... never thought this would happen to me,but it's happening....
"She who must be obeyed" is cleaning my hobbyroom annex garage... you know, putting aside empty modelboxes, asking why I'm keeping empty boxes, trying to dust-off my models in progress ,cleaning out the shelfs and putting all my laying arround spare parts in one box.....
Aaaargh... now what to do?
I tried standing there and keep track of things, but she's like a tornado... while I'm trying to salvage some stuff here, she's on the other side busy with the next....

a sad day for me that's for sure....

My own 'she who must be obeyed' said a comment the other day that I still don't know what it means. She said she didn't really mind my buying new kits (Yeah!!!) but she is wondering when she is going to start seeing the results of all my modeling. This is encouraging , I think but I'm not sure if she means I should stop doing the other things around the house that to be done and model instead. That course of action sounds like it could be injurious to my health and marriage.

hehe... I'm not getting much building done myself...... Re doing the Kitchen.....replacing the roof ans Siding too.... Not to mention the new woodshop / Storage Barn that need to be built....

I don't have a wife, but I have a mom, and one day when I came back from school, all tired and wanting to get some modeling done, I see my whole room has changed! it now looks in "order" and all the inspiration was gone along with a lot of empty boxes. I had to do a couple of arrangments to my room after that and everything got back to normal again ao don't worry you'll get over this awfull experience :-)

I think you should just say something like this: "this is my territory and if I keep my fingers
away from your business, you'll keep your's away from mine" I adviced my mum and sisters to keep away from my modeling desk and everything has been fine.
The only bad thing about modeling is that I have to clean my room all by myself just to make sure that my stuff is not accidentally harmed. But I'm just so lazy that I can't get any kind of small cleaning operations done. It's either that I don't clean at all, or that I get every single bit of modeling and other stuff out of my room and do a full-blown cleaning operation!
And that tends to be quite time-consuming, last time it took about six hours from the moment I began to take the stuff out to the moment every corner was clean and everything as in place.

Lucky me! My other half doesn't mess with my stuff, mainly because she doesn't care what I do with my "spare" time, probably safe in the knowledge that I'm too tired after busting my hump doing the things she wants done to do anything else. However, I have generated some periods of calm within the storm by sending her shopping (I know, that's a scary thought, but consider the alternative!)

Art

I wish I could say I feel your pain... but since I cannot i must say in comtempulation.. "ouch"

My wife or "she who must be obeyed" has every flat space in the house filled with her candles, stuffed things and knickkacks. Likewise every cabinet is filled... except for one. which i have to display my work... although she does use any unused space in there for "stuff" which seems to be trying to grow.

She also decides on how the furniture is arranged.

I have set aside about half the space in the hall closet for myself with a 6' bookshelf and a Roll around shop tool box to keep my supplys, references, and work in progress.

For Storage of unbuilt kits I built a false ceiling in our laundry room giving me about 2 1/2 high by 6 feet wide by 4 feed deep. Since this is out of my wife's reach she stays out of it, and never sees all my pile of unbuilt's.

There is One rule here for her about my small space. "HANDS OFF"

Every now and then I have to "Re-Define" my teritory to get her to quit using my space for her junk as she tries to encroach now and then.

The one time she tired to "clean up" my closet area. I waited till she was gone re-arranged the living room and Re-organized all her clothing area's.

End of Problem.


I wish u luck.

The only rearranging I suffer from is a large cat who suddenly decides it is a good time to look out the window, while I'm away. Like the other windows in the apartment would not serve the same purpose, she has to use the one by my workbench.
At least she doesn't or hasn't played with any of the parts lying about...... YET!!!!

It seems that you have some sort of a predicament there Jurgen. Maybe you could talk to her & make an agreement about cleaning your work area. It's a good thing my wife doesn't mind the mess I make with my work area. Just build on!

Damn !! And you were standing there watching her!!! Come on man ...your couch can't be that hard ... Tell her that that is the only place in house that you want as your own ..and if she doesn't understand that ...well I know a good divource lawyer. :-)
good luck
Rick

I have to put up with my wife dusting my models ('cos I won't), but she's pretty good and used a brush made for computer keyboards. If Ididn't the none of the house would get done; all the flat spaces available have trucks, tanks and dios on them except for three shelves that are hers. I clean up my workspace every time i finsh - I have to - it's the dining table!!

Mmmmhhh Jurgen

Looks like you really need a serious list with rules of engagement.
Since the time that I started I have found several models completely devastated on the floor (unrepairable ) One was my first model (a Beautifull Red Corvette on wich I spend almost a month working on with my dad) my mother gave it a little flight with an radius of 1 meter far and 2,5 meters deep.While Cleaning. Ready for the dustbin. Same faith happened to a WW1 Biplane (my first Model that I completed without help).
Another one to add to my list was the Revell Huey wich came in the Two Helo set. My father managed to put a Monitor on top of it ruining almost everything except the landing gear wich was not added yet (the rest was completed)
Since that time there are a couple of rules that are guarding my workbench. One of the most important is that:
1. no one is even allowed to stay there without my permission. Only when I`m there my self then people may stand in the door at a save distance so they can`t destroy a thing.
2. Nobody touches my models they can only look at it standing on the shelves. And when they want to see it from another angle they can ask me if I could get it out and put it on a table so they can walkaround to view it.
3. Nobody except me Is cleaning my workbench and the surrounding area.
4. Nobody touches anything that lays around on my workbench. No tools, No Paints, No Parts, No Glues, No Models not even the most worthless looking piece (this prevents me from loosing stuff)
5. No Body touches my reference when I need something I know exactly where to find it when somebody has touched and replaced it I can`t.
6. Nobody is touching empty boxes and throws them away. (nobody complains about it either as long as I keep them in my personal storage)

