Large Model Association Forum

Hi All
how does one get over the feeling of not being able to finish a build?
the confidence just seems to drain somehow!
ive notice a lot of half builds, mine included, get stuck, then they either get sold or given away!
i just wonder where does the drive go after spending loads of money on a build
any ideas for boosting confidence would be appreciated

Paul

I really struggle to get things finished so I now set aside a small amount of time every day to do something. I just tackle one small part of a project at a time. I now set aside around 45mins in the morning before I go to work. Getting up earlier was a struggle but I am used to it now. Now I find that I have more enthusiasm to get on with things. Doing a bit before work means i think about it while at work ,then often I do a quick session after work to sort out what i have been thinking on all day , maybe only ten mins but I am getting in 5 or 6 hours a week on average now which dose make progress.
The other thing is to make the environment you work in nice to be there. I have had the heating on to keep it at 14* ,and I put the radio on in the mornings ,listen to the mad Ginger one and I even look forward to that now .

Its all in the mind .

Simon

Ah Paul, I know exactly where you're coming from. My term for it is "balsered out". I'm retired now and the main interests in my life are model aircraft and golf. This time of year is definately building weather, as you know I'm in the middle of my Ziroli DC3. I started it at the begining of October and the airframe is now finished and ready for covering. Thats because I've been averaging five hours a day in the garage. Sometimes this can be too much of a good thing because the "hobby" becomes more like a job.

I'm fortunate that I have a small band of good mates and, over the years we've talked about doing some kind of joint project. Alan Greaves bit the bullit and bought a Ziroli B25 kit. I built the airframe, he glass clothed and painted it, Alan Cantwell did some engineering for it and Mike Whitehead made up a wiring loom for the radio installation. Although it's Alan's model, we've all had some input to varying degrees and I've found this maintains the enthusiasm throughout the project.

Because the rest of the lads still work full time, and don't have much time to build, I've become the unofficial builder for our group, and the others contribute thier own specialities so, in effect, all our builds now are "joint efforts". This may not suit everybody, but it certainly works for us. Joining the LMA and getting to meet other members who are more experienced with large models has certainly expanded our pool of knowledge and injected a sense of "What shall we build next" attitude.

I'll leave you with one final thought. I packed the hobby in a few years ago, mainly because of the reasons you've pointed out, but I still kept in touch with the lads. I think the main reason I came back to it was because of a comment that was made to me by a dear, now departed, friend who said, "Jonesey, the hobby is there to serve you, not the other way round. If you get fed up, walk away for a day or two, do something else and come back to it ready to go" His picture is pinned on the wall above my work bench and there's many a time I'll look up at it and say, "How am I doing Phil?"

I hope this little input is of some use to you and might go some way to help restore the urge to crack on. It can be difficult, espescailly with a large project like your DC3, I'm sure we are not on our own and that even the most prolific of builders must say at some point, "I can't be bothered today" and walk away. Dave Jones.

the hobby is there to serve you, not the other way round

How true that is and so easy to forget!

Alan

I reckon this gets everyone so don't worry about it. When you get bored with a build just start a new one and when you get bored with that one start another on and so on. It's what everyone does, after a while you'll go back to the first on realise you did something wrong then stick it on ebay for some unsuspecting chump to pick it up. Then, with the money from the sale, order the next kit, simple. Every year I work on the theory of start 4 finish one. Most of my enjoyment with the hobby is building fuselages and flying everything inbetween is a absolute pain in the batty.
Remember it's just a hobby and if you're happy just doing a bit here and there with no pressure then carry on and the people who mock you for it can go find themselves.

Alternativly if like me you get bored when you get stuck or you avoid doing a bit because you think it's going to be a sod, just get organised and attack the problem bit. Most of the time you'll do it really quickly with no pain. I hate making push rods and will find any reason to leave the workshop just to avoid them but as everyone knows they only take a few minutes. Once you get tackling these "boring bits" your models will soon move on and your enthusiasm will get going again.

Failing that just buy models that already fly and invest your creative time into restoring old motorcycles which at the end of the job you can use it more than a model and it'll actually have some value.

Stewart

Thanks for your usefull advise geezers
i have decided to complete me ole dak, but in very small builds taking about 15 mins a day.
its reassuring to know im not the only one feeling this,i suppose it is part of the builders dilema
thanks for all your advise much appreciated
smashin!!

many thanks

P