Have you ever just said "I quit" with a model?

Oh heck yeah.  They become parts kits.  Not very often do I do that.  Usually put it back in the box if something isn't working and come back later.  Some don't deserve to come back though!

I've never quit on a kit permanently.

At times I will reach a point on a kit where the next step is gonna require lots of time or an activity that I don't really enjoy doing, like seam filling.

Other times I will really screw up something and become frustrated and don't want to take the time to fix my mistake.

Some kits have been placed on hold because I need an additional part. My "THEM" diorama was on hold for 2 years because I couldn't find an additional ant.

I like building all the scifi kits from the 50's-early 60's. Many of these kits were crappy to begin with and the recasts are even worse. Some of these require lots of filing, sanding, seam filling, puttying, and fabricating defective parts.

So far I eventually found myself in the mood to return to these kits

I have a Tamiya F-84 that has been in hiatus for nearly 7 years now. I have a Harrier GR.3 that has been on hiatus for about 2 years. Both kits have severe building errors that are a bit daunting to fix and I don't enjoy fixing them. Eventually I'll either salvage the kits for parts or just throw hem out. But i'll delay it as long as possible.

seasick

I have a Tamiya F-84 that has been in hiatus for nearly 7 years now. I have a Harrier GR.3 that has been on hiatus for about 2 years. Both kits have severe building errors that are a bit daunting to fix and I don't enjoy fixing them. Eventually I'll either salvage the kits for parts or just throw hem out. But i'll delay it as long as possible.

Be aware that if you throw it out as soon as the trash collectors drive off with it you will find a use for it! Unfortunately you will have to throw it away in order for this use to become apparent!

Sorry for interjecting my mandatory post here, but I just joined in the hope of getting some insight into the hobby and this single thread has done me a lot of good on my first build.  

When I was a teenager I had a monogram F-105 that was nice when I built it as a 12 year old but looked plain awful as I  got older. I stuffed it with gun powder and blasting caps and blew it to Mars. I'm thinking of doing that to the F-84.

mitsdude

seasick

I have a Tamiya F-84 that has been in hiatus for nearly 7 years now. I have a Harrier GR.3 that has been on hiatus for about 2 years. Both kits have severe building errors that are a bit daunting to fix and I don't enjoy fixing them. Eventually I'll either salvage the kits for parts or just throw hem out. But i'll delay it as long as possible.

Be aware that if you throw it out as soon as the trash collectors drive off with it you will find a use for it! Unfortunately you will have to throw it away in order for this use to become apparent!

I've also noticed that manufacturers tend to design and issue new kits after I scratch build a model.

I've never said I "quit", but I have said I "quit for now".   I have a few models that where relegated to the archives for want of better skills than I have at the moment.  A Doug McArther said  " I shall return "

I don't think I could say I've every quit a kit altogether, but I, too, have a bunch of models that I left sitting when some issue or another arose during the build.

I think I may have quit on my Tom Daniel Red Baron hot rod.  A kit that was such a fun build as a kid has given me fits (no pun intended), but it's more because as an adult, I tried to make more of it than I should have.  I started by stripping the chrome from the chrome bits, because I knew that I wanted to clean up the seams on parts, and it went downhill from there.  Other bits didn't fit quite right, some popped off, and now it's sat for over 2 years or more.

I have a 1/72 Airfix Catalina that i've opened and stared at probably a dozen times over the last ten years.  Just can't bring myself to deal with it because I know that it encompasses everything that I dislike about the hobby.   Too cheap to toss it.  I figure I'll use it as a guinea pig when I want to try simulating shell damage or bullet holes.  Fortunately, it was inexpensive.

The wooden model of the Prince De Neufchatel that I gave hundreds for is sitting out of lack of confidence in my planking abilities.  I really want to finish that one but I think I going to build a smaller one for practice first.

Quit? No never1 Set aside - yes (some for a decade) I had a Monogram B-36 I started in 1994, due to frustration, job change, family health problems, moving, teenagers (5 of 'em). Did finish it this year, but missing parts, bad finish etc, but too many times I'd said one of these days...

Current issue is with an F-106 that has a warped fuselage,, nothing is going to fix it, tried warming it with a hair dryer, soaking in hot water and then "assembling" with masking tape, fit improved but there will still be too much putty. Glued it together last weekend.

