Does anybody practise mothballing kits?

[colin m]

No, I don't mothball, but do actually like the idea. I could have an aircraft grave yard like the do in the USA, full of cheap part built 1:72 kits.

[Guest]

I just now went deeper into the stash and took some more photos Let’s start with something that comes nowhere near what Guest is currently putting together …


Trumpeter Challenger 2

[ATTACH]381187[/ATTACH]

This is mostly built, but I wanted to make a vehicle on exercise, with simfire gear and a load of mud over the front like shown in photos in Military Modelling way back when. The model stalled because of the difficulty in finding references on and actually making the simfire equipment. I was thinking last year or so that 3D-printing may be an option, though.


Heller AMX-13 conversion

[ATTACH]381190[/ATTACH]

Converted from the standard variant to an Israeli one, but I’m not sure anymore why this stalled.


Dragon IS-2 and Trumpeter IS-3

[ATTACH]381191[/ATTACH]

The IS-2 is (to be) converted to a postwar IS-2M, using bits from the IS-3M, while the latter was to become one of the pillbox-type tanks the Russians still have on the Kuril islands. They never got finished mainly because something else came along.


Dragon LSSC

[ATTACH]381189[/ATTACH]

This is actually finished, and so are the figures, though really to the standards I built to about 25 years ago — it’s been mothballed for that long The idea was to make a diorama in which the SEALs are either being delivered or picked up by the boat (probably picked up) under fire. Everything is built except the diorama


Tamiya Centurion Mk. III

[ATTACH]381188[/ATTACH]

This one is big, as you can tell by comparing the space the box takes up on my workbench to the previous ones It’s the 1:25 scale kit with full interior, and it’s mostly built, probably about two-thirds or so. I had the idea to convert it into a Dutch vehicle, but that requires a different turret roof, since those were Mk. 5 tanks. However, the only source for conversion parts was Mouse House in Australia, and I never did get round to ordering all the way from there. I do really want to get this one finished someday, though probably just out of the box rather than converted to a Dutch vehicle.


Edit: my eye caught these in a corner of my workbench as I had just posted the above:

[ATTACH]381192[/ATTACH]

A bunch of Discworld figured by Micro Art Studio. From left: Sergeant Angua, Captain Carrot (almost out of sight), Sergeant Detritus, Rincewind, the Luggage, Susan Sto Helit and her grandfather.

[rtfoe]

Hi Colin, yes, the concept is the same that if I learn a skill to better the mothballed kit at a later stage then its a win for both the kit and me or it's salvaged for parts like the US desert mothballed graveyard. I think they have one for ships too in James River, Suisun Bay and Beaumont.

Some jems there Jakko except I never could like the AMX...the turret mantlet system was wierd. Have an idea to do up my Dragon LSSC too, still untouched in the box...it's that or the Pibber. I had a Tamiya 1/25 SU-100 once and at the time they only had the motorised version with the full illustration on the box top. The tracks destroyed my thumbs as you had to press them to join the links. I now have the Academy panther with the same thing.:confounded:
Haven't gotten into the fantasy genre yet.

Cheers,
Richard

[Mini Me]

I don't exactly mothball an unfinished kit but have been known to build to a complete model minus the weathering and sometimes a small amount of final detail. This all pending on a final display whether a base or multi vehicle Diorama. Does this count Richard?:smiling3:
Rick H.

[Guest]

I never could like the AMX...the turret mantlet system was wierd.

I kind of like it, exactly because of its weird shape

I’ve also got an unbuilt Takom one that I intend to build as a Dutch Army one, but even though Takom provides the decals for it, some of the details are wrong for that particular variant — not least the tracks. Haven’t got round to building it yet, though, nor the Heller AMX-13 VCI that I want to convert to a Dutch AMX-PRI.

Have an idea to do up my Dragon LSSC too, still untouched in the box...it's that or the Pibber.

I’ve built two PBRs. One I finished in a diorama of the boat underway with some SEALs on board, the other was to be a diorama with the Verlinden sampan being searched. I’ve got the two boats built, the figures painted, and even a piece of plexiglass with a hole roughly cut for the PBR, and then moved on to other things.

I had a Tamiya 1/25 SU-100 once and at the time they only had the motorised version with the full illustration on the box top. The tracks destroyed my thumbs as you had to press them to join the links. I now have the Academy panther with the same thing.:confounded:

The Academy kits are straight copies of the Tamiya ones, as I recall, so not too strange the tracks are much the same I (part-)built this Centurion long enough ago that I don’t remember how well the tracks went together. As you can see in the photo, I have two runs of them coiled up, so I did build them already.

[rtfoe]

I don't exactly mothball an unfinished kit but have been known to build to a complete model minus the weathering and sometimes a small amount of final detail. This all pending on a final display whether a base or multi vehicle Diorama. Does this count Richard?:smiling3:
Rick H.

Hi Rick, it counts if you hadn't had the idea of a dio yet in mind. Even better if you built more than two of a kind like a convoy or troop of the same tanks.

