It seems as though I work on my modle a little each day, but I can't see the end in sight . I do like building, but lately, I haven't been having much fun with it.

What do you guys do when you get tired/frustrated building stuff?

Wait....this model stuff actually stresses some people?! Can't be true. While most of my time with my models is a means of escaping from the stress, it can get tedious sometimes. If I get bored or stressed, I just do something else for a day or two. That typically is long enough to make me long for the shop again.

I love to build, but.... I HAVE to be in the mood
for it. If I am not in the mood, or something is not
going well, might as well hang it up. I usually
stop what I am doing and do something else.

I really have too many hobbies, I do a lot of
things besides build and fly. I am never out of
something to do, so if one thing is not going well,
I just do something else. And while I am doing
other things, I will keep thinking of what it was
that was buging me and usually in a couple of days
of thinking, things seem to fall in place.

Roy

Just take a break from it for a few days and then see how you feel. We all go through this from time to time and if you ever plan on doing scale then get use to not seeing the end in sight. Try and not think that way as that will cause you a lot of frustration. It took me 18 months off and on to finish up the Corsair that's on my web page as I would get tired of working on it. Lot of times I will have a second less work intensive plane going also and that helps cut the bored feelings. Take a break and spend some time in front of the stupid tube, works for me!!!!

AMEN!

Nothing like a little jerry springer to put you back in the mood!

What are you building? Some i build in a few days, some take many a month or a winter and some i've been working on for years and still haven't finished. If it becomes too much like work, i just work, i get paid for that. (:

For me, my planes are never really done. I just reach a point when I stop. Don't stress yourself out. When you get frustrated, walk away from the build table. I usually know it's time to quit for the night when I make a mistake.

One of the causes of frustation or burn-out it that we set unrealistic targets for ourselves. Set a small or comfortable target for each day, get the job done, and you get a sense of achievement after that. This gets you going the day after, and next, and next......If you set a really big target, and fail to meet it day after day, you'll get into a vicious cycle that eats into your enthusiasm and confidence level and you'll be physically drained out as well. As they say, Rome wasn't built in a day ! Good luck and take care.........

I'll get to a point where it's not enjoyable, usually right before I'm ready to cover a plane or paint something. I jump around from one kit to another, or from one part of a plane to another. Work on the wing 'til I'm bored, then work on the fuse, etc. Some times I'll start another kit before I'm done with the first one. Right now I've got a plane ready to cover, but I'm putting together a boat as well.

Theo, I've been working on my Bristol M1 for 2 years and I'm still not finished. I always try to have an ARF around so when I get frustrated I whip one out and do a few assembly steps till my motivation returns. So far I've done 4 ARFS, but I'm ready to cover the Bristol...finally.

Sounds like others have similar solutions.

Often, a construction step doesn't go well. Rather than forcing it, I move on to another piece or even another model. Or I just re-organize the workshop. Generally when I leave it for a while an alternate approach comes to me and I end up modifying something for the better and the enthusiasm comes back.

In any case, taking another model out to burn a few holes in the sky is the cure for frustration I can think of. Not always an option where I live in the great white north so I've started building indoor models....

There's an END to building????

I build for the purpose of building. Not to get an airplane. If you just work on it when you want the plane will eventually come. Don't let the building process become adversarial.

I'm just a hick from a little farm town. What does "adversarial" mean???? Did you make that word up?? Come on, fess up.

Look it up farm boy:

http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=adversarial

If I get burned on a project, I walk away from it for a short time and do something else. I have one plane I walked away from years ago. Did that one other time and it only took me 4 evenings to finish it. I have quite a few projects going. Build an easy bird that you can put together in 3 or 4 nights and then go back to it, or watch tv, or drink a beer or go chasin women one night instead of building. Never hurts to take a night off.

I agree with most replies. Model Airplanes should be a hobby for us to get away from our daily stress. To me there is nothing like the end of a long day of programming software, get home, and start building model airplane from kits. I never set a target finish date when building my planes. Two to three years for a tipical scale warbird from Top Flite is perfectly ok for me. Because I want them to be as scale as possible. The scale possibilities are endless. I always look forward to build a kit more than flying it. Model Airplanes is a two-parts-hobby; building and flying. Unfortunately, most young beginners don't see it this way. I always have several ARFs, that take me only 2 to 3 weeks to build, on hand. Flying those ARFs should not give you any stress compare to a kit that take years to build. If you crash an ARF, big deal, go home and get another ARF. I always keep a good stock of ARFs whenever they go on sale. I keep most of my ARF under $150. I fly on Saturday. Spend time with my family on Sunday. Build model aiplanes at the end of my working days. And I love building.

