Loosing faith in my abilities to finnish my kits.

I don't really go as far as making up my mind to not building something I started. If it never gets finished, that's just how it'll be. If I leave it alone long enough, I'll either start back on it or box it up & store it. What to open and start on is the bigger decision. It sounds like you have 3 in progress. Having 6 or 9 in progress is not uncommon.

Have you tried Modelmaster Acryl white primer for white parts? It's even better with Tamiya x-20a thinner... airbrushed or hand brushed. It looks great bare/flat, but you can put Future floor finish or a thin coat of Acryl gloss white (with x-20a) over it to gloss it up.

I don't know the Canada name for Future, but I'm sure it's up there. That stuff is all over the world under various names, but an acrylic white with the right thinner is just as good.

Never give up. Set them aside, but come back & finish them someday. The best white I've used is Floquil Reefer White. It's an enamel in their Model Railroading line of paints.

Regards, Rick

Hey ModelTosser.
I have two Hasegawa 1/48 F-16's in different stages of construction. One is painted and partially decaled, the other is just started. They have been in this state for two years. Reason? I got sick of building 1/48 F-16s. So I have moved on to other subjects that interest me more at the present time. I know I won't trash the F-16s but I do know that I will come back to them some day. My point is, you will lose interest in certain subjects at times, but don't beat yourself up over it. Just go do those other subjects that you are chomping at the bit to build. The others can sit there until you're ready to work on them again. I have other jets that I felt the same way about. Eventually I went back to them and got them finished up.
It's a hobby so don't lose sight of that. Build for the joy of building what ever subject you feel like building.
Hope these words help you a bit.
Regards,
Chris

yes plenty of times thats where the word frankenstien comes in. the the models and customize and scratchbuild.

I lost my nerve with a RM F-18 and and RM F-15.
they are my experimental guinie pigs.
my F-15 has some bear metal effects hear and there, camo, even a deep gouge from my dremel cutter testing on plastic.
save the models for the beatings

I'm having similar issues as of late. I have a couple of projects that seem to stare accusingly at me anytime I get near the bench. But the weather has been pretty good lately, and the spring fever bug has bitten me hard and I want to be outside all the time. I really want to get the kits done and get "back in the groove" but I don't want to rush anything and make mistakes, so my best advice is to just set it aside and do something else for a while, be it reading a book or starting another kit that has your interest. Eventually you'll get back to what you were working on and get it done.

Step away from them for a bit and pick up one of those kits you really have the drive to do now, then see how you feel when you're done it.

I used to have the same problem, just running out of ambition to get a model done, but I learned that your want to get them done comes back after a while.

I have Revell's 1/32 MiG-21 packed up in a box back in Canada and I've been working on it on and off for six years, got some aftermarket decals for it and have been doing quite a bit of superdetailing and scratchbuilding on it. Its tested my patience quite a bit and I have built many models completely while it has remained in progress, but I do know it will get done eventually.

There is no rule that says you have to get a model done in x amount of time after starting it. Set it aside and build something else for now.

It is just a hobby and losing ambition to get a kit done is what happens when we take it too seriously and it stops being fun. Keep it fun! I'm serious about that! :-)

I have 4 builds on the bench right now and one is whipping my butt so I tend to step back from that one a lot more than I do the others. Its not a race, build at your own pace and have fun with it.

Thad

I was in your shoes last year. I think it is kinda due to the quality of model kits. I was building the Monogram Spit, Revell B-25, and Revell 1/32 Corsair. All three are poorly molded, detailed, and have poor fit. Decals were junk but that was to be expected from the $4 Walmart kit. Nothing went right, in fact, the Spit ended up flying at full speed into the cement wall of my basement. I finished the Corsair and B-25, but hated looking at them because I could still see the seams due to the poor fit. I was about to vow never to build another plane again. I took me months to finish these planes.

I then picked up a Tamiya Wildcat and the Accurate Minitures SBD. Both kits went together like magic, I had a lot of fun, no paint problems, and the only issue was the decals, which I just replaced with aftermarket. I built both planes in about 2 weeks.

Although money is tight, I think it is now wise for me to pay a few extra dollars for a better kit and invest in the future of my sanity.


Scott

I'm right there with you brother.

thanks for all the advice and comments people. I did manage to finnish off my spit. I will probably end up giving it to my nephew as a gift and pick up a Tamiya version later on...
.
Thanks for the tip on the white paint jdavidb, it worked quite nicely on those stubborn sparrow missles.

I usually allow myself to build two models at a time. This is a great method of alteration between builds. However I will not start a third build untill I completly finish one of the first two builds.

all i can say is remember it is a hobby. the only rule that i stress to my kids is that they must have fun. if your not then put it down.


joe

In the future, try just starting one and finishing it. I found that multiple projects going at once worked on the brain. Just sit back and wait for the motivation to come to you. If you try and chase it, you will not be satisfied.

