Start over decision often made by rote

In serious scale modeling it is real easy to push past the point of no return when you are striving for the best work you can do. Often we just sort of slide by little mistakes, errors brought on by poor planning and minor inaccuracies brought on by not sticking with the plans that came with the kit.

The problem with this modeling SNAFU (Situation Normal, All Fowled Up) is that error compounds error and trying to build new on top of errors never works for good. It just seems to get more and more shoddy as I proceed.

This project started a couple of weeks ago, it is the beginning of the USS Essex Fighting Top in 1/35 scale. I began with the one on the left, but got fed up with a myriad of small mistakes, so I restarted the project a couple of days ago.

So, how do you know when to quit and start over?

Good  question Marmaduke ; it is all to easy to slip past the preverbial point of no return, leaving you with another finished model for the back shelf in the closet.

I don't know about you, but the back of my closet is already pretty full. I have also exhausted my "used model kit" reselling ability and actually can hardly give away my mistakes anymore. There has got to be a better way.s

Here are eight potential points of no return in a project you should consider as terminal:

1. Proceeding without doing some research into your subject or reviewing the plans and instructions.

2. Assuming the kit contains all the required parts and beginning before inventorying the contents. Too late when the next supporting part is among the missing.

3. Cutting with a dull blade often leaves you with a rough edge easily overlooked because recutting makes the item the wrong size. Worse yet, you don't have enough material.

4. Using the wrong adhesive leads to a situation where  a critical bond fails and everything bonded to it...you guessed it fails.

5. Detouring from the plans and instruction can lead you down the road towards oversight, simply because you didn't include one seemingly insignificant detail.

6. Rushing a detailed step in the name of finishing a segment of the model. Compounding this by not taking a break from close-up work.

7. Starting a paint job with an unclean brush, or the wrong sized brush.

8. Painting in a poorly lit area and tolerating smudges because of poorly executed masking.

I have found the moment of no return is easily bypassed when I am scratch building. This type of project has no instructions, no real plan and no stated routine.

But most projects, as well as anything in life have a known start-over point. I can easily spot it, the moment I become disappointed with my work, when I say to myself, "self you can do better than this!"

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