Life Get in the Way?

Morning, fellas -

I am gathering some info for my next column in Scale Auto (High Octane) and I wanted to pulse the members of this august group to ask about your building frequency. This has come about because I've found myself with less time to build model cars these days (although, admittedly, I AM able to find time to work on figure kits). Its been a couple months since I've worked on a car until I broke out Fujimi's Porsche Cayman for a feature article in an upcoming painting issue.

My wife and I recently packed up one house and moved to another, with all the attendant headaches that goes into an endeavor of that magnitude and my business keeps me at the office or on the road constantly, so I find myself with less and less time to pursue my hobby. I was wondering about other peoples' modeling time and how "life" impacts said time. Or have they just lost interest and find other activities to fill that time?

If you could, please answer these questions (and feel free to elaborate if you'd like!) I will tally the answers and form some overviews, but please be aware that I do plan to attribute a few quotes to their authors. Please be honest in your answers - I really want to try to take the pulse of car modelers and would value your responses.

Thanks in advance -

Marc Havican


1. How often do you actually sit down at your bench and work on a model?

2. In general, how long does it take you to complete a model?

3. On average, how many models do you a) start and b) finish in a year?

4. What do you find to be the biggest stumbling blocks to either working on or finishing a model?

5. How much time do you spend on the interweb on modeling boards, looking at model sites, or on email groups?

6. Do you find that you spend more time on those activities than actually modeling? If so, why?

7. What other factors affect your interest and/or ability to make time to model? (Lack of interesting subject matter? Cost of kits? Availability? Video games?)

1. How often do you actually sit down at your bench and work on a model?
Every day if I'm in the mood, once a month when things get hectic.
2. In general, how long does it take you to complete a model?
Anywhere from a week to a year depending on the detail of the model. 1.5 months on most builds.
3. On average, how many models do you a) start and b) finish in a year?
a: around 5. b: 4
4. What do you find to be the biggest stumbling blocks to either working on or finishing a model?
body painting and polishing.
5. How much time do you spend on the interweb on modeling boards, looking at model sites, or on email groups?
2-3 hours a day if i have the time.
6. Do you find that you spend more time on those activities than actually modeling? If so, why?
If you mean those listed in Q6, its because I seldom have the time to sit there for over an hour without being called to do something.
7. What other factors affect your interest and/or ability to make time to model? (Lack of interesting subject matter? Cost of kits? Availability? Video games?)[/QUOTE]
Finacial ability causes a lot of pressure in my case, not letting me get in the 'creative' mood. Most of my free time is either spent on my GF or on various video games that I can pause or put down in a few seconds.

HTH,
Steve

1. How often do you actually sit down at your bench and work on a model?
Probably once or twice a week.
2. In general, how long does it take you to complete a model?
A month or so for a short curbside build, several months for a detailed one.
3. On average, how many models do you a) start and b) finish in a year?
I have probably started 10 or so this year, only finished 3 so far.
4. What do you find to be the biggest stumbling blocks to either working on or finishing a model?
Exterior paint finish. For me it's the most critical part of the model and also the most stress-inducing.
5. How much time do you spend on the interweb on modeling boards, looking at model sites, or on email groups?
A lot more than I actually spend building! :confused: Probably an hour or two a day.
6. Do you find that you spend more time on those activities than actually modeling? If so, why?
Mostly because school and work take most of my time.
7. What other factors affect your interest and/or ability to make time to model? (Lack of interesting subject matter? Cost of kits? Availability? Video games?)
Study time for school and work. Video games are my only other "hobby" if you can call it that, and I spend less time playing video games than building models.

Morning, fellas -

I am gathering some info for my next column in Scale Auto (High Octane) and I wanted to pulse the members of this august group to ask about your building frequency. This has come about because I've found myself with less time to build model cars these days (although, admittedly, I AM able to find time to work on figure kits). Its been a couple months since I've worked on a car until I broke out Fujimi's Porsche Cayman for a feature article in an upcoming painting issue.

My wife and I recently packed up one house and moved to another, with all the attendant headaches that goes into an endeavor of that magnitude and my business keeps me at the office or on the road constantly, so I find myself with less and less time to pursue my hobby. I was wondering about other peoples' modeling time and how "life" impacts said time. Or have they just lost interest and find other activities to fill that time?

