The kits in my stash run the gamut from basic to ultra complex, but my preferences have changed as I age. When younger, I loved the challenge that multi-part models presented and I equated complexity with accurracy. Lately shakey hands and declining eyesight make gluing tiny pieces more a chore than a pleasure. For fun, I'm now drawn to kits that combine reasonable accuracy with ease of construction...aka Tamiya.
I don't know how you do it, Paul. But a five minute video from you, on just about about any subject, is like a tall glass of water on a hot day. It sets me up.
What's important about a plastic model kit? - Nothing much, that's why we like them and that's why we are happy to spend all those hours chasing what they offer us. I have to say I've watched just about all of your videos and I think your blend of wisdom, experience and perspective makes them stand out as my favourite series across the whole of UA-cam. Presented with a calm soothing voice, your extreme patience and methodical approach to problem solving comes across loud and clear. You can't hide the years of experience that lies beneath. I'm so glad that the medium of internet video has enabled us all to connect and communicate and leave the world a slightly better place than it was when we found it.
Ya know, that is an *excellent* point, "What's important about a plastic model kit? - Nothing much, that's why we like them and that's why we are happy to spend all those hours chasing what they offer us."
I love a model kit that has alot of parts. I love a model kit that has alot of attention to individual part detail. I love a model kit that has overall attention to detail when in full completetion. Iove a model kit who's instructions are exact, precise, & easy to read. I just love models overall. . . .Period! Happy building everyone. Take care.
I don't know how to nail down what is most important to me in a plastic model kit - and I think that could well be because it is a moving target. What I want from a plastic model kit varies because some get used for miniatures gaming; because some get used in model railroading; because sometimes I want to precisely portray history; because sometimes I want to apply my ideas.
I gotta tell ya, sometimes we want a challenge, and sometimes... sometimes we just want the damn thing to fit together. More often than not, it's the journey the kit takes me on that I appreciate the most, and often get a little maudlin when things wrap up. Kinda like finishing a good book. You're sad it's over, but you're glad you took the trip. More often, as of late, I've been using your videos to help keep my hobby in perspective. Like most of us, I was a novice, then started really getting into the hobby; shelved it for various reasons, dove back in, became a rivet-counter... I'm sure I'm not telling you anything you don't know. But your uploads have this meditative quality to them, that really help ground me in reality when I'm flying off the rails on a project. I know it's not 100% on subject , but I just wanted to let you know that, because while I'm sure you understand that your videos are helpful and instructive- they also bring peace of mind. Your years of expertise, in video format, have become a part of my build process; and for that, I thank you.
Good morning Mr. Budzik, What a beautiful collection of memories with those boxes and envelopes from other times. I remember the various models that my father used to make in his adult youth (born in 1923, just in time to make a bit of war here in Italy, unfortunately on the wrong side: he had been drafted shortly before 8 September and then sent for the servant at the piece in the flak with the 88s, which he solved in relatively few months, deserting, a few days before the anti-aircraft battery was annihilated) and I remember very well the Airfix envelopes, including the Spitfire and which from 1969 onwards I also bought me, the corsair (monogram in 1/48) the "slant six engine" of the monogram, similar to the transparent V8 you showed, just to name a few (about 100 we did) yes we were not modelers comparable to his skill but we had fun. at the time in Italy there were only three brands available: Airfix Revell and Monogram, after years I saw the Aurora but it seemed less detailed and the only colors available were the English humbrol, and there was really no talk of airbrushing; the closest thing to that hobby use was the Miller compressor but it was advertised in DIY magazines. Sorry for the length of the post but I got carried away by the memories in honor of my father, who passed away last week at 97 years old.
@@scale-model-workshop Thank you very much; yes, fortunately my memories are almost all pleasant and even in the less pleasant ones, perhaps linked to reproaches in the younger days, now I see the good educational intention. Ciao
So if I understand correctly.... You are a dentist? If my understanding this to be true, You would be my preferred dentist. I say this because your eye for detail is, hmmm... well Unique. I love the fact that your perspective on things is well thought out and not just an I told you so because I said so. Also every time I click on one of your videos I know I am not being scammed by click bait. Thank you for putting the content that is vital and at most useful to me and others who share that sentiment. Thank you !!!
This is a tough question to answer for me. I have numerous high-quality kits from Tamyia, Hasegawa, Special Hobby, Academy, but the only ones I ever seem to build are the Revell, Italeri, Airfix, and other not-so-great- quality kits. I think I have some sort of anxiety issue about messing up an expensive kit. This makes no sense because the higher quality kit would likely make it LESS likely that I would screw something up. I dunno. Weird I guess.
To me the expensive part of the build is supplies (paint, masking tape, etc) and my time. Those two far exceed the cost of the kit. So I say, build that expensive kit! Life’s too short to be constantly irritated with Revelle or Italeri kits.
I'm with you. Revell 1/32 kits are my favourites & I cram in as much home-made detail as I can. This is where I get my fun. £100 for a Tamiya? Nah.....
You're absolutely spot on. I do love the Eduard kits for their fantastic details and usually good fit, and Tamiya for their shake and bake fit and good details.
There is always the long standing debate of "Rivet counters" vs. "hey man, can't we all just get along"? We all want a kit that fits together well, has good detail, and a decent parts count just to keep us entertained a little. In a perfect world we COULD have all these things. But in reality that "Perfect" elusive kit would zap our wallet so fast due to how much it would cost to manufacture such a unicorn. I think more companies are finding their niche and sticking to it. You just have to decide what niche you fall into. Great vid on some old to new kits. Also great topic of discussion. Cheers from the great white north.
I'm glad I finally came across this channel. I'm a new subscriber as of today but I've been modelling for about 65 years. I too am a retired dentist. I'm actually a prosthodontist and have handled a great many wonderful materials and equipment which are unavailable to me today. I wish I had a metal casting setup but I'd probably burn my house down. I do however have a lot of great instruments I had from my practice and have a local dentist who lets me order from her catalogs. We do many of the same things the same way but I have been able to learn some great techniques from your vids of things I never did before. I'm looking forward to seeing any new vids you decide to do. Your work is fantastic. Jeff Himan.