Yes, I get frustrated, box them and move on. Lately it is camo and weathering that make me pause. I have had a bad kit or two and yes, they were donated to others. Too many kits, so little time. Move on and have fun! Go back later.

Never feel that a kit is finished-you can always go back and work on it. White is one of the hardest pigments to deal with. Just have fun-sometimes I'll buy a cheap kit and slap it together and throw it away. Just to remember that this is about fun and not that important in life.

Dan

After a return to the hobby after about 15 years, I built and painted Tamiya's 1/16 Rommel 3 years ago. He's been standing on on unfinished pine base ever since. Around the same time I built two Hawsega 1/700 waterline Japanese ships. I (regretably) threw them in the garbage, being disgusted with the paint job.

You sound like a fellow perfectionist. I (now) agree with the above post: you can always go back and work on it.

Rommel is still on his base, but it is now stained and ready for Celluclay (or whatever). He'll have to wait as I'm now working on the base for my Italieri Jeep/Tamiya Pak 40 diorama. The jeep was built last year and the Pak is still in the box!

Take your time. For some of us it is a hobby of fits and starts. When you visit (and support) the local hobby shop, I'm sure that like most of us you go to buy a paint colour that you need and end up buying a kit (or two) and eventually, you'll have more kits than you can possibly build in a lifetime.

Have fun, do your research (especially our younger readers) and create!

Losing the momentum of a build is something that happens to all of us. I have read a lot of good advice in this tread but I missed one piece of advice.
There is always a reason why you started building that specific subject, some sort of inspiration. When you have lost momentum, you often have lost interest in the subject.

So if you get stuck in a build, get inspired! Go out to an airshow or museum, watch real warbirds/jets (or whatever it is that you want to build)!
Watch some movies/documentaries or read a book about the subject your building.

This useally works for me.
And if it doesn't, at least I had a fun day at the airshow/museum/reading a book etc.

Here's my . With me, sometimes I get a creative block and everthing just stops. I have found that doing something positive on that model each day, no matter how small, I can work though the black cloud. Which reminds me, I have a B-58 that needs my attention.
Eddie

I started a group build that was to end in May and I ended up not working on my subject back in early April when a project at work started picking up pace and I was comming home to tired to work on it at night. Weekends were devoted to the yard and house (curse you, spring!).

Now that things are settling a bit I'm starting again this weekend. I find the hardest part is being too tired for getting into what I began thinking as 'tedious' work for model building. Getting all the tools together, making space to work and making I clean up afterwards. It was becoming a chore instead of a pleasure. I started combing through lots of websites with galleries to seel other peoples work. I find that does the most to get me motivated, especially if I see someones work on a subject I have.

Ah, too many things to build, too little time to do it in.
But I'll finish it all one day, really, I will.

I can feel your pain brother. I have a Monogram P-61 back in the box in the closet for well over a year. Don't stress out wait to get motivated and come back to it.


john

This happends to me alot to, I have a P-61 thats been started and stoped for 2 years because of the fit but I know I will get back to it later. Same with my B-T5 bad fit, B-29 to much sanding. The thing I do is geting some thing else to bulid that you like and have fun.

QUOTE: Originally posted by Aurora-7 Now that things are settling a bit I'm starting again this weekend. I find the hardest part is being too tired for getting into what I began thinking as 'tedious' work for model building. Getting all the tools together, making space to work and making I clean up afterwards. It was becoming a chore instead of a pleasure.

I've found that it really helps to have a single box that contains everything needed for a project. While I have more tools, kits, etc. than I really need (sound familiary to anybody?!?), there is a fairly small subset that you need at any given point in a project. So, put the kit on top of a toolbox that contains everything you need (and not much more) so that you can quickly put them both down on your work area, do some modeling, and then put everything back in the box. This way, you can spend a productive 1/2 hour and actually get something done; after enough of those the model will almost have to be complete.

Hi all,

I think so much of this hobby has to do with expectations -- of ourselves, the kits, and other modelers on this forum (and elsewhere).

Sometimes it is easy to get intimidated by the high quality of models shown on the net and is FSM. That can suck out a lot of motivation if one sets one's expectations to achieve that level of mastery on one's third kit.

And then there's the whole list of things that should be done with a kit or it isn't put together the right way! You know, fill seams, paint with an airbrush, correct all the inaccuracies, don't let the decals silver, and (by GOD!) you'd better weather that thing.

Those are all good things to do, but if one loses sight of why they should be done -- and more importantly: the fact that they don't have to be done -- then modeling can become a drag.

My approach has always been to take one task at a time, work at a pace I like, be excited about the subject I'm modeling, and try new things when it looks like they'll help. If I mess up, I try to correct the mistake. Eventually, I learn when enough is enough, and I should move on to the next step.

Of course I get frustrated, and of course, other obligations get in the way of my modeling. There's nothing wrong with taking a break when that happens.

Regards,