Building old toolings versus "modern" toolings- why so?

[Crashpilot]

....I could make my modelling life so much easier, if I´d build more of the modern toolings available, and I got some
new toolings in my stash, too.
But I keep on being attracted to old kits from the 70ies, from Matchbox, Heller, VEB Plasticart, and so on!
And then I find myself cursing over "that damn kit, another seam to be filled, there, and there...".
"Some sort of masochism?" I asked myself often?
In the end, it must be the gratification you get out of making a kit look good, that looked rather lousy when it was
still hanging on its sprues!
(Probably a topic like this was already started by someone else before, but I don´t wanna check through all those 57 pages that were posted under "Small talk" )

[iggie]

In the end, it must be the gratification you get out of making a kit look good, that looked rather lousy when it was
still hanging on its sprues!

And there you have it; no other way of justifying it in my book!

[JamesPerrin]

Plenty of fellow suffers on this site. You should consider joining the Classic British Kits SIG where you can indulge your vices.

[fredk]

As above.
PlusI find some new kits just have far too much extra.
eg; I wanted a Whitley. I sold my old Frog one when Airfix announced their new tool. Then I saw the sprues. Far too much hidden detail.
I bought a Frog Whitley at SMW last year.

[jssel]

Building CBK's has improved my skills and therefore my overall enjoyment of the hobby.

[Gregers]

Nostalgia, pure and simple.

All the best.

Greg

[ShaunW]

Modern kits are generally very good indeed and often require little other than careful building and painting to make an excellent replica straight out of the box. I have modern kits in my stash and enjoy building them. I don't really do nostalgia but also enjoy sticking old kits together as IMHO they offer the builder that little bit more of a challenge and present a blank canvas to add as little or as much of the often missing detail as the builder sees fit - I agree that old kits can often be a complete pain in the neck to build though!

[JamesPerrin]

A lot of focus in the Modelling media is in the finish i.e. painting and oh so importantly weathering. Therefore the kit must fit perfectly so you can spend time and money applying various shades of black products, because you're incapable of mixing it yourself. All this completely over looks us modellers who enjoy the building phase more. Fettle a ropey old or short run kit to achieve good fit or just using some basic scratch building skills to add adequate detail pays large dividends in personal satisfaction. Unfortunately this is lost on others who just see the finished model and say why didn't you build the Hasemiya kit?

[Crashpilot]

You should consider joining the Classic British Kits SIG where you can indulge your vices.

Sounds like a good idea to me! Got enough CBKs in my stash that sit quite high in the "to-do-pile".

I bought a Frog Whitley at SMW last year.

I have some frogs croaking in my stash, but the only one I started yet is their Gladiator.
(ooops, I didn´t include that one in my "ruddy well finish" list )
I like their Sky Stands, I find the idea of hanging planes to the wall via the borehole in the stand´s base very interesting!
One Frog I find very unique is their Blackburn Shark, with the option of folded wings!
(...but don´t know yet when I´ll start on the Shark!)
Happy oldtimer modelling to all!

[Stuart]

I've always had a soft spot for older kits, I like the low parts count and easier builds, I like adding my own scratch-built detail, I really like the subjects which you don't get with new builds and I love the nostalgia - You just can't beat opening a sealed Matchbox box.

I also think there's no such thing as a 'kit not worth building'.

And don't forget, there's more than just CBK's, There are classic kits from the US and Japan. Some of the older Hasegawa kits also feature raised panel lines and poorly detailed cockpits etc. After finishing my latest MB kit I've just started their Yak-3. It's a lovely kit with good fit and surface detail - but a blank cockpit and wheel wells.

But on the other hand sometimes it's nice to have a change of pace, I've just got me a big stack of modern (year 1995+) modern jet kits and I can't wait to get started on them - but then there's that pile of CBK's too!

[Stuart]

A lot of focus in the Modelling media is in the finish i.e. painting and oh so importantly weathering. Therefore the kit must fit perfectly so you can spend time and money applying various shades of black products, because you're incapable of mixing it yourself. All this completely over looks us modellers who enjoy the building phase more. Fettle a ropey old or short run kit to achieve good fit or just using some basic scratch building skills to add adequate detail pays large dividends in personal satisfaction. Unfortunately this is lost on others who just see the finished model and say why didn't you build the Hasemiya kit?

Whilst I do agree with most of what you say James, and it certainly annoys me when people say "don't build this kit..." & "why didn't you build that..?" - I don't agree that something has to be harder to build to be enjoyable - Sometimes a modern tooled kit can be a very relaxing and enjoyable experience - I much prefer the building phase and love scratch-building but I'd love to get my hands on a new tool Tamiya F-14 or a Tanmodel RF-84. However I will never in my life build another blooming Special Hobby kit!

As for weathering - well that's another topic

[JamesPerrin]

Whilst I do agree with most of what you say James, and it certainly annoys me when people say "don't build this kit..." & "why didn't you build that..?" - I don't agree that something has to be harder to build to be enjoyable

Neither did I, I said it was the focus of the modelling media (press) whether online or print and they overlook that some people enjoy building and making something work with the skills they have developed. It's they who largely overlook the complete spectrum of modelling and focus on the finishing. I'm currently building, and enjoying, a Bandai Stormtrooper and we are talking Lego like fit tolerances! I have nothing against a kit that falls together - more often than not the models I wish to build don't exist in modern injection moulded form.

[Stuart]

Whilst I do agree with most of what you say James, and it certainly annoys me when people say "don't build this kit..." & "why didn't you build that..?" - I don't agree that something has to be harder to build to be enjoyable

Neither did I, I said it was the focus of the modelling media (press) whether online or print and they overlook that some people enjoy building and making something work with the skills they have developed. It's they who largely overlook the complete spectrum of modelling and focus on the finishing. I'm currently building, and enjoying, a Bandai Stormtrooper and we are talking Lego like fit tolerances! I have nothing against a kit that falls together - more often than not the models I wish to build don't exist in modern injection moulded form.

Ah ok - I'm with you, sorry, I read that the wrong way. Yes I fully agree in that respect, the building does seem to take a backseat sometimes.

[Saxon]

I don't think it's that black and white. I built the old Matchbox Swordfish and thought it was a really great kit. Easy to build especially for a bi plane. No problems with fit anywhere. On the contrary the new tool Airfix Swordfish can be a nightmare, especially if you don't get the fit of the cockpit (which is a kit unto itself) perfect.

Some newer kits suffer from over engineering in my opinion. While some older ones have gaps you could drive a truck through.

I know some people kit a kick out of the challenge factor, but for me I just want a kit that goes together well and looks good. If that is an old kit over a newer one sometimes than so be it. There are good and bad in both camps.

[CementNotGlue]

I also think there's no such thing as a 'kit not worth building'.

Really?

I can think of some atrocious kits the designer/toolmaker must have knocked-up in the last working hours of a Friday.

I'd include Airfix's Me 262, Defiant and Matchbox's Hawker Hunter for starters.

Modern trends I don't like are no pilots and lack of locating holes by some manufacturers.