Subject: SMML23/4/98VOL158 shipmodels@wr.com.au ============================================================================ MODELLERS INDEX 1: Pro Modelbuilding 2: Re: Iron Shipwrights expands production 3: Re: Photo-etched firehose nozzels 4: Re: Professional model building 5: Re: Model Building for Profit 6: Re: P/E Fire Hose Nozzels 7: Re: ** Relevant Subject Lines** 8: Possible to make a living building models? 9: P/E Fire Hose Nozzles in 1/350 - Cynao Problems 10: Re:P/E fire hoze nozzles. 11: Re: professional model building 12: Attaching small photoetched parts 13: Re: P/E Fire Hose Nozzles in 1/350 14: Re: Jobs in Modelling. ============================================================================ MODELLERS ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1) From: Michael Kear Subject: Pro Modelbuilding >> Anyone out there make a decent living building models? I keep thinking about changing careers from office slave to model builder. Any observations, tips, encouragement/discouragement? << Dave, The main thing I have to say is .. Lots of luck. It's a hard road. Not one that I'm good enough to even consider, but I know 4 people who are making part or whole of their income from building models. Firstly, the most significant problem model builders have is convincing buyers to pay enough for the completed models. If you multiply the hours required to do a job by any reasonable wage rate, that is usually more than buyers are prepared to pay. But I say USUALLY, not ALWAYS. The trick to getting round this aspect is to find a niche for yourself that others arent working on, or arent working well. Next you need a body of work to build a reputation on. Obviously, since you are not already professional, you don't have former clients to vouch for you or recommend you. But you should have some models built as an amateur that have got you some renown. 2 of the guys I know who are earning their living at it, got started when someone saw their models at a regatta and said 'would you make one of those for me?" Another guy got into the business by doing a model making apprenticeship. He made prototypes of all kinds of things from cosmetic cases to store displays before someone from the armed forced recruiting office told him they needed a model C130 for their display at a show. He agreed to build it, and he got started. Someone else at the navy section told him they needed a model of a new ship the navy was getting and he tendered for it. To cut a long story short, he has built a reputation with the Australian armed services as a model maker who can build good quality models on time and to their budgets. Other people have carved out a niche for themselves making models for museums. What I'm saying is, by all means go for a career making models. But know it's a difficult way to earn a living. It depends like all business on a reputation and contacts. And the economics are difficult. Most of the people who might want to buy your models won't pay the right price for them. My suggestion is to do it slowly. Don't quit your day job, boring though it is. At least it pays the bills. And look for opportunities to make models for a living. Tell you what, you could make things for 1/72 scale warships. And sell them through our web site at AFP Models. We offer the products of modellers through our web site, and make them available to modellers everywhere. We have over 500 products now, mostly in 1/72 scale but some 1/96 and some 1/48 scale. So have a look there, and consider that aspect as a way to get started. You can find out url below. Fair winds and following seas, Mike Kear, Webmaster, Task Force 72 Australia 1/72 Scale warship modellers, Australia Check out our web site, at http://www.healey.com.au/~mkear/taskforce72.html AFP Models - Warship fittings, semi-kits, hulls, accessories. http://www.afp.zip.com.au/models.htm ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2) From: montreal@usit.net (Jon Warneke) Subject: Re: Iron Shipwrights expands production Hi Tom, > I've got a whole list of really interesting submarines that are begging for a really good model (SSNR Triton, USS Seawolf SSN575 [the FIRST nuclear Seawolf], USS Albacore, SSN Skate, SSG Growler). These are all the limited run or one-off subs during the great experimental postwar era of the '50's......all have interesting lines and are from the era back before we settled on building nuclear powered cigar shapes..... << Another one you might want to consider adding to that list is an accurate USS Nautilus SSN571. AFAIK, the SSP from MonoRevellogram has a lot of faults that need correcting. Something in the way of subs I have been looking at is the previous Nautilus and her sister Narwhal for 1/350. However, beyond that the concentration is mostly on surface ships. Jon ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3) From: SHIP MDLR Subject: Re: Photo-etched firehose nozzels Greg, I make my own tool for appling