[Magesblood]

Remember a while back, I wrote that the helmet for my Screamin' Darth Vader came off and took a chunk of vinyl with it?

I think I've managed to get it repaired enough so you can't really tell there was a hole there. There's still some evidence of repair because I couldn't sand the contour of it and it looks like a flat spot.

I'm declaring it "good enough"

 

[veedubb67]

We have a saying around here:

FINISHED IS BETTER THAN PERFECT!

Rob
Iwata Padawan

 

[mb1k]

This is a great topic and something I just experienced myself. For my son's 9th birthday we got him the Moebius Iron Man Mk II kit. If anyone's familiar with it, you know it's basically the ubiquitous Iron Man movie suit with chrome plating and an extra decal sheet for the rivets.

It's a snap kit and we built it together, good father son time. I did the sprue trimming and he worked on the rest. After we were done he lost some interest and I was going to finish it for him, read putty the seams, sand, etc. He said "No!!". He wanted left "as is". But I was allowed to paint and decal.

So here's what the result was

You can obviously see the seams and sprue marks on the upper thigh, upper arm, etc. But you know what? Who cares?!? I finished a kit in less than 3 hours and mini-me has something unique on his bedroom shelf now

It IS better sometimes to just finish a kit! Who needs perfect when that means six or seven unfinished WIPs?

 

[Prowler901]

It IS better sometimes to just finish a kit! Who needs perfect when that means six or seven unfinished WIPs?

Truer words have never been spoken. I think I have about four unfinished WIPs right now.... Arghhhh :freak:

 

[mb1k]

Having kids is a great excuse to "just finish" something and excuse laziness when you don't feel like filling, sanding, priming, sanding, priming, sanding, priming, painting, masking, painting, sealing...

 

[veedubb67]

Absolutley! That's why regularly I support Make & Takes. You get to help kids build and paint models without worrying about seam lines and glue globs (unless their parents are around). Very refreshing and rewarding!

Also, we hold 6-hour build contests twice a year at our LHS. Want to test your patience and hone your modeling skills? Try one of these! Actually, that's where the "Finished Is Better Than Perfect" logo came from.

Rob
Iwata Padawan

 

[Jodet]

I saw a pic of a really cool Godzilla kit once. It had a fabulous paint job and pretty obvious seams. My reaction? Envy. I thought, 'this guy likes to paint, so he paints, he doesn't like to putty, so he didn't bother. Good for him'.

Speaking of painting, the shading on the Iron man looks fantastic. How did you achieve that? If I were to guess I'd say airbrushed thin paint over the bigger parts. Or is it a wash? And I thought the rivets were dry-brushed, if they are decals they went on perfect, no silvering at all!

Do tell, inquiring minds want to know.

 

[mb1k]

My new mantra, "Finished is Better!"

Jodet, thanks. The shading was whatever was in my metalizer bag of tricks. For last night it was half a bottle of Testor's Exhaust punched into the nooks, crannies, creases, and "shadows" of the Mk II armor using the Aztec airbrush with smallest nozzle.

I followed that with Testors buffing Bright Aluminum to bring in the overspray and refine the lines close in. Backed the nozzle away for the final mist coat to tone down the shading and ease the visual transitions until I ran out of metalizer in the cup. Filled the cup with thinner to clean out the nozzles and used the thinned down slurry to mist again from the same distance. It's quick and easy, 15 minutes from compressor on to airbrush back into the cradle. However, a "good" job would take about a hour total with four different shades and layers. Just me and the way I would have done it if it just weren't a quickie for my son.

Decals go onto metalizer pretty well, did use a decal setting solution though.

Will post final picks with a wash and the clear blue highlights.

 

[hal9001]

I think I've managed to get it repaired enough... There's still some evidence of repair...
I'm declaring it "good enough"

...and you didn't use The Force....because?

hal9001-

 

[Magesblood]

A Jedi uses the Force for knowledge and defense.

 

[John P]

Heck, most of my kits are "good enough." I very often get to a point where I'm sick of them not being finished, and just.... finish the dern thing.

 

[lunadude]

...Actually, that's where the "Finished Is Better Than Perfect" logo came from...

Logo? I'd like to see, please share. (0r did you mean motto?)