If you’ve been watching FSM videos over the last three years, you know that I ended up with a number of kits from my dad’s stash after he died. One of the kits I acquired was his AMT/Ertl 1/20 scale Clydesdale Budweiser 8-horse hitch. There’s a story behind this kit that I won’t recount here, but if you want to hear about it, you can watch the video. (Skip to around 10:54.) Sort of as a joke, Aaron and I said that if that video received 1,000 likes or more, I’d build the kit. Well, it did, so I was on the hook. In November 2023, I began working on the model.
It’s now September 2026, and it’s still not finished, although it is close! So, so close! Close enough that I thought I’d begin to post photos of the build process and give some history for how this thing has come together and why it’s taken me three years to complete. I hinted in another thread that I talk a bit about why in my From the Editor in the Nov/Dec 2026 FSM, and instead of undercut that, I think I’ll start with it as a both a bit of a preview for the issue and a little bit of what’s to come in this thread over the next several days. I’m not sure how long this thread will end up being, but I intend that it will be mostly wrapped up by Sept. 24, because that’s when the model should be wrapped. More on that later!
As promised, let’s start with my preface for the upcoming Nov/Dec 2026 FSM.
And here’s the text version if you don’t want to read it off the image:
A lot of what you’ll read in this issue revolves around modelers looking at the choices in front of them, deciding on a solution, and then completing the task. It’s not always easy, and sometimes might take us a little longer than we’d like, but that’s a big part of the hobby, especially when you dive into kitbashing, scratchbuilding, and custom paint jobs.
Personally, over the past year, I’ve had to figure out a lot, too, regarding my time at the workbench. I’ve been suffering from a condition called trigger finger in both my hands for several years, but it worsened to the point that I could no longer do the things I loved that required manual dexterity, like modeling and playing guitar.
Even before that, I was battling burnout. As Aaron Skinner and I ramped up our plans for FineScale Modeler, I took on more projects than I should have. After he departed and I added his duties to my own, well, let’s say that certain things required triage. What that meant for me was less time at the workbench. Add to that the difficulties with my hands and I had the perfect storm. It was easier to avoid the workbench altogether.
Avoidance, however, works only in the short term. In June, after covering NimCon, I had the first of two hand surgeries to correct my trigger finger. The second was in July. Being able to open and close my hands without their fingers locking up, even with stiffness and discomfort, was incredible. I picked up a guitar, which I hadn’t played in over a year, and ran through a scale. Sweet Jeebus, did that feel good!
With my hands working again, I turned my attention to the burnout. My solution was to set a two-hour timer on my cellphone and place it face down on the workbench. That’s all the time I get for a session per day. It means I have to get moving, no dawdling. It also means that when the alarm goes off, I stop and clean up. Discipline.
What I’ve found is that I’m anticipating my time at the workbench now. I’m planning my next session in my head. Limiting my time also keeps me from screwing up, because my hands get tired quickly right now. But I’m back to the bench and looking forward to finishing these models!
