I was reading the thread “What’s with large scale” and it actually raises some very good questions, such as:
For those of you who have a LARGE collection of completed kits how do you display and/or store them? Do you build dioramas? Do you put them into plastic storage containers? Do you donate them? What do you do with them?
For those of us who do not have the space to have a dedicated workbench/space how do you store your kits that are in progress? How do you store your “stash” of models?
Granted as we know there are limits to the details that can be shown in plastic hence the market for aftermarket parts. A good question is, Why are some people reluctant to use them, and why do some people “wait forever” for just the “right” aftermarket kit that may or may not ever arrive on the market? Also why don’t more kits already come with (yes I know some kit’s like some of the Italeri come with PE and other “aftermarket” parts as standard equipment so why don’t more do this?
I have a finished basement in which i have some dispay cases,right now I have about 100 assorted models on display.No pics I’m at work now.
as far as AM parts,I don’t use a lot because they add so much cost to a kit.I build a lot of Dragon kits that come with a lot of extra’s so that helps.Occasionally I will add stowage or figures,PE screenss are a must for me,but thats about it.
I guess some companies don’t do it so they don’t add too much cost to the kit.
When I have finished a model , it gets displayed till I need the room then it goes to storage , carefully packed til I can rotate back to the kit later. [H]
Now , as to unfinished models I have a dedicated bookcase for them .carefully stacked and labeled . Ships on the top three shelves and cars as well as armor on the fourth shelf and planes on the bottom( I only have about fifteen planes total .) [sml…]
I use aftermarket parts in the way of photo-etched units for all scales .this stuff is kept in dedicated little cabinets and a service " ready " box under my workbench .Again carefully labeled and stored .Some of my P.E. is twelve or more years old . I do not ,as a rule use aftermarket resin anything .If I trade or get gifted a model with the parts then so be it .Otherwise I usually DO NOT buy resin parts .(I am lightly allergic to the dust generated when using and sanding these parts ). [:$]
I do have one resin car kit , as yet unassembled . This was bought because a plastic kit of the same car was priced well out of my reach [;)] .This and all my plastic for scratch-building and brass are stored in an old CHIFFAROBE (a tall cabinet, originally for clothes ) [^o)]
I share work space with my landlady who (by the grace of GOD ) has crafting skills too . [:O] She does stained glass projects (nightlights and suncatchers .) She and I share many laughs and problem solving sessions while we work along on our seperate projects within feet of each other [:-*]. We found out that when I do radars in any scale or rails and ladders in brass in 1/48 and 1/96 that we use much the same tools . I was written about in the local newspaper for what I do .There is a few photos of my workspace and tools in that article . [:$]
The article can be found in the WEBSITE for the HERALD-ZEITUNG newspaper of NEW BRAUNFELS ,TEXAS . It was summer of last year . Well , there you have my setup described . I hope you found it of interest . I am also a member ot TEX-(LUG ) S.A. (an adult LEGO users group ).There is a dedicated room for them . I also use them in conjunction with my membership in the NEW BRAUNFELS HISTORIC MODEL RAILROADERS CLUB and the HISTORIC NEW BRAUNFELS RAILROAD MUSEUM . Well , I guess that answers that , Didn’t mean to be so long-winded . SHIPBUILDING ROCKS ! ! ! Tanker-builder [cptn] P.S. as to P.E. in kits . It does raise the price and there is (in ships anyway ) not enough to do a complete job of it . [^o)]
This is a somewhat different thread than the title- I was tempted to start a new thread with this discussion. One of the things I find with some modelers is the belief- especially for contests- that the job of the modeler is to work with what is in the kit and do as best a job as possible (I personally do not share that view). These are folks who will fight very hard to make sure there are OOB categories in any local contest. For instance, to these folks a scratch-built model is anathema. I can see their point, even if I do not agree with it. This group of folks does not ordinarily use aftermarket parts when they build a kit as a general philosophy. Kind of like the philosophical question of whether to weather a model or always build models as the day they emerge from paint shop. No right or wrong- just different viewpoints.
1/35 armor gets rotated through a closed display case, 1/32 tail draggers get hung by the tail on the wall for display and everything else just takes a chance with the cats while displayed at my house. Since I build a lot of modern 1/32 jets, storage and display is an issue that I haven’t yet fully solved.
In-progress builds and shelf queens get carefully stacked in their boxes within the stash room- think stacks of unopened kits with open boxed, unfinished kits on top. All AM materials get their own organized storage boxes, so I know what’s where.
I don’t know why some folks have such philosophies when it comes to modeling- I guess that it’s just human nature to find a line of division somewhere if only to think of oneself as apart from the common horde.
I can understand those who prefer the “purist” OOB approach of building with only what is in the box, barring any lost or damaged parts that need to be replaced by the molder (hopefully the manufacturer will have a replacement plan/option). And I can understand a person wanting to get the thought process of wanting to purchase and use “ALL” of the aftermarket components that they can find in order to make their kit as historically accurate as possible.
And there should be room for both trains of thought on the workbench, and in the contests. Likewise there should be room for those who have the “mad skills” to build whatever model from scratch. That is sadly a skill I am not likely to ever have.
As far as weathering goes, personally I think that it depends on the type of model i.e. is it a civilian car or is it military model that is part of a diorama then weathering should be considered.
And I agree with you that there is no right/wrong way, and there should be room for all schools of thought.
Given the details that one can get with resin, and photoetched I don’t see anything wrong with doing what one can to further their enjoyment of the hobby.
Here is a good followup question in regards to aftermarket pieces. IF the aftermarket item(s) is/are produced by the same company that produced the original kit. As an example while poking around the AMT/Ertl web site I’ve noticed that they’ve made kits to further detail several of their Star Trek kits.
So, the question, is that IF the same company that made the original kit makes the “aftermarket” items are they really “aftermarket” items?