Anyone around here still build models? I haven't built one in a good 15 years but I have a few models that I haven't put together or finished putting together and theres a few that I found that I wished exsisted when I was still heavy into models but they only recently came about.


I wanted to ask thoses that are still in the hobby, how has it changed in he last 15 years? What about glues, what about paints, what about airbrush systems?


There is also another thing I wanted to ask about, dioramas, how have they changed over the years? I have a old book from the '90s on building them including shadow boxes but my plans have changed a little over the years and wondering whats out there now to achieve diorama goals.

 

Kinda sorta . built a 55 effie model for my sidekick / granddaughter to look kinda like my 53 . then just recently found a 53 effie 3 in 1 kit and a 71 tbird at hobby lobby so now i gotta go buy all the paints etc . all over again ..... The 53 ought to be self explanatory the 71 due to me owning and loving a 70 bird for years .....

 

Same here, I found out recently that they finally released a battleship Texas model in 1:350 scale as well and I been waiting 20 years for this so now I have to get back into the hobby and relearn everything.


My goal would be if money wasn't an issue would be to build two versions, one under sale in 1943 and one version in dry dock for the 1935 refit so you can see below the water line actually.


I also have a 1:87 scale Big Boy locomotive I never put together and I started on a 1:350 NX 01 Enterprise model which I need to replace as I am sure its not saveable now and a 1:350 Titanic half finished.

 

I love ship models and I'm having difficulty finding one.

 

Happy Rusty posted this, think I'm going out to a hobby shop today. I use to be pretty good as a youngster ( late teens), I could use a relaxing hobby.

 

try hobby lobby tseekins . the one here in town had quite a few including a very daunting looking aircraft carrier with a bizzilion pieces ...........

 

Same here, with the ability to buy paint from Automotive touchup I thought about building some vehicle models as well painted and clear coated in correct colors.


Down side is I am looking at ships right now, I purchased from Amazon for $32 a two pack of the german cruisers Dresden and Emden in 1:350 scale. Wont be building them any time soon but they are good to do when you cant do anything outside.

 

Former model builder here too. I started out around 8 years old building car models, then built a few jet fighters, then heavily back into cars after I got my driver's license. Most of my collection is comprised of Mustangs, and have a good handful of NASCAR racers in there. The NASCARs were fun to build mostly because of the different paint jobs. They were all the same underneath mostly (much like the real thing...LOL) but trying my hand at doing the different paint schemes and decals was the fun part to me. I remember trying to do the fading scheme for that anniversary car of Rusty Wallace...had the silver up front which faded into black on the rear half of the car.

I probably haven't done any model building in about 15 years or so myself. I remember that I could go to a hobby shop, spend $20, and walk out with a 1/24 or 1/25 scale model kit, all the paint I'd need for it, and maybe some extra supplies.

Now, I see the same size kits are going for $20+ alone. Craziness. And there don't seem to be any independent hobby shops around...or at least nowhere near as many when I was active in the hobby. It seems only the "big boxes" are around. The mom & pop stores were neat because they would have a huge assortment of kits, and stuff you wouldn't find at Michael's. Back then, Hobby Lobby wasn't around here so I didn't have that...even now, the closest one is about half an hour away.

I did the basic assembly to the cars I built and just used the spray cans for exterior and interior paint jobs. Painted all the small parts of the engine with brushes, did the detail work-such as gauges-by hand. Never did bother with airbrushes.

I've still got all my assembled models packed away in boxes...I don't know what to do with them. Chances are, they'll never see the light of day again as I don't really have the space for them, but I don't want to just toss them out.

 

Yep, can still get the car models for around $25 for a kit but the ships in 1:350 scale or planes in 1:32 or 1:43 scale have shot up. Most expensive ship kit last time I bought that was on the shelf was the Titanic in 1:350 scale with GMM etched parts pushing $84.99. Same kit still around but it seems all 1:350 scale models now come with photo etched parts and range from $80 on up to $200.

 

well maybe this old hobby of ours will come back around full tilt once again . i know my lil' red head granddaughter had a blast building the 55 with me . now if only aurora would start building afx electric race tracks again and i could possibly find my old cars ( some dating from the 60's ) i could relive a happy part of my youth building model cars and racing slot cars in my free time ............... oh wait i grew up and got a career and family WHAT FREE TIME lol !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

I used to make all kinds of models way back when also..

Even have a few sitting on the shelf waiting to be assembled..

I used to have the old Aurora tracks too..

These are the new slot car tracks if you are interested..

Carrera Slots - Carrera Slot Cars - Racing Tracks and Sets


These are more elaborate than the old Aurora sets.

Was thinking of getting one myself..

 

Used to build models up until 14 years old then something else came along. That of course was cars. Started up again back in 2000 with some planes and two carriers. Now have about 100 models waiting to be built after teaching myself the newer techniques of today vs. yesterday. However, once again cars have gotten in the way. The there were only three and now there are 10 plus the large area needed to work on them. On top of that there is the carrier restoration I have been involved in so no model has been built since 2003 now.

Speaking of Aurora I still have all my tracks and cars that I accumulated between 1966-68 and laid out on a 8 x 10 board in San Diego. Once we moved a couple of years later it went into storage and I managed not to get it lost all these years.

 

A lot of people here are builders.

 

cool track set donjamer but just a little pricey to me . so tbm where do you keep your track set at and is it left without supervision ????,,,,,,