Do you ever build models for other people?

i am in the process right now of researching a build for a coworker. her father has to sell his a/c and she wants to get a replica of it for him. this was the first time that i have been asked, and i was thrilled.

joe

Haven't built a model for anyone else as yet, but someday I might.

Robert

If I don't build for others then I run out of room to store them and ideas on what to build. The church I go to keeps me busy. I have one member who belonged to the 327th Bomber Wing of the 9th Airforce and was a B-26 crewmember, and another who worked on B-25s in the 14th, then an ex C47 / glider pilot. I'm hoping to present the B-25 and B-26 to the VFW during the D-Day celebration on June 7th. The B-26 is still on backorder so I'm begining to sweat that one.

I've been building for free and commission for about 15 yrs now, and I just do it for fun. I seek out my subjects and then make them offers. The local VFW and Chamber of Commerce loved the idea I presented to them for me to build a plane sponsored by the veteran that was associated with it who lives or lived in our town. Then I will move to ships. Then maybe in my lifetime armor. They can get case donated and I can donate the models for a tax deduction. I love to do this because I get to spend hours with veterans as they show me pictures and momentos of their experiences. I build from their memory so maybe not all the details can be documented. But to me keeping their memory alive in a model for others to see is what is important.

Scott

I've never built any military plastic models for anyone, but I've built and painted a few figures for friends who play warhammer. Currently, I have a whole army to do for one guy, and a few of the larger wyvern and other creature kits to do as well. The thing is, they take so damn long, so I don't even have an estimate for these ppl as to when I'll finish. But it is definitely an ego boost having someone ask you to do something like that for them.

I built a couple of Cessnas and a Cutty Sark for some friends. Don't like to do it, because you are expected to finish in a cetain amount of time. I've given away some I didn't want anymore.

I have built a couple of replicas of my grandfathers Nascar. The first I was going to give to him but he passed away a couple of days before I could get it to him. The other one was for my dad, was great seeing his face when he pulled it out of the box.

I've built a couple of Shermans as gifts, about 6 as door prizes for the annual reunion of the local W.W.II tanks veterans, 3 as museum exhibits, and another 5 or so as commission works.

No real choices as far as subject or colour but I will try to put markings on that are fitting.

Yeah, I'm building Trumpeter's 1:32 F-105g Wild Weasel for somebody right now. My Hasegawa 1:32 me-109e was being displayed at my LHS in the glass when somebody asked who built it. The owner of the shop, which I know well, told the guy about me. He asked the owner to ask me if I would want to build it for him. I agreed. By the way everyone, that kit isn't so much hard, it's just frustrating (especially the PE rod's for the wing flaps!) and time consuming. I've spent the last 7 months building that thing, and the truth is I havn't built an armor models since then. But I'm almost done with it and I'm meeting with the guy this weekend to give it to him! That unopened stack of DML's Tiger 2 porshe turret, Tamiya Late Tiger 1, and Academy's Panzer 4 are all waiting for me after this weekend!

I've built a couple of kits for friends and I've had two commissions. I have to say I enjoy building for others as it seems to be when I produce my best models. It's just a shame I can't keep them!
The best part for me is doing the research and producing a model that means something special to someone. I get a lot of satisfaction from that.

i'm thinking of building a GTO or a chevell for my friend, He loves clasic cars.

i'm currently in the process of building a 1/200 Concorde for my Father. He picked out the kit and he asked me if I would build it for him. I said yes and told him it may take a while - probably 6-months LOL. This is my first contracted model and would happy to do another if someone else approaches (but maybe for a fee if they arent a relative of mine).

Several years ago a close freind of mine was the CO of the Michigan ANG Six Pack Squadron at Selfridge AFB. I built several 1/72 models for him that represented every Jet the Squadron had flown. He had them on display in the Officers Quarters at Selfridge. Got me a couple of rides in the back seat of a T-33 and an F-4C. I've also built several models for veteran freinds who were pilots or crew from WWII, Korea & Nam. Two of my neighbors were B-24 pilots and one flew PR Mosquitos and I built each of them 1/48 models of the AC they flew.

I've built a couple of things for people, I let them tell me what they want to see, which is only fair since they paid for the kits!

The ships I built a few years ago were all given away to friends, the corvette I'm working on now will go to a naval museum. I'm building that one as my father-in-laws' ship, so that's what they'll get. Also it will be a donation for a tax receipt, so that takes a lot of the deadline pressure off (good thing too because the model's been in drydock a couple of months now ...).
Bruce

Yup... I built a GMC 6X6 for my wife's uncle who was a Red Ball Express driver...and for a local Tuskegee Airman, I built his Mustang for him. I am in contact with a patient of my wife's who was a ball turret gunner in a Fort...and may do his for him as well...

I built my wife a pink Cadillac Eldorado convertable once. She had said it was her favorite car. It stayed on a shelf until the move to Japan. It didn't survive that one. I wanted to make a P-3 in my dad's squadron markings, but settled for sending the kit to him as a gift (he's the one that got me hooked on this hobby as a child).

I've build a few for my company for displays (hey they pay well) and I built 3 a 1/72 shuttle on stack, an 1/32 F-14 for the F-14 weapons systems program manager, and an 1/48 scale F-111. I'm currently been asked to complete a 1/32 scale F-22 for the Quality Rep in DCMA in my area (I guess its for his office).

The hard part is - when they ask you how much, what do you really charge. I'm mean the wooden models with quick paint jobs, bad decaling, and no detail go for over $100.00 but what's right.?

