So how did you get started?
Discussion
To all you kit-builders out there in the PH beyond:
Where did it all begin for you? How did you first get started in this frustrating, occasionally annoying, yet ultimately rewarding (when it goes right...) pastime/hobby?
For little old me, it was when I happened to buy a copy of Street Machine magazine back in early 1988, and read Terry Ross' "Small Talk" column. Modelling artistry. From there, I was hooked, and bought the magazine religiously every month until he left (and came back, and left again).
From there, I began to delve into the shadowy world of plastic, paint and blades, my formative teenage years filled with thoughts of putty and roof-chops. Girls and alcohol proved to be quite a distraction in later years, but the bug has never quite left me, and like most, I'm still searching for that elusive Holy Grail:
The Model That Goes Together Perfectly And Nothing Goes Wrong.
I suppose I ought to count myself lucky that my fiancee (yes, I found time to get engaged) is surprisingly tolerant - nay, occasionally interested - in my hobby of choice, though her Sword Of Damocles threat that my unbuilt ones will be Ebayed if nothing happens with them really ought to get me off my backside and back to building...
Enough waffle from me, what's your story?
Terry Ross?! He`s directly responsible for my shed full of car models too!
A lengthy Lego apprenticeship and repainting my toy cars was good grounding for my first attempt at a plastic kit: a Novo Hawker Typhoon. I got the wings on the right way round and it wasn`t too gappy, so I was hooked, progressing to Tamyiya catalogue inspired 1/35th military and dioramas - then I too discovered Street Machine, and more specifically Terry Ross` articles!
At first, although I appreciated his obvious talent, I couldn`t understand the point of 1/24th scale engine swaps but it started to make sense as I got more interested in full size rods & muscle cars - now I can`t build anything stock, no matter how hard I try! I was chuffed when he printed a picture of my `88 Street Machine Motorvation show class winning drag racing `49 Ford in the mag - but gutted he credited it to someone elese!! Don`t think I`ll ever get over it....but I`m still building, and where`s Street machine?!
I don`t think the perfect kit exists. In my experience the results are far too inconsistent: even though for a perfect model all one has to do is pour glue and paint in to a Tamiya box, close the lid and shake, I can still make a pig`s ear of one but conversely, I get huge satisfaction from making a sharp & presentable job out of a cr*ppy `70s MPC kit!
P.S. Did you know Terry Ross is the brain child & modeller of the Speed Freaks series of cartoon styled car sculptures? Aparently, he "doesn`t do plastic anymore"!
A lengthy Lego apprenticeship and repainting my toy cars was good grounding for my first attempt at a plastic kit: a Novo Hawker Typhoon. I got the wings on the right way round and it wasn`t too gappy, so I was hooked, progressing to Tamyiya catalogue inspired 1/35th military and dioramas - then I too discovered Street Machine, and more specifically Terry Ross` articles!
At first, although I appreciated his obvious talent, I couldn`t understand the point of 1/24th scale engine swaps but it started to make sense as I got more interested in full size rods & muscle cars - now I can`t build anything stock, no matter how hard I try! I was chuffed when he printed a picture of my `88 Street Machine Motorvation show class winning drag racing `49 Ford in the mag - but gutted he credited it to someone elese!! Don`t think I`ll ever get over it....but I`m still building, and where`s Street machine?!
I don`t think the perfect kit exists. In my experience the results are far too inconsistent: even though for a perfect model all one has to do is pour glue and paint in to a Tamiya box, close the lid and shake, I can still make a pig`s ear of one but conversely, I get huge satisfaction from making a sharp & presentable job out of a cr*ppy `70s MPC kit!
P.S. Did you know Terry Ross is the brain child & modeller of the Speed Freaks series of cartoon styled car sculptures? Aparently, he "doesn`t do plastic anymore"!
gruffgriff said:
Terry Ross?! He`s directly responsible for my shed full of car models too!
A lengthy Lego apprenticeship and repainting my toy cars was good grounding for my first attempt at a plastic kit: a Novo Hawker Typhoon. I got the wings on the right way round and it wasn`t too gappy, so I was hooked, progressing to Tamyiya catalogue inspired 1/35th military and dioramas - then I too discovered Street Machine, and more specifically Terry Ross` articles!
At first, although I appreciated his obvious talent, I couldn`t understand the point of 1/24th scale engine swaps but it started to make sense as I got more interested in full size rods & muscle cars - now I can`t build anything stock, no matter how hard I try! I was chuffed when he printed a picture of my `88 Street Machine Motorvation show class winning drag racing `49 Ford in the mag - but gutted he credited it to someone elese!! Don`t think I`ll ever get over it....but I`m still building, and where`s Street machine?!
