What to do with failed builds?

[Vinnie]

As the title suggests, I have a few fails since returning to this hobby. Don't get me wrong, I've enjoyed every minute of building them, but they ain't keepers. My first practice was the Revell 1/72 Lanc. Big mistake! Lovely kit, but fat fingers made a mess of the tiny parts, actuators, Rebecca aerial etc. and don't even mention the canopy and turret painting. Next up was Von Werass's 109. So much went wrong here. Fiddly bits got broken, paint, was a disaster and my first outing with an SM scalpel neatly cut the canopy in half.  Moving on I had so many problems with the decals on the Spitfire It became a total mess.

 

Thanks to advice from learned colleagues on the forum, I've improved on dealing with fiddly parts and decal fixing. Still struggling with canopy painting, though. 

 

What do I do with these failures? I currently brush paint, but I'm thinking about buying an airbrush kit. My thoughts are to strip the paint and decals and practice with the airbrush. They are painted in acrylic with several varnish coats, so do chaps think that this Tesco multi cleaner will strip them, or should I dismantle as much as possible for the spares box.

[Greenshirt]

I leave mine on the shelf until I'm ready to replace them. I goofed a Matchbox Halifax GRV a few years ago before the Revell kit was available. I've since collected the kit plus Aeroclub improvements and decals, so now can replace it...but am honing skills before I tackle it. 

 

If the choice is either parts or mule...I'll recommend mule. You can strip the parts later. 

[alancmlaird]

I've just returned to the hobby quite recently and one of my non-keepers was, like yours, Vinnie, painted in acrylics (which I didn't like and went back to enamels). However, I tried putting it in the oven cleaner 'soup' which, though working fine on enamels, failed to take the acrylic paint off. Anyone on here got any suggestions? I don't want to sand it off - too much surface detail to lose.

[bentwaters81tfw]

Ammonia should strip it. Some paints just refuse all attempts to strip them - even brake fluid won't touch them.

[Vinnie]

36 minutes ago, bentwaters81tfw said:

Ammonia should strip it. Some paints just refuse all attempts to strip them - even brake fluid won't touch them.

Thanks, Bentwaters. An enquiring mind would like to know what to ask for,  and where to buy ammonia? 

Edited March 26, 2017 by Vinnie

[bentwaters81tfw]

I've never bought any. Someone will give you an answer shortly. They always do.

[Work In Progress]

Oh, come on, people, how hard can it be?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/like/121398481485

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Kleen-Off-500ml-Ammonia/dp/B00755MEMA

 

 

[LaurieS]

Just one model in 14 years approx since I started in this absolutely, stupid, time wasting, expensive,

stressful, sleepless nights, annoying, idiotic pass time. Which is why I love it.

 

Only one failure ( apart from my self) a Revell Apache 1/48. Got a third of  the way there but it was

horrible. Some one said use filler but decided I needed a model not filler.

 

Bought a Hasegwa Apache which is superb to build. Used the Revell Apache to test colours and

effects. Worked out well. I am slowly getting together a diorama of Afghanistan and the UK

vehicles and aircraft.

 

The Revell Apache is now a downed relic in my diorama sat amongst the vegetation of an

Afghanistan scene.

 

Laurie

[snapper_city]

Any builds that I fail / lose interest in become paint mules to practice painting / weathering techniques. Better to practice on a kit you have little care for than going in on that build you want to do a good job on.

Any useful parts or weapons are added to the spares box in case they are needed on future builds.

[Niles]

When I was very much younger we had a dramatic solution.  Attach a firecracker to it and toss it into the air.  When I got a bit older and I was scratchbuilding airplanes due to the lack of any acceptable kits in 48th (this was the 1950s and 60s and Aurora was not considered a source of acceptable kits) models to be discarded were first stripped of any parts deemed useful like propellers, landing gear, canopies, external stores, etc. which went into the spares bin.  Since I've returned to modelling after a twenty or so year hiatus, and I seem to be building mostly out of production limited run kits purchased for blasphemously exorbitant prices on ebay, failed builds are simply not allowed.

 

[Michael51]

I have to agree with Niles.

 

Such failures are not really failures, rather, they are opportunities to test the object to destruction.

 

As a kid, that meant firecrackers or the kids' air gun from across the street for some curve of pursuit air to air firing.

 

Many a Halifax (Airfix) and B-24J (ditto) was lost on ops but the crew could always be retrieved to occupy another aeroplane at another time.

 

Of course, that was over fifty years ago, when a chap could blow his eye out or permanently damage his hearing with a threepenny bunger and be no worse for the experience and get to school the next morning without trauma counselling.

 

There was always the next kit to save up for........

 

Michael

 

 

Edited March 27, 2017 by Michael Enright
Alzheimer remembers

[waistgunner]

LaurieS   , Just one model in 14 years approx since I started in this absolutely, stupid, time wasting, expensive,

stressful, sleepless nights, annoying, idiotic pass time. Which is why I love it. 

I think you just summed up model building in general ! 