photo-etched parts. I call them "nubs". Nubs are the left over ends when stretching sprue. The thinner the tip, the smaller drop of super glue it will apply. I use an upside down Testors paint bottle to hold a few drops of glue. I dip my nub in and apply as needed. If build up occurs, cut the end off the nub to expose a fresh end. I can precisely apply glue to the smallest parts with this tool. Rusty White Flagship Models ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4) From: SHIP MDLR Subject: Re: Professional model building Dave, The comments made concerning proffessional model building are true. The comment about turning a relaxing hobby into a daily job is something you should consider very closely. What I would suggest is to Rick Tyson at Replicas by Tyson (I think that's the name). You can find thier ads in FSM. He contracts out model ships from time to time. When I started Flagship Models it was something I could do in my spare time and it made enough to keep me in models and get me to contests. However, Flagship now sells products to distributors all over the world which places a great strain on my time. I spend most of my weekends packing and shipping products and I now work every nite till about 10:00 sending out catalogs and designing new detail sets. In what little free time I have left, I am building the masters to Flagship Models first model kit. I must soon make a decision to go full time with Flagship. The point of this dire tribe is there is a lot of long days, nites and weekends. I really enjoy doing it and I wouldn't change anything. Just be prepared for what the business will ultimately grow to. Rusty White Flagship Models ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5) From: Gene Katz Subject: Re: Model Building for Profit What happened to the modeller who tried to sell his models after he won the super ball lottery, worth a paltry $1 million? He just went on building models until the money ran out!! A friend recently retired from here as the model builder of AEGIS warships and prototype ships, radars. He builds custom wooden and other media models in the real world, on commission. He is fantastic! Yet he admits to never making money, per se. It is his hobby and love, but he is glad of his steady retirement check. He commands a right healthy price for his work(which is worth it) also. He admits to having had the best job at Lockheed Martin GES,i.e., getting paid for 25 years to build models in a large well-equipped model shop with almost no budget limits! Gene ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 6) From: KelDQ Subject: Re: P/E Fire Hose Nozzels Hi Greg When I put on very small P/E parts such as fire hoses and doors on my ships, I use Testor's Dullcoat (from the bottle, not the spray) as the adhesive. Put a tiny drop where the part would go, and then put the part in place. It seems to hold quite well, and leaves no glue spot of any kind. Hope this helps! Kelly Quirk ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 7) From: Hank_Lapa@signalcorp.com Subject: Re: ** Relevant Subject Lines** AMEN !! Hank ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 8) From: "David Watts" Subject: Possible to make a living building models? Hello List... I think that someone who is retired, like myself, could at least pay for his kits and tools by selling some of his work. I have no idea what the market will pay for plastic ships, but do know that the wooden ships are worth anywhere from $2500 to $30,000, depending on the model, and whether it is museum quality or just a run of the mill job. Dave ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 9) From: "Ritchie_deutag, Colin" Subject: P/E Fire Hose Nozzles in 1/350 - Cynao Problems >> Just started playing with the GMM P/E 1/350 fire hose nozzles for my Modern USS MISSOURI. Why the heck didn't Mr Tamiya mould any details into the forward main deck bulkheads? Anyhoo, my problem here is getting those microscopico nozzles glued on cleany, without any globs? I found even with a pin its still to much glue. >And whats the best way to handle them? They are so small. I have been botching so far, so I am in desperate need of some good advice, << Hi there Greg, funny your timing, since I'm doing exactly the same on my 1/350th New Jersey, and it's a major league pain in the butt. I'm not really sure I'm in a position to help since I'm been having simliar problems, but this is how I do it, A) Use the finest tweezers you can find, I've a bunch of extremly fine needle nosed ones that work really well on the very small pieces, (provided their in good condition and don't cross and twing the piece into the next dimension!) B) Apply the Cynao with as fine a piece of wire etc as you can find, I always puddle a small amount and work from that . A friend of mine told me that he'd found Cynao in a bottle in the local DIY shop with a brush in the cap, allowing small amounts to be painted on as required