TexasAirBoss

My Feedback: (22)

I mention in a post earlier that one of my friends can scratch build the most wonderful scale ships. He never gave a rat's pattootey for the incedence or the thrust line or tank heigth, etc. They were quite often real basket cases . Is was always up to one of the neighbors to fly them and help dial them in. But I never thought any less of his building for it. We could always dial that in later and he knew it. I think his ships were some of the nicest I have seen and for sure the nicest I have flown.
My friend is also quite modest about his skills. As far as he is concerned, everyone from Clevland that is his age should be able to do it. He makes it sound as if it were very commonplace when he was young.

I think these guys are pretty rare.

Mode One

Per Tstotts: "Sorry to differ with mode 1 but if one is a master builder he KNOWS he his".

I don't recall stating that "Master Builders" don't know they are, only that they don't and shouldn't walk around stating "I am a Master Builder"! My opinion: anyone who would make this claim is suspect. For the monicer to have validity, it must be made by someone with and unbiased opinion.

In the end, how important is this question? Does it effect your enjoyment of the hobby? Likely there is someone in every club who might be considered a "Master Builder" and some "Master Builders" are going to be better then others.

Keep building model airplanes, (at least this topic is about this dying activity) try to do a better job every time. Sooner or later someone might use "Master Builder" to describe your work! If this is important to you, then you have reached that goal.

tstotts

Mode 1 we are on the same wave length. A master at anything does not have to state it as it will be a pretty well known fact already. I would be suspect of anyone that "claims" so be a master at anything myself.
My phylosophy on this hobby is if you are having a good time you are doing it right and that is where it counts.

cubfloater

My Feedback: (5)

Pub, so I assume you want to get someone to build a plane for you? You don't want to try one yourself? Or have you and no time? I tried to find someone local to build a couple for me and in both cases I ended up just building them myself. One was going to cost more than I wanted to pay and the other took 6 weeks to cut out a few parts (astro hog). I guess I just like building almost more than flying once I can get started that is. I have 4 or 5 kits on the shelf and I can't make myself decide which to build first and just start.

Good luck,
Jim

Hopefully soon to start on either a Hog Bipe or Jack Stafford Ercoupe or rebuild a Pica Waco 1/6 or Sig Something Extra or Great Planes Super Sportster or repair all my repairables.

pub

Cubfloater, no I'm not looking for someone to build me a plane,I see planes for sale and the add would say"built by master builder ---- ---" just wanted to know how someone gets that title. I'm building a Sukhoi .40 right now and I have a Kadet Senior kit coming this week. pub

Mode One

There is no declared title for such. Certainly the AMA has no "Master Builder" tiltle they bestow on good builders. In this case, it is being used as an advertizing gimmick and therfore is similar in fashion, meaning and importance, as the statement: "New and Improved". It is meaningless and might even be worse!

JollyPopper

My Feedback: (6)

I believe one achieves the status of "master builder" when other people say he is--lots and lots of other people. The builder himself doesn't have any need to declare himself such, even tho on some level he probably is aware of it. He is because other folks who fly his creations say he is.

TexasAirBoss

My Feedback: (22)

Modesty equals ability ? Unfortunately , I work with enough ___holes to know that isn't the least bit true. Apples and oranges, they have nothing to do with each other. I am perplexed that so many people have confused the two.

jeffo

My Feedback: (68)

Whats a master builder?
Well I'm a toolmaker and I take great pride working at my craft.Ive been at it 30 years,and average 3000 plus man hours a year.Thats over 90,000 hours.Do I consider myself a "master toolmaker"?No.I learn something new everyday.Jeffo

FlyingPilgrim

My Feedback: (26)

I've got to agree with PilotFighter on this. While being humble may be an admirable personality trait, it is not a requirement of excelling at one's specialty. Would you say Mohamed Ali was not a great boxer just because he was far from humble?

manks

to me, if a guy can build from scratch a scale plane that flys well and is solid that is pretty close to a Master. I have built about 8 kits and consider myself an intermediate at best. A master should know how to use multiple techniques, know how to cover and finish a plane to near perfection.

Most of all the plane should fly very well and perform.

I know that after 8 planes I am getting much better at some things, but need some help getting more scale details and finishing. My current struggle is painting a fuse 3 colors with clear, defined lines for a scale appearance, I tell you it is a pain!

NM2K

My Feedback: (14)

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And a healthy dose of obsessive/compulsive disorder helps too. <G>

Personally, I do not need a master builder to build the planes for me that I do not care to build, but want to fly. Someone that does an adequate job of keeping things straight and true, with an eye toward light weight, is more important to me.

I also demand someone that will install the servos/linkages exactly as I have specified. I have sold models unflown, because of the latter reason. The rest of the model was satisfactory, but the linkages to the control surfaces were a mess and weren't worth deconstructing the model in order to straighten them out.


