Member since
    February 2014
  • From: N. MS
Posted by CN Spots on Wednesday, November 12, 2014 8:00 AM

TarnShip brought up a good point regarding the assembly order.  I've wished on more than one model that I'd have done something in a different order than the instructions called for.  I learned to ALWAYS read through the instructions first before you start a build.  Build/paint/weather it in your head & look for problems before you cut the first piece off the sprue.  

  • Member since
    March 2012
  • From: Corpus Christi, Tx
Posted by mustang1989 on Wednesday, November 12, 2014 9:10 AM

Sometimes following the instructions can be a bad thing. Like the decal placement on the instruction sheet below. Anybody see the problem????

 

 

                   

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  • Member since
    April 2006
  • From: Denver, Colorado
Posted by waynec on Wednesday, November 12, 2014 12:07 PM

mustang1989

Sometimes following the instructions can be a bad thing. Like the decal placement on the instruction sheet below. Anybody see the problem????

 

 

if decal no. 2 represents kill marks don't they belong on the left side where it shows no. 19?. just a SWAG since anything in the air is just a target.

Никто не Забыт    (No one is Forgotten)
Ничто не Забыто  (Nothing is Forgotten)

 

  • Member since
    January 2006
  • From: Sarasota, FL
Posted by RedCorvette on Wednesday, November 12, 2014 12:55 PM

One that comes to mind right away is the old Aurora Jaguar XKE kit back in the 60's.  I acquired the kit second hand, with missing instructions.  

It was a beautiful kit with a highly detailed suspension and engine.  But it was like a jig-saw puzzle without the instructions.  I think it took me about a month of dry-fitting to figure out how the rear suspension and differential went together.  Finally figured it out by random luck - that was when I learned that the XKE has inboard rear disc brakes and I had been trying to figure out how to build it the way my limited knowledge of cars at the time thought it should be.

I've got one of the re-issued kits in my stash and plan to build it again someday, this time using the instructions.

Mark

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  • Member since
    September 2012
Posted by GMorrison on Wednesday, November 12, 2014 1:03 PM

I have a couple of times but not happily.

Once I bought a 1/72 Italeri C-130and a 1/72 DC-3 from the same vendor on eBay. He offered a shipping discount for multiple purchases.

Well he dumped all of the parts from both, about 1/2 off the sprues, into a plain box no decals no paperwork(as advertised for the Herc but not the Douglas).

Major hassle to sort out, but the price was right at about $ 10 each.

 Modeling is an excuse to buy books.

 

  • Member since
    March 2003
  • From: Western North Carolina
Posted by Tojo72 on Wednesday, November 12, 2014 2:30 PM

No,never had any reason to,hey wait do Dragon kits count as no instructions ?

  • Member since
    March 2012
  • From: Corpus Christi, Tx
Posted by mustang1989 on Wednesday, November 12, 2014 2:36 PM

waynec

mustang1989

Sometimes following the instructions can be a bad thing. Like the decal placement on the instruction sheet below. Anybody see the problem????

 

 

if decal no. 2 represents kill marks don't they belong on the left side where it shows no. 19?. just a SWAG since anything in the air is just a target.

The Aircraft numbers on the side of the aircraft don't match the starboard wing number. You woulda thought Revell might catch that one on the way out the door there. lol

                   

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  • Member since
    January 2007
Posted by the doog on Wednesday, November 12, 2014 7:18 PM

Good grief! I can't imagine it! I put wrong parts on even WITH instructions! Surprise.....Sad

  • Member since
    March 2012
  • From: Corpus Christi, Tx
Posted by mustang1989 on Wednesday, November 12, 2014 8:38 PM

the doog

Good grief! I can't imagine it! I put wrong parts on even WITH instructions! Surprise.....Sad

Dont tell anybody but I did it! lol  Indifferent

                   

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