where do you draw the line?

[Lightspeed]

6 hours ago, The Dude said:

The most aftermarket I use in 99% of my builds are seats and decals. Anything else is going to be a 'Epic' build and I only have 2 of those. Otherwise It will never get done.

Definitely agree there, its great to aspire, create and have goals, sometimes we inhibit ourselves by setting the bar of self expectation too high, no point in placing goals if we are unable to fulfill them, things can quickly turn around once the passion is dissipated from dealing with the unforseen or underestimating our challenges we set ourselves.

[LSP_Matt]

Welcome to LSP mate.

What Thierry said but also drawing the line might be easier to judge if you have a clear idea of what you want to achieve in your build and what medium will work the best in your hands to yield yourself satisfaction.

I've noticed some people might concentrate on a particular aspect of a plane, or only use a certain medium.  In some circumstances, you might even do away with something like intakes by using self-made FOD covers. Sometimes it is both fun and cheaper to build just OOB and see what you can achieve within the constraints of the kit that was manufactured.

 

Cheers Matty

[Treehugger]

I think scratch building can be good fun.

 

I made some fixes to the 1:700 Colombo Express, using my wits, a sharp blade, and an assortment of Evergreen styrene strips and rods:

https://i.redd.it/pnvtob8pt1y81.jpg

https://i.ibb.co/4PYbDNH/bow4.jpg

I used the upper side details as a guide for sake of symmetry:
https://i.ibb.co/Jn5g1mw/bow3.jpg

 

Edited June 13, 2022 by Treehugger

[Lightspeed]

2 hours ago, Treehugger said:

I think scratch building can be good fun.

 

I made some fixes to the 1:700 Colombo Express, using my wits, a sharp blade, and an assortment of Evergreen styrene strips and rods:

https://i.redd.it/pnvtob8pt1y81.jpg

https://i.ibb.co/4PYbDNH/bow4.jpg

I used the upper side details as a guide for sake of symmetry:
https://i.ibb.co/Jn5g1mw/bow3.jpg

 

Love your work @Treehugger good example of what we can do with our skills.

 

After research on the Trumpy F-14D, when i made the order for the kit i did also add some evergreen .010 , .020 and .040 styrene sheet pack to aid in whatever i needed or wanted to re make and adjust, i have seen most of the build threads on the kit that i can find and it's fantastic to see guys adding their own detail to the box stock parts and re-making or scratch building detail, for me that's true modelling, i am def not against simple OOB builds either, i have done many of these over my life with pretty good results. Academy FA-18, and Tamiya F14A, nothing but spray cans stock decals and some brushwork, very few paints, in fact what i have learned in my life derived from many circumstances is that you can truly attain great results by simply not having all the tools at hand, this enables invention and outside of the box thinking to attain a result where we can try, test and retry things and different ways and methods if we do not have a full blown workshop with everything you could ever want at hand.

 

Scratch building is great, its an entire level above simply sanding meet points to fit, judiciously cementing, lacky bands for clamps etc and applying a bit of paint, offers a huge creative outlet for us to add to our projects outside the sphere of what the manufacturer of the kit has provided.

 

So anyway have just purchased  the Aires Resin kit AIR2175 SJU-17 seats instead of the entire cockpit and will go from there, found a nice Vulcan Cannon M61A1 Brass kit and a few Reskit GBU 24 a/b to go with the GBU 38's, managed to find them from a seller i have already bought from on the bay at 20% off so being in OZ saves a huge cost in postage from anywhere else in the world, often postage to Aust is as much as the item itself and that's a killjoy.

 

Not having much luck on Decals at this stage to suit but am trying to source a DACO book here in Aus so i can do further research , found one but its $100, lol i am so stingy.

 

I have had a look at "Christine" and have the site bookmarked, amazing though, i have NEVER seen an F-14 with a black tinted glass cockpit ever, never even seen one modeled either so thats new to me.

https://www.primeportal.net/hangar/bill_spidle_f-14d/f-14d_159600_christine_parts/index.php?Page=2

 

Anyway am getting off topic so i better not digress further.

 

Edited June 13, 2022 by Lightspeed

[Panzerwomble]

I don't buy kits that cost more than 5 gallons of petrol ....lets see how well that comment ages....

 

I don't tend to buy AM either , why pay for it twice etc etc , but them I might just be a big of an old commundgeon . 

 

& also

 

G'day Lightspeed . 

[dennismcc]

I have a loose maximun amount that I would pay for a kit usually£100, but for the right subject I may exceed that for example I paid £118 for the ZM Ki 45 because I like the subject and it's the only game in town.

