True Modelling Challenge

Modeling Subjects Armor
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I have a true challenge…to excite a young mind and share with him a love of scale modelling. And also an appeal to the modellers out there for help. I’d like to introduce you to my son, Sean. He turned 4 a few weeks ago, and I think he may finally be ready to build his first model. He loves “projects,” and loves to put things together. Our home is filled with foam constructions, painted projects, and unusual artifacts. Although I wonder if 4 is too early…but if I can keep my patience and steer him in the right direction, this could be a wonderful journey for the two of us. Besides, it will teach him valuable traits: patience, engineering, construction, eye-hand coordination, and the need to follow directions.

So I’m asking the experienced fathers out there to share their experiences with their child’s first model. What advice can you give me? What should I avoid and how should I approach this project…

I think the stage is set for an interesting ride. Today we decided to use some of his HobbyTown gift certificates and buy our first model, a Tamiya Walker Bulldog. We looked at the sharp, pointy flying things, and a firetruck, but decided on the rugged armor of a tank. The price was perfect, $13.00. Not enough where I will want to take over, and low enough so that he can still buy paints and glue. I thought about the snap-tite kits and the metal kits, but I wanted Sean to learn patience and how to follow directions. We also bought a tube of non-toxic Testor’s cement. I think he’ll be coordinated enough to apply the glue with a toothpick. I held off on the paints until I can research color schemes to find something interesting and colorful. Any ideas on a radical or crazy paint scheme…I’d rather we didn’t do a pink or purple tank. Plus with a 4 year old, I have a feeling masks are going to be mandatory.

Also, an appeal for help…as I remember building with my father, an avid model builder, one of my first models was a German halftrack. I don’t remember the two of us putting it together, but I remember the satisfaction of completing my first model. The building was only part of the journey, however. Like many of theTamiya kits back in the day, it was motorized, so there were hours of playtime (at least until the batteries ran out). The halftrack traveling across the floor, enemies everywhere, looks like they’ve got us surrounded…that was what hooked my on the hobby, the satisfaction of a completed model and hours of playtime.

I’ve looked through my parts box and sadly, I don’t have any gearboxes or motors anymore. Does anybody sell these, since they’re no longer included in the kits? I know realism is the main focus nowadays, but the fun factor is what got me started, and I’d like to share this with my son. If I remember correctly, these were a standard size, and included a switch, battery box and a gearbox & motor.

In the weeks and months to come, I hope to share our progress with pictures and insight. I’m sure we’re both going to learn something, let’s hope we’re on the same page!

And now a note from Sean…

eyyuuuuuutttttttttuoakerrtquv (*this means “daddy”)

P.S. - After editing Yahoo twice, I switched to PhotoBucket. Thanks for the heads-up IanIsBored2000.

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Can’t see the photos, try photobucket, works for me! anyways, wow, if he has that much patience and sutff at 4, youve got one talented kid! Im 15 and started last year, and my only advice is something you seem to already know: let him build whatever he wants. If he wants a blue and yellow abrams with ww1 german soldiers crawling all over it and dinosaurs attacking, than let him have it! once hes hooked, then try to tune his mind towards more realistic ideas. Just my personal thought, because at that age, one little frustration can really change your mind. Hope that helps, Ian

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Awww man! Your 4 year old is starting the kit that im working on right now. Is that a sad thing on my part? ha. Well, like ian said: let him build. I am not 4 (im four times four), and I still like to use my imagination with kits. Wish i had started when i was 4. I could probably make a passable model by now.

-graham

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I think 4 may be a little young for an actual glue together kit. I would suggest some of the easier snap-tite kits with stickers and such. Some of them are motorized as well. My daughter started at age 8 and was just ready for the snap-tites. She quickly progressed to glue and paint models after that. She is now doing figures at age 11.

Good luck either way.

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Hi there,

While not a parent myself, I’ve tussled with just this point as I’ve contemplated introducing the young sons of a couple of dear lady friends to the gentle art of model building.

My Dad started me off when I was five, with early Airfix bagged kits. I watched, he built, and I was fascinated by how he managed to get those biplane wings to line up. But it didn’t take many weekly outings to the shop at the end of the street to buy the next plane in the collection before I got the glue in my hand and had a go (an F-5A as I recall), and I’ve never looked back. That was 39 years ago, and last November I visited my home town, on the other side of the world, and went to that very shop. It’s not a newsagent anymore and there are no kits in the window, but how well I rememebered where it all began.