If you could, please answer these questions (and feel free to elaborate if you'd like!) I will tally the answers and form some overviews, but please be aware that I do plan to attribute a few quotes to their authors. Please be honest in your answers - I really want to try to take the pulse of car modelers and would value your responses.

Thanks in advance -

Marc Havican


1. How often do you actually sit down at your bench and work on a model?

2. In general, how long does it take you to complete a model?

3. On average, how many models do you a) start and b) finish in a year?

4. What do you find to be the biggest stumbling blocks to either working on or finishing a model?

5. How much time do you spend on the interweb on modeling boards, looking at model sites, or on email groups?

6. Do you find that you spend more time on those activities than actually modeling? If so, why?

7. What other factors affect your interest and/or ability to make time to model? (Lack of interesting subject matter? Cost of kits? Availability? Video games?)


1. I can usually sit at my bench for about half an hour a day, not counting time off. I get a total of about four hours of build time per week, but don't spend 100% at my hobby table because that's ALL the time I have to myself:rolleyes:

2. I agree with cyberkid--It takes me about a week and a half to a year to complete a model. Depends entirely on what I'm building, and how I want the final product to look.

3. I've only built about three models, and they were all this year. The fourth is still very much in progress, and has been since March!

4. Perfectionism (and OCD, lol) are my biggest stumbling blocks. Anyone can do a paintjob, but how many of us will accept some flaws and not strip it right off to do a better one?

5. I spend hours a week, mostly at work, on this forum and others. I definitely spend more time with the forum on my screen than I do working on my builds. The difference is that I don't usually focus on reading the forum. It's in the background when I'm doing work at my job, and it's how I take short mental breaks from the stress of the workload, since I don't get a break.

6. Modeling is about preparation, and some of that is mental. If you are unsure how to proceed with a certain process and you don't want to mess it up, the forum is the next best thing to personal experience. Wonder if the clear you're going to use is going to eat your paint? Well, you can find out right here.

7. What distracts me? Hehe, that would be the proximity of the cat. She's a massive furball but way too amusing to ignore for any large stretch of time. And everytime I play with her, I have to wash my hands again so I don't have a furry model...But seriously, modeling is about peace of mind. If I know I only have ten minutes before I have to get involved with some other activity, I leave my business with the hobby table until later.

Nick

1. How often do you actually sit down at your bench and work on a model?
As often as I can. This ends up being only twice or thrice a week. This is only non-fully committed sit downs, too, using a TV tray in the livingroom while "watching" a movie with the girlfriend. Actually sitting down in the office with my actual workbench and breaking out something a lot more involved (like the airbrush or some serious, attention consuming assembly) is a lot less frequently. Twice a month, tops.

2. In general, how long does it take you to complete a model?
In general, for a model that I'm proud of, 4-12 months. For something I want to just knock out so I don't feel like I've given up on the hobby entirely, 2-4 weeks.

3. On average, how many models do you a) start and b) finish in a year?
In each of the past few years, I've started probably a half dozen to a dozen, but only finish about four. Now It's about half that, and I only start a handful, and finish maybe two. I have a lot more imagination and desire than I have drive and time.

4. What do you find to be the biggest stumbling blocks to either working on or finishing a model?
The banal aspects of the build. For some reason, whenever I get to painting the glass or assembling the chassis on some less than inspiring older Fujimi kit, I end up putting the model aside and starting something more exciting like bodywork on a different build.

5. How much time do you spend on the interweb on modeling boards, looking at model sites, or on email groups? Too much. If I spent the time at the bench that I spend at the computer desk, I'd likely double what I get done each year. However, like the TV tray, the computer is a low-commitment way to keep in touch with the hobby, so I can squeeze it in between work and dinner or in the morning before I leave or some time like that.

6. Do you find that you spend more time on those activities than actually modeling? If so, why?
It's an activity that's easier to fragment, time wise. I can do it for small amounts of consecutive time, whenever I like during the day. Actual modeling, however, requires that I get out tools, sit down, and make some sort of time commitment to it. Even a small scratch project or modification or subassembly will require a couple hours at least to get done, but I enjoy a forum in five minutes if I have to.

7. What other factors affect your interest and/or ability to make time to model? (Lack of interesting subject matter? Cost of kits? Availability? Video games?)
Other than time, the full size car is the only real distraction. It siphons money, time, and interest away, but like models, there are discreet start and stop points within a large project, so I can shift from one passion to the other as time, money, and interest permits.

