New to hobby

Modeling Subjects Aircraft
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Hello all, I hope you dont mind me posting in here as I have never built a model in my entire life. However, I am 35 and have just started to recoup from a very major heart attack I had in mid January. Because my doctors say that I am going to be laid up in the house for a very long time, a hobby would be theraputic for me. That said, my wife decided that modelling would be a good choice and quickly rushed out and bought me about $400 worth of paints, models, and tools. Im going to be doing military aircraft because my city houses the Canadian Heritage Warplane Museum and I go there quite often to stare in awe at these amazing machines. ( the crown jewel of the collection is one of the only two operation Lancasters in the world). Now the reason I am posting is to beg for advice and tips from all you fine folks who are (from the posts and pictures I’ve seen on here)very skilled and talented modellers. If I can mage to figure out how, I will post some pictures taken from my last visit to the museum. Thanks for bearing with me as I ramble on. the wbsite for the museum should anyone care for it is www.warplane.com

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Ok I need to impose on you kind folk once more, I cannot seem to figure out how to post pics to the post. please could someone tell me how? thanks again

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Welcome aboard Feel free to ask questions at anytime. Helpfull group here.

To post pictures you first need a photo hosting site here’s a link to some instructions.

/forums/701767/ShowPost.aspx

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Try opening a free account at Photobucket . You get alot of storage with a free account. After you upload your pic, click on the third link below it and it will automatically copy that link for you. Then come here and past that link in your post and voila!

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I really gotta say i love the screen name you chose![;)]

Welcome to the forum AND the hobby! May you have a speedy recovery[#toast]

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Hi! Glad to hear you are taking in intrest in modeling. I’m 25 and have done it my whole life but I have learned some things about myself and the hobby in that time, so it might not be much bet here’s some general things I live by when modeling:

  1. Don’t expect to produce a professional level when starting out.
  • I am still not at a level at which I feel like I should post anything, although these guys here are great and very supportive, best cheerleaders around. also they give you a great level to work toward, and inspire me endlessly. But realistically they have tons of experience and it seems endless patience.[:P]

2)to get comfortable just pop out a couple easy out of the box builds.

-just to get one out I try to pop an easy one out at least every 6 months just to have something on the shelf and improve on. other guys might not agree with this, but I think it keeps me interested or else I’ll have 3 half builds going on at a time and have them sitting around for 6 months! Like my C-130H, lots of panel scribing, only half done with it.

  1. Take you time!
  • I always stop myself finding I jsut want to finish and have it done, that’s why number 2 is so important. When it comes to a big piece maybe some scratch building I just want to get the stuff done, so I will often force myself to stop for the day or a bit, unfortunatly it’s usually once I start to ge sloppy or rush. SO once I catch myself being careless or rushing I put it down and walk away for a bit. I usually come here and check otu the boards or cook. but I think taking time is priceless. And research is also a great way to step away from a build but keep interested in the build.
  1. HAVE FUN!
  • Sometimes I want to SMASH something too. that’s usually when I take abreak, but the part to remember is that you are doing it as therapy, we each sort of do, we get away from work, our worries and anything else bothering us, so keep it fun. Build things you are interested in. Sometimes it’s the quality of my supplies that bums me out, bein a college senior i don’t have much money to spend on things, but sometimes it’s good tools that make a build easier. thus making it more fun. Put some music on and take an afternoon working souly on a cockpit painting is normal, just take each part of the build like a seperate build, don’t think of the outcome, just think of what you are building at the time. That way at teh end of the day you will feel like you have accomplished something.

Like I said I’m still young, and learning, but these are just a few things to start with. These forums hold endless help on certain aspects of a build: gluing, painting, putty, sanding…ANYTHING. And also a subscription helps too! Again great to have you and keep us posted on your builds!
And Have FUN!!!

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I think you are addressing the pictures incorrectly, the image link should look like this but without the*

[img*]http://www.i148.photobucket.com/albums/s15/lancaster_03/IM000093.jpg[/img*]

will give you

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Here is your posting problem: See the bold text? You have an extra http:// in there. When you paste in your address for the photobucket site make sure you delete the http:// that is in the FSM image textbox.

