To the modelers of the '60s

It was usually on weekends when my father took me to the hardware store for home projects. Even though there were other stores around, somehow we always ended up at the only one that sold model kits and I couldn't wait to go. Its been a long time but I think the begging started as soon as we got in the car and then came the usual response of "we'll see"! I spent the entire time looking at the kits while my dad got what he needed. Seems like he would come over and say he was ready to go, thats when the second round of begging started. Usually it was a small scale plane, dragster or on special occasions a ship, and the biggest prize of all, an AIRCRAFT CARRIER that included all those little planes and cost about $2 more. I dont remember ever building any armor until a few years later and hardly anything ever got painted because I only a couple square bottles of Testors in my "kit", so that usually ended up with a hand painted race car.

Those are very fond memories at a time where the imagination ran wild and really not that long coming out of two bad wars. I hope we as a community share our hobby with our kids and give them an opportunity to spend a little less time away from a keyboard and end up with something to be proud of instead of the "delete" key. 

Terry

Always waited for one of our uncles to come over to see what they brought us.  Mom and dad ok'd the glue but didn't allow any paint so we just put them together and applied the decals. When we reached High School, we made a little spending money on our own and saved some more by walking to school instead of taking the public tansportation.  It gave us an extra 75 cents a week by not having to buy tokens.  Then we started buying our own kits.  Kits never seemed to dissapoint us.  

A friend who used to build years ago was giving away some of his collection last year.  He gave me a box with a couple of kits and a small box containing 20 tubes of Revell cement.  Opened one up and found it is still good.  The smell was all over the house in a matter of minutes.  Don't know if I'll ever use it but I think I'll hang on to it for a while longer.

Jim  

the Baron

 

 

Cobra 427

I remember Duco brand cement!...I loved the way it smelled...

 

 

 

That triggered more of a memory about Duco--wasn't it lemon-scented?

 

~ Cobra Chris

After returning from a couple to tours in viet nam flying F-100's and F-4's;I picked up the hobby and opens up an Airfix 1.72 scale F-4E Phantom only to find out the cockpits were balled.Thats where I trained myself in the art of scratch building in the early days of modeling.It was fun.Monogram was the Hasegawa in t early days In detail.Raise panel lines were the state of the art.

You know the glue from those days had to cause at least some minor brain disfuction, otherwise why are we still doing this 50 years later...........must have affected the sensors for memory of what we thought were good builds, and forgetting what kinds of trouble and issues we had with kits back then. 

Would be kind of nice to go back there once in awhile though. 

Bought the Testors little quicky of the Corsair and no pit, just a bust of the pilot to glue on the "shelf" under the canopy.  That kind of took me back and laughed about it.

The real bad news is that the modeling products of today will cause cancer and other related sicknesses .Airbrush = airborne cancer causing effects to the lungs.Acetone effects the brain , and the powerful liquid cements is odorless but dangerous.Thats just the first round.Not to scare Any one.But;The plastic of model kits of today is very chemically treated hardeners that are toxic .I am very lucky it did not effect me.

nkm1416@info.com.ph

What's your notable reactions, amazements/disappointments, etc. when you opened up your early model kits?

None. Expectations were non existent.

I remember falling in love at first sight with the artwork on the Weird-Ohs Digger kit, but when I opened it up, the character didn't look much like the box. Got over it pretty quickly, because it was still cool. Years later when I was writing a book about the Weird-Ohs, I asked Bill Campbell why the art didn't match the model, and he said that model producer John Andrews had used artistic license in translating the artwork into plastic, and a lot was lost in translation. Had nothing but praise for Andrews otherwise, though.

The glue taking too long to set. I remember a dragster that I tried building in one sitting. The frame sagged, and the wheels bent in. It was a disaster. I had no patience to wait hours between steps. It was the worst modeling job that I ever did. I think that I even shocked my Mom in how bad it looked. Laughing.

More to the point of the question though. You open the kit up expecting to see clear headlight pieces but the lights end up being molded in the body the same color of the car. I hated that. You just never knew what you were going to get. If you opened a car kit and they gave clear lenses for the lights, man... it was a good day. Then if they gave red tail lights too...  woa. You really scored.

I Just recall the excitement of Dad bringing home a new model for me to build. I think my first kit was a frog but cant recall the plane. I do remember one Christmas getting a new Winchester 30-30 rifle and the Monogram Gift pack! I still want the same things now!!  Life really is still as simple IF we let it be!

