workflow improvement

[peter havriluk]

I'd love to get my stash built up before I check out (183 models in boxes).  Suggestions that can improve 'throughput' will be very happily appreciated. 

 

Thanks, folks.

Edited February 15, 2019 by peter havriluk
spelling correction

[jonbryon]

I wrote this on the subject: https://jonbryon.com/2018/06/19/on-increasing-productivity/

 

Jon

[peter havriluk]

Jon, that's a wonderful summary.  Thank you.  And it sure sounds familiar.  Very familiar.  I've done a lot of what you suggested, lacquers, quiet compressor, simplified interiors.  Rattle cans help, too.  Easy cleanup, just put the can away.  I need to adapt to 'superglue', I've used it extensively for r/c projects, but not for display models.  Today's trip to the hobby store will attend to that missing link.

[thegoodsgt]

Hi Peter,

 

Here are my thoughts on increasing productivity.

 

Paint your cockpits black

Five more ideas

 

They're not for everybody, but maybe you'll find something helpful.

 

Steven Brown

Scale Model Soup

[peter havriluk]

Steve, thanks for the wonderful links. 

The relaxed standards make a lot of sense, some of which I'd been already practicing.  Instead of black, I'd been applying 'interior green', and I then found that RAF dark green, I don't remember the shade's name, comes from a rattle can and saves a whole lot of time, similar to your rattle-can black.  I'd been wondering about all that stenciling, nice to see a realistic view of it expressed.  I got the sense that nicely painted on the outside shelf models are a goal, one which I share.  I could never figure out the allure of spending thirty bucks on resin parts for a ten-dollar kit, nice to know I'm not alone. 

 

Much obliged for the encouragement and confirmation.

 

[Jonathan S]

55 minutes ago, thegoodsgt said:

Hi Peter,

 

Here are my thoughts on increasing productivity.

 

Paint your cockpits black

Five more ideas

 

They're not for everybody, but maybe you'll find something helpful.

 

Steven Brown

Scale Model Soup

 

I do the same as what Steven suggests.  Although not exactly the same for building modern fighter jets as the cockpits are very visible, so what I've enjoyed is the pre-painted photo etch or decals for finishing cockpits quickly.  Don't bother with all of the etch that comes in the set as well. Highly recommend reading Steve's two articles here.

 

Get rid of kits that you don't want to start because they aren't easy to build.

[Harold55]

Couple of my thoughts: I do buy paint masks.  It might not help much on certain models but I use them often and find it saves quite a bit of time.  Agree to sell the kits you will not build but I also think in terms of upgrading to a more buildable kit of the same subject.  To me nothing sucks time like filling and sanding and newer kits I have found are leaps ahead of old short run kits.  100% agree that some of the PE can be left behind as it often does not add much to the overall model and I also generally don't add after market goodies.

[peter havriluk]

Paint masks can, indeed, reduce time spent at paint prep.  Sometimes, a lot.  I do squirm, though (cheapskate alert) at spending sometimes more than what I paid for a kit for the canopy/wheel masks.  

 

I did find that a surprising number of 1/72 wheels can be masked with Tamiya paper tape masks made by taking a paper punch to the tape and using the punch-out for the wheel mask.  Can't get wheel masks much cheaper than that.

[Geoff M]

Nobody mentioned stopped buying kits 😮

 

Geoff M

[peter havriluk]

And how would that make building go faster?