The Little World

If you were to be in a position of unassailable expertise somewhere in the scale modelling world, what topic would you choose to command?

Imagine people coming up to you shyly at the club and asking for your help. Or better…for your judgement. How would you help?

I think I would like to be the person who was an expert in some procedure early on in the building of a kit – say the box opener or the person who knows how to get a really crisp fold in the instruction sheets. Then I would not be liable for criticism later when the modeller put fingerprints on the canopy or pulled out the mast.

It would be much harder to be the club expert on bare metal finishes or biplane rigging, or some such other visible result. The modeller who asks for and takes advice might be fine, but the other sorts would go ahead and stuff things up and then turn to complain about you. You would be accountable for their errors.

Far better to refer them to another member who is not there at the time.