I started a group build that was to end in May and I ended up not working on my subject back in early April when a project at work started picking up pace and I was comming home to tired to work on it at night. Weekends were devoted to the yard and house (curse you, spring!).
Now that things are settling a bit I’m starting again this weekend. I find the hardest part is being too tired for getting into what I began thinking as ‘tedious’ work for model building. Getting all the tools together, making space to work and making I clean up afterwards. It was becoming a chore instead of a pleasure. I started combing through lots of websites with galleries to seel other peoples work. I find that does the most to get me motivated, especially if I see someones work on a subject I have.
I can feel your pain brother. I have a Monogram P-61 back in the box in the closet for well over a year. Don’t stress out wait to get motivated and come back to it.
This happends to me alot to, I have a P-61 thats been started and stoped for 2 years because of the fit but I know I will get back to it later. Same with my B-T5 bad fit, B-29 to much sanding. The thing I do is geting some thing else to bulid that you like and have fun.
I’ve found that it really helps to have a single box that contains everything needed for a project. While I have more tools, kits, etc. than I really need (sound familiary to anybody?!?), there is a fairly small subset that you need at any given point in a project. So, put the kit on top of a toolbox that contains everything you need (and not much more) so that you can quickly put them both down on your work area, do some modeling, and then put everything back in the box. This way, you can spend a productive 1/2 hour and actually get something done; after enough of those the model will almost have to be complete.
I think so much of this hobby has to do with expectations – of ourselves, the kits, and other modelers on this forum (and elsewhere).
Sometimes it is easy to get intimidated by the high quality of models shown on the net and is FSM. That can suck out a lot of motivation if one sets one’s expectations to achieve that level of mastery on one’s third kit.
And then there’s the whole list of things that should be done with a kit or it isn’t put together the right way! You know, fill seams, paint with an airbrush, correct all the inaccuracies, don’t let the decals silver, and (by GOD!) you’d better weather that thing.
Those are all good things to do, but if one loses sight of why they should be done – and more importantly: the fact that they don’t have to be done – then modeling can become a drag.
My approach has always been to take one task at a time, work at a pace I like, be excited about the subject I’m modeling, and try new things when it looks like they’ll help. If I mess up, I try to correct the mistake. Eventually, I learn when enough is enough, and I should move on to the next step.
Of course I get frustrated, and of course, other obligations get in the way of my modeling. There’s nothing wrong with taking a break when that happens. [:)]