Length of Time on a Build

It seems like they get slower as time goes on.   As a kid, they took an hour and the glue was still soft when I was playing with them.  As a teen, maybe a few days.  Now, I sometimes work on a project for 10 minutes and sometimes several hours, so the entire model may take months.  I don't think I've hit a year, but might on my 1:32 F-16 when I start that.  

I think that I have three or four factors that come into play for time spent on a build: 1, the complexity/parts count of a kit; 2, how many changes that I will make to kit, either AM or scratch work; 3, how many projects I have going on at that time- is this a solo project, or am I rotating thru multiple builds at once. 
Two additional contributing factors: how many distractions do I get from bench time? Being on a trip or having visitors come over; and lastly, do I lose interest in the project, run out of steam from my modeling muse, or hit some major problem along the way, forcing a sidelining of the build. 

I can still turn out a quick build, weekend, week length on occasion. But most of my current projects take weeks or more commonly, months.

5-7 a year, because that's what circumstances allow me.Usually 1/35 armor or 1/48 a/c. Last year I did finish a 1/350 Akagi

This year so far, I have completed 2 with another probably 1/2 way

How long does it take?  A better question is, "How many builds wind up on the Shelf of Doom?"  I have some builds that have languished for 10, 11, 12 years.

By contrast, the fastest build I've done, since returning to building models, is a build that took about 12 hours, spread over three weeks.

Even for the most complex projects, I've rarely spent more than six months on a build. I used to occasionally build industrial models to order, so I guess I just got in the habit of time-scaling to a reasonable schedule; a client didn't want to hear that you'd lost interest or didn't feel like modeling that day.

Having said all that, the same limit broadly applies to most personal projects -- although there are a very few that I've started...then put aside for as much as five or ten years, before suddenly getting the 'lightning strike' impulse to go back and finish them off. I think the old Revell Ford Futura-to-1966 (TV) Batmobile conversion hit about that 10-year mark, before getting the sudden m*j* to complete the project in all its nostalgic glory.

I generally do not build a kit from start to finish at one time anymore, but generally work in spurts on a kit for a couple weeks then set it to the side for another, then return to the original in a couple weeks/months. 

The weather also ties in to build speed, the colder it is out, the slower my fingers work.  I can only do my rattle can painting outdoors, so in WI it leaves the painting window from May to October.

The last couple years I have started and finished 5 to 7 each year though, of varying scales.  I'd estimate 1/48 and larger take two or three months in total, 1/72 armor and planes are knocked out in a month.  1/700 ships about 2 months, depending on the amount of PE and paint scheme.  The smaller scales are my cold month builds, since I can brush paint them.

I usually average 3 to 4 complete in a year. I do have the occasional shelf of doom build, but sooner or later, I work them in with the current ones.

Jim 

Stay Safe. 

I usually get one or maybe two finished a month.  I am in no hurry.  My shelves are full.

cars- maybe a month

armor- a little bit longer

airplanes- a couple of months

ships- anywhere from 6 months to ten years

Several more astute replies above, it depends. One rule I sick to is two stash between one new. It does pick up the pace. And not a rule, but one off the SOD every four or five other models.

As far as storage space, I either give away or throw away my completed models so it doesn't factor in.

Bill

I have too many other interests. I can also be lazy. I've had some sitting on the shelf for 15 years or more. Probably an average time is six to eight months, depending on the complexity.

From now to infinity.  Some simple aircraft kits, like the Lindberg racing planes go together in less than a week.  I am still working on a couple of ships that I started years ago, and though they are on my shelves of doom, I do occasionally work on them, so I hope they are not doomed.  But for complicated ship kits the answer seems to be- approaching infinity.  It depends soooo much on the kit.  Mephistofele took me four months.

It takes me about 4 months +/- a month.

Glamdring

I generally do not build a kit from start to finish at one time anymore, but generally work in spurts on a kit for a couple weeks then set it to the side for another, then return to the original in a couple weeks/months...

That's partly how I end up with so many builds on the SoD.  I'll do the same thing, get into a pace, and work on several builds at once.  Sometimes I can do some steps in assembly-line fashion, as appropriate.  Or I'll work on one build while another is waiting for glue to cure, paint to dry, decals to set, etc.  But if I hit the wall on a build, it's enough to make me lose interest and stop, and then never get back to it.

