Fear ?

Yes sure and it's always a good idea to listen to those little voices.

I find that the best way to get around it is to practice on something you dont care about. Do you have a junk kit?

Yes its depressing to wreck a good model doing something you dont have a little practice at.

Well, anytime you're trying a new or unfamiliar techniques there's always trepidation. That's perfectly normal, I think.

When I feel that way, I'll just let it set for a couple days while I think about it, and make detailed plans in my head for how I will attack it.  Refer back to instruction sheet a few times, maybe, and then tackle it head-on.  It usually comes out fine.

You can't stick the landing if you don't take the jump.....

Guilty as charged.  I have a jeep sitting finished except for the mud.  Never muddied a vehicle before.  I stopped and bought the acrylic chalk and watched a few films on "Dirtying up Armor".  It's been sitting there for about a week just waiting for me to give it a try.  I'll get to it, one of these days.

Jim 

I have an immense fear of heights (yes I know I'm really tall), but I know that to get the deer around here, I gotta go up at least 15-20 feet up in a tree stand...let me tell you, that right there is fear.

With modeling, its more..."dang i just wasted a whole bunch of time and money on this thing." For me, getting up in a stand is fear...modeling is a thing that I can really just sit down, relax, and enjoy. If I mess up then I know I will notice it, the people on here will, and maybe one friend will. I guess what I'm saying is, this is truly a hobby for me, fear doesn't really come in to the equation.

The fear of messing up.

I am still not comforable with air brush painting the large parts of an aircraft.   After all the work I had put into the model to get it to the exterior  painting stage I'm scared to mess it up , and I hold my breath as in the scary part of a horror movie each time I 'm in the process.

I keep going over the things that can go wrong while I'm airbrushing ie.  too much paint, too much thinner, too close, too far away, the right air pressure, the right pressure on the dbl action button, too slow or too fast a pass ?

I really don't have enough "extra models " to practice on since I've only been at this a relatively short time and the one I'm building is supposed  to be the best one yet to my mind.

Oh, man. I don't know if I'd say fear, but strong reluctance maybe is a better term for me. Seven years ago I bought Italeri's reboxing of the Accurate Miniatures TBM Avenger. I got about halfway with it, and it just bogged me down. I put it back in the box, covered it with a bunch of paper towels to keep dust off, and there it sat. I skipped over it and have built probably 15 or 20 models after it, while it still waits.

    I pulled it out a month ago, and now I'm finally in the finishing stages of it. I started decals last night, and I reckon in a week or two it'll be done after I have a couple clearcoats on and some weathering done.  But this is by far the longest build I've ever successfully completed. And I almost didn't.

Come on. It's just a hobby. When I came back to modeling after a 25 year hiatus 3 years ago, the first thing I bought was an Iwata HP-CS and a Smart Jet compressor. Well, they sat in my closet for 5 months because I was too scared to try airbrushing for the 1st time in my life

Interisting thoughts

I want to thank everyone for weighing in.

Yes I know 'fear' is too strong a word but it got your attention

I started masking the front half of the canopy last night and ... well .. it dident go all that well. I am using Tamya masking tape (the yellow stuff) which is fine, but when it comes to cutting it at the seam lines I managed to not get it right and scratched the heck out of the canopy.  But it is only one little scratch.. so far.

I used a brand new #11 blade but there is a fine line (pun intended) between not cutting through the tape and cutting into the canopy. I wish there was a way to make templates so I could pre-cut the tape and then apply it.

Well I am going to take another approach today and try using the fine 6mm tape and try to 'bend' it around the curves.

We will see!

I find this interesting because I recently returned to the hobby after a 20 year pause and had a bit of fear starting the first kit.  I purchased an Airfix FW190 and looked at the nice red box siting on my desk for about 5 weeks.  Every night I would come home, ready to dig into it, but found myself researching techniques online and find other plausible excuses to not start it.  That is until one night my wife demanded that I go and “put the stupid thing together!”   I can’t say exactly why I was so hesitant, but I think I didn’t want to disappoint myself by not being able to emulate what I saw online.  I finally released the grey plastic goodness from its cardboard crypt a couple weeks ago and have loved every minute spent on it!  I can’t wait to dig into the next one!  Glad to see you're moving forward too.

Most everybody has had that feeling at one time.  I'm sitting on a model that I would like to do but the paint job required is very intimidating.  Then if and when I get through that part, I have to contend with the decals too.  I'm not sure when I'll get to it.

I agree with Chrisk-k as well. I, too, came back 2 years ago after 20 plus years away from this hobby as well. I got my first airbrush as a gift from my grandmother back in the 80s. I never got the chance to use it and it has nothing to do with being afraid to use it, It was because back then I simply before I drifted away from the hobby. Upon my return 20 some plus odd years later, my first goal was to purchase an air compressor so I can learn how to use the airbrush for the first time. There was no use in living in fear being afraid I'm going to mess up a perfectly good kit as a first time airbrush user.

I did what is sensible - research, practice and learn by trial and error on how to thin the paint for airbrushing. Having a scrap kit is a huge plus to practice on. This past January, I finally got my first dual action airbrush. I am looking forward to learning new ways to paint using this new toy of mine. Atthis time I am awaiting an air hose adapter before I can use my new airbrush. Of course weather has warm my garage enough to make it worthy for that's where I do a majority of my airbrushing work.

