So why do you build?

Got something to say about the hobby of model making?
dollar19
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Re: So why do you build?

Post by dollar19 »

For the relaxation, or trying to relive a bit of childhood. Or maybe the satisfaction of of opening a box of plastic bits and turning them into something.

My father was a US. Marine aviator for 28 years, and I grew up on a Marine airbase in North Carolina. From as far back as I can remember There were aircraft in my life growing up. From the old R4Q packets to the original KC-130s, A-4s, A-6s F-1s F-4s Skyrays...... saw them all. So aviation is sort of in my blood. I think I was introduced to my first model around 5 years of age and i haven't really stopped since. They were cheap and great way to build my boyhood airforce.

Yes i'm trying to relive my boyhood fantasies
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Chuck E
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Re: So why do you build?

Post by Chuck E »

I just enjoy building kits. It started in the late 50's and carried on from there. I like to get the nice new kits with lots of detail, but rarely buy extra parts, apart from ship rails etc. I love the history of kits and like to recapture some of the fun I had as a kid with some of the huge mixed bag of odd scales and odd models. Later, we would buy all sorts of kits and pinch bits from different ones to make a more accurate model. I used to weather kits a bit, too. Especially my old railway models. I have a 60's Tri-and Annual with a nice piece from Terrence Cuneo, who painted many of the Tri-and and Hornby Catalogue covers. Very well known artist. He wrote about how he used to weather his model locos and rolling stock using oil paints. Guess what, it worked a treat. Nice rust effects and excellent burnishing of the paintwork. Even simulated bird droppings around the funnel. I did three of my locos, a Jinty ( 1956 ) Princess Elizabeth ( Green 1961 ) B12 ( Black Livery 1965 ) Suddenly, they looked worn and lovely. When the steam locos actually worked for a living, they were well maintained, but were not ever clean and highly polished, apart from straight from the shop. They were hot and oily and they steamed and they smoked and the breathed fire. The weathering brought that realism to my layout.

I bought lots of pocket money models and soon had a great collection of odd aircraft of numerous scales. Revell ships fitted the box, though Airfix stuck with 1/600, at least with the steel ships. All their sailing ships were odd scales. FROG, Revell and Airfix Aircraft were usually 1/72nd, so that was OK. I didn't stick to a type, or scale, but just bought what I could afford. I still have some old Kitmaster Locos and these were very well made. Hard plastic and sharp moulding. Still very good. I still like to build them like I did back then. Usually all are hand painted in the old style. I do tend to mask some lines these days, but most small aircraft are just freehand. It's a challenge. I get a lot of fun out of it still and have my modelling buddies over every week. I like to go to the shows and buy more plastic. Terrible habit. I suppose that I'm still a bit hooked on kits and small stuff, like Buses. I've just started to collect buses by accident and have quite a few. I have Locomotion just ten minutes away, and they are always having collectors fairs. Some great prices.

I still carried on building all sorts of models, but then music pushed them to one side, though I still kept a lot of the old kits. Music ruled for many years and I still play regularly today, though my voice is more Johnny Cash than Ian Gillan now. On holiday in Cornwall we visited a pub that had a shelf around the bar covered in Airfix ships. The other guitar player said that he had one at home, but never built it. I got him to part with it, built it and painted it and went out the following Saturday and bought another ten of them. After a while I started getting some of the Aircraft and our drummer started building cars, as well as a few aircraft. We joined a club, met lots of other modellers and that was the big resurgence and stash building years.

Like Eric, I have been heavily involved in theatre in my area. I have acted, but only when we were short of people. I write plays too. I worked at Darlington Civic Theatre and the Arts Centre for many years and worked on some big touring shows. I still do a bit, but the Arts Centre was closed down due to cuts, and the Civic is being completely rebuilt, so all quiet there.

Modelling is still a big hobby with me. I don't know if it relaxes me, but I feel that it keeps me occupied. I always remember modelling while listening to the radio. Lots of great programmes on. Comedy and satirical stuff. You could concentrate on the model' as you didn't have to keep looking at a screen. I suppose that TV has been the death of a lot of the old hobbies. Still, someone still keeps buying the bloody things and Airfix and all the others keep kitting them, so I suppose I'll keep buying them.
So many models, so little time.
dollar19
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Re: So why do you build?

Post by dollar19 »

There seems to be a few theatre buff here!
That's been my profession for the past 41 years. I started out as a theatre major in college, graduated and went to a summer theatre 60 miles north of New York City. That fall I went to work for a Broadway set construction company and built over 150 Broadway sets, a few movie and television sets, and did some touring sets for Hall & Oates, BOSTON, KISS The J. Giels Band and The Bangles. Of course I got married, Moved out of the city, bought a house, got divorced and lost everything. I moved to Virginia went to work at a regional theatre here and been here for the past 29 years. Got remarried Raised two wonderful step daughters and now have a 4 year old grandson.

Ive gone way off topic, I do apologize.

I'm surprised and rather pleased to see fellow theatrical people here. That was my intention.

Greg
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Softscience
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Re: So why do you build?

Post by Softscience »

For me it is the need to create and build something, anything. With models its a relatively low-risk, and hence (theoretically) relaxing way to meet that need. If I screw up a model airplane, no big deal. If I was building a house and messed up - much bigger deal. For the record, I do not build houses.
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Softscience
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Re: So why do you build?

Post by Softscience »

dollar19 wrote:There seems to be a few theatre buff here!
That's been my profession for the past 41 years. I started out as a theatre major in college, graduated and went to a summer theatre 60 miles north of New York City. That fall I went to work for a Broadway set construction company and built over 150 Broadway sets, a few movie and television sets, and did some touring sets for Hall & Oates, BOSTON, KISS The J. Giels Band and The Bangles. Of course I got married, Moved out of the city, bought a house, got divorced and lost everything. I moved to Virginia went to work at a regional theatre here and been here for the past 29 years. Got remarried Raised two wonderful step daughters and now have a 4 year old grandson.

Ive gone way off topic, I do apologize.

I'm surprised and rather pleased to see fellow theatrical people here. That was my intention.

Greg

Bristol? I just noticed that in your profile. You're as far away in Virginia as one can be! :)
dollar19
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Re: So why do you build?

Post by dollar19 »

Yep! You could say it's the A&&hole of the state!
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jssel
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Re: So why do you build?

Post by jssel »

The time I used getting a handle on this question could have been spent building models :lol:

Seriously though. I started around 1958 or so with Comet, Stormbecker and Revell. Hawk came into my building routine. My traveling uncle got me involved with CBK's.

I grew up in an aviation family both civilian and military. I was in US Army aviation in the early 70's. So model building is a creative release and a way to have a historical museum as it were.
Besting 60 years of mediocre building of average kits in the stand off scale
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JohnRatzenberger
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Re: So why do you build?

Post by JohnRatzenberger »

Softscience wrote:
dollar19 wrote: Greg
Bristol? I just noticed that in your profile. You're as far away in Virginia as one can be! :)
Yeah, but that puts 3 of us at the corners, so to speak -- ought to be a central point we could meet.
Old Dominion Open in Richmond next Feb ?
John Ratzenberger :???:
It's my model and I'll do what I want with it.
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Softscience
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Re: So why do you build?

Post by Softscience »

dollar19 wrote:Yep! You could say it's the A&&hole of the state!

A friend of mine works at the Natural History museum in Martinsburg, so I get down there on occasion.

My firm sometimes has field work in the vicinity, but I think the closest to date has been in Altavista. Which is still far.

You ever make your way to the excellent hobby shop in Staunton?
IronMan129
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Re: So why do you build?

Post by IronMan129 »

I guess my reason would be that when I was an older child living at home my Mum's husband wasn't the nicest of people let's say and once I had an income and had moved to my Nan's house buying and building kits was a way of shutting myself away from the psychological torment I go through as a result.
Aswell as the fact that Il never own a real aircraft and having a stash of 1/72 and 1/400 means I get to own a whole fleet.
Plus building a model for me is relaxing and the end result is pleasing if I get it right!
dollar19
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Re: So why do you build?

Post by dollar19 »

jRatz wrote:
Softscience wrote:
dollar19 wrote: Greg
Bristol? I just noticed that in your profile. You're as far away in Virginia as one can be! :)
Yeah, but that puts 3 of us at the corners, so to speak -- ought to be a central point we could meet.
Old Dominion Open in Richmond next Feb ?
Hell.... From here there is no central point! Richmond is 5 /12 hours away. Nags Head is not far from where I grew up. Havelock/ Cherry Point.
dollar19
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Re: So why do you build?

Post by dollar19 »

Softscience wrote:
dollar19 wrote:Yep! You could say it's the A&&hole of the state!

A friend of mine works at the Natural History museum in Martinsburg, so I get down there on occasion.

My firm sometimes has field work in the vicinity, but I think the closest to date has been in Altavista. Which is still far.

You ever make your way to the excellent hobby shop in Staunton?
Staunton has a hobby shop????? Great!!! that's 3 hours from here. I really am in the ass crack of Virginia. All I have is a Hobby Lobby 30 minutes away in one direction and a Hobby Town 30 minutes the other direction. But there is a SHEETZ 2 miles away at Exit 5!! :ha:
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Softscience
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Re: So why do you build?

Post by Softscience »

jRatz wrote:
Softscience wrote:
dollar19 wrote: Greg
Bristol? I just noticed that in your profile. You're as far away in Virginia as one can be! :)
Yeah, but that puts 3 of us at the corners, so to speak -- ought to be a central point we could meet.
Old Dominion Open in Richmond next Feb ?

That might be fun!
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Softscience
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Re: So why do you build?

Post by Softscience »

dollar19 wrote: Staunton has a hobby shop????? Great!!! that's 3 hours from here.

Not only does Staunton have a hobby shop, they have an excellent hobby shop! Worth the 3 hour drive. You can go hike up in the mountains to make the trip even more worthwhile.

JC General Merchadise / Hobby Surplus Outlet
18 W. Beverly Street, Staunton, VA 24401
540-886-3866

They have a huge selection of aircraft and supplies. Call before you go,as they keep somewhat irregular hours.

You can also check out their ebay store, if you can't make the trip


http://www.ebay.com/usr/triggerman3;

It features only part of their in-store stock.
dollar19
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Re: So why do you build?

Post by dollar19 »

Thanks for that link. Next time I'm headed up that way I drop by. Mountain hiking I do everyday. Bristol is in the mountains too just not the pretty Shenandoah Valley. Now that is some beautiful scenery up in that part of Virginia.
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