I must say I was a little relieved to hear that most people average over 50 hours per project. I thought something was wrong with me. I read all the model reviews in FSM that say "I spent just over 12 hours on the model" and wondered why it takes me 4-5 times as long. I am still in my first year of modeling since my long time away from it so I expected to be a little slow, but not that slow. I also don't build OOB either, or have not yet anyway. In my 2 major projects I have spent over 50 hours on each (a sherman and a bulldog) and that doesn't include tons of research. Now that I know that most people take a long time I feel much better. I have picked up some great tips here about saving some time, like using nail polish remover on putty instead of sanding. I have only tried that one once but it looks like it is going to save me a tone of time on my next kit.

So what takes the most time for you during a project (other than research)? For me so far it has been cleaning up the parts (flash, filling injector marks, etc.) and filling and sanding seems. Also, what are your favorite time saving tricks?

I have never measured a build by time... never will either. I have never built anything OOB, altho the intent sometimes did start out so.

I always got a kick out of the FSM etc articles where the builder spends X amount of hours building something.

If I did measure by time, I would do it by months.

Thanks,
Kevin Keefe
Mortars in Miniature

I think its just a fashion of writing left over from the days when most subjects were OOB. Today with alll the after market stuff its almost impossible to time.Running gear takes most of my time. from assembling the track links to painting. alot of it is just mind numbing repatition but it does take time. second is interiors trying to fit components in and trying to make it all look reasonably realistic.


Josh Weingarten
aKa shiryon

I wish i would spend longer on models next time thogh i am planning on spending an unbeleivable amount of time on it.
Branden

My most time consuming project is begging my wife for se... Oh, wait, do you mean a MODELLING project? :-) Well, I would agree with Josh, that running gear are the most work, especially if you are doing indi-link tracks. Model Kasten, gotta love em. I have spent aboot seven or eight hours on a Hellcat so far, not counting the tracks. Counting the tracks I have spent sixteen to eighteen hours on the Hellcat. And I haven't even painted the tracks yet.

Rob

I've never measured the time... All I know is that I'm not a speed-builder.... :-)
My last project was built OOB, and I guess I've used 7-8 hours (except from the tracks)
Then comes tracks, painting, weathering... A few more hours I guess. :-)

For an OOTB , I will say about 20 to 30 hours, for something with all the AM, I will say at least 30 days , that will be about 120 hours.

yeah I dont measure how much time i spend on each project...but I like taking my time...

My favourite time saving thing?...probably tooth picks or paint thinner...I know they are strange but tooth picks are good cos you can use them to paint small things than havinbg to go ver and over the samething with a paint brush. and thinner???...well I use alot of paint techniques with thinnner witch would be hard with out....their both snazzy stuff...

Cris

I find it impossible to say how long each project takes. Eventhough I am one of the lucky ones who has a modelling room I never modell there. I prefer to model at the coffee table where I can watch the telly as well. So depending on what Im watching, it can slow down the rate of my building. So if i spend 50 hours on something, I have watched 48 hours telly, with 2 hours in the modelling room for spraying!

It's pretty hard to put an actual hour count on a project. I always have multiple projects going. When paint is drying on one I sand another or whatever.
I would say I put a kit on display at a rate of about 1 every 3-4 months (give or take).

I am fairly slow and take a very tortose approach. As my wood working father taught me - measure twice, cut once. And It's always easier to take materials off rather than reattach them. Ie - sand it down slowly or make two passes with the dremel rather than one big one.

Well lets see, I started my Leopard 2 A5 OOB on the 15th this month and should finish it by sometime tommorow. Not to mention that this will be the third kit that I will have done within the last month and a half. ( Seems like they just keep getting eaiser with each one) And I really expected this one to be a little more complicated.. BUT it has not been. My rate usually is like one perhaps two models a month. Sometimes less. BUT I've been on a real
good roll lately. So it has not been taking all that much time to get thru my projects. If it's not too difficult usually I would say about 20 hours per project, Spending two to three hours, And sometimes even 5 hours per session. But then at times I have been known to spend 30 hours on some kits. I dont really time myself either. So I can only estimate how much time I am spending per kit.. I just know that I get in my room and get lost in my work and the music playing softly in the back ground. Which helps the time to fly by.


DAGGER-1 Peace Thru Superior Firepower !!

I average per model anywhere from 6 to 8 months #:-) But as you have read in the past my Panzer IV J will take me more or less 1 1/2 years

Most reviews with time stated are taskings - i.e., they have a time limit to finish the job. My biggest time saver is getting time set aside to actually model Setting up, operating and cleaning my airbrush is my biggest boogy man

Hey Ranger74,
That maybe true for you, but my time will be actual modeling time.

I don't really keep track of the time to finish a kit either. I just take my time and to enjoy the kit while I'm building it

I have built a model in 5 hours withabout 2 to finishing.This was a T amiya Steyr Command Car.I would never try it on any othere model again.I really don't measure the build in time but in enjoyment.Range goes from obsessed to forgotten.If the model really grabs me,I can't get my mind off it,and every detail is enjoyment.If the build is a snarling,bit in the a$$,I tend to lose interest,and move on to come back months later.Anything I push too hard and fast,generally doesn't satisfy me and I feel as though it's just not finished.The longest I ever spent on a model?Still getting the references for that.....please hold.

Hey, this is exactly why I keep telling my wife this is a cheap hobby. I spend 30 dollars on a kit and it takes me a year to finish it. If only I could quit buying kits to have on deck. The way she has it figured I will well outlive my kit supply. I'm not in this for the money. It's a hobby. If I felt like I had to get something done on time someone had better be paying me.

(That's what I tell the people that work for me at the foundry. I always tell them them that workings not fun or it would be a hobby and they wouldn't have to pay us)

Just my ought 2...