What motivates you, yourself matter, to keep it intersting all the way to the finish.

Now, it's easy to get "comfortable" in a given scale.  You wind up with accessories in that scale, or spare parts from other kits, which is very handy.  You also get a "feel" for how things ought to look in that scale, too.

Also, as you build up a reference library of books and the like, similar subjects suggest themselves, too.  (This is especially true with ship models and the kit manufacturers appear all too comfortable with "close enough.")

There is also an issue that, some of us are not young pups anymore, and larger scales can be more comfortable to model (if being concurrently more difficult to store afterwards).

1/24--1/25 cars, pick-up trucks plastic/resin kits

1/72 civilian mostly, Float Planes.

1/10 scale Racing Motorcycles.

That's enough to be getting on with. All mainly from ebay.

Personally I do mostly military models- land, air, and sea, along with figures. But I also dabble in real space and sci fi, so while the majority of my builds are generally military, I will occasionally build something out of that area...

I've kind of settled in on 1:48 WWII-modern aircraft.  I'd say it's probably 3:1 jets vs props, but I do like to go retro every once in a while.  My "next model" is often inspired by an article, news story, etc.   A few months ago I was watching some You Tube videos taken at the Mach Loop in Wales, so the current project is an F-15E with Lakenheath markings.  

Even within the same basic genre, you'll find that different techniques and skillsets are required.   A Blue Angels F-18E requires no weapons detailing, but does involve meticulous seam filling and surface prep to make the finish perfect.   The F-15E I'm working on now has a ton of weapons hanging under it, so lots of detail there.  Also, the deceptively simple color scheme in Gunship Gray really isn't.  Any plane that didn't just come off the line is a complex mix of colors.  Fading, aerodynamic erosion, panel replacements, chemical discoloration, etc.  Plenty of detail if you want to go that route.  

I have some interest in trains, but haven't seen much in terms of plastic kits.  It seems like that's more geared toward fully assembled engines with the detail going into the dioramas/sets.   It's entirely possible that I just haven't looked in the right places, though.  

Martyhh

Being new here, I am curious if most people stick to making models in one area, such as just planes or ships or tanks or cars, or if people mix it up more and do multiple different types?

 

   I've been here for over 20 years and it's the best.... a lot of good people here.

I build from way up to way down.

You should build for what gives YOU satisfaction and a good sense of accomplishment.

Different categories will defintely give you more experience and encourage you to try different techniques.

 For me, I build and almost

 anything else including 's.

Presently I'm working on a Uboot in the ship section posted as Sub Assembly.

                            .

           And below, a good while ago............

  To

21st Century 1/32 G-14 Messerschmitt

To

hand made diorama backgrounds.....

Hope this helps you to a good start here!

           You never outgrow your need to build.............

Martyhh

Being new here, I am curious if most people stick to making models in one area, such as just planes or ships or tanks or cars, or if people mix it up more and do multiple different types?

 

I'm mainly a sci-fi and modern US armor builder, but I also build the occasional Sherman, Tiger, fighter plane and car/truck.

But there are many modelers who only do WW2 German armor or something even more specific.

I've know guys who are WW2 "pro wave" meaning they only tend to build WW2 naval aircraft as opposed to Army Air Forces (pro-land).

Some guys only do muscle cars, some only do Corvettes.

One guy mainly does gun trucks, another guy just does wheeled tactical vehicles (aka army trucks).

ThanosForever

... I know from other builders that the Tamiya car & motorbike kits are absolutely great. But my preferences are to do classic North American vehicles, not the Japanese rice rockets, so it's fairly unlikely I'll ever do one of the Tamiya subjects.

...

They recently did a beautiful Mustang GT4 - I have one in the stash.

And check out some of the Revell kits.  Their Dart is awesome, as is the 67 Charger.  And the Bronco and Land Rover are fantastic.  And the Moebius 65 cyclone is a great kit as well.

Hi Marty! Welcome to the Forums! Glad to have you aboard.

