What got you started in the hobby and who/what were your major influences?

I was a small child during the war (started kindergarden in 1943).  Fighter pilots were the knights of the war.  Things were always in the news about their exploits.  My dad joined the CAP and learned to fly.  So aviation was a big influence then- the whole country was air minded.  Relatives used to give me kits for presents at Christmas.  These were stick and tissue models.  I was not able to complete one until I was seven, when I was able to read the instructions well enough.  My main interest then was in flying models but I did build the occasional "solid model."  Non-flying scale models then were made from solid blocks and sheets of wood.  I remember my first plastic model, a P-80 that dad bought and we built together.  I never stopped modeling.  I built my first car model when I was still in grade school, and my first sailing ship model in ninth grade.  I never stopped building models, even during college, Air Force service, or while raising a family.  So I figure I have been model building for 75 years.  When I moved to Minnesota the weather was not that great for flying models, so I dropped that part of the hobby except a flying kit every few years.  I now model exclusively non-operating models.

During the war, does anyone remember the Kix cereal premium paper models?  These were paper cuts you obtained from a couple of boxtops and a dime.  You used a penny as nose weight.  There was a P-40 and a Zero.  I built both.  They both flew reasonably well.

My mother and father.  Mom was a professional artist and illustrator and would build models as props for whatever she was working on.  Her and dad would set up bench and would build models of horses, figures, cars, and when she started getting military commissions, tanks and planes.  Well, it took no time to include my brother in me in the production where they showed us how to take our time to assemble a model, how to glue, and ways to paint. 

Ay Mate:

      When I started Modeling. Well, Let's see. The Dinosaurs had died out and someone Brought a reed boat up the river. Nah.That wasn't it! Oh, I remember now.I went to Summer Camp ( those programs designed to get the kids away from the parents for a while, Whew!)

 It rained most of the time and that was a bummer. One of the counselors asked if anyone want to build an airplane. .They were the Monogram E-Z Bilts. I got bit after I saw my Aeronca fly ! Blue wings and white fuselage and even landing gear!

     Those were the kits where the fuselage was four pieces mainly, plus the wings and Rubber band and Big plastic Propellor with a Plastic cowl in a vivid red! Well, over the next year I built five more and also learned, never paint your Balsa model with Artists oils.

    It took that thing forever to dry! Plastic came a Christmas later when I got a plastic model car. Just like our real one. A 56 Mercury Montclair Phaeton four dr. ht. Courtesy of REVELL and Santa. The rest is history.

      I won't even add the value up as I would have to have The president's pocket change to pay for them all! I have a nice stash to work on now. I would say my main influence was that new fangled thing called a 17 inch console T.V.! In glorious Black and White even!

 They had programs about guys flying Planes and one with lotsa Ships and one with nothing but Submarines and their crews. Plus the History Books and Library. Our teachers wanted us to research out favorite subjects.Mine were the Navy, Merchant Marine and the U.S.M.C. That ruined me. That's all I could think about in my spare time. Chesty Puller and "Blood and Guts" Patton, Nimitz, Burke and others were my heroes. Oh! let's not forget General " Hap" Arnold and Many More Like General Curtis Le May. 

In the early 1960's, plastic model kits were sold in many types of store.  The small grocery store on our corner had some, and my interest was multiplied by the trading cards showing Aurora kit box art that were included in ice cream bar wrappers.  And I lived just a few blocks from the library, so the WWII history section was my standard haunt.

Flash forward to 1970, and I came across a small hobby shop that specialized in "imported and domestic kits."  I became close friends with Mike Edwards of the American Eagles hobby shop, and he showed me techniques and connected me with the Seattle chapter of iPMS, where I have learned more stuff and enjoyed the fellowship with modelers in every town the Navy stationed me.  Mike passed away twenty years ago now, but he left a lasting positive impression on me.  Thanks, Mike!
Rick Heinbaugh

I got the bug in the early 1950's from our next door neighbor.  He and my dad became good friends, and he frequently took me to his workshop to see what he was building, which was a big, beautiful sailing ship at the moment.  He also showed me some Strombecker solid wood models of WWII bombers that he had built and put on wall stands in his basement rec room.  That did it.  I started building solid wood airplanes immediately, and went on to ship models next.

I was maybe 7 when at my grandmothers house two antique model cars on a shelf caught my eye. I knew these were not toys, looking close the detail just grabbed me. To this day I have no idea who built them. And I've like those oldies to this day to build. But on Christmas that year an uncle gave me a helicopter model. I had no one to help me, my dad deemed himself useless at things like that for whatever reason. So around Easter another uncle was visiting and he helped me out fitting the cockpit in, which is what held me up.From there I completed the glue bomb, my very first. And I went nuts building models, especially after I got my paper route and had my own money. That all started about 1958. Cars, planes, ships, boats, trains, structures. You name it and I touched on it. But in the 60's cars became the thing for a long season. I won second place in my class with a 49 Ford build in a local contest at age 12. By 15 I was building chopped down modified and class A circle track cars from stock kits, widening wheels, working springs, slot car tires for the slicks etc. Later in life came RC aircraft. My stepson and I did railroad stuff in the mid later 70's, he's now a conductor and engineer for CSX railroad @ 47yo lol. My son and I did rockets. So right now I'm on 1/16 scale cars again for a season of that, starting a Model A roadster here soon ( it finally came in).. I think ships might be next, been a while for that subject but if not well who knows what...

Just never quit !!!

Sat down with my Dad in 3rd grade and watched him put a p-47 together and after that I was the one building them. I kept at it till my mid twenties and other things became more important. The wife is an accountant and tax season leaves me with lot's of time on my hands since I stopped cutting wood to heat with, so two years ago I jumped back into the hobby. 

Hey G. my youngest grandaughter is 9 and a 1/12 and she is interested in building models, so I'm looking at dinosaurs, sci-fi and non military figures. Having said that she'll probably grab a panzer 4.

Thank goodness for your uncles persistence. I so admire those who can sculpt, unfortunatley I'm not one of them.

Some of the same. I was pretty good at it so my friends would get me to build the models that they got as presents.

My mom was very pacifist, so she would get me all kinds on non-military stuff. That did broaden my skills a lot.

Hi Dodgy! I got my start at 6 years old also (1946) when my 2 uncles started bringing me and my brother kits to build. My parents told them to stop because they thought it was a waste of time and money. They didn't stop until we were old enough to afford kits and supplies on our own. They both were in WWII and scratch built models from all types of materials and encouraged us to keep building. My brother quit building after high school when he went in the service but I've kept building in addition to all the other hobbies I've had. 

My main influences were my uncles and the books of Shep Paine. One of my uncles became a jeweler and did some of the most beautiful work I have ever seen. The other got into carving statues out of marble, wood and all types of materials. I have newspaper articles about him and his work. Some of his work is in a museum in New Jersey. He's the one who gave me the Shep Paine books. I have met many great builders at the various shows I've attended and learned soo much from them. The members of this forum constantly amaze me with their talents and influence me to keep improving.

Jim 

Stay Safe.