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Planning ahead ? And organizing your build


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 I have been reading countless magazines about modeling. I absolutely enjoy reading them at work because I can fold them up in my back pocket and pull them out when I have a moment. One constant that I’ve noticed in these magazines is the lack of description as to order of the build, and time management. 

 

 One thing I’m very poor at this time management and how to spend more time at the desk before I have to let things dry. Only now am I starting to actually think about subcomponents and their place. 

 

My last build is still sitting on my desk as I’m constantly waiting for parts to dry deckles to seal, “tiny bits,” To apply only to realize I have painted them the wrong colour I need to do  Touch them up again. 

 

Between cleaning, which I don’t do anymore, priming, painting the Interior, dry brushing, Adding crystal clear to the dial faces, the actual building, seem filling, painting, masking,  weathering, decalling, etc.....

 

How do you organize your builds for efficiency and help to minimize any latency? 

Edited by davevw
Grammar
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Follow the instructions.......Yep that simple.........Then I add photo etch, after market decals......resin........lights...........

 

I build to maintain sanity, my work blows dead bears.3 more years.....3 more years.......

 

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  • 2 weeks later...

Read the instructions all the way through.  Check YouTube for build videos n reviews.  Once started, I always end each build session by sitting down with the instruction manual and getting an idea what the next few steps will look like.  Knowing the steps to come gives me a better idea of how to approach the current step in the build.  I look over the instructions and go over the build on my head before I sit down at the bench.

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  • 2 weeks later...
13 minutes ago, 1:72 WW2 Air Only said:

I like building two different models at a time and switching between the two of them to reduce latency

 

This is what I do too, although I normally have more than two builds going. Right now I am concurrently working on six different F-18 kits 😆 I have a pretty pacticed routine that manages time quite well. It's just something that I've developed over the years. It works for me anyway! Fred K.

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I usually read the instructions through and then search for build references online to see what and where any pitfalls there may be and how to adjust the build sequence. I try to think through the different build steps and determine what will need to assembled and/or painted ahead of time, like the cockpit on aircraft, which is obvious. But there are often areas that will be blocked by later construction and need to be prepainted. I try to dry fit everything as I go (but usually still end up with problems but that's my own clumsiness).

Even doing all that, I still end up with points where I have to wait. Either for paint to dry or glue to set or something. If I have room, I will see if there are some other subassemblies that can be worked on, but space is always an issue for me. My builds tend to expand to fill all available space. (that one of those axioms of model building, i.e. all builds will expand to fill all available space).

Anyway, hope this helps.

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As others pointed out, read the instructions with an eye towards painting and sub-assemblies. For painting, what should be painted before or after some assembly step? For sub-assemblies, which of them can be worked on independently of others?. As an example, in a current builld (Airfix 1/48 P-51D), I worked on the radiators/scoop assembly, underwing fuel tanks, and tail surfaces while working on the cockpit. Working on includes dry-fitting for as near-perfect fit as I can manage, I can almost always work on dry-fitting, especially when I'm working on subjects usually described as short-run kits.

 

To be sure, paint chemistry can affect timing. As I use lacquers, paint drying is not a significant issue for me.

Edited by dnl42
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