The Little World

A ticka, ticka, ticka…Good Timing.

A tocka, tocka, tocka. If you model by the clock you’ll never go wrong…until Daylight Savings starts or your Big Ben falls off the bench. Then you’ll be back to counting up to one thousand before letting go of the cemented parts.

The intrusion of time into a hobby is somewhat problematical. The hobby is meant to recreate you from the fatigues of the day and to give you rest and relaxation. And you can tell that to the guys at the Men’s Shed bending photo-etch brass rails to attach to their resin tracks on the vac-formed tank. Old guys know a lot of words and the ones they are not allowed to use at home can be brought down to the club rooms.

The shortest interval of modelling time is the adjustment time allowed on a Soviet decal before it explodes into fragments that stick to your fingers.

This is followed by the length of time required for superglue to set in the wrong place.

The time intervals lengthen after this on up to the period – measured in geological ages – needed for that same superglue to set on the landing gear that you are holding. Skeletons have been dug up in Egyptian pyramids holding parts of ancient ships that are very nearly set. Just a few more minutes.

I am a disciplined man. No, not the special underwear nights…I mean I am able to look at a clock and accept the dictate it provides – I have learned not to poke the bear if it has a coat of clear varnish. I wait the time and accept the resultant finished fingerprints.