Hi Paul. As I'm over 40, spending more time with family instead of leaning over my bench... So my recent preference is having less time on construction and less time on paint job. As a trade off I'm okay(ish) with shallow details and changed my palette to water based acrylics. (dries faster, odourless) Now I need to meet my expectations with these circumstances.
I love detailed kits, when it matters! The interior of most bombers will never be seen, and I don't derive the satisfaction that some do in super detailing everything. So for me, the Tamiya kits are detailed enough and the parts fit when they should!
I really enjoy your food for thought presentation 👍 As for good fit, that is something I really enjoy, take the new Tamiya F-4B 1/48, what a perfect kit. But as you point out each to their own taste. I do enjoy a little scratch build as well, not really to make parts fit more to add to the kit itself. Lastly the piano playing in the background on your videos is right down my alley, been trying find out who it is. Do keep the great content flowing.
The unpainted, finished model at beginning looks pretty spectacular on its own, I'd love for all kits to fit and look like that. With costs of model kits today it is difficult to experiment with brands. However each brand as at least one kit that is done well.. If I want to super detail a kit I'll go with a bigger scale, but typically like to work on 1/48. Fuselage fitting is the most difficult.
This made me think of the first model I built in 1953-54 of an F-86 jet. I used so much glue that the wings melted down 30 degrees and my father put it outside when he came home from work because the house was filled with glue fumes. I don’t remember what company made that model but I did remember to not use that much glue.
Interesting question. Considering I work with mostly miniature soldiers and figures now, and I do most of my work starting with a 3D printer where I can choose how I assemble, I'd have to go with the more free-form approach. Of course, this mostly has to do with flexibility in posing and dioramas. With a vehicle, the only flexibility I'd possibly want would be in battle damage but that's now what you were referring to. For simple enjoyment of building, I think the almost 'bubble-wrap" quality of perfect fitting pieces is nice and efforts can be reserved for more elevated tasks like painting.
Good question... but then we have the additional consideration of not only how many parts are used but how are the instructions set out for ease of build and does the extra part count improve the detail?
Great insight as usual, which is appreciated. Parts count can become irrelevant if the instructions are sub standard, or not comprehensive. While slightly off topic, the true genius of LEGO these days is in the instructions. Thanks Paul
Hi again! For me it's the shape (i.e. accuracy), then it's the history behind it (not far behind) and I don't mind a bit of challenge while building. Once in a while Tamiya is welcome for a relaxing build. But I have quite a few scratch builds too. Thank you for the question! 🙂
I've had very good experience with the Bronco 1:35 CV3/33 tankette. Still my favorite build to date. Part fit is the most important thing for me. I'm a lazy bastard and having to file or, god forbid, fill in gaps, is incredibly annoying.
Ypur ponts are well made. I am old enough to remember the "golden era kits" from the simplistic Aurora to the nice Monograms. I agree that good production engineering is important. Currently Tamiya excels at that. I do armor and if I want a "fun" M4A3E8 I will look to the Tamiya kit. The parts will fit well and the result will still be almost as good as the very parts-intensive models from China. Accuracy issues aside, one company has emphasized production engineering to make a quality kit that fits!
I prefer less parts that fits well but I can do some ugrades (scatch build or use after market parts) than a kit with a high parts count and not have parts that fits well. To me most Otaki kits are fine, but I also feel the same on some of the older Matchbox kits....I know that there are builders that won't touch them but they are fun to build, look right and I have won contests with them....
There are several of those Matchbox kits I would like to build again or for the first time. Their 1/76 scale WW2 armor and truck kits had some quite nice figures as parts on the kit sprues. I used those models for miniatures games rather than as potential model contest entries and they served that purpose well while looking very good doing it. I think their 1/72 Stranraer flying boat is a looked-for old kit.
For me, it's about 75% is the destination (the finished model that I can look at from angles not normally seen, and how it sizes compared to models of the same scale), and about 25% for the journey (getting it together). I understand that there are others who are the reverse, or even more extreme, and for them there are the "craftsman" kits like Edward and all the aftermarket photo-etch and resin. To each their own.
I build real 1 to 1 scale cars for a living. Full, nut and bolt, 100% correct restorations, Pebble Beach level. Detail is insane. Here's the thing, NOTHING just bolts on!! Even if it was the exact same part thats been on the car for 90 years. Yes, a scale model is a hobby so it needs to be "fun". But, what one person defines as fun is anothers aggravation. I can build carbs all day, most people do not have the patience for that stuff. I personally like "easy" kits, well made with good fit from the start. When I was younger I was all into the details, now, not so much. I just build them box stock, I don't even install plug wires anymore. But what I do better than I used to is paint. My presentation is above par because the paint looks really, really good. Details, not so much. Its all what YOU prefer. Just enjoy and keep building them!!!
I could not agree with you more, The Enjoyment, The Challenge, The Honing of skills, the choice of tools and mediums, their application as its not always whether or not one finishes the kit or not. As what`s been achieved, done or learnt can be just as satisfactory, its the journey and not necessarily the designation that matters. Fir me once it done it done, I know I can do it again, however it will always be different than the first attempt. Take care.
I don't really need or even want every model to "fall together" like Tamiya kits. The only thing I ask is that the instructions are clear and that the parts provide some kind of locator pin or mark. Building the 1/35 Scammell by Thunder Models has been an experiment of pure frustration. You'd better have a ton of reference photos before attempting that one.
Well said. It needs to be an enjoyable process for whichever type you like. I am glad the industry provides us with options. For me, I enjoy a quality kit with good fitting parts that don't require an engineering degree to figure out. : )
Most important to me is the fit of parts. Don't really enjoy a lot of file - to -fit. Tamiya is so good at creating accurate looking kits that I can get ready for paint relatively quickly.
The biggest thing for me when building a kit is time. It's the most limiting resource. I'd rather spend the time painting and weathering being creative, than fixing issues with the fit of the kit. Bring on the "Assembler vs Modeler" comments.
