This has been a welcome reminder that completing a model is not the be-all and end-all. The journey to that point is every bit as important, especially when you are trying to build the best model you can.
23nd June 2025
If today has reminded me of anything, it’s that patience is not so much a virtue as an absolute necessity when longwinded projects draw to a close.
My Jaguar has taken a long time to complete. My desire to replicate an actual aircraft as closely as possible and my endlessly reworked sections, has added hours onto the build and in the process, emptied my reserves of patience to almost zero.
Today, I’ve been working on the final details, the canopy, underwing pylons and the overwing Sidewinders, all crossing my desk. Most of them seemed to be dealt with in short order, only the masking of the canopy and the addition of a few internal details falling under the heading ‘less than straightforward’. That being so, I figured I could finish the model today, fitting out the cockpit with its coaming and seat, gluing the canopy in place (clamshell in the open position) and then gluing the Sidewinders to their rails. Job done!
It was at this point I was struck by how my desire for speed had overridden my desire to complete those final details to the best of my ability. Running the risk of spoiling the ship for a h’apporth of tar, I had fallen into the trap of thinking that what I had done was good enough. No-one would see that the coaming was not fully painting, some of the details on the seat in need of touch-ups and that the canopy had not been completely painted to match the surrounding airframe. In essence, I wanted the model complete (not an unusual desire with most of the models I build when they reach this point…) and was prepared to compromise my work to achieve that goal.
Having realised that I was about to do that, I stopped work.
By this point I have to admit that my lack of patience and frustration was starting to get the better of me and that was pushing me to simply finish the thing and move on. Decalling the Sidewinders proved to be an absolute pain in the backside for instance, their coloured bands seeming to be incapable of settling down properly to a point where the yellow bands on both missiles were misaligned and needed to be removed. Yeah: not happy. But of course it wasn’t the missiles or the decals that were at fault; it was my lack of patience and that desire to push through to the end of the project. I was rushing. Mistakes were being made. My temperature rose. Rinse and repeat.
I stopped and walked away.
The model is sat on my bench 95% complete. The glazing has not been glued in place, nor have the coaming and seat. They are sat on my desk and will be completed – properly – in the morning.
This has been a welcome reminder that completing a model is not the be-all and end-all. The journey to that point is every bit as important, especially when you are trying to build the best model you can. Oftentimes I will be deadlined so models have to, by necessity, be completed quickly. Compromises are therefore inevitable and results, sometimes less than perfect. This model will not be perfect (none of my builds, are) but as it’s not being built to a deadline, it’s close enough to pass muster. I’ve wanted to build a Jaguar for a very long time so wanted to put my heart and soul into this one. Today though, I very nearly threw all of that out the window in my desire to complete the model, despite knowing that by rushing it, the results were not going to be what I wanted them to be. Thankfully I caught myself in time, giving myself some leeway to finish everything off properly so that when it is done I can say “yeah, that’s what I wanted it to look like” not “I wish I’d done that differently…”.
See you tomorrow.
MY PLAYLIST TODAY…
Only one album today, though at the thick end of six hours long(!) it’s been enough to keep my ears occupied…
Dire Straits: Live 1978-1992
SOME RECENT POSTS FOR YOU TO ENJOY…
- A MODELMAKER’S LIFE: WILL I EVER BE EXCITED BY NEW KITS AGAIN..?
With the Toy Fair taking place this week, are you still thrilled to see the latest kits being announced..? - A MODELMAKER’S LIFE: REVELL’S METEOR F.8
Work begins on a brand-new 1/32 aircraft project… - A MODELMAKER’S LIFE: IPMS BOLTON SHOW 2026
Highlights from the first model show of 2026… - A MODELMAKER’S LIFE: A DAY OFF SICK…AGAIN.
Flu. Again. - A MODELMAKER’S LIFE: A DAY IN BOLTON…
A day at the show… - A MODELMAKER’S LIFE: A SATURDAY OFF…
A day off…
SPENCER POLLARD'S KIT BOX 
Your music recommendations are pure platinum Spencer!
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Glad to see how human you are Spencer, and not one of those alien model builders on YouTube that never seem to hit a snag. Looking forward to seeing the completed Jag and purchasing a copy of the book when it comes to fruition. I just got my kit yesterday……..they have finally arrived in Aus.
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Hi, I feel your pain… been there too – always a battle, esp. physcologically near the end to do it justice when we’ve ‘had enough’ ! Cheers.
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