5 ways to reduce your modeling expenses

I've long believed that our hobby represents a great value compared to other hobbies and pastimes, but I know many of you are modeling on a budget. It can be difficult to buy new kits when their prices typically exceed $50, so if you can save a few dollars elsewhere in the hobby you can use the savings to splurge on the models you want. That got me to thinking about ways you can cut your modeling expenses. Here are five ideas.

1. Don't buy books

I’ve had a long love affair with books. My mother bought me the World Book Encyclopedia when I was 8, and through my early years I participated in the summer reader program at local library. I like seeing books on a shelf, and — truth be told — I’m suspicious of friends and family who don’t have books in their homes. That said, the internet has slowly been making books obsolete, at least for the scale modeler. When it comes to books published specifically for us, much of the information you need can be found on the internet. You can find forums and personal blogs that explain basic and advanced modeling techniques, and you can click a link or two to find detailed walkarounds thanks to web sites such as Prime Portal, Britmodeller, and Burchard Domke’s site.

2. Don't compile a huge stash

I've been in the hobby for more than 30 years and have accumulated more kits than I can build in my lifetime; and then there's the hundreds of kits that are sure to be released between now and the point that will inevitably come when I can build no more. I don't regret the stash I have, but if I had to do it all over again, I'd have a stash of no more than 25-50 models.

If you want to cut your expenses, the first place to look is where the big money goes...kits. If you really want to reduce your expenses, be very selective about what you buy. Worried about that new kit going out of production some day? It might, but practically any kit can be acquired via the internet or eBay if you have to have one, five, or 20 years from now. Jon over at The Combat Workshop is taking this idea to the extreme; he intends to buy no new models this year! As insane as that sounds, it makes a lot of sense. I'm not sure I'm bold enough to attempt that myself, but I think there's a lot to be said for new kit abstinence.

Likewise, don't let yourself fall victim to the trap of "it's a bargain so I might as well buy it." At least 50 percent of the models in my stash were acquired with that mindset. That's a dangerous path.

3. Make your own washes

There's a huge assortment of out-of-the-bottle washes and filters on the market these days, but most of the effects can be accomplished with washes made with artist oils. Oils can be pricey, but one tube will last a lifetime. Experimenting and practice will see results on par with any aftermarket product.

4. Use pastels

In addition to washes and filters, the market has also been inundated with pigments. Again, many of the same effects can be accomplished with pastels, particularly if you're not intent on executing the extreme weathered look for armor and aircraft that seems to be trendy these days.

5. Don't buy resin wheels

I appreciate detail and accuracy, but after having used resin replacement wheels on several models, I've come to the conclusion they don't significantly improve a model. Unless you're building WW2 fighters — whose main landing gear are often prominently "out front" — landing gear is typically hidden in the shadows far under the airframe. That the tires are black only further obscures the detail you paid for.

So there you go. Five ideas you can use today. They're not for everybody, but if you're watching your money, every dollar counts.

How have you reduced your expenses? Post a comment here or on Scale Model Soup's Facebook page.

5 ways to increase your output

I'm a slow modeler. Like, four or five models a year slow. I enjoy detailing and I've been known to obsess over seams and fiddly bits, but with more kits in the stash than I'll have time to build, I've been thinking a lot about what I can do to increase my output. A couple of weeks ago I suggested painting your cockpits black as one way to move more models across your workbench, so here are five more ideas. I know they're not for everyone, but maybe you'll find something here that can increase your output, or at the very least get you thinking about other shortcuts.

1. Don't use photoetch

I like the idea of photoetch, but I'm growing increasingly frustrated with it, and by the look of the comments on this thread on ARC and this one on Hyperscale I'm not alone. When you use photoetch for a kit you're often building a second kit; you have to cut the parts off the fret, sand the cut edge (and usually the other edges, too), bend it, and apply it. One small part may require 10-15 minutes of preparation and application. Multiply that by 25, 50, or 100 and you can see how much photoetch sucks from your modeling time. I'm very close to avoiding it altogether unless it provides significant aesthetic value (such as the mesh for engine grills on armor).

2. Minimize time spent on the underside

Ever try to look up the kilt of a 90mm Scottish Highlander? There's nothing to see. The legs of figures often just attach to the block of resin or metal that forms the torso. Figure painters are smart. They don't waste time modeling things that 99 percent of the viewers don't see. Aircraft modelers can learn something from them. Why do we obsess over landing gear bays, resin wheels, and underwing weathering? I know, I already hear some of you saying, "I know it's there." I understand; I've said that myself and have replicated my share of landing gear hoses and whatnot. But you also know there aren't tiny pistons within the engines you just attached to that B-17, yet you're still happy with the model, right? Think of the time savings if you did just the minimum with your undersides.