On the other hand... that's why this hobby has a good RoI in my opinion. Kit & supplies: 50. Hours of modelling fun: up to you, but way cheaper than an evening down in the pub :D
Personally, I prefer more complex models, even if their fit isn't quite up to par. Part of the joy of the hobby is just how individual each model can be after final construction, modification and painting; those second kind of kits are perfect for that element. Filling gaps, painting small details, possibly adding more detail by hand, reshaping lines or silhouettes are all things I find incredibly enjoyable and satisfying, and increase appreciation for a model.
Tamiya kits are the kits that keep me coming back to the hobby. After a frustrating kit like Eduard, Special Hobby or Trumpeter, I have a deep hate for the hobby. Such a high price for this sh%$! Then I go back to Tamiya, yes a challenge, but a successful & pleasing challenge. Once again I love the hobby and can't wait for my next build. As long as it's Tamiya.
I especially like Eduard, although out of Tamiya' s league, they still provide excellent kits at good prices, especially their 1/72 kits such as their recent mig 21's are one of my all time favourite kits!
I see Tamiya has released a 1/48 F-4b, has there been any insights for other versions, C,D,E ? To me, its worth waiting 2 to 6 years for a kit like that. I am just finishing the old Testors 1/48 U-2a that I started in 2008. Along come the AFV club kit.... Atleast I get to see how close my scratch building stacks up to a modern kit.
I had a Lindberg F-11 Tiger. I saw how many sprues were in the box, maybe 3 or 4 total. and thought that it wouldn't build into a good kit. I didn't even try. Then I bought a Kitty hawk Cougar. Why? Because I am a glutton for punishment. It was very challenging. I dry fitted a lot, and was more patient than I probably would have been with the F-11. I just assumed complication would equal to a better looking kit, than a simpler one.
Good, thoughtful vid, Paul. 👍🏻 I am like a lot of the other commenters here in that I feel that I want a kit with excellent fit so my time is spent weathering, detailing and personalising a kit rather than fighting it just to try to get it together looking half decent. In the 21st Century, If the manufacturer isn't prepared to do a professional job of designing the product, they will not get my business if there is a better alternative. I am not an Eduard fan only because they spent too much time & attention on the CAD surface detail and not enough on the way the kit actually builds. Whilst Revell and Airfix are low priced, Eduard are not and this is something to bear in mind when deciding which to go for. Building the Eduard Mirage IIIc was like battling the Sith! 😖
There’s always been somewhat of a middle ground. Got a kit that comes together like a Lego set, but doesn’t have enough detail? Add it on yourself. In addition to the history of DIY scratch building and super detailing there’s also a whole industry built aftermarket parts made of photoetch and resin, and the breaking ground of 3D printing both DIY and some commercial. Now some companies are making 3D decals for cockpits.
Nowadays my passion has mostly shifted to collecting and building ancient model kits. I enjoy the challenge of making them look as good as up to date models, at least on the surface. I totally fell in love with Monogram kits and started collecting and building them, also just recently I completed my Matchbox collection, fulfilling a childhood dream. Of course the new Tamyia kits are of much better quality, but to me the construction process feels pretty boring and effortless, almost like building Lego. Other modern companies tend to drastically overengineer their kits with many unnecessary assemblies, which I also find not very fun. I´m very happy to always have the choice to go back to a kit of the 50s or 60s.
Hello, I am Ivy from the Stedi brand. The video you shot is very appealing to me. Perhaps you can try our modeling tool. Our Stedi brand has been focusing on modeling tools for 18 years, and our modeling tool has a huge customer base in the United States, Canada, Japan, and Southeast Asia. Our products are distributed and sold globally. If you are interested, we look forward to working with you and getting back to you!
For me, building is not the hard part. Don’t know why, but once a get a kit closed up and prepare to paint the exterior (I relish painting cockpits) I come a a halt for fear of marring that which I’ve accomplished so far. I think this is part of the price of being a perfectionist
I avoid kits with multiple tiny wee parts. To me it's about the construction and then playing about with whatever paint finish I think is right for the particular model. I certainly don't stick to authenticity here. It's my model and I'll finish it in a way that pleases me. That's part of the individual fun of construction kits - !😁
I really can't stand having to MAKE parts fit. I don't care how many part there are within reason (workable tank tracks being a good example with some being almost a thousand pieces - too much). Being forced to sand/cut/file/putty parts together is just me fixing a lazy designers work - not what I paid for and not fun. Putting together a complex kit kit that WORKS is FUN!
otaki - yeap - i did there bf109 in 1974.. wonderful... I just build a trio of spitfires - airfix, tamiya (I) and Eduard... my outcome - Tamiya was the 'best', the Eduard 'Pain' and Airfix 'Fun'... the all looked good in the end, but I would tackle a airfix again any day, an Tamiya when I have the time to get it right, but and Eduard.. only when I can focus and take all the time I need to not stuff up - it's like you can't relax with it...
Most definitely fine detail tight fitting parts use little glue as possible especially in iconic model. Like the Spitfire the Mustang the zero the 109 the Apollo Saturn V the eagle from space 1999 you get the idea it's going to put the detail in or they have it already there
Hey, watch it! There are those of us who spend as much effort on a freight car model, as you do on a model airplane kit. We are few and far between, but so are those that build model airplane kits to the same standards you follow.
Hey, listen up ... I was talking about diffulty in manufacture...not building it. It's.a lot easier to cut a square mold than a fuselage. And, by the way, I cut my teeth as a teenager building Walthers Santa Fe heavyweights. Stamped metal sides, wood roof, Central Valley trucks, Cal Scale details, and a lot of Scratch.
Part fit and engineering are my personal primary criteria. How much filling and sanding are required? Only then will I consider the accuracy of a model. If it looks "enough" like the subject it is meant to represent, that's good enough for me - I'm no "rivet counter" by any stretch of the imagination. As just one example of many: Kitty Hawk kits: they cover unusual subjects and the detail is pretty good, and they are usually pretty accurate, but the part fit and engineering are just utterly appalling! So I avoid Kitty Hawk like the plague. So in the example shown in this video, would I personally choose the Tamiya or Eduard Spitfire's? Tamiya every time!