I'll need to post some pics later , but this winter I dug out old 1/72 kits and built them with my grandson. We didnt add anything, OOB only with new decals mostly. They turned out great and we had a blast. Built 14 of them. Airfix, Revell, KP, just simple kits. Nice break from a new detailed kit, remembered what modelling was about and BIG BONUS --spent time with my lil wanna be Marine!!

Your right.  Except for the idiots who sniffed it in paper bags.

Sorry - no reaction here about the glue, except I hope I can keep from getting it on my clothes this time, Mom was pretty upset again last time.

But on opening the kit?  "Oh boy, what can i make this into?"  Even in the 60s, when I was 8 to 16, on a car I wanted to use the cool AMT customizing parts, and on a ship I wanted to call it a different member of the class from the books I kept checking out from the 949 section of the library and on an airplane, were there some different markings that I could make, using the decals that I had?

Still all of those same responses, 50+ years later.  I stil don't want to make it exactly what was in the boxart.

Rick

It was all good,I was just a kid,everything was cool, only disappointment was when I couldn't get it done to my satisfaction.Cut my teeth on Aurora Monster kits,but they were just to play with.

In the 80's when I started up as an early 20's person,that's when I began to realize the different qualities of kits of course those Tamiya kits were enjoyable,even back then.

I was too young and broke to know a good kit from a bad kit or what scale was or that glue and paint fumes were fun or even that models were meant to be painted, even the canopy frames and not always black frames, parts weren't supposed to be twisted off the sprue (what's a sprue?), more glue didn't mean a stonger model.

All I knew was this was some cool ***.

Not all of it has changed. 

I remember some of the fighter kits I had back before high school.  The wings were solid, the pilot was molded in with no cockpit, and the markings were also molded on the surfaces.

Solid wood aircraft models were still being made.  They came with a metal weight that had to be inserted and a wooden plug used to seal it in.  Any windows needed were provided by decals, just like the rest of the markings.There were no molded in panels and I think the rudders and flaps were marked by decals too, although I'm not sure abouit that part, it's been so long.

Models like the Komet and Baka/Oaka came with clear orange flame parts.

While the mfgrs of wood kits are gone, there is enough old -stock available that you can still pick up wood kits.  I have also found them at garage sales and antique stores.

I find the most on ebay, but there are a few online dealers who specialize in old stuff.

Also, if you want the old balsa stick and tissue flying models, they are still being made. Brands are Dumas, Easy Bilt and several smaller companies.  Best place to find them is a dealer called Penn Valley Hobby Center.  They do have some old-stock kits too.

http://www.pennvalleyhobbycenter.com/

nkm1416@info.com.ph

And the smell of Testor paints...

 

 I hated the stink of those Testor enamel paints from day one. And I still do.

Currently, I only use them If I just absolutely have to.

I would stop in a park inbetween my home and the hobby shop sit on a bench open the box with great thrill and and proceed to build it.

seastallion53

It was from testors and took longer to set than the banana oil glue.

 

Ah, banana oil!  You are definetly from my era.  I used lots of bottles of the oil.  I always used it for the covering first coat after shrinking the tissue.

missileman2000

While the mfgrs of wood kits are gone, there is enough old -stock available that you can still pick up wood kits.  I have also found them at garage sales and antique stores.

I find the most on ebay, but there are a few online dealers who specialize in old stuff.

Also, if you want the old balsa stick and tissue flying models, they are still being made. Brands are Dumas, Easy Bilt and several smaller companies.  Best place to find them is a dealer called Penn Valley Hobby Center.  They do have some old-stock kits too.

http://www.pennvalleyhobbycenter.com/

I was born with a model in my hands and glue or paint on my fingers (ok, not really). Honestly, I think I got the modeling bug from my older brother. Looking back, one of his first models which impressed me was an old early 30's Ford Vicky or Lincoln Gangster car. It came with a hidden compartment in the back of the front seat which held a couple pistols and a thompson machin gun. It also had two windshields, one regular and another with bullet holes molded through it. The decals also had bullet holes that could be place on the car. Yep, definately started as a car guy. 

That was the period when you didn't worry about paint, seams, flash, or even glue marks; it was all about the build itself (as fast as you can). My how times have changed.

Being raised on a 200 acre farm in the 50's in the middle of nowhere was ok. That's because my parents would give me an allowance for completing many of my assigned chores. I relied on my mom to bring me with her into town and while she shopped I took a bee line to the model stores. I remember two places in particular; the first was a Gray Drugs store. It always carried a full isle stocked with all the Monogram, Revell, MPC, AMT, JoHann, and more. Along with the kits was a full rack of Testors and Pactra paints. That was also the time when the modeling cements were with the paints, available to anyone. If they didn't have what I wanted there, the Woolworth's store just three stores down would have it. Along with the models at Woolworth's they also had all the latest 45rpm records and a soda fountian shop for sweets. I remember sometimes trying to stretch my earnings so I could get a couple 45 records a model and something at the ice cream / soda fountain. Usually, if I had $6.00 or more I was good to go! When Mom was done shopping, she knew I would be at the soda fountain having a sundae or bannana split.

