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Got this idea after watching the Castaway Special of Mythbusters last night, why not make a wire frame skeleton of a sub and stretch duct tape over it. Use it as is or glass over it. :biggrin:
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Sounds to me like you could end up with something that looks like it's been chewed by the cat!
Not everyone in this hobby has a lot of disposable income, or a spouse who is happy about hundreds being spent on a hobby. Some just like to exercise their creativity, others consider it an insult to be building a kit. In my case I scratchbuild a master when the subject appeals and is unavailable commercially, and is likely to remain that way.Comment
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I'm with Andy on that.
If I can buy it, I will. Used to be a matter of pride to do it all myself -- that's how I amassed all these incredible talents of mine. But, today --knowing that time is so very precious, and I have so many things to do -- I'll buy and assemble a kit without any embarrassment at all!Last edited by Kazzer; 04-21-2012, 02:49 PM.Who is John Galt?Comment
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A shameless example
My next cruise ship project -
Hull is being outsourced by one guy.
Super structure parts being laser cut by another.
-end product is a semi kit to my door. Cost around $800 - which is comparable to buying in the ship modelling world a large scale semi kit (save for a few extra fittings thrown in).
Gee $800 - work out how many hours it takes to earn that versus how many hours it would take to reach my the point where what I have built is from scratch equates to the semi kit stage???? - Its a no brainer.
JJohn Slater
Sydney Australia
You would not steal a wallet so don't steal people's livelihood.
Think of that before your buy "cheap" pirated goods or download others work protected by copyright. Theft is theft.
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Ps Mike.
I didn't think you were being a smart arse - I concede that I was clear as mud!
What I am saying is that my new cruise ship project will come to me as a semi kit.
Most semi kits (large scale ship one's I have bought) are in this price range $800 or in fact if its inclusive of fittings even more - so its a no brainer to contract out what I can.
I find (myself included) that there is an awful lot people embarking on VERY time consuming scratch building, often to no avail, and they don't realise that all this time is tied up trying to save relatively speaking in the scheme of things, relatively small amounts of money.
To get my cruise ship project to the SAME point that I will be at AFTER I have contracted out the hull and the laser cut parts would easily see me chew through 200 hours of my time. 200 hours of my paid work could buy / pay for the project many many many times over. 200 hours of my free time is at an opportunity cost of a resource that is scarcer than money and is gone forever (time). 200 hours I could have with my kids, family, friends, gorgeous other half - all gone for the sake of saving $800 bucks. I don't think so.
For those saying its too much up front consider the savings per hour in my example.
$800 saved over 200 hours- so by doing it all myself I am saving the cost of a Sydney priced medium coffee to go for every hour I work my butt of in my leisure time. That is, I save $4 per hour. (This dubious saving is of course even less when you consider the cost of materials, which I haven't in this crude example). I mentioned in a prior post my unpaid time is worth 10 times as much as my paid time. $4 simply doesn't cut it. Now lets double it - say the contracted out one hull that I want is $1600 and would take me 200 hours to do myself. That now is a whole $8 an hour saved. Nope I don't think I go that route either. Add then to the fact if you get a pro to do the job, it will be better than the amateur hour show that most would probably be capable of doing at best. Anyway you cut it - it does not make sense.
If you are time poor and cash poor its still far more economical to get some quotes from professionals. You will pay a premium, but start saving, instead of chewing through cashed up mistakes and hardware supplies.
To make sure your professional delivers far more than Vapourware, get yourself a contract drawn up. Make it like a business deal, and you should have no problems and a good degree of recourse should something go awry.
Time is money - but some don't realise how much money your time is really worth till there is no time left.
My days of kit bashing and hull construction are gone. I still love scratch building styrene structures - to me that is fun, easy, and satisfying.
JJohn Slater
Sydney Australia
You would not steal a wallet so don't steal people's livelihood.
Think of that before your buy "cheap" pirated goods or download others work protected by copyright. Theft is theft.
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If people want a cheap model they should by the Mobieus / Merriman Skipjack.
A plastic injection kit designed for RC operation, and none of this Revell stuff of joining left and right halves together and then cutting into upper and lower hulls, - all of that folks is done for you with kit delivered as perfectly mating upper and lower hull pieces. TOO EASY Gents.
Some people will no doubt ***** that the RC bits still cost money, but come on - you get the basic hull kit for what - around $120! What other scale sub in 1/72 can you buy for that cost where you don't have a substantial job in wrestling the thing so it can deal with RC?
JJohn Slater
Sydney Australia
You would not steal a wallet so don't steal people's livelihood.
Think of that before your buy "cheap" pirated goods or download others work protected by copyright. Theft is theft.
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Some of the French modellers like to construct unusual looking boats from PVC pipe fittings. They're not scale subjects, but they look sturdy, and a lot of fun, and the cost and availability (plumbers merchants) should not be an issue.
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Agree Andy, Sewer pipes can make cheap subs, but that is in the main not suited to a lot of "scale" projects that people attempt. A lot of "research type" RC subs indeed utilise PVC pipes and they do look the part in and out of the water. BUT I guess what I am saying in this post is that PVC pipes are hardly what I'd call "Hull construction".Some of the French modellers like to construct unusual looking boats from PVC pipe fittings. They're not scale subjects, but they look sturdy, and a lot of fun, and the cost and availability (plumbers merchants) should not be an issue.
http://www.forumsousmarin.fr/forum/v...php?f=5&t=1500
I still have not forgot about doing an X craft utilising in the main a PVC pipe. Streyne construction of a bow, stern, deck would be relatively straight forward, and I'd flick all of these parts up to Jim at MSSA for molding into more robust structures. All that said, if a kit comes along in 1/18 - 1/20 in the mean time I'd buy it. Its long down my wish list and to do list.
JLast edited by Slats; 04-22-2012, 10:40 PM.John Slater
Sydney Australia
You would not steal a wallet so don't steal people's livelihood.
Think of that before your buy "cheap" pirated goods or download others work protected by copyright. Theft is theft.
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Converting injection-molded plastic kit's one way to make a cheap model (it's all I could afford at this time but would like to try GRP someday) but what about those things that need to go inside, are there component you could do without or use cheaper alternatives to keep cost down?Make it simple, make strong, make it work!Comment
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I find Hbbyking take some beating for cheap electronics, but if that is still too much, I've seen some modellers use the guts of discarded R/C toys to get their models working. Whilst these radios aren't of the quality and sophistication of the hobbyist versions, they can get the job done.Comment
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