Hey guys what is your style of making models?Super detail every kit?OOTB?
how do u decide if u add aftermarket like PE or barrel?what kind of accesorries u guys add?what did u do at beginning of modeling?

also who do u think are some good modelers in the world?
Thanks
TimLo

I've tried to do OOB kits. The last attempt was two weeks ago with an M24, but the detailing bug bit me again, this time after I finished appling the base coat... So I couldn't resist to go back an detailing it anyway! I do not use that much PE (but for MG detailing) and I prefer to scratchbuild the extra detail either using metal or plasticard tubing/sheets.
For what concerns barrels I usaually go with the kit's ones otherwise I do them on my own using a lathe.


If you mean when I started I've always done AFVs, if you mean what I do first when I start a model I've got the bad habit of starting from the turret.


The list will be too long to mention all the great modelers I know...
Ciao

So far due to budget limitations I build all the time OOTB. I might think about trying out some AM parts but so far I don't really need those right now. I am although learning little by little some detailing (e.g. wirings, antenna, a scratchbuilt steering wheel for Christ's sake!). I'm happy with I am doing right now.


I myself do armor & figures......always. In armor I usually start pretty much wherever I want, turret, hull but I really hate starting w/ the wheels, gosh they're too repetitive.


There are many, many modellers out there but I'm gonna go w/ Shep paine, Verlinden, Talal Chouman, & that guy whose name I forgot but was the one who built the torpedo boat dock I saw in one of the threads.

I usually built kits with lots of detail but usually not to many PE parts cause either i dont find them easily , and i also like to scratchbuild them in various ways and keep my mind sharper. I started with afv's and planes have done a lil ships but over the last decade i am stuck to 1/35 armor and dioramas.when i start to build i do the worst parts taking off ugly company details and marks gluing basic blocks of kits and i leave always at the end the good part which is the turret (Fabio we built trhe reverse way !!) and of course all the detailing which the gift of the construction to me. I would have an advise for you Timlo cause i see u asking many times what other people like to do. I believe that is good for a new modeller to get some kits and start with patience lots of reading and info material building them the proper way . And of course ask anybody you like about techniques, hints and tips, tricks info or anything else . But asking some one in modelling what he likes to do is like i am asking you what food you like !!. You ll find your style after many years of modelling, hundreds of hours, dissapointment, happy times, and some hundreds of models made. But mostly take most of your time to find out what YOY like to do , and this will come after many many hours with your Xacto and the glues at hand. A friendly advise from someone that models from 1981.
Regards and always happy modelling

So far I build pretty much OOTB. As far as detailing I like to be as accurate as possible but I am not too overly concerned if my model is perfect to the original. I don't see the cost being worth it (personel opinion). If you are looking for the fine detailing it does pay off just look in the gallery at the great works the people do here.

HastyP

Just started this addicting hobby 2 months ago, so who am I to comment on this post...
But I started out doing OOB with two humvee's and a M113... I really liked them untill I started looking on the internet for refference and info (pics), It made me put aside my first models and start all over with some new ones... and now I'm thinking of putting these aside... Just like the others say: just do your own thing (and you'll end up with having loads and loads of half finished models to practice on... #:-)
As for the best modeler, I don't know that many, there are real good ones out there but there's one who gets me druling everytime I see a model of him:
Kim Hyong Min
Maybe oneday I'll be able to go into detail as much as this guy...
Aftermarket and PE is a bit to expensive for me right now, so I'm scratchbuilding everything (well I'm trying...) and that's good practice.
Untill then I'll just go out and buy me more models...

As they say; HAPPY MODELLING

Hi Pretty much OOTB building for me. Although I do use the Jordio Rubio barrels for most of my AFVs, if they have a muzzle brake on them. And the Fruilmodel tracks are almost a 'must' for German and Russian vehicles. They are nothing sort of fantastic to me. I do occasionally go the PE route, but there has to be something really fantastic in the PE sheet that I want to try to do before buying a set. I do try to use PE for the intake screens as well, esp. if they are sold just by themselves. But I've noticed that the more I find myself working with the PE, esp. with one of those hold-and-fold tools I am getting better at bending and building them, so I will probably do more PE as tiem goes along, or not.

All modelers are basically good modelers, some are just a tad but better than others. And there are some who seem to be 'gifted' at it. But I can see things in just about all the models I see on the Net. that provide inspiration to me.

