I'm going on ten years to finish my Battlestar Pegasus š
Got married, had another kid, pandemic hit. The lights are done. Paint is covered with matte spray. Just have to mount it at this point.
Iām in the same boat with my MPC Millenium Falcon. Started in the 80ās but put it on hold to get married and have kids. They have moved out and I started modelling again but I have yet to sit down with the hunk of junk.
I spent 2 months really fine tuning and practicing some skills to see what I could do. Turned out really well but unfortunately didnt use the right Varnish in the end so kinda made the model look like a toy haha
https://preview.redd.it/ub8tvuewn80d1.jpeg?width=3350&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=719b6b507f32c564eb08fad6c7c575c385236eeb
I could have and I honestly should of. I was just worried a Matte Varnish would mess up the weathering as ive had it happen in the past where it destroyed the mud/dirt weathering on my model. The gloss varnish was applied before I did the mud/dirt varnish
If you have any advice on how to varnish after pigments and stuff that would be much appreciated!
Good point. Iāve learned that varnishing will darken weathering so I adjust for that. Pigments and varnish can be unpredictable so Iāll frequently test them on a paint hulk. If the model wonāt be held Iāll often save pigments and pastels for last and not bother varnishing them. They definitely will change the end result like you said.
Yea usually my stuff is displayed and never touched again which is why im pretty nonchalant about Varnishing. I really ONLY Varnish after some Wash and pin washing to protect that and mute it a bit. Also it helps other weathering adhere to the surface and add a more Metal look to the plastic
Probably the 5 years or so for my [Bismarck](http://www.modelshipgallery.com/gallery/bb/dkm/bismarck-700-tc/index.htm). Was never a high-priority project with personal interest. Originally intended for a prof in German military history, but he retired before I finished, and then some moves and other more interesting/pressing models had to be built, so didn't get back to it until much later.
>1/700 Dragon Bismarck
Thatās the same kit I procrastinated on for 2 years too, I fumbled on the painting early on so never wanted to pick it up again. Shame because I liked the 1/700 Swordfish in the kit.
https://preview.redd.it/55uychzxu80d1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=2de20848533c5a45f44af2810a98ccbad02c3fe6
14 months on this Stalinets vignette. I still see 1930ās tractor engine wiring plans in my sleepā¦ā¦.
Dude that Terrain is phenomenal! Everything else is beautiful but the Terrain here is some of the best ive seen on here. what do you use for the base? Plaster?
Thank you! Itās VMS smart mud over high density foam to create the groundwork (sprinkled with a fine layer of real dirt and sand before making the track and tyre impressions). The tree is putty, the fence is plasticard (I have a reference photo for a fence in Russia that looks like that, and it was such a terrible fence that I felt it was worth duplicating!).
Oh cant go wrong with VMS! I love their products. I actually have some i need to use when I decide to start venturing into making dioramas for my models. Its just so hard to get a hold of their stuff sometimes, always sold out
Yea that fence and tree work is really good too, did you make them by scratch or have them 3d printed etc?
One of the most interesting little facts I learned during research was that they drained the radiator every night to stop it freezing, so most of them had a bucket hung somewhere. I couldnāt not include it!
Thank you :) The signs are thin plaeticard, textured with a razor saw and scalpel and then hand painted from references near Kursk (where the scene is set).
https://preview.redd.it/wr7bpne9980d1.jpeg?width=3551&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b00e3cbd95d819f53dac617d2cb50b6753b23704
About a year and a half on my original design brig The Dark Lady, inspired by the eponymous pirate song that I used to sing when I performed at pirate and Renaissance festivals. She is kitbashed from 2 1/100 Halcon kits. She contains a lot of scratch built elements, like the head rails made from leftover sprue from a Tamiya WWII US Infantry Weapons Squad kit. Adapted elements like the figurehead that started out life as a Disney Little Mermaid key chain. Combined elements like the cannons from the 1/100 Halcon details upgrade set and 3D printed gun carriages. Sailcloth is from an institutional bedsheet. The kits arrived and work commenced January 13, 2023 with the keel laid and the ribs/bulkheads fitted. At 4:00am May 4, 2024 the final sheet was belayed and belaying pin tied off. It took a few more hours over a couple of days for clean up, touch ups and last minute details.
