So far, I’ve owned the DML Pz IV E “Vorpanzer” for the past three weeks. In that time, I’ve assembled five bump stops, idlers, sprockets, three spare road wheels and cleaned a handful of suspension parts. Now, no matter what, I can’t make myself get anything more done.
Why? Frankly, I’m terrified of the kit. There’s just too many tiny things that can go wrong that I feel completely out of my depth. I’ve packed the entire thing neatly back into its box and closed the box inside a cupboard away from sight. Instead, I’m planning to buy something simpler tomorrow (even though I should finish my three other kits-in-progress) before tackling anything else.
Anyone gotten this degree of panzerfobia before? Is it natural to be overwhelmed by kits that have more parts than one’s car?
I actually considered giving it away, but I don’t have anyone to give it to, and charity to complete unknowns requires a better man than I.
Maybe I should just do a couple more simple kits before tackling the Panzer. For one thing, I would like one of those Tamiya 1/48 Volkswagens, and kits don’t come much simpler than that.
I know what you mean, all the new DML kits I’ve purchases are a bit overwhelming with all the detail and fiddly bits. They are not projects to be taken lightly. Someday I’ll build them when my skills get a little better. It really makes me appreciate how well engineered and buildable the Tamiya kits are.
Amen to that. I might have had problems with Tamiya kits in the past, but with them you always know where you stand. Still, the best build I had was with the Trumpeter KV-2, the only mistake I did on that one was not dry-fit the tracks before gluing on the fenders, so now I’m stuck with the vinyl ones because you can’t put the plastic ones on afterwards (not enough room).
I’ll try and finish more more of the suspension on the PzIV tonight, if it doesn’t work out I can always go back and buy something easier.
I don’t think I have a single model that OOTB will scare me, and I have some with enormous kit part counts, including some new DML kits, and the large locomotives, transporters, and railway mortars from Trumpeter. You just need to take it easy, and glue it together one part at a time. What scares me are the one or two projects that I have in planning. One is a dio that I estimate will take me the better part of 2-3 years, and a couple of others are projects with a boatload of AM parts. Tiny photoetch, resin, and all manner of details that have to be made to fit is what gives me the shivers.
After coming back from a 15 year hiatus from the hobby, here’s my take…
Just got the DML 1/35 Battle of the Bulge Tiger (Henschel Turret)… 700+ pieces… Magic Tracks my butt…yikes, but doable…
I have an old (late 1980s) 1/72 Bf 109 Hasegawa kit and got an Aires resin cockpit tub and Eduard photoetch set for it…holy trifocals Batman.
In my heyday in high school (1980s) I could build 'em up nice, normally 1/72 scale aircraft and the teeny 1/144 Dragon aircraft kits because they were cheap and I was flipping burgers…
So I guess as I get back into the swing of things…the kits don’t scare me nearly as much as the loss of my abilities over the years.
Well, I tried tackling the kit again and actually made progress. I built two complete suspension thingamabobs (they have a full range of motion, even) and started work on the rear hull plate, and idler mounts. Way I see it, it’s better to work on the wheels and suspension gradually, to avoid going insane (I did that mistake with my Sturer Emil, and I still have half its wheels sitting on sprues).
When I built my IV-E kit, I definitely had to be in the right frame of mind to work on it…and so there were periods of time where not much progress happened but the end result was worth it IMHO. I normally don’t have multiple kits going at the same time, usually work on 1 through to completion and then start the next. Sometimes I’ll alternate between a “simple” and a “complex” project but rarely. Since the IV-E ended up loaded on a flatcar being pulled by the Trump BR-52, well, the whole project was “complex” in a way. [(-D]
I don’t have any kits that really scare me, but I do have projects that are planned or “in the works” that will have to wait for just the right time before I tackle them.
Thanks btw for the note on the KV-2 fenders, I’m working on a KV-1 at the moment and was approaching the fenders step. I’ll have to test and see if the return rollers are left off if there’s enough space still to work with before attaching and painting. [:)]
The DML Tiger I Late with it’s 1000 plus parts is intimidating to say the least, that is why it’s in the stash for a bit. I’m much more content working on my Italeri Marder with it’s 150 or so parts.
Not many kits scare me other than the massive resin kits that are expensive and contain many parts. I do have many large kits that I do not want to build until the Army stops moving me around. Those are relatively expensive, high quality kits that would not survive the constant moves.
It doesn’t scare the Hell out of me, but the thought of working on an Italarie M-109 leaves me totally cold. I started my third one with the idea of super detailing it. Got copies of all the applicable manuals, spent a full day crawling over, under and through a couple of 109s that happened to be in the OMS shop, taking a 1/2 doz or so rolls of pics in the process and started on the kit. 9 months and a lot of scratchbuilding later, I had reached the stage where I didn’t even want to look at it. It’s about 1/2 done and I just put every thing in a large box and put it on a shelf where it’s sat for several years now. Maybe when I learn that “enough is enough” I might finish it.
I have a Academy Su-27 Flanker that scares me-its a big kit and with work turns out really well, its just that I have always wanted to do the “best” job I can on it, so every year it sits at the bottom of the pile being ignored. Someday I will get around to building it…
Looks like many of us have had experiences with “parts heavy” kits. My best advice is to approach one of these endless parts kit sort of like eating an elephant (one bite at a time). If you can, break the kit down into subassemblies and think of each one as sort of a mini kit. As you finish each one you will feel a sense of accomplishment which will motivate you to keep going until final assembly. If things get too overwhelming, take a break and work on something really simple for a diversion. Remember, our hobby is supposed to be fun and not a stress inducer like work. Mike
Unlike many of you, the more parts it has, the more fun I’ll have. Cause what I enjoy the most about modeling is the construction part. I’ve built the Dragon’s Tiger I late with its 1000 plus parts and I just loved the build. It takes a while to get done but it is so rewarding with it is completed.
If you’re overwelmed by the nuber of parts, it probably means that the construction part of the hobby is not your favorite.
Hey Rob, i know how you feel about the large resin kits! Im trying to build the Cooper rebel blockade runner from star wars a new hope, and i find that all of the resin is fragile and a lot of pin holes and globs and a lot of detail is lost etc…, you just feel like givingup!
Well, I am more an aircraft modeler, but its just about the same with the phobia. I have a couple 1/32 Hornets from Academy, they have over 900 pieces, they don’t scare me, the one that scares me is the Hasegawa 1/48 Tomcat! The fit is so-so, and it has tons of tiny parts that don’t fit all that great, and well, its just way over-enginered,IMHO. I think we all have some kits that scare us, some just for diffrent reasons than others.
Me too…Ive got some Armor Kits with 800+ pieces, and bought the aftermarket kit’s for them with from 175 to 300+ More Pieces!..I love these models, and once a month I bring one or two of them down off the top of the shelf of my work bench, open both model & aftermarket box’s or packet’s Ive placed inside the model’s box and take each tree out and just look and admire all the wonderful pieces… I’m in here for about two hours, just looking at the instructions, reading, matching the part’s #'s on each tree to the instruction book of 20 or more pages, Looking at the decal’s, rolling the real rubber tires in my fingers, or fitting the plastic tires/wheels together,Wishing they were real rubber too! With what it Cost they should be Real Rubber! Ha,ha… Then I put everything back in its box and back up on the shelf…
I figure when I’m a little Older I’ll give them a try!..I’ll be 67 this Friday the 15th of Sept…I’m just to Young to be working on those complicated models yet!!..Take a look to the left, that’s my work bench… Their stacked up to the overhead work light! ha,ha…