MinnFlyer, I liked the witches broom and clever comment that you posted on another thread. That made me laugh hard. Of course comments like that...

Later

Thanks fellas for all of the good advice! Sometimes it's good to know you arn't the only one out there that gets bogged down on a plane (or other project)

A dictionary! Why didn't I think of that??

i am building my second kit a sig something extra 40 i can sit down at the work bench at 8:30 am and look up and it will be 5:00pm. 8.5 hours. i look down and think that's all i have completed. a guy at the club built his in 4 day's I'm almost ready to start covering after. i finished digging out all those ferrgen little hing hole's. boy it sure make's an ARF look better and after ya buy all the supply's and a few extra required part's. and avoid telling the wife what i spent at the HS. ill bet it's over the extra cost of ARF's kit. but I'm gaining experience and will have the satisfaction of original plan i built. sure wish i Had moor experience at covering so i could make my second project a eye catcher.when i get tired of building.it.s time to go flaying. Rich Galveston tx= AKA crash 141

Building a model airplane is daunting task. A model is a very complex electrical and mechanical system. Most people who are not familiar with our hobby think everything comes in a box unassembled and it take only one evening to put it together and go flying the next day. and they don't have any idea what is involved to finish and fly one of these models. For me kits are only a starting place where I heavy modify them to become a scale aircraft. You can think of building a model as a very large project and it needs project management. From one side you need to make sure you have the supplies and parts you need for the task at hand secondly decide what you are going to do in a building session. As you see it involve a lot of planning in advance, otherwise the whole thing will become very overwhelming , frustrating and feels like you are spinning your wheel and not getting anywhere. Well they say , " How do you eat an elephant , one bite at a time

Foxx,
You make a good point, it all comes down to project management. Especially if its being altered from the basic kit to build scale. I have a thread going in the Warbirds section on building a discontinued fliteglass p-40. Basically, the only thing being used from the kit is the glass fuse and cowl. Everything else is getting built from scratch. This involves a lot of engineering and design as it is all being built in a very scale like fashion, ie, hidden linkages, nav lights, etc. Building a kit from plans is easy enough but when you take on all the extras, it can definataly turn your project into a long term comitment. I work on it until I get to a point and have to choose an option on how I want to proceed with the next section. I usually work on something else until I make a decision as how to proceed with the previous project and swap between multiple planes as nothing is ever good enough "out of the box" Currently I have the P-40, a TF Corsair, a me-109, and a scratch built super chipmunk that see rotation on the building board. Just build it one piece at a time and eventually, you will see it to the end.

Warren

Wow Warren how can you juggle so many ball at the same time. I have to concentrate on only one project at the time and that on itself not easy. My attitude has always been this is a hobby and it must be fun. Building is my time of relaxation, and whenever it becomes a chore I am out of the shop. I currently building a Pica 190-D9 and I am trying to get it as scale as possible, of course I am not planning to enter any completion but just self gratification. As you mentioned design has always been the hardest part since most these kits where designed back in 70's where the we did not have powerful engines and accessories we have today so the kit is only the raw material.

Foxx,
Its really not to bad at all. If I work on a project for to long, I can start to feel the burnout coming. That is why I like to having something else to go to that feels fresh. I also like you build for gratification and scale detail is important to me as a "builder" Its all about pride in work. If I built everything by the directions, I would be done with a kit in about a week tops. But the rengineering for details and functionability keep my brain in check and active like doing a puzzle. I usually get to a stage in a project and need some time to reflect on it before moving forward. When that happens, I move to my other board where there is always a project. I am at a stage in my me-109 where I need to build a wing from scratch and figure out how to get some scale retracts worked out, so I started on the p-40. The p-40, I am to the point where I need to intall my nav lights in the tail before closing the tail section up, and they are on the way, so I started drawing the chipmunk plans up and am at the point where I need to cut the formers, but just didnt feel like doing it yet. My corsair has been in the works for about 7 months, but I havent touched it in about 3. I am still working out some linkage details and sliding canopy details, before I can finish sheeting the wing and fuse.It is also getting fabric and extra ribs in the wing and I didnt feel like setting all that back up yet. I need to get something else done before I go back to that. So in the mean time, tonight I will be finishing installing a new gearbox and firewall in my GWS Zero. Like you said, its all about project management. Fortunately, my day job isnt slammed all the time, so I have time to draw out some details there and implement them when I get home.

Warren