I’m deciding to build something, gather most of the required items such as motor, servos, accessories, covering, etc’
Building some big portion of the airplane and then it gets stuck.

You can call it many things such as other things in life, busy, tired, no flight season, laziness, building mistakes and so on but the basic result is that the airplane is standing half built.
And its not that its hidden from the eye oh no I see it half built and it disturbs me yet I don’t want to get into finishing it.

I really admire people who can build airplanes from start to finish in about two to three weeks.

Alex

The best advice I have come across was in one of the British mags, and put simply is "each day glue at least one piece of balsa" or in other words, it doesn't matter how little the job is, tightening one bolt, cutting one piece, anything, just do ONE A DAY and it will be built before you know it.
Works for me.

Jim Beam and blues music..

Bill

Word! The Aussie has got it!

Bill

It's not a race. Work on your model when the mood strikes. Building is supposed to be fun, not work.

Forcing yourself to complete it will result in inferior craftsmanship.

In the mean time, I like Ram Jet's advice, but I prefer Jack Daniels. LOL

I find that a Margarita and a little music keeps me working at the building table On a serious note, building an airplane is like some other projects. The last 10% of the build takes 90% of the time. My last build, a restored Taurus built from three planes(http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_82...tm.htm#8323460), seemed to take more tequilla than normal(just kidding). That old saying of one step forward and two steps back did not come close. I was making three to four steps back for every step forward. But I said to myself that I would not let all the frustrations beat me. And they did not, she is now flying again.

Building a plane is like making fine wine, the longer it takes the better the wine. The longer it takes to build, the better it is when it is finished. Good Luck, Dave

I build in fits and starts, mostly around my family and work schedule. Sometimes you cannot just go to the work shop for hours each day to build, at least you cannot do it with out having a negative effect on your work, or relationships.

Do what you can, relax, have fun and take the time it takes to get the job done.

When I got "slowed down" a bit on a large project I started a small side build. As an example: I'm plan/scratch building an Astro-Hog as a taildragger and adding some gussets and beefing up the landing gear block area and..... and... Well, I found myself just looking at the build one day and not getting much done. So I looked around the shop and saw a small plan for the old JETCO R.O.G. rubber band powered plane from "way-back". Got out my small balsa building board and started to frame up the JETCO pieces (with AMBROID glue ) right along side the Astro-Hog. Next thing I knew..when something on one build was drying or whatever I'd switch over to the other build and have at it. Now I've got the Hog going again AND am applying the orange tissue to the R.O.G. (my wife thinks the R.O.G. is cute!). I'll have TWO planes finished before I know it. It's a fun way to build and I believe I'll be using this technique again. Gets your mind and eyes off the BIG build just long enough to make it more interesting when you get back to it.

When I build,( usually kits), on purpose, I don't round up all the parts needed. While building, when I come to a spot that needs a part, extra pc of balsa, a roll of covering,etc. that I don't have. The trip to the LHS, or wating for the UPS guy, gives me the break that I need, so that I don't get "obsessed" with it. Sometimes I get on a roll & can't stop working on it. I have to make myself walk away. I hate it when I get in that "mode" cause it takes all the fun out of it for me. Oh,yeah, my wife don't like it either. Gotta keep the little lady happy !!!

Great advice mboland .

Sometimes all I'll get done on any particular day is that I'll lay out what I need so that the next day I can just start right in. Even on days that I get a lot done, I'll always try to end by doing the first step on whatever is going to come next. That can be as simple as unscrewing something that needs to be removed or finding the piece of wood I'll need to be cutting up tomorrow.

At the moment, I'm sort of in that "in between projects" mode (though technically I have several projects in the pipeline). But I don't think a day goes by that I don't do something related to modeling. Sometimes it'll be nothing more than a small materials test. Other times it's just a bit of research.

Also pausing now and then during a build allows you to come back to it fresh and look at what you've done with a bit more perspective.

