Scratchbuilding is dead, I guess

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Chaparral

Member
Joe Fugate, writing in Model Railroad Hobbyist says hobbyists of today are not craftsman but an 'all thumbs' bunch, so bids 'good riddance' to scratchbuilding, suggesting a new reality. One cannot scratch build and build layouts at the same time.He says you can buy what you need to hurry the hobby along.
But some really do have fun in the 'World's Greatest Hobby' with sixty bucks worth of plastic, wood and a #11 blade. And, some of us tire of the endless mag articles by the super-focused uber techs on super detailed knuckle pins and DCC 101-Trial by Error.
 
Joe WHO!! Model Railroad What? NEVER heard of either one!!
Yes there are probably fewer Scratchbuilders now than in years gone by. Yes, you can hurry a layout along by Buying----just BUY a complete layout -- there are many layout builders around so why build anything!!
In reference to the "endless mag articles by the super-focused uber techs on super detailed knuckle pins and DCC 101-Trial by Error." & most likely Joe Whats-his-name----- follow the money-- look behind the scenes & just like the politicians who derail everything that threaten their "patrons" & you will probably find his pockets are lined with money from the vendors he is lobbying for.
Builders will still be there for the sheer joy of creating.

Hey -- JOE --- Scratch this!! IF you can!! I CAN & I AM going to !!
 

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Mountain Man

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I think it really depends on which portion of the hobby he's talking about. If it's HO, he might be right, but for other scales a lot of scratchbuilding goes on.

BTW, you will find the "wood solder" in the Men's Department, right next to the Track Pins and Railroad Ties. :mrgreen:
 

ytter_man

Member
It's not that scratchbuilding is dead, but you just dont hear about it as much anymore. Magazines are cautious of putting a major building project in their pages which takes months of editions to cover properly because it overwhelms the people reading it and text (including internet BBS's) isnt always the best way to learn things. I'm more apt to kitbash than scratch but if it's not available in the big magazines then it's DIY. I make my mistakes and learn just like the rest of em. :thumb:
 
It's not that scratchbuilding is dead, but you just dont hear about it as much anymore. Magazines are cautious of putting a major building project in their pages which takes months of editions to cover properly because it overwhelms the people reading it and text (including internet BBS's) isnt always the best way to learn things. I'm more apt to kitbash than scratch but if it's not available in the big magazines then it's DIY. I make my mistakes and learn just like the rest of em. :thumb:

I have a tendency to lump a lot of "kitbashing" in with scratch building, after all, both have the goal of creating a one of a kind model & take skill & creative thought.
Requiring a model to be completely made from "sratch" is akin to making an artist build a pencil to draw a picture.
On a club layout here in Las Vegas at one time was a huge trestle , the man that built it made it out of a pine tree that had been in his yard & had to be removed for an addition to his house -- he dried the tree, cut it into lumber & then cut some of it into scale wood!! Everyone marveled at the trestle, at the same time thinking the guy was a bit deranged, BUT IT WAS SCRATCHED.

Mountain Man , thanks for the wood solder tips, I knew I could count on you!:genius2:
 
M

Maico Shark

It's not that scratchbuilding is dead, but you just dont hear about it as much anymore. Magazines are cautious of putting a major building project in their pages which takes months of editions to cover properly because it overwhelms the people reading it and text (including internet BBS's) isnt always the best way to learn things. I'm more apt to kitbash than scratch but if it's not available in the big magazines then it's DIY. I make my mistakes and learn just like the rest of em. :thumb:

You have hit the spike squarely on the head! Nobody makes any money off scratch builders (except maybe Xacto & Elmers) and that displays the sad state of journalism (I'm a magazine editor). If you can't sell them something...ignore them & maybe they'll go away. You should see what's happened to paper models. They take it up because it's cheap & get hustled on some websites to pay up to $30 or more to download designs. I was practically lynched when I threw the hustlers out of Zealot. Anyway ytter...you are right on:thumb:
 
You have hit the spike squarely on the head! Nobody makes any money off scratch builders (except maybe Xacto & Elmers) and that displays the sad state of journalism (I'm a magazine editor). If you can't sell them something...ignore them & maybe they'll go away. You should see what's happened to paper models. They take it up because it's cheap & get hustled on some websites to pay up to $30 or more to download designs. I was practically lynched when I threw the hustlers out of Zealot. Anyway ytter...you are right on:thumb:

You are probably right about 1 thing --- the ignore them part --- but I would say you do so at your own expense & risk.

I say that , because you are wrong about not selling them anything---- I know few scratchers who scratch EVERYTHING , they may buy NOTHING ready to run,( tho many do) more likely they build NOTHING they buy as intended , but buy things they do--- cobble them up but nonetheless bought & paid for.

