Hi!
This is one I hardly see asked. Is it because we would rather forget it(Gee,Did I give myself the answer, already?) Or could it be that we learned lessons, Some we already knew, but were trying not to do because we wanted to cheat time-wise? You know there's always a reason why they fail. It could be lousy build techniques. Lack of attention where a difficult part is concerned or distractions at the wrong time.
When I started MINSHIPCO and was doing my first commissions it was truly a walk through the darkside. Every time I thought I solved a problem I would get disturbed by my Teen Daughters and their problems, or just life would get in the way. Here I was trying to get my dream life and style of earning in line, and having to deal with mundane items at the darndest times.
The mistakes I would make would fill a book, By themselves! And, Yes, some were the stupidest mistakes any modeler makes. Aren't we supposed to learn from them? It's much easier to create a pattern than Eyeball a line of Portholes on a scratch built ship Bulkhead, Right, Yeah sure Dumb-Dumb! Ya forgot the deck is a 1/16 lower than you thought. Guess what? your line of ports aren't straight either!
I see and hear about this in Armor and Planes and Cars too. What? Cars? Those are supposed to be the simplest bunch in the whole genre, Aren't they? Oh Yeah ? Start adding details and mods and see where it gets you when the Water Heater starts spraying water or the Microwave breaks before your wife's favorite T.V. show, just as you pick up that Landing Gear part or Car engine part to glue it!
So in the long run you get tired of the fight and put it on the "Shelf of DOOM" To be slaughtered for the next model of the type or just sit there and get's stripped away and you've forgotten the reason that model is up there. Oh, by the way it's the one that broke your budget to get. But, get this, There is Comedy in these fails. So open up and lets hear, Laughingly on how that set of turrets you put on the Missouri( That $300.00+ 1/350 Gorgeous hunk of plastic) wound up being the ones from the Arizona whose parts "Happened " to be on the bench, close by!
Or maybe the F-W 190 Cockpit instruments you tried to fit in a P-47 by mistake. Or the wrong Paint. There's always a humerous side to those fails. Let's hear it! Because, If you build Models you have to be Human, Right?