As to AM I only use it were there are obvious defects with a kit, normally the only AM I use are seat belts and paint masks, this does break down a bit where Spitfires are concerned though.

 

Cheers

 

Dennis

[cbk57]

Been down that road, and your line will get drawn weather you intend to or not.  If you go to far, you will either 1, not finish, 2, finish it and use it all, 3, start deciding life is to short or some pieces don:t add to the end game and choosing to pick and choose what you use or not use, then finish the kit.  I have definitely taken option 1, never taken option 2, and often taken option 3.  I almost missed option 4 which is buy a bunch of stuff for the kit, never start it at all and sell it all years later.  I have don’t that one also and seen it done many times.  It is my favorite way to buy kits as I usually get lots of parts at a discount.  Time circumstance and modeling interest will all guide or force you into one of these paths.

[LSP_K2]

9 hours ago, John1 said:

I build slow and am usually only good for 1 kit per year.   As such, I try to go heavy on the aftermarket bits but they have to add value.   If they aren't a major jump over the kit parts, or what I could do by scratch building, I pass on them.   At a minimum, I always go with decals, seatbelts and typically an IP (unless I'm building one of the new Tamiya kits). 

 

Interestingly, several years ago I bought a Cutting Edge 1:48 seamless intake for the F-86 I was then working on. Well it was seamless alright, but also copied the ejector pin marks on both halves, which I then had to fill and sand out!

[quang]

K

47 minutes ago, LSP_K2 said:

 

Interestingly, several years ago I bought a Cutting Edge 1:48 seamless intake for the F-86 I was then working on. Well it was seamless alright, but also copied the ejector pin marks on both halves, which I then had to fill and sand out!

So…it appears that I’m not the only one in this mini-world who thinks that some AM add nothing to the original kit and some others are utterly useless or just down right scam. 

[DrDave]

I sometimes buy another kit of a subject just because I have a spare bit of AM going. Just did that on yet another ICM gladbag as I have a spare Eduard instrument panel already…

[thierry laurent]

1 hour ago, LSP_K2 said:

 

Interestingly, several years ago I bought a Cutting Edge 1:48 seamless intake for the F-86 I was then working on. Well it was seamless alright, but also copied the ejector pin marks on both halves, which I then had to fill and sand out!

Their 1/32 Mig-15 air intake is similar. It is seamless but copies the far too shallow and featureless front landing gear bay! Caveat emptor!

[Lightspeed]

1 hour ago, thierry laurent said:

Their 1/32 Mig-15 air intake is similar. It is seamless but copies the far too shallow and featureless front landing gear bay! Caveat emptor!

 

yep, bit like the Wolfpack 32052 update set for the Trumpy F14 pallets and racks, bit more detail but for god knows what reason they have copied the Trumpeter mold leaving the front aero design of the pallets LAU-93 or 132 still needing correction so the only option there is to still get the Zacto pallet correction. 

 

Would like to do 2 of these kits, but have no idea where in my house to display them, was thinking an A version and the D variant representing the Alpha and the Omega but there is no way i am forking out my hairloss to double the trouble.

 

My next favorite is the A-1 in USAF or USN, what a beast. Last of the bugsmashers.

 

[Lightspeed]

5 hours ago, dennismcc said:

I have a loose maximun amount that I would pay for a kit usually£100, but for the right subject I may exceed that for example I paid £118 for the ZM Ki 45 because I like the subject and it's the only game in town.

As to AM I only use it were there are obvious defects with a kit, normally the only AM I use are seat belts and paint masks, this does break down a bit where Spitfires are concerned though.

 

Cheers

 

Dennis

 

 

So none of this sort of kit in your stash then. Wow price tag versus the Trumpeter 1/32

https://www.primeportal.net/models/thomas_voigt_reviews/zm_skyraider/index.php?Page=1

[Lightspeed]

lol, just found this while googling the LAU Rails for kit comparisons and fit.

This has got me thinking if the the Teknics pit i bought for the for Tamiya 1/32 will fit into the Trumpeter and Frankenfit.

 

 

Edited June 14, 2022 by Lightspeed
grammar

[Pete Fleischmann]

10 hours ago, Lightspeed said:

 i have NEVER seen an F-14 with a black tinted glass cockpit ever, never even seen one modeled either so thats new to me.

https://www.primeportal.net/hangar/bill_spidle_f-14d/f-14d_159600_christine_parts/index.php?Page=2

 

 

Not tinted-That is a museum piece. A common thing for aircraft on permanent static display is to paint the interior of the canopy. 

Usually Blue however-

 

cheerz

P