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Tom Cleaver
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New Group: Build 'Em or Bin 'Em

January 8, 2021 · in Uncategorized · · 23 · 2.4K

We've all got a Shelf of Doom. Most of the time, when we look over what's there, we can't remember how it got there. I made a New Year's Resolution to "build 'em or bin 'em" but clear the SoD by the end of 2021.

I started with this Fiat G.55, which has been there on the SoD since 2007(!) I think it had to do with it being a Serie O and I wanted a Serie I. Then last month one got posted here by Reinhard, and he mentioned that the kit is really a Serie I - which surprised the daylights out of me, but sure enough, what I thought was sprue turned out to be cannon barrels. Found decals to do what I wanted in the decal dungeon. It took about five days for the resuscitation, and when I was done, I liked what I saw so much I asked myself, "Self, WTF were you thinking? This is a good model!"

So I have moved on to two others. The Mojo returns, and interestingly it appears elsewhere than models. I'll bet that works for more than me.

So, the new group is up. It runs till December 31, 2021. The deal is, you do as many of your SoD projects as you want but YOU HAVE TO FINISH IT BY THE END OF THE YEAR. If not, you bin it and present a photo of it in the trash.

Given what cheapskates modelers are, nobody's going to want to do that, so there's a good chance models will get completed.

Let's see what happens...

Reader reactions:
12  Awesome

5 additional images. Click to enlarge.


23 responses

  1. I have one I am already working on. It is the Hase 1/350 Gambier Bay from 2010!
    Most of the work was done between 2010-2012.
    Stopped because of personal issues 2013-2015.
    Didn't do much since because the PE for the island mast is difficult even for someone experienced with PE like myself.

  2. This might be the inspiration I need to get multiple 'shelf of doom' stalled projects finished! I have 3 bf109Es that have been taunting me for years as well as an Airfix Defiant that stopped when they releases the new tool!

  3. Tom I have quite a few unfinished kits that linger in the shelf or in the box for periods that go from 1 year to 10 or more... guess I’m in then. All I need now is to choose 1 or 2

  4. ...all I can say is count me in.

    Also, that's one nice kit you managed out of a Doomed soul.

  5. I'll go through the stash and see which is the quickest finishable.

  6. I'm in. Have a whole closet full of those!

  7. I love this idea, great way to clear the “Hall of Shame”!

  8. Count me in too, Tom!
    Nice idea!

  9. 2020 saw me take a huge chunk out of The Stash, which leaves me with two:
    Wingnut Wings Snipe
    Kinetic Mirage 2000B/D/N.

    The only biplane I've ever done before has been the An-2, so I want to do the Snipe right.

    I really like the Mirage and I love flying the C in DCS, but if the two seater is as much of {CENSORED} as the {CENSORED} pile of {CENSORED}{CENSORED} the 2000C kit... I dunno.
    I want to build the 2000N but the kit instructions proudly proclaim that there is no ASMP included in the kit, which fills me with a sense of dread about the rest of the kit. What's the point of building a nuke hauler if they don't give you a nuke?

    • There was an Eduard upgrade of this kit (I have it in the stash). You might check aftermarket for this.

      • Well, the Eduard kit is the Heller plastic, which means it should have an ASMP in it. I'm going to commit to the Kinetic 2000N. I'll try and nab the Eduard Kit and build a 2000D out of it.

        I can say right off the bat that the very first thing you need to buy for the Kinetic kit is a new engine, because the kit's engine nozzles are smooth on the inside. Not just smooth, mirror smooth! >:(

    • Please build the Nuke Mirage too, Wes @avispa93!
      They carry an amazing camo 🙂

  10. Great idea, Tom.
    Will have to go through my stash as well.
    Should not take that long in my case since I was not able to collect that much after my modelling restart two years ago.

  11. Can't get into it. Believe it or not I don't have a doom shelf. I only build one at a time and when I start a model it will be finished before going on to a new one.

  12. That turned out nice Tom. I had two F/A-18s that I started in 2006 and finished in 2012. I got tired of them staring at me. I currently have 3-4 that would fit this group, including a Trumpeter Tu-16 that I started in 2002! That one stalled out because I wasn’t sure of the paint scheme in Afghanistan.

  13. Good initiative, Tom!

    I got close to binning the BMP-1 last year, not because it was hard but because I didn't want to spend my precious time on a bad kit. I must admit I sometimes build slow, but I then I have no SOD. When starting a new project I think twice but once the build starts, I commit to finishing it. Not sure it is the best approach because sometimes the kit on the bench clogs my build pipeline even though I may have better ideas for another project...

  14. Great idea Tom ! Time to clean house ! I have lifetime of projects to work on, sell or ditch !
    Maybe some Of the biplanes. HP-0400?

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