I say, if he has the interest then the M41 should be a good starting place. Robust, easy, looks good when finished even without paint, and those old yinyl tracks should actually roll on a rough surface, so there’s some play value even without a motor. I too have an MM-35055 in my ready-use stack, for an upcoming conversion!

I hope you navigate this path successfully and I look forward to watching yours and Sean’s progress. I know attention-span will be an issue, so perhaps breaking the work down into periods in which enthusiasm can carry him along would be wise – a subassembly at a time, perhaps?

Keep us posted! I remember a Tamiya T-34 in winter cammo appearing in FSM and unless the caption was a misprint, the builder was a girl of only five, under her dad’s keen tutelage, so it can be done!

Best wishes,

TB379

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I’ve worked on a few projects with my father…back when I was little…long time ago…though not as long as some :stuck_out_tongue: Our problem was he more or less controlled the project, and it got a little boring. Just make sure to keep him involved enough, and keep the motivation going. OH YES, always supervise with the paints, paint in a workshop/garage, someplace where a whole bunch of black and OD spilled paint won’t matter much.

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As a father who tried desperately hard to involve his kids in modeling (and failed, sigh), I will wish you Good Luck! Let him build it his way, if he wants to paint it purple, buy him purple paint. Assist, but don’t take over. Myself, I would have bought a simpler kit, some of the snap-tite and pre-painted kits finish up pretty nicely.

Keep us updated!

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Thanks for all the good advice. I thought long and hard about the snap-tite kits, but was afraid his hands wouldn’t be strong enough to do some of the assembly. If I remember correctly, some of those older kits had some tough “snaps” (for want of a better term). I think he’ll be better able to apply some tube glue via a toothpick.

I hadn’t thought about paint spills, but that’s an excellent point. I’ve already planned on masking the parts on the trees prior to painting, and I have a bunch of disposable dental paintbrushes. Also, we’ll be using all acrylic paints, no enamels. I was hoping to find some interesting paint schemes similar to what was on the Korean War M-48’s, but I haven’t found anything yet. Maybe we’ll just duplicate one of those. I want to give him choices, so that he’s in control.

This is a project we will certainly break down into smaller steps. There are a total of 8 steps in the instructions, we may try and do one step a week. I think that as long as he’s able to do the majority of the work, he’ll be very happy.

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To me, the picture of your son’s glowing smile while proudly holding his tank kit sums up what it’s all about.

It’ll be a success if you keep it positive and lighthearted, fun and interesting - regardless of the outcome of the build. I think at this early stage of his modeling “career”, it’ll be the experience of getting to work with his dad that will make the lasting impression.

Good luck.

Larry

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Those are great photos! Being a soon to be dad, I can’t wait until my child turn to the age where he/she can start building models. Looks like you and your son will have great time together building M41. Post up some more pictures of his first build later on.

Thanks for sharing pictures and the story!

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Like was said, simpler is better. I have put models together with several of my grandkids, and the old Monogram Classics airplanes, or the snap tite kits seem to work well. My oldest grandson is 8 and has pretty good concentration, but the Tamiya Patton tank (see my post about a missing part) has been hard for him, I think mostly because of the high parts count. We can work on it for an hour and it doesn’t look any different, I think that has an effect.

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Well, today we got in our first building session. It may be better titled, “locate and get out all the tools!” I’ve got the workbench all set up, and pinned the instructions to the bulletin board, masking off all steps except for the one we’re working on. We removed the trees from the parts bags, and started right in with finding our first part. So he’s learning about A, B, C trees, and the individual part numbers. He’s pretty handy with a Xuron cutter…not so much with the sanding sticks yet. Wouldn’t you know it, the first part was listed on the instructions as installing backwards! We caught that issue, and decided on the correct placement. I’ve got a few packs of dental applicators, so he was able to apply the glue easily. After that, we moved onto the front pintles, where we learned about lost parts! (Note to self, put down a white sheet under the workbench). Once we found the part, and got the two pintles glued into place, he was done. So we’ve left the kit until later in the day, or maybe another day. We got in about an hour, so I consider it a success.

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Have to agree with Gino. I was about 8 or so when I built my first plane and got no help and didn’t follow the directions very well. I think I glued on the “neat” parts first. [sigh] With some help, he can get his feet wet, but there are bound to be some frustratingly small parts. I wish you and your son well.

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Reminds me of my first build with my dad when I was 9. We built a clipper ship, thing had like 60 cannons. Took us 2 months, and Got me started in modeling. I hope one day I’ll have a son I can build models with.