for me, after experiencing building cars, tanks, dioramas and now AC, i find building cars more difficult and challenging kase in cars, everything has to be perfect and super clean and shiny, except if youre placing it in a diorama like i did with some of my rally cars. mas mahirap magpakintab kaysa mag weather at magdumi, like what i do to my diorama kits
kaya whenever i do kits that need weathering, its a walk in the park for me na. one thing is that maraming pwedeng references sa weathering para maging realistic, i always look at trucks na madudumi at puro kalawang at putik pag bumabyahe ako to see kung paano ang talsik ng putik, kung saan nag aaccumulate ang rust, at kung saan at paano ang itsura ng mga dents sa body etc. and i apply whenever i build one well... its just my opinion, what's yours?

I build both armor and AC. Never tried cars except for snap-fit unpainted kits 20 years ago. I find AC more challenging kasi maraming maliliit na parts at kelangan perfect at smooth din sya. Halatang-halata ang errors mo sa AC lalo na sa antenna at canopy. Armor, on the other hand, is easier in my opinion. Pwede kang mawalan ng part, ex. air filter ng 1/72 Tiger ko, and still get a decent "battle-damaged" model out of it. Mistakes can be covered with mud, stowage or flags. So sa given categories, I find armor the easiest, AC more difficult, and cars impossible for my skill and patience. Don't get me started about figures #:-)

Saludo ako sa 'yo Cris lalo na sa detail at finish ng car kits mo. May natutunan din akong scratchbuilding tips from just staring at your engines Now I'm attempting to add a little more detail to my Zelda engine. Don't expect to find an air scoop and mag wheels on it though #:-)

thanks john just like youve said about ACs, cars need to be perfectly built kase kitang kita ang imperfections lalo na sa paint job coz sa cars, yun kaagad ang makakaatract sayo.

btw, pano ko ba gagawing working links yung nasa sig ko?

In my opinion the level the difficulty in scale model is in the following order:

1) Cars
2) AC
3) AFV/ARMOR

I still have a King TIger Ardennes version to finish, afterwhich I'll try to an AC then a Car. Armors were designed to be battle scarred (free for all approach) that is why it is easy to do...it's actually up to the modeller's imagination.

I'm still trying out my AB so di pa ako confident. Medyo rough pa ang painted surfaces ko. Siguro kung ok na skills ko try ko AC ulit. Most of my paints are for armor din kasi kaya investment na naman yon

To make your links clickable, hanapin mo yung "url" or "url=" button sa baba ng text box when replying or editing a message. Yung "url" ididisplay nya ang buong link. Yung "url=" ididisplay nya ang title na i-assign mo sa link. Palitan mo lang ang dummy links with your link. Good luck!

Never tried anything but figures...And robots and space ships..^_^

Pero sa tingin ko, yung mga kotse ang pinaka mahirap sa lahat... Dapat kse perpekto at maypagka "gloss" yung finish (most cars)... Pang high level modeler na yung mga ganun...

Try ko mag armor...Pero hnde yung mga tangke...Yung mga jeep types lang...Hnde ko kse gusto ang caterpillar treads eh...

AC is a hard one??? Nah, I think it's the easiest one. Just a little smoothing and everything's gonna be fine.

Here's my list starting from very easy to the hardest:

1. 1/1 Scale Guns - Yeah! The easiest kit! I only had problems with the screws cause some screws are missing in the kit

AC - they're pretty easy to build with minor internal parts like the cockpit and gears

Gundam/ Anime Plastic Models - snap on and a very few internal parts (Ussually, my MGs or Master Grade internal parts are left unpainted. I only paint the outside and anything visual to the eye

Anime figs (resins) - just a little bit of smoothing and perfection

Cars - they're pretty easy (except rally cars with lots of designs). Just a little chrome and your done. When I make one, sometimes I leave the engine as it is.

Subs - the hull is quite easy because of it's shape but above it is another story

Boats and warships - the model quite harder since there are individual cannons to be painted etc.

Miniature figs - facial toning etc. this is kinda hard to me

Military Vehicles - doing the dirt, etc. This is hard

Armors - the hardest kit! Painting the individual treads etc...

Well, in my opinion, mostly, I like to do perfect looking models. When I say perfect, I say models that has more outside painting rather than the interior. For example, AC's need to be smooth to look good. Jagged models such as tanks are hard. Also models that needs a lot of toning and weathing. I consider it hard. Have you seen my previous models posted here? I like models that looks new and perfect. Well, that's only my opinion

I am into WWII armors haven't tried any other types for a reason dependent ako sa kaisa isang hobby shop dito sa cagayan de oro na nag sara pa, ung owner kasi is into WWII armors.

Where the hell is my post??? Or am I being senile already?

Here I go again...

It is only now that I'm building a car model. This is my first attempt. Actually, I won't follow the painting instuctions because I plan on just making it a 'close approximation' for my sis. BTW, it's a Tamiya Porsche Boxster and will be painting it bright pink. And since this is the case, I can't comment much on car models except that the paint finish must be perfect - unless one plans on weathering it.

I have built AC and I must say after so many kits on AC, I have only built one "perfect" plane. By perfect, I mean finished building it properly, and painted it according to the paint instructions, and properly placed the decals. And that was only a 1/144 scale F-14A Tomcat!
Although I was introduced to the plastic model world by aircraft, all previous attempts failed miserably (with the exception to the one mentioned above). All were in 'various states of completion' and are now just gathering dust and used for spare parts. Gennady's Iron and Steel Works has recently subcontracted most aircraft production on its line to Comrade Pavel's Tactical and Strategic Air Power Manufacturing, with an F4U Corsair which I started being finished by them, and next in line is my Dauntless dive bomber. Anyone interested on finishing my OV-10D Bronco?

That said, AC is a hell lot harder for me. The leading edges of the wings must be filled (and most of the time, the putty cracks). The fuselage must be perfect. The paint job should be perfect. The canopy and cockpit should be perfect. And I'm not perfect.

Armor is most forgiving. Some mistakes can be hid by placing the camo net there, or doing other things to hide it.

If we extend the scope of the topic, figures is the hardest thing to do - and needs no explanation. Next is ships - every ship model is NOT complete without PE. Ship models DEMAND PE. You can build them OOTB but it still doesn't look complete. Unlike cars, AC and armor wherein use of PE is relative, ship models (except modern subs) just cry out to be uber-detailed. To not do so is like committing a sin, leaving it naked. IMO at least. Next is cars I guess. Then AC. Probably almost as easy as armor are modern subs (not WW2 subs because they are essentially like ship models). Although I haven't built one, I can just imagine a Typhoon sub model being composed of a few pieces - perhaps the hull is one big cast or of 2 halves, with the superstructure the third part, then the fiddly-bits for the periscopes, antennae, propellers, etc. I can imagine it being fewer in parts than AC.

Armor pa rin! Case in point: habang ginagawa ko ang Zelda may maliliit na parts na nabali or nawala. Pwede kong sabihin na "battle damaged" or "not existing in this version". Pangit din ang tracks so lalagyan ko sya ng skirts kahit wala sa instructions. Sa planes, missing lang ang isang antenna or vortex generator or static discharger halata na. I may go back to planes when I have a decent table with a decent light source. Naduduling na ako sa liit ng parts #:-)

Hmmm...you doing Dragon models? The newer Tamiya and Academy kits already have plastic treads that you just heat-glue together.

mas may challenge ang individual treads!

Challenge nga ang individual treads pero I prefer them over the vinyl one-piece tracks that Tamiya usually has in the box. Most of the time mas detailed ang indy tracks at mas realistic ang track sag lalo na sa Nazi at Soviet WWII armor. I've only built two sets of indy links so far (Kettenkrad and AFV Club aftermarket tracks). Medyo mahirap pero once may rhythm ka na madali na.

May pangatlong classification pa of tracks. Link and length ang tawag dito. Plastic ang tracks, may mahabang portions for the top and bottom, tapos may individual links para sa corners at drive wheels. May DML kits na ganito ang tracks. IIRC, the DML Abrams' and MLRS' ay link and length. Revell 1/72 tanks are also link and length if I'm not mistaken.

AFV Club sells after-market, individual link tracks. Examples are the M4 (early type), Sdkfz 251 tracks, and M1 "Big Foot" tracks.

From my experience with Dragon, Trumpeter (particularly the M1 series), and Revell (the last in 1/72), it is link-to-length tracks.

If the model has an armor skirt that can cover the top portion, you can "cheat" by not placing the top tracks. This I did with my Revell 1/72 KFOR Challenger I.

Trumpeter M1 tanks have both vinyl and link-to-length tracks.

Me, I prefer link-to-length over vinyl for the same reasons that Jeepney said. Also, my problem with vinyl tracks is that when you paint them before installing them, the paint flakes off once you stretch and place it on the kit. With link-to-length, I have no problems with that. Also, vinyl tracks "tempt" one to scoot the model on the surface, playing with it - which should not be as the running gear can be fragile. Link-to-length solves that, too.

Link-to-length is more difficult, that is true, but with the articles here on Armorama discussing assembly of such tracks, it'll be easier than you think it really is.

The reason I like AC's because of my old modeling experience. Gundam models. To be honest, mas madali nga ang AC's kaysa Gundam models e. Siguro I'll try AFV's. SCUD's, ground Tomahawks Launchers, Patriots and MLRS ang uunahin ko. I like their capability and firepower. Maganda rin ang kanilang structure eh. :-)