Question for the ages

[panzerjager2]

So over the past couple of years I have asked/posted semi rhetorical questions....... Well here's another.................

Why does it seem, that scratch-building is so "far out there". Yes I realize that I am a died in the wool scratch-builder. In my remaining life, I doubt I will complete another production kit.... (That is unless someone produces a 1/25th scale Schwimmwagen)..... I have friends that have been building 20-30 years, and they won't scratch-build a Jerrycan rack,,,,Why??? "because there's an aftermarket photo-etched doohickey.... I love the challenge of scratch, just wondering what ya'll think...PJ2

[joelsmith]

Scratchbuilding was all you could do, if you wanted anything out of the ordinary. But it is becoming a lost art with the exception of a few practicioners such as yourself. Plus people have been spoiled by the "instant gratification" aspect of p/e, resin, etc. Maybe if 3-D printers come down even more in price. we may see a return to scratchbuilding.

[John Everett]

For me it's the satisfaction of doing something unique in all the world of model building.

But I think scratchbuilders ought to also weigh the difficulty in reinventing the wheel and doing a good job on something as opposed to purchasing some of the very nice items currently available off the shelf. And often enough with an off the shelf kit, there are bits and places where the instinct to make it one's own will allow for some degree of customizing.

[bish]

Whole I don't scratch build whole kits, I do add my own details on kits usually when there is no AM on offer. I do find it very rewarding knowing I have done that myself. The only thing that stops me doing it more often is that I find it very time consuming and my results are not what I could get from an AM set. But I certainly think there is a place for it.

[dierk]

In my first incarnation as a modeller when I was a teen I was just getting into scratching - quite cack-handed I may add - because a lot of the subjects I was interested in at the time just weren't available as kits. Then life happened and everything went into storage or landfill.
Nowadays most of what I want is available, and the few things that aren't (YaG-6/YaG-10 to name two) are beyond my abilities to scratch. So now I'm happy to do the occasional kit-bash and add scratched details, but other than that I'm OK with relying on AM stuff. However, I'm totally in awe of people who scratch complete models - but I rather watch them do their magic than get into it myself.

[jpc1968]

I may scratch small pieces for a model like my ROTS Jedi Star Fighter but as for scratching a whole kit? no, I'll never be able to do that. Plus one thing I've noticed of most scratch builds are they are huge. Take for instance John Everett's Gunship. Fantastic kit, yes. I love that thing and the Quad Jump ship and Imperial transport: fantastic builds, but the size is what keeps me from scratching. Most scratch builds aren't small, their humongous. I just don't have the room for such projects. Not only room to build them but to keep them once they are completed.

[jsteinman]

I will make it if I have to, but for me the real fun is in finishing - and scratch building slows things waaaaay down, so I get to do what I really like, less.

[vlpbruce]

I think you all know I'm nuts when it comes to scratching. I was looking at the in progress pictures of Katy a little while ago. I have to say I am slightly amazed seeing the finished product, then realizing she started out as two pieces of .060 styrene. I guess you could say it is the sense of satisfaction for me. That's why I like building what I do.

[John Everett]

Mar 20, 2017 6:33:49 GMT -5 jpc1968 said:

...most scratch builds are huge. Take for instance John Everett's Gunship... ... but the size is what keeps me from scratching.

Yeah. The gunship does take up a lot of the bench. I've never really articulated this before. But the reason all my scratchbuilds are done at 1/35, and thus end up being large, is because of my large collection of Hornet heads.

I began in the hobby with 1/35 dioramas. I collected a large and spectacular stable of Hornet heads to go along with those projects. When I decided to get into scratching those ships which I couldn't buy the fact that any figures would be in 1/35 dictated that my models also be in 1/35.

There is also the aspect of being able to provide a good level of detail without smashing one's head against a wall of impossible to achieve perfection. 1/35 is a good compromise for that.

If you really do want to have a try at a whole scratchbuild, set a size limit for what your shop and storage can handle and then work with those vehicles or those scales which fit within your limit.

[jpc1968]

I hope that didn't come across that I was bashing you. I love your work. I just don't have the room for large pieces. I also don't think I would be very good at scratching.

[John Everett]

Mar 21, 2017 14:26:20 GMT -5 jpc1968 said:

I hope that didn't come across that I was bashing you. I love your work. I just don't have the room for large pieces. I also don't think I would be very good at scratching.

Nope. It didn't come across that way at all. But even if you were being critical, if your input causes me to reevaluate my work and make improvements, then it's important to hear it.

And perhaps today you might not be good at scratchbuilding. But tomorrow will be better only if you give it a try today. Some guys just don't like to build from raw materials and loose parts. I find the activity fun. If you don't like it, you don't like it. And you shouldn't do it. But you may just find that you're having more fun than you thought possible. And you may also find that the goofy things you do to make project X possible have useful applications on more mundane models and will improve your results there.

The main thing is to never stop trying new techniques. Scratchbuilding is a constant effort of 3 steps forward and 2 steps back. But with each failure and retry you will find yourself one additional step ahead from where you were before and your peer group as well. Within a year or two you'll find yourself echoing to others what you're reading here now.

A wise literary character once said, "Every great wizard in history has started out as nothing more than what we are now, students. If they can do it, why not us?"

He's right, you know.

[thechaos]

I think scratch building is very interesting and make a lot of fun to my.
I love to Build with PS and Kit parts my one Models.
And my last big project was this.
modelerssocialclub.proboards.com/thread/10682/pripjet-heavy-tank-35-finished?page=2
My Pripjet havy Tank.
A big beast of Steel and I Work 6 Mont’s on this.