This is what it’s like to be a newbie

[Laggard]

I just spent an hour making two chain plates with deadeyes.  
 

That is all. 

[Bob Cleek]

Do you think the experienced guys turn them out all that much faster?   A half hour to make a deadeye and chainplates isn't all that bad at all.

[Laggard]

47 minutes ago, Bob Cleek said:

Do you think the experienced guys turn them out all that much faster?   A half hour to make a deadeye and chainplates isn't all that bad at all.

Well thank you. 

[harlequin]

softly softly catchy monkey...

[Laggard]

And blood?  There’s been a lot of bandages being used.  

[Chuck]

Actually.....as some folks progress through kits I think they end up just running through new projects with less care than their first.   The worst thing any new modeler can do is fixate on making things quicker.  Its not a race.  I wish more beginner builders would make it a priority to get comfortable slowing down even further and learning to really up their game on craftsmanship and historical accuracy.  I was just looking through a build log on a very expensive Vanguard Sphynx kit for example and the builder hasnt even bothered to sand away any laser char from the parts or carefully align those parts when gluing them on the model.   Slow....steady....and deliberate is the the only way to achieve a quality result.  So good on you for taking the time needed.

 

This model in question has caused me much "wincing" on each update.   This is a hobby that pays more dividends the slower and more care you put into it.  You dont get any prize for finishing first.

 

 

 

 

[vaddoc]

Not to worry. Using by mistake a plank that took 3 hours to make as scrap wood or messing up the paint job of a large hull. All part of the fun.

[glbarlow]

Speed isn’t a factor in this hobby, nor is it a sin to correct mistakes however long it takes. My Cheerful has two sides, I’m pretty sure I planked four by the time I was done, removing and replacing until I had it done right. The timing of my next long post doesn’t drive my building. 

Edited October 22, 2021 by glbarlow

[James H]

59 minutes ago, glbarlow said:

Speed isn’t a factor in this hobby, nor is it a sin to correct mistakes however long it takes. My Cheerful has two sides, I’m pretty sure I planked four my the time I was done, removing and replacing until I had it done right. The timing of my next long post doesn’t drive my building. 

Not many know that I actually tore the whole stern out of HMS Sphinx when I was building her for VM. I had to carefully remove all my painted resin and PE and then git the back end to rebuild slightly for the manual. Despite that work, it still only took a couple of days, and that's not rushing. Fixing stuff up can be quite an easy and relatively quick affair, and it's always worth doing if you have the luxury of time on your side.

[BobG]

1 hour ago, Chuck said:

This is a hobby that pays more dividends the slower and more care you put into it.  You dont get any prize for finishing first.

 

This is the "whole truth and nothing but the truth!"

 

2 hours ago, Chuck said:

I wish more beginner builders would make it a priority to get comfortable slowing down even further and learning to really up their game on craftsmanship and historical accuracy.

 

I've learned this lesson slowly while completing my first two models and I'm currently progressing at a snail's pace on the third. 

 

[RichardG]

I appear to have congenital "measure twice, cut three times" syndrome. Added to this is a little procrastination along with a bit of analysis paralysis. These problems and a full-time job make me a very slow builder. On my current build, I've planked the deck twice and rebuilt the main "cabin" three times.

 

However, that doesn't stop me enjoying this hobby. For me it's the journey that matters. 

 

 

 

 

[kurtvd19]

Even the most expert modelers started as newbies.  Their first models were not equal to others that followed - each one was an improvement over the previous models.  The more experienced one gets the more time they take to do each step.  When each step is done at a comfortable pace the build progresses faster due to not screwing things up and having to redo them or make adjustments to subsequent assemblies because the earlier steps were haphazard / rushed causing fit issues later.

[Laggard]

I have patience issues.  Used to putting models together as a kid and having everything provided ready to be plugged in.
 

I look forward to my next model as I will have more skills to do the things I struggled with this build.  
 

I also get frustrated when I take my time and the finished product doesn’t look perfect.  There are so many imperfections in my chainplate but don’t have the heart to do it all over again. 
 

Im hoping when I’m done and I do all the touching up and cleanup i will feel better about the whole thing. 

[Snug Harbor Johnny]

  I nearly have a plan to complete (to appear similar to the original ship now on display having just the first mast sections in place - as if still under construction) the 'old' (original late 1960s) Billings 1:100 Wasa - warts and all.  The lines are wrong (with a lot of other things), and some major ripping/rebuilding has to be done to get a semblance of how it ought to be.  Still, the hull size is 'not too big' and there ARE a lot of things I like about it.  So it will be half compromise and half improvise (like many marriages) ...  then I'll be able to go on to something else having learned a lot on the process.  The idea is to please yourself and enjoy the projects you work on.  Like old advice says, 'Do not compare yourself to others, for there will always be those greater or lesser than yourself.'   Fair sailing ... Johnny

[glbarlow]

Fixing mistakes is so worth the time and actually can make for a fun challenge. Plug and play is not for wooden ship models. Problem solving makes it interesting. 
 

 

[barkeater]

18 minutes ago, Laggard said:

 

I also get frustrated when I take my time and the finished product doesn’t look perfect

There is no such thing as a perfect model.

