Where have all the builders gone
01-23-2015, 08:21 AM
#126
You know i hear alot of banter here about our familys complaining about our hobby and i heard no complaints when i dug a pond in my back yard for her water fall she wanted or while buying her a new home and all the new cars i have bought them all over the years . THE KIDS ? ,sports ? boy scouts ,girl scouts private schools and how about the money and extra work at three jobs it took me to put three of my older ones through colledge . I have provided for my family well like most of us so a couple hours a night now building my planes in piece in the corner of my basement she has given me or flying for a couple hours on the weekend is little to ask for. Just saying ! lmao Would i try to finish a plane if i knew i was going die in a few hours ,you bet at the strip club. joe
Last edited by joebahl; 01-23-2015 at 08:49 AM.
01-23-2015, 08:36 AM
#127
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I've been building model aircraft for over 50 yrs now. I think the builders are still out there, but the numbers are declining. The ARF industry has for the most part, killed the kit industry. Its simply not cost effective to buy a kit, (if you can find the model you are looking for) build it, and cover it, for the cost of an equivalent ARF. If you enjoy building, the cost is not a factor. Scale models are another scenario altogether. I do what I can to encourage my club members to learn the art of building and covering, but very few seem to be interested. They do manage to find me however, when they need their crashed plane restored. Go figure.
01-23-2015, 09:28 AM
#128
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Funny but the 37 pounds from Bob sounded like a lot even for a 40% but in contrast I had a 30% Extra ARF that came in at 35 pounds. The only Extra I have had that I didn't like. I ended up giving it away. Flew like a pig with wings and no way to lighten it up. It was a proto type for the Patty Extra, two were built and it didn't make the cut. Had a lot of nice original features. I have given Bob a lot of static about how anal he is about weight even when he is correct. My Extra just proved him right.
For big plane kits I think Dalton is still cutting them. Last one I saw built was fantastic and very light.
For big plane kits I think Dalton is still cutting them. Last one I saw built was fantastic and very light.
01-23-2015, 09:41 AM
#129
It's all good Gene, and thanks for the kind words Vincent, I did follow your build thread on the Edge with admiration of your skills. Very nice 540 you built there buddy!
Bob
Bob
01-23-2015, 10:28 AM
#130
Thread Starter
I never expected this kind of response, it's one way to get them to crawl out of the wood work and show us proof that planes "were" and some "are" still being built with a limited number of builders, just don't know the limited number "so come on out" this is more fun than a build site anyway, get a mixed crowd too.
01-23-2015, 10:35 AM
#131
Leroy,
I brought my wife in here to read some of the post and she got a real laugh. She said she buys me planes to keep me out of her hair
. She said I can stay in the basement shaving wood as long as I want. Not sure how I should really take that but hey it works for me. 
I brought my wife in here to read some of the post and she got a real laugh. She said she buys me planes to keep me out of her hair
. She said I can stay in the basement shaving wood as long as I want. Not sure how I should really take that but hey it works for me.
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balsa brain (10-26-2022)
01-23-2015, 11:09 AM
#132
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All joking aside, my real problem with building at this point is the fact I have ADHD and will hyper focus on things. For example, I ususally have about two hours every night I could dedicate to the hobby. There are lots of times I am doing something hobby related in that time. The problem is that after an hour or so I am just getting into the building and hyper focusing. That can easily turn into very late nights and I need to be awake and focused to be effective at my job.
As far as building goes, an hour or two is just a tease as I can literally build for days straight and have done so before. I built a GP RV-4 kit from box to flying in 3 days. I stopped to eat a couple times and a bit of sleep. That is my biggest hurdle in building with where I am at in my life. Kids, house, apartment building, work, etc. An hour or two is just frustrating to me because of my ADHD and it feels like 15 minutes. That is why I say I can't wait to be done with my Corsair build. Not because I do not like to build (I love it), but because I only have an hour or so here and there to work on it and that is very frustrating. That is also the reason I say it will probably be my last build until I can devote multiple hours straight to building and not feel guilty about not being around my family who miss me.
I also mentioned all the other aspects of the hobby that I am into, but as opposed to building, they do not require the enormous amount of time to complete, so I do not have that running out of time frustrated feeling I get with building nowadays.
As far as the build threads, I do look through them and enjoy the workmanship and the pictures, but they are usually so far removed from anything I would be able to build or afford, there is really no point in commenting other then to say "awesome job". I see CARF builds, large jet builds, and just some really extreme, masterful builds. It's like watching an NFL game, lol. It's great to watch the elite players and think about if you were actually out there playing, but knowing it just is not possible.
From some of the OP's commens i'm not sure if this thread is supposed to be serious or not, but I figured I would give my 40 year old, ADHD perspective on my building.
