Modeling on the road

Modeling Subjects Aircraft
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I’ve been thinking for a while about posting this, and since Dragon brought it up in a different thread, I thought I’d start a new topic about it.

I travel a lot with my work, sometimes up to six or more weeks at a time before I return home. I find that when I return home I tend to just sit and stare at my bench trying to figure out where I left off. I thought that if I could take a modeling subject on the road with me, it would keep my interest (and production rate) more alive. So, with that lengthy intro, I would like to hear some ideas about how to do this. Here are a few of my own thoughts:

1). Since I hate cockpits so much, I could take a few from different kits to detail and build on the road. The tools, paints, and kit materials would be small enough to carry easily, and if TSA confiscated even my water-based paints, they wouldn’t cost much to replace. The only problem I might see with this is that some of the PE parts really should be sprayed. I guess I could do that before I left though. Anyway, If I returned home with completed CP’s I would be ready to get into the really fun stuff of seeing the rest of the build go together.

2). I could take a 1/72 scale kit, like maybe something WW1, and go back to brush painting it. After seeing FrostyGirls excellent results with hers, I would like to give that process another try. There would be plenty of work to keep me busy too, especially with rigging. They’d be small enough to safely box up and pack, too.

Anyone have any other ideas? I’d really appreciate hearing them. [:)]

stinger

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I recently went to Atlanta for a meeting, two days, and had the same thoughts. I wanted to take advantage of the evenings in the hotel which I knew was out away from things. No kids offered me an opportunity to model. So, I purchased a Tamiya US MK howitzer or something of that nature. It was a small box, 1:35 scale. In a plastic case I bought at the grocery store, I loaded about 10 bottles of paint, some brushes, my sprue cutter and went. I packed thm in my bag and while it was searched, that was left untouched. I got base coats on the body, and made a lot of progress with detail painting. I started to glue some parts as well. It was great. That is also an advantage to Tamiya acrylics, they clean up with water so it is very very easy. I have recently finished the model and it looks great.

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nsclcctl - So it sounds like you had a success at it. I think I’ll give it a try. I don’t anticipate any trouble with the airlines as long as everything is put into my checked in luggage (except the model itself, of course, which I would ONLY carry on!!).

I have checked in the strangest and sharpest of things in my travels with not a single problem (and I fly a LOT). Just don’t try to carry them on.

I did once have to get a supervisor to OK my $500 lasers, but that was only one time.

Anyway, thanks for sharing your experience. It’ll give me some incentive.

stinger