An antidote to loss of mojo

[europapete]

So.... due to a heavy workload recently my evening modelling has been suffering due to collapsing on the couch after cooking dinner and THINKING about what I would like/ should be doing. The mind is willing but the 60 year old body says something not repeatable. So, we have arrived at a compromise. Being in a state of relative brain-deadness and not the energy to engage in the needed detail work on regular kits, I pulled out the trusty Mk4 WW1 tank. The early Takom version that needs the tracks building. 5 parts per link. 92 links need making. Then we have the St Chamond, and the FT. Then the A7V. ALL needing tracks built. So, the net result is braindead modelling, the scent of glue at least, and the feeling of actually DOING SOMETHING!!!!  and not having to be scale correct, color correct, or ANYTHING! just sticking parts together. Ahhhhhhhhh.............

[Stokey Pete]

That is exactly the kind of modelling I love when I lose interest. I’ve got 2 kits on the go that are simply being glued together and painted/decal’d. 
I’m putting a GR.7 Harrier in the paint shop this week. It’s had no extras, just plastic. I haven’t even bothered building gear for it, it’s going wheels up. 
Alongside that, I’ve got a Bf-109E that is getting roughly the same treatment, apart from a resin cockpit (came with the donation). I know nothing about the aeroplane. I’ve no real desire to research into the kits inaccuracies, or do any corrective surgery. I just wanna build it and paint it with whatever correct(ish) paints I have to hand, and get it in the shelf. 
I’m finding myself with less patience and time currently, I don’t know if it’s lockdown fatigue, or simply can’t be bothered with them. 

[LSP_K2]

I seem to very frequently go there myself, tinkering with bits that just need a bit of cleanup, then gluing together. I actually work in two places, my computer area and the dining room (at least for now). The dining room area is for the more serious stuff, while my computer desk is just for more or less mindless gluing of pieces, like assembling the rocket body of my 1:35 Takom V2 kit, which I did a few nights back. Very relaxing stuff, with no real need for uber attention to tiny parts.

[Adrian]

My loss of mojo go to kits are one of the Trumpeter Maz 543s. Something very relaxing about the sheer quantity of parts in the frame/suspension that fit together sublimely as long as they aren't mixed up. I've built a Scud, cargo truck (both sold) and am in the process of building the AA-60 fire truck. These are true beasts and look straight out of Thunderbirds. I still have another cargo truck to convert to a crane and a tractor/trailer combination.

 

I know little about the real thing and the kits are well enough detailed for me to not get all het up about anything missing plus

the parts fit is excellent.

Edited February 19, 2021 by Adrian
spelling

[Rick Griewski]

The last time I was I this state of mind I put on a dust mask, plastic gloves and cut

all the casting sprues off of most of my resin kits and cleaned up all the parts. I spent a lot of time hovering over the utility sink and away from the bench.    If I have no mind to model build then I do the mindless tasks.  

[europapete]

Speaking of mindless tasks, I miscounted the number of track links on the Mk4. It's 92 PER SIDE! 184 with 5 parts per link. That should teach me to ***** about mojo lololol. Regards, Pete in RI

[LSP_K2]

2 hours ago, europapete said:

Speaking of mindless tasks, I miscounted the number of track links on the Mk4. It's 92 PER SIDE! 184 with 5 parts per link. That should teach me to ***** about mojo lololol. Regards, Pete in RI

 

It happens. It's the one downside to doing armor projects. I just got rid of an ages old DML 1:35 Panzer IV track set. Each and every track link (and they're tiny in 1:35 scale), had two small ejector pin marks each. It would literally have taken longer to clean up all those tiny links, than it would be to build, paint and weather the entire tank.

[europapete]

I am begining to realize that! 

[LSP_K2]

9 minutes ago, europapete said:

I am begining to realize that! 

 

But still, a mindless task that will occupy you when you have no other modeling desire, not requiring a great deal of thought. A big ol' Jagdtiger that I'm presently working on, had no less than seven ejector pin marks on each section of links (the short ones), and they all had to be sanded off. This task alone, took me the better part of three weeks, if memory serves.

[Gazzas]

Usually on work days, I'm too tired to model.  In the few minutes at work when my mind can escape thinking about work, I think about models.  But, by the time I get home. get my feet up for an hour of foruming and picture gathering, it's time to think about dinner and then I'm pretty much spending time with the missus until bed.

 

But I work a four day week...  so that gives me three partial days usually to model.  Precious time! 

 

I keep three kits on the go at all times...  each in a different phase.  usually.

[mpk]

Happily I suffer no such problems with regard to the above.

 

My brain embraces brainless tasks.

 

Indeed, 'tis my comfort zone. 

[quang]

1 hour ago, mpk said:

My brain embraces brainless tasks.

My favorite brainless task is to clean up my desk. I do it every time the mojo loss is getting severe. 
My ex-wife used to tell me I should lose my mojo more often! 

[mpk]

4 minutes ago, quang said:

My ex-wife used to tell me I should lose my mojo more often! 

 

Everyone's a critic. 

[ChuckD]

Kinda there too after a couple long, complex builds.  My son and I spent a few nights sticking to get her a Bandaid star destroyer and it was a lot of fun.  Got me back in the mood to model, so after this lovely Saturday morning coffee, I intend to hit the bench and get moving.

[europapete]

me too, suddenly found myself with an unexpected day off, so Tally Ho Gents! Into the basement we go!! CHAAAARRRGGE!!! 

Edited February 20, 2021 by europapete