crap models

Never heard of models made of manure... 

.

Early in my hobby  ( before online kit reviews ! ) I purchased kits by AURORA and Lindberg not knowing what the kit looked like.

.

Some of the kits were completed after a lot of hard work, some were never completed due to poor accuracy or terrible engineering .....

.......however, the movie Star Wars inspired me to salvage those kits as greebly for Sci-Fi builds. so it all worked out,

yeah, I've got several that have been built and some that probably never will. Smer is by far the worst and FM (Fonderie Miniatures) and Tauro are not far behind.

I build one of those now and then. Over on MM there is talk of a Group Build where each of us has to build a kit that people think is crap, and show how good it can turn out.

I am thinking of doing a couple for that,,,,,I still have a good sized stack of Hasegawa and Starfix T-38s that could be built, and a couple of the Fujimi F-8C/D. There's a Lindberg Skyray sitting in the stack, and a Hawk St Loius and Testors/Hawk SNJ.

But, other than some special event like that,,,,,I don't build those types of kits anymore.  I have already built just about all of the old kits in my scale, from the Green plastic Lindberg German aircraft on up through the years.

So, my dues were paid about 3 decades ago, after 19 years of modeling.

I do want to build one Hasegawa and one Starfix T-38 side by side, though,,,,,,just to watch for the posts loving the quality of one, and hating the other,,,,,,,,,,from the same mold toolings. (I will do that on a forum other than here, since I just spoiled the surprise)  And dressing up the Fujimi Crusader with great decals and aftermarket missiles and putting it in the middle of the "good" Crusader models on a shelf sounds like fun.

Rex

I bought a Revell P-61, knowing it was a crappy model and it was, but I was stubborn enough to make it turn out relatively decent. Painting it black helped a lot, too.   Only cost less than $20 at Hobby Lobby with the coupon.

When Huma came out with their 1/72 Triebflugel, I had never seen a limited run kit.  Boy was I in for a rude shock to see what my $18 bought me!  That being said, I really wanted a Triebflugel, so I made a cockpit interior and completely rescribed the kit.  I made a mottle camo mask using an index card with irregular holes burned through with fine diameter incense sticks.  I felt that the model turned out really well, so I was happy and satisfied.  How happy?  I became a regular Huma customer!  I have built their DFS-228, DFS-349, Me-328 twin pack, DM-1, Li P.13 converted from a DM-1, and the craziest-of-the-crazies Ju-287 bomber prototype testbed.  Admittedly most of the kits mentioned were a lot better than the Triebflugel, as they were later kits.

So I think crap kits have their place, so long as the customer has a burning desire to make a silk purse of a subject not readily available from anyone else.  However, I draw the line at Mach 2 (Mach Poo!) kits - I can't see the point of wasting my time on these non-evolving plastic dinosaurs, regardless of their highly interesting product lineup.

Maybe its because of the types of models I've always built but I've never had a choice of which model company to buy from if I wanted a particular subject. Lindberg, Aurora, et al were the only ones that released a particular model. If you wanted to build the Creature you had no choice but to buy the crappy Aurora one.

Yeah I knew their kits were crap but I wanted those subjects.

mitsdude

............. but I've never had a choice of which model company to buy from if I wanted a particular subject. Lindberg, Aurora, et al were the only ones that released a particular model. If you wanted to build the Creature you had no choice but to buy the crappy Aurora one.

Yeah I knew their kits were crap but I wanted those subjects.

No, I have build plenty of models more difficult and challenging then Tamiya, but I have never purposely bought a crap model for a challenge.

I have never bought one just for the challenge, but I have indeed bought kits that I knew were not very good kits, because the mfg was the only one offering that subject.  For example, I have built several Glencoe kits and have a couple still in the stash.

We do need to be sort of careful with brand names in this context.

Lindberg is an easy mark for "crappy kit bashing",,,,,,,but,,,,,,,back in the day, and even today, they made a very good B-58 Hustler, so good that I still use those J-79 engines with some detail changes as my Phantom engines on a cart.

