Feeling of inadequacy

Good idea Ian, if only I could find one !!

He's proberbly keeping his head down chris j. Ian S C

Ian S C, I like your angle on the subject. It is relevant in all things, not just our hobby. The master always learns from the student.

Regards Bear..

My opinion is that the models we make are essentially a kit of parts. At the beginner end of the spectrum if you had the time/funds to make each part upto exhibition quality then you would be well on the way to an exhibition quality model (with enough not upto scratch parts to make about a dozen working but not upto scratch models). Myself however, with a full time job, mortgage, little one etc I am just happy to get a few hours in the workshop without being distracted, if the finished article works and looks acceptable then its good enough for me!

You can look at things a different way, find a modeler who is worse than you are

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I'm currently looking for a blind guy who uses a knife and fork for his modelling work

I'll photograph some of my work and I think you may decide you have found him

Went to the MEX on Saturday, know how you feel Chris. I have seen the Napier engine before, it is just awesome, not only the engineering complexity but the wonderful quality of the finish, I still gazed at it in disbelief, especially the fact that no castings or cnc were used.

However spoke to a guy on the stand (a friend of the builder) who said he knows where some things are not as perfect as hoped for so that made me feel a bit better. I am not a perfectionist by any means but never feel totally satisfied that anything I do could not be bettered.

I will certainly never get anywhere near that standard.

Bill D.

I get the most satisfaction from things I find difficult. Perhaps the greatest satisfaction for me was going from 'tone deaf' and unable to even play the recorder in school to being able to play sing and play many instruments well enough to have been in three (minor) rock bands.

I see model engineering the same way.

I have no trouble at all with the theory. I can perform any particular operation with as much skill and precision as the next model engineer. i take delight in getting a silk-smooth finish or a perfect fit.

Sadly I can't keep this up for an entire model. I enjoy problem solving and working out how to make things work. If I spent the time to get perfection, I would never finish.

I also grew up making plastic models, where the aim was to mirror reality, with grot, rust wear etc.

I also found it really hard to square the perfection of marine models with the reality of what real ships are like!

My Dad is a 'coarse modeller' who works to 1:48. his Warspite is longer than his car. It isn't a gold medal winner like the one in the show, but 10 yards out from the side of the lake, it looks indistinguishable from the real thing. The pleasure it, together with Cossack before and Sheffield after, have given him (and others) is inestimable.

So I am satisfied to leave perfection to others, and instead I enjoy overcoming my limitations in other ways. For me it's making models of subjects that, as far as I know, haven't been made by others. It's the design and planning, as much as the execution.

I'd love to make something perfect, but if the things I do make (see my albums) are good enough to make some other folks think "I could do that", I'm more than happy.

Neil