Take care, sgirty

I dont think I could build OOB if I tried. The temptation to change bits is just too great! Guess I have to blame my father. The first model 'we' built about fifty years ago was an Airfix Spitfire which he insisted on upgrading with cannons to replicate a version he had worked on during the war.

Because I do my modeling on a tight budget, and kits are expensive here, I cant afford aftermarket bits like PE. I did try a resin conversion on my last armour model but was not happy with it - high price and poor quality. I scratchbuild details and conversions and get most pleasure from solving the problems of how to make parts with the minimum equipment and expense. This also involves making simple jigs and tools to facilitate parts making.

I enjoy research and learning about the subject that I am modelling, which I find is almost a hobby on its own.

As previously mentioned, how you do things is not important - what matters is that you enjoy doing what you do.

Regards Dave

Couldn't agree more to that!!

i build out of the box.
but i do add liltte things here and there

Out of Box for me. I have yet to even try PE, but seeing some of the projects presented on this site, I may give them a try sometime down the road. For right now, though, just getting a good looking model OOB is a challenge for me.

Mike

James Blackwell is a great modeller. I envy his postshading technique. but on deciding whether or not to add any AM on a model depends on what in my pocket and how much the kit really needs the AM.. sometimes, even if it is a great kit i'll get AM just b/c i want to go that extra step. if i mess up the kit barrel trying to get rid of a seam and end up flatenning it then i'll buy a AM barrel.. sometimes i'll get an AM barrel w/out even tryin the kit barrel..but to each his own

I usually try to get the wheels and lower suspension out of the way first then i usually go straight to the turret. get the most boring part knocked out then go on to the fun!

usually ootb depending on the kits accurracy and most important of all my ability.

I have not done an OOB in about ten years. I'm even lookiong at that model thinking I might rip it apart and super detail it or even back date it. I use PE when available, and appropriate. Same goes for turned barrels and resin parts. Headlight lenss are a must. Been using them the longest. I even do some PE myself. In short, I am sick man!

I have always been an OOB person, but i am using PE for the first time.
I am wanting to move more to super detailing, to a point not to extreme though.

My goal with each kit is to do the best job that I am capable of at the time.... I used to crank out OOTB kits at a pretty good rate. I was more of a collector than a modeler then I guess. I was just after kits to "fill out" my collection. I look back on that with sort of mixed emotions. I have a ton of built models now - that aren't very good.. to put it bluntly. I barely even tried to get rid of seams and such.

As I am now - I feel that if I'm gonna invest the time and money in a kit - I might as well go all out. I want to be happy with my kits for a long time to come, even as my skill improves. I find that by using alot (some would say insane amounts.... Commander?.. hehe) of aftermarket stuff on all of my models, I actually spend less money now than I did when I built OOTB. I build alot slower, and my stash is smaller - but the quality of my work, and hence my enjoyment of the hobby, is much greater.

I look at it this way..... I could build 3 OOTB kits a month, at 30 bucks a pop, and still not be totally satisfied because of molded on tool clamps, plastic grill screens, rubberband tracks that are soft on detail, etc. No matter how well I painted and weathered the final kit, those little issues would still bother me. (Please note that I am a very sick man... this stuff shouldn't necessarily bother YOU. If you are happy building OOTB kits - more power to ya. The whole point of this hobby is to have fun.. hehe)

OR.... I could build a single 30 dollar kit a month, adding a 20 dollar PE set and 30 dollar Friuls, and be money ahead in the long run. Plus I get a more detailed finished product (notice I didn't say "better"). Of course it is still up to me to not butcher the thing and do a good job - but that element is there whether I build OOTB, or use all the AM stuff.

The aftermarket thing SEEMS expensive, but once you start using PE, your build time slows down dramatically. Unless you are a guy that HAS to have every kit that comes out - or like to build three kits a week, you will spend less money using the all the "extras". Those of you that scratch build everything are even more money ahead.

This is just my humble opinion.... hehe I will freely admit that I have seen some flat out AWESOME OOTB kits in the RRB here, much better than I achieve even with my AM fetish. But I can't help but wonder how much better the thing would look if the master modeller spruced up such a tremendous build with a little PE or AM tracks... lol Like I said - I'm a sick man :-)

Later-
Nelson

what i like to do is to detail my kits with PE,not as good as to handle metal tracks,i think it is detail enough for the Tamiya's kits with the PE only,for the barrels,i usually detail it with PE,if the PE part in the set is available,i do not do scratch build cause i think i am still not enough skillful.sometimes i add interior if it is available in the PE set,for parts with no PE,i just try my best to make it seemless and look perfect so i can save some money for another kit.