Ed Cregger


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Addendum: I do not consider myself to be a master of anything. Especially these days. Maybe baiting fish...? <G>

I sometimes enjoy building, but the results are usually just usable. However, give me a piece of paper and drafting tools and I'm a fair designer. Certainly not a master.

The first R/C Club that I joined after my only tour of duty in the USAF was the Misguided Missiles R/C Club of Seabrook, NJ. Little did I know that I was among some super talented people in those days who would go on to become hobby legends. Henry Haffke, Syd Clement and Bruce Geller, just to name a few.

Henry was the club scale expert. His models were always works of art. I even had the privilege of flying a few of them.

CafeenMan

I'm going to chime in on this one just because I can't help myself. I see I was mentioned in this thread as being a "master" but I know I'm not. There are a few things that I have mastered but only a small percentage of everything that modeling entails. There are a whole lot of things I've never even attempted. I have confidence I can do anything I want to do but a lot of that I would be happy to just complete successfully. Mastery would be way down the road if I continued.

Even though I may call some builders masters I don't believe there is any such thing. To me a master modeler is someone who has mastered all aspects of it. I don't know a person could do that in an entire lifetime.

I am also leery of anyone who makes claims like that about themselves. People who declare themselves to be the epitome of something (Master, Cool, etc) are usually trying to make a buck. I've never known anyone in my life who made a declaration like that about themselves to actually be it. In fact, they're usually at the stage where they've successfully completed something they didn't think they could do and have decided they must be masters.

I can't even define what a master is. I don't think anyone can unless they are one. But I think they are most likely the people to be least impressed with what they do. To them it's a discipline for their personal peace and not, "Hey! Look what I can do!"

housedad

MY two cents:

A Master craftsman is a person that either through experience, intelligence, study, or talent has determined the best way to weild their craft in nearly every situation, and, due to those abilities, is able to formulate new methods as needed for unknown problems. When mistakes happen, he/she can repair with perfection. His/her work is well rehearsed, neat, and repeatable. Examples will always show a very high quality level at every stage.


In previous history of craftsmanship, Master Craftsman were declared by their guild leaders, after putting in sufficient experience, showing a continued growth of ability, proving they understood and could apply all aspects of their craft, and showing examples that were of superior caliber.

Mode One

The topic was builders selling their wares, claiming their work is "Built by a Master Builder". Can we settle on this claim to be meaningless? Anyone can lay claim to this monicer if they feel it will help them acheive their goal, which in this case is to sell an airplane. They certainly could be a good builder, maybe even a "Master Builder"! However, they certainly may also be a crappy builder! So, in my opinion, the term is meaningless unless it is bestowed by someone else.

kbear

The last two posts are about the most relevant posts yet in this tread IMHO. Housedad is 100% correct about who gets the title of master. Mode One is also 100% correct as the modeling community has no such structure to bestow such a title. That said, If you are going to look for a builder, you must look at his/her work. Since there is no real governing body to tell us who is a master that person's work must speak for itself. It doesn't matter is you are looking for a model builder, a home builder, or a good mechanic. There is no excuse for not doing your homework. Talk to their customers look at there work. Anyone ever see the TV show "Holmes on Homes"? Do your homework. Titles only have meaning if you can back them up. Otherwise, they are just words.

pub

After reading all the post on this subject, I'm sorry that I even brought it up.But what I have realized from reading every thing is to build and let others enjoy it. I do thank everyone for there thoughts. Thanks pub

Mode One

Do I understand you to be saying: Modesty does not equate to ability. If so, I doubt anyone would disagree with this statement. I also don't see anyone here being confused over the two traits. Maybe you could expound on your meaning in the above statement.

Mode One

Pub, this has been an interesting discussion and I'm glad you brought it up!

For the term "Master Builder" to have any meaning, there would need to be an accrediting entity to regulate the usage of the term. There is no such organization doing so. Therefore in the end it, it must be regulated by the "Buyer Beware" axiom.

safeTwire

My Feedback: (2)

"For the term "Master Builder" to have any meaning, there would need to be an accrediting entity to regulate the usage of the term."

No meaning? [:'(]

A longtime member of our club has earned the position of being referred to as a "Master Builder".

Over the years, and up to his "departure", he built aircraft in a most meticulous way. The end result in Each category of plane he chose, would have warmed the heart of the designer. His scale aircraft aped the full size, sprinkled with "shrink powder".

PLUS...

He was 100% aerodynamic savvy! All his planes flew well!

His radio gear was in perfect order and condition. His flight box was a marvel.

Icing on the cake... He was personable, and would not hesitate one second to help anyone who asked!

Rare combination of qualities!

Our members as a whole, which I say is an accrediting entity in it's own way, freely and of their own choice, refer to such a gentleman as "Master Builder"!

Mode One

Read the whole topic. There certainly are "Master Builders". I know some myself. However, the question was about whether somebody claiming to be a Master Builder had gone through some hoops to attain the clasification.