It doesn’t really matter the model to me. For anyone who pays attention you will numerous skills. Engineering, fit, function, tool use, exploded drawings, drafting, concentration, assembly techniques, alterations of variants, abstract thought, jigs, adhesives, paint and painting, conservation of time, allocation of time, paying attention to detail, watching experts like you on UA-cam to enhance your skill level and what obviously can be learned from trial and error, to name a bare modicum.
Detail and nostalgia. All modern main stream kits are good but I do feel that Tamiya are falling behind in some areas compared to admittedly more expensive rivals.
A good hobby usually has this element, 'Easy to learn, hard to master'. After building for so many years, we look for kicks and go for less well engineered kits and most times, a rare subject as well. On the other hand, building too many kits often leads to burn out and we go back to nicely engineered kits like Tamiya again. Making things too simple/easy dulls the interests quickly.
The finished product is most important to me. I'm going to have to look at it for far longer than it took to build. I have the unfortunate personality traits of perfectionism and completionism, a terrible combination for this hobby if one wants to derive consistent enjoyment. In order to get a good finished product, the kit needs to be well designed at my stage of talent (more lack thereof really...). I do not posses the skills to take a poorly engineered kit and make it good. Easy to build should not be confused with well engineered. Much like you point out, I'd rather do a 5000 piece puzzle that I can complete and stand back and have some sort of satisfaction with vs a 50 piece puzzle I have to file, cut, trim, re-fit, fill, sand endlessly, re-scribe 8 times, only to find more issues later on not initially spotted, and ultimately look awful despite my attempt. I sadly derive little intrinsic value from the process, and my mindset only allows me to think that no one cares how hard I tried, all that matters is the final outcome. A sad reality of life.
I always ask myself, when choosing a model kit, if I can have a decently accurate replica with, for example, 100 parts... why spend money, time and work with another kit of the same subject, with 230 parts. Eduard, KittyHawk and some of the newest companies seems to enjoy producing kits to be stashed - because they are so damn unnecessarily difficult. Life’s too short: I rather have easier kits.
I've built the simple build Tamiya Spitfire, their new tool Spitfire and Eduard's wonderful Spitfire. The drawback with the Tamiya kit is that there is no surface texture and you cannot do the early Spit. Ease of build? The newer kits aren't that hard if you are an experienced modeler. Noobs have the old tool Spit so they can gain experience.
So, I’ll answer in this way and see if anyone agrees; certain manufacturers are like gateway drugs for the hobby. My struggle, introducing my 9 & 11 year old has been in providing economical kits, that are east to build while still supplementing my own growing skills. So they will spend an hour on a 1:144 scale kit and be completely satisfied, while I’ll struggle with the same kit for two months to get the detail that I prefer.
Less pieces as possible without loosing details or introducing artifacts for the injection process. When a shape is impossible to be produced in one piece it can be 2 pieces or more.
One area which irritates me is ejector pin marks. Tamiya makes fantastic kits, but they are riddled with these. There has to be a way to eliminate these. Their cause is pushing the parts ot of the mold before the plastic has cooled. Having to spend time removing these is not enjoyable. I realize they want to make as many as fast as possible from a business standpoint. They are smart people and could think of something to correct this. It seems it is not a priority to them. Perhaps using compressed air or liquid nitrogen or slowing down to let the plastic cool. It seems like just a few seconds could make a difference.
After 42 years in the hobby, I find myself winding down. I haven’t lost my passion for the hobby, rather I’m disgusted with the cost of model kits today. The higher end model kit companies today charge excessively huge amounts of money for their kits because they can. I also despise these hobbyists who who insist on collecting every after-market accessory for a model kit before they work on a project. They honestly believe that adding hundreds of dollars of photo-etch and resin makes them better modellers. Actually, they become nothing but “assemblers”. The art of scale model building is lost. My wife calls people like this “model geeks” and she’s correct. I bet Shep Paine is rolling over in his grave.
The kits in my stash run the gamut from basic to ultra complex, but my preferences have changed as I age. When younger, I loved the challenge that multi-part models presented and I equated complexity with accurracy. Lately shakey hands and declining eyesight make gluing tiny pieces more a chore than a pleasure. For fun, I'm now drawn to kits that combine reasonable accuracy with ease of construction...aka Tamiya.
I don't know how you do it, Paul. But a five minute video from you, on just about about any subject, is like a tall glass of water on a hot day. It sets me up.
What's important about a plastic model kit? - Nothing much, that's why we like them and that's why we are happy to spend all those hours chasing what they offer us.
I have to say I've watched just about all of your videos and I think your blend of wisdom, experience and perspective makes them stand out as my favourite series across the whole of UA-cam. Presented with a calm soothing voice, your extreme patience and methodical approach to problem solving comes across loud and clear. You can't hide the years of experience that lies beneath.
I'm so glad that the medium of internet video has enabled us all to connect and communicate and leave the world a slightly better place than it was when we found it.
Ya know, that is an *excellent* point, "What's important about a plastic model kit? - Nothing much, that's why we like them and that's why we are happy to spend all those hours chasing what they offer us."
I love a model kit that has alot of parts. I love a model kit that has alot of attention to individual part detail. I love a model kit that has overall attention to detail when in full completetion. Iove a model kit who's instructions are exact, precise, & easy to read. I just love models overall. . . .Period! Happy building everyone. Take care.
An elegantly understated video. Thank you.
Very good video. I really enjoyed !! please make another ...
I don't know how to nail down what is most important to me in a plastic model kit - and I think that could well be because it is a moving target. What I want from a plastic model kit varies because some get used for miniatures gaming; because some get used in model railroading; because sometimes I want to precisely portray history; because sometimes I want to apply my ideas.
Perhaps the most important thing is, "Will I have fun with this kit?"
