When was the last time you built a kit and literally followed the instructions as written: assembly order, painting call-outs for each step, etc.?
I always spend a lot of time studying the instructions before starting a kit, but seldom follow them exactly. To paraphrase Capt. Jack Sparrow:, “they’re more ‘guidelines’ than actual rules”.
The thing that got me thinking about it was looking at the instructions for my new Academy F-4B. They have you attach the main landing gear to the wheel well walls and then trap that assembly between the top & bottom wing halves. To me that’s a recipe for disaster.
And not just to pick on Academy, because I can also think of several other impractical assembly sequences I’ve seen on kit instruction sheets. For example, the Hasegawa Tomcats that have you mount the nose landing gear before assembling the forward fuselage to the wings and rear fuselage.
Unless there’s some overwhelming reason not to, I almost always will leave stuff like the landing gear, antennas, weapons, canopies, etc off a plane until it’s assembled, painted & decaled. Besides the risk of someone clumsy like me breaking stuff off, it makes it almost impossible mask and paint any type of multi-color paint scheme with all the little bits sticking out.
Most of us experienced modelers have figured things out, but I have to wonder how many newcomers to the hobby might get frustrated by trying to follow the instructions verbatim out of the box?
Good point,kit instructions almost everytime have to be taken with a grain of salt.The build sequence always has to be thought out ahead of time,not just one step at a time.
I always have a laugh when I see instructions that have you add all the breakable bits early in the build sequence… it’s almost as if the instructions are written by someone who doesn’t build kits.
I mostly use instruction sheets as a place to write notes, changing the color call-outs, sometimes noting that ONE thing that has to be installed before the assemble continues onward, things like that
I know a lot of people don’t agree with my color choices,but, when one company calls for Aircraft Gray, and another calls out Dark Gull Gray,for the SAME part on the same aircraft (same as in exact same BuNo on exact same cruise),someone has to decide which is right and which is wrong
so, for every file folder full of instruction sheets, there is one of each type in the front, with all of my color notes on it for the details of that type, and even if I am building an Italeri or AMT version, I will just follow my color notes on a Hasegawa or Fujimi instruction sheet as I go
I built one of Hasegawa’s 1/72 F-18F’s that was missing the instructions, and had a lot of fun figuring it out. Anyways, I never have any extra screws left over when I follow the instructions…
I have built more than one model that absolutely could not have been finished if the instructions were followed in the sequence printed. I sometimes wonder if mfgs ever really assemble a kit from a test shot to see if all parts fit and the instructions are correct.
IMO the Trumpeter 1/48 MiG-21F-13 is the worst I’ve ever seen in this regard. The last step is literally…mate the fully completed wings, landing gear and ordnance and everything already mounted, to the fuselage, which already has the canopy installed, all the little antennae…just stupid.
People complain about Dragon’s armor instructions, but at least they seem to more or less follow a logical build order.
On some aircraft kits the landing gear has to be attached early on otherwise its impossible to glue on properly insde the wing or fuselage. Hasegawa’s Arado 234 kits are a good example. I usually attach landing gear before painting comences anyway because then you have something to set the model on while the paint dries. Overall though, the best advice it to dry fit each assembly, then decide to follow the instructions or not, thats the best general advice for new modelers.
I’m basically a believer in the aircraft mechanics rule #1 - When all else fails, Read the Manual! (that’s not exactly what it says but this is a family forum) - I always keep the instructions at hand in case I have a problem (or the kit is gigantic and/or has approximately 1 gazillion parts) - If I don’t have any problems and/or its a small kit, I won’t usually look at the instructions once the box is opened.
I keep the instructions handy to make sure ive got everything before i button it up. And when i finish the building stage, if i have spare bits ill check to see where they go then decide if they’re necessary.
For me, I use the instructions as a general layout to see how the sub assemblies actually go together. I never build in order of the instructions. Sometimes it also depends on how I want a kit to be displayed, motor visible, closed hatches, etc. you get the idea. In terms of painting it depends on the kit. Usually I reference pictures more than anything for painting, but when the available pictures are limited, I will default to the instruction sheets. At times, I go totally off the radar and ignore most of the diagrams. This has put me in a quandary once or twice, but I can usually save it…
An entirely different thing, and situation are paint order, decal order and getting everything in place at the right time. This is where experience comes into play. Some instructions will advise/warn if a part needs to be placed after a decal, or painted or whatever. Experience is definitely helpful here. Planning is key. For the mast part, particularly planes, the build process is pretty similar, exceptions come in with internal details, doors, canopies etc.
And then add AM kit instructions as well. The AS-90 eduard sets add up to 4 etch frets. i spent weeks just cutting bits off and sticking bits on before assembling anything. plus the AM barrel, plus the AM bronco tracks (500+ parts) trying to cross reference kit and am instructions is a nightmare.
For the newcomer, the instruction sheet is a vital tool for assembly. For the experienced modeler, the instruction sheets are a way to verify where things go and to plan ahead as in sub-assemblies and painting certain items beforehand. I never follow the building order as it would be impossible to properly and accurately detail certain features. This is specially true when using resin updates or replacement parts and pe sets as talentless pointed out. Right now I’m working on a kit with a ton of resin extra parts so I have to deal with two separate instruction manuals. Another mistake that newcomers make is following the color callouts in the instructions which are sometimes incorrect. Then you also have the instructions which don’t list certain parts or are just very vague. [bnghead]
It’s a magical day in each modeler’s life when you see the words “instruction manual” but read them as “suggestion manual”. It means you truly have progressed beyond ‘beginner’ status.
I’m still trying to figure out why 99% of every instruction manual for a tank wants you to install the road wheels and tracks before you assemble and paint the main body… and like talentless said too, trying to go between AM and kit instructions can give you a headache i usually read though and make notes on the kit instructions on where all the AM parts come into play