I will admit, I am not as big a model builder as it may seem. My subject interests are fairly narrow in breadth and though I’d like to have the time and the storage space to put the models, my builds are limited. Additionally, I don’t do a lot of sprue stretching, I’ve never done PE, and my abilities related to paint and weathering are a joke.
What I am is more of a ‘subject matter guy’. I’ll not dare say ‘subject matter expert’, as I am not an expert in anything (I do get lucky sometimes).
Now, what this is all leading up to is my question on help. I see my fellow builders working on a subject that I know well and I want to ‘assist’ them in their build by telling them as much as I can about the subject and so they can fix or add more detail to make it more ‘correct’. I marvel at the fantastic work you folks do, since I know I’ll never get to that point, but I have to bite my tongue constantly to let you do your thing, not mine. I know that in many cases I could help, but the builder may not know that what he’s working on is incorrect and doesn’t know the ask for information.
So, back to the original question; how much help do you all think is appropriate?
I’d say maybe a tiny bit more than is asked for… And I think it would be OK to comment in a thread saying something like "If you like I might tell you a thing or two about … " (fill in the blank). Now if the builder takes yo up on that - nice. If not - it’s probably better to let it be…
Hope it helps I thank you for your input on our forums here and have a nice day!
You can always PM the member and suggest what you can offer. Then it’s up to them to decide whether they’d like your advice to be in a more general context.
Everyone reacts differently to positive criticism. I tend to get a little prickly when something I spent a bunch of time on is pointed out as incorrect.
Sometimes it’s like when somebody goes to the level of detail to put faces on 1/700 scale crewmen but then puts the wings on backward . . . when do you speak up?
If it’s a glaring error, let them know before the gaffe is irretrievable. With tact of course. If it’s past that point, “if you build one of these again, you might want to watch out for xxxxx” will suffice…
Yeah, I have a lot of first hand knowledge on many modern US armored vehicles.
I’ve learned not to give too much information to the general modeler, unless certain persons I know are asking for it. There are specific guys here who strive for accuracy and appreciate my input.
There are many others who just like to post photos of their awesome completed projects and only want the “good jobs” or field some questions on how they achieved this or that.
Some guys post photos across multiple forums and I might have seen it already so I don’t bother to check it out here. They never interact with the regular members here.
I’m just a dumb old geezer who does the best he can with what he’s got but needs all the help he can get and uses it greatfully. I’ve gotten loads and loads of help from you guys over the years. Thank you all.
I don’t mind people providing information on my builds in the least. For me, I decide if it is worth correcting or not. At this point in my life, I am teaching myself to choose my battles, something I did not do as a youth. As others have said, tact is always a good thing to use.
Listen and don’t interrupt-You Got That !!! That’s NOT the way you want to do that. Here’s what I do. “When I was working on that model this is what I tried.”
“I would recommend” and such Can work better. Thusly giving the benefit of your knowledge, But NOT insulting theirs! I always suggest or use the line above.
By doing that I have folks Message me asking for more. That’s the right way to proceed. I remember one time many Years ago at a model show( You may have seen my post on that) A young Modeler stepped out the door and crying, threw his built model in the trash.
I ran over and retrieved it and stepped over to him asking “What’s wrong?” He told me one of the judges told him his model was trashy! Can you imagine how that learning modeler felt? I was President of the club at the time and found the judge that said those things. We had a very serious talk back behind the building!
( No ,I didn’t deck him, althought I did want to) Anyway I looked at the kid’s model inside the venue and asked what’s wrong with it? Then he pointed out some things. Turns out he didn’t understand the instructions and added all the custom parts on top of the stock stuff on the engine, For example.
I went inside and bought the kit he had. I went over the instructions with him and asked when he didn’t quite get it. Turned out the kid was dyslexic and had optical problems. Like I have now, what I called “Jittery Eye”. With me it’s only when I am stressed and in an eye I injured years ago. There’s a medical name for it. Anyway, because I did this I made friends with the whole Family.
You know though that many folks would ask if they knew how. It’s not the attaboy that is involved. It’s someone elses EGO. You cannot run into that with a Mack Truck!!
I don’t believe in the whole Attaboy thing! What I do believe in is sharing Information in a courteous and informative way. That makes friends and they feel good about asking you.
True that Rob !!! Some go from site to site and act like we are breathlessly awaiting their next offering.True I enjoy looking at some great builds,but get involved and offer some advice or commendation on someone else’s stuff.If someone acts like that I almost never react.
Only that if the model is done- it’s DONE. I’ve had some people get a bit miffed because I wouldn’t go back and fix something I’ve done wrong. I appreciate your advice and help- and I’ll take it consideration on my next model of the same sort but I’m not going back to change this one.
Also I’m a bit of a stick in the mud at this point- there are certain things that work for me. They may not be the best way or the easiest way to do something but it’s my way. So again I appreciate advice and help but I’m probably not going to change the way I do things. Don’t take it the wrong way, I’m not dissing you, it’s just this way works for me.
Again, thank you all for your input. I really do appreciate it, as otherwise I would not have asked. I admit being a bit of a stickler on one subject especially, and I sometimes feel obligated (probably by my own ego . . .) to try and help, preferably before they make a mistake, so they don’t have to come back to fix it after the fact. Like others have said, “once it’s done, it’s done”, and at that point I say nothing unless asked specifically. I’m just somewhat confused when I see a builder buy the kit, then wood decking, then two or three sets of PE, then another couple of sets of 3D parts . . . etc., and ready to go to the ‘nth’ degree on detail; then still build it with major structural inconsistancies for their intended timeframe or version. I just wonder, WHY? I also admit that the problem is mine; I’m just trying to understand and/or deal with my issues. Again, thank you all.
Anytime I post something on the forum anyone is welcome to offer suggestions on how I could have made it better. The majority of models I see here are better than mine. I’m new and still learning. someday I’ll build models as great as what I see here. I want the criticism. It’s a plastic model not a kidney.
Years ago I joined a model club. It was great. I made lots of friends and learnt a hell of a lot. I was keen to learn and took whatever advice I could get until I began to develop my own style and became more comfortable with my work. This doesn’t mean I stopped seeking or taking advice, I just became a little more selective. For several years I entered the various competitions and had my share of success. I was also a judge, but after a while I started to question some of the judging decisions that were being made. It seemed to me that there was a cult of eliteness, (is that even a word?), seeping in and I noticed cliques were beginning to form. Not long after I dropped out of the club scene altogether and became a solo modeller depending on magazines and books for my inspiration. This is the first time since the late 70’s that I have reached out to other modellers and I am enjoying it immensely and I’ll take any advice someone has to offer. Whether or not I follow it is another thing. I’m a great believer in constructive criticism, even though it can sometimes make you grind your teeth. Again wether I accept the criticism is another thing, but I really hope that if I was putting a lot of time and effort into an accurate build and was making/had made a serious error, that someone would point it out to me.
There is truth in everything you said. When you can share and everyone still wants to get together for a pint afterwards then it’s fair Dinkum. Now if you don’t want to be friends well, that’s a selection too. Most modelers I have met over the years are just ordinary Blokes havin Fun.
Now that said if someone asks me for help or my opinion I will respond" Do you really want my opinion? or do you have something specific about your model yer not happy with?" Oh! Then you learn the way they see it. And always ask Why? This gets them to look at their model in a new light too.
I would say that you should try to offer a little help or advice at first, and then see if the person you’re trying to help is receptive. If they are, then go into more detail with them. That way you don’t spill a lot of ink on trying to help someone who doesn’t want the help.
I thank you for your input on our forums here and have a nice day!