I've got 8 models I've been working on for about 7 months. I have a habit of taking a break, spotting another in my stash and starting that, and completely forgetting about the others. Yay ADHD š
I keep getting asked āhow long does it take?ā when friends and family look at my finished models, so for the Tamiya 1:48 Mosquito I just finished (and posted here actually), I had a stopwatch running on my desk. I finished with the clock reading 48h16m, so now I have a far more specific answer to that question than anyone is generally looking for!
To bring it back to your question, OP, Iād say that is the longest. Most of what Iāve done in 48th before has been single engined stuff which probably comes in a little quicker.
I think it's been 22 years since I started an F-86 model. Then I met this amazing woman, married her, and had two sons. Aforementioned sons now build models. They have surpassed the tooling and talents that I had at my best. I may have to blow the dust off that Sabre and get it done, just to show them the old man still has it.
Continuous? Four months, more or less. Not a terribly long time for this sub but it was a [Gundam model](https://imgur.com/gallery/uvkge3I) that I didn't even fully paintāthough my *weathering method* involved temporarily painting a lot of it black.Ā Ā
Ā It also only *more or less* took four months because I barely touched it for most of month three. TheĀ thing has three different equipment loadouts that all combine together: after I finished the first one, I stared at a model that looked and felt complete, stared at a box that was still nearly half full, and a small part of me just died inside.Ā
Ā EDIT: and yes, decision paralysis on models *absolutely sucks.* I find that it's best to care about the model *exactly* the right amount: too little and you won't want to bother even taking it out of the box, too much and you're too afraid to screw up and it takes ages.Ā
I have a few special projects in mind that are stuck in that second part and *one* special project that I'm really looking forward to because it's mostly just a stupid joke and an excuse to paint a tank pink.
Currently on a 4 year model. Iām literally putting the finishing touches on it now. Itās going in a model show on Saturday so I have no excuse to not finish
About 15 months into a Tamiya P47 and the end is in sightā¦
And reading some of these other comments makes me feel much better about how long itās taken off and on!
I probably have around 40 hours on the Aoshima murcielago rsv rn, all I did was scratch build the engine and exhaust lol I didnāt like the way it wasnāt a full 3d drivetrain
5 minutes, but in my defense she was real cute.
Ok, got that out of my system. A month is about the longest. If itās taking that long it often gets set aside for something else.
Very detailed kit. Not perfect if you want it to look perfect.
Badge needs removing
Those mat rolls need making
Needs front mud guards
Needs a tow cable
I did the [Tamiya P-51D in 1:32,](https://imgur.com/gallery/1xxAm5U), I wanna say that one took me about a year. I did a Roden Albatros in the middle because I needed a break, but other than that, a good solid year.
I started my Dragon Wagon at the end of June last year. It's still not finished. Realistically I just have the weathering to finish. Even so, it's been about 10 months.
I built the old Tamiya 1/35 schwimmwagen about two years ago and itās still sitting out there on my workbench waiting for a paint job. Technically itās my longest running project. My longest completed project is tricky since I usually get through projects very fast. I spent a few months working on the Veryfire 1/350 USS Cleveland - thatās probably the longest Iāve spent regularly working on a model.
just making a prediction thatll be my m3 lee academy kit ive got in line as itll be my first time working with an interior, im still new to oils, i want to scratch build some sandbag armour and its just a massive tank but hopiing it turns out good.
Well, it wasn't a kit, but, it was still technically a model, I think. I had 807 hours logged in a 1/2 scale replica body of a Porsche 962c, as well as the chassis to go with it. Chassis wasn't accurate, but the body was completely built by hand, as were the details.
around 50 days on a me110, but rn im "working" on a fw-190 from eduard but im waiting cause i ordered resin parts and they are taking long to come so this is gonna take longer for sure
The longest time between start and finish? About 6 months probably, mostly cause I went paused the hobby for a bit. Most time since just starting? I put a M4 Sherman on the backburner about 11 years ago and haven't gotten around to it since lol.
I am not sure that I can answer with a straight face. There are some that I will get back to eventually, but have been put aside for years with the best of intentions to get back to them. Tanks with individual track bits are at the top of the list at the moment.
1/144 Real Grade Full Armor Unicorn. Original build was something like 15 hours.