I also just bought their Tortuga LSD model,,,,,even back when this was first tooled up, it comes with plastic railings (not those thick walls) in a scale that is difficult to get PE for,,,,,and can be built up into a very good larger scale LSD (the largest plastic or resin LSD model?, I am not sure)

None of these companies did "crappy research" back in those days,,,,,,they were released when sometimes that was all that was commonly known, to a market that didn't have any version of that aircraft or tank.  We look back from the perspective of people that have benefited from seeing models designed after very many Vietnam Era details have been declassified,,,,and in that time period, World War II's details still were Classified, and the Cold War details were buried even deeper.

Now, the man on the street can buy the Natops Manual for a Phantom,,,,,,,in 1966 selling one would have been treason.

Durr :

     I do sometimes buy Lindberg's products .Why ? Well, l why should I buy Italeri , Heller or Tamiya to get the hull I want ? Right. I very seldom build O.O.B. on ships  ,except WW - 2 subjects and then it's just because I want to remember the great ships and crews who manned them .

   For myself,  I scratch-build a lot of freighters and tankers-Hence, Tanker-Builder. Now, when I want a model of an oceanic research vessel for instance, that's NOT the Heller or Tamiya kits,  I use Lindberg's Minesweeper as my starting point. Why? Well , maybe it's because like anyone I can be lazy. Building from scratch takes a lot of research and getting plans etc.

   Plus , scratch building can be expensive ,believe me . The costs of Evergreen sheet in the different sizes I use ,Plus the P.E. can bring a scratch-Built 26" long Tanker to about the same investment price for materials as buying Trumpeter's ARIZONA model and building it O.O.B.

     There is no such thing as crap models. There is however a parts house that makes available any thing I want. It's called my L.H.S. I don't, for the most part, look at the model I buy. I just know It has the parts I need for my project and the parts files. You see, why scratch build a deck winch, for instance,  when there is one already out there made by someone else?

       This way I don't spend years on a ship, only months. And look at all the spare parts I have for the next one. I have been known to cut off watertight doors and stuff to part them out .Why ? It's cheaper than either building them scratch or P.E. In the long view.          T,B.

Glencoe doesn't make any models, they just acquired the molds of some old, out of business model companies and repopped them for nostalgia. Many of the kits had been highly sought after and found only on eBay for collector's prices until Glencoe dug up the old molds, cleaned them up and repopped them for the rest of us to relive.

I dare say though, the best part about the Glencoe repops were the high quality decals.

I know a couple of very difficult kits that some folks would call crappy. Both of which I picked up without knowing they were crap. One is the Tauro A7V I bought while stationed in Germany and the other the Zvezda T-60 I won in a contest raffle. I tried to build each one, decided it was crap, and set it aside. About ten years later, I bought another of each one with the intent to "do it right". They sit untouched in my stash.

Williams Bros was another that had varied quality.  Some of their kits were wonderful, others not very good.  But, again, unique subjects. I am so happy to see them back in business.  Their 1:8 aircraft engines were great- far too few engine kits for us engine lovers.

Since I'm just coming back to model building, I'm curious about what is considered a crap model. Is it due to parts nothing matching or incorrect scale?

Also I was planning on getting a Lindberg Dodge l-700 flatbed trailer when I saw this thread and wondered whether it'll give me more headaches than fun.

teejay  a crap model  would be poor part fit  large gaps/holes requiring vast abouts of putty/filler   complete lack of detail  something that would require 2 -3 times more man hours to put together properly than a good model

teejay

Since I'm just coming back to model building, I'm curious about what is considered a crap model. Is it due to parts nothing matching or incorrect scale?

On the Zvezda T-60 kit I won in a raffle, it was from the former Soviet Union and came with a real Red Guards badge inside. It was a collectible Cold War item worth more to me than the kit itself. My kit had short shot parts (not enough plastic injected into the molds) so it would be nearly impossible to build the kit without totally scratch building some body parts. Even if it was perfectly molded, it would not fit very well and would have taken a lot of filler putty to cover up gaps and seams.