Incorrect: http://http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s15/lancaster_03/IM000127.jpg

Correct: http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s15/lancaster_03/IM000127.jpg

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Welcome to the forums!

Advice for beginners:

  1. If you’re in a hurry, you’re in the wrong hobby. Take your time and enjoy it—you make fewer mistakes that way, and learn more from the ones you make.
  2. The best way to learn is to build. That being said, there are a few very good, basic books on the subject and are widely available. Consider picking one up.
  3. Don’t be afraid to try new things and make mistakes.
  4. Don’t get discouraged by comparing your results to those of others.
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[#welcome] Welcome to the forums! As was said before, take your time, enjoy, ask questions, and most important HAVE FUN!!!

As for the Lanc, I was privileged last summer to see her fly into EAA 2006, she was truly an amazing sight to behold! Just the sound of those four Merlins in sync was enough to raise the hairs on the back of my neck. You are truly lucky to live so close to her.

Welcome, and here’s to wishing you a speedy recovery!

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Thanks for the encouragement everyone and also for the tips on posting the photos, its nice to join a board where everyone is helpfull and friendly. P.S this is my daughter hiding in the Canadian Sabre 6

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[#welcome] to the hobby and the forum mate.

As others have said, don’t aim for something too complex on your first time out, get yourself a reasonably priced kit of an aircraft you like and build it OOB (out of the box). Worry about after market bibs and bobs when you have a few builds under your belt.

All the best for a speedy recovery.

Cheers

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welcome to the hobby i wish you a speedy recovery and hope you contiue wit the hobby for many years to come it can be a very rewarding hobby . just out of intrust what models have u bought so far and what scale

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Gemini , thanks for the well wishes. And to answer your question about which models i have so far, the wife picked me out a F-18 Hornet and a Handley Page Halifax Mk. I both in the 1/72 scale. I think im going to tackle the Halifax first.

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Welcome and good health! We do what we can to answer all questions so ask away.

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For a beginner, I’d suggest 1:48 scale rather than 1:72. Bigger is in some ways easier. Have fun with the Halifax, which would be pretty gigantic in 1:48, but when you get to the point of choosing your own models, try some straighforward (i.e. uncomplicated) 1:48s.

Your–or your wife’s–thought of modeling as a kind of therapy is excellent. Last time I was in a hospital (prostatectomy a dozen years ago), the first thing I demanded when I was able was a model to build and enough equipment to at least get started.

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Welcome to the hobby. I can vouch for it being very therapeudic for medical recovery. I had open heart surgery 5 years ago and really enjoy my return to modeling. I used to do it as a kid, but got away from it for quite a few years. One of the best web sites for “how to” articles on model building is: www.swannysmodels.com Some of Matt’s articles are pretty advanced for the beginner, but many can also be very useful. Please don’t get discouraged by comparing your work to that done by guys with many years and hundreds of models behind them. You cannot expect to turn out models on that level right at the start. Work up to it.

Darwin, O.F. [alien]

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I may be least than half your age but your doing a good choice, model craft is for everyone and relaxing cause it dosen’t have any stress, so what if do make a perfectly exat detail model just do the best you can, just make sure that your doing a model in a vetelated room with a open window or a fan cause those paint and glue fumes are toxis and you mit not feel good.

I suggest plane or tank model with a large scale like 1/48 1/35 or 1/32, the bigger the model the bigger the pieces and it’s easier.

Hope you get better.

Magellan Dufour

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Weclome to the hobby and I hope you have a very fast recovery. If you have any questions on any particular airplane before buying or starting feel free to ask :). Larger scales does not always mean its easier as sometimes you get more parts and details that may not be that large…Also some of the more “interesting” airplanes will challenge even those with many builds under their belts, such as the Fonderie Models 1/48 Halifax III. Of course, planes like that are something to work towards :).

Check out other websites too and forums, have fun and also be glad about your wife, she sounds very supportive.

Matt