Model Building - Original Creations and Kits

Childhood memories amazingly inspire our favorite pastimes to become our future hobbies or interests. These memories give us pleasure or reward us with relaxation, therapy, or an income.

Examples:

We played cards with neighboring friends as children. As adults we join bridge card playing clubs or card playing at gambling establishments. This hobby rewards us with relaxation or fun income.

We watched a neighbor’s child build a stock car and participated in a racing event. As an adult we can build and restore cars of our choosing and enter them for show or racing. This hobby can satisfy our need for relaxation, therapy, and an income.

A person can specialize in building one item or multiple items which support their specialty. An example of this would be making accessories and landscaping items for a model train platform.

Some of these hobbies or interests can be expensive or for whatever reason will not fit into our current lifestyle. If we are not able to pursue some of these expensive hobbies then an excellent outlet would be model building. We may not be able to own a ship, but we can build a scaled model of a ship and admire our achievement when it is showcased on a shelf.

What is model building? I would define model building as constructing a replica of a real object but in a smaller form. Some of these models can be built with original materials and others may be purchased as kits.

Assembling model cars and balsa wood airplanes were two very popular pastimes with the boys during my childhood. Another popular form of model building was the Erector set. The girls enjoyed working with modeling clay and paper mache.

Model building may be done with wood, plastics, metal, clay, cardboard, paper mache, foam and other articles which can become a part of or support your project.

You may do original work or purchase kits. Many of us purchase kits because materials for the main structure are included.along with instructions.

4 Types of Kits:

1. Snap: Interlocking pieces join by snapping them into place as instructed.
2. Glue: There are many minor pieces and parts of this 3D puzzle to assemble. Glues are available with three styles of applicators. The popular cement glue in the tube, a liquid with a brush, and glue with a needle-like applicator.
3. Wood: The parts slip into pre-cut slits in the wood that lock into place. Sometimes glue application may be necessary.
4. Radio Control: RC’s require master skills and talents to assemble and operate. Power sources for RC’s are batteries, electricity, gasoline, and nitro. Batteries are used in racing cars, Other assorted cars and trucks use gasoline. A combination of electricity with batteries are used in enormous trucks and buggies. Extra large vehicles use nitro.

Open the kit and review the enclosed parts, decals, and pigment colors. Read all information. Understand the directions before building. Do not throw the instruction sheet away. Follow the directions. Work in an area reserved for the assembling process and no disturbances.

Model kits are available with or without paint. The models that require decals are in the kit. It is wise for beginners to assemble easy and less expensive kits. Knowledge and experience will follow preparing for more difficult kits, It appears prices increase with the number of pieces, the difficulty of assembly, and the quality of the merchandise.

I recommend you assemble a vehicle from the beginning. The reason is to enable your skills to perform repairs and part replacements.

People who have an interest in building models are are both artists and craftsmen with creative and imaginative abilities. They also possess various trade skills with excellent eye and hand coordination, and finger dexterity. They have the ability to observe a realistic object and reduce it to a miniature replica.

Qualities for success:

1. Knowledge
2. Creativity and Imagination
3. Patience
4. Time
5. Detail oriented
6. Photos and drawings of projects
7. Working with an assortment of tools

The media which is being used will determine the order of construction, materials, and tools. These three-dimensional buildings, characters, or animals all require starting with their foundation and proceeding with the accessories, and finalizing the details.

Essential Skills:

1. Familiarity with project
2. Planning and designing, supported with drawings and photography
3. Construction techniques for making the replica
4. Engineering abilities
5. Knowing how to work required tools
6. Finishing applications

Building a model of an object takes the same reality steps as though building the original, but it is a miniature. For instance, if you are building a replica of your home you would need to do all that is required to build a house (with a few exceptions), but on a much smaller scale.

It is a fun and enjoyable replicating the process and a feeling of pride and accomplishment when completed.

There are many different types of models which may be created and assembled. This is a small category list to help you get started.

1. Animals
2. Accessories which support the main project
3. Commercial Buildings and Industrial Buildings
4. Communities – residential and business
5. Entertainment characters from books, movies, and television
6. Flora and landscaping
7. Houses
8. Machinery
9. Natural wonders – volcanoes, mountains, canyons
10. People
11. Robots and other mechanical devices
12. Vehicles – cars, trucks, boats, ships, rockets, space ships, military vehicles