Nothing beats adding that last piece and watching your model come to life. The completion is what the entire process is all about. The more models a hobbyist works on, the better their skills become. As the old saying goes, “Practice makes perfect.” But are there ways to advance your model-building know-how right away? Check out these nine ways to improve your model-building skills.
Review Old Work
Even if you’re a skilled hobbyist, there is always room for improvement. That’s why it’s important to start from the beginning. Look over your previous models and compare them all. Note the areas you’ve improved and the places you still need work.
Constructive criticism, whether from yourself or others, is crucial in most areas of life. Accurately judging your old work will show you where you can make further progress. Some models will differ from others, but before moving on to a new project, you should consider building an old one again. Time yourself and see if you’ve gotten any better. Once you finish the model, ask for feedback to see where you improved and where further opportunities remain.
Be Selective
Once you try your hand at rebuilding a previous model, choose a new project. That said, you need to be selective about which model you move on to. Choose a model that will challenge the areas that require improvement. Don’t choose an overly complicated model.
Too much confusion could cause you to get lost, making it difficult to measure progress. Select a model that’s one level above what you feel confident in. Try not to spare any expense by choosing a cheaper version.
If you can’t currently afford the model you want, start to save up. Cheaper materials are harder to handle and maneuver, so the finished product could be a disaster. Failure to launch might not have anything to do with your skills but more to do with the materials selected.
Read and Research
Now, you need to read up on this model and research all you can. Take notes on the various compartments and what they do. Most of the information will come from the instruction manual, but you should keep in mind that these pamphlets don’t tell you everything.
Fellow modelists and rocketeers will give you a full rundown of the model you selected. Look up the advantages and disadvantages of the model and some of the most common mistakes people make. Knowing what to look out for will ensure you don’t run into the same problems.
Keep these notes on hand while you’re building the model. If you’re a visual learner, we recommend watching online videos documenting the building process as well.
Draw the Whole Picture
Speaking of visualization, it can help to draw out what you need to do step-by-step. Draw what you want the finished project to look like. Creating your own or sometimes copying the blueprints makes it easier to follow the steps.
Consider drawing a picture for every step. Include the tips you collected from your research. Write any tricks you may have learned or mistakes to look out for along the margins. You can also place pictures on the side as references for each step.
Designate a Space
Where is your current workspace? If you’re currently sharing your workspace with another aspect of the house, you need to change that. Having too many distractions or not enough room could be the reasons why your skills aren’t improving.
Your focus needs to be on your model while working on it. Create a designated area for building and assembling your model. As your collection of supplies and in-progress works grows, you’ll need to find a bigger space. Try to keep everything organized and labeled. Don’t leave supplies or tools out. The materials could be at risk of damage if you do not store them.
Assemble Your Tools
Every model requires tools. Some models necessitate the same basic tools, while others will require more specialized equipment. Run through the list of what you need before you start building. Depending on how many models you have worked with in the past, you might already have everything you need. Don’t let your model-building tools mingle with other hobby equipment, as you could forget what you have on hand.
Line and organize the tools in the steps you would use them. Clean the tools at the end of the day. Don’t leave any glue, adhesives, or residuals on them. Additionally, you should keep them in dry, cool areas to prevent rusting.
Use Proper Adhesives
Remember what we said about cutting corners: don’t do it! Using alternatives instead of what the instructions directed could cause the entire model to malfunction. Use proper adhesives to ensure things stay in place.
When it is time to launch the rocket, you don’t want to run the risk of it falling apart or having a bad chemical reaction with the engine. These problems could put you or anyone else in the area at risk.
Further, proper adhesives save you time from going over or trying to secure an area of the model multiple times. With the right adhesives, things should fall into place the first time around.
Go Step-by-Step
Don’t rush the process. Speed doesn’t equate to skill. Moving too fast leaves a lot of room for errors. If you’re concerned about time management, set up a timeline for the entire project. Some areas will require more time than others. If you need to spend a day working on some areas, don’t hesitate to do so.
Try not to skip any of the steps. Some modelists like to start with the hardest areas first and work their way down. We recommend the opposite for beginners, however. Going in the exact order helps you visualize how things should go for the remaining steps.
Plus, you give yourself more time to work with the model’s complicated sections. You’ll finish the beginning stages faster, leaving plenty of time and room to cover the harder areas without losing motivation.
Ask for Help
Never hesitate to ask for help. There will be times when you get tripped up on a particular part. Instead of letting the issue frustrate you and ruin your enjoyment of the model, look toward the experts for help. If some of the pieces confuse you, give your provider a call.
Here at AC Supply, our model supply store provides kits for all levels and the expert advice necessary to help you succeed. Take advice wherever you can get it. There are also chat rooms filled with modelists ready to help and provide whatever information they can.
We’ve got the tools, kits, supplies, advice, and everything else you need to improve your model-building skills. For more information, visit our website.