Jakko, would like to see those two PBR dios. :smiling2:

Cheers,
Richard

[Allen Dewire]

Richard, Richard, Richard,

What a great topic and if it's called mothballing, then I have way to many to mention or list here. It seems that whenever I get so far on one project, another one catches my fancy and the previous one gets forgotten about. I have stuff I built in the 70's that are in boxes waiting to get revived…..

I may be wrong, but didn't you start building a wonderful dio with a late model Tiger I w/steel wheels that crashed into a building with a broken track in a French town (Caen) in Normandy??? Inquiring minds want to know......…...

Bleib Gesund
Allen

[Guest]

Jakko, would like to see those two PBR dios. :smiling2:

I shall take some photos tomorrow

[rtfoe]

Ah Allen...there's a fine line between hoarding, procrastinating and mothballing...I don't know which category we're in. :smiling6: But you sure fit the bill if you have something from the '70s waiting to be revived. :tears-of-joy: They have to stop producing mouthwatering kits that tempt us away from our current projects.

Yes, David and Goliath...that dio is still in mothball. So far I'm still collecting the paratroops and contemplating whether it should be Normandy or the Rhine crossing. Perhaps the latter which would give it more chance of an encounter with a late Tiger I and US paratroops. That's been the issue for the procrastination. It's got to be done.

Cheers,
Richard

[rtfoe]

Allen, come to think of it I've not featured David and Goliath here...perhaps the mothballed dio can be revived in another new post from the very start. There are some additions since the last posting in the defunct MM forum.

We'll see. I might just jump from one build to another...been Down Under too often. :smiling2: Here's a glimpse of it before plastering began...



Cheers,
Richard

[Allen Dewire]

Wow Richard,

Great to see this again. I always liked this one and your plastering work. No need to hurry and start it again. You have enough on your table as it is! Maybe we should give our projects a number and do a raffle. Whichever number comes up in the draw, that's the one you have to finish first...….No excuses!!!

Just a thought...……………..

Bleib Gesund
Allen

[rtfoe]

Allen that's the thing about having so many builds at one time...I can pick and choose the variation of stages or genres. I realise my stamina to hold concentration on the same process is quite short. The other problem is the visual is already in my head so the anxiety to replicate it is daunting thus the procrastination.:smiling6: Basically I'm waiting till my skill level gets to the point where I can takle the problem.

I tried GBs but that just detracted from my initial goal and left a lot along the wayside. Instead of deminishing my stash I have more unfinshed kits so I decided to at least make them up to prime or base color stage then they at least look respectable rather than sitting in the box half naked. :smiling6:

Cheers,
Richard

[Allen Dewire]

Yes Richard,

I agree, but you have a lot more talent and skills than you give yourself credit for. Yes, I know we are our own worst critics and that does bring about problems at times. Mine is trying to make something too much like the original or super detailing, which is time consuming and can also put you into a rut. Bang, start a new project and that rut is gone and the mojo soars once more…..

Like you, I also get them painted and even start the weathering stage. I box them up so they won't get dusty sitting on the shelf waiting for the day they get finished. Every kit in the stash has an idea behind it unfortunately…...….

I don't think that I could ever really diminish my stash as the damn thing keeps growing even with my No Kits, No Kits, No Kits, self imposed rule. They say, "rules are made to be broken" so with all my ideas, I guess I'm doomed…………...

Take care my friend and Bleib Gesund
Allen

[rtfoe]

Yes Allen, the moment we see a new kit that fits our genre we're doomed. :smiling2: The wallet gets flamed, the temptation to put it together is so uncontrollable, it's like an aphrodisiac, current build is totally forgotten or amnesia sets in, stash accumulates, anxiety of how to sneak new kit into the house, more anxiety when SWMBO discovers your latest purchase, loss of sleep and much more. Tell me now ...is this a fun hobby...sure is. :smiling2:

Mothballing is one way to make sure a kit stays alive and not sent to the bin, that's one way of seeing it for me. The other is not to fall into the trap of over super detailing because that can be exhausting to the point of loosing interest.
How often do you all save a kit or is the bin the easiest way out of a fix? How far do you go if it's a bad kit?

Cheers,
Richard

[Guest]

How often do you all save a kit or is the bin the easiest way out of a fix? How far do you go if it's a bad kit?

During the time when I had to work for a living, purchased kits would just go straight into the (futures) stash, including those that were of lesser quality. With that time long past I'm reaping the benefits of having more time to build. When I come across a kit of a model I want to construct and find the kit is of poorer standard and I can't be a*sed to bother (e.g. severe lack of cockpit detail) I now just bin it because while I have a lot of time during each day to build, the number of days left are very finite. And there's no point in trying to sell rubbish kits.

While buying kits at bargain prices over many years and storing them has had some benefits, I've found that the quality of many in comparison to what is now being released is very significant and that has negated the benefits somewhat.

What has not been helpful in stash reduction is the increasing releases of LE (limited edition) kits that sell out very quickly and become as rare as hen's teeth on the resell market. That really stokes the FOMO feelings and makes it nigh impossible to resist grabbing one while still available.

I assume this trend is happening to kits other than aircraft?