For me it depends on the subject, how much do I love it, and how far do I want to go? Each and every project is unique.

Last night, I slapped (literally) a model tank together in 3 hours for an airbrush class I will be teaching soon. (the old Revell 1/40 M-56 Scorpion, what a POS!) Other times, I like to go all out. My Tamiya 1/16 Tiger 1 has the $200 Aber set in it, along with several figures and other parts as well...

As to modelers I admire, Eric Wisdom, Chris Wauchop, Chris Mrosko, Mal (Holdfast), and Lee Lloyds' names all come to mind. Many many other modelers here and other places on the web are all very talented, and their work makes me aspire to be better. Apologies to all the hundreds of modelers I am forgetting...

Scott Gentry

I have just started building armor,I have built warships for years. I am starting out building OOB, learning as I go and adding other detail. I am useing alot of my ship modeling experience I have learned through the years. I do alot of detailing with painting techniques, drybrushing and useing washes. I have found that you can detail kit parts with painting techniques that other wise would need replacing with pe or AM parts. I will start useing pe parts in time, as I did with my ship models. It just brings out the realisum that much more.
We never stop learning, and I have a long ways to go!
Like I heard somone say earlier, A list of great modelers would be to large to post here, its to hard to name just one!

Cheers,
Garry

what do u think about Tamiya's quality? Do u think that AM barrel is necessary for them?(i just detail the muzzle if it is included in the PE set)
I think that basic assembly and paintjob is more important than adding PE and AM in order to make a kit perfect.what do u guys think?
I cannot tell any difference between a OOTB kit and a kit detailed by PE,what is the different and how PE is can make it better than a OOTB one?

I usually get whatever PE set is available for a particular model I am building. I say usually because sometimes the prices get to be too high. I hate when a $20 kit becomes a $100 kit after all the AM parts are added.

Style of building... it depends.

Some things I do OOTB for fun and for me. Trumpeter's SA2 for example or Skif's T64A

Some 1/72 a/c I slam together for the ceiling of my classroom and the timeline of powered flight.

I do some a/c w aftermarket decals -Linden Hill's Su-25's and 2Bobs A-10's-

I've got lots of stalled armor super-dee-duper detailed projects to get jumpstarted on in the new year and once we're moved into the new house. Lots of Panthers and M113's in this class...

Mike

Newer Tamiya kits are excellent, their oldest stuff (including so many they've re-released without upgrades) are garbage by today's standards.




For the minimal cost of turning an aluminum barrel, (a friend whose father runs a billeting company says a barrel can be produced for a dime) every company should be including them. That's one of the first places I look when making my second cut at a contest. Flat spots and barrel seams knock out more contenders in armor than anything else.




You're absolutely right. The more you do/add, the more chances you have to screw up.




PE allows you to represent parts much closer to scale thickness than plastic will permit. Light guards are more realistic, tool clamps show the spaces between the shovel and the clamp, buckles look like buckles, etc. Now, at three feet, two equally finished models will often look alike, PE and OOB. Put side by side, you will definitely see the difference. Does that mean you have to add PE? Heck, no. But it's like any detailing tool, scratchbuilt or AM, if you want to take your presentation to the next level, added detailing is the way to go.

hi all , i tend to build the unusual models that others will not try , arv's , truck conversions , all my models are one off's no repeats , i do not use after the market parts , make all my own from plastic card , aluminium foil and plastic rod , i use a lathe to turn up parts that are needed , when i put my model on display at uk show s, i try to have at least one new one nearly ready for painting so as to show the level of work carried out . no panthers or tigers or shermans for me the odder the tank or truck the better the challange . cheers ian

I'm a project guy. I want the project to be better than the last one. Some projects are dioramas, some are individual kits. So I take the entire project as a whole and evaluate if I'm going to add AM stuff.
Either way I scratch build detail or add detail and every time it get more and more detailed as I build my skills tool box.
At fist it was OOTB, then as I learn about modeling and about my subjects, I add more and more and more details. Sometimes its PE sometime scratch wire/plastruct.