C) I've taken to washing the areas I've been working on with a small amount of liquid poly after the bits have been attached this has the effect of smoothing the plastic down , which does help in cleaning up. D) The other option might be to abandon Cynao completely and try PVA type glue, it thins with water, its inherently sticky, and a lot easier to work with than Cynao , since these are essentially facing pieces, where no actual mechanical strength is required , perhaps this option might work as well , especially after they've been painted. Finally yes, it would have been splendid is my Tamiya had bothered to detail his kits just a bit, still at least their available! Colin ritchie ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 10) From: LubenLarry Subject: Re:P/E fire hoze nozzles. I've had good succes attaching P/E pieces by using a fine piece of wire to place a tiny drop of white glue on the surface and then positioning the P/E part on that. Gives a little more working time to get bthe position correct. If you want you can then flow some regular (thin) CA around the part to really stick it down. Tamiya doesn't mold any detail on the vertical faces of the bulkheads because with the mold technology used they can only mold detail in one direction and they chose the horizontal deck details. Larry ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 11) From: SantMin Subject: Re: professional model building I build models professionally, not just ship models but all sorts of things. There is one other part of it that no one has mentioned and for me it is the hardest part, That is being a SALESMAN ! I am not one of those. I am lucky enough to have been at it long enough that word-of-mouth brings in enough work to keep me busy, I simply HATE to get out there selling. On the matter of hourly rates, I always bid a price that I am comfortable with. If it's Ok with the client, I build, if not, I drop my bid, I never haggle. To build a model for less that I honestly bid would to me be REAL WORK. I somehow am able to keep apart the models I build on commission and the models I build for FUN. Bob Santos ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 12) From: BSteinIPMS Subject: Attaching small photoetched parts >> Just started playing with the GMM P/E 1/350 fire hose nozzles for my Modern USS MISSOURI. Anyhoo, my problem here is getting those microscopico nozzles glued on cleany, without any globs? I found even with a pin its still to much glue. And whats the best way to handle them? They are so small. have been botching so far, so I am in desperate need of some good advice, can anybody help? << You might try several things until you find what you're comfortable with: small photoetched parts can be handled with watchmaker's tweezers (which come to a very fine point and are available in numerous catalogs) and attached with a diluted solution of white glue. Polyvinyl Acetate (PVA) glue is much stronger than most modelers think, and a fine paint brush will put a small amount right where you want it. Any excess can be washed away with a moistened paint brush somewhat larger, and both brushes can be rinsed clean in water. If you prefer cyanoacrylate (CA) glue, you can make your own precision applicator by inserting a 1 inch length of small diameter (.015 works nicely) steel wire into the eraser end of a pencil. Place a drop of CA glue on a piece of aluminum foil (which acts as your palette) and use the wire end of the pencil to pick up a minute amount of glue and apply it where you wish. Bob Steinbrunn Minneapolis ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 13) From: "David & Alicja Lombard" Subject: Re: P/E Fire Hose Nozzles in 1/350 Howzat for a subject? ;-) I haven't done it yet, but the instructions from GMM suggest using paint to apply small parts. Makes a lot of sense. I'll use that to apply the 1/400 life preservers to my GROM (Polish destroyer). Speaking of the GROM, the 1/400 set has three-bar railing -- I need two-bar. I thought about cutting out a bar, but then the remaining two wouldn't have the right spacing. Any ideas? There's always the option to just go ahead and use the three-bar, but that seems a shame. David Lombard Rossmoor, Orange County, California ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 14) From: "Lester Abbey" Subject: Re: Jobs in Modelling. I think that the respondents on this subject are right on the button: not much money and turning it into a job will make it less fun. Given that I'd like to give a vote of thanks to all of the Cottage industry people - Classic Warships, Loose Cannon Productions, WEM, GMM, Toms Modelworks, Jim Shirley, BSW, WSW, Samek, Waveline and others who I believe work very hard for not much pay to provide the kits and accessories that give the rest of us modellers so much pleasure. Lester Abbey Wellington New Zealand ============================================================================ End of Volume