I am a scratch builder, but I have well over a hundred kits of one sort or another put away for the day " I have all the time( retired) I need to build them AND a layout".
I also have well in excess of ten grand worth( No wife anymore:whip1: ) of Brass locos I bought ready to run -- or as ready to run as they are made , which is really not RTR.:cry:

Perhaps if more attention were paid to scratchers by magazines & other outlets one might catch their eye with an ad for some gizmo , gadget they WOULD buy.
 

Mountain Man

Active Member
It's not that scratchbuilding is dead, but you just dont hear about it as much anymore. Magazines are cautious of putting a major building project in their pages which takes months of editions to cover properly because it overwhelms the people reading it and text (including internet BBS's) isnt always the best way to learn things. I'm more apt to kitbash than scratch but if it's not available in the big magazines then it's DIY. I make my mistakes and learn just like the rest of em. :thumb:

I can't agree. The magazines routinely feature layouts that often take decades to finish. The layout of the finished scratchbuild project along with the description of what was involved remains the same as for the mega-layouts that now seem to dominate the hobby.
 

Hot Cinder

New Member
Joe Fugate, writing in Model Railroad Hobbyist says hobbyists of today are not craftsman but an 'all thumbs'

Thats really going to help with MRH sales. Brilliantsign1

HC
 

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Lepercan

Member
All I can say is that scratching is NOT dead at my house.
In the scales I usually build, 1/72, 1/144, 1/160 and 1/288, there is not a lot around TO buy so I have to do it myself.
I must say it adds to the satisfaction when a diorama is completed to know you MADE all of it.
Lep
 
I can't agree. The magazines routinely feature layouts that often take decades to finish. The layout of the finished scratchbuild project along with the description of what was involved remains the same as for the mega-layouts that now seem to dominate the hobby.

Yes, but again we are back to the $ situation--- building a whole layout certainly involves spending a lot of money on bunches of items that are advertised in the mag.
 

Ronson2k3

Member
I think it's more of the resources available. Scratch building isn't free even if you have the tools already. I think more and more people can refer to the internet for most of the research needs and that cuts down on the need to 'buy' the research in a magazine. There are those also with the experience of scratch building that would need to make a detailed article for the magazine.

Many many times I would prefer scratch or kitbash over buying and putting a kit straight up on the layout as when you have altered it you have given it a home. As well many times you simply can't find the building or model you need to complete your scene so a kitbash at very least or for greater accuracy the scratch build is required.

I do think it's a resource issue though. The internet has a great many resources available and this effects all forms of print media. From a scratch building standpoint alone you can get views and plot plans maps diagrams of nearly everything you would want to model.

If Evergreen was smart they would start up their own magazine highlighting techniques to achieve photo real results using their products. There are a great many scratch building suppliers out there as well as tool makers that could really do a great job if they were brought on board. Scratch building goes beyond that of just Model Railroading but that would be the largest component perhaps. You could include paper in that group as well although if paper were shown to outshine styrene and I think in many cases it does that could be a problem.

I certainly think there is enough material that a magazine could be created to fill that space. 'Scratchen and Bashen" perhaps. Enough advertisers? Well you could get tools and supplies easily enough. You could even get kit manufactures as they would be able to offer those up for kitbashing purposes. All the paint and decal (if that doesn't fit supply).

I too real a the high price of kits these days. Scratch building is not only a way to cut that down but you also have the satisfaction from building a model from the ground up.. Scratch building dead pish posh.. I think there are people with more money then time and the need to have something right now settling for what they can get. Conversely there are those with little time to write articles describing their scratch build because they are busy on their next build.. :)

Drive through modeling.. LOL

If there was a magazine devoted to it.. A bare bones no layout approach to scratch building I would buy that. As I'm just as interested in how to do something as I am great photos of what you can do with the model you have built.

Bring me a kit and I model for a day. Teach me to scratch build and I model for a lifetime.. :)
 
M

Maico Shark

The photo Hot Cinder attached reminds me of the beauty of model railroading and the intrinsic philosophy that getting there is half the fun....building the layout is the fun. Buying it? what would be the point?
 
I have shown this here before , I think. Anyway It would be a shame if no one was building things like this from scratch. It took me a couple of months & is bass wood over a streyne core. The little bar next door is all plastic& scratch built. Lynn Austin did it in TWO DAYS!! Oh to be THAT GOOD ---:cry:
 

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Hot Cinder

New Member
I can't understand why some prefer to rush the hobby along. Its a lifetime hobby, for me anyhow.

"maybe I'll get it right next time"

:eek:ops:
 

shaygetz

Active Member
I was thinkin' to myself, I says, "Self, scratchbuilding/kitbashing is dead, you gots to shtop dat...dem Xacto blades is dangerous or sumpin'..."

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Oh yeah...the traffic lights are scratchbuilt too...



I really lost interest in most of those magazines for that very reason, they became trade rags pushing products and not innovation and I believe they're paying the price for it.
 
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