lionkingcmsl | Thoughts on modelling. :=3

Model building, not being a model. :=3p

It has been said, "The only way to truly fail is not to try." This was me. I had wanted to do some kitbashing and mods to some models, but I was nervous about failing.

Take using an airbrush. I had bought a Badger model 200 about 30 years ago, or so. My first attempts were not great. This led me to believe it was harder than it seemed. In the intervening years the airbrush sat unused as my interest in it waned, I had no place to use it, no air compressor to hook up to, ect.

Fast forward to a month or so ago. I wanted to paint an Acela power car in the SJ&W's The Phantom's scheme. After modifying the loco, which was easier than I thought, I broke out the airbrush and did some practice pieces. "Hey," I thought, "this isn't that hard. In fact it is pretty easy!"

So I jumped in and painted the power car, which some of you will see at MFF. It turned out great! There is some touch-up that needs to be done, but that is expected. I showed the final result to Smrgol, a master modeler in his own right, and he was pretty impressed for it being a first try. In fact he thought some of the pin striping were decals, not paint. At this point there is not a decal on the model, though that will change.

I'm in the midst of converting an end Acela business class coach to a baggage-dorm, which entails blanking out some windows. Smrgol gave some ideas, which I followed.

I hope to have that car done, as well as some other units painted in the The Phantom's scheme, and have them at MFF for the "Rails-n-Tails" panel.

So, me not trying was causing me to fail. Granted in the intervening years I've matured, somewhat, and my skills at fine work (thanks to working with sub-miniature components in radio) have gotten better.

So, all I have to say is try something, you might just surprise yourself. :=3