I gotta tell ya, sometimes we want a challenge, and sometimes... sometimes we just want the damn thing to fit together. More often than not, it's the journey the kit takes me on that I appreciate the most, and often get a little maudlin when things wrap up. Kinda like finishing a good book. You're sad it's over, but you're glad you took the trip.
More often, as of late, I've been using your videos to help keep my hobby in perspective. Like most of us, I was a novice, then started really getting into the hobby; shelved it for various reasons, dove back in, became a rivet-counter... I'm sure I'm not telling you anything you don't know. But your uploads have this meditative quality to them, that really help ground me in reality when I'm flying off the rails on a project.
I know it's not 100% on subject , but I just wanted to let you know that, because while I'm sure you understand that your videos are helpful and instructive- they also bring peace of mind. Your years of expertise, in video format, have become a part of my build process; and for that, I thank you.
Thank you for putting into words the goal of my channel !
@@scale-model-workshop You're welcome, and thank you for taking time out to reply. Hope your coming week finds you well.
Good morning Mr. Budzik,
What a beautiful collection of memories with those boxes and envelopes from other times.
I remember the various models that my father used to make in his adult youth (born in 1923, just in time to make a bit of war here in Italy, unfortunately on the wrong side: he had been drafted shortly before 8 September and then sent for the servant at the piece in the flak with the 88s, which he solved in relatively few months, deserting, a few days before the anti-aircraft battery was annihilated) and I remember very well the Airfix envelopes, including the Spitfire and which from 1969 onwards I also bought me, the corsair (monogram in 1/48) the "slant six engine" of the monogram, similar to the transparent V8 you showed, just to name a few (about 100 we did) yes we were not modelers comparable to his skill but we had fun. at the time in Italy there were only three brands available: Airfix Revell and Monogram, after years I saw the Aurora but it seemed less detailed and the only colors available were the English humbrol, and there was really no talk of airbrushing; the closest thing to that hobby use was the Miller compressor but it was advertised in DIY magazines.
Sorry for the length of the post but I got carried away by the memories in honor of my father, who passed away last week at 97 years old.
Thank you for sharing your memories and so sorry for your loss. I hope the memories that you remember most will always be the good ones.
@@scale-model-workshop Thank you very much; yes, fortunately my memories are almost all pleasant and even in the less pleasant ones, perhaps linked to reproaches in the younger days, now I see the good educational intention.
Ciao
So if I understand correctly.... You are a dentist? If my understanding this to be true, You would be my preferred dentist. I say this because your eye for detail is, hmmm... well Unique. I love the fact that your perspective on things is well thought out and not just an I told you so because I said so. Also every time I click on one of your videos I know I am not being scammed by click bait. Thank you for putting the content that is vital and at most useful to me and others who share that sentiment.
Thank you !!!
For me, stress free build, and something that looks like the original. Love the vibe and presentation of your videos :) Real time ASMR.
This is a tough question to answer for me. I have numerous high-quality kits from Tamyia, Hasegawa, Special Hobby, Academy, but the only ones I ever seem to build are the Revell, Italeri, Airfix, and other not-so-great- quality kits. I think I have some sort of anxiety issue about messing up an expensive kit. This makes no sense because the higher quality kit would likely make it LESS likely that I would screw something up. I dunno. Weird I guess.
To me the expensive part of the build is supplies (paint, masking tape, etc) and my time. Those two far exceed the cost of the kit. So I say, build that expensive kit! Life’s too short to be constantly irritated with Revelle or Italeri kits.
I'm with you. Revell 1/32 kits are my favourites & I cram in as much home-made detail as I can. This is where I get my fun. £100 for a Tamiya? Nah.....
You're absolutely spot on. I do love the Eduard kits for their fantastic details and usually good fit, and Tamiya for their shake and bake fit and good details.
Your channel has the best chill vibe going, and great voice over. Well done
There is always the long standing debate of "Rivet counters" vs. "hey man, can't we all just get along"? We all want a kit that fits together well, has good detail, and a decent parts count just to keep us entertained a little. In a perfect world we COULD have all these things. But in reality that "Perfect" elusive kit would zap our wallet so fast due to how much it would cost to manufacture such a unicorn. I think more companies are finding their niche and sticking to it. You just have to decide what niche you fall into. Great vid on some old to new kits. Also great topic of discussion. Cheers from the great white north.
Fit then detail, as I can add detail later. There is nothing like a bit of good old Tamiya goodness.
I'm glad I finally came across this channel. I'm a new subscriber as of today but I've been modelling for about 65 years. I too am a retired dentist. I'm actually a prosthodontist and have handled a great many wonderful materials and equipment which are unavailable to me today. I wish I had a metal casting setup but I'd probably burn my house down. I do however have a lot of great instruments I had from my practice and have a local dentist who lets me order from her catalogs. We do many of the same things the same way but I have been able to learn some great techniques from your vids of things I never did before. I'm looking forward to seeing any new vids you decide to do. Your work is fantastic. Jeff Himan.
I just realized you're a prosthodontist also and you're not retired yet. Sorry.
A lovely presentation.
Hi Paul.
As I'm over 40, spending more time with family instead of leaning over my bench... So my recent preference is having less time on construction and less time on paint job. As a trade off I'm okay(ish) with shallow details and changed my palette to water based acrylics. (dries faster, odourless) Now I need to meet my expectations with these circumstances.
Spending time with family will always have a higher priority than models. 👍
I always look forward to your videos. They are the first that I watch/
Thank you!
I love detailed kits, when it matters! The interior of most bombers will never be seen, and I don't derive the satisfaction that some do in super detailing everything. So for me, the Tamiya kits are detailed enough and the parts fit when they should!
Great episode doc!
I really enjoy your food for thought presentation 👍 As for good fit, that is something I really enjoy, take the new Tamiya F-4B 1/48, what a perfect kit. But as you point out each to their own taste. I do enjoy a little scratch build as well, not really to make parts fit more to add to the kit itself.
Lastly the piano playing in the background on your videos is right down my alley, been trying find out who it is. Do keep the great content flowing.
Im 73, recently returning to modelling, now with failing sight, arthritis … fun wins every time :)
I'd go for the Tamiya kit.