I'm taking a time-out on my Academy M18 Hellcat TD. For some reason, Academy decided when they made the rubber tracks to shorten them by 1 link.  So, when you try to stretch the track to fit the wheels and bogeys, the track snaps like a sun-dried rubber band.  So I'm taking a break rethinking my diorama choice for this kit.  

Unrelated to modelling, today I'm in the verge of calling it quits after a day of fishing. Dropped my brand new rod (Christmas present to myself last year) and brand new $65 spinning reel I bought last night (late b-day present from the missus) into the lake. $100 gone and never heard it splash into the water. My bro-in-law & son didn't either. >:( :((

I have a 1/48 Tamiya Spitfire, with a completed cockpit, that I mysteriously just quit working on years ago.I think it was related to discovering 1/32 scale.  I'll get around to it again someday, A few others I thought I shoulda quit on working on..bad kits that I had to knash my teeth to get done.

Aw, Geesh, Black Sheep. Sorry to hear.

I was always just a bit paranoid with my rods, kept them strapped down when not actually in my hand. More than once while out on the lake my brother or myself fished up a rod and reel combo!

Here's the thing - this isn't the first time I lost the rod and reel. Last summer it happened but I was lucky we were able to fish it out thanks to my bro-in-law. Today..... nope not this time. Lake was choppy and the water was really murky that you couldn't see the bottom due to recent rainstorms early this past week.

Hi Jay,

   That last sentence in your post about your 'Generous Comments" regarding your HE 111, just gave me a good laugh and a lift to my spirits. Thats the great thing about having an art form as malleable as this hobby is. Mistakes and catasrophes on any project, with a little vision and imagination can be masterpieces. I have a OV-10 Bronco kit, That may need to be repurposed in a similar fashion as your German bird. Any way, some good thoughts!

Shaun

Sometimes when you get one of those models, a firecracker can be your best friend!

I am about to "deep six" the Tamiya 1/32 F4U corsair I have been working on for the last 6 months.  Fragile landing gear broke off, engine panels don't fit, and now the lousy decals are peeling off and cracking just because I sprayed Model Master clear coat over them!!!  The stencils also silvered, even though I applied them correctly.  I expected better quality from Tamiya on a kit this costly.

Not recommended!

OUCH !

The only kit I've deliberately round-filed was a Hobbycraft 1/72 scale MiG-15. It was a good deal on clearance with a great selection of markings. For $5, I figured I'd have issues to deal with. That started with the surface  pock-marked with what were supposed to be rivets. Not ideal for a natural-metal finish, but I'd fill them and move on. What finished it was that no two pieces were interested in fitting together. I'd have had better luck starting with a bar of soap. Kit parts in the trash, decals in the stash. They might look good on the new Eduard MiG.

Cheers, Aaron

I just can't bear to throw that otherwise nice kit out.  I got out the Optivisor today and managed to glue the struts back on, even though I had only a very small area to glue.  I used CA and an accelerator and they are holding on.  After letting it cure overnight, I'll brush a thin coat of epoxy over the breaks to strengthen them further.  I'll repair the decals with touch-up paint.  It won't win any contests, but it's still a good looking model, if you don't get too close!

Oh AARON !

Shame on you ! Don't tell me there was nothing that was good enough for the old parts box. There is ,in my mind always something that can be used elsewhere .Take MONOGRAMS Big B-29. I've finally got one to go together right ! The other two ,well, all parts smaller than the fuselage and wings went in the parts drawer  .I cut the rest of the planes up for useable parts .

  So I now have a parts Box with fuselage sections, engine nacelles , engine fronts and cowlings and such as well .You'd be surprised how nice a model of a deep submersible a section of B-29 can make . Oh , I like your little films each month .Where's Monica ? She's better looking than that other person . Tim's okay though .I guess .

I was _almost_ there with the Revell 1/48 Apache.  With all the mis-fitting parts, and offset molding that took FOREVER to clean up, I was getting quite frustrated at all the time I was spending applying putty and sanding it off.  If it weren't for the fact that my wife picked the kit up in the store and said 'neat', it would be in the spare parts bin.  

I decided to make it a platform for practicing some scratch building skills, and went full speed ahead.  It actually ended up being not that bad a completed kit.  It's displayed on top of her crafting armoir, and looks pretty good from 10 feet away.  :-)

Hahaha ! Happy I made you laugh Shaun !

I won't recommend this kit (the Italeri He-111) to someone just about to start the hobby as his / her first model because it's so discouraging. The fit is average at best, something that won't matter much on a destroyed plane ...