I don`t think the perfect kit exists. In my experience the results are far too inconsistent: even though for a perfect model all one has to do is pour glue and paint in to a Tamiya box, close the lid and shake, I can still make a pig`s ear of one but conversely, I get huge satisfaction from making a sharp & presentable job out of a cr*ppy `70s MPC kit!
P.S. Did you know Terry Ross is the brain child & modeller of the Speed Freaks series of cartoon styled car sculptures? Aparently, he "doesn`t do plastic anymore"!
A lengthy Lego apprenticeship and repainting my toy cars was good grounding for my first attempt at a plastic kit: a Novo Hawker Typhoon. I got the wings on the right way round and it wasn`t too gappy, so I was hooked, progressing to Tamyiya catalogue inspired 1/35th military and dioramas - then I too discovered Street Machine, and more specifically Terry Ross` articles!
At first, although I appreciated his obvious talent, I couldn`t understand the point of 1/24th scale engine swaps but it started to make sense as I got more interested in full size rods & muscle cars - now I can`t build anything stock, no matter how hard I try! I was chuffed when he printed a picture of my `88 Street Machine Motorvation show class winning drag racing `49 Ford in the mag - but gutted he credited it to someone elese!! Don`t think I`ll ever get over it....but I`m still building, and where`s Street machine?!
I don`t think the perfect kit exists. In my experience the results are far too inconsistent: even though for a perfect model all one has to do is pour glue and paint in to a Tamiya box, close the lid and shake, I can still make a pig`s ear of one but conversely, I get huge satisfaction from making a sharp & presentable job out of a cr*ppy `70s MPC kit!
P.S. Did you know Terry Ross is the brain child & modeller of the Speed Freaks series of cartoon styled car sculptures? Aparently, he "doesn`t do plastic anymore"!
Of all the magazines I've read over the years, I always used to look forward to SM the most, and it was Mr. Ross' column (easy tiger) that was the reason I bought it. I just wonder how it was that he apparently got somewhat shafted by the management, and left the magazine twice (once in mid '91, then again at the end of '99). I well remember the furore in the mid nineties when Small Talk got axed, and the whoops of joy when the main man made his comeback after the Richard Coney years.
I also used to flick through a kind of Model Mart publication (can't remember the name) and there was a regular model car section in there that suggested that Terry left again due to management goings-on (they renamed Small Talk 'Chopped' and made it only bi-monthly). Only the man himself knows the full story, but I miss Small Talk hugely.
Ironically, I had all those issues of SM from late '88 when I started, up unilt he left in '99, but a flood in my cellar wrecked the whole lot. Not a man who gives up easily, I've been salvaging Small Talk from each issue (using the missus' hairdryer) and will soon have them all back.
SERIOUSLY impressed that you had a model in ST! Any chance of seeing a pic? I've long coveted Terry's Speed Freaks, but it's sad that he's turned his back on plastic as you say. Too many bad memories, perhaps?
I too fondly remember the halcyon days of SM but in their quest to evolve and keep it fresh I feel the quality and balance was lost. My momento of the period is a scrap book of the Small Talk pages and the other favourite of mine, the Motorvation drawings. I`m sad at your loss and admire your rescue attempt! Might be worth your while watching the classifieds in Custom Car for old SM magazines - they`re ususlly given away to anyone who`ll collect!
I know Richard (and his stunt modeller/s - I`ve only ever seen a couple of military models Richard has made yet the Small Talk column featured many car projects!) and have to thank him for getting another couple of mine in SM, then Classic American when he was their diecast correspondant! If you`ve got and dried out the Sept (I think)`88 Motorvation show special issue, my maroon Ford is credited to Nicholas Cunningham - never met him but his name will haunt me!
As far as I know, Terry is still active in plastic as a hobby: he`s definitely won a class at the Great Salt Lake City model show a couple of times, and been featured in Scale Auto Enthusiast. Now there`s publication that`s a shadow if it`s former self.......
I know Richard (and his stunt modeller/s - I`ve only ever seen a couple of military models Richard has made yet the Small Talk column featured many car projects!) and have to thank him for getting another couple of mine in SM, then Classic American when he was their diecast correspondant! If you`ve got and dried out the Sept (I think)`88 Motorvation show special issue, my maroon Ford is credited to Nicholas Cunningham - never met him but his name will haunt me!
As far as I know, Terry is still active in plastic as a hobby: he`s definitely won a class at the Great Salt Lake City model show a couple of times, and been featured in Scale Auto Enthusiast. Now there`s publication that`s a shadow if it`s former self.......