Some people consider a crap kit one that could fit perfectly fine, nicely engineered and crisply detailed, but totally inaccurate compared to the real thing.

But to someone who just wanted to build a nice relaxing model kit regardless of accuracy, a kit like that is perfectly fine. One man's trash is another man's treasure.

That is very subjective. To some folks "crap" is any kit that needs them to do some filling and sanding. To others it is a model with no recessed detail, even if the real thing had raised rivets and overlapping skin panels.... and to others, it is something else entirely. Will I buy and build a kit strictly because it has failings? No. But I will buy and build a kit because it will fill a gap in my collection once built.

teejay

Since I'm just coming back to model building, I'm curious about what is considered a crap model. Is it due to parts nothing matching or incorrect scale?

Lots of kits out there are inaccurate, poorly fitting, or under detailed.

There are no crap models, just modelers that don't have enough skill to make a good looking model from these kits.  (Although a lot of these kits to aren't "worth" the effort to bring them up the the standard of a good looking model).

i will buy an older model of less than stellar quality if it's the only one in a subject area i am interested such as IMEX modern commercial freighters. i have a pair of DML SCUDs so doubt i will be dropping $140USD for the new TRUMPETER one.

Good stuff here and its very intresting to see what some consider 'crap'. I know for myself that fit is a second seat to accurate scale rep. I really do'nt set out to look for crap ,which to me would mean a very out of scale or mshapen molding Ill fit I can fix the fit a whole lot easier than a hugely outa scale molding all the better

I think horse *** statements like this should be cut out of threads, and the poster warned.

"There are no crap models, just modelers that don't have enough skill to make a good looking model from these kits."

I know I will get the warning instead.

But, today is just friggin' strange,,,,in one thread, people that "spend too much time" are doing this model thing wrong,,,,,and in this one, people that "don't spend too much time" "don't have enough skills"

so now,,,,,,,I don't know if I am "supposed" to build a Academy F-8 (to be a "real" modeler),,,,,,or try and make the Fujimi F-8 into a silk purse (to show that I am a "real" modeler)

I've said this at least 5 times on here,,,,,,,when do the Grand Poo-Bahs of Modeling wave their wands and declare a modeler "able to pick his models himself",,,,after 100 models?, 200 models?,,,,more? or is 49 years at it actually enough to be a "real modeler" with "adequate skills" and still be free to keep that title if he decides to build a Hasegawa kit?

I know that disagreeing with you on this is forum suicide,,,,,but, I don't see why someone shouldn't stand up and holler when the blanket insults come out.

Rex

TarnShip

But, today is just friggin' strange,,,,in one thread, people that "spend too much time" are doing this model thing wrong,,,,,and in this one, people that "don't spend too much time" "don't have enough skills"

so now,,,,,,,I don't know if I am "supposed" to build a Academy F-8 (to be a "real" modeler),,,,,,or try and make the Fujimi F-8 into a silk purse (to show that I am a "real" modeler)

You misunderstood the point of my post, which is that many who call certain models "crap" don't possess the skill to competently build that "crap" model.  I wasn't bashing anyone for building those models.  Are there kits which I consider to be poor quality - yes.  Are these kits worth building - to ME - if there is a better kit available - no.  That doesn't mean the kit is "crap".  That doesn't mean anyone is an inferior modeler for building these kits though.  We all possess differing skill levels and differing desires when it comes to why we build and the result we are able to obtain.  Personally, using your F-8 example, I would start with the Academy kit. Not because I consider the Fujimi one "crap", but because the results that I could attain with the Academy one (based on my limited skill abilities) would be better than the results that I could attain by starting with the Fujimi kit.