3. Don't obsess over minor seams

I'm no trophy hound but admit to enjoying the challenge of trying to build each model better than the last. I spend a lot of time trying to get the seams on my models perfect, because an obvious seam can be a major detractor from an otherwise excellent model. One of the quickest ways of speeding along a model is not spending too much time on minor seams. Maybe we should ensure that only the prominent seams are good but leave the others "good enough."

4. Skip the seamless intakes

I like the idea of seamless intakes, but I rarely notice or appreciate them, particularly in 1/72 scale. The only time you see a seamless intake, or the horror of a blanked off intake, is when you look directly at the model. How often do you do that? Are those few moments worth the time and expense of modeling them? I'm not sure.

5. Skip the stencils

We like stencils, but with the exception of 1/32 scale models, and maybe a few subjects in 1/48 scale, most of them wouldn't be seen in scale. You can probably skip the NO STEP markings on your 1/72 F-16 and still dazzle your friends with your epic skill with filters and pigments. The four hours you don't spend applying those 50 stencils could be time spent starting your next model.

So what do you think? Are these good ideas, or am I diminishing the value of our craft?

Paint it black and close it up

Like many of you I have a lot of models in my stash. More than I can build in my lifetime. Well, maybe....

What if we could speed up our builds, go from building five models a year to 10. Or if you're already building 10 a year then to increase your output to 15 or 20? We still may be be able to build all of the models in our respective stashes, but we'd build considerably more by the time we go to that big hobby shop in the sky, right?

I've had a few ideas, and I've wanted to test and write about them. This one is a bit of a success story, so I thought I'd share it, if only to prove that I practice what I preach...and that sometimes my suggestions are actually viable!

Last summer I saw an F4F Wildcat fly at The World War Two Weekend in Reading, Pennsylvania. I'd never seen one in the air before and was struck by its speed relative to the other aircraft. Who knew that a reciprocating engine could propel a rocketship! I knew I had to build one eventually. Fast-forward a couple of months, and I stumbled upon an Academy 1/72 F4F Wildcat on sale at the LHS. It was cheap, so I bought it.

I took it off the shelf recently to build it but immediately saw how crude it is. The cockpit is barely better than those provided in the old Matchbox kits of the 1970s, and the engine is about as simple a representation of a radial engine you will see while still being identifiable as an engine. I briefly looked for a resin replacements for both, found what I needed on eBay, and put them into my watch list. Then I thought to myself, "Self, as cool as the airplane is, you're not really a huge fan of the Wildcat. Why do you want to put a great deal of money and time into this particular model when there are so many others in the stash that excite you more?"

I wondered how I could build a $5 model without investing $40 of resin and 40 hours time into it. And do so relatively quickly. What if I build the cockpit using only the parts provided in the kit but paint it completely black. It's a small cockpit and the single-piece canopy can't be positioned open, so black would hide the nonexistent detail and allow me to quickly proceed through assembly and to painting and weathering, which is what I most enjoy. Could I do the same for the engine? Sure.

So I committed to building the model as quickly as possible so that I could focus my time and effort on the finish, which is what I enjoy most. A quick application of black paint on the appropriate parts and I was ready for assembly within 30 minutes of opening the box.

Assembly was fairly quick, and after filling seams and rescribing a few panel lines I had the airplane ready for painting.

That's where I spent most of my time with the model, painting it. I used my typical custom-mixed Tamiya paint, matched by eye to photos of Wildcat models I studied on Hyperscale and ARC, and weathered it with some post-shading, pastels, and artist pencils. I'm happy with the result considering how quickly it went together (even if my photography skills leave a lot to be desired). It looks good in my display case, where the black hole of a cockpit detracts little from the overall look of the model.

In fairness, painting a cockpit black may not work for everyone. Some cockpits are quite large and visible (such as an A-37), or you may simply enjoy painting and detailing cockpits. I do, too, but looking forward I can see myself doing this again, if only to increase my annual output by one or two models a year, which could amount to my ultimately completing 50-60 models more than I would otherwise.

Try it. You might like it!

Mosquitocon 2015

One of the best things about our hobby is going to contests to share the models we build and to see other modelers' work. The one contest I always attend every year living here in the Northeast is Mosquitocon, sponsored by IPMS New Jersey. It's always a good show with a lot of models in the contest and a good mix of vendors, both professional and individual modelers selling from their personal stash of kits. This year's show was as strong as any other, and for me it informally kicks off spring and the contest season in this part of the country.

