Salty,
I almost choked on my Spam sandwich when I read your Hulk Hogan post! YEAH BROTHER!!! LOL! What a scream. Anywho, not much else I can add except for my own testimonial. I’ve been building model airplanes since I was 7 years old (I’m 33 now) and I still trash a kit every now and then! But like everyone else here said, you pick up a tid bit of info here, a tip there and the next thing you know your head will be so enlarged from all the knowledge stored in your head that you, like me, will have problems fitting through doorways and finding hats that fit. Sometimes you get too close to your work; not just physically but emotionally too. By that I mean sometimes you get so wrapped up in the seam that won’t go away that you forget that you can use a simple household item like Liquid Paper to make that seam disappear. I know I get the same way. But if you feel like you want to toss a plane in the trash, don’t do it! I’ve got about three planes that I was going to ditch because I just was not happy with the finish. But now that I’ve learned about using Simple Green or Easy Off, I know I can strip the paint off and start over again. Trust me, I’ve done that to a kit or two and they went from being on the edge of the trash can to now being some of my absolute favorite models!
So remember, no kit is ever “ruined” until a steamroller comes along to smash it to bits. Until then, it’s still perfectly good and just waiting for your next and better attempts. Practice makes perfect! In the wrestling match of life, be the Hulkster!
Best wishes,
Eric