I started building models in 1946 at the age of 6. I build anything and everything that strikes my fancy at the time and my wallet says OK. My favorites are WWI & WWII planes followed by sailing ships. Any scale that will fit in the house and the wife doesn't object too. There is a large R/C wooden sailboat The Emma C. Berry on a 1/2 wall in the living room and a 5' fibreglass racing R/C sailboat in the garage. Have stick & tissue planes of all sizes hanging on the wall in my loft with a 5' wingspan Taylorcraft yet to be built. Have built and flown indoor microfilm planes.

Right now I'm building a 690mm x 570mm wooden Bluenose II Fishing Schooner for a friend. Have also restored Aircraft and Amor models for a local WWII museum. You name it and I've probably built it or will build it before I have to go to the Great Workbench In The Sky.

You've come to the right place. Lots of great people here with all kinds of knowledge and willing to help. Questions/problems, just ask. 

Stay safe.

Jim 

When I began model building again back around 2000, after about a 15 year break from it following high school, I concentrated strictly on armor. I got the buzz for it thanks to all the WW2 tank-centric shows that were on History Channel, back when they still did actual historical subjects and not the non-stop brain-dead nonsense on UFOs, lost Atlantis, and Hollow Earth type of programming they've been doing for far too long.

When I moved a couple of times in 2003 and 07 to homes with more space I added aircraft building into the mix. And some sci-fi as well. I've made some attempts at warships but I find it to be problematic - 1/700 scale is just too small for my clumsy fingers & weak eyes, 1/350 is just too expensive, and the photo-ech sets of any scale for the ships to me are just a nightmare to deal with. As such I've pretty much stuck consistently with just armor & aircraft. I have a couple of ships on the go right now but they'll probably be my last ones due to the aforementioned issues. I'll gladly forego the ships though to hopefully do more Star Wars, Star Trek, BSG, and other sci-fi subjects instead.

I would really like to give a go at some car models, like the Impala from Supernatural or the Plymouth Fury from Christine. My only hesitation is that AMT makes the majority of these kits and, as per too many of my other posts here lately, I am not fond at all of the quality of their kits due to the burnt-out molds they've been using for decades and refuse to update. I just don't want to spend money on a kit where there won't be a single decent fitting part in the entire box. I know from other builders that the Tamiya car & motorbike kits are absolutely great. But my preferences are to do classic North American vehicles, not the Japanese rice rockets, so it's fairly unlikely I'll ever do one of the Tamiya subjects.

Other than that, when more money is available, I'd really like to do some Maschine Krieger. And I've heard that some of the Warhammer 40K kits are decent as well. I can't say I'm too fond of Gundam or the other ones based directly on Japanese cartoons. My heart's fondest wish insttead would be for a good reliable company to produce kits based on the classic Battletech wargame, in a decent consistent scale like 1/48 or 1/35. Other than that I'd like to tackle a dinosaur model, but those are few and far between in terms of availability. I think that it might be a better option to go buy the best plastic or vinyl dinosaur toy instead and use full range of basic model painting & weathering methods to try to make something decent out of it. 

It would be nice to have better computer skills and enough money to by a 3D plastic printer or a resin printer. That way any one of us could just buy the plans online and make our own kits that none of the manufactures produce. And any of the smarter & more-skilled fellows here with some decent design tech skills could probably bypass buying plans altogether and just create it themselves instead. I'm too long in the tooth though and get out of sorts too quickly by newer technology to ever try something that complicated myself. 

Hi and welcome.

For myself 80% 1/72 airplanes and helicopters, WWll to modern, once in awhile a 1/48th military airplane.

I enjoy building subjects that friends have personal experience with, two were Gato class submarines for friends that crewed them. A 1/48th B-17 for a neighbor that was a bombardier in WWll, based in Italy and then England, 52 missions and made it home. His name was Jack Barkovic, 20 years old, I find it important to always remember these fine young men. He had nothing but the highest praise for the Tuskegee Airmen, prior to them escorting the flights the loss ratio was astronomical, then they completely turned the stats around to many more missions making round trips.

