Hello all, I tend to not post unless I've got something to say, and well I'm so new to this paper modelling stuff and up until now hadn't even completed anything I didn't feel like I had much to add.
But now I've finished my first project so I can actually post something without feeling like I'm completely out of place.
About me, I'm a 40 something former senior level exec for a couple of tech companies, currently a founder of a self-funded startup called WeFeel, where we are trying to make a difference in mental health care.
Starting one's own company, means no paycheck, cashing in retirement funds, and selling all my toys. After a year of 60-80 hour weeks I was in need of some form of hobby, and given my lack of income it had to be one that wouldn't cost much. I've built plastic models and balsa RC planes off an on my whole life, so I was looking for something similar (you know you are strapped for funds when plastic models are way too expensive). Eventually I came across this site.
Yay! Models I can print on cheap paper, and build with tools I already had!
Like any sane person, I decided to start out with something simple to learn the ropes. Off to ecardmodels I went, and spent a whopping $12 on Ken West's 1/32 scale SR-71.
Ooops...not the simplest model out there, and not even a free one when my goal was to save money. But I've loved the SR-71 since I lived at Edwards AFB in the late 80s/ early 90s. As a the son of a Lt. Col in charge of the bases' PR, I got the opportunity to talk to a couple of the pilots of Nasa's SR-71s that were kept there on the base and got to seem them flying on occasion. I just had to build one, since I don't have a plastic model of one either.
Well, after months of work on it, I'm finally as done as I choose to be. It's not the best thing I've ever built but it had enough techniques I had to learn that I'm confident I'll keep getting better. Oddly I find it far easier to get tiny details right, vs large areas. Some things I learned:
1. Just spend the money on Olfa knives. After going through 5 xacto and 15 Revell blades, at one point nearly giving up cause I couldn't afford to keep buying blades I spent a bit of money on Olfa blades. I used 4 of them to complete the same amount of work that I did with all 15 Revell blades.
2. A syringe with an 18 gauge needle is awesome for applying glue. Prior to figuring this out I had a real issue with getting too much glue on things. If the FBI ever needs to find me they can just get my fingerprints off of this SR-71.
3. It's ok to step away from the project when you get frustrated. At one point, no matter what I did I just couldn't get things to line up the way they were supposed to. I was about halfway in and couldn't bear to start over, and the thought of finishing with huge flaws seemed pointless. I stopped working on it for a little more than a month. During that time I realised that I choose this difficult of a model in order to challenge myself, and to learn. The goal never was perfection. And when it comes down to it, the medium is paper. I'll likely never get to the point where I can be as detailed and accurate as I can in plastic. So let it go and move on.
4. Cereal boxes suck. Collecting them sucks. Breaking them down sucks. Eating "Pops" like it's popcorn doesn't suck (they come in really big boxes). Finally I got smart and scrounged some money and just 22pt chipboard on ebay: 100 sheets for $17 shipped. No more cereal boxes for me.
Finally, thank you to all the people on this forum that have posted how tos, and to Ken West and Billy for the extensive build thread that gave me the confidence to tackle something that should be way beyond my skill level.
I'll post some pics at some point when the system decides I've posted enough to actually warrant the ability to add links.
Next up, to continue with my trend of going for the simple models..Pavel's 1/48 YF-23, which I'll eventually create a thread for and send the pics over to ecardmodels, who've so graciously allowed a beginner like me to have the chance to attempt to create one worthy of placing pictures on their website.
For me the YF-23 represents my senior year of high school. I was at Edwards for the competition between it and the YF-22. My friends dad knew the test pilots, and my father handled the PR. I'm one of the few people who've actually seen the YF-23 fly in person, and I have to tell you it was a beautiful site. I'm looking forward to building the model, but at the rate I build and have time don't be surprised if it take me until next year to complete it.
But now I've finished my first project so I can actually post something without feeling like I'm completely out of place.
About me, I'm a 40 something former senior level exec for a couple of tech companies, currently a founder of a self-funded startup called WeFeel, where we are trying to make a difference in mental health care.
Starting one's own company, means no paycheck, cashing in retirement funds, and selling all my toys. After a year of 60-80 hour weeks I was in need of some form of hobby, and given my lack of income it had to be one that wouldn't cost much. I've built plastic models and balsa RC planes off an on my whole life, so I was looking for something similar (you know you are strapped for funds when plastic models are way too expensive). Eventually I came across this site.
Yay! Models I can print on cheap paper, and build with tools I already had!
Like any sane person, I decided to start out with something simple to learn the ropes. Off to ecardmodels I went, and spent a whopping $12 on Ken West's 1/32 scale SR-71.
Ooops...not the simplest model out there, and not even a free one when my goal was to save money. But I've loved the SR-71 since I lived at Edwards AFB in the late 80s/ early 90s. As a the son of a Lt. Col in charge of the bases' PR, I got the opportunity to talk to a couple of the pilots of Nasa's SR-71s that were kept there on the base and got to seem them flying on occasion. I just had to build one, since I don't have a plastic model of one either.
Well, after months of work on it, I'm finally as done as I choose to be. It's not the best thing I've ever built but it had enough techniques I had to learn that I'm confident I'll keep getting better. Oddly I find it far easier to get tiny details right, vs large areas. Some things I learned:
1. Just spend the money on Olfa knives. After going through 5 xacto and 15 Revell blades, at one point nearly giving up cause I couldn't afford to keep buying blades I spent a bit of money on Olfa blades. I used 4 of them to complete the same amount of work that I did with all 15 Revell blades.
2. A syringe with an 18 gauge needle is awesome for applying glue. Prior to figuring this out I had a real issue with getting too much glue on things. If the FBI ever needs to find me they can just get my fingerprints off of this SR-71.
3. It's ok to step away from the project when you get frustrated. At one point, no matter what I did I just couldn't get things to line up the way they were supposed to. I was about halfway in and couldn't bear to start over, and the thought of finishing with huge flaws seemed pointless. I stopped working on it for a little more than a month. During that time I realised that I choose this difficult of a model in order to challenge myself, and to learn. The goal never was perfection. And when it comes down to it, the medium is paper. I'll likely never get to the point where I can be as detailed and accurate as I can in plastic. So let it go and move on.
4. Cereal boxes suck. Collecting them sucks. Breaking them down sucks. Eating "Pops" like it's popcorn doesn't suck (they come in really big boxes). Finally I got smart and scrounged some money and just 22pt chipboard on ebay: 100 sheets for $17 shipped. No more cereal boxes for me.
Finally, thank you to all the people on this forum that have posted how tos, and to Ken West and Billy for the extensive build thread that gave me the confidence to tackle something that should be way beyond my skill level.
I'll post some pics at some point when the system decides I've posted enough to actually warrant the ability to add links.
Next up, to continue with my trend of going for the simple models..Pavel's 1/48 YF-23, which I'll eventually create a thread for and send the pics over to ecardmodels, who've so graciously allowed a beginner like me to have the chance to attempt to create one worthy of placing pictures on their website.
For me the YF-23 represents my senior year of high school. I was at Edwards for the competition between it and the YF-22. My friends dad knew the test pilots, and my father handled the PR. I'm one of the few people who've actually seen the YF-23 fly in person, and I have to tell you it was a beautiful site. I'm looking forward to building the model, but at the rate I build and have time don't be surprised if it take me until next year to complete it.
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