How slow do you build?

[Sundancer]

The quality of the finished job isn't always related to the speed of building - for example I can think of one regular contributor to the RCG Vintage forum, a Mexican gentleman whose forum name is Colibriguitars who turns out the most superbly constructed and finished models in amazingly short time - but then again, his profession is making very high end and expensive hand built electric guitars so his level of craftsmanship shouldn't really be a surprise. For us more ordinary mortals the end result is more closely related to the time and effort we put into it, but also to the level of "interest and enthusiasm" for a particular build. I know that I have done builds where I started with great enthusiasm but sort of fell out of love with the job part way through and finished up taking short cuts. And others where I was so enamoured with the model that the amount of time it was taking became irrelevant compared to the determination to make as near perfect a job as my abilities allowed.

Even from an early age I have always been blessed with the ability to build accurately (well, maybe we will ignore the very first model, a KK Ajax, which had the prop drilled at 90 degrees to the correct direction and was painted with Woolworth's emulsion paint - but I was only six at the time!!), but back in my contest flying days I settled for accurate and strong and was not concerned with perfection - as the man says many contest fliers, even the top ones such as J O'D, followed the same approach although others - Mike Gaster and Ted Evans spring to mind - produced models of concours quality which were equally effective at winning. My self imposed standard of acceptability - and hence speed of production - changed when I acquired a new flying buddy, a full size aircraft engineer. Seeing my models, which I considered perfectly acceptable, alongside his made me cringe and over the years of our friendship I worked hard to improve my building standard until I was happy to look at his and my models together. This together with advancing age meant the rate of production slowed noticeably.

But at the end of the day anything I build has to satisfy only one criteria (well, apart from flying well!) and that is that the finished job has to please ME. If other like or admire it, then that is a bonus.

[Wayne_H]

.........But at the end of the day anything I build has to satisfy only one criteria (well, apart from flying well!) and that is that the finished job has to please ME. If other like or admire it, then that is a bonus.

Well said & heartily concur!