Found these on an old post:
http://ph.uncle-dave.co.uk/upload/ima
http://ph.uncle-dave.co.uk/upload/ima
http://ph.uncle-dave.co.uk/upload/ima
http://ph.uncle-dave.co.uk/upload/ima
Of course the SM featured Ford is in the other cabinet..........
http://ph.uncle-dave.co.uk/upload/ima
http://ph.uncle-dave.co.uk/upload/ima
http://ph.uncle-dave.co.uk/upload/ima
http://ph.uncle-dave.co.uk/upload/ima
Of course the SM featured Ford is in the other cabinet..........
I'm not sure which is the smiley for being very impressed indeed, but I'd be using it if I could find it...
I've actually recovered the Motorvation '88 ST, and I'll have another look to see your Ford. Still got most of the Richard Coney ST's to be recovered, so will keep 'em peeled whilst I'm drying them out. I'll try the 'Back of CC' trick, that's good advice actually. I was, as you'll imagine, totally gutted to find that the plastic tubs (with lids) I bought to protect my mags from damp were incapable of saving them from 18 inches of water...
Funny you should mention Scale Auto, I lost loads of them too.
But, to nicer things. Did you go to many of the shows (apart from the one you entered)? I know they always used to talk about the Doncaster and Hickstead shows, and South London Auto Modellers. There was always the latest creation from Toni Zammit to look forward to, and I wish I'd got more into the scene earlier. I remember going to a show in Liverpool and meeting the man who brought along the Model Of The Year 1994. Sky-high standards. I still don't really bother often with wiring the engines on mine...
Which was your first model? I (foolishly) chose AMT's 1958 Impala for my first attempt, seduced as I was by opening doors and bonnet. I cringe when I think of the pig's ear I made of it...
I've actually recovered the Motorvation '88 ST, and I'll have another look to see your Ford. Still got most of the Richard Coney ST's to be recovered, so will keep 'em peeled whilst I'm drying them out. I'll try the 'Back of CC' trick, that's good advice actually. I was, as you'll imagine, totally gutted to find that the plastic tubs (with lids) I bought to protect my mags from damp were incapable of saving them from 18 inches of water...
Funny you should mention Scale Auto, I lost loads of them too.
But, to nicer things. Did you go to many of the shows (apart from the one you entered)? I know they always used to talk about the Doncaster and Hickstead shows, and South London Auto Modellers. There was always the latest creation from Toni Zammit to look forward to, and I wish I'd got more into the scene earlier. I remember going to a show in Liverpool and meeting the man who brought along the Model Of The Year 1994. Sky-high standards. I still don't really bother often with wiring the engines on mine...
Which was your first model? I (foolishly) chose AMT's 1958 Impala for my first attempt, seduced as I was by opening doors and bonnet. I cringe when I think of the pig's ear I made of it...
Paste-er-ee said:
I was, as you'll imagine, totally gutted to find that the plastic tubs (with lids) I bought to protect my mags from damp were incapable of saving them from 18 inches of water...
Ismay and the Harland and Wolfe designers thought the same when they penned the Titanic`s bulkheads.....
I passed my collection of SAEs to a friend who might part with them if you`re desparate to re-stock?
I did the Southern shows (never got to Donny) and yes, if Zammit turned up, the public were only voting on what would come second to his latest creation! Really memorable times! I`m still in the Watford Scale Model Club which is well populated with modelling greats who`s stuff (and occasional mug shots) regularly appeared in SM over the years.
`58 Impala? Very brave! Spectacular, if a little challenging in the door department! Mine`s in one the photos above - two-tone yellow and white. Sadly stolen when my shed was done over.....*#@tards. Don`t remember my first car, but I`ve probably got bits of it left in the spares box! And I`m sure it was bought from a newsagent too!
Does anyone still have their first model? Got any photos?
I can’t remember how I got started but I’m sure it involved my Dad who used to put the odd kit together, but I do know that my first kit was the 1:72nd USN Phantom. Can’t remember the mark but the colour scheme was all white. It was glued, painted and decaled by me and even I remember thinking it was a right mess then (aged 6). As my interest grew dad would take me to work (RAF rigger) and to every airshow he could (Mainly Honnington, Lakenheath, Mildenhall and Duxford). It seemed every week I would build something that I had seen first hand.
Pocket money would cover the cost of a standard Matchbox or Airfix kit plus enough left over for a tin of paint or a tube of glue or a brush, and Birthdays and Christmas would bring up some bigger kits (1:48th or even 1:32nd). At one point I had over 300 built kits in my bedroom, with nearly 100 of them hanging from the ceiling.
Lost interest during my late teens and twenties but picked it up again in my late twenties although my build rate is nothing like the one-two a week it used to be.