Everybody in my Family and my friends know These 6 simple rules and since the last model (the Huey) went down the dishonourfull way of the dustbin nothing terrible happened. and the whole family is respecting the rules... On the other hand my parents made up a couple of their rules wich are not as important as mine :-) :-) :-)

I have 2 problems: my mom, and my brother's iguana. My mom always tries to throw away the pieces of plastic or wire I try to use or reorganize all my parts that I can't find them for days. Once our iguana just jumped on my desk and broke one of my scrach build car frames It's o'k though, I fixed the chassis and just try to keep our pet and my mom away when I am around.

Ola Rob,
nice rules for family but never marry a lady named Nobody. :-)
once the charwoman cleaned all the weathering on my dioramas thinking it is dust.i told her nothing because explainining her what is a pastel chalk could be harder than weathering again.the door of my modelling den is closed since this event and have a sticker telling NEVER on the door

Okay, here's what you should do: Make miles and miles of miniature barbed wire. Lay it around your area in several small rows. After that, take toothpicks and make miniature pungi-sticks (I think I have that correct) as a much thicker barrier. Finally, if they can survive that, keep a 10-guage shotgun by your side and look twitchy to anyone who comes around. Thanks for your time.

My "better half" doesn't like to clean, and hasn't for the twenty one years we've been married...I don't have a thing to worry about...can't even get her to go to the modeling room, let alone touch anything...and I like it that way!

...my two year old just showed up at the computer...she wants the following emoticons posted, so here goes... (:-) (++) thanks for your patience guys....and gals....

My sympathies goes out to you Jurgen and my condolences to the models that didn't make it. Wives, girlfriends, sisters, small kids, cleaner ladies and in grumpyoldman's case, cats are the scourge of hardcore modellers.

Okay, a frontal assault is out of the question. So I suggest Guerilla warfare, my favourite and believe me I come from a country that has seen a bit of that. The basics of Guerilla warfare is that:
1. Remember you are up against a superior enemy (aka. the wife). Never go for a confrontational approach.
2. Guerilla warfare requires that you attack when the enemy least expect it. Go for flowers as the first line of attack. Suprise her with a romantic dinner outside for the second line of attack but don't make it too obvious. Pick a time like when she's too tired too cook.
3. Confuse the enemy. Never let on that it appears that you are doing it for your modelling but rather because you want to spend QUALITY time with her. Slow and easy with the gifts and dinners.
4. Strike at the enemy's weak points. Find out what she likes and indulge her.
5. When all else fails try the ultimate. Its going to be yucky and disgusting but remember guerilla warfare is DIRTY. Tell her (ugh) you love her more than anything else but modelling is is part of you just like her but on a less significant scale and you hope she will understand. If you don't puke and die from saying this then you are home free. I strongly suggest a GOOD DOSE of Alcohol before attempting this. DON"T TRY THIS AT HOME KIDS, ITS DONE BY PROFESSIONALS.

Good Luck and take no prisoners.

I tell ya what, You guys who are currently attached to anyone refered to as "She Who Must Be Obeyed" must consider the fact that "She" took the same oath as you! Therefore in my house, "She" won't consider my space "cleanable" or "straightenable" and I won't kick her photo equipment around in her darkroom! I have the fortune to say my girl is an S-Scaler railroader (American Flyer 1:64) as is her father. She grew up with Dad's hobby bench in the basement and respects my workspace now.
Gigi is my angel
Cuhail

I imported my wife so to speak. I owned the house several years prior to even meeting her and had set up my hobby room. While we were dating this was (and still is) referred to as my room She picked out new furniture and set the house rearrangeent up, but "my room" is still my sanctuary. Thank God she though model building was cool and never messed with what I had displayed outside the room. She has since departed but that's another issue.

the classic item posted again . My better half is also respecting the work i do , she usually comments and never touches. From the time that i have approached the dark side (figures) she also likes to look at the catalogues and pick figures she liked to be painted by me.
So i have a licence to buy stuff.
its good very good no problems

-Update on the battlefield-
Looks like my precious motorpool survived the frontal attack of "she who must be obeyed" and all the models came out of it in one piece...
The only thing is that now I have to re-arrange my mess again and get it back on my workbench instead of in the drawers... This will only take a little while I think

Thanks for the input guys, I really apreciate (is that english?!) it and I will use the new rules of engagement provided by you guys!
I do think I will need some sort of SOS-code during the next major conflict, so I'll be depending on your help when that time comes...

yes..try to smile

one thing my wife have to remember..DO NOT CLEAN, VACUMM, REARRANGE ANYTHING INSIDE THE HOBYROOM.........



it happen to me last night when i was painting the details part on my panzer 1a..i was painting the axe, shovel handle when she came and ask me' will i be mad if she suddenly drop the....." she didnt complete here sentences when her hand suddenly knock the brush in my hand.......and the panzer tank is 'contaminated' with wood brown..........
she sais sorry and run out for cover.......

later when i finshed i seat in front of the TV ..she came and finished her sentence.......
i just smile...................

Ya know, sex is greatly overrated - even snails can do it. Messin' around with yer' hobby stuff is one hell of a lot more gratifying and the afterglow lasts considerably longer.

Cody