Old models life

I think I still have almost every model I ever built, and even some from the days when dad (and ocassionally mom, who was the better builder!) built them for me until I could take over, at age 7 or so.
Most of the ancients are stored away in boxes, a chronical of my modeling history. I love going back and looking at those old kits! I was certainly easier to please in those days.
Ocassionally, I have resurrected an ancient beast and brought it up to my current modeling standards. I did that with a Monogram 1/48 B-17G, even going so far as to convert it the Memphis Belle.
I don't think I'd have the heart to yank any pieces off the elder statesmen, so they remain intact, never to become hanger queens.

What I do have a lot of in my parts box, however, are the remnants of my early forays into motion picture special effects photography. It brings a tear to my eye whenever I think of the beautiful kits I destroyed in fthose fiery blasts! The only saving grace is that they were all filmed, and live forever on celluloid and videotape.

Surely I'm not the only one who did that?

Hi all ! I recently had the idea of making a crashed and very rusty model plane, like it has been sitting in open field for at least 20 years. For such a project I need an old model, preferable unpainted. If any of you has the heart to sacrifice one of his older works please contact me and I shall give the model a well deserved place in the model's heaven :)) .

Thanx !!

I use mine to try new techniques, but only from time to time. The most useful role I have found is that of Painting Hulk. I never, never start painting a model for real without testing first on my painting hulk. I adjust paint viscosity, pressure, line thickness, and make certain everything is as good as I can get it. Then I commit.

Well, I see, we all have the same problem - it's not easy to destroy something you put your heart, mind and skill in. But I appreciate the way berny13 mentioned above - I think it's great idea to give old models to children hospital ! I think I will do it too ! Regards ! Aleksander

Old models never die, they live on in the spares box! But some live on only to serve as inspiration - a reminder of how far we've come.

I take some of my older one, where a new release is much better, to a local hospital and donate them to the childrens ward. The staff will give them out to the children to help decorate their rooms. It is a project started by a model club in town and has been going on for over ten years. The young kids get a big thrill having a model of their very own in their room. After they leave the hospital and the model is left behind and is still in good condition it goes back to the nurse station.

Yeah,
I've got many long ago built kits that are stored, and due to my vast increase in modelling skills, I'm sure these old kits will probably never see the light of day again. It's a shame, but one day I may break them down for spares.
One day.
Cheers,
LeeTree

Unfortunately,due to the six-odd year gap in my modelling activities,almost every kit I ever made back home in Devon now falls into the 'knackered' category due to a thick coating of dust (and I mean THICK),and various broken props,turrets,u/carriage etc. where my parents have moved them round my room while trying to restore it to it's original condition!;-) I keep promising that I will go back and restore them,but we're talking about sixty-odd models,some of the eldest of which have already been rebuilt once before,so I guess I will try and save the best and use the rest as spares/baby cousin toys/crash-test dummies! But,like you I won't be throwing them away - I just can't do it!!

I keep some of my oldies around to remind me that we all had to start somewhere,a couple of em are real nasty looking blighters too. every time i think i'm rushing through a project. i look up from my workbench ,and cringe at the awful mess,my past efforts have resulted in, covered in fingerprints.... paint too thick....wrong colours....flash....moulding lines.....you name the mistake and iv'e probably made it ,
and it's likley to be staring at me from the shelf above my workbench some i use to practice painting / weathering techniques on others i have cannibalised for other projects...
the rest that were beyond repair or redemption..i use as air rifle targets

I gave an old model (Monogram P-40B) i didn't like to my nephew who (rather unintentionally) dismantled it for me. He liked it too much that he thought it would actually fly powered by his hand. Now, I wished I didn't give it away tho. Even tho it was not my first kit, it was the first one that I actually finished. owell.... it is still widely available up to now so I can still build another (and better) one for ol' good time's sake.

I have loads of old models stored in boxes in my loft some damaged and past repair though i do have a mossquito that has been repaired/restored/converted about 5 or 6 times. some of the worst damaged ones have been stripped for spares. If some of your older kits are getting rare ever thought of swapping them? some of the older eastern block kits are hard to find here in the UK....Gregers

Aleksander,

like you, I just can't bear to throw away models. So, if they get broken, antiquated, or otherwise undesirable, I use them to practice my kit-bashing skills. Who ever saw a Mitsubishi Zero with ramjet intakes? Plus, they make great spares for the bits-box.

demono69