Those of you who've been reading Scale Model Soup for a while know that I'm an advocate of entering contests, and generally being a man of integrity I entered my two latest builds, an Airfix 1/72 P-51D Mustang and an Academy 1/72 F4F Wildcat (which will be the subject of a separate article in the coming weeks). There were some outstanding models on the tables, so I thought I'd share a few that caught my attention.

One of the best examples of painting and finishing skills was this SBD. Looks like 1/48 scale, right? Nope, it's 1/350 scale! The finish was as good as any model in the contest four or five times its size. It even had tiny zinc chromate paint chips that you can just make out in my photos. Unfortunately I forgot to take my reading glasses with me, so I was unable to fully appreciate the subtle application of paint on the model, but it was among the best things I saw all day.

Another fine example of painting skill, exemplified on this 1/72 Tamiya Fw-190 D-9. Masterful use of an Iwata airbrush.

Here's Airfix's new-tool 1/72 Tigermoth, the first I've seen in person, built up. The modeler reported that it was mostly out-of-the-box,  with only the cockpit doors being cut out and displayed folded down. Really nice little kit that makes me excited about building mine.

I've always like the fugliness of the Aviation Traders ATL-98 Carvair, and this Roden 1/144 kit showed off the awkward profile of the airplane perfectly.

I've written about my fascination with seaplanes here before, so it's always a pleasure to see one as well built, finished, and displayed as this Azur 1/48 Loire 130M.

There were two 1/48 Whirlwinds on the table,each as well built and painted as the other. One was the Classic Airframe offering and the other the new Trumpeter kit. This is the former, which I think shows better detail overall and will be my preference if/when I buy a Whirlwind.

You don't often see a NMF Bf-109, but this one -- an Eduard 1/48 G-6 -- was among the best in its category and among all the 1/48 scale entries.

Beautiful Monogram 1/48 F-101B. The mirror base really showed off the tones the modeler used on the engines.

Another favorite of mine among the entries, a Hobbycraft 1/144 RB-36. Yes, those props are actually spinning.

Nicely built and weathered Cyber Hobby Firefly Vc.

Here's a DML 1/35 Pz. Kpfw. IV Ausf. D with a finish and weathering that, to me, is a bit of a throwback to the 90s, before filters and pigments became all the rage. I think it was one of the best looking models in the armor categories.

An Amusing Hobby 1/35 Object 279, which some of you will recall was my most disappointing release of 2013. Mind you, it's a great subject, and this modeler's example was absolutely outstanding.

I'm not a car modeler, but it's easy for me to appreciate an example of fine modeling like this Revell 1/25 Dragster.

I love the look of classic Bentleys, and this Revell 1/24 1930 4.5L LeMans Racer showed off a great deal of detail in the engine and interior.

The sight of a Ferrari stops us in our tracks, am I right?. Here's a gorgeous Hasegawa 1/24 Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa as seen in a 1959 SCCA race. If the paint looks flawed you have to have read the modeler's comments on the entry form: "I didn't go crazy on the finish, because the car was painted with laquer that wasn't rubbed out to perfection."

Here's a tiny -- we're talking 1/4828 scale folks -- scratchbuilt World Trade Center. It was made from laser-etched stainless steel with the supporting buildings ABS plastic.

From steel to wood with this scratchbuilt 1/48 canoe made from basswood.

The ship categories didn't seem to have as many entries as prior years, but there were some very nice builds nonetheless. This Dragon 1/350 USS Benson caught my eye.

The most stunning ship entry was this Trumpeter 1/350 HMS Queen Elizabeth.

The nastiest thing I saw at the show, this kit on one of the vendors table covered with a thick, green mold. This is NOT something you want to bring into your home!

The elusive relaxing build

This month's topic from the Sprue Cutters Union is, "What subject relaxes you the most?"

Funny you should ask. After a few hours in the workshop I often find myself grumbling that I need to find a relaxing hobby.

While I say that in jest, it does have an element of truth to it. Our hobby, this supposedly relaxing hobby, is full of small, stressful moments where one task, one part, one brushstroke can be the difference between success or disaster. It's that moment when you remove the masking from your canopy hoping the paint didn't seep beneath it. That moment you attach that length of link-by-link track to your tank and hope that it fits perfectly as it did yesterday. That moment when you carefully attach a the railing to a 1/700 scale destroyer and hope you don't get super glue everywhere. I'd bet that each of us experiences a heart rate that rivals that of any marathon runner as he approaches the finish line. Well, almost.