I'm a retired commercial pilot and member of the "QB's," one member flew the SR-71 out of a base in central California, so he got a 1/72 model of that with ID to match his favorite one. He had great stories about fitting that beast through commercial traffic, during climb/descent stages of flight.

My favorite gift project was a 1/48th Stearman for a fellow who's Dad instructed in them in WWll, then was a pilot for Pan Am. So he also got a 1/144 747 in Pan Am markings, to accompany the Stearman.

Good to have you join us.

Patrick

Martyhh

Being new here, I am curious if most people stick to making models in one area, such as just planes or ships or tanks or cars, or if people mix it up more and do multiple different types? 

Welcome to the forum, Marty!

I stick to subjects and scales I like.  They cover USN and USAAF WWII aircraft in 1/48 scale, with some 1/72 and some 1/32 kits; WWII ships, mostly American but some Japanese, in 1/700; Maschinen Krieger kits in 1/20.

I built more armor when I was a kit, starting with the Monogram 1/32 kits, then Tamiya 1/35.  I also built Airfix 1/72 and HO scale WWII armor kits and the diorama kits, when I was a kid.

I also cast and paint 54mm metal figures, and some commercially-available kits.  My main areas there are the Seven Years War and the broader 18th century, and the Kaiser's Army/Berlin 1910.  All painted in a gloss finish.

I don't really go much beyond those areas, more because I know what I like, and there is finite time to build.  Though I do have Tamiya's 1/35 T-rex, the 1993 release, in progress on the bench.  I like dinosaurs, too.  I built almost all the Pyro/Life-Like kits, when I was a little kid, and then the Aurora snap-together kits, when I was a little older.  The Tamiya rex is a nice kit, and reflects the state of dinosaur research at the time it was released.  That was right after Michael Crichton wrote "Jurassic Park", too.

Best regards,

Brad

Hi, and Welcome!

     As I've gotten older I seem to wander more. I am into paper model ships big time ,But also train related boats in Train scales.   I won't do say a (Carrier, Or Battleship in H.O.Scale because then, Even 1/350 is little! So 1/160 or smaller say 1/400. Everything else is all over the place though. I never get bored that way!

I started with WW II planes, then to Viet Nam-era jets, then to modern and WW II armor.  The "end" came when I discovered Gundam and Luftwaffe 1946.  After that, it was anything goes.  I get whatever catches my fancy these days, but it has to be out of the ordinary.

But I do know people that stick to mostly one subject and one scale, like 1/48 WW II aircraft for example.

To quote the Vulcan IDIC:  Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combinations.

I mainly stick to 

1/48 + 1/35  military vehicles,although I have a 1/16 Tiger,but thats it.

1/48 military jets and props

1/350 warships

I did build two of the above mentioned Toon Tanks

Welcome  aboard!

Like keavdog, I do whatever strikes my fancy.

Mainly aircraft, military and civil, all eras and scales.

Armor, I settled on 1/72 some years ago just in interest of cost and (mainly) display space.

I do 1/24-25 cars, 'classic' road types, drag racers, and police/fire vehicles.

Love ships -- mainly 1/700 for big naval capital ships, 1/72 for things like PT boats, and intermediate scales for destroyers, subs and the like.

Occasional figures. Spaceships ('real' and sci-fi). Plus odd stuff like egg planes and HO and N scale buildings (but not trains...go figure!).

Paper models too, but that's a whole separate discussion.... 

I'm all over the place with what I build, but I'm mostly building post-WW2 military aircraft.  Branching out at the moment to building a car, just to get a change of scenery, and will probably be building a WW2 aircraft after I finish that.  I have also dabbled a little bit in sci-fi and fictional, movie aircraft like Blue Thunder and Firefox...Blue Thunder is the only one I have completed so far.

I do about 2/3 planes (military & civilian) 1/3 cars (mostly race cars).  Throw in a couple oddballs now and again like:

Or anything that catches my eye.