Steve Budd and his 9 year old son Josh have been hard at work, modeling together. What a great thing to do- modeling with your kids! My son and I enjoy building together too, and though he’s in college now, we still find time to build and to visit the local hobby shop and talk models. Why not take some time to introduce your son or daughter to our wonderful hobby? The blessing you’ll both receive will go far beyond just finishing a kit!
Thanks for sharing this experience with us Josh! Steve had this to say:
I mentioned to my youngest boy Josh, when we were up at Hannants after a visit to the Hendon air museum some time ago, that he might like to have a go at a Hobby Boss kit as they’re so straightforward.
After serious deliberation, he settled on the Fw190A6 and the Eastern Front JG56 field applied camo. It was a very pleasant collaborative mini project, that was literally modelling as a kid again. I did the knife work where necessary and he applied the glue in getting to the paint stage.
Humbrol enamels were wheeled out in ‘equivalent’ shades to the RLM76 and topside camo and applied by Josh by brush. The paint fest went:
Day 1 – RLM76
Day 2 – Sandy brown uppers
Day 3 – I pencilled in the camo positions for the lighter of the two greens and Josh filled in with paint.
Day 4 – I did the same thing for the darker green and Josh filled in as before. Josh painted the wheels and guns, etc.
Day 5 – I glossed the model.
Day 6 – Josh and I applied half the decals (he quickly learnt how to nudge them into place with a wet brush). It was an interesting experience for Josh as it was something completely new and the kit decals were very much inclined to drift out of position if a tad too much liquid was under them. If they were blotted down they became immediately fixed in position. There was no happy medium and they were impervious to all decal solutions – although when dry they’d shrunk down on the surface as though they had been softened.
Day 7 – Last of the decals applied. Josh is a highly determined cheeky chappie but handed over the four part mid fuselage banding to me. I then struggled like crazy to get it all lined up due to the effects described on Day 6… Cheesy
Day 8 – I hand painted the canopy for him and matted the decals with the airbrush to seal them. Josh touched up bits and pieces, the canopy was Gator Glued in place and we were done.
Josh definitely enjoyed the project and knows it was a joint effort but talks enthusiastically of getting to a point where it’s all under his control. I’m emphasising the relax and have fun thing and just feeding his interest one kit at a time to let him build up his confidence and dexterity in easy stages. If it lasts, fine but if not then that’s ok too. The Hobby Boss kits are just perfect for this type of modelling.
