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thomaspspence · ‎09-11-2007

Lately it seems all the kitbashing articles in MR are so costly and complicated, it’d be easier to scratch build them. One article recently had a guy buy an additional kit ($60) for a piece of roof… then he covered it with different roofing paper! Another article has a guy making so many cuts in the walls, he’d have been better off just buying siding material. Whataya think? Everyone agrees that Art Curren was the master of kitbashing. His creations were ingenious enlargements of cheaper, small kits. When there wasn’t much available, he dressed common kits up and they really looked super. Now there’s large kits available, so the need is no longer there. So what is the future of kit bashing? I believe it’s to use complicated parts to save time. Like the recent one about using a coaling tower’s intricate hardware and changing the shape of the tower itself. Another use is when you’ve got a large stock of old kits that need a home on the layout. Now, we’re back in Art Curren’s area of expertise. Make ‘em look original and more interesting. Modernize store fronts, put on additions, etc. And make them fit the layout, instead of the layout fitting THEM. Today’s “state of the art” kitbashing represented in MR is just too darned impractical.

g-pa1 · ‎09-12-2007

Thomas you mean all this time I was trying to follow the directions in the kits I was trying to build, only to have something,in the end, turn out completly different from the picture, I was on the cutting edge of a kit bashing movement? Wow I guess I better have another look at some of the stuff I just put in the drawer as not worthy.I agree with you that some of the articles I read in the mags either are pretty expensive or in the case of some loco's I just don't see the difference as being worth the trouble. I just am not a rivet counter and being a multiscaler cross all the rules. Prototype is just a word to me. Gene

ginzokid · ‎09-12-2007

Tom, Your pictures are now up. Guys, this is great work! About kit bashing; I don't bash so much as embelish an existing kit as you all know and have seen. Blowing curtains, open windows, animals and people add a lot. It's too bad when you see several different layouts with the exact same building on them painted the same colors etc. It gets boring. So, Tom, I guess you and I are from the same school. John Allen and George Sellios have always been my heros. You all have to remember that when I started model railroading, there weren't many kits to speak of and I had to scratch build from cardboard and other mostly paper oriented products. Plastics came later, but you all know I much prefer to work in wood. Now Tom, I think I read an article somewhere about using pencils for brick but can't find it now. Was that yours? Welcome aboard and post a picture of yourself in the Rogues Gallery please.

crazyd37 · ‎09-12-2007

My favorite "box of goodies" is my box of broken, unused, and building pieces box. I collected most of that "stuff" from ebay auctions some time ago when box lots were just that, box lots of other modelers junk. One time I received 2 large boxes from a seller full of this stuff, and I mean full! (all this, if I remember correctly came to about $20 or $30 bucks!) I was like a kid in a candy store. Putting the pieces together and cutting and fitting them were fun for me! Using found objects is fun too. While I am nowhere as talented as some of you, I am having fun learning what goes where! Thanks for sharing all your knowledge here guys and for making it easier to just go and try something new! Oh, and never forget the window treatments! It is amazing what can be used for them!!

barrysfp45 · ‎09-12-2007

I've scratchbuilt a few things that sort of look OK and kit bashed quite a few things as well, as I said before I'm not a big building builder but I do have a heap of fun with a project when I decide to start something and when it is finished it goes on the layout where it was intended to be, and also as I said it looks OK to me, the whole thing boils down to, model railroading IS fun and thats what counts. ]:)

taz-of-boyds · ‎01-18-2008

Here would be an easy kitbash or whatever. I saw this today while waiting around, and it seemed like someone might like to recycle an old mail box they had sitting around to recycle other stuff. I posted three photos to show this recycled U.S.MAIL box. - http://groups.ebay.com/topic/Model-Railroading-Fun/Photo-Albums/Charles-Taz-Boyds/1600712163 Any idea in a storm... Charles