As far as building goes, an hour or two is just a tease as I can literally build for days straight and have done so before. I built a GP RV-4 kit from box to flying in 3 days. I stopped to eat a couple times and a bit of sleep. That is my biggest hurdle in building with where I am at in my life. Kids, house, apartment building, work, etc. An hour or two is just frustrating to me because of my ADHD and it feels like 15 minutes. That is why I say I can't wait to be done with my Corsair build. Not because I do not like to build (I love it), but because I only have an hour or so here and there to work on it and that is very frustrating. That is also the reason I say it will probably be my last build until I can devote multiple hours straight to building and not feel guilty about not being around my family who miss me.
I also mentioned all the other aspects of the hobby that I am into, but as opposed to building, they do not require the enormous amount of time to complete, so I do not have that running out of time frustrated feeling I get with building nowadays.
As far as the build threads, I do look through them and enjoy the workmanship and the pictures, but they are usually so far removed from anything I would be able to build or afford, there is really no point in commenting other then to say "awesome job". I see CARF builds, large jet builds, and just some really extreme, masterful builds. It's like watching an NFL game, lol. It's great to watch the elite players and think about if you were actually out there playing, but knowing it just is not possible.
From some of the OP's commens i'm not sure if this thread is supposed to be serious or not, but I figured I would give my 40 year old, ADHD perspective on my building.
01-23-2015, 11:24 AM
#133
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As soon as we find out where all the builders have gone it might help find out where all the kits have gone. Everyone has an opinion about almost everything but sometimes it's hard to get a good solid answer about anything. Lets see what we can come up with and why there seam to be a lot less builders these days which might explain why there is a lot less of several other things also.
I know many builders have been lost as a result of old age and there are less and less followers to fill their shoes, that can't be the only reason
"GO for it".
Leroy
I know many builders have been lost as a result of old age and there are less and less followers to fill their shoes, that can't be the only reason
"GO for it".Leroy
Technologies have changed. It's a new world out there. Today is not a good enviorment for the technologically challanged. Yesteryear, one could build with a kit, glue and rubber bands. Not so much today. However, with the right encouragement and mentoring... even the most techologically advanced systems today are well within the grasp of newcomers. BUT, they NEED a "lift-up" to get going.
I re-entering the R/C after life insisted I pay attention to wife, kids and economics. Each has a story, I'm no different.
Stories of days gone by are not going to get others all that much interested.
However, if you wish to see an increase in participation in your neck of the woods... you need to personally "DO SOMETHING" that inspires OTHERS!! LOCALLY!
I have a scratch-built Flight-Test FoamCub about ready to take its maiden flight. It's not been easy learning totally new building techniques and control systems. I'm an amateur radio operator and I've been sharing my experience of re-entering the R/C hobby, after being away 20 years, on our local area repeater. Two other hams I converse with also used to build and fly, but they too had to pay attention to life. Now, retired or close to being retired, these two indiviuals are in the process of re-entering the fun of building and flying as well. No doubt when the three of us get to flying together, there will be the curious and onlookers that will stop and inquire. However, this all would not be happening, if I kept what I was doing to myself, not "sharing".
When I first got into building and flying, I started by myself... built a .015 powered, foam wing Sig Klipper and taught myself how to fly. That Klipper was one tough ship! ( chuckling ) I knew of no one locally interested. I shared with a couple friends what I was doing. One got interested and bought himself the necessities to start in. I helped him get going. We had a great time flying together and a few other folks stopped to chat and got interested. It was unbelievable how many "old timer" builders and flyers that the LOCAL community had. A great many of them came out to learn and share the new technologies. Talk about fun and some truly wonderful stories... wow!
"We" helped all that was interested and our numbers grew to the point we had enough to justify creating a club.
Get out there and INSPIRE someone! The resultant momentum will grow like a wild fire. Unfortunately, nothing will happen unless "YOU" inspire someone!! Trying to build interest here in the forums WILL NOT insire local folks that do not know these sites exist, especially the old timers. Get out there and FLY, rub some local shoulders... HELP someone NEW... one on one, eyeball to eyeball in your LOCAL community. It's truely great fun... actually the best aspect of the hobby.
Someone LOCAL took "you" under their wing in the begining... right? ( smile )
01-23-2015, 11:35 AM
#134
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You know i hear alot of banter here about our familys complaining about our hobby and i heard no complaints when i dug a pond in my back yard for her water fall she wanted or while buying her a new home and all the new cars i have bought them all over the years . THE KIDS ? ,sports ? boy scouts ,girl scouts private schools and how about the money and extra work at three jobs it took me to put three of my older ones through colledge . I have provided for my family well like most of us so a couple hours a night now building my planes in piece in the corner of my basement she has given me or flying for a couple hours on the weekend is little to ask for. Just saying ! lmao Would i try to finish a plane if i knew i was going die in a few hours ,you bet at the strip club. joe
Not sure I read anything in this thread about family complaining about our hobby, but maybe I missed it. You quoted me agreeing with another poster, but nothing was said about families complaining. Other then that part I agree with everything you said, except the strip club part. My wife is better then any stripper!
