How long was your modeling hiatus?

General Discussion General Modeling Discussion
1

From what I’ve read in FSM, a good portion of us built models when we were kids, stopped for a number of years, then rediscovered the hobby. How long was your hiatus? What made you stop building? What got you back in the hobby?

I built my first model in 1972 (see post under “What was your first model?”). For about five years, modeling was my favorite activity; after a hard day at school, it was nice to sit down with the glue, the paint and the hobby knife as model plane after model car took shape on my workbench. My favorite subject was competition cars, especially dragsters, but I also built a lot of planes and the occasional helicopter or ship.

In 1977, I got a drum set and of course, bashing on that as loud as I could to Black Sabbath and Foghat cut into my modeling time. (Of course, my parents wished I’d do more building if only for some peace and quiet![:)]) Then in 1978, a new hobby, collecting telephone pole insulators, completely wiped out my modeling; within a few months, the model kits that were the basis of my existence were banished to a closet and the workbench was converted to an insulator shelf.

In 1979, my parents and I moved to Hawaii. Before the big move, I sold all my unbuilt kits, the tools and the paint at our yard sale and completely abandoned modeling.

Ironically, it was at a yard sale in 1994 (by then, I’d long since moved back to California) that I found an RC fishing boat and bought it originally for a friend who still lived in Hawaii. But then, I thought, “This would be a good way to kill a rainy day.” (I had a job at a plant nursery and sometimes the boss would tell me to stay home when it rained.) And it was! As the months went by, I gradually began modeling more often and even discovered scratchbuilding new parts. (I decided to build the boat as a static model.) In 1996, I built Testor’s Area 51 UFO and a diorama and gave it to my girlfriend’s mother for Christmas. Still, I didn’t think I was serious about modeling until about 1998, when I figured out a way to have a hobby bench permanently set up in my one-bedroom apartment that I finally decided, “Yes, I’m back in the hobby for good.”

Let’s hear your story![:)]

2

I’ve been modeling steadily for about 33 years. There have been some slow times where I’ve only built a couple of kits a year (due to family and job responsibilities) but no hiatus to speak of. I hope it never happens - I really can’t imagine life without modeling. Sometimes I think it’s the only way I hang onto my sanity!

3

My Hiatus??? Which one? This is my… hmmm… 4th expedition into modeling. I was a modeler: 1963-9, 1979-82, 1986-8, and 1992-present.

I think i will stick with it…

4

I built model cars as a kid/teenager and had to stop after going into the Air Force in 1962. I didn’t have much of a chance to build the first couple of years. After leaving Europe in '65 I had the chance to get back into it. When I went to Viet Nam in '67 and then spent the next four and a half years in South East Asia. I got back into building in '75 and haven’t looked back.

5

I stopped when I was 8 and restarted when I was about 15(two years ago!). So, It was about 7 years!

6

I’ve had a few interruptions in my modeling “life”. The first was back in the late 80’s; I simply lost interest in modeling. I guess guitars and gals were responsible for that one.

Then, in the early 90’s, I met a gal to whom I devoted the vast majority of my time and energy. [;)] After about two years she actually got me back into building when she thought that she had done wrong in “dragging me away” from it. She herself even got into it for awhile, her first model was the F-117 with Old Glory on the bottom.

More recently, I’ve had another loss of interest that started back in 2001. That was a sporadic hiatus, however. I went in and out for awhile. Finally I was in a valley where I had the interest and inspiration, but not the motivation.

My Dad passed away last year and that, in a way, gave me a kick start. Inheriting his huge collection, as well as other factors, rekindled my interest and started new interests. I had previously had little to no desire for building cars, but now I have several planned and am looking for some aftermarket stuff for these projects.

I am coming off of a forced hiatus right now. Much 1/1 scale work is being done on the house (since 12/26/02) and the whole place is a freakin’ war zone. I haven’t been able to do much of anything except sit at the computer and do some gaming or hit the modeling forums! Also, there was an incident that saw my workbench covered with glass chunks, shards and powder. That was fun. [:p]

I’m building again and hopefully no interruptions from now on!

Fade to Black…

7

I built models when I was a kid and stopped when I got into high school. I built some ships while I was in the Navy, stopped for a couple of years after I left the service. I got back into the hobby building armored vehicles about 8 years ago about the same time I started doing WW2 living history. Total time spent away from modeling is about 12 years.

8

I built models as a kid and a teenager in the 60’s and 70’s, then due to lacklustersublects, and other pursuits, fell out of it. The June 1992 issue of SAE cought my eye with a yellow '66 Ford Fairlane, and I had to build it. That’s when I got back in, now it’s almost a obsession. I’m in the process now of disassembling and restoring that model that goy me back into the hobby. It was pretty poor compared to what I can do now.
Lee

9

My dad started me building kits when I was a kid in the early 60’s. He died in 1980, and my enthusiam seemed to die with him, since we built them together for years. I dabbled for a few years, then quit altogether. My wife, bless her, saw my old kit collection and my supplies literally gathering dust in my parents’ attic and told me I needed to get back on the wagon again. She jump-started me with the Accurate Miniatures P-51C kit, and we were off to the races again. 17 years was along dry spell. Can’t get enough building time in the day, now. When I’m not online here or on eBay, I’m down in the basement in the shop, thorwing something together or planning the next kitbuild.

10

I built my first kit in 75 or 76. It was a snap-tite F-4 Phantom.

I modeled the whole time I lived at home even when I was in college.

I got out of it when I moved out and didn’t have any space in the apartment I lived in to really have a decent work space. Plus, having rent, car payments etc and being new to the workforce meant I had to choose: Beer or Models. Tough choice really.

I was out of the hobby from about 92-00.

I started small when I did re-start. Now, my wife and I have a house with a basement that is perfect as a work area, so I’m back into it full swing.

Yesterday, I bought my first air compressor and will be firing up the ol’ airbrush this week for the first time! WOO-HOO!

11

My first model was a Ju-87 in 1965. I was 5, so I suspect my father did most of the building and I did the ‘helping’ but it got me interested and I built models til I was about 16 or so. Other things got more important then, and it was only about a year ago that I started building again. So, a 25 year hiatus.

The big difference between then and now is that then, I had lots of time and only allowance money to buy kits. Now I’ve got less time, but a good job that leaves enough money for kits that I’ve already got a backlog of about 20 waiting to be built. Maybe I’ll stop buying for a bit.

12

Started when I was 12 , built anything my pocket money could afford me. Then started concentrating on WWII aircraft. Joined Canadian Air Forces at 18 at quit modelling for the next 27 years (got married, had kids and got posted all over), I am presently re-building a kit inventory of flying boat models and kit building materials as well as drafting a plan for my dream workbench.
So I am not building yet but my modelling determination is real.

13

Good luck on not buying. If the posts on “How Much Unassembled Kits is Too Much” are any indication, it’s easier said than done! It’s like collecting insulators; you always have to have that “one more” for your collection[:)].

14

Upon graduating from high school, I stayed away from modeling for 23 years. Modeling didn’t seem like a “grown-up” thing to do. Besides, while living at home my folks would try vacuuming my dusty panzers, so many of them lost hatches, spare tracks, etc. Then of course there was many years of college, finding a spouse, indulging in bicycling…it’s a wonder I ever returned to the hobby.

15

I just got back after a 12 year break. My kits waiting in the wings became a collection and I turned my attention toward finding old kits. From there I got into the buy, sell, and trade scene. I miss building so I’ve come back to it. I am also designing a dream bench like Louis. One of my other hobbies is furniture making so I’ll be killing two birds with one stone.