Kit complexity?

[Guest]

I've some from a 'later' kit (think it's from a Hanomag 251 kit) and comparing them to the items that came with the BMW outfit, there's no contest that the 'hanomag' ones are far better 'detail'

Another thing with Tamiya, which your example reminded me of, is that they have a bit of a habit of releasing entirely new kits of much the same subject as they already have in their range. The Sd.Kfz. 251 is a case in point: their original Ausführung C kit is about as old as the BMW R75 you built, and of similar quality. However, they also released an Ausf. D in the 1990s that is much better-detailed. Still nowhere near what you get from a similar Ausf. D kit from AFV Club, Dragon or similar, but those are 1) newer, 2) usually more expensive, and 3) not as easy to build.

Anyway, what I’m trying to say is that with Tamiya, you kind of have to take care with which kit you buy, if you want both an easy build and reasonable accuracy.

[GerryW]

Another thing with Tamiya, which your example reminded me of, is that they have a bit of a habit of releasing entirely new kits of much the same subject as they already have in their range. The Sd.Kfz. 251 is a case in point: their original Ausführung C kit is about as old as the BMW R75 you built, and of similar quality. However, they also released an Ausf. D in the 1990s that is much better-detailed. Still nowhere near what you get from a similar Ausf. D kit from AFV Club, Dragon or similar, but those are 1) newer, 2) usually more expensive, and 3) not as easy to build.

Anyway, what I’m trying to say is that with Tamiya, you kind of have to take care with which kit you buy, if you want both an easy build and reasonable accuracy.

I think that it's the Tamiya 35020 kit (from what I can see in the shop) - it's one that my youngest son bought & made, so yes, probably around the '90s, with the guy leaping out of the back!
I get your point with what you're saying - they release a kit, then they put out a mk2, or (as I've noticed with the Protze) one towing a gun, with slightly different specs.

[Guest]

Gerry look at the build topics on this & other forums. That will give you the complexity of a kit.

Laurie

[David Lovell]

Gerry I dont quite know where your at ,I honestly don't think that you can really grade kits from simple to hard ,I realise your just getting back in to this great pass time stroke hobby and perhaps dont want to fall in at the deep end but they are what they are ,the good the bad and the ugly. You love your motorcycles never made one but there's a lot of bikes out there from the Japanese manufacturers all should be pretty good (ahh the jawa, two valve sir upright in the frame sir, thoes were the days stood on the bend ducking the shale ,heady on the smell of ethanol) you didn't like the kit but wanted to build that specific bike so if I remember rightly that was your only choice ,what I'm trying to say is some times if that's what you want to build you might have to go the extra. At the end of the day we all pay our money and make our choices . Our late Simon T would have said it took a fair bit of fettleing but got there in the end. On a closing note I think we all started with tamiya if your not a rivet counter I wouldn't even worry about the accuracy of the early stuff they are as they say shake and bake not much modeling to them as good as any to get you rolling without the wheel falling off before you've even started but it all comes down to your choice of what you actually want to build. Dave

[Ian M]

Skill and experience are only gained one way. Practice.
A ten year old that has built models for two years can build a model as well if not better than a 50 year old that has never built any befor.
And visa versa. so its not a thing you can gauge by age. Its all don to practice and patience. (some might say perseverance).
Like many aspects of life, doing something you want to do is more inspiring than doing something you have to do.
Building a kit because you have read that it's a nice kit or is easy to build could lead to a disappointment, however building a kit of something you really like and want to build will give you more motivation to build it until the bitter end.
Dont be fooled by the 5 - 99 years bit. I got a jigsaw puzzle a while ago and I finished it in a week.

[GerryW]

I guess that if I'm going to be making many more, then it's going to be buy in another set of watch tweezers (current modelling ones are just about fine enough for the kits I've done, and I'm not going to use my watch ones for modelling), swap out the 2.5x for 3.5x lenses and crack on.

[Guest]

I think that it's the Tamiya 35020 kit (from what I can see in the shop) - it's one that my youngest son bought & made, so yes, probably around the '90s, with the guy leaping out of the back!

No. 35020 would be the old kit from the 1970s, of the Ausf. C — the one where the rear of the hull slopes outward at the top and inward at the bottom. The Ausf. D had a hull rear that slopes inward all the way from the top.

[/quote]I get your point with what you're saying - they release a kit, then they put out a mk2, or (as I've noticed with the Protze) one towing a gun, with slightly different specs.
[/QUOTE]
That’s what I meant to be wary of, yes: they add a towed gun, or a small sprue with some additional parts for a minor variant, or new figures, or something similar to what’s essentially a very old kit, and then call it a new one. The basic kit will still have the same (lack of) accuracy, of course. But then they sometimes also release a completely new kit of much the same subject, that’s far better detailed.

[GerryW]

No. 35020 would be the old kit from the 1970s, of the Ausf. C — the one where the rear of the hull slopes outward at the top and inward at the bottom. The Ausf. D had a hull rear that slopes inward all the way from the top.

I get your point with what you're saying - they release a kit, then they put out a mk2, or (as I've noticed with the Protze) one towing a gun, with slightly different specs.

That’s what I meant to be wary of, yes: they add a towed gun, or a small sprue with some additional parts for a minor variant, or new figures, or something similar to what’s essentially a very old kit, and then call it a new one. The basic kit will still have the same (lack of) accuracy, of course. But then they sometimes also release a completely new kit of much the same subject, that’s far better detailed.

I got the wrong kit number - it was the 35195 kit, so probably later, but looking at the 'detailing' of stuff, got 3 different 'quality' from over the years/kits that we've done - going down in 'quality' from top to bottom an 'entrenching spade' with the knife/short sword attached

[Guest]

A number of points.

Most nanufactures give the number of parts. That is a good clue.

Scale is another. Greater number of parts & complexity in 1/32 than a 1/72 with midway 1/48.

Type of model. Last year or so I have been producing airliners at 1/72. They are much more intricate than a 1/72 military craft. Paint work is very much more complicated.

You make the complexity. Most models are about the same. Make it more interesting & complex then add after bits & pieces plus PE.

In the end if you can reasonably stick things together & fill & smooth then that is it. You can tackle anything. The techniques are the most important parts. Getting them is the more difficult work & that is only achieved with experience.

Laurie

[Dave Ward]

After looking through two pages of postings - I would say " don't overthink things" - just get that model bought and have at it! Making a model ( and perhaps making a hash of it ) is the way to define your comfort level!
Dave

[Guest]

After looking through two pages of postings - I would say " don't overthink things" - just get that model bought and have at it! Making a model ( and perhaps making a hash of it ) is the way to define your comfort level!
Dave

Agree Dave in at the deep end. Always the dustbin in the yard :tongue-out3: :rolling:

Laurie

[scottie3158]

As has been said pick something you fancy in your price range and give it a go take your time try fit until your happy then glue. If your not sure just ask and some one will know or give sage advice. You are the only person you have to please with the build.