Great video!
I really enjoyed this video and as a scale models builder myself, I consider it very truthful and nostalgic ! Congratulations.
The unpainted, finished model at beginning looks pretty spectacular on its own, I'd love for all kits to fit and look like that. With costs of model kits today it is difficult to experiment with brands. However each brand as at least one kit that is done well.. If I want to super detail a kit I'll go with a bigger scale, but typically like to work on 1/48. Fuselage fitting is the most difficult.
You got it right! Ease of assembly. A bonus is accessories , spare parts, and killer box art.
This made me think of the first model I built in 1953-54 of an F-86 jet. I used so much glue that the wings melted down 30 degrees and my father put it outside when he came home from work because the house was filled with glue fumes. I don’t remember what company made that model but I did remember to not use that much glue.
Interesting question. Considering I work with mostly miniature soldiers and figures now, and I do most of my work starting with a 3D printer where I can choose how I assemble, I'd have to go with the more free-form approach. Of course, this mostly has to do with flexibility in posing and dioramas. With a vehicle, the only flexibility I'd possibly want would be in battle damage but that's now what you were referring to. For simple enjoyment of building, I think the almost 'bubble-wrap" quality of perfect fitting pieces is nice and efforts can be reserved for more elevated tasks like painting.
Thanks again Doc.
Good question... but then we have the additional consideration of not only how many parts are used but how are the instructions set out for ease of build and does the extra part count improve the detail?
Good to see you on here.
Great insight as usual, which is appreciated.
Parts count can become irrelevant if the instructions are sub standard, or not comprehensive. While slightly off topic, the true genius of LEGO these days is in the instructions.
Thanks Paul
Hi again!
For me it's the shape (i.e. accuracy), then it's the history behind it (not far behind) and I don't mind a bit of challenge while building.
Once in a while Tamiya is welcome for a relaxing build. But I have quite a few scratch builds too.
Thank you for the question! 🙂
I've had very good experience with the Bronco 1:35 CV3/33 tankette. Still my favorite build to date.
Part fit is the most important thing for me. I'm a lazy bastard and having to file or, god forbid, fill in gaps, is incredibly annoying.
Great video. Accuracy doesn't have to mean complicated. There is a balance.
Says the man who scratch builds entire STAR WARS models from pictures! You are one SERIOUSLY talented man!
Ypur ponts are well made. I am old enough to remember the "golden era kits" from the simplistic Aurora to the nice Monograms. I agree that good production engineering is important. Currently Tamiya excels at that. I do armor and if I want a "fun" M4A3E8 I will look to the Tamiya kit. The parts will fit well and the result will still be almost as good as the very parts-intensive models from China. Accuracy issues aside, one company has emphasized production engineering to make a quality kit that fits!
I just wish Tamiya wouldn't put solid molded tie-downs and handles on the kits.
I prefer less parts that fits well but I can do some ugrades (scatch build or use after market parts) than a kit with a high parts count and not have parts that fits well. To me most Otaki kits are fine, but I also feel the same on some of the older Matchbox kits....I know that there are builders that won't touch them but they are fun to build, look right and I have won contests with them....
There are several of those Matchbox kits I would like to build again or for the first time.
Their 1/76 scale WW2 armor and truck kits had some quite nice figures as parts on the kit sprues.
I used those models for miniatures games rather than as potential model contest entries and they served that purpose well while looking very good doing it.
I think their 1/72 Stranraer flying boat is a looked-for old kit.
For me, it's about 75% is the destination (the finished model that I can look at from angles not normally seen, and how it sizes compared to models of the same scale), and about 25% for the journey (getting it together).
I understand that there are others who are the reverse, or even more extreme, and for them there are the "craftsman" kits like Edward and all the aftermarket photo-etch and resin.
To each their own.
I build real 1 to 1 scale cars for a living. Full, nut and bolt, 100% correct restorations, Pebble Beach level. Detail is insane. Here's the thing, NOTHING just bolts on!! Even if it was the exact same part thats been on the car for 90 years. Yes, a scale model is a hobby so it needs to be "fun". But, what one person defines as fun is anothers aggravation. I can build carbs all day, most people do not have the patience for that stuff. I personally like "easy" kits, well made with good fit from the start. When I was younger I was all into the details, now, not so much. I just build them box stock, I don't even install plug wires anymore. But what I do better than I used to is paint. My presentation is above par because the paint looks really, really good. Details, not so much. Its all what YOU prefer. Just enjoy and keep building them!!!
I could not agree with you more, The Enjoyment, The Challenge, The Honing of skills, the choice of tools and mediums, their application as its not always whether or not one finishes the kit or not. As what`s been achieved, done or learnt can be just as satisfactory, its the journey and not necessarily the designation that matters. Fir me once it done it done, I know I can do it again, however it will always be different than the first attempt. Take care.
I don't really need or even want every model to "fall together" like Tamiya kits. The only thing I ask is that the instructions are clear and that the parts provide some kind of locator pin or mark. Building the 1/35 Scammell by Thunder Models has been an experiment of pure frustration. You'd better have a ton of reference photos before attempting that one.
I have it in the stash. Please don't scare me!
Well said. It needs to be an enjoyable process for whichever type you like. I am glad the industry provides us with options. For me, I enjoy a quality kit with good fitting parts that don't require an engineering degree to figure out. : )
Fantastic. I saw that episode of toy stories semi recently too. Great channel, please keep it up.
Most important to me is the fit of parts. Don't really enjoy a lot of file - to -fit. Tamiya is so good at creating accurate looking kits that I can get ready for paint relatively quickly.
Superb analysis!
Love your vids.
Thank you!
Nice video you got there
The biggest thing for me when building a kit is time. It's the most limiting resource. I'd rather spend the time painting and weathering being creative, than fixing issues with the fit of the kit. Bring on the "Assembler vs Modeler" comments.
Fixing lazy manufacturing mistakes instead of being creative isn't my idea of fun.
On the other hand... that's why this hobby has a good RoI in my opinion.