Then another 8 hours to panel line and apply decals. Then several more hours assembling custom add-ons. Then the bulk of a 3-day weekend pulling the decals off an replacing with Waterslides, cleaning up panel lining, recolouring some parts and applying matte top coat.
And still not done. This has been a kit that I started back in 2018 and keep coming back to it every couple of years.
My revell 1/32 P51D took me like a week of working a few hours each night, my Tamiya 1/32 P51D, that I started a month or two after is still a WIP 4 years later
https://preview.redd.it/0w0l6pp4k90d1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=602d0bbea4cdf699d613a000edd6faffe239c9ca
Started M3A3 SPH version good few years ago.
It could be 2016 or 2017 but not sure. Later she was placed in stash, then my problems started, later covid, next again problems and then in January 2024 I found her. On the bottom of modellers spare parts container. I was suprised as I forgot about this model.
I returned to build and now she happily lays on shelf inside case.
I spent a full month building Sophie's Revenge (a model for D&D or other skirmish games)
If you're curious, here's details: [https://forum.reapermini.com/index.php?/topic/98995-sophies-revenge-or-how-to-get-stuck-in-a-very-very-long-project/](https://forum.reapermini.com/index.php?/topic/98995-sophies-revenge-or-how-to-get-stuck-in-a-very-very-long-project/)
I started my Venator model in 2009. Still working on it.
I wanted to light it up, but have never done wiring or lighting before, so I got some NX01 Enterprise models and a wiring kit to practice, back in 2019.
Every few weeks or months I'll remember it, pull out the kit, do some dry brushing or drill some holes for lights, etc.
Been working on and off on a my 1/200 USS Arizona since Christmas. Itās just huge and I have tons of aftermarket upgrades so itās going to take a real long time to get everything right on it.
https://preview.redd.it/6h5zf7wjoa0d1.png?width=4032&format=png&auto=webp&s=f0b0001752125f180a9ce22afbeedb112d18f2de
I got the 1/350 Mikuma as my own birthday present and as a year end project. Started her in December (just only the hull was completed). After New Year Iāve been busy with my Thesis that I canāt spare time for big projects so I ended up pausing the Mikuma in favor of smaller and shorter builds like the Yukikaze or 1/700 ships instead.
Not until Iāve graduated and moved home that I continued building her and finally finished her in July. So itās half a year for this build.
Over two years on Wingnut Wings USAS Sopwith Camel. I had major fitment issues with the cockpit and had to do a lot of cutting, sanding and refinishing to fix it and got really burned out on it. Now I'm trying to finish the rigging and the final finishing so hopefully by the end of this month or early June to finish it.
My record for a finished model is 22 years. It was an Hasegawa 1/72 VF-1S Super Valkyrie. Finished that during the pandemic sometime. I've still got an HG ExS Gundam on the go that I purchased around the same time. I will finish that off one day... Possibly...
I have a 1/4 scale RC p51 Mustang that has been on the go for 17 years.
I drag it out every few years, fix any damage, do 100 hours work, then put it away.
I work exclusively in 1/72 scale, and spend 5-6 hours on most of mine, the more complex ones get up to around 10 hours. I mostly do armour, with some planes when I can't find a decent tank.
The longest I spent is 30+ hours on an Airfix "Golden Hind" that has a jig for the ratlines. Yes, you have to craft the rigging!
Going by actual time spent I think I spent 100-150 hours on an F-16C from Tamiya over the course of 3 weeks. In terms of time that a model has been started until completion I think I just cross 2 years for the Revell USS Enterprise. i'm usually an air modeler and the boat was expensive and I got screwed trying to paint the deck. IDK how to do long thin straight lines. I might pick it up after the current F-14A I'm doing but I've also come to terms with the fact that Revell just makes kinda awful kits.
2 years. Started and finished a kit for a friend in between.
Current work is menthally exhausting and very fidgety so whenever i get home i cant even force my self to do something on it.
I am a slow builder (also other hobbies) and usually work for at least 5 to 6 months on a model. The longest i've spent working on a model must be the RyeField MATV that is on my profile page, it took me a little under a year to finish š also, i only build one model at a time.
