Post by evna on Mar 9, 2014 14:30:58 GMT
Hi all,
Back when I was just a slip of a lad of 15, (so almost 40yrs ago), I started to build a model which as it turned out spelled the end of my serious modelling journey. The model was a 1/40 Scale Douglas A-1H Skyraider "Sandy" by Revell, it was quite an advanced model with many innovations back then such as undercarriage which retracted turning through 90 degrees as it did so and all moveable control surfaces including dive brakes... The skill level on the box read... 'For advanced modellers, competition quality detail' and this complexity was my driving factor I loved the challenge and I had been converting standard models and scratchbuilding bits and pieces for a litttle while back then. From the outset this model proved to be quite horrific, the polystyrene was 'the' most brittle I had ever worked with and parts would break just trying to carefully remove them from the sprue or when test fitting with just a tad too much pressure and 'snap' There were also very tiny and quite flimsey pieces for the undercarriage some of which turned out to be missing others deformed on the sprue it turned into a nightmare of repairs and replacement parts and it took me many weeks to even make an impression on the build. Thus eventually things took their toll and I needed a rest from it... so eventually I put it carefully away in many built sections and part used sprues etc and consigned it to a cupboard at my parents house where it has laid undisturbed and forgotten ever since. The fallout from this experience was that having been modelling since the age of 6 or 7 I decided to take a break from modelling and concentrate on the O'levels. That 'break' turned out to last from 1975 until 2013 since when I have been patiently building up a new stash and equipment to jump back into the hobby... I have had a little test build of a 1/72 Spitfire 1a just to test the waters and despite the eyes being poorer, the hands fumbling and dropping small partsand my technique being somewhat rusty I have once again found the relaxation I remember...
Sadly last month my Father passed away and in the process of clearing out the house I opened a cupboard I had long since forgotten the contents of and rediscovered my nemesis from the past which had so thoroughly broken my joy of modelling.... just sitting there waiting for me.
The model came home with me rather than being consigned to the recycling BUT!
My question is... should I go back, should I accept the unworded challenge set out before me when I opened that cupboard?
or should I just bin it and move on?
Back when I was just a slip of a lad of 15, (so almost 40yrs ago), I started to build a model which as it turned out spelled the end of my serious modelling journey. The model was a 1/40 Scale Douglas A-1H Skyraider "Sandy" by Revell, it was quite an advanced model with many innovations back then such as undercarriage which retracted turning through 90 degrees as it did so and all moveable control surfaces including dive brakes... The skill level on the box read... 'For advanced modellers, competition quality detail' and this complexity was my driving factor I loved the challenge and I had been converting standard models and scratchbuilding bits and pieces for a litttle while back then. From the outset this model proved to be quite horrific, the polystyrene was 'the' most brittle I had ever worked with and parts would break just trying to carefully remove them from the sprue or when test fitting with just a tad too much pressure and 'snap' There were also very tiny and quite flimsey pieces for the undercarriage some of which turned out to be missing others deformed on the sprue it turned into a nightmare of repairs and replacement parts and it took me many weeks to even make an impression on the build. Thus eventually things took their toll and I needed a rest from it... so eventually I put it carefully away in many built sections and part used sprues etc and consigned it to a cupboard at my parents house where it has laid undisturbed and forgotten ever since. The fallout from this experience was that having been modelling since the age of 6 or 7 I decided to take a break from modelling and concentrate on the O'levels. That 'break' turned out to last from 1975 until 2013 since when I have been patiently building up a new stash and equipment to jump back into the hobby... I have had a little test build of a 1/72 Spitfire 1a just to test the waters and despite the eyes being poorer, the hands fumbling and dropping small partsand my technique being somewhat rusty I have once again found the relaxation I remember...
Sadly last month my Father passed away and in the process of clearing out the house I opened a cupboard I had long since forgotten the contents of and rediscovered my nemesis from the past which had so thoroughly broken my joy of modelling.... just sitting there waiting for me.
The model came home with me rather than being consigned to the recycling BUT!
My question is... should I go back, should I accept the unworded challenge set out before me when I opened that cupboard?
or should I just bin it and move on?