Kit & supplies: 50. Hours of modelling fun: up to you, but way cheaper than an evening down in the pub :D
Personally, I prefer more complex models, even if their fit isn't quite up to par. Part of the joy of the hobby is just how individual each model can be after final construction, modification and painting; those second kind of kits are perfect for that element. Filling gaps, painting small details, possibly adding more detail by hand, reshaping lines or silhouettes are all things I find incredibly enjoyable and satisfying, and increase appreciation for a model.
Tamiya kits are the kits that keep me coming back to the hobby. After a frustrating kit like Eduard, Special Hobby or Trumpeter, I have a deep hate for the hobby. Such a high price for this sh%$! Then I go back to Tamiya, yes a challenge, but a successful & pleasing challenge. Once again I love the hobby and can't wait for my next build. As long as it's Tamiya.
Agree 100%
I love how Tamiya kits fits together. But I also like Eduard's surface detail.
I especially like Eduard, although out of Tamiya' s league, they still provide excellent kits at good prices, especially their 1/72 kits such as their recent mig 21's are one of my all time favourite kits!
@@tri3852 I've haven't tried 1/72 Eduard so far. Only 1/48s. But I'am going to start jet collection in 1/72, and perhaps Mig-21 will be the first.
@@hynol Yes! I'd definitely recommend these kits!
Tamiya👍 As the owner of three Honda’s a Toyota and one Yamaha, nothing beats 🇯🇵quality, work ethic and attention to detail,
I see Tamiya has released a 1/48 F-4b, has there been any insights for other versions, C,D,E ?
To me, its worth waiting 2 to 6 years for a kit like that.
I am just finishing the old Testors 1/48 U-2a that I started in 2008.
Along come the AFV club kit....
Atleast I get to see how close my scratch building stacks up to a modern kit.
A C/D, J, and possibly an early E are almost certainly in the cards, but I wouldn't expect a next variant for at least 18 months.
I had a Lindberg F-11 Tiger. I saw how many sprues were in the box, maybe 3 or 4 total. and thought that it wouldn't build into a good kit. I didn't even try. Then I bought a Kitty hawk Cougar. Why? Because I am a glutton for punishment. It was very challenging. I dry fitted a lot, and was more patient than I probably would have been with the F-11. I just assumed complication would equal to a better looking kit, than a simpler one.
The people who run Kitty Hawk might not have been born yet when the Lindberg F11F-1 was first issued in 1959.
Good, thoughtful vid, Paul. 👍🏻 I am like a lot of the other commenters here in that I feel that I want a kit with excellent fit so my time is spent weathering, detailing and personalising a kit rather than fighting it just to try to get it together looking half decent. In the 21st Century, If the manufacturer isn't prepared to do a professional job of designing the product, they will not get my business if there is a better alternative.
I am not an Eduard fan only because they spent too much time & attention on the CAD surface detail and not enough on the way the kit actually builds. Whilst Revell and Airfix are low priced, Eduard are not and this is something to bear in mind when deciding which to go for. Building the Eduard Mirage IIIc was like battling the Sith! 😖
There’s always been somewhat of a middle ground. Got a kit that comes together like a Lego set, but doesn’t have enough detail? Add it on yourself.
In addition to the history of DIY scratch building and super detailing there’s also a whole industry built aftermarket parts made of photoetch and resin, and the breaking ground of 3D printing both DIY and some commercial. Now some companies are making 3D decals for cockpits.
Successful build that was a challenge is what I’m looking for in a kit.
Nowadays my passion has mostly shifted to collecting and building ancient model kits. I enjoy the challenge of making them look as good as up to date models, at least on the surface. I totally fell in love with Monogram kits and started collecting and building them, also just recently I completed my Matchbox collection, fulfilling a childhood dream. Of course the new Tamyia kits are of much better quality, but to me the construction process feels pretty boring and effortless, almost like building Lego. Other modern companies tend to drastically overengineer their kits with many unnecessary assemblies, which I also find not very fun. I´m very happy to always have the choice to go back to a kit of the 50s or 60s.
Hello, I am Ivy from the Stedi brand. The video you shot is very appealing to me. Perhaps you can try our modeling tool. Our Stedi brand has been focusing on modeling tools for 18 years, and our modeling tool has a huge customer base in the United States, Canada, Japan, and Southeast Asia. Our products are distributed and sold globally. If you are interested, we look forward to working with you and getting back to you!
For me, building is not the hard part. Don’t know why, but once a get a kit closed up and prepare to paint the exterior (I relish painting cockpits) I come a a halt for fear of marring that which I’ve accomplished so far. I think this is part of the price of being a perfectionist
I avoid kits with multiple tiny wee parts. To me it's about the construction and then playing about with whatever paint finish I think is right for the particular model. I certainly don't stick to authenticity here. It's my model and I'll finish it in a way that pleases me. That's part of the individual fun of construction kits - !😁
I really can't stand having to MAKE parts fit. I don't care how many part there are within reason (workable tank tracks being a good example with some being almost a thousand pieces - too much). Being forced to sand/cut/file/putty parts together is just me fixing a lazy designers work - not what I paid for and not fun. Putting together a complex kit kit that WORKS is FUN!
Sorry you feel like that because modelling is ment to be fun, sanding and trying to make parts fit are what modelling is about. Have fun
What's more important to me?
That it's AVAILABLE once i got the cash.
otaki - yeap - i did there bf109 in 1974.. wonderful... I just build a trio of spitfires - airfix, tamiya (I) and Eduard... my outcome - Tamiya was the 'best', the Eduard 'Pain' and Airfix 'Fun'... the all looked good in the end, but I would tackle a airfix again any day, an Tamiya when I have the time to get it right, but and Eduard.. only when I can focus and take all the time I need to not stuff up - it's like you can't relax with it...
Enjoyed the out comment at the end of your video narrative. discussing.
Might be the frustrated go on to scratch building or not.
Most definitely fine detail tight fitting parts use little glue as possible especially in iconic model. Like the Spitfire the Mustang the zero the 109 the Apollo Saturn V the eagle from space 1999 you get the idea it's going to put the detail in or they have it already there
Mr. Budzik, would you mind telling what is that intro song?
