Sunday, April 26, 2020

My OTHER Hobby

MODELS!
I built a lot model kits when I was a kid, then took what seems like a lifetime off. In the meantime I went into the Air Force, got married, had kids, went into an aerospace career. Life got busy. About 18 months ago, life slowed a little enough, and I had enough space, that I took the opportunity to start building again.
I mostly built airplanes as a kid, hence, the Air Force and aerospace career, but when I started building again I was more interested in cars for some reason.

And hot rods at that.

Here's a bunch more that I've built recently:




Have you figured out yet that I like versions of the Ford Model T?
AMT has a great combination kit that allows you to build two full versions of the car.



This should have been the Starsky and Hutch Ford Torina, but because I don't like to do things typical, I put my own spin on it.

This kit was a rebuild of what we call a glue bomb: an already built kit, glue all over, broken and missing parts. I got it in a trade with a friend on Instagram. I converted it to a single cab, based a picture I found on the net.
BTW you're welcome to follow my model building on Instagram, my username is "tom_t_me".


Some of my models are "nostalgia builds", or kits I built as a kid, but wanted to build again, doing a little better job, but still reliving the memory of building it in my youth. I remember building two of these Woodys. It's nice to able to find these old kits I built on ebay.

This was kit my son game me for my birthday last year.

Another nostalgia build. I remembered that the first time I built this it was a very difficult kit. The suspension has many small nimble parts, that as a youth I really struggled with.


Hey! I finally did another airplane!
This kit was given to me by a friend of mine, a retired toy distributor, who has several kits still left in his stash. It took a long time, but I was really glad to be able to finish this so that he could see it.

My favorite models are aircraft from the Pacific Theater during WWII.

In work on the table I currently have a few more airplanes: a Curtis P-36A, a FW-190D-9, and a Zero.

Do you have any hobbies where you build things?


19 comments:

  1. I love hot rods and classic cars. I remembering my dad building these when I was quite young. The Datsun truck is just fun! It would be cool putting around in it today. BTW, your cards are in the mail. I can also knock off every card but one from this list: 1994 UPPER DECK FUN PACK SCRATCH-OFF GAME CARDS. I don't have the Astros. I'll send those along in the near future.

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    1. The Datsun build was special. And can't wait to get the cards! Thanks!

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    2. 'welcome! My dad was so good with models; a steady hand. Me?? I drink too much coffee! Shakey, at best.

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  2. I built motorcycle models in high school, when I was in the Navy for some reason, a bunch of us built semi trucks and trailers.

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    1. Big difference going from motorcycles to semis! I had the large scale German motorcycle and sidecar at one time.

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  3. Very cool! I went through a short phase in my childhood where I enjoyed building cars. I never really became a "car guy" though so that kind of killed model building. LEGO, on the other hand, I still enjoy and it's sort of model building (just a lot less glue).

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    1. Yep, we still have a big tub of Legos in the closet.

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  4. Built tons of models as a teen. Funny cars, old classics, planes, helicopters, etc. Don't have many of them now, though they may still be in Mom's basement. Had Legos up until the 80's. Then gave 'em all away. Got a couple kits from my last girlfriend, who I'm still friends with, but she kept them.

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  5. I built a lot of plastic models in the 1960s. Some that I remember are PT-109 and Old Ironsides (boats), Douglass Dauntless, Gee Bee, and a B-52 (planes), and a bunch of cars that I don't remember what. Also John Glenn's Mercury/Atlas rocket and launch pad.

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  6. Very very cool. Always jealous of people and their model building skills. Hope you eventually show off your Zero. I'd love to build one of those and an SR-71, but I have no idea what I'm doing. I enjoy building Lego sets though.

    P.S. The Datsun truck is awesome! Your son has excellent taste.

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    1. Thanks. I actually have an SR-71 kit in the stash, but it's pretty big and I don't really have a place to put it if I build it!

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  7. I didn't know we were allowed to have other hobbies besides cards. What's next, talking to girls?

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  8. I enjoy seeing your work. I really like the yellow T. I've been working on a lot of kits lately, almost exclusively NASCAR this season.

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    1. Thanks Billy. And you need to update your Modelling blog, show off your builds!

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  9. I've built a couple of models over the last few years, I'd probably do more if I had anyone to talk about them with, but I don't... so I don't! I've also just recently started to try my hand at diorama's (it's something that I've wanted to do for a long time), and would love to merge the two at some point.

    Your very talented BTW, and I really enjoyed seeing some of your builds :)

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    1. I've always found dioramas very difficult. I'd like to see your work sometime.

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