I must precede this by saying that I am now in college, in a dormitory, and cannot build model cars at all; life has indeed gotten in my way. However, when at home:

1. How often do you actually sit down at your bench and work on a model?
Usually every day.
2. In general, how long does it take you to complete a model?
1.5--2 years, depending on the kit's quality and the amount of reference material I can find
3. On average, how many models do you a) start and b) finish in a year?
I start 2 or 3 and finish 1 (sometimes)
4. What do you find to be the biggest stumbling blocks to either working on or finishing a model?
Getting painting weather (often repeatedly, thanks to numerous painting problems); lack of reference material
5. How much time do you spend on the interweb on modeling boards, looking at model sites, or on email groups?
About 6 hours per week.
6. Do you find that you spend more time on those activities than actually modeling? If so, why?
No.
7. What other factors affect your interest and/or ability to make time to model? (Lack of interesting subject matter? Cost of kits? Availability? Video games?)
A lot of times I am just tired after work and rather than taxing my brain with fabrication and possible frustrations, I just flop down and play video games. However, I have not come even remotely close to building all the kits that I would love to build, so THAT'S not a problem.

Alex

1. How often do you actually sit down at your bench and work on a model?

2. In general, how long does it take you to complete a model?

3. On average, how many models do you a) start and b) finish in a year?

4. What do you find to be the biggest stumbling blocks to either working on or finishing a model?

5. How much time do you spend on the interweb on modeling boards, looking at model sites, or on email groups?

6. Do you find that you spend more time on those activities than actually modeling? If so, why?

7. What other factors affect your interest and/or ability to make time to model? (Lack of interesting subject matter? Cost of kits? Availability? Video games?)

1. About one hour a week or so.

2. Roughly 2 months depending on my interest level in the project.

3. a) 3 b) 4

4. Polishing out a paintjob, deciding on a color to paint it in the first place,
finding time away from my family (which is paramount) in which to get
into my building "zone".

5. Approximately 45 minutes to an hour each day ( :shakehead )

6. Yes; it's easier to just sit and get inspiration than it is to just do it.

7. I also build/ride BMX bikes, my kids both play football and I work second
shift which makes things awkward in and of itself. I also moved from my model club so I have lost some of my motivation for building.

1. How often do you actually sit down at your bench and work on a model?
Depends, recently I bought a house, and with partially remodeling, model time was scarce, Also factor in a child that loves my attention(and I love giving said attention too) I'd say generally about every couple of days for maybe a half an hour


2. In general, how long does it take you to complete a model?
If i'm into it a month or 2, if i'm not...who knows..

3. On average, how many models do you a) start and b) finish in a year?
Hmm I've started 6 or 7 this year, and i've finished 2

4. What do you find to be the biggest stumbling blocks to either working on or finishing a model?
time, I work 2 jobs, plus I do alot of the work around the house, and I'd like to spend time with my little girl and wife when I can. When I do get free time, I've pretty much lost the desire to build. Also lack of funds to buy simple stuff like tools and paints put a damper on how I want to build

5. How much time do you spend on the interweb on modeling boards, looking at model sites, or on email groups?
not that much, most surfing is done between projects at job#1, I don't surf much when i'm home

6. Do you find that you spend more time on those activities than actually modeling? If so, why?
oh yeah, I mean i'm already sitting in front of a computer for 8 hours a day....but I get ideas from other peoples builds..whether it actually gets to plastic is another story altogether.

7. What other factors affect your interest and/or ability to make time to model? (Lack of interesting subject matter? Cost of kits? Availability? Video games?)
I sit down at my bench to build and I have so many ideas for so many of the kits I have, yet I lack alot of the skills and the knowhow to make them work. So I just sit there and mock things up and daydream. Usually what happens is I go head first into a project, then get too deep and it gets shelved for a while till I can figure out how to go forward. I also have no model building buddies locally, no shops, and no money, so that takes me out of the mood to build as well.

Gray

1. How often do you actually sit down at your bench and work on a model?

Well that really depends on how I feel but since the kids arrived it usually happens two or maybe three times a week.


2. In general, how long does it take you to complete a model?

I have no general completing time, but I would say a month maybe put in every kit. But as I'm all over the place and doesn't seem to be able to keep focus it's not many that goes up on the shelves as finished products.


