2014 BSC Categories

[Cave_Dweller]

You know the other thing that's kind of a...turn off, to building real world military models, armor, aircraft etc, is that people may criticize you harshly for minor mistakes in detail. Things like "oh in the late war on the eastern front, the tanks were ONLY painted this color. Yours is wrong." Things like that.

Sci-fi and auto genres have a lot more freedom, there's no wrong or right for the most part. Not so with military models, you gotta have every decal and unit marking accurate to the real life thing. The vehicles were built in a specific way and there isn't a whole lot of wiggle room on the little details that really sell a model.

That is, if you care about that stuff. I've not really been interested in real world military stuff for these reasons, although there are some kits I'd love to tackle some day, if I could put the Ma.K away! :

 

[JMac]

You know the other thing that's kind of a...turn off, to building real world military models, armor, aircraft etc, is that people may criticize you harshly for minor mistakes in detail. Things like "oh in the late war on the eastern front, the tanks were ONLY painted this color. Yours is wrong." Things like that.

Sci-fi and auto genres have a lot more freedom, there's no wrong or right for the most part. Not so with military models, you gotta have every decal and unit marking accurate to the real life thing. The vehicles were built in a specific way and there isn't a whole lot of wiggle room on the little details that really sell a model.

That is, if you care about that stuff. I've not really been interested in real world military stuff for these reasons, although there are some kits I'd love to tackle some day, if I could put the Ma.K away! :

I've seen that on some other forums, and in a limited case at one contest I attended Cave_Dweller. But here I think things are pretty low key, with suggestions/critiques tending to be on the friendly/gentle side. This makes the contest a good place for people to either to try and pull out all the stops on a genre that they are familiar with, or totally try something new.

I think most of the modelers embrace the "goal is completion" type attitude, that Scott and the other staff cultivate. I know it's one of the reasons (aside from the wicked builds we see daily here) that I stay active on this forum and look forward to the contest every year.

Jason

 

[Junkie]

I hear you CD...it exists.

Certainly doesn't thrive here though. I have a big can of 'Rivet Counter Raid'...and I'm not afraid to use it. LOL.

Seriously though, JMac nailed it; it's really not the SMA culture. I sure promote honest critique but no need to be a kill joy.

 

[JMac]

I think some people miss that this is a hobby, and as such it should bring you the builder joy. If your thing is über-accuracy, then cool. But don't bring down the modeler whose mainly into the painting and weathering, or the builder whose crossing into a new genre, or the sci fi guy whose authored this amazing backstory and wants a model of the heroic lead ship for his shelf. We are all different, and we all get something personal out of the hobby. The nice thing is when you can appreciate the builds of others regardless of the rivets...

 

[Cave_Dweller]

Yeah this site is awesome for that reason, and many others. That being said, I'm gonna do a real world military vehicle for this year, because it's challenging and fun to get out of your comfort zone and try something new!

 

[Junkie]

Preach it! All true.

 

[CTspeedshop]

Yeah this site is awesome for that reason, and many others. That being said, I'm gonna do a real world military vehicle for this year, because it's challenging and fun to get out of your comfort zone and try something new!

Wise words CD.

 

[Elm City Hobbies]

Revell 32 Ford 5 Window.

A member here, Vknight401, suggested it. Hes gonna build along. Oob with the exception of adding wire to the kit dizzy.

That is a great kit, even though it says it's a 3n1 kit, the different combinations that can be built from that kit are never ending it seems.

Would make for a great group build one day!

 

[Elm City Hobbies]

You know the other thing that's kind of a...turn off, to building real world military models, armor, aircraft etc, is that people may criticize you harshly for minor mistakes in detail. Things like "oh in the late war on the eastern front, the tanks were ONLY painted this color. Yours is wrong." Things like that.

Sci-fi and auto genres have a lot more freedom, there's no wrong or right for the most part. Not so with military models, you gotta have every decal and unit marking accurate to the real life thing. The vehicles were built in a specific way and there isn't a whole lot of wiggle room on the little details that really sell a model.

That is, if you care about that stuff. I've not really been interested in real world military stuff for these reasons, although there are some kits I'd love to tackle some day, if I could put the Ma.K away! :

Yet most of those people that complain about the finish or the decals, etc, etc, usually either:

1. Haven't built a kit in years

or

2. Talking out of their bung hole as they have never actually seen the real tank and go by B&W photos on the internet for their source of info.

I have guys come into my shop from the local military base that live, breathe, work, repair on the vehicles, and many of them see my USMC LAV-C2 on my shelf and go "Hey man, nice Bison" (Bison is a Canadian Command Post vehicle). Only thing is, it isn't a Bison, similar looking vehicle, but similar in the respect that the new Corvette looks similar to a Ferrari 458. They do look similar, but even a layman car guy would know they aren't the same vehicle. So if there are guys that eat, and breathe armored vehicles every day, and they mistake a similar vehicle for one of their own without closer inspection, then I am pretty confident that most modelers wouldn't know the difference whether a Tiger I has 150 rivets, or 140 rivets on the front glaces armor, never mind colors and unit markings.

