I started a thread in the general category and simply asked what was the worst kit you'd ever built. A number of suffers wrote their worst kit was bought when they were kids. After a few interesting replies I responded with, what if we ran a worst of the worst campaign? The rules would be simple,
1) Any era, subject or scale. Yes, any.
2) Can be glue or snap together
3) Must NOT be a well-regarded/favorably reviewed kit
4) Must be OOB (no aftermarket decals either)
5) Paint NOT required to be considered completed
6) If painted, must be brush painted
7) Must have markings...kit or hand painted markings
8) Sloppiness is good
A few followers have suggested a campaign title, Chamber of Horrors, Worst of the Worst just to name a couple. This would be a short run campaign, three months (?).
So think of this campaign as an exercise in model building before you/we/I suffered from AMS.
The Worst of the Worst Campaign or: How I learned to stop obsessing over accuracy and learned to love styrene and glue again.
Any takers?
Air Campaigns
Want to start or join a group build? This is where to start.
Want to start or join a group build? This is where to start.
Hosted by Frederick Boucher, Michael Satin
Campaign Proposal: Worst Kit I've Ever Built
Grenadier37
Joined: June 02, 2008
KitMaker: 232 posts
AeroScale: 155 posts
Posted: Friday, February 15, 2013 - 03:40 AM UTC
Jessie_C
Joined: September 03, 2009
KitMaker: 6,965 posts
AeroScale: 6,247 posts
Posted: Friday, February 15, 2013 - 03:46 AM UTC
Sounds like fun! I've already got my candidate lined up 
ljames0874
Joined: August 15, 2012
KitMaker: 408 posts
AeroScale: 365 posts
Posted: Friday, February 15, 2013 - 04:15 AM UTC
Count me in, with this shocker (a reissue of the Frog kit):
Grenadier37
Joined: June 02, 2008
KitMaker: 232 posts
AeroScale: 155 posts
Posted: Friday, February 15, 2013 - 06:45 AM UTC
Quoted Text
Sounds like fun! I've already got my candidate lined up
I've seen your candidate. It's deliciously horrible.
Lee, a Minicraft re-pop of a FROG kit! Genius, pure genius.
ljames0874
Joined: August 15, 2012
KitMaker: 408 posts
AeroScale: 365 posts
Posted: Friday, February 15, 2013 - 07:00 AM UTC
oh yes! Just got the kit a few days ago - raised panel lines (including the "do not walk" panels on the top), hideous sink marks, flash, and as for the decal sheet - completely curled into a tube. I'll be very suprised if the decals are useable. In an odd sort of way, I'm looking forward to building it OOB.
Torchy
#047
Joined: September 13, 2005
KitMaker: 2,016 posts
AeroScale: 475 posts
Posted: Friday, February 15, 2013 - 07:05 AM UTC
Brilliant I'm in
#8 gluey fingerprints are a must!!!!!
I'm in#8 gluey fingerprints are a must!!!!!
tinbanger
Joined: February 04, 2008
KitMaker: 2,507 posts
AeroScale: 1,814 posts
Posted: Friday, February 15, 2013 - 07:08 AM UTC
Is it the worst kit or worst kit builder? 
amegan
#243
Joined: March 21, 2008
KitMaker: 996 posts
AeroScale: 915 posts
Posted: Saturday, February 16, 2013 - 10:29 AM UTC
I'm in, I'm building an Airfix Comet now, so that is out, just finished an Airfix Biff, they are the two worst I can remember, and I think I cleaned the stash out. I need to look out for a rubbish kit 
North4003
Joined: August 01, 2012
KitMaker: 960 posts
AeroScale: 391 posts
Posted: Saturday, February 16, 2013 - 11:16 AM UTC
I'm in. I've got the previously mentioned on the WW Gen Discussion thread PM F100. I'll have to find the decals for it. I also have a Novo Seahawk with the head pilot. An optional mini kit preview/review would be a great part of this campaign.
Brent
Brent
Tomcat31
#042
Joined: November 18, 2006
KitMaker: 2,828 posts
AeroScale: 1,720 posts
Posted: Sunday, February 17, 2013 - 01:32 AM UTC
Sam and I have been discussing this proposal and as it currently stands we would not be willing to make this an official campaign.