Thank you and I hope you're doing well.
so what was airfix doing before that?
They started with the Golden Hind. Here's a link to the history of the Spitfire BTK www.sworld.com.au/steven/models/spitfire/index.html
Hey, watch it! There are those of us who spend as much effort on a freight car model, as you do on a model airplane kit. We are few and far between, but so are those that build model airplane kits to the same standards you follow.
Hey, listen up ... I was talking about diffulty in manufacture...not building it. It's.a lot easier to cut a square mold than a fuselage. And, by the way, I cut my teeth as a teenager building Walthers Santa Fe heavyweights. Stamped metal sides, wood roof, Central Valley trucks, Cal Scale details, and a lot of Scratch.
@@scale-model-workshop It's cool. Some of those resin freight car kits can be quite fiddly! Always look forward to your videos.
@@scale-model-workshop I've withdrawn my comment. I will keep in the part about you doing good work!!
Part fit and engineering are my personal primary criteria. How much filling and sanding are required? Only then will I consider the accuracy of a model. If it looks "enough" like the subject it is meant to represent, that's good enough for me - I'm no "rivet counter" by any stretch of the imagination. As just one example of many: Kitty Hawk kits: they cover unusual subjects and the detail is pretty good, and they are usually pretty accurate, but the part fit and engineering are just utterly appalling! So I avoid Kitty Hawk like the plague. So in the example shown in this video, would I personally choose the Tamiya or Eduard Spitfire's? Tamiya every time!
It doesn’t really matter the model to me. For anyone who pays attention you will numerous skills. Engineering, fit, function, tool use, exploded drawings, drafting, concentration, assembly techniques, alterations of variants, abstract thought, jigs, adhesives, paint and painting, conservation of time, allocation of time, paying attention to detail, watching experts like you on UA-cam to enhance your skill level and what obviously can be learned from trial and error, to name a bare modicum.
Detail and nostalgia. All modern main stream kits are good but I do feel that Tamiya are falling behind in some areas compared to admittedly more expensive rivals.
I prefer a complex build, although I mainly build armour kits. The more parts, the happier I am.
A good hobby usually has this element, 'Easy to learn, hard to master'. After building for so many years, we look for kicks and go for less well engineered kits and most times, a rare subject as well. On the other hand, building too many kits often leads to burn out and we go back to nicely engineered kits like Tamiya again. Making things too simple/easy dulls the interests quickly.
Most important is to have fun while building. And everyone complaining about fit should try building an WWI biplane.
The finished product is most important to me. I'm going to have to look at it for far longer than it took to build. I have the unfortunate personality traits of perfectionism and completionism, a terrible combination for this hobby if one wants to derive consistent enjoyment. In order to get a good finished product, the kit needs to be well designed at my stage of talent (more lack thereof really...). I do not posses the skills to take a poorly engineered kit and make it good. Easy to build should not be confused with well engineered. Much like you point out, I'd rather do a 5000 piece puzzle that I can complete and stand back and have some sort of satisfaction with vs a 50 piece puzzle I have to file, cut, trim, re-fit, fill, sand endlessly, re-scribe 8 times, only to find more issues later on not initially spotted, and ultimately look awful despite my attempt. I sadly derive little intrinsic value from the process, and my mindset only allows me to think that no one cares how hard I tried, all that matters is the final outcome. A sad reality of life.
I always ask myself, when choosing a model kit, if I can have a decently accurate replica with, for example, 100 parts... why spend money, time and work with another kit of the same subject, with 230 parts. Eduard, KittyHawk and some of the newest companies seems to enjoy producing kits to be stashed - because they are so damn unnecessarily difficult. Life’s too short: I rather have easier kits.
I've built the simple build Tamiya Spitfire, their new tool Spitfire and Eduard's wonderful Spitfire. The drawback with the Tamiya kit is that there is no surface texture and you cannot do the early Spit.
Ease of build? The newer kits aren't that hard if you are an experienced modeler. Noobs have the old tool Spit so they can gain experience.
To your last question-depends on what you define as fun…
So, I’ll answer in this way and see if anyone agrees; certain manufacturers are like gateway drugs for the hobby. My struggle, introducing my 9 & 11 year old has been in providing economical kits, that are east to build while still supplementing my own growing skills. So they will spend an hour on a 1:144 scale kit and be completely satisfied, while I’ll struggle with the same kit for two months to get the detail that I prefer.
Tamiya is the best for the builder.
I look forward to inflatable models.
Like the Goodyear Inflatoplane...
Tamiya all day every day!
Less pieces as possible without loosing details or introducing artifacts for the injection process. When a shape is impossible to be produced in one piece it can be 2 pieces or more.
One area which irritates me is ejector pin marks. Tamiya makes fantastic kits, but they are riddled with these. There has to be a way to eliminate these. Their cause is pushing the parts ot of the mold before the plastic has cooled. Having to spend time removing these is not enjoyable. I realize they want to make as many as fast as possible from a business standpoint. They are smart people and could think of something to correct this. It seems it is not a priority to them. Perhaps using compressed air or liquid nitrogen or slowing down to let the plastic cool. It seems like just a few seconds could make a difference.
After 42 years in the hobby, I find myself winding down. I haven’t lost my passion for the hobby, rather I’m disgusted with the cost of model kits today. The higher end model kit companies today charge excessively huge amounts of money for their kits because they can. I also despise these hobbyists who who insist on collecting every after-market accessory for a model kit before they work on a project. They honestly believe that adding hundreds of dollars of photo-etch and resin makes them better modellers. Actually, they become nothing but “assemblers”. The art of scale model building is lost. My wife calls people like this “model geeks” and she’s correct. I bet Shep Paine is rolling over in his grave.
I enjoy construction, I prefer a kit that fights back a little then one that goes together like lego, i rarely do Tamiya its boring
Why weren't there any little girls doing modeling? Too busy cooking and sewing?
Thanks Paul really enjoyed that!