When things are normal, I’d say I take 1-3 months for an average build. If I have a a lot of scratchbuilding to do or large amounts of photoetch with soldering, 4-6 months is about right.

I usually finish one kit before beginning another, unless there is an unavoidable long term obstacle or pressing deadlines like shows or articles approaching.

My oldest unfinished project dates back to 2002, but I still fully intend to finish it. Better late a well done than rushed and ruined.

Paul H

I am working on few kits at the moment, Tamiya mobelwagen, Miniart T 80, ICM bergepanther conversion.
My interest is WW 2 AFV Modern AFV 1/35 scale, Tamiya motorcicles 1/12scale and because of that there is a lot of kit waiting to be completed such as;
Tamiya RCV 211V, Takom G6 Rhino, Zvezda MSTA.

Seems like we have all sorts of builders here: time span reaches from a weekend (insaaaaaane! ) to several years and even decades (also insaaaaane ).

For me it always depends on the other circumstances in life... But when I'm at it, I would say it's no more than 1-2 models a year and sometimes I need to calm myself down not to rush the painting and weathering (which are not my favourite parts in modelling... I'm most definitely more of a builder/detailler than painter).

Once upon a time it took me years to finish a kit and there were only about 6 done a year. I've always tried to do group builds based on kit similarities. I read about it back in the 1980s and it gives you something to do while waiting on stuff to dry.

Then for a fee years I did factory wargaming builds. Just build what is there ( and a lot if scratch building and conversion but no super detailing) and fly seat of your pants.

When I tried going back to photoetch and stupor detailed I found all the fun was gone. So I switched to keep it short and simple out of the box building where the whole thing was enjoying what I was doing and not obsessing over success or failure and certainly not using detail parts. (Photo etch free since 2003! Became my battle cry)

So where once a productive year was 6 kits, now I can do 30 to 40 a year and once even managed 75. Now a 1/72 aircraft doesn't take nearly as long as a 1/35 tank but I can manage 20 plus tanks in a year. But other stuff sneaks in for variety is the spice of life. The kits won't win awards or beauty pageants and there mistakes galore (that's part of the fun, enjoying the process and not seeking an ultimately unobtainable perfection. Good enough, is good enough and am I having fun? The hobby is supposed to relieve stress, not create more.

I have fee unweathered kits that are awaiting figures and inspiration. When I changed my building philosophy I purposely went through the stash and finished my longest outstanding builds. These days I usually only put something away to let putty cure.

A few projects have been lounging waiting for putty to dry but I'll get back to them.

I think every modeller loves to proscrastinate. I am the same and i build braile scale models ive got 3 willy jeeps simple and easy builds that normaly would take atleast a day. Ive got two 1/72 weasels aswell thers are so simple and parts count is so small but yet there part primed and part built. We all like to procrastinate but as others have said it can be down to mood and partz and complexity everyones different!

In terms of kits I've actually finished, my record is 20 years!

Most take a year or two, mainly because they get built and then stall in the queue for the paint-booth, but I have been known to knock them out in only a few months.

Building plastic out-of-box is quick - it's the rest of the painting/weathering that takes me ages. I need the right conditions, time/space to set up the spray booth, etc before I can think of moving on. But others don't suffer from my crippling procrastination and over-thinking...

Sometimes you just get bored with a kit, or its too tedious . or the dam thing fights you every step of the way ! I put it aside so I dont screw it up and return later !

Anything under a year is a 'speed-build' for me

I can relate to some of this: over spend time in research, and then further damage is done by over spending on aftermarket if need be. There seems to be this perpetual smattering of aftermarket releases that can be used on the M47's, thus adding to the time it takes to build. I 'rob' other leftover PE in the stash used for other kits and find uses for them on the M47.

As for the time to build: well, as for the M47's previously mentioned, I've been actually refurbishing 4 different M47's over the last 3 to 4 years and in various stages of completion. Cut out, cut off, correct plastic, take off old paint, add some aftermarket goodies like metal barrels (replacing plastic kit barrels), a smattering of PE from the stash along with metal tracks, and then trying to decide/choose the decals from about 40 countries for these little jewels...is part of that delay in completion.

Then as usual of course, Takom's M47 was released in the midst of all this and had to add the M47E to convert a bit into and M47E2. I'll be combining the chassis of the Takom kit with the turret of the Testor's kit (of which was already built, but the chassis warped on me one day sitting in the sun too long).

Do I get bored? Oh hell yea...especially when I can turn around and see about 5 others kits that scream to be put together at the same time.

I find having to discipline myself and focus on completing what I have in front of me. If anything, just to clear the desk for once when the M47's are done.

Normal time to build usually took about 2 to 3 months...which usually translates into not building out of the box. I always seem to have to transform the kit, or like building the oddball vehicle...all means I can't leave out aftermarket additions to my build.