I will also be looking forward to working with photo etch and trying different weathering techniques. Heck, pre-shading and post shading is also on my modelling bucket list too. Everything is new for me to try and the only way I'm gonna learn is dive in and do it.

Rigging biplane is still a bit intimidating still for me but someday I will take up the challenge as soon as I get myself a scrap WWI aircraft kit to work to practice on.

My advice, the only way you're going to overcome your fears in model building is just do it and practice on a spare scrap kit. As the old saying goes, practice makes perfect.

I have done my best work with an airbrush when I just go at it "free and easy" and don't worry about being too precise about anything.  I always remember if I really mess it up, I can reprime it and start all over.  "Loose as a goose" is the way to go!

I don't think it's "fear". I think it's a lack of a clear method and vision for confidently achieving what result you desire.

Well said Doog, more practice and experience will make the trepidation go away I'm sure.

and practice. Spray paint a soda bottle. Mask an imaginary canopy on a piece of glass. All the pro built models you see on this forum didn't happen on a hobby bench, they are the result of practice.

As for masking, little pieces are your friend.

My fear was the airbrushing, but I have managed to sort that out. I can now pull it apart, clean it, and put it back to together. I have now got a pretty good idea of how much I need to thin the paint out and fix problems other problems with it . My problem now is masking canopies, as someone else said up thread. No matter how hard I try, I manage to get a cut or scratch on it somehow when masking it.  

UlteriorModem said 'I wish there was a way to make templates so I could pre-cut the tape and then apply it.'

I too, am wishing for the same thing.  ;-)

TedsScaleModeling

the model builder put tape on the canopy, burnished it down, and then traced around the canopy frames with a pencil(?). He then removed the tape from the canopy, layed it down on glass, and cut around the pencil mark, basically creating his own mask. He then placed the mask carefully back on the canopy, burnished it down, and he was good to go. The point being, no cutting directly in the canopy this no risk of scratches.

That is usually how I mask the windscreens on canopy sets.  I use single strips of Tamiya tape to mask straight edges on canopies and then fill in the centers with more, larger pieces of Tamiya.  But, the curved sections of windscreens and the center, front panel of the same are usually done with the above mentioned method.   I've had pretty good results with that.

Gary

Gloss finish!!!!!!!! I'll get past it by breaking the ice with more practice but that's always been my biggest worry.

Then there's the German spotting mottle pattern. Again....practice!

UlteriorModem

I wish there was a way to make templates so I could pre-cut the tape and then apply it.

There is.

ezmasks.com

I've never used them myself but several members on the forum use them and swear by them.

My apprehension is/was working on the massive PE job on my 1/350 Indianapolis. I'm almost done now, but somedays it really took some gumption to get moving on it.

I'm not "afraid" of PE anymore.

Steve

I've bought a bunch of EZ mask sets but only used one so far.  They worked really well; dip them some slightly soapy water and they are quite easy to move and adjust into position.   EZ Mask has a great selection too.  I've tried to talk Chris Loney, the owner, into making a set for Monogram's 1/48 Hind; hasn't happened yet though.

One day I was explaining the ends and outs of the hobby to a non-modelbuilder friend of mine.  We'd known each other a long time and he was curious to know why I kept at it like I did.  He understood and shared my history interests, but he was really trying to get at my motivations.

Before thinking further, I said something that astonished me later when I thought about it.

I answered, "I keep at it because I know that at any given moment I can screw the whole thing up and ruin the project."

I believe that is a possible point to this discussion.  I've trashed some projects, like everybody else, some I've been able to salvage, but others went to the garbage.

Perhaps when we all finish a project that had new challenges, part of the feeling we get could well be, "I did that and I didn't screw it up."

I think there's something to that.

TedsScaleModeling

Today I set up my compressor, spray booth and painting area. I primed some plastic signs in prep for airbrush practice. And, as much as I am excited to resume the hobby I love after being away from it for more than 15 years, I have a lot of fear/anxiety (relatively speaking) over getting started. So yes, it's out there.

By coincidence I did the same thing today! I primed parts for a couple of kits that were waiting for a while. I haven't done any airbrushing in three years. I had to check out an old compressor that I am giving someone, plus a contest deadline is looming, so I took care of the household chores then settled in for a few hours of airbrushing. I think I fear screwing up during the painting stage the most, plus I have fallen behind on the latest techniques. I don't enjoy painting, so it is always a task I dread. But the show must go on, so onwards!

Fear ? Hmmm .

       Well how about this . I was visited by a representative of our states museum system years ago . Would I build a model for them ?

      Fear ? You bet . Just finishing therapy for an injured hand and arm , was I up to the task ? Fear that I would fail , You Bet .

    I did it and each day was agonizing . Is this really what they want ? Well , there came a day when the

 model was presented to the Pols and their families at the capitol .

Guess What ? After seeing their faces and hearing their comments I had no more fear .

   Fear is a state of mind akin to  oops ! I can't do that ! It has no place in life unless that life is in danger

  Go for it full bore and you'll there is not really anything to fear but oneself !