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The Staff of SOH
Model builder/s?
- Thread starter udidwht
- Start date
Sbob
SOH-CM-2025
Well, not to steal anyone's thunder, but should we start a more-dedicated plastic/resin modeling thread?
I don't post pictures of what I build, just like I don't participate in model shows, but what I like to do is share info, techniques, and sources for after-market and scratch building stuff.
Sometimes some odd-ball kits I run across.If you folks want to post pictures of what you create, that's cool but I don't like turning it into a contest or a critique forum. If your King Tiger tank has a glue booger or a brush mark on the suspension, I'm not going to land on you from the top rope. Just build it, if you're happy that's all that matters.
I started this kind of a sub-forum over at Subsim (I'm ET2SN) but it kind of fizzled:
My interests run from detailing 1/18th to 1/32nd scale "die-cast but not Hot Wheels/Matchbox" cars to 1/350th scale submarines to 1/144th to 1/32nd scale aircraft to 1/25th scale semi-trucks (the old-school impossible-to-build AMT kits).
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heywooood
Mayor Emeritus of Taco City
for what it's worth I actually downloaded and installed the modelbuilder game posted by the OP above hours after I read about it. Just to see what's what.
I suppose it would be fine to use as an introduction tutorial for beginners or kids, for instance if my grandson said to me one day he might want to learn how to build a model - I could walk him through the essentials of plastic modelmaking with that game/sim and then
work with him on one of those airfix starter kits.
As to the purpose of sharing specific model builds, in my case anyway, the original idea for that thread was to show appreciation to the flight sim and third party developers and to connect it somewhat to the model building hobby, especially in the realm of civilian aviation, which is woefully
under represented in BOTH fields. The other reason for that thread and my youtube channel was to give back something in the way of information - such as the kinds of civilian aircraft model subjects available from the balsa kit manufacturers that you just don't see in plastic or resin, and as well to share
some methods and practices that work well and are relatively easy to learn wrt to balsa aircraft kit building. The idea being that we all have a favorite handful of planes we like to fly often in flight sim and wouldn't it be great to have a larger than the average scale version of one or more of them hanging overhead or on a shelf nearby that we built ourselves?
I don't have any thunder to steal. I'm really happy that the thread on balsa builds, which anyone is welcome to add anything they like to, has brought as much traffic as it has to this website. It is far more than I had dreamed I would see and I so appreciate the positive feedback.
If the reply to the original poster above was somehow offensive that was not my intent - I was trying (and failing again) to be funny - not snarky or rude.
No one on this side of my keyboard is trying to win any contests - just trying to pay forward some of the things I've learned and inspiration I've taken from so many others who did the same by sharing a few projects here.
Do what you like to do and share what you want to share. No wrong answers.
PS - I also love the AMT semi trucks and trailers...
I suppose it would be fine to use as an introduction tutorial for beginners or kids, for instance if my grandson said to me one day he might want to learn how to build a model - I could walk him through the essentials of plastic modelmaking with that game/sim and then
work with him on one of those airfix starter kits.
As to the purpose of sharing specific model builds, in my case anyway, the original idea for that thread was to show appreciation to the flight sim and third party developers and to connect it somewhat to the model building hobby, especially in the realm of civilian aviation, which is woefully
under represented in BOTH fields. The other reason for that thread and my youtube channel was to give back something in the way of information - such as the kinds of civilian aircraft model subjects available from the balsa kit manufacturers that you just don't see in plastic or resin, and as well to share
some methods and practices that work well and are relatively easy to learn wrt to balsa aircraft kit building. The idea being that we all have a favorite handful of planes we like to fly often in flight sim and wouldn't it be great to have a larger than the average scale version of one or more of them hanging overhead or on a shelf nearby that we built ourselves?
I don't have any thunder to steal. I'm really happy that the thread on balsa builds, which anyone is welcome to add anything they like to, has brought as much traffic as it has to this website. It is far more than I had dreamed I would see and I so appreciate the positive feedback.
If the reply to the original poster above was somehow offensive that was not my intent - I was trying (and failing again) to be funny - not snarky or rude.
No one on this side of my keyboard is trying to win any contests - just trying to pay forward some of the things I've learned and inspiration I've taken from so many others who did the same by sharing a few projects here.
Do what you like to do and share what you want to share. No wrong answers.
PS - I also love the AMT semi trucks and trailers...
Sbob
SOH-CM-2025
Oh no, no. 
I'm just asking if we should start a dedicated modeling thread without jumping all over the OP.
Like I said, I tried it over at Subsim and it started great but then it fizzled.
Just don't ask for pictures of what I build, I like to keep it info-oriented and not a contest, but that's just me.
I'm just asking if we should start a dedicated modeling thread without jumping all over the OP.
Like I said, I tried it over at Subsim and it started great but then it fizzled.