Tony

I've built the "Hulk", "Godzilla" and the 4 Yellow Submarine Beatles for friends. It's fun because I wouldn't normally build these kits-and I don't have to clean them either.

I have enough trouble building models for MYSELF!!!!!!!!!

QUOTE: [i]Originally posted by TANGO 1 It's just a shame I can't keep them!

Yeah, now that the bird is done, I want to keep it. It just looks so good. But for what he's paying me ($265), I think I'll let him have it.

Tony:
Hard to say what's right. In terms of an hourly wage we're never going to get out what we put in.
If you negotiate a price beforehand then that's what it's worth, or you can ask an independent third party to give an estimate and then ask that.
I wouldn't feel right about dickering over the price after I've agreed to biuld a model, so I think that should be up front.

Any other suggestions out there?
Bruce

Yah, Knight. Just finished the AMT '67 GTO for my daughter-in-law (her favorite car). Called her up a few months ago and asked her what color she'd like, etc. Stretched my skills a bit; turned the air filter, valve cover breather caps, coil, thermostat housing and radiator cap from aluminum on my Unimat and added seat belts w/ photoetch buckles, wired the engine, heater hoses, etc. She loved it!
Next up is Dale Jr.s 2003 NASCAR Monte; her favorite driver. Maybe for Christmas?

So far, I have built three vehicles for people on comission. One was a Bre-Datsun in street colors, one was a Ford pickup I had to kitbash to backdate to 32, another was a 1918 pickup in 1/18 scale.

I built two models for people as gifts:

One was a Chinese junk I built for my mother-in-law, who was thrilled with it. It reminded her of her childhood when she used to travel up and down the Yangtse River to market and back. It is still sitting on her mantlepiece.

The other was a 1927 Ford Model A in Black and Brass trim to represent the car we used in the stage show "Ragtime". The car we used was a Ford Model T 1911, but since nobody makes a kit of it, I built the 1927, which was the closest year I could find to the one we used onstage. I gave that one to our stage manager on behalf of the stage crew for her hard work in making that show run so well. She loved it, and didn't care that it is not a Model T. That is also on her mantle.

Now I'm building a model of the RMS Titanic for my brother who always wanted one. I should have that done in about four more weeks or so.

G'day Folks,

The models I've listed below are all 'Other Peoples' and the two groups I'm contracted too build models for, the RAAF is for 36 models all bar one are 48 scale, they are now talking of increasing this to 198 models. [I broke this into 4 and split it with 3 of friends], we've completed 18 of their models in the 12 months we have been working on this project.
We have repaired models in various scales for the Army, Defence Recruiting and Toll Shipping this was a ship Builders model and took a year to repair and rebuild it.

This is the ballance of my RAAF work in 48 scale;
B24j Liberator, FB VI Mosquito [Amhiens Prison Raid 464 Sqn], C-47 in post war scheme and the A20a Boston III.

These are 72 scale and are for a WW II Museum in Western Victoria:
H.P.Hamden, Boomerang, Lancaster BI/III, Lancaster Dam Buster, Wellington, Anson, Mk VIII Spitfire, P-40e Kittyhawk and a P-39 Airacobra.

Thes are various scales and are for different clients;
F-14 Tomcat 1/32, F-15c Eagle 1/32, 3x Titanic's, Bismarck, SS France, Lusitania, QE II, Finjet, SS Trinidad, Renault 5 turbo, Alph Romeo 159 1/12 and a Alpha Romeo Bi Motore 1935 [white metal] in 1/43.

It's a Factory Production Plant not a hobby Workshop.

Regards
Rob.

I'm currently working on two Ford Mustangs for my son and daughter. And like many others, I build kits and give them away as gifts . I wouldn't know how or what to charge as a commission project. Besides, if I don't charge, I don't have to worry if I don't get all the details just right.

Don

Guy's,

What to charge for the time and effort put into a model, is not enough to cover the hour's, when I was approached with the job for our Air Force Training School, my co founder's and I worked out a formula, double the price of the kit and extra's, plus $100.00, if the models needed to be modified, eg convert a Lancaster into a Lincoln we added $200.00. Some of the kits we had to track down as second hand, take the Tamiya Lancaster kit [with the electric motor's], convert that back to a standard bomber, we charged $450.00 for that project.

I have another client who collects Aplha Romeo cars, they range from 1/43 to 1/12, he supplies the kit, paint and whatever I need to complete his models and the prices range from $150 to $250, most of the 43 scale are white metal. He claims my prices are to low on his projects.

It's a neverending story, with what to charge and what not.

Rob.

I've only ever built a couple for other people.4 Drag cars for my nextdoor neighbor 2 funnycars and 2 rail cars.
And the Airfix RAF rescue launch for my old man.

I should mention that I'm also working on a HH-65A US Coast Guard Dolphin helicopter for a friend (the 1/48 Trumpeter kit that's not *really* the HH-65A).

I personally like building for other people; it's still fun, plus like someone else said, you don't have to clean it. My brother's built about a half dozen Star Trek models for our dad...and my brother's one of those people who drills out 500 tiny windows and puts fiber optic cable in each one and then wires it up!

I'm currently building a Cargo Truck for my girlfriend's uncle. He had mentioned that he drove one in Vietnam in 68 in the Marines. He was a commo guy.
It's an AFV club and muy detailed. It's my first truck insofar as I'm used to Armor. You know...do bottom, do top, put gun on, put tracks on, paint. Rinse, repeat.