Hey Tarn;

   I wouldn't get your hackles up. There are infinite thoughts as to what is considered by modelers to be a " Crap " model. I for one over the years consistently find myself making a " silk Purse " out of a so  called" Crap model " Case in point in ships ( the Shell Welder ). I would Never impinge on thinking the other fellows skills are less than adequate. I know many modelers who bought the " Little Red Wagon " Dodge kit for instance.

   Even Before it was a Lindberg kit . l Have read trash reviews on this kit for over forty years now .Why? I don't know . If you assemble it carefully and check for fit of All the parts it always has come out right for me . Maybe there was to much flash or sprue  junctions ? Isn't that what a Hobby Knife and sanding board are for ?

     Then maybe it's me . I will not just throw a kit together . Even back in the day when buddies were building two AMT cars a day. ( They sold for 98 cents then )  .I still took a week per model . I have built both planes you mention . Are they good? Well, lets put it this way .When I bought them I didn't know of quality or accuracy issues with Aircraft . Were they aggravating for me ? Yes . Did they come out okay ? Being as how all I wanted was an F-8 or two on my shelves, sure. Shoot, they're just unarmored planes sitting there.

    I still try to look at the hobby this way . It gets my old creative juices flowing and if it's one of those models from my stash, Wow ! have models come a long way ? Certainly. If someone wants to build nothing but Smer models, that's their choice .I build them all .

    Would I presume to tell anyone what models to buy ,NO, but I would tell them of My experience with a certain company's products and let them make up their own mind  . It's not my place to forbid you or anyone else from building a model, no matter what your skill level .Will I be there to answer questions when you hit a rough spot ? Yes .That's what " Fellow " modelers are supposed to do , Aren't we ? Nuff said  .        T.B.

TarnShip

 

"There are no crap models, just modelers that don't have enough skill to make a good looking model from these kits."

 

Rex

I agree.

At the risk of coming across as an old curmudgeon, I have a bias towards the kits from Monogram, Revell, Airfix, AMT, etc. that I grew up building in the late 50's and 60's.

While I'm blown away by some of the new kits being released these days, I'm still grateful that so many of the old "classic"  kits are still available.

One of the things I most enjoy about the hobby these days is going back and building some of my favorite kits from the 60's with my (hopefully) improved skills and techniques.  To each their own, I suppose.

Mark

Hypothetically, I'm going to the store to buy my son a Corsair kit. There's the ancient Monogram one, the Hasegawa one, the Tamiya one, and for giggles, the Hobbyboss easykit one. Considering his skills and desires, Hasegawa/Tamiya are out (too expensive/complex). Monogram looks really good, with the folding wings and retractable landing gear features, even though it's not the finest version out there, and it looks like a Corsair, and it's at a rational price. I also have the Hobbyboss easykit, which doesn't have the working features, but goes together so easily, he can have one up in the air within a day, and it's not breaking the bank either. I'm happy to have the choices!

RedCorvette

TarnShip

 

"There are no crap models, just modelers that don't have enough skill to make a good looking model from these kits."

 

Rex

I agree.

At the risk of coming across as an old curmudgeon, I have a bias towards the kits from Monogram, Revell, Airfix, AMT, etc. that I grew up building in the late 50's and 60's.

While I'm blown away by some of the new kits being released these days, I'm still grateful that so many of the old "classic"  kits are still available.

One of the things I most enjoy about the hobby these days is going back and building some of my favorite kits from the 60's with my (hopefully) improved skills and techniques.  To each their own, I suppose.

Mark

I've done this quite often; bought a kit from my youth to see how I would do it as an adult. If you go to the Testing forum (I was trying a new photo hosting service), you'll see some photos of a reissued Aurora Allosaurus dino that Monogram reissued. I bought it within the last month and was seeing how it would look building it 40 years after I originally build it.

that lindbe rg dodge  i believe is a remake of the old upc or umc model co from the 60's  and it aint to bad  i want it too

i am sorry if my posts offend anyone     if they do  when /if you see i started a subject  please dont bother with it   thank you