Just don't ask for pictures of what I build, I like to keep it info-oriented and not a contest, but that's just me.
heywooood
Mayor Emeritus of Taco City
no worries - such threads are hit and miss. This being primarily an aviation related forum dedicated to flight sim specifically I expected general interest in aviation related scale models, but have seen folks post mechanized infantry, ships, and other military
vehicles here on this 'other hobbies' page.
What you don't find as readily (not just here, but anywhere) are any civilian oriented vehicles other than cars and less frequently semi trucks and commercial automotive machinery.
Things like yachts, sailing or commercial sea vessels, or aerospace related items, other than the occasional science fiction themed objects - and architectural models are far less represented.
I think that because SOH is a site more or less dedicated to military aviation (or at least began that way) it makes sense that you would see the full range of military themed scale modeling represented somewhere. After all, it seems to me anyway that the entire simulation community - no matter which
genre - aviation, automotive, rail, or naval - is either infused with scale model enthusiasts or is an extrapolation of that hobby. There's not much difference in creating scale representations of real or imagined real world objects whether you're working with a computer program, or bits of plastic wood and metal.
it's still an expression of passion, experience, research, and relative skill. Folks are always going to be proud of their work and should be, no matter what. Otherwise - what's the point?
This is why it should be paramount in any observer to remain courteous and constructive when it comes to evaluations. A guy will only get better at a thing if he continues to try. Pessimism and ridicule are not typically motivating.
FWIW I don't participate in contests either, for that reason primarily. I look at what I do as 'artistic expression' and tend to think more often during a project about trying to evoke the feeling I have about the subject, than - or at least as much as - the accuracy and fidelity of it to the real article.
Like you maybe I tend to be put off by the folks who seem to feel obliged or entitled to demean or denigrate or degrade the efforts and projects of those who do the work. I think contests often attract that element.
I have called it out when I see it here - specifically when someone inevitably runs down one developer or product to praise another. It may be fair to say one dev has more experience or skills than another, but accusing someone of robbery or ridiculing their effort doesn't encourage or inspire them to continue
trying to improve. It encourages them to quit. And we need MORE of these people - not fewer. I believe most of the engineers of the 20th century were likely involved in scale model building prior to attaining their professional educations.
I believe in trying to inspire more people, especially younger people, in the practice. It teaches so many helpful attributes like organization, observation, eye to hand coordination, and the discipline to stay focused on an outcome - or perseverance, the motivation to improve and on and on.
I think one of the best things a person can do with their time is to make something by their own hand. No matter what it is. If I can somehow provide some inspiration toward that goal I will. I'll try anyway.
Have you visited - https://imodeler.com/
They cast a fairly wide net, covering a lot of different areas of interest.
vehicles here on this 'other hobbies' page.
What you don't find as readily (not just here, but anywhere) are any civilian oriented vehicles other than cars and less frequently semi trucks and commercial automotive machinery.
Things like yachts, sailing or commercial sea vessels, or aerospace related items, other than the occasional science fiction themed objects - and architectural models are far less represented.
I think that because SOH is a site more or less dedicated to military aviation (or at least began that way) it makes sense that you would see the full range of military themed scale modeling represented somewhere. After all, it seems to me anyway that the entire simulation community - no matter which
genre - aviation, automotive, rail, or naval - is either infused with scale model enthusiasts or is an extrapolation of that hobby. There's not much difference in creating scale representations of real or imagined real world objects whether you're working with a computer program, or bits of plastic wood and metal.
it's still an expression of passion, experience, research, and relative skill. Folks are always going to be proud of their work and should be, no matter what. Otherwise - what's the point?
This is why it should be paramount in any observer to remain courteous and constructive when it comes to evaluations. A guy will only get better at a thing if he continues to try. Pessimism and ridicule are not typically motivating.
FWIW I don't participate in contests either, for that reason primarily. I look at what I do as 'artistic expression' and tend to think more often during a project about trying to evoke the feeling I have about the subject, than - or at least as much as - the accuracy and fidelity of it to the real article.
Like you maybe I tend to be put off by the folks who seem to feel obliged or entitled to demean or denigrate or degrade the efforts and projects of those who do the work. I think contests often attract that element.
I have called it out when I see it here - specifically when someone inevitably runs down one developer or product to praise another. It may be fair to say one dev has more experience or skills than another, but accusing someone of robbery or ridiculing their effort doesn't encourage or inspire them to continue
trying to improve. It encourages them to quit. And we need MORE of these people - not fewer. I believe most of the engineers of the 20th century were likely involved in scale model building prior to attaining their professional educations.
I believe in trying to inspire more people, especially younger people, in the practice. It teaches so many helpful attributes like organization, observation, eye to hand coordination, and the discipline to stay focused on an outcome - or perseverance, the motivation to improve and on and on.
I think one of the best things a person can do with their time is to make something by their own hand. No matter what it is. If I can somehow provide some inspiration toward that goal I will. I'll try anyway.
Have you visited - https://imodeler.com/
They cast a fairly wide net, covering a lot of different areas of interest.
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