 

Respectfully , WG

[Panzer Vor!!!]

I take them to the club  or shows but then I,m more of Picasso style of modelling

[Seahawk]

11 hours ago, Vinnie said:

Thanks, Bentwaters. An enquiring mind would like to know what to ask for,  and where to buy ammonia? 

 

Think I got some in Boots - after a load of suspicious questions about what I wanted it for.  I must look like a terrorist or bank robber.

[MDriskill]

I turn them into practice pieces for future projects, where their noble sacrifice helps to improve future production. I fondly refer to them as "professional victims" and keep one or two near the table for airbrush practice, trials with new glues, etc.

[Pat C]

Isopropyl Alcohol will also strip acrylic paint. soak some kitchen roll in some and it should come off quite easily.

 

Pat

[JWM]

Ammonia has very strong odour - to remove old paint I always use NaOH.  instead pure this reagent (bought as reagent) one can just use the stuff for unblocking chocked draining system - it is NaOH in fact... Use glaves and googles, otherwise you may be in problems. Prepare solution of about at least 10% NaOH (or stronger) in a plastic box (covered) . I use one from IKEA. The dissolution reaction is exothermic, so the fresh solution will be warm or even hot. So wait with putting whole models (or broken into parts) until you can be sure that temperature will not deform it. Left model in the bath for about week. Then wash with tap water (wipe using teeth brush if needed) - beware all metal elements will be destroyed including lead bobs in three points u//c models. And take really care - protect the bath any by-users, especially children and pets. It is really harmful and can kill (if swalled) or can blind.

Cheers

J-W

[Guest]

Fairy Power Spray does - or at least did, I haven't used it for a while - remove both acrylic and enamel paint.  It will also remove Hallfords primer and metallics.

 

I don't have failed builds.  I have builds that I am happy with, builds that I am not happy with, and stalled builds.  And nothing is ever so far gone as to be unsalvageable.

Edited March 27, 2017 by The Wooksta!
Spelling nazism

[Niles]

13 hours ago, Michael Enright said:

Such failures are not really failures, rather, they are opportunities to test the object to destruction.

 

As a kid, that meant firecrackers or the kids' air gun from across the street for some curve of pursuit air to air firing.

 

I hope you meant ground to air firing unless your friends actually threw you into the air with your air rifle along with the kit.

Edited March 27, 2017 by Niles

[Niles]

13 hours ago, Michael Enright said:

There was always the next kit to save up for........

 

That was in the days when a typical airplane kit cost just under a dollar and you could save up for it out of your allowance in a few weeks.  Can kids actually afford these things now or has making airplane models become a pastime for us old men with some disposable income?

[Don McIntyre]

Break off all the bits that are likely to come off easily, and pass it on to some youngsters in the family. Likely that they won't know it's a fail. 

[LaurieS]

1 hour ago, JWM said:

Ammonia has very strong odour - to remove old paint I always use NaOH.  instead pure this reagent (bought as reagent) one can just use the stuff for unblocking chocked draining system - it is NaOH in fact... Use glaves and googles, otherwise you may be in problems. Prepare solution of about at least 10% NaOH (or stronger) in a plastic box (covered) . I use one from IKEA. The dissolution reaction is exothermic, so the fresh solution will be warm or even hot. So wait with putting whole models (or broken into parts) until you can be sure that temperature will not deform it. Left model in the bath for about week. Then wash with tap water (wipe using teeth brush if needed) - beware all metal elements will be destroyed including lead bobs in three points u//c models. And take really care - protect the bath any by-users, especially children and pets. It is really harmful and can kill (if swalled) or can blind.

Cheers

J-W

 

Ouch this looks nuclear  

 

Laurie 

[theplasticsurgeon]

20 hours ago, Vinnie said:

As the title suggests, I have a few fails since returning to this hobby.

 

What do I do with these failures?

Back to the original question.  Terracotta pot, lighter fluid, and that month's credit card slips. Toxic sacrificial funeral to the gods of modelling.

I did this with  model from Jet Age, a now there's an Airfix Phantom FG1 to look forwards to.

[Michael51]

23 minutes ago, theplasticsurgeon said:

Back to the original question.  Terracotta pot, lighter fluid, and that month's credit card slips. Toxic sacrificial funeral to the gods of modelling.

I did this with  model from Jet Age, a now there's an Airfix Phantom FG1 to look forwards to.

 

No doubt these are the same gods that allowed me to undertake curve of pursuit air air to air firing.

 

Michael

[LaurieS]

29 minutes ago, theplasticsurgeon said:

Back to the original question.  Terracotta pot, lighter fluid, and that month's credit card slips. Toxic sacrificial funeral to the gods of modelling.

I did this with  model from Jet Age, a now there's an Airfix Phantom FG1 to look forwards to.

 

Sounds like my eldest son.

 

Last day of school life.. Came home. Took a spade into the garden

 

Dug hole. Chucked in all school books & memorabilia. Filled in hole. And stamped on it.

 

Laurie