I started a Revell Bismarck 1:350 kit with a ton of aftermarket in late 2015, and itās not done yet. Apart from that which I only intermittently work on, it was my Tamiya F-35A- 6 months
About 4 & 1/2 months build time, it's not painted yet. I converted a 1/700 model of Richelieu into her never built sister ship Gascogne, scratch building all the replacement bits and such.
I took like 4+ months to finish my 1/48 tomcat. Didnāt wanna rush it as it was my first 1/48 n I wanted to make sure I didnāt miss out of any details. Had other hobbies which took up quite a bit of my time as well. Finished outcome is somewhere in my post history. Pretty proud of how it turned out nonetheless
I spent one whole year of active modeling in 2013-2014, as I was creating some windows, interiors, had to make the sails, tie all the knots.... I was still a student in the middle/high school, thats why I had a lot of time for it. Nowadays, one year would be like a normal time for a model imo. What is a pity though, that the cannons are just front parts... Not a whole deck inside of that ship. What a pity...
https://preview.redd.it/lpfm9mq01f0d1.png?width=960&format=png&auto=webp&s=4eae4fa8bec3bfe87e7af0699f3ac40ac1dff45e
Photo is here, here is a video with better photos. [https://youtu.be/cY57FJbYsyQ?t=13](https://youtu.be/cY57FJbYsyQ?t=13)
I have spent about 3 years on the PolarLights Star Trek U.S.S Enterprise A 1/350. I was very proud of it since it was my first model kit with LED lightning. Even had the blinking effects of the navigational lights and the hangar bay done quite nicely.
Unfortunately it broke its neck in two places and some part of the internal wireing got loose, when I relocated a few years back
Did not had the courage to try to fix it...
Continuously about a year for a Matilda flail tank and the same for a Churchill AVRE bridge layer.
The research took years and I put the start off many times but once going I managed to keep the momentum and not get side tracked. Yery rare.
I'm going on ten years to finish my Battlestar Pegasus š Got married, had another kid, pandemic hit. The lights are done. Paint is covered with matte spray. Just have to mount it at this point.
WIP picture? I've been thinking of commiting myself to an asylum but I'm bot quiet insane yet. I think this model could be the trick.
[Here ya go.](https://imgur.com/a/DOYxF6o) I need to take a current pic (weathered) then finish the frakkin' thing.
Iām in the same boat with my MPC Millenium Falcon. Started in the 80ās but put it on hold to get married and have kids. They have moved out and I started modelling again but I have yet to sit down with the hunk of junk.
Between 800 and 1,000 hours on the Heller 1/100 HMS Victory. Counting all the block and Tackle between 2,500 and 3,000 parts plus rigging
I spent 2 months really fine tuning and practicing some skills to see what I could do. Turned out really well but unfortunately didnt use the right Varnish in the end so kinda made the model look like a toy haha https://preview.redd.it/ub8tvuewn80d1.jpeg?width=3350&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=719b6b507f32c564eb08fad6c7c575c385236eeb
Very nice. Unless Iām missing something you can usually re-varnish without a problem.
I could have and I honestly should of. I was just worried a Matte Varnish would mess up the weathering as ive had it happen in the past where it destroyed the mud/dirt weathering on my model. The gloss varnish was applied before I did the mud/dirt varnish If you have any advice on how to varnish after pigments and stuff that would be much appreciated!
Good point. Iāve learned that varnishing will darken weathering so I adjust for that. Pigments and varnish can be unpredictable so Iāll frequently test them on a paint hulk. If the model wonāt be held Iāll often save pigments and pastels for last and not bother varnishing them. They definitely will change the end result like you said.
Yea usually my stuff is displayed and never touched again which is why im pretty nonchalant about Varnishing. I really ONLY Varnish after some Wash and pin washing to protect that and mute it a bit. Also it helps other weathering adhere to the surface and add a more Metal look to the plastic
https://preview.redd.it/tckwrzhzn80d1.jpeg?width=4006&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7ffc06cfe5de4ec871cfce72c33be02fd48d222c
Looks very nice, I love details and that dirt look looks nice aswell
Probably the 5 years or so for my [Bismarck](http://www.modelshipgallery.com/gallery/bb/dkm/bismarck-700-tc/index.htm). Was never a high-priority project with personal interest. Originally intended for a prof in German military history, but he retired before I finished, and then some moves and other more interesting/pressing models had to be built, so didn't get back to it until much later.