Other times, I simply walk away from building...some times for a week or so, or perhaps a month...sometimes longer.

Lord knows, I'll probably have another 4 or 5 going on at the same time knowing I've kinda adopted the assembly line mentality of building. I think next time however, I won't do 4 of the same subject.

I'm 64 in June...with just a couple years to go for full retirement. Will that speed up my building? Only mortality can answer that!

i can complete a Tamiya model in 1 day. A Dragon model in 3 days (depending), Bronco kit 3 mths lol. 1/35 scale.
Seriously, it depends on how passionate you are about it. But Tamiya kits are the quickest.IMO

Italeri Su-34, Shelf queen for 15+yrs, finished 2017


Panda 1/35 UH-1D Shelf queen for 17 yrs, finished 2017

There is a Tamiya T62 that was old enough to buy me a beer after Armorcon 2016


So, no. Taking a while to 'finish' a kit is not just a you thing.

I find that having a wide variety of kits at a lot of different stages of completion lets me cherry pick the tasks I am in the mood for or have time for at any given bench session.

Take a peek over at the unfinished business, hangar queen, and gettr done campaigns for some fellow 'sufferers'

"Hi, I'm Mike and I take a loonnngggg time to finish some kits."

Hahahaha!!! That is the quote of the month!

For me it depends... building out-of-the-box, with some details or full steam detailing. From a couple of weeks to months. And then painting is slower, as I enjoy much more the building phase.

An average year I can finish 2-4 kits

That’s like asking how many licks it takes to get to the center of a tootsie roll pop.. the world may never know.

Mine sit on the bench mocking me, untouched for months at a time. When I was younger, I’d do marathon builds and be done in a couple of days. Nowadays, life happens.. takes me a year now.

Maybe this will give you a picture:

https://armorama.kitmaker.net/forums/264435&page=1

I am very good at not finishing builds. I am a perennial entrant to "Unfinished" campaigns. Often, I don't make it to the finish line. And I build out of the box too!

My oldest unfinished kit is probably a Tamiya 1/35 Sd.Kfz 251/1 Ausf. C that I got and started about a year after it came out (mid 70s?). Someday...

Hopefully I will be retiring this year. I am working on a Tamiya 1/20 BT46, a Dragon 1/700 HMS Trafalgar, Dragon 1/200 B-2/F-117A (all for campaigns), and a paper model of Unseen University. Being more of a builder than a painter, the paper model keep drawing me away!

building is usually the easiest, thing, so i can usually go until im ready for paint. i might alternate between a couple builds, but in all, it might take me a month or so to do a standard build (when i build, i might only build 3 hours a day and not on weekends). if there is a lot of PE, then obviously that might double it, depending on the complexity of the PE.

however, when i do my builds, i typically hit a "roadblock", and at that point i tend to put it away until i get the courage to work on the complicated part. as an example, tracks. i hate doing tracks, so it is usually the first roadblock i come to, so i might put it away for a month, or perhaps doing camouflage, etc. so, what should take me a month to two months to complete, usually comes out as 6 months.

Wait... There are people that actually finish models??!! O.o;;

Oh, I hate painting. I worry about it too much and try to hard to get the right effect. I built the Tamiya Matilda III/IV 1/35th pretty quickly, but its been sitting unpainted for close to two years because I'm afraid I won't get the Caunter Scheme pattern correct. I guess that's why I tend to build WWII US and Soviet armor; no worries in painting those, just paint 'em green.

Me,.. i just like building stuff with my mind on 0
Painting indeed is more a pain (or better said roadblock) but thats to the fact either the paints (acryl) or my AB has some sort off problem,..or both at the same time,.. (most likely my own created fault in some sort of way) as such i have troubles to finish stuf,.. but this does not hold me back to start up new stuff :-)

Definitely me. I have prefered the building part of it all the way back to when I started model kits at age 6 ("building" Airfix 1/72 planes with my dad) through my tabletop Wargaming phase and now back into my serious scale model phase.

Painting isn't more stressful as such but it does require more thought process and in a way artistic talent. Building is easy. Its laid out for you, step by step but painting and weathering, beyond the base coat etc, requires practice, talent and patience. All things I lack in varying degrees at the moment.

So I tend to paint my kits as if they are factory fresh with a minimal of weathering or as if they are actual museum pieces. Makes my life a little easier

I didn't know you had to complete them

I better get started

No - that's fake news.
We know its impossible to actually finish a model...

There must be something wrong with me...I only have max 2 going on at any given time and always have to finish one before starting another one. It's the diorama/vignette and/or figures where I stall out....that said it can be anything from 1-6 months to finish a model sans figures/base. As for building vs painting, it depends on the kit, sometimes I really enjoy the building part and dread the painting/weathering, and then sometimes I get into a zen zone with that part. I admit sometimes I do rush things at the end in order to crack open a new kit...