Awesome seaplane by the way!
01-23-2015, 11:38 AM
#136
Leroy,
I brought my wife in here to read some of the post and she got a real laugh. She said she buys me planes to keep me out of her hair. She said I can stay in the basement shaving wood as long as I want. Not sure how I should really take that but hey it works for me.
I brought my wife in here to read some of the post and she got a real laugh. She said she buys me planes to keep me out of her hair
. She said I can stay in the basement shaving wood as long as I want. Not sure how I should really take that but hey it works for me. Last edited by joebahl; 01-23-2015 at 11:45 AM.
01-23-2015, 11:51 AM
#138
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I never buy the lack of time or room but most of the people I fly with don't have the talent or desire to build. Others I fly with were builders and now just want to fly so the ARF is just fine with them. Makes no difference to me as long as everyone is having fun and doing what they like.
Without young people in the hobby we are all older and do as we please. When I started you either built or didn't fly.
One club I was in started a racing class for the Sig Kavalier trying to get the guys back into building, I ended up building a ton of these planes for club members. All that extra money kept me building for myself so I didn't have a problem with it. I did find out who the cheating dogs were in my club though. I was asked to do a lot of secret mods that you didn't notice.
Without young people in the hobby we are all older and do as we please. When I started you either built or didn't fly.
One club I was in started a racing class for the Sig Kavalier trying to get the guys back into building, I ended up building a ton of these planes for club members. All that extra money kept me building for myself so I didn't have a problem with it. I did find out who the cheating dogs were in my club though. I was asked to do a lot of secret mods that you didn't notice.
1) Did you do the 'secret modifications'
2) What were they?
3) Did they prove to be winning modifications?
Just wondered.
01-23-2015, 01:37 PM
#143
Thread Starter
I guess I'm a lucky one where the wife is concerned, my shop door is 15' from the slider and I'm in and out for coffee and water. I always ask her if there is anything she wants to do before I head out to the shop for the evening which can be till 8:00 PM. There is more than planes to build out there, I don't watch TV except the news. My great get away without even leaving. My wife comes out to see how far I got from the last time she was there and always says, I can't believe what you make out of all those little sticks and stuff. We have a great relationship and do a lot together.
Leroy
Leroy
01-23-2015, 01:47 PM
#144
You must have hit a nerve Leroy. That's a bunch of responses in a couple of short days. As a builder, I'm guilty of some kit hoarding, I must confess. So, yes, you found the builder and the kits. We have the usual discussions at our house. "How many kits do you need?" And my usual comeback, "How many cookbooks do you need?" The wife has over 600 cookbooks, so I clearly have some catching up to do.
What bothers me most about the dwindling number of builders out there is the loss of the associated skills to put something together. Some of the new generation of flyers can barely assemble an ARF. The thought of building a kit is usually met with the "deer in the headlights" look. Pretty sad commentary on the younger generation.
Rick
What bothers me most about the dwindling number of builders out there is the loss of the associated skills to put something together. Some of the new generation of flyers can barely assemble an ARF. The thought of building a kit is usually met with the "deer in the headlights" look. Pretty sad commentary on the younger generation.
Rick
01-23-2015, 01:48 PM
#145
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Besides Leroy , What else could we do when the weather is yucky outside like today. Winter is a good time to be in the shop building and stocking up planes to fly come Spring. Love it ! John.
01-23-2015, 02:27 PM
#146
Leroy....Hey, I've been building, but since I started this project, our place got sold so busy getting ready to move. Headed back to the states ultimately. Flew this plane a few dozen times but now have to clip its wings since the temporary digs do not have a runway like here and will have to haul it in the car. Bought that Tartan in Hayden Lake last summer by the way.
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/scra...s-project.html
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/scra...s-project.html
01-23-2015, 02:34 PM
#147
ha ha cheetas ,spearment rino and many others in your town ,yea i worked there building a subdivision in north Las Vegas a 13years back and they set me up with a nice free house with a pool for over a year , lol I would ride the harley and see all the sites like red rock and canyon of fire plus the thunderbirds would practice over my subdivision a couple times a week, I was single back then also :-) lol
Last edited by joebahl; 01-23-2015 at 02:37 PM.
01-23-2015, 02:54 PM
#149
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Sure! Dynamic balsa is the name of the shop. He also makes amazing custom cockpits for large scale birds. He's got just about anything you'd want. A lot of large scale birds as well.