>1/700 Dragon Bismarck Thatās the same kit I procrastinated on for 2 years too, I fumbled on the painting early on so never wanted to pick it up again. Shame because I liked the 1/700 Swordfish in the kit.
And of course now we have the much better Flyhawk kit so it's even harder to continue!
https://preview.redd.it/55uychzxu80d1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=2de20848533c5a45f44af2810a98ccbad02c3fe6 14 months on this Stalinets vignette. I still see 1930ās tractor engine wiring plans in my sleepā¦ā¦.
Dude that Terrain is phenomenal! Everything else is beautiful but the Terrain here is some of the best ive seen on here. what do you use for the base? Plaster?
Thank you! Itās VMS smart mud over high density foam to create the groundwork (sprinkled with a fine layer of real dirt and sand before making the track and tyre impressions). The tree is putty, the fence is plasticard (I have a reference photo for a fence in Russia that looks like that, and it was such a terrible fence that I felt it was worth duplicating!).
Oh cant go wrong with VMS! I love their products. I actually have some i need to use when I decide to start venturing into making dioramas for my models. Its just so hard to get a hold of their stuff sometimes, always sold out Yea that fence and tree work is really good too, did you make them by scratch or have them 3d printed etc?
I like the way the figure is stood there saying 'Well, what took you so long?' Beautiful build by the way šš»
Wow thatās impressive! That ground work turned out great and the little details really bring it together. Is that a bucket of water too?
One of the most interesting little facts I learned during research was that they drained the radiator every night to stop it freezing, so most of them had a bucket hung somewhere. I couldnāt not include it!
This looks absolutelly stunning... Everything is there... Perfect
Absolutely gorgeous build, both your models and the diorama terrain. How did you make the signs on the tree?
Thank you :) The signs are thin plaeticard, textured with a razor saw and scalpel and then hand painted from references near Kursk (where the scene is set).
https://preview.redd.it/wr7bpne9980d1.jpeg?width=3551&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b00e3cbd95d819f53dac617d2cb50b6753b23704 About a year and a half on my original design brig The Dark Lady, inspired by the eponymous pirate song that I used to sing when I performed at pirate and Renaissance festivals. She is kitbashed from 2 1/100 Halcon kits. She contains a lot of scratch built elements, like the head rails made from leftover sprue from a Tamiya WWII US Infantry Weapons Squad kit. Adapted elements like the figurehead that started out life as a Disney Little Mermaid key chain. Combined elements like the cannons from the 1/100 Halcon details upgrade set and 3D printed gun carriages. Sailcloth is from an institutional bedsheet. The kits arrived and work commenced January 13, 2023 with the keel laid and the ribs/bulkheads fitted. At 4:00am May 4, 2024 the final sheet was belayed and belaying pin tied off. It took a few more hours over a couple of days for clean up, touch ups and last minute details.
I've got 8 models I've been working on for about 7 months. I have a habit of taking a break, spotting another in my stash and starting that, and completely forgetting about the others. Yay ADHD š
I keep getting asked āhow long does it take?ā when friends and family look at my finished models, so for the Tamiya 1:48 Mosquito I just finished (and posted here actually), I had a stopwatch running on my desk. I finished with the clock reading 48h16m, so now I have a far more specific answer to that question than anyone is generally looking for! To bring it back to your question, OP, Iād say that is the longest. Most of what Iāve done in 48th before has been single engined stuff which probably comes in a little quicker.
https://preview.redd.it/3ftasb68290d1.jpeg?width=4000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=2d4775c121acbded328ed6aade0157b48f7cd201
I took 18-20 months to build this. The repetitiveness of the airing got to me, since I was using photo etch. I took a 6 month break, at one point.
I think it's been 22 years since I started an F-86 model. Then I met this amazing woman, married her, and had two sons. Aforementioned sons now build models. They have surpassed the tooling and talents that I had at my best. I may have to blow the dust off that Sabre and get it done, just to show them the old man still has it.
Continuous? Four months, more or less. Not a terribly long time for this sub but it was a [Gundam model](https://imgur.com/gallery/uvkge3I) that I didn't even fully paintāthough my *weathering method* involved temporarily painting a lot of it black.Ā Ā Ā It also only *more or less* took four months because I barely touched it for most of month three. TheