Softscience in 2022 and Beyond

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Softscience
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Softscience in 2022 and Beyond

Post by Softscience »

Hi again.

I'm starting a new workbench thread for this year because I'm attempting to "turn a leaf" with modeling in 2022.

What do I mean? Well...I'm not entirely sure, but I need to change some things. I'm not going back to basics or anything like that, but I want to find a more pleasant and peaceful way of doing things.

I'll let you all know when I figure out what that is, once I reach modeling enlightenment.

All joking aside though, I do think there is a middle path between basic modeling and AMS. I'm going to find it.


I also want to list some general goals for 2022 here, just so I can come back at years end and see if I achieved any

1. Focus on and appreciate the things that went right in each project.

2. Assess what went wrong and learn why

3. Find more efficient ways to weather

4. Go back to doing more small scale stuff

5. Consider realistic clean finishes where appropriate

6. Build some vignettes

7. Spend more time on this forum. I'm spending a lot more of my modeling conversation time on Facebook as of late. I'll admit, it's easier to post, and I've made some great friends and learned a lot of techniques. But uamf has been my modeling home for more than a decade now, and i need to show more love than I had been for the last year or two.

Meanwhile, the first projects for 2022 are the Meng M4A3E2 Jumbo Sherman, Tamiya S35, and Tamiya Meteor.

The jumbo was started late 2021, and has been a joy to build. It is near completion now, but assembly of the working track is slooooow. Each pad has two parts, and the teeth attach with metal pins. Later, the duckbill extenders will need to be added. The hardest part is cleanup, as each tiny piece has three sprue gates to clean up! :(

So far, i have finished about 2/3rds of a single run. Yeesh!

Image

Also carried over from 2021 is the Tamiya Meteor. For such a simple kit, it's going very slowly. After this photo was taken, i painted the whole thing white, but the finish came out pebbly and needs to be smoothed.

Image

Finally, the Sonia. This kit was a Christmas present. It built up super fast. I'm trying something with the suspension, to see if I can develop a quicker way of painting a muddy bottom. Black base will be followed with some muddy browns and greens, and only THEN will the camo follow. We'll see if it works.



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skypirate
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Re: Softscience in 2022

Post by skypirate »

Wow! Excellent weathering on that Jumbo Sherman, Ralph!

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Re: Softscience in 2022

Post by JamesPerrin »

Looking forward to hearing and seeing more from you Ralph. Your builds are always inspiring.
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jssel
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Re: Softscience in 2022

Post by jssel »

Great looking Sherman. I like your seven goals. I think we all need to follow similar goals that fit us.
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PaulBradley
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Re: Softscience in 2022

Post by PaulBradley »

Simple vignette idea - Sherman halfway up it's hull in a muddy river - no need to make the tracks......! ;-) :-D

A very fine grit sanding block ought to knock down that grittiness.
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JohnRatzenberger
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Re: Softscience in 2022

Post by JohnRatzenberger »

At some point it's good to (re-)assess like that; times and things change.
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Softscience
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Re: Softscience in 2022

Post by Softscience »

PaulBradley wrote: January 20th, 2022, 2:10 pm Simple vignette idea - Sherman halfway up it's hull in a muddy river - no need to make the tracks......! ;-) :-D
Bwahahaha! That's really not a bad idea at all. Maybe if I ever build another Meng Sherman.


I seriously wonder why Meng, Border, etc., tracks are so complex. I have a Meng Merkava, and a Border Models' Crusader, and both also have painfully complicated tracks. Even real Crusaders had relatively simple tracks!

I'm not saying go back to rubber band tracks. Those suck, and massively! But what's so bad about link-and-length, or at least Dragon's Magic-Track indy links, which don't have sprues and don't require hours of cleanup?

Ninety-five percent of modelers don't benefit from fully functioning suspensions anyhow. Make that option an extra purchase.
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Re: Softscience in 2022

Post by JamesPerrin »

Problem is that the noisy 5% of modellers on the webforums bemoaning the lack of detail - who will replace any detail with aftermarket regardless of how good it it leaving the rest of us with mojo sapping high parts counts and complex construction.
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Re: Softscience in 2022

Post by Impisi »

Very nice weathering on that Sherman and I esp. like your Idea of building some vignettes.
JamesPerrin wrote: January 20th, 2022, 4:45 pm Problem is that the noisy 5% of modellers on the webforums bemoaning the lack of detail - who will replace any detail with aftermarket regardless of how good it it leaving the rest of us with mojo sapping high parts counts and complex construction.
Well you can get after market vinyl tracks :)
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PaulBradley
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Re: Softscience in 2022

Post by PaulBradley »

But that just adds further cost to an already expensive kit. Why not offer simpler tracks in the basic kit, and have the small minority buy expensive individual link track sets?
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Softscience
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Re: Softscience in 2022

Post by Softscience »

Guys, don't get me wrong - I like kits with lots of parts. I don't even mind putting together individual link tracks, what gets me with these tracks is that they're so tedious to make. Its not so much the high parts count, but the extensive cleanup that goes into each part. For example, each tooth has three sprue attachment points, and while not overly thick, they do require some work to carefully clean without impacting the tiny part details nearby.

I model because I like sticking parts together, but when the manufacturer makes that activity a chore, then we have a problem.
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Re: Softscience in 2022

Post by Impisi »

True Paul! I meant it rather ironically. First you buy expensive kits with a lot of very complicated parts and then others offer a simplification for even more money.

Yes, Ralph, you are right, kits which are a PIA take out the fun of it. One reason why I haven't done a tank for ages. I prefer painting the things not that much sticking parts together
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Softscience
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Re: Softscience in 2022

Post by Softscience »

Got tired of tracks so I started painting missiles. Many shades of white over brown and tan undercoats. A pretty good start, I think. Radomes and stuff, up next.


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skypirate
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Re: Softscience in 2022

Post by skypirate »

Ooh! Phantom coming up...!

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Softscience
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Re: Softscience in 2022

Post by Softscience »

skypirate wrote: January 21st, 2022, 6:30 am Ooh! Phantom coming up...!

David
Eventually. :)

I have the Tamiya kit, and it is very nice. I probably wont build it right away, but I want to have the ordinance ready when the time comes. All the painting and decals required almost make the missiles a separate project.
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