The Wall Of Shame

[FatMart]

I love to see finished models but every so often a kit comes to a stop for whatever reason no matter how trivial and the kit remains in limbo. This Wall Of Shame is the place for those kit's, afterall time and effort were spent getting these kit's to the stages that they are now in so don't let them be forgotten. A few details like maker, scale and your pathetic little excuse, no matter how ridiculous for not finishing the model. After a bit of ribbing the kit abuser may even try to collect his nerves and say "To Hell With It, I'm Gonna Finish That Darn Kit" So don't be shy, get them out of whatever hidey hole that you stuffed them in so that the whole world can see your shame.

This is my first entry to the Wall Of Shame. It is a SMER 1/48 Walrus and my pathetic whiney excuse for not finishing it is BEER. Putting the decals on after partaking in too many slurps of ale. Everything looked fine through beer goggles so I gave it a couple of matt coats to seal everything in. Next morning I noticed that one of the wing roundels is in a different location to the other DOH!!! Unfortunately I have plenty more entries for this thread to come.

 

[A4K]

Can you remove the misplaced decal at all? What size would you needt to replace it?

 

[Wayne Little]

Well.....I've got a few that I have just stopped on them.....just plain stopped and moved onto other projects....eventually I get back to them....but so far no screw-ups to stop me completely!

 

[FatMart]

I have plenty of spare decals in my drawer but it was just a niggly little problem that halted the build. I normally have 2-3 kits on the go at the same time and when some little problem like this occurs then I just seem to concentrate on one of the others that I'm doing fully meaning to sort the little problem at a later date but then I'll start building something else new then the problem kit will lie around for ages waiting for a massive dose of enthusiasm to kick in. As for removing the decal, well it's now under 2 matt coats.

 

[FatMart]

This is my next entry for The Wall Of Shame. It is a SMER 1/48 Tiger Moth. my pathetic excuse for not finishing this kit is that I snapped a wing spar. Easy enough to fix with plasticard or similar but it's the "I'll do it later" scenario. It's not that I have a problem with SMER kit's either, these two that I have listed are just at the front of the que.

 

[A4K]

The coats could be removed with a little thinner couldn't they?

I know exactly what you mean too re the enthusiasm - I usually over-research my projects to the point where I lose interest in them! Admittedly probably also due in large part to not being able to reproduce them as accurately as I'd like (I'm a perfectionist..)

 

[FatMart]

Hi A4K the matt coat is Acrylic so I'm not sure about thinners. I would never consider myself a perfectionist as I would be very dissapointed with every kit that I had ever made. My models are for fun and my son's bedroom ceiling that is why I will always go for the most colourful option, a six year old doesn't want a ceiling airforce all done in Camo.

 

[Airframes]

Nice models mate, even though unfinished. I always wanted to know what the Smer Walrus was like - looks good. If you carefully use enamel thinners on the acrylic clear coat, it will come off. It'll look terrible, but will clean up. Of course, it's easier to give it a further coat or two, then re-paint and continue.
I'm like Wayne - got a few models that have just stopped, for whatever reason. Normally it's because I don't want to add the final delicate bits until it's on a base or diorama. It's just getting my a**e in gear to get the bases done!

 

[FatMart]

Thanks Terry, the SMER Walrus is an excellent kit for the money, I think about £7-£8 and it is an impressive size but it is basic in detail. It's a good job that I've never tried to do a base or I would have pictures of them on here as well.

 

[Maglar]

My Italeri P51 hit the wall of shame, was a 1/72 and I took a break and went back and the slightest problem occured to make me hate the thing, so I took it into a boiling pot of water and bended it up some and threw it in the closet. But your shames look pretty good Mart, looks like easy fixes, because the models are beautiful regardless!

 

[FatMart]

Here we have my Airfix 1/72 Lancaster BIII. This was my first attempt at airbrushing and it started out ok, Humbrol Dark Earth applied and I was quite happy. Next came the Dark Green but I had the great big fat stupid idea of trying to do it freehand and made a pigs ear of it so I decided to respray over the port wing with Dark Earth to cover the Green then mask it like I should have done first off. Didn't stir the paint enough did I, the result was a much darker port wing. Sod this airbrushing lark I thought, where's my brush. I lighty sanded the whole plane and then applied an overall coat of Dark Earth again and was so happy with the result that I thought that I would apply the Green camo by brush and that didn't look to bad either. This is where I noticed the little problem. The Airfix instructions were in black and white with the darker green showing as white and the lighter brown showing as a darker shade of grey with a result of the brown being where the green is and the green being where the brown is. The really funny thing is that Brett Green made exactly the same mistake when he built one so if he can do it so can I but he actually finished his. Oh well, you live and learn.

 

[FatMart]

Hi Maglar and thanks, I know that the real problem lies with me and not the kits and that I could probably fix them easily enough but it is that mental thing that you get when something goes wrong, I just give them a miss until one day I'll have a fit of enthusiasm and I'll sit down with all of the messed up kits and put them right. I tend to do this about once every 2 years so there is still hope.

 

[Maglar]

Yes, I have mood swings with modeling too.. 2 days ago I didnt want any part of my P47 then yesterday I sat down and got sucked into it and finished it..

 

[FatMart]

And you made a mighty fine job of it to Maglar. Mood Swings, thats it, thats why I don't fix these little problems straight away. Its because I'm a moody git.

 

[Airframes]

Not a prob with the Lanc mate. You could always say it was 'A' Scheme instead of 'B' Scheme, or vice versa! Not sure if the 'A' and 'B' system was employed on 'Heavies', but I can find out. I thought the Smer kits would be basic, but for the price, so what!!? The overall accuracy and appearance look fine, from the few I've seen, leaving lots of room for scratch-building work. Got a couple in my sights for some future projects.
As for mood swings or whatever, there's a 1/48th Buccanneer I've had since '95, which I started about 3 or 4 years back. Just can't get into the mood to do any more to it, possibly because of the b!tch of a fuselage joint, which is horizontal instead of vertical, and I know it's going to be a real pain, and a long, tiresome job! One of thses days though.....

 

[Catch22]

I have a 1/48 Eduard Hellcat sitting in my closet, and the construction on it is pretty much done! I missed putting a piece in though, and while trying to get it in through the outside, it fell in and won't come out! Now I have to take the whole fuselage apart which I'm not looking forwards to. Oh well, it'll get done! I'll probably wait until I'm done anything I'm going to do for the Pacific GB though, as I want those to be done on time and that one is not eligible!

I also have an Academy 1/48 P-40 that is almost done as well, but for some unknown reason I didn't paint the wheels or propeller before I put them in.

 

[Njaco]

Well, I'm not gonna leave ya hanging. He is my contribution. 3 planes unfinished. A P-40, Hs 129 and an Fw 190. Biggest reason - just lost interest. I could still finish them but.......

 

[Maglar]

One little piece shouldnt be a reason to rip apart the fuselage Catch, the model can be missing a piece and still be a masterpiece. I'm missing one too many little decals on my P47 and its still standing tall..

Chris, is that the revell P40? I built that one and man you're right there, slap the canopy on and whatever and be done with it.

I need to pass my mood swings because the kit stack is getting bigger while the production line isnt! But oh man do I want a B17 rescue with a higgins boat and a B24J Lib!

 

[Catch22]

Unfortunately Mag, it is a reason! There would be a rather large hole in the bottom, and it rattles.

 

[Maglar]

Ah its a key piece, I thought it was like an antenna or some sort. I have lost machine guns into the fuselage from poor glue jobs trying not to fog the windows on some models.