tsparks

When does a kit build become NOT a kit build? If I wanted to take a sailboat to a model show, and it started out as a kit build but was then heavily modified, at what point or percentage change does it stop being a kit build? And if it's not kit or scratch built, what do you classify it as? I know the standard answer would be to ask the shows' producers what their particular rules are, but I want to know what the builders in the trenches think the definitions are.

Taylor

Ron Olson

My Feedback: (1)

Good question. Seeing how I hit the Toledo show as often as I can, a lot of the things on display are kits that has been modified. Some might have been kits at one time that weren't correct or have had a lot of details added that didn't come with the kit. All you can do is enter it or contact the group that is putting on the show to see what their criteria is.
Consider the truck class. It may have started off as a say, T-Maxx but was heavily modded with a lot of bling. They had one truck there that looked like it had come fresh out of the box with nothing but a painted body that wasn't even all that good.
What I've seen as far as boats go is that I felt that some were entered in a class that they really didn't belong in. When is a scale boat not a competition boat. The boat in question was one that was what I'd consider a race boat but it was also one that would be run at scale ship regattas. There was a fine line with shades of gray around it that was controversial to the others in the competition.

tsparks

I believe I know the one you're referring to and I agree with you. A little controversial, especially when said entry changed categories midway through the show. The builder in question is extremely talented and as I understand it, has had a winning entry the last 14 years straight, so when the change was made, almost felt like a ringer had been brought in at the last moment. Don't get me wrong, I'd have given him a 1st place rating as well, just wish he'd done it in some other category is all.

Anyway, I guess my question here is not so much adding "bling" to a kit, but for example, if I wood planked over a plastic boat hull and brought it to a fine finish. Would a show judge look upon that as showing extra effort? or do you think the general opinion would be "once from a box, always from a box no matter how modified!"?

Ron Olson

My Feedback: (1)

A guy I know was up against that boat and got 2nd place. Except for not getting the trophy, he got the very same prize that the winner did, a new radio system.
You could look at how many Aeromarine boats that we've seen at Toledo that have been entered over the years. They all had hatches on so they weren't judged by what was under the hood except for having to be operational. Those were judged upon what we saw, the paint jobs and hardware.
It does get tricky.

skoda450

As far as I am concerened ANY thing that starts out from a kit is a kit forever. Mods to the kit is called "bashing" which is an art as well but it's still a kit. Scratch building is from plans and planks of raw material.

tsparks

That is the kind of info I'm looking for, I didn't know a modded kit was known as "bashed". So, do you have different levels of scratchbuilding that you would grade a model by? And would it be the type of grading you'd expect to see at a show?

-Taylor