Oopses, Mistakes, and Catastrophic Losses

Oops!

Let me think of some creative oopses I have had over the years. There was the innovative use of silicone caulk as a liquid mask; there was leaving a model in a sink full of dish detergent for a few hours; or how about painting the perfect national marking on the wing without noticing my thumb squishing into the one I just painted on the fuselage? Yeah, those were oopses for sure. Annoying little oopses. But these were small things, they just required some sanding and repainting.

The caulk completely crazed the canopy rendering it useless. Funny thing though, was that it was the perfect solution to an S2F canopy that was full of compound curves and was very difficult to mask. Today I’d mask the edges and use a liquid mask for the bulbous parts. The chemical reaction with the canopy plastic made it an incredibly dumb move and a catastrophic loss.

I recently made a sizeable oops at the wrong time. As the model started laughing at me; all I could hear were sirens. It became the Vernita to my Bride. That Corsair almost broke the sound barrier. But, I calmed down and stopped seeing red. Truth be told, the model didn’t wrong me. I was rushing and it was the rushing that led to the oops. I ultimately fixed the issue with a repaint.

What might look like a catastrophic mistake may merely be an oops

I was curious as to how others approach these moments and I posted that question in the Model Airplane Makers Facebook group. As I expected, there were all sorts of thoughts and opinions on what to do with mistakes ranging from “immediately fix them” to “firecracker time” with a few “take it out to the range” thoughts mixed in.

It would seem I was not the only Kill Bill fan.

What resonated with me were a few comments that had more than one of the following elements:

• Take a break and set the model aside
• Return to it when you have a better mindset
• Fix it if it is worth it
• Otherwise chuck the model as it is unlikely to ever be finished

I wonder what percentage of oopses are caused by rushing? Oh sure, there is getting manly with the model until the the dreaded “SNAP” sound that divides a part in two (or more) pieces. Butter fingers and inattentive ‘edge of the table’ plunges have got to figure as well. But I think it is rushing that causes most of these problems.

Which is why those first two points make sense. Actually, considering the finesse we often require in this hobby, taking a walk and coming back is sound advice throughout the build process. With a cooler mindset we see problems differently. So yeah – Slow down, cool off, take a break and come back with a better mindset. Hell, with the right mindset even a complete paint strip of a model that took weeks to paint is not that big a deal.

Just keep repeating that as you reach for the Simple Green.

Most oopses never move past those two considerations. But sometimes that little oops is actually a major issue that is not so easily resolved. I admit, that the suggestion of chucking the model seems harsh. However, let’s be pragmatic. Even if it is possible to do a nice fix, will it be attempted within the next two to three business years? Those pushing for “chuck the model” said it is far more likely the model will be finished if it is fixed immediately. The longer it sits, the more likely it never comes back. I can attest to that.

Oh boy, can I ever attest to that.

Chucking the model might seem wrong but does it make sense to shelf it for decades while you proceed with happier and healthier building experiences? Then again, at the time of the event, what might look like a catastrophic mistake or an insurmountable build challenge may merely be an oops as you increase your skills with more and more builds under your belt.

Last Thing

As with every other aspect of this hobby, there is no ‘correct’ way to deal with an oops, mistake or catastrophic loss. It is all up to you and how you find satisfaction with building plastic models. I’d love to hear your thoughts on this.

I try to keep going in order to finish the build and the shelf queens to a minimum. But I have been known to throw in the towel now and then.

And sometimes I get my revenge when a model wrongs me.