David & Jin,

that is in fact quite accurate. I actually agreed to build and finish a pattern design for someone and can attest to the fact that the "hourly" rate to do a build pales in comparison to what one might earn by doing regular work. Even at a couple of grand (I didn't charge that much), as David mentions, the time involved to "personally" build and finish a model of the caliber of a BA is in the 100-150 hour time frame. Needless to say, one does it as a labour of love and perhaps because of the opportunity to tackle and build a kit like the BA.

There are efficiencies to be gained but that requires much time, experience and facilites. These factors and attributes are what allow pro builders like Dave Guerin to pull off a model like this in a few weeks. I believe a regular glass/foam build for Dave might take 6-10 weeks working on it more or less full time. I have no idea what he charges.

David.