"From scratch" means : "from the beginning, from nothing".
Scratchbuilding is a form or modeling where you create a model from "nothing": no plastic or resin model "kit" is involved.

When it comes to military modeling, the general purpose of scratchbuilding is not to make just about anything from your own imagination (that is the kind of scratchbuilding that is used by people who create Science Fiction and Fantasy movies. In modeling, we (try to) make a scale copy of a real vehicle. That is : try to make this a correct, exact scale model.

Two general forms of scratchbuilding exist :
1) transforming, improving or superdetailing an already existing kit. To this purpose many special "upgrading" or "superdetailing" resin kits are on the market. Real scratchbuilding comes in when you don't just use those kits, but start making your own changes.

2) building a whole vehicle from scratch.


Those who have a talent for scratchbuilding, often discover it quite soon. They don't just want to build a certain model plan, but rather make that a crashed model plane.
Instead of building a truck out of the box, they want to set it in a diorama with a flat tire. They want to open certain doors, hoods or copulas that are not supposed to be opened (at least the model kit is not equiped to leave it open).

Scratchbuilding is based on a number of techniques, most of those are quite easy to learn.
Scratchbuilding is mostly based on the use of some basic materials. These are plasticard or soft metal sheet (that comes in different thicknesses and textures), as well as soft metal (copper...) and polystyrene strips, tubes and rods.

I hope this can become a "how to..." forum, where we can help eachother - and newcomers to new techniques. I don't think there are many scratchbuilding websites available elswhere on the internet. So, whithout further ado, I would like to kick this off. A Sunday night is as good a moment as any to start this off.

PS : Jim, thank you for this opportunity !


Jan

Hey Jan, glad to see Jim took my hint from my earlier post I REALLY look forward to the new 'scratchbuilding forum'!
Jim couldn't have picked a better man to wear the 'badge'.
As far as the Sunday night thing, how exactly is that going to work? Are you going to use the chat module like on Friday nights? Or?
Anyway, look forward to listening and learning

Tread.

Coool! Maybe now I can learn how to rebuild that M4 Prime Mover from Nitto!!! I know it's not total scratch building for that, but some of it sure needs it.

Scratchbuilding...just like grandma used to make.

I look forward to learning Jan. My thanks go to you.
And of course you too Jim. :-)

Tread,

With the Sunday-night kickoff, I refered to the first topic in the new forum.
But the idea of chat sessions might work too. Still, chatting has a huge disadvantage : by the time you consider an early dinner, it's way past midnight here (Europe) already...
At this moment, I'd suggest we have chat-sessions when a specific subject calls for the use of direct conversation. We can plan the session (subjects and timing) here.

Now for the forum. I never tried something like this before , but I'd dare suggest you post specific questions as a separate topic in this forum. That will allow others to try to find a sollution.

What do you think ?

THAT'S why you wear the badge Jan....

Tread.

Jan;
Congratulations for the Forum!
I have to admit that I´ll become one of the greater users here, I never tried an entire scratchbuilt project before, but I´m willing to try one sometime....
Keep up the good work!
Cheers!

To start, pick something with straight paneling. Curves are a lot harder to make. Also, try with a model of which some parts are already on the market. Mostly wheels and tracks are hard to make from scratch. All the rest should work fine... given good reference material and lots of patience.
If you are not really happy with a part (not exact, too large or too small for the scale...), have the guts to start this part all over again. Otherwise, the whole end result will look "wrong".

Just thought I'd let you all in on my current scratchbuild project. Istarted with two 1/12 scale F-16 cockpits. Those are built pretty much out of the box. The are they basis for what is being built around them. I am doing a futuristic hover tank. Scratchbuilt in its entirity except for the previously mentioned cockpits. So far I have the breech underway. Its as big as a complete 1/35 tank.....heh heheh this is sick I know..... lol lol Once I figure out how to post pics onhere I'll try and load some so the rest of you can see it. Time to take my meds...

Scratch building is one of the most gratifying & sometimes discougaging hobby I know . For iI just finished a M2-4 International in 1/6 scale and it only took 9months to finish.. First of all to get info on the subject youwill play 24/7 on the computer just to find any info as to manuals or photos then to convert it to the scale you want. then start to round up any thing that will work for the project Wheels and tires are the hardest to find because of the scale other scales as 1/24 & smaller aftermarket has most of what your looking for...... BUT when you finish the project YOU HAVE THE ONLY ONE!!!! Skip (RAINSART)

There is just something about scratchbuilding that just grabs me, (some times were the sun dont shine). But i love it either way theres also somthing about ruined armor, rust all the hatches left open, tracks busted and all over the place. anyone can put together an afv, but...Can they depict destruction,erosion,And the brutal strike of mother nature.
Its harder to destroy it than it is to put it together, thats why i think there should be a forum on ruined armor too...... ( just an Idea). theres just so much envolved the right texture for rust, how much metal would be consumed (by) the rust , And so on.
this is a great idea jan.