 

[Biskup]

Totally true Scott.
I know a guy locally who is finishing an über accurate tank which is scratch build and he is on that project for last 2 decades. The thing is and I'm sure of it that on the show you won't pay attention to it. Why? Because I saw kits painted by this guy and the look awful. A few years old that is just starting would do it in a similar way.
So I'm trying hard to understand why someone is spending so much time on a kit making t so accurate when it's going to be ruined ether way

 

[adampolo13]

SMA is simply the best website/forum/community/chill hangout spot out there!!!!

 

[ScaleModelMadman]

Not so with military models, you gotta have every decal and unit marking accurate to the real life thing. The vehicles were built in a specific way and there isn't a whole lot of wiggle room on the little details that really sell a model.

True to a point and while I definitely have worked on/am currently working on projects where accuracy is paramount, some of my favorite builds have been total fiction.

Now of course, I get the odd comment here or there about the things I have gotten 'wrong' but frankly I don't give a rats backside about so paltry a thing and just do what I like regardless. In fact, instead of being bothered by those who take me to task for my 'mistakes', I've conditioned myself to actually enjoy their nit picking and almost aim to set them off with my blatant inaccuracies and artistic liberties.

I mean it's fun building them as is, but knowing someone out there is gonna' blow a gasket because I chose blue numbers instead of red ones is just a bonus. ;D

 

[Junkie]

I've conditioned myself to actually enjoy their nit picking

;D

 

[Grendels]

Yeah this site is awesome for that reason, and many others. That being said, I'm gonna do a real world military vehicle for this year, because it's challenging and fun to get out of your comfort zone and try something new!

You nailed it, this is why for last years contest I build a Honda Prelude
The year before that a Dukes of Hazard deformed semi
And the year before that a Polar bear Zombie......

You just got to do something different and fun every once in a while.....

Now what should I build this year.....

I've conditioned myself to actually enjoy their nit picking

;D

;D

 

[adampolo13]

knowing someone out there is gonna' blow a gasket because I chose blue numbers instead of red ones is just a bonus. ;D

Ya, this one time at a model show I watched a guy paint a wedgie with green paint... A few people came by and pointed out that the vehicle really should have been grey..... Funny thing tho, when he was done with the thing, all weathered up and such, it was actually grey... It totally blew their minds!!!

 

[cargoman5126]

So I thought the entire point of a hobby was to get away from the stress and BS of daily life. So for anyone to intentially add stress and BS to a model is entirely opposed to the premise of a hobby. I do this stuff to relax,have fun and look over other peoples ideas of what they interprit something to be, That's suppose to be fun. If I am going to create a replica then yes it should be accurate but a model and a replica are two different things.
So far this is the reason I've kept coming back to this site. The comments that are made for the most part are costructive not demoralizing and belittitling like I and most have seen elswhere. This is suppose to be fun..
Thanx for listening to my rambling..Have fun/!!!

 

[Junkie]

Thanks for speaking up on this. Very cool.

 

[Grendels]

So I thought the entire point of a hobby was to get away from the stress and BS of daily life. So for anyone to intentially add stress and BS to a model is entirely opposed to the premise of a hobby. I do this stuff to relax,have fun and look over other peoples ideas of what they interprit something to be, That's suppose to be fun. If I am going to create a replica then yes it should be accurate but a model and a replica are two different things.
So far this is the reason I've kept coming back to this site. The comments that are made for the most part are costructive not demoralizing and belittitling like I and most have seen elswhere. This is suppose to be fun..
Thanx for listening to my rambling..Have fun/!!!

And this is why I have stayed here. I went to a few other forums first and well, the atmosphere was not the best...

 

[CTspeedshop]

So I thought the entire point of a hobby was to get away from the stress and BS of daily life. So for anyone to intentially add stress and BS to a model is entirely opposed to the premise of a hobby. I do this stuff to relax,have fun and look over other peoples ideas of what they interprit something to be, That's suppose to be fun. If I am going to create a replica then yes it should be accurate but a model and a replica are two different things.
So far this is the reason I've kept coming back to this site. The comments that are made for the most part are costructive not demoralizing and belittitling like I and most have seen elswhere. This is suppose to be fun..
Thanx for listening to my rambling..Have fun/!!!

And this is why I have stayed here. I went to a few other forums first and well, the atmosphere was not the best...

Agreed John. This is the only forum that I belong to. You would think I would be all about the Model Car Magazine Forum.......Nope. This is home for me. Guys like you are the reason John. Open to anything while carrying a positive attitude. You fellas have this car guy hooked on SMA.

 

[arohk]

well deffinitly going to do a prototype as It's wide open to interpretation and at work today I was thinking of making a new kind of jet fighter not sure what I will call it but it is going to be interesting I am also thinking of a back up build just in case lol