How do you Log your building time?

I've never given it any thought at all. Some of my little projects have never been completed and some have taken years due to my sporadic work habits. Just curious, why would you care how long something that is supposed to be relaxing and fun, take?

There is no reason for me to log my time so I simply don't.

But if I tried, I guess the easiest way to do it is just keep a pad and pencil on the desk and write a start time and end time when you enter and leave the basement, room, den whatever.

 

Mike

Donnie wrote:

I started out with intentions many times to Log the hours it takes to build my ships. However, I was wondering how many of you do this and what method you use. This might seem to be a easy answer, but with the interruptions (name as many as you like) while you are building, I was wondering what is the most sensible and practical way of doing this. The best I have done is write down the date that I actually start on the model and sadly the day that it is completed, this is the only records that I have. I envy those that keep a Log of your build. I wish that I had the patience or whatever to do this. The only log I guess I have is the photos that I take that could be used as time dated, but no hours are recorded.     Donnie

Gee, that's an easy one for me. I work until the disk in my back starts screaming that there is a small shiv sticking in it (usually no more than 90 minutes at a time, most times about an hour). They I go do something else. Gettin' old ain't for sissies.....

Never had a reason to keep track of how long it takes to build something. I am sure if you ask my wife she could give an exact time right down to the second that I spend working on my kits.

I just started building again in December 2005 after a layoff of about 10 years (graduate school, running my business etc.) so when I started again , and I have  probably hundreds of built models, I forgot certain techniques and exatly what I did to achieve something. I also forgot paint mixes and so on, so I started to keep a log in a small reporters notebook, yet I still fail to log every time. 

 

However all of the paint mixes and techniques are now recorded before I forget them, and i get pretty close on the total hours to build if not spot on.

I'm older and wiser I guess, and I wish I had kept a log going way back. 

 

mjohnson wrote:

I am sure if you ask my wife she could give an exact time right down to the second that I spend working on my kits.

 

My wife used to keep track of her time for a work at home job she had with a stop watch. She would start and stop it when she got up to take care of the kids or cook or whatever. She didn't want to rip off the customer. While being a little anal she was accurate. Thats one extreme. I would suggest getting a calendar with big day spaces on it sos you can write in your time. When I was in the Navy they made you log everything and the logbooks were inspected. Unfortunately it didn't "take" on me either.

subfixer wrote:

I've never given it any thought at all.  Just curious, why would you care how long something that is supposed to be relaxing and fun, take?

  I keep a notebook and pen on the work bench and enter the date, work done and time spent.  Yesterday's entry for a commissioned work was: "11/14/06  Made depth charges on lathe, 3 hours."  This commissioned work happens to be a 1:48th scale FLETCHER class DD.  I'm currently making depth charges and depth charge racks for the K-guns.   I've already spent over 100 hours installing the motors, radio control gear, speed controls, working pelican hooks (for the chain stoppers) and painted the hull.  The owner of the model picked up the main hull last week, and I just have to make a few detail items for him.

Another reason to keep track of the hours is for a magazine review article.

  I don't log building time, it's a hobby. I did have to track my hours at work though. A small diary, a date/time "dash" end time. entry, as in  11/15/06 15:04- 16:00.     11/15/06 16:10- 19:13 etc. It's a discipline, you have to think about it at first, and it becomes habit after a while. I will be building a gift soon, and I want to keep a diary of the build, so the recipient has the "history" of the model. I won't keep track of every minute, but the date of major steps, sketches, and descriptives, will be recorded, along with information about the prototype.

CGBob, 1/48 destroyer eh?? sounds like a cool project and a size a person can see. I've started a 1/48 Snake River Sternwheeler, on specs we'll see how long it takes. I started it then somethin else came up with a higher priority but will continue in a couple weeks. I think I'll keep track of the time so I can have some idea what to charge I have one client sorta interested and a museum with no funding ,yet.

There are some pictures of the large FLETCHER at rcgroups.com.   One of the finer details is a working chain stopper.

I began building the Midwest USCG 47' back in 2000. At that time I decided to keep track of the time spent on construction. I intended to do some mods to more accurately depict the boat. I worked on it for about a year and then my skill-set gave out. After a lay off of 4 years I decided it was time to resume construction. My skill-set finaly improved to the point where I was comfortable that I could achieve my vision. My New Years's resolution for 2006 was to work on nothing but the boat. I was even allowed access to the real deal (180 photos); enough to satisfy even me.  In the beginnining, I debated on whether to make this an R/C boat or static. I have decided on static, but it did take me six years to do this (never rush into anything).

My method for time keeping is as follows;

Look at the clock upon entering the room (nearest quarter hour),  record time;  work on boat, write down what I did, look at clock and record time to nearest quarter hour; add up and write down. I do make estimations on breaks during the build times.

I decided when I began the build that I would record the build time. This Is probably the only model that I will ever do this on.

Andy

I have been logging my building time for years.  It is a habit and it is easy.  I bought a West Bend brand timer that people use in cooking.  It will record up to 99 hours and 59 minutes.  Each time I begin working, I press the button and listen for the chime.  When I stop working I press the button again and it chimes.  At the end of the day I write down the time spent on that day and add it to the previous days.  I like knowing how long it takes to make my ships in case someone wants to buy it or someone wants me to make one and I can then have an idea how long it will take to make it.

Raul Guzman Jr.

McAllen, Texas

current build:  Colonial privateer Oliver Cromwell 

Hey Raul

I like that Idea and I think I might introduce that into my projects.

Donnie 

  With my wife busting into the studio every now and again with another "honey, could you..." , I can only guestimate...but I make hash marks on the kit instructions so I have a rough idea of how many hours I have spent on a project.

   Don't even ask how many are on the sultana's pages!

I use a simple form which prints out on 8½ x 11 paper. I throw a couple of sheets in the box when I start the project.

 

Click here for the form in Adobe Reader format. You're welcome to download and use it.