Richard

[Justin P.]

2 hours ago, vaddoc said:

Using by mistake a plank that took 3 hours to make as scrap wood

This is a good one.   I have learned that I am somehow compelled to absentmindedly destroy things Ive spent hours on.    Newly completed parts now are put almost out of the room so I won't stupidly grab them.   

 

Moving slowly is good advice...  not only in your build but also in your body.    Learning exactly how your arms and hands are not inherently compatible with the structure of 1:48 rigging, yards and masts is a tough lesson.   The model has its space and you have your space, and when the two meet: hope it's voluntary. 

[Justin P.]

24 minutes ago, kurtvd19 said:

Even the most expert modelers started as newbies.

I dont know Kurt, there are some out there that I think are simply imbued with magical powers.    

[vaddoc]

11 minutes ago, Justin P. said:

 Learning exactly how your arms and hands are not inherently compatible with the structure of 1:48 rigging, yards and masts is a tough lesson.

You just reminded me Justin, putting my finished model with full sails set, out in the open on top of a tall bin, to photograph in the sunshine. Then the wind blew...

[BobG]

8 minutes ago, Laggard said:

I also get frustrated when I take my time and the finished product doesn’t look perfect.  There are so many imperfections in my chainplate but don’t have the heart to do it all over again. 

 

Most of us are our own worst critics. We see the mistakes and little flaws sticking out like a sore thumb. I've pointed out things to my wife that I thought I could have done better and she has always just rolled her eyes and said, "You're the only one who will ever notice that." 

 

I painted the hull on my Pen Duick 3 times trying to get the finish I wanted while learning to use my new airbrush. Each time I had to sand it, prime it and repaint it. The most tedious part was the careful masking and painting the 3 colors in the proper sequence one color at a time. It took hours to do it over each time and I still ended up with a small flaw that bugged me but I can't bring myself to completely redo it again. It's actually a beautiful paint job and no one would see the flaw unless they were inspecting the hull close up in one very small area. So I'm happy with it even though I know it's not perfect. As my wife says, "No one will see it but you."  

 

Attention to detail and striving for perfection can motivate us to continue to learn and grow our skills but, at some point, it can burden us and drain the joy out of the process too. We each have to find a balance of what is "good enough" for us individually.

 

You may not be 100% happy with your chainplates but you can take pride in your effort and what you have learned. Your next model will be better as a result too.

[Justin P.]

2 minutes ago, BobG said:

Pen Duick 3 times trying to get the finish I wanted while learning to use my new airbrush.

I remember when you first posted photos of that hull all painted and finished...   it was a treat.  Well worth the effort. 

[mtaylor]

2 hours ago, Laggard said:

I also get frustrated when I take my time and the finished product doesn’t look perfect.

 

2 hours ago, barkeater said:

There is no such thing as a perfect model.

Richard

 

I seriously doubt that even the real thing was "perfect".  So there's that.   But once you hit your stride and comfort zone on the tasks, the end result will look better to you and it will be better.   

[allanyed]

2 hours ago, Laggard said:

I also get frustrated when I take my time and the finished product doesn’t look perfect.  

Laggard, You are not alone .  Anyone of us who cares about the quality of our own models are our own harshest critics.   That is a good thing!!  

 

Allan

[Roger Pellett]

My models get built in the shower,  while I am drifting off to sleep and while sitting in a comfortable chair waiting for my wife to decide whether the 18th pair of black pants she is trying on really fits.  Talbots has the most comfortable chairs.

 

Seriously, this is when I figure out a new approach to remaking the part that I ruined the hour or day before.  The worst thing that you can do when you mess up is to keep working to Force a Solution.  Much better to stop working, clean up your bench, and start fresh another day after having time to think things through.

 

Roger

[Laggard]

I find myself daydreaming all the time on a way to workout some problem I’m having with a build.  It’s good because as an anxious person it gives me something good to focus on. 

[Justin P.]

On 10/22/2021 at 4:40 PM, Roger Pellett said:

My models get built in the shower,  while I am drifting off to sleep and while sitting in a comfortable chair

This is some sage wisdom right here...   quotable.

[Nipper]

It is so inspiring to read all this advice from such experienced builders.  

I'm also new to ship modelling - I started my first build at the beginning of lockdown in 2020 - Vanguard's Alert - and I'm still only at the stage of fitting the spars.  I've spent hours pouring over books, articles and ideas in MSW in order to try to make my Alert as authentic as the evidence allows.  Like the posters above, I've spent hours thinking how to make the part I want from scratch in order to add to Chris's wonderful kit.  And sometimes, I think I enjoy all this more than the actual boat building!

 

 

[allanyed]

Nipper

Welcome to MSW. 

Reading your post, a word of warning.  You may wind up getting the total scratch building bug like many of us which brings a whole new world of potential subjects to your doorstep.   🤪

Again, welcome to the fray here at MSW   (Please post an intro on the new members forum here at MSW.)

Allan

[mtaylor]

Nipper, I hear my "rabbit hole" detector going off...   It's not a bad thing to head to scratch but a very satisfying one.