Strangle hold

[Spearjig]

Ive been pretty well stopped by kits that did not have any thing fundamentally wrong with them and , to be honest weren't far from finishing , but were just causing so much frustration that, apart from slinging them in the bin, I decided to pack them away and start again. The result - I actually found myself cleaning out the modelling bench, evicting a couple of spiders as I went and enjoyed prepping a airfix classic kit. Anybody else had to do this, and any theories why?

[tonp]

Been there , then you get the interest back

[Zee28]

Anybody else had to do this.....

Far too often mate!

Zee

[rob_van_riel]

Anybody else had to do this, and any theories why?

There's plenty of reasons a kit can go out of favour halfway through the build. In and of itself, that's not a problem.

The problem is kits that go out of favour, but which we still feel somehow obliged to work on. The reasons for that could be anything really, from not wanting to "waste" all the effort and money that went into them thus far, to promises made to deliver the kit at some point in time. Whatever the reason, when it happens, these kits go from a relaxing hobby to a burden actually blocking the hobby. At that point, humanities greatest talent, procrastination, kicks in, and you start finding reasons not to hit the workbench. Only when you finally deal with the models in question (finish them, finish them off, or anything in between) are you mentally free to enjoy the hobby again.

[Zee28]

Very well put Rob, good diagnosis. I'm sure we've all had models where our interest has waned part way through the build. But I personally am currently having new variation on this, my interest has waned to almost zero on kits I haven't even started yet! They were purchased with great excitement, it was a kit I really wanted, but now, a few months down the line I take a look at it, sigh in depressed way and slip it back into the stash wondering why I wanted it so badly at the time of purchase but have little interest in it now. Weird.

Zee28

[Softscience]

I sometimes let this bother me, but then I step back an reassess. I figure I've finished maybe 40 percent of the models I've ever started. I keep working on them as long as they're fun, then they go in a box. If tr bug ever bites again I pull them out to work on them some more until they're no longer fun again (sometimes that means gluing on two pieces). If the model is frustrating or unsatisfying, it goes in the bin.

The whole point of this is to have a pleasant experience. If a model gave you that for some period of the build than it was worth the cost; even if it never got finished.

[JohnRatzenberger]

It mostly happens to me on "PROJECTS", that is something I really, really, really want to do, and have expended a great deal of time and money to assemble references so I can do just a bang-up job to make the best possible accurate recreation .... and part way through an intense amount of modeling .... I all of a sudden lose interest in completing it, even though the subject may still be of significant interest. It then sits on a shelf, with all the pieces & parts & references until ....

And the similar event, where I have the same degree of interest, get the same stuff, but never actually start work .... and again the stuff sits and waits ....

I am so disappointed in myself ....

[Zee28]

I am so disappointed in myself ....

Don't beat yourself up about it John, I think it's all part of the hobby and happens to all of us at one time or another. Another problem I have is assessing the amount of work required. I study the kit, the instructions, the painting guide etc. but constantly underestimate what effort will really be required to complete it.

So, as you'd expect, half way through I become a bit disheartened at how far along I am, thinking it'd be finished by now and sitting on the display shelf, not still languishing on the bench with lumps of filer still to be rubbed down........

Zee28

[Dazzled]

You have to go with what works for you. Personally, I never throw a kit out even if I can't finish it. If nothing else it can come in handy as a spares donor.

[MarkyM607]

I figure I've finished maybe 40 percent of the models I've ever started. . .
. . . . If the model is frustrating or unsatisfying, it goes in the bin.

Wow! that is incredible?? Are you sure you have the right hobby? Seems a bit wastefull you think?


. . . R&D (who completes all his builds (eventually!))

I just increase my equivalent of a boneyard/scrapyard!!.