The question we often don't like to ask... how much time on average do we devote to our hobby? Actually building models. Is it "once in a while" or almost a "full time job" - and, of course, there are professionals among us for whom it really is a job... Now, be honest!

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Thanks!

An interesting poll.
Its something I have really never thought about, sometimes I go a whole week without touching plastic, some weeks I do nothing but model ( see Target time again ), so averaging it out its probably about 15 hours per week.
Should be interesting to see the results.
Andy

Hi Andy

An average of 15 hrs is something I can only dream of! I take my hat off to whoever voted for 1 - 2 hrs! It wasn't me - honest! - but does represent many a week when work's heavy and there's a bundle of samples to review (all too often it's 0, but that didn't seem to fit the poll! LOL!)

All the best

Rowan

Since I retired in 2008 I was spending at an average 20 to 30 hours a week on my model workbench, BUT since my little mishap this passed January I've had trouble matching Merlin's time I'm still trying to finish the FVS Phantom I started for the "Swing Wing Campaign".

Great poll.....

Well, I just completed my 3rd military move in 4 years. Moving and adapting to each new military job has wrecked havoc on my modelling schedule over that time. However, I am now unpacked and rockin' at the modelling bench again. I continued work on my Tamiya F-117 last night.

My goal from this point forward, is to try and spend at least one hour each night working at my model bench. That is a pretty optimistic goal but we will see what happens. I just recently started to venture into aircraft after building armor for several years and intend to contribute to Aeroscale on a pretty regular basis.

An interesting poll indeed , definitely a question i have not been asked before or some thing I never put much thought into .
Had me thinking there and it almost hurt !
Most days I try to get in anywhere from a half hour to an hour , but it really depends on the subject matter as well , how much to I want to add to it . Life can get in the way of this as well and the odd date every now and then . So if I can get at least ten hours in a week I'm doing good .

Hi all,

Interesting subject indeed.

For me it really depends. Sometimes I spend a lot of time, sometimes less, but I've voted for the 10-20 hrs timeframe. When I have a deadline, I can spend 10 hours (or more) at the workbench the same day...

I can't work one hour a day though. I like longer working sessions.

Jean-Luc

Unfortunately I'm in the 1 hour or less category.

It's 10-20 for me, though it's a 3 week cycle up and down for me. My bizarre work shift roster rotates around 3 weeks. There is one part where i only go to work 2 days out of a stretch of 7! So naturally that week i can get lots more hours on modelling.

But then there's the nasty stretch where i have to work a couple of 12 hour days- i'm lucky to get anything done on that week.

Andrew

I can't really fit myself into the poll. Like many people I have a job that effectively precludes any model making activities for some periods. In my case whilst I work away from home. I guess this means zero hours per day! Nige (lampie) and I did have a chat about taking enough "stuff" on the road to continue modelling but decided it really wasn't a practicle proposition. You would always need something that you didn't have,knowing you had two of them at home! However when I am not working away I try to make up for this and often spend 5-8 hours a day beavering away in my own happily hamfisted way. The only limit on my time then is SWMBO. After twenty odd years you know when you've got to stop without being told!!!!
If I averaged the whole lot out I probably manage less than an hour a day but this would not be a fair reflection of my model making activity.
Cheers
Steve

It varies so much with me.
When I'm home, I can put maybe 5 or 6 hours in every day. When I'm working the closest approximation to "normal" hours I ever do, then I might have half an hour every couple of days,but if I'm too tired I might just sit at the bench and look at parts,,lol.
Naturally, when I'm touring it can be weeks before I see the workbench.
Whats the average from that lot then?
Nige

That's a tough question. but I've gone for 5 -10 hours. the majority of my modelling is done over the weekend (mainly Sundays) with the odd hour spread throughout the week days. I would love to build more often but the Xbox 360 or Fiancé takes up most of my time.

This is a very interesting question and I'm sure you will get a multitude of different answers.
Since being retired from the work force due to medical reasons, I spend a lot of time at my bench. Most days I spend around 5 hours, having a break every couple of hours. I have a very understanding wife so that makes things a lot easier for me. Some nights I will work through till 2 or 3, other nights I will pack it in by 7. I suppose you could nearly call it a full time occupation, but it's an occupation I love doing.
I will say though. modelling does not rule my life, if we (me and wife) want to go away for a week or two, we do it, the project will still be there when I return.

Cheers

Des.




current projects;

WNW 1/32 LVG
WNW 1/32 Bristol F2b
WNW 1/32 Junkers J.I

I do about 5-10 hours a week.
She who must obeyed is usually pretty good there.Once i`ve done my "chores" (taking her grocery shopping or other little trips) i get most of the weekend to play with my toys !!.

Hi all; I tend to build in a spotty fashion, working on a couple of kits at once. I may not work at all for weeks then spend twenty hours for a couple weeks finishing off kits I have started. It just comes and goes for me.

I find that having a couple of kits going at once keeps the interest alive, your interest seems to ebb and flow at various times for various models. It is sort of like looking at your stash of kits and even if you have a couple of hundered being unable to settle on which one to build. So you go out to your local hobby shop and buy a new one that excites your interest! Thats all. Russell

Depends entirely on work and my other commitments to my family etc. At the moment the 1/72 corvette is getting 1/2 - 1 hr a day. Make a bit, paint a bit and then put it aside to dry.

If SWMBO is working on a saturday then I'll get about 5hrs straight at the bench.

It seems I'm closer to Rudi. I usually spend about 4 hours a month at the workbench (usually all at once) if I'm lucky, but it varies with what I'm doing. I am very concerned that modeling not "define my existence," so I try to control myself. Also, if I have something else to do, for some reason I can't bring myself to put it off for the sake of modeling. I get Benjamin Franklin's voice going through my head: "Put not off for tomorrow what you can do today!"

I try to squeeze about 3-4 hours weekly (much to my wife's displeasure). But that's all about to change for my focus will shift very shortly with the arrival of our first child in July. With that said, I'm in a bit of a rush to finish as many of my builds that are in wip status.

I get about an hour a day; 2 hours a couple times a week. So, I'd say about 8 hours a week.