FML !!! bloody models

Sprue Cutters Union Week 4: The Worst Experience with the hobby

For the fourth installment of the spruecutters union we are asked to talk about our worst experience with the hobby. Again this has taken a lot of thought on my part. Do I talk about cock-ups with models? Missing out on that E-bay bargain that I forgot to bid on? Finishing a model and it not turning out as I imagined it would? Etc, etc.

In all honesty this is to date the hardest subject that I have had to write about. I have spend the entire week trying to pin down a specific model or topic but this morning I came to the realsiation that I haven't really had that "FML" moment with this hobby. I know that you are probably reading this thinking "yeah right this guy has cocked up plenty of times and just doesn't want to admit it!" Well your half right, I have cocked up plenty of times but I am happy to admit that. I suppose that I am an eternal optimist when it comes to this hobby. I think that we all forget the wider skills that making models teaches us. I for one have an enormous amount more patience, my ability to concentrate on any task has improved and I am a much calmer person. I can't remember the last time I used the words "I'm bored". I have modeling to thank for that. So I don't really have that FML memory because I tend to adapt, re-use, recycle or re think when that cock up occurs. Isn't that the fun of this hobby after all?

So in terms of when I do make a cock up on a model I tend to think to myself, "shit what can I do with this now?" and then get on with it. Don't believe me? Well my Opel Blitz workshop truck (my favorite model from last week) was melted in front of a spot lamp while I went for a cigarette. I then melted some more of the model and made it look like a beaten up old workshop truck. My V1 rocket diorama had the paint ripped off the nose section from some masking tape so I draped a camo net over the damage to cover it and only a few days ago was complimented on twitter for using the camo net in the dio! My aerosan diorama had the engine pieces snapped and I spilled fake water all over the snow effect. The engine was re-assembled and the water painted over. All of these cock ups that I have mentioned are just a few in a long history of the word "shit" being uttered from behind my model table in the evenings, and an even longer list of being forced to learn new techniques, tips and get-arounds for the inevitable cock ups that happen with this hobby.

Blitz with melted front end

V1 with "ruined" paint job

Realistic water effect!

Smoke hiding a part I could not get right!

So I suppose that my final words for this weeks challenge is a little bit of advice; the next time you find yourself uttering the word "shit" or something stronger. Take a little time out to relax, calm yourself and instead of thinking that your latest model has now been ruined by a silly mistake, think to yourself OK, this has just happened so how can I alter my plans to incorporate this cock up to make the model a better one than I first thought it would be. Till next week stay frosty readers!

PS if you liked this article then visit these blogs for more on the same subject:

David Knight's Weblog
Lt. Smash's Models
A Scale Canadian
Yet Another Plastic Modeller
Mattblackgod's World
Martin's Scale Models
Doogs' Models
Kermit's Workbench