I gotta be honest with you and my fellow Union members. I can't think of a single model that offers me a truly "stress-free" experience. Every one of them comes with its share of challenges and stress. That said, I generally enjoy 95 percent of the modeling, painting, and weathering process; the remaining 5 percent I struggle to overcome and master, even after 30 years in the hobby and dozens of builds under my belt. I'm not there yet, though I hope to be some day.

In the meantime, when I want to enjoy something that's truly stress-free, I cook up a pot of risotto. I've mastered that and enjoy preparing it for friends. Maybe I should take some to the Nats in July for my readers!

1:1 scale risotto and shrimp; asparagus with pancetta and mushrooms.

Catch up with other members' responses to this month's topic here.

Don't ask me what you should build next

I occasionally see guys post to the forums asking what model they should build next, sometimes accompanied with a poll listing four or five models. Just the other day my best friend (let's call him...David) asked for that guidance on Facebook!

I'm always amused by these posts. Who am I to say what someone else should build? I wouldn't ask David that question much less a few hundred strangers. The choice seems quite personal to me, as difficult as it can be, particularly when you have dozens or hundreds of models in your stash.

My response to this question is always the same -- build what excites you the most right now. And I usually remind folks that most of us have too many half-built models on the shelf, which for me represents something of a failure. A failure of commitment. A failure to follow-through. A failure to maintain enthusiasm.

A couple of weeks ago someone on Hyperscale asked for advice on getting motivated to start a large project. I wanted to respond honestly but was afraid I'd come off as a jerk, which we know is all too easy on the internet; I wanted to say that if you have to "summon the motivation" to build a model, especially one that's going to require a great deal of effort, you're probably biting off more than you can chew. Or maybe it's not the right project for right now. It seems to me that this fellow should be kicking off a new model with great excitement. He should be telling friends, "I can't wait to get started on this!" with a big smile on his face.

I speak from experience. I could point to numerous models in my stash that are just too big an investment for me at this time, in terms of the time I can invest or the skill I have to apply. Like that Trumpeter 1/32 F-105D. Or my Monogram 1/72 B-1B. And it's the reason I decided not to buy the new Wingnut Wings Felixstowe; I admit, it's just too much model for me.

Making these choices isn't easy and I need to remind myself on a regular basis to select the most engaging model. After periodic, brief absences from the workbench I have a tendency to get back into the swing of things by selecting a model from the stash to "warm up" rather than one that truly excites me. And more often than not those models don't live up to my expectations. If a model doesn't have my complete commitment and enthusiasm, if my heart isn't in it, it's probably going to suck.

The advice I'm offering is simple. Build only those models that truly excite you. Anything else is a waste of your time.

Don't let facts slow you down

Someone recently asked this question (paraphrased) on one of the armor forums:

I think M1 Abrams and M2 Bradleys arriving for service in Desert Shield in three-tone NATO camouflage. Some or most were repainted in desert tan after arriving. My Desert Storm M1A1 I'm building will not have much weathering but I'm wondering about the underside of the tank. What color would it be? Were the backside of the wheels and road arms repainted tan or left in the original colors.

A while back I wrote about painting what you see. This is a perfect example of how you can apply that principle to your models. Look at this photograph of an M1A1. What color is the underside, assuming you were low enough to see it at this distance?

The underside looks black to me, because it's in heavy shadow. It might be sand, black, or pink. I don't know, and for my purposes in building a model, I wouldn't care. Painting the underside black, dark grey, or dark green would offer the viewer a reasonable representation of the tank in scale.

That, my friends, is painting what you see. It's a simple approach to scale modeling that diminishes the sometimes overwhelming burden of research and documentation and lets us build models the way our minds see aircraft, vehicles, and ships in the real world. I enjoy research as much as the next guy, but sometimes I just want to move a project forward without a quest for the facts slowing me down.

Take Two

I would be remiss in adding a note about this person's specific question. I don't know the answer, but absent any definitive proof we have to rely on logic and intuition to surmise what probably happened back in 2006. If I were responsible for tasking my soldiers to paint the tanks in my battallion, I wouldn't expect them to crawl under every vehicle to paint their underside and back of the wheels. That effort would seem to me to be a waste of time and paint and ultimately add little or no value to our efforts to camouflage the vehicles.

Does research -- even if you enjoy it -- slow you down?