Ready, steady, model.

[trkilliman]

Recently I decided to scratch-build a brewery.

Like many I have built up quite a stock of card, Plasticard in it's various forms, brick and stone papers/card. I also have quite a selection of surplus plastic and whitemetal building parts. 

I stood there looking at my fair bounty of materials and thought, I'm going to plan my project around what I have to hand.

It's going well and I have not needed to buy in materials. I wonder how many of us have stuff stashed away to use "one day" but tend to forget it's there?

Maybe time for a stocktake...

[port perran]

I too have a big stack of building materials. Add on bits of balsa , hundreds of coffee stirrers (which I use a lot),oddments of wood cut offs and bits of card.
I also tend to kkeep the spries off metal and plastic kits.
I'm also always looking out (when walking) for odd bits of metal etc which may come in useful as loads.

[The Q]

The problem with stuff stashed away until you need it, is the gremlins then go and hide it, so you have to buy a replacement...
Then the moment you place the replacement on your workbench, the orginal will be put back by the gremlins where you had alreadly looked for it...

[JohnN]

I recognise that scenario. Happens to me all the time. Combined with my rubbish memory and I have surplus/duplicate stashes of tools, glues, paints, plastic card & struts. It has been know to happen with carriages and kits too. 

[broadsword]

A bit like the old advice , if you lose something go out and buy a replacement
and the original will turn up 5 mins later. Regarding materials, twigs (if straight)
make good log loads, empty pens and felt tips for large diameter pipe loads, 
ballast painted in different colours for coal, iron ore  loads etc.

[trkilliman]

I imagined this would resonate with others, and I envisage some more replies.

When attending shows the trade stands can lure you. There you may see stuff that "will come in useful one day" and you buy it. It can often get filed away. I flip from one modelling project to another, which serves to keep me interested. The downside is I can forget what I have "in store"

I also have coach kits and parts stored away.
Five pairs of Hawksworth etched coach sides (Bill Bedford I think)
M.T.K. Mk1s, two coaches and a sleeper
Fleetline coach kits x2
Various Farish mk1 coaches minus bogies

All the above coaches are "round to it's"

All these coach parts were from ebay a few years back when there were many more bargains to be had, prior to todays ebay with buy it nows dominating.

I think we have enjoyed a period of some years where the cost of new stuff did not bite into the mandatory day to day living costs. Sadly for a number of factors the hobby has become generally more expensive, alongside general living costs.

This is one of the reasons I have been prompted to adopt the Ready, Steady, Model approach. It encourages you to be inventive / creative and can add to the sense of achievement.

[Delboy]

 

LOL!
All of the above.