The second place was in a small villiage where we brought our crops to the grainery for processing. Beside the grainery was the Dawson's 5-10 store. Of course they had Airfix and American manufacturers along with countless choices of penny candy. 

Then there was the 40 minute drive home. During that time I would be so excited I would have to open the box and spread it out all over the back seat. Though Mom really didn't like that and there was only a copuple times the back seat ate a part from the kit.

Since then I've never looked back and never stopped. I remember building through High School, during my military tenure, college, through employment and retirement. Now one of my concerns is living long enough to build what is in my stash. Course it would help if I would stop adding to it (smile).

  Stop adding to a stash!

        How do you do that? My Present stash goes back 44 years and there doesn't seem to be any slowdown. Mine now is"Hey DOC, I got an old kit someone gave me,I don't build ships or cars,You want it?" Who can truly say No?

Don Stauffer

 

 

nkm1416@info.com.ph

And the smell of Testor paints...back then there were no warnings like 'vapors/fumes hazardous to your health'.

The stuff that really had the good smell was Testors dope, for those building balsa models!

 

CrashTestDummy

I was never disappointed with a Tamiya kit.  One cool kit I remember assembling many times was someone's P-51 kit (Revell?) that had a knob you could turn to raise and lower the gears, and I think a button on it allowing you to drop the bombs.  

 

Gene Beaird,

Pearland, Texas

 

I bought one in the late 1990s when they reissued the old 1970s kit.

As far as Tamiya kits, I have been disappointed on occasion. When someone like Academy released a new kit, Tamiya would quickly reissue one of their similar ancient kits. You'd grab the Tamiya kit thinking it would be better, because it's Tamiya, then you'd see an old kit inside.

Not that the kit was a bad model, but it'd be an old former motorized kit and not a more modern kit wihtout the holes.

Tanker-Builder

 

  Stop adding to a stash!

        How do you do that? My Present stash goes back 44 years and there doesn't seem to be any slowdown. Mine now is"Hey DOC, I got an old kit someone gave me,I don't build ships or cars,You want it?" Who can truly say No?

 

Yeah, I'm like that. When I stroll through Hobby Lobby while my wife looks for some holiday related decor, I'll see a model kit in the clearance aisle at a huge markdown. Of course, I'll grab it because it's a steal, even if I have zero interest in the subject.

Who knows? Perhaps some other modeler is looking for that particular kit and I can trade it for something else.

I remember when HL was clearancing out the Tamiya Gama Goats for $7.50. I grabbed three of them. They were originally neary $50 a piece.

Rob Gronovius

 

 

CrashTestDummy

I was never disappointed with a Tamiya kit.  One cool kit I remember assembling many times was someone's P-51 kit (Revell?) that had a knob you could turn to raise and lower the gears, and I think a button on it allowing you to drop the bombs.  

 

Gene Beaird,

Pearland, Texas

 

 

 

 

That sounds like the old Monogram Phantom P-51 Mustang molded in clear plastic on a red base. It raised and lowered the landing gear and dropped the bombs (or was it wing tanks?). You painted the interior details like cockpit, fuel tanks, interior framework, etc.

 

I bought one in the late 1990s when they reissued the old 1970s kit.

As far as Tamiya kits, I have been disappointed on occasion. When someone like Academy released a new kit, Tamiya would quickly reissue one of their similar ancient kits. You'd grab the Tamiya kit thinking it would be better, because it's Tamiya, then you'd see an old kit inside.

Not that the kit was a bad model, but it'd be an old former motorized kit and not a more modern kit wihtout the holes.

 

I think they did have a 'visible' version, but the P-51 I remember was molded in silver plastic.  Yeah, it may have been wing tanks...  It's been a while.  

Hey Gene;

 That was a Monogram kit! I still have mine!

Hi Rob!

      I just recently gave a home to a slew of Tamiya and Hasegawa ships, Again.

     When I kick the bucket, the survivors will be able to open a hobby shop for gosh sakes. I mean c'mon Four Cases of assorted cars, Three of planes and Nine of ships, not to mention Three Corvettes from W.W.2 and so on! Oh! and so far one box that I believe has parts for twelve of Lindbergs "Blue Devil" U.S.S.Melvin Kit!!