5 Mistakes Sucking the Joy Out of Your 3D Metal Model Hobby

Building 3D metal model kits has brought me a lot of joy and hours of good, healthy distraction. But I’ve learned that there are a few things that can derail the fun for me. Maybe you’ve been tempted by some of these things also?

1. Attempting to Build 3D Metal Model Kits That Are Too Advanced For My Current Skill Level.

I get it. Some of the subjects you’d love to build can be very elaborate. That’s to be expected. The models that most take our breath away are impressive precisely because of their amazing detail and complexity.

Jumping into those kits too soon, however, can just be a recipe for frustration and discouragement. I’m quite sure that there are a lot of people who have one solitary half-built metal model project sitting on a shelf getting dusty, and mocking their defeated builder.

You don’t ever have to fall into this trap if you’ll just be willing to exercise a little patience. Start out by building a few of the basic kits, and gradually moving up to more difficult ones. You’ll be building those masterpieces soon enough.

So, I strongly recommend that, for a while, you stick with the Metal Earth brand, and pay close attention to the “skill level” ratings printed on the side of the package.

2. Comparing My Metal Model Builds With Others.

This is another way you can get discouraged very quickly. There are so many amazing completed 3D metal model photographs online now, and many of them posted by experienced and talented builders. If you put your own builds up alongside them, you may find yourself wondering if you’ll ever be able to produce such results.

Relax. You will! Practice will get you there. But just the act of making these comparisons all the time will only emphasize the length of the journey still in front of you, rather than the amount of improvement you’ve actually already made.

The key is simply to enjoy yourself. That’s, after all, why we started building these metal models in the first place. What does it matter if someone else could have built your latest model even better than you did, as long as you enjoyed the process? It’s your hobby. Just have fun with it.

3. Rushing to Finish.

This is a very common trap that lots of people have a tendency to fall into. There are just so many amazing 3D metal models available now to be built, with new ones being released almost every day. So, we start on one, taking great care to follow the instructions and built it well. Inevitably, however, it takes quite a few hours to complete. In the meantime, tat other really cool kit we ordered arrives in our mailbox, and it’s tempting to start rushing to complete our current project so we can get onto the next.

That’s exactly how to start making silly mistakes and producing sub-par results.

Instead, resist the temptation. Take your time and enjoy your build all the way to finish. Keep reminding yourself that you have plenty of time to build all these great kits. You have the rest of your life!

4. Giving Up on a Model.

We’ve all been there. A model build was going along wonderfully well, but then we hit that difficult step. It calls for a tab fold that seems just impossible. Suddenly, you break the tab, or crease a part, and you think “Oh no! I’ve ruined the whole thing.”

You probably haven’t. Broken tabs can be glued, mistakes can be fixed or hidden. Worst case scenario, you can even order a new sheet from the manufacturer to replace a part you broke or lost.

But the point is, you learn a whole lot more by working through difficulties than by just discarding a project. And it’s a whole lot more satisfying too.

5. Not Building Subjects That I Love.

3D metal model kits definitely move in and out of popularity. At any given time it can seem as if everyone posting online is making a particular series or new release.

But what does it matter? This hobby should be about you building what you really enjoy. If everyone is building the latest Game of Thrones release, but you are just really enjoying those simple little butterflies … have at it! Build whatever you love to build. Don;t be embarrassed at all about publishing pictures of your architectural models just because the crowd loves to applaud very complex Transformer models.

The truth is, the 3D metal model community is amazingly supportive and encouraging. You’ll find that lots of your fellow hobbyists will love to celebrate your build with you, no matter what you love.

So, those are 5 mistakes that could easily stop you having all the fun you should be having with this fantastic hobby. Don’t fall for them.

Are there other pitfalls you think I should have mentioned? Leave a comment below and keep the conversation going.