Monday, September 26, 2016

I keep wondering about the "accuracy backlash" phenomon

Something is still puzzling me. In the course of any discussion on various forums, there are always posts insulting the people that look over kits to find the good and the bad aspects of them.

Why is this? Don't people know that a discussion of a kit would stop dead if  it started with "is kit, you vill like it or else"?

Why do some people want the faults in any certain kit to stay private information? They aren't the distributors, they didn't make the pattern, they have no stake in the kit's success or failure. So why tell people to stop talking about it?

I just read the old expression today, again. The one that claims that people that critique a kit online don't build kits, they post online instead. (of course the irony of someone typing that online completely escapes the posters that say those things)

That is simply not true,,,,,I have seen many kits over the decades that have had shape and detail corrections,,,,,,those were surely NOT built by someone dedicated to the OOB build philosophy.

I get tired of reading this stuff as if critiquing kits was some new thing, it was done long before there was an internet. And it is boring as heck to read someone typing on a forum telling other people not to type on a forum and go build something.

So, okay, if you can't beat 'em, join 'em,,,,,,,If you don't agree with my opinion that kits in 2016 should be more accurate than kits made in 1958,,,,,,go build something. Because after all, "is Blog, you vill like it."

Here's a pic,,,,,it shows that when two kits are equally lauded by the "shut up and build it" people,,,,one of them is clearly wrong. I won't say which, because I don't care, I have better kits to build than these two. I merely post this pic to ask,,,,,,,,are you really sure you would rather not know this? Or equally as sure that you don't want other modelers to have access to the info, simply because you think that people that post info for free should stop doing it?

Trailing edges aligned, note differences, including the length of the wing chord at the wing root, the location of the outer wing joint to the main wing, and the shape and size of the wing tip. But, both are models, so both are Good, so "shut up and build them."



I simply can't believe that "Modeler A" wants to keep "Modelers B-Z" in the dark about these sorts of things, and whines about all the free info that people post to help each other.

But, it is 2016, so that is how things have changed when it comes to helping one another.

Monday, May 23, 2016

Most modelers want to be "Kit Assemblers"

Okay, I bet I have your attention now, and some are sharpening up their keyboards, all set to disagree with this Post's title.

But, give it a little thought.

When a new model comes out, and it either has the "wrong nose shape", the "wrong wing to fuselage joint", or "doesn't come with weapons in the box", what does that truly mean?

It means that the guy describing those flaws wanted to buy the kit, assemble it, paint it, decal it, and hang weapons on it, and have an accurate model. He wanted good decals, a good color call out, logical assembly instructions. And he wanted to just buy the model and put it together, all from what is in the box.  He didn't want to plunk down his money and have to carve out a new nose for the model,,,,,or go buy weapons to hang on it,,,,he just wanted to assemble it.

That means that, just like me, he wanted to be "just an assembler."  If this is not true, there wouldn't be any need for critiquing the model kit,,,,,,in fact, the more vocal typists should revel in the fact that it isn't right,,,,,,,,that lets them show off their "model correction skills."

Instead we see some of the same people pooh-pooh a new model and in another post, sometimes on the same day, pooh-pooh people that are "just assemblers."

Now, so that I don't anger the entire group of people that do this, let me talk about the flip side of it. "Kit Assemblers" choose which kit they will build. How do they decide? Easy, if I want to build a good looking F-8 Crusader in 1/72, I buy and build the Academy,,,,,,,,not the Fujimi. Remember, just as soon as you change one thing on the model,,,,,,,anything at all,,,,,say the wheels on the 1/72 old tool Hasegawa "F-4J/D" kit,,,,,,,you are after accuracy.

So, I just described myself and my goal,,,,,,I want to someday be "Just an Accurate OOB Kit Assembler", just like all the people that are "disappointed" with a new release that "didn't get it right."

Our little groups that we get separated into are not really all that different. Remember to a non-modeler (the viewers of our finished stuff on the shelves), that 1/48 and 1/32 Phantom is still "a cute little plastic model",,,,,same as the "too small" 1/72 stuff.

Friday, May 13, 2016

My conclusion from an "Anti Rivet Counter's posts"

Well, thanks to a couple of decal companies and their new releases, my build list is going to be all scrambled up again.

Don't worry, though, I consider that a good thing. This just means that I can build with more modern decals and in some cases, use commercial decals instead of having to make my own markings.

As for the title of this entry, I have been inspired by a very vocal "Anti Rivet Counter"

It seems that I finally reached that "a-hah" moment with him. So, I will build a Skyhawk using what seems to be his guiding principle. I will take all the parts that I have cut off of models over the last few decades, and glue them together in what he should consider to be the "perfect Skyhawk for 2016"

This will be easy, because I throw those types of parts into a box with the leftover sprues, in hopes that someday I would find an environmentally proper way to give them to a recycle facility. 

I'll use all the modern construction and finishing techniques on it, even though it will be painted in Testors square bottle Battleship Gray, with some wonderful decals from an old AMT kit (or something similar)

Then I will present it, and wait for my expected Gold or 1st with it, rofl. (accuracy doesn't count anymore, remember)

I'll leak the finished model here, with the info that will go onto the entry form.