I buy ARF Planes. It is not that I don't like to build but my apartment is to small to layout plans for any length of time. I use to build with a drink on the table and when I saw three of each I would quit for the night. I don't build that way today. To many short cuts that did not work.[]

Yeah, booze and balsa don't mix well.[sm=spinnyeyes.gif]

Bill

The best thing is a buddy that builds, go over and see what he is doing, watch old airplane movies !! Keep some pictures of planes you like around, Watch any old footage you might have video'd ..but all in all we do need time away from it.. Its best to build when you find it enjoyable. I always have a hard time if I am covering a plane with a plastic covering...I hate taking the time to do it right, I hate it afterwards if I don't.

I used to build a lot for both myself and other people and I built about 6 or 8 planes a year. After I moved here I started slowing down a lot. I work on other peoples planes still but don't build as many as I once did. I now tend to stall when it's one of my own. Right now I have one that should have been finished in a couple of months but I'm not in a hurry, I have several to work on and fly so I go out to the shop and work on it when the mood strikes me or I have nothing else to do. It will get finished and be in the air sometime this sumer, I don't worry about it too much, it will be done when it's done. My friends are the ones that really want me to get it finished and see it fly though, I just shine them on.

We are like two peas in a pod. If you are Japanese I'm surprised that you aren't more methodical. I thought Americans were the scattered, helter skelter peoples of the world.[sm=spinnyeyes.gif] It's nice to know I have company in the land of the rising sun.

Regards,
Bill

Hi, don't worry. Your just normal. I build and sometimes I go in spurts. Work like a fool 8,10,12 hours a day. Then Bam!!! I just walk away for what ever amount of time. I built a 33% Waco a couple of years back...over 1700 parts in all. It took about 6 months to complete. Then a Balsa USA Stearman was next..almost the same amount of parts.........about a year on that one.
I find if you run into a problem while building it is best to just walk away for however long it takes to feel better about the problem. And then you usually find a cure for that issue and back on track. If you (I) try to push a project along it will always result in you ( me) making mistakes that I have to re-do or re-build the part. o the end result is about the same in time to complete.
Just take it easy...this is a hobby....... no one enjoys your build more than you so do it at your pace..and enjoy!!!!

Hey , dont worry about it , the most of the guys ( me included ) builds slow and probably I'am the slowest but I prefer do it once but well , enjoy it and learning during the process this is other side of the hobbie I think .

I know just one man that is a "freak builder" he is able to build a kit ( GP Patriot ) from scratch in just 2 weeks without seeing the plans or the booklet and with the most perfect finished on it , he has constructed more than 1200 kits easy and is "probably" the best builder in all Mexico . People says he born to building airplanes but that is a skill that is not much common to see .

Enjoy .

All this fuss about casually paced building. Enjoy, it's a hobby. Remember the old joke about the old bull and the young bull. I can't tell it here the censors will hang me out to dry.

Bill

Interesting. I'm painting two bathrooms and a bedroom and patching drywall and I hate every minute of it. I have to drag myself to the task kicking and screaming. I am very good at it though. My girlfriend says I'm too fussy. I hear my old man in the back of my head saying "Any job worth doing is worth doing right." I always aim high doing anything and am never satified when I'm done. I'm very self-critical. I fugure that the higher I aim the better the result and the lower I aim the poorer. As a kid I was corrected by my dad when I would say "Is that good enough?" His response was usually "Well, is it?" A break in building is refreshing and often I come up with better solutions to building impasses after a "breather".

Bill

As evidenced by the results a worthwhile effort.

Bill

Jack Daniels and ME109s eh?

Bill

hmmm alcohol and balsa i didnt try yet...

mods getting me stuck, not mistakes, mistakes i'm fixing right away.

yes i know what you are saying about perfectionism, i'm getting out of it saying to myself "even with my mistakes its better then any ARF so let it go other wise its endless" or "I'm the worst critic of myself".

but yes gluing at least one piece of wood a day will get my airplane built at the end.

Thanks for the ideas
im on my way to build
Alex

I build in spurts too. I usually go like nuts during the framing stage of the build. Then I slow down for detailing, covering and finishing the actual airframe. When it comes time to mount servos and rig linkages, I go into high speed again.

Need I say more? Black-n-tans made with Guinness and Bodingtons pub ale are the absolute BEST.