The Little World

Stop doing.

The number of times a good model has been converted to a flawed embarrassment by that ” one more little touch “…The extra coat of varnish. The touch up paint. The superglued aftermarket part.

You know you flubbed it instantly – yet the moment before you could not see to quit. Self-realisation at its worst. And kicking yourself just gets you a sore arse as well as a spoiled model.

There is a practical solution to this problem – and it is not having paid attendants standing by to wrestle you to the floor as you reach for the paint brush. It is to make a deliberate plan and write it down, setting out the goal for the build and specifying a finish point.

Be realistic. If you are not a competent rigger of tiny biplanes, do not drill holes and try to thread elastic through them. If you cannot apply a full tail of commemorative decal, choose a simpler scheme.

If you have made an error along the way – say missing a nose weight and ending up with a tail-sitter – put a stand under it and chalk the thing up to experience. Do not imagine that you can hack your way through the fuselage to correct it.

When you get to the end, cut the box art off and put the model on the display shelf. Do not keep trying to gild the lily, or the turd, if that is the result. There are more boxes in the shop and the stash.