Cheers
Paul
Pocket money would cover the cost of a standard Matchbox or Airfix kit plus enough left over for a tin of paint or a tube of glue or a brush, and Birthdays and Christmas would bring up some bigger kits (1:48th or even 1:32nd). At one point I had over 300 built kits in my bedroom, with nearly 100 of them hanging from the ceiling.
Lost interest during my late teens and twenties but picked it up again in my late twenties although my build rate is nothing like the one-two a week it used to be.
Cheers
Paul
I've always made model aircraft, my dad got meinto it when I was pretty young. I made them all the time until I went into sixth form, and have only just rediscovered it. Now though I make 1/24 cars not 1/72 WW2 aircraft. Only problem is all my proper modelling sutff is at myparents house, the other side of the country! Despite that, and having little time, room or funds, I'm getting right back into it, with an RX7 my current project, with an NSX, Camero, GTV and Stratos all to follow
Eric Mc said:
Gopher - your Phantom model sound like the Airfix 1/72 US Navy F-4B. The proper colour scheme for US Navy fighters of the 60s and 70s was light gull gray upper surfaces and white undersides.
I suspect you are right Eric, using Airfix F-4B as a search term I found this
which is the kit in question.
I suspect the white stands out in my memory because despite the numerous layers it was all a bit streaky
Cheers
Paul
It's nice to see that they were using the original art work in the most recent boxing. By modern standards the kit was rather ropey and had been superseded in quality by releases by Hasegawa and especially Fujimi.
I really do hope that Airfix are resurrected in some form or other but it has to be said that many of their kits were well past their sell-by date and should have been quietly withdrawn from production. Having said that, even the Phantom kit had its merits in that, as far as I know, it was the only 1/72 kit ever made of the original "B" version. All other kit manufacturers went for the later production versions which were quite different in many respects, especially around the jet exhaust area.
I really do hope that Airfix are resurrected in some form or other but it has to be said that many of their kits were well past their sell-by date and should have been quietly withdrawn from production. Having said that, even the Phantom kit had its merits in that, as far as I know, it was the only 1/72 kit ever made of the original "B" version. All other kit manufacturers went for the later production versions which were quite different in many respects, especially around the jet exhaust area.
My first was the Airfix Spit IX, JE-J. Christmas 1973. Then a FROG Kittyhawk. By that time I considered myself ready for the Airfix Lanc. Then the Me110 that had come with the Spit in the Dogfight Double pack. By Easter '73 I was on the hard stuff and did the Airfix C130, my first frustrating encounter with tricycle undercarriages. Won an award in about 1979 for my ESCI Tornado, which I still have. That was a crap kit and took work to make a decent model. Still have it, should post a pic as it's a bit of a period piece in a particularly striking test livery. Last few kits in 1980 were Matchbox Buccaneer, Matchbox F4M, Airfix Puma, AIrfix/Frog Jaguar (T2 nose onto GR1 fuselage) and Airfix Harrier GR3 (nice new nose and RWR fairing). Last kit was the Hasegawa 1/32 F-104G. Not made one since, except for a Spit I knocked out last year as reference for a logo I needed to design.
However, I'm slowly accumulating a stash of unmade kits, so the bug hasn't entirely left me...
However, I'm slowly accumulating a stash of unmade kits, so the bug hasn't entirely left me...
Long may the bug continue.
I have been trying to get back into modelling again and have been actually able to complete a few in recent months -
the Airfix 1/72 B-26 Marauder
the Airfix 1144 Scale Vostok Rocket
the Emhar 1/72 Mk IV Female Tank of WW1
I am currently working on a 1/72 Airfix WW1 SPAD VII which I want to finish in the colours of Irish pilot John Charles Kennedy Cochrane-Smith. I recently discovered that the bulk of "British" RFC WW1 fighter aces were actually Irish (26 out of 43) so I have now got the urge to make a few models based on an "Irish Air Ace" theme. Next up will be Mick Mannock's SE5A from a new kit by Roden.
I have been trying to get back into modelling again and have been actually able to complete a few in recent months -
the Airfix 1/72 B-26 Marauder
the Airfix 1144 Scale Vostok Rocket
the Emhar 1/72 Mk IV Female Tank of WW1
I am currently working on a 1/72 Airfix WW1 SPAD VII which I want to finish in the colours of Irish pilot John Charles Kennedy Cochrane-Smith. I recently discovered that the bulk of "British" RFC WW1 fighter aces were actually Irish (26 out of 43) so I have now got the urge to make a few models based on an "Irish Air Ace" theme. Next up will be Mick Mannock's SE5A from a new kit by Roden.
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