I have been so busy since I retired. I have no idea why I am so busy, but I am. Because of that, it takes a while to finish a build. It took over 3 months to finish my Ferrari 312T.

The longest maybe 3 months, shortest time about a month. I started about 2 months ago on 3 builds, completed 2 and started 3 others so I have 4 active builds as of now. Not rushing work but looks like maybe 2 months or less for their completion.

I recently thought about this in hours.  A 1/48 airplane kit with roughly 250 parts and 2 tone camouflage is about 200 hours.

generally 6-18 months , I do like the bigger ship kits , 

wpwar11

I recently thought about this in hours.  A 1/48 airplane kit with roughly 250 parts and 2 tone camouflage is about 200 hours. 

Holy crap!  200 hours?!

Yeah, I think about it in terms of hours, too.  Start and finish dates are one measure, but we're not working on the build in all that time. 

It's like any other project: it has a start date and a due date, by which the project is expected to be finished; and hours expended.  If we delve into project management, we can go one step further and think about estimated hours and actual hours.

Those old builds I referred to, they went long past their original projected finish dates, but I probably haven't spent more than 8 or 12 hours on any given one.

wpwar11

I recently thought about this in hours.  A 1/48 airplane kit with roughly 250 parts and 2 tone camouflage is about 200 hours.

 

Heh...I don't even want to think about how many hours I put into a modeling project.  As far as the length of my projects goes, I think the 1/32 F-16CJ took about a year from start to finish if I take out the time gaps where I wasn't working on it.  I remember the other thread where we were all talking about how much we're willing to spend on a model, and I agree with the connection between price and hours spent.  The more time spent on the pricey models, the better the bang-for-the-buck.  The current 1/32 Su-25 project is about 500 parts if I don't include all of the extra armament I won't be using, and I'm not entirely sure I'll have it done by the year deadline of the group build I'm building it for.  I'll certainly try, but I'm not going to rush anything, and I want to get it as close to perfection as my current skills will allow.

I used to average 8-10 model car builds a year on the easy stuff, but I also took 2 years, then 5 years, and then 7 years on scratch-built stuff - Those days are gone!!! Too intense now for my taking naps in the afternoon .

the Baron

 

 

wpwar11

I recently thought about this in hours.  A 1/48 airplane kit with roughly 250 parts and 2 tone camouflage is about 200 hours. 

4 months is typical.  200 hours is only 12 hours a week.  That's actual hands on .  I do count planning into that figure.  A guy in my club kept a journal and he claims a 1/48 scale plane took 3 years or 800 hours. 

 

 

Holy crap!  200 hours?!

Yeah, I think about it in terms of hours, too.  Start and finish dates are one measure, but we're not working on the build in all that time. 

It's like any other project: it has a start date and a due date, by which the project is expected to be finished; and hours expended.  If we delve into project management, we can go one step further and think about estimated hours and actual hours.

Those old builds I referred to, they went long past their original projected finish dates, but I probably haven't spent more than 8 or 12 hours on any given one.

 

Looks like I did something wrong above.  Anyway, you can see the reply.

wpwar11

 

 

the Baron

 

 

wpwar11

I recently thought about this in hours.  A 1/48 airplane kit with roughly 250 parts and 2 tone camouflage is about 200 hours. 

 

Holy crap!  200 hours?!

Yeah, I think about it in terms of hours, too.  Start and finish dates are one measure, but we're not working on the build in all that time. 

It's like any other project: it has a start date and a due date, by which the project is expected to be finished; and hours expended.  If we delve into project management, we can go one step further and think about estimated hours and actual hours.

Those old builds I referred to, they went long past their original projected finish dates, but I probably haven't spent more than 8 or 12 hours on any given one.

 

 

4 months is typical.  200 hours is only 12 hours a week.  That's actual hands on .  I do count planning into that figure.  A guy in my club kept a journal and he claims a 1/48 scale plane took 3 years or 800 hours.  

 

You clicked into the body of the text before the last quote tag.  I fixed it

Again, it's not the duration, it's the sheer number of hours.  I don't think I've ever had a build that took 200 total hours.  But understood-depending on the genre and the kit, I can imagine some that could take that long.  Contemporary armor kits in 1/35, for example, including assembling individual track links, or wiring up and lighting a Star Wars Imperial Star destroyer or the Enterprise. It's just not my bag.

Does research count because I think I have been building my P-51 for about six months now and havnt cracked open a bag yet been reasearching the engine detials,  unit history etc...