3. On average, how many models do you a) start and b) finish in a year?

Start maybe two or three each year and if I'm on the wave maybe finish as many to but mostly one or two finished. The stack of started not yet finished is slowly growing over my head:uhoh:


4. What do you find to be the biggest stumbling blocks to either working on or finishing a model?

Final assembly or close to it I seem to loose interest and focus on the next build or maybe an old not yet finished one.


5. How much time do you spend on the interweb on modeling boards, looking at model sites, or on email groups?

To much time, but as I don't have a dedicated area to put up my little work shop it's much easier to just sit down and browse around for a while then get everything ready for some building.


6. Do you find that you spend more time on those activities than actually modeling? If so, why?

Yes, see above answer.


7. What other factors affect your interest and/or ability to make time to model? (Lack of interesting subject matter? Cost of kits? Availability? Video games?)

My kids take a great deal of my spare time when we're home from our duties. They still aren't big enough to manage by them self for very long periods of time. The youngest is 2½ and the oldest 6½ with one in the middle soon to be 4 years old. So they tend to take up most of my spare time and when they are asleep I still have to be nice to the Mrs. too. On rare occasions she can sit on the other side of the kitchen table and work on here hobbies.



Niclas, swedish subscriber to SAE.

1: I usually build about 2-3 times a week, late at night, on nights where I have to wake up at the crack of dawn to get to work.

2: I have only completed one model in the past 3 years, and it was a simple build, basically out of the box with resin wheels.

3: How many models in a year on average, that's easy...one. Started, probably about 5.

4: Stumbling blocks...I'd have to say the fact that I enjoy building motors, and chassis, and detailing them, but paint is not my forte', so when I get to that point, I generally place the build on hold until I get in the painting mood.

5: I generally spend about an hour or two a day on a/f, and ebay looking at models, and getting/giving tips. I bet I could finish more models if I'd spend it at the modeling table instead. I don't belong to any other modeling groups other than A/F. If I did participate in more forums, I'm sure I'd be on the rot box more than anything else.

6: Yes, I do find myself on the 'puter more often than at the modeling table. Mostly because I really enjoy looking at peoples builds. When I watch a build progress on the net, I get great pleasure in seeing other's craftsmanship, and building techniques and apply them to my own builds.

7: This last question really is a tough one. What factors affect my desire to, or not to build? Well there's time. split days off, and horrible work scheduling really take it's toll, but that's no excuse. Cost of models is irrellevant to me since I have so many models. I could build a model a month 'till I retire and not have them all built. Cost of supplies, that is not an issue either. Being a resourceful hobbyist, I tend to find cheaper alternatives to aftermarket supplies such as wiring, putties, glues, and the like. Generally I can build a kit with full detail for about $10 over the cost of the kit itself, and have a competetive build.

I guess really, it all boils down to drive, and priorities. I am a man of 32 years of age, with wife and son, neither of whom share my desire for modeling, and I value my time with them greatly, even if it is just sitting on the couch next to them. I only watch about 3-5 hours of TV/week, and never play video games (son is to busy with that). Most of my time is spent keeping house maintenance, and working on my real cars.

I love modeling, and will likely never quit, though I may only finish 3 more models until I retire. Currently looking to start casting some resin parts for some extra change in my pocket to feed my 1:1 car hobby, I have really gotten back into the swing of things and am nearing completion on my 2nd kit this year, and have 3 more in the works that shouldn't take long.

I hope this is a good enough reply for your survey. Good luck and god bless.

1. How often do you actually sit down at your bench and work on a model?

2-3 hours a night, 4-5 days a week.

2. In general, how long does it take you to complete a model?

2 months.

3. On average, how many models do you a) start and b) finish in a year?

25-30.

4. What do you find to be the biggest stumbling blocks to either working on or finishing a model?

Finding all the correct parts and colours.

5. How much time do you spend on the interweb on modeling boards, looking at model sites, or on email groups?

Hour or so a day.

6. Do you find that you spend more time on those activities than actually modeling? If so, why?

No.

7. What other factors affect your interest and/or ability to make time to model? (Lack of interesting subject matter? Cost of kits? Availability? Video games?)

Lack of interesting subject matter--I build a lot of models for other people, so sometimes I don't get to do it the way that *I* want. Also, a full time job and a woman in the home. :p