While the premise is a good one maybe instead of taking a bad kit and making it look bad, perhaps we should be promoting the bad kits by making them look good using the skills we have learnt over the years or alternatively how about building 'your worse kit or nemesis kit' again and this time improving the build using the skills you have learnt.
with this in mind the rules could be as follows
1) Any era, subject or scale. Yes, any.
2) Can be glue or snap together
3) Must NOT be a well-regarded/favorably reviewed kit
4) Must be OOB (no aftermarket decals either)
5) Brush painted is encouraged but not essential
You have to remember that we are trying to encourage members to improve their skills and promote their work when we have the campaign feature showing what they accomplished. If we were to have the front page of Aeroscale showing unpainted and 'sloppy' kits, this could cause embarrassment the members as it not showing the builders true skills and it could also hinder Aeroscale's reputation by promoting this.
By all means if you wish to run the campaign as you originally envisioned we can make it an unofficial campaign which would mean there is no gallery, feature or ribbons to award.
While the premise is a good one maybe instead of taking a bad kit and making it look bad, perhaps we should be promoting the bad kits by making them look good using the skills we have learnt over the years or alternatively how about building 'your worse kit or nemesis kit' again and this time improving the build using the skills you have learnt.
with this in mind the rules could be as follows
1) Any era, subject or scale. Yes, any.
2) Can be glue or snap together
3) Must NOT be a well-regarded/favorably reviewed kit
4) Must be OOB (no aftermarket decals either)
5) Brush painted is encouraged but not essential
You have to remember that we are trying to encourage members to improve their skills and promote their work when we have the campaign feature showing what they accomplished. If we were to have the front page of Aeroscale showing unpainted and 'sloppy' kits, this could cause embarrassment the members as it not showing the builders true skills and it could also hinder Aeroscale's reputation by promoting this.
By all means if you wish to run the campaign as you originally envisioned we can make it an unofficial campaign which would mean there is no gallery, feature or ribbons to award.
Bigrip74
Joined: February 22, 2008
KitMaker: 5,026 posts
AeroScale: 2,811 posts
Posted: Sunday, February 17, 2013 - 02:39 AM UTC
I think that I fit this campaign perfectly I am in.
Bob
I am in.Bob
ljames0874
Joined: August 15, 2012
KitMaker: 408 posts
AeroScale: 365 posts
Posted: Sunday, February 17, 2013 - 03:42 AM UTC
Quoted Text
Sam and I have been discussing this proposal and as it currently stands we would not be willing to make this an official campaign.
While the premise is a good one maybe instead of taking a bad kit and making it look bad, perhaps we should be promoting the bad kits by making them look good using the skills we have learnt over the years or alternatively how about building 'your worse kit or nemesis kit' again and this time improving the build using the skills you have learnt.
with this in mind the rules could be as follows
1) Any era, subject or scale. Yes, any.
2) Can be glue or snap together
3) Must NOT be a well-regarded/favorably reviewed kit
4) Must be OOB (no aftermarket decals either)
5) Brush painted is encouraged but not essential
You have to remember that we are trying to encourage members to improve their skills and promote their work when we have the campaign feature showing what they accomplished. If we were to have the front page of Aeroscale showing unpainted and 'sloppy' kits, this could cause embarrassment the members as it not showing the builders true skills and it could also hinder Aeroscale's reputation by promoting this.
By all means if you wish to run the campaign as you originally envisioned we can make it an unofficial campaign which would mean there is no gallery, feature or ribbons to award.
I'd agree with this premise - taking a bad kit and showing what you can do to present it as well as possible - maybe we could name the campaign "Polishing a turd"
Jessie_C
Joined: September 03, 2009
KitMaker: 6,965 posts
AeroScale: 6,247 posts
Posted: Sunday, February 17, 2013 - 04:50 AM UTC
"Sows' Ears and Silk Purses"?
amegan
#243
Joined: March 21, 2008
KitMaker: 996 posts
AeroScale: 915 posts
Posted: Sunday, February 17, 2013 - 07:33 AM UTC
Whatever it is called it still looks fun, I will still have a go
md72
#439
Joined: November 05, 2005
KitMaker: 4,950 posts
AeroScale: 3,192 posts
Posted: Sunday, February 17, 2013 - 08:33 AM UTC
OK, can I use a dog I've already started, or do I need to find something in the stash of shame that isn't started?
I started a Kitech (Zhengdefu)F-16A a few years back that didn't get very far. The plastic is a 2nd rate knock off of the Hasegawa F-16B kit and all of the decals are for F-16C (block 25?) birds.......
I found an Entex F4F (with folding wing action) That has promise as a turkey. Maybe even a USAirfix F-4D (A-B-C-E) Phantom II.
I started a Kitech (Zhengdefu)F-16A a few years back that didn't get very far. The plastic is a 2nd rate knock off of the Hasegawa F-16B kit and all of the decals are for F-16C (block 25?) birds.......
I found an Entex F4F (with folding wing action) That has promise as a turkey. Maybe even a USAirfix F-4D (A-B-C-E) Phantom II.
North4003
Joined: August 01, 2012
KitMaker: 960 posts
AeroScale: 391 posts
Posted: Sunday, February 17, 2013 - 03:09 PM UTC
I'm for the revised proposed rules. Turning a sows ear into a silk purse (good idea for the ribbon design also) would be a benefit to further develop proficient model building skills. For example, when building out of the box how does a modeler deal with a pilot head with no cockpit? Or a crudely designed model with a poor fit? An out of box challenge with no aftermarket parts and or decals using a acknowledged poorly designed kit wood be a good test of and challenge to improve our skills. Will adding scratch built details and scribing be encouraged in the new rules?
Brent
Brent
warreni
Joined: August 14, 2007
KitMaker: 5,926 posts
AeroScale: 2,201 posts
Posted: Sunday, February 17, 2013 - 05:54 PM UTC
Quoted Text
Sam and I have been discussing this proposal and as it currently stands we would not be willing to make this an official campaign.
While the premise is a good one maybe instead of taking a bad kit and making it look bad, perhaps we should be promoting the bad kits by making them look good using the skills we have learnt over the years or alternatively how about building 'your worse kit or nemesis kit' again and this time improving the build using the skills you have learnt.
with this in mind the rules could be as follows
1) Any era, subject or scale. Yes, any.
2) Can be glue or snap together
3) Must NOT be a well-regarded/favorably reviewed kit
4) Must be OOB (no aftermarket decals either)
5) Brush painted is encouraged but not essential
You have to remember that we are trying to encourage members to improve their skills and promote their work when we have the campaign feature showing what they accomplished. If we were to have the front page of Aeroscale showing unpainted and 'sloppy' kits, this could cause embarrassment the members as it not showing the builders true skills and it could also hinder Aeroscale's reputation by promoting this.
By all means if you wish to run the campaign as you originally envisioned we can make it an unofficial campaign which would mean there is no gallery, feature or ribbons to award.
Personally I don't think we should be encouraging anyone to build any of these dogs. Newcomers would be put off forever by some of these 'kits'. If a model company has the hide to put out these dogs then let us treat them as such and let the manufacturers know that dogs are just that. No matter how much you polish a poo it is still a poo.
ljames0874
Joined: August 15, 2012
KitMaker: 408 posts
AeroScale: 365 posts
Posted: Sunday, February 17, 2013 - 10:13 PM UTC
If the emphasis of the rules shifts to showing how your skills have improved over the years (and I am in favour of this), then I agree that aftermarket parts and decals should be verboten, but scratchbuilding and use of fillers should be encouraged, as that is a great way to demonstrate skills and techniques.
For my part, I would want to build my Sea Vixen with folded wings and intake covers.
For my part, I would want to build my Sea Vixen with folded wings and intake covers.
Grenadier37
Joined: June 02, 2008
KitMaker: 232 posts
AeroScale: 155 posts
Posted: Monday, February 18, 2013 - 03:20 AM UTC
This is so incredibly disappointing. I read the most recent posts twice searching for hints of satire, glimmers of sarcasm and found very little. Some of you obviously get that this is a hobby; some of you apparently think it's something else.
My idea of a campaign in which the premise was to build the worst kit you could find (or already own), build it out of the box, paint it with a brush or not at all, for the pure simple joy of building a model kit was lost. That so many of you, including some of the staff of this forum, fail to connect with the joy of building plastic models for the sake of enjoyment is disheartening to say the least.
Imagine yourselves as a new modeler, stumbling across any model forum. You might be awed, inspired and intimidated by the contest quality models you see. Now imagine being told the only true measure of the hobby and your mastery of it is absolute accuracy, show quality builds, and resin and photo etch bedazzled plastic perfection. Anything less is second rate. That is exactly what modeling forums promote and it's disgusting and ugly.
I pity anyone who can’t remember the last time they built a model and didn’t care if the paint was perfect (if it was painted at all), or didn’t care if it had gluey fingerprints on it. When I was a kid, my friends and I chased each other through the neighborhood in running dogfights with our newly built Mustangs, Spitfires and Messerschmitts. We were all Aces, we had the time of our lives and we didn’t give a damn if our decals were crooked.
Plastic model kit + glue + paint + you = FUN
My idea of a campaign in which the premise was to build the worst kit you could find (or already own), build it out of the box, paint it with a brush or not at all, for the pure simple joy of building a model kit was lost. That so many of you, including some of the staff of this forum, fail to connect with the joy of building plastic models for the sake of enjoyment is disheartening to say the least.
Imagine yourselves as a new modeler, stumbling across any model forum. You might be awed, inspired and intimidated by the contest quality models you see. Now imagine being told the only true measure of the hobby and your mastery of it is absolute accuracy, show quality builds, and resin and photo etch bedazzled plastic perfection. Anything less is second rate. That is exactly what modeling forums promote and it's disgusting and ugly.
I pity anyone who can’t remember the last time they built a model and didn’t care if the paint was perfect (if it was painted at all), or didn’t care if it had gluey fingerprints on it. When I was a kid, my friends and I chased each other through the neighborhood in running dogfights with our newly built Mustangs, Spitfires and Messerschmitts. We were all Aces, we had the time of our lives and we didn’t give a damn if our decals were crooked.
Plastic model kit + glue + paint + you = FUN
Jessie_C
Joined: September 03, 2009
KitMaker: 6,965 posts
AeroScale: 6,247 posts
Posted: Monday, February 18, 2013 - 07:16 AM UTC
I think that the emphasis should be more towards doing a decent job on a not-so-decent model and having fun doing it. We can always try a "build them like you used to" fun thread which is not an "official" campaign side by side with this one if we want to.
North4003
Joined: August 01, 2012
KitMaker: 960 posts
AeroScale: 391 posts
Posted: Monday, February 18, 2013 - 07:36 AM UTC
Quoted Text
Sam and I have been discussing this proposal and as it currently stands we would not be willing to make this an official campaign.
While the premise is a good one maybe instead of taking a bad kit and making it look bad, perhaps we should be promoting the bad kits by making them look good using the skills we have learnt over the years or alternatively how about building 'your worse kit or nemesis kit' again and this time improving the build using the skills you have learnt.
with this in mind the rules could be as follows
1) Any era, subject or scale. Yes, any.
2) Can be glue or snap together
3) Must NOT be a well-regarded/favorably reviewed kit
4) Must be OOB (no aftermarket decals either)
5) Brush painted is encouraged but not essential
You have to remember that we are trying to encourage members to improve their skills and promote their work when we have the campaign feature showing what they accomplished. If we were to have the front page of Aeroscale showing unpainted and 'sloppy' kits, this could cause embarrassment the members as it not showing the builders true skills and it could also hinder Aeroscale's reputation by promoting this.
By all means if you wish to run the campaign as you originally envisioned we can make it an unofficial campaign which would mean there is no gallery, feature or ribbons to award.
Instead of the Worst of the Worst we could call this proposed campaign the SESP (Sows Ear to Silk Purse) ,Raw Plastic, or DIY Campaign. Who is in?
Uploaded with ImageShack.us
camogirl
Joined: October 20, 2005
KitMaker: 1,045 posts
AeroScale: 622 posts
Posted: Monday, February 18, 2013 - 09:56 AM UTC
At the end of the day if you want to run the campaign as you first suggested that is fine but as we have said it would end up being an unofficial campaign.
If you want to run this as an official campaign the only changes we have reasonably requested is that the model can/ should be painted any way but brush painted is preferred (not everyone likes brush painting and might open up/ encourage more people to take this campaign up) and we were not happy with having
sloppiness reads like no care/ no effort at all has to be used in making the kit. You can still build an OOB model for complete fun but still put come effort into the building process
I don't see any mention about the builds have to be accurate or perfect from Tomcat nor anyone else posting. The only problem was with the sloppier rule (your point 8 )and not being painted because as stated the finished items would be in a campaign gallery if you look through all the previous campaign galleries that are posted from finished campaigns they show every level of builder in fact there are quite a lot of modellers with little experience in building that take part in group builds/ campaigns.
You will also see we both have said its a great idea doing OOB builds but we are not happy to allow unpainted/ unfinished or just thrown together models to be used in the campaign gallery feature.
Allen and I always always build for fun/ enjoyment we have never build for accuracy/competition etc.
Others get just as much fun out of the hobby by researching away and going to town with details (I personally could not do it but fully appreciate why others like it)
Yes as a kid (if I was building them but instead I was building, flying and competing in radio controlled aircraft and other hobbies) I would have probably thrown a model together but now Im older (unfortunately) I work, earn money, pay normal bills and buy the kits myself I am completely loathed to just throw it together leave it unpainted and decaled which is what the rules you put forward to your campaign suggest. Im sure many other people on here that have very limited/ tight budgets would feel the same as me it would be a waste of a kit.
Anyway the choice is totally yours Grenadier if you do decide to go down the official campaign route when you get 10 interested submit the campaign with the tiny changes suggested.
If you want to do the campaign as you envisaged and we treat it as an unofficial campaign that is absolutely fine as well and you can get started as soon as you want
If you want to run this as an official campaign the only changes we have reasonably requested is that the model can/ should be painted any way but brush painted is preferred (not everyone likes brush painting and might open up/ encourage more people to take this campaign up) and we were not happy with having
Quoted Text
8) Sloppiness is good
sloppiness reads like no care/ no effort at all has to be used in making the kit. You can still build an OOB model for complete fun but still put come effort into the building process
I don't see any mention about the builds have to be accurate or perfect from Tomcat nor anyone else posting. The only problem was with the sloppier rule (your point 8 )and not being painted because as stated the finished items would be in a campaign gallery if you look through all the previous campaign galleries that are posted from finished campaigns they show every level of builder in fact there are quite a lot of modellers with little experience in building that take part in group builds/ campaigns.
You will also see we both have said its a great idea doing OOB builds but we are not happy to allow unpainted/ unfinished or just thrown together models to be used in the campaign gallery feature.
Allen and I always always build for fun/ enjoyment we have never build for accuracy/competition etc.
Others get just as much fun out of the hobby by researching away and going to town with details (I personally could not do it but fully appreciate why others like it)
Yes as a kid (if I was building them but instead I was building, flying and competing in radio controlled aircraft and other hobbies) I would have probably thrown a model together but now Im older (unfortunately) I work, earn money, pay normal bills and buy the kits myself I am completely loathed to just throw it together leave it unpainted and decaled which is what the rules you put forward to your campaign suggest. Im sure many other people on here that have very limited/ tight budgets would feel the same as me it would be a waste of a kit.
Anyway the choice is totally yours Grenadier if you do decide to go down the official campaign route when you get 10 interested submit the campaign with the tiny changes suggested.
If you want to do the campaign as you envisaged and we treat it as an unofficial campaign that is absolutely fine as well and you can get started as soon as you want
tinbanger
Joined: February 04, 2008
KitMaker: 2,507 posts
AeroScale: 1,814 posts
Posted: Monday, February 18, 2013 - 03:29 PM UTC
I would enter the campaign if we could take a badly produced model OOB and build it to as high a standard as possible.
ljames0874
Joined: August 15, 2012
KitMaker: 408 posts
AeroScale: 365 posts
Posted: Monday, February 18, 2013 - 07:39 PM UTC
Quoted Text
I would enter the campaign if we could take a badly produced model OOB and build it to as high a standard as possible.
I second this idea, with one added suggestion. If there is a fairly short build time for this campaign, then we would all just have to "get on with it" (as we once did), without getting bogged down in trying to achieve perfection.
Jessie_C
Joined: September 03, 2009
KitMaker: 6,965 posts
AeroScale: 6,247 posts
Posted: Monday, February 18, 2013 - 07:45 PM UTC
Quoted Text
If there is a fairly short build time for this campaign, then we would all just have to "get on with it" (as we once did), without getting bogged down in trying to achieve perfection.
The car guys have this concept. They call builds like that "slammers", meaning they slam them together as quickly as possible out of the box with no aftermarket but still taking care to make sure that their basic model building is done well.
So we have the option for our sows' ears: Silk purse, or merely naugahide.
 |
WEB HOSTING BY
Copyright ©2021 AeroScale and Kitmaker Network, a subsidiary of Silver Star Enterprises
All Rights Reserved. Please read our Conditions of Use and Privacy Policy.
All Rights Reserved. Please read our Conditions of Use and Privacy Policy.