Hi. I was wondering just what the life spand on a model is? While I was tearing out the back bed room last week I was looking at some older models I'd built about 5 or 6 years ago and as I picked them up I noticed things were loose and literally falling off as I examined them. One was so bad that I just kept some pieces that I throught might come in handy for a later day and just canned it. And I noticed that I have at least one more that is almost in that state itself. Now a lot of my older models have been sitting out in the open on a shelf, so I would imagine that this general 'openness' and the dust that collects on them isn't the best thing in the world for their life span. (The newer models I've built in the last year or so are in a closed cabinet, of sorts, away from the general house dust and cat hair.)

And of course, being inside the house, with all it's dryness, esp. in the winter time, can't be good for them either. (I have some models out in a cupboard in the garage that are almost as old as the one I threw away and they don't seem to be any worse for wear.

So I was just wondering of any of you other modelers have run into a similar experience and how well are your mdels holding up that you built several years ago.

Thanks and take care, Sgirty

Expoisure to the sun's UV rays may be the culprit!!!!

Not sure what the life span is or what contributes, UV definitely would affect it. The type of glue used, type of materials (organic, plastic etc.) would also affect it.

I had a diorama where a figure was glued to the base and he just popped off as I picked up the dio. That one is only about 2 years old.

Sooner or later they're going to go..... I make sure I photograph all of mine for the history of it.

I have models that were built over 20 years ago that've been under glass and out of the sunlight (but subject to hot in the summer and cold in the winter) that still look great and remain intact.

I know the UV rays from the sun have a lot a effect on a lot of different plastics, I've hauled plastic that was used to put in between the concrete on the interstate in Utah out by Salt Lake for drainage, now just as long as it wasn't exposed to the sunlight, they cliaimed it would last forever, but just one week of exposure was enough to start showing deterioration, and they had to throw the whole load away.
I got models in the 40 year old range, but they were kept out of the sun light, and the plastic looks as same as it was when new, now the glue is another story. that tube glue never was any good in my opinion. But back then the models were made a lot tougher, not the paper thin plastic you can see thru today.

i think they last a really long time.
because in my basment i have cars that i built when i was in my early teens,
and they are still together.
so they are about 17 years old
as long as no body touches them i guess they are ok

I have kits I built 20+ years ago, they've been sitting on shelves in my basement workshop or in shoeboxes for all that time. The first ones were built w/ tube glue and are still intact.
Rubber/vinyl wheels have not cracked or dried out either.

Dave S.

Thats funny, Mine don't seem to come apart! Especially when I need pieces!

I still have a few kits I built 20+ years ago and they seem fine. Some even survived a shipment from Europe.

I also have some stuff from my teens over 20 years builds that keep well though some of them tend to show a colour fading . More of this during the years i now notice that many models later made have been in worst condition while they were in the open sunlight and dust for exposing reasons , while older stuff, closed in the locker having to see the sun 10 years or more are very fine till now!!!!

I'm not sure maybe the tube glue might of held, who knows after going thru a mother and girlfriend, and all this time I was blaming the glue.

Have models built 10 or 15 years ago still glued together have been in boxes all this time and still in one piece except for the mysterious broken piece.

Gee I know some that didn't even survive the construction stage.

When I was 19 and went off to uni my mum generously donated all my models (about 75) to my cousin. 27 years later he still has a couple and they seem to be in pretty good nick, and they were all tube glue.

My more recent ones - the last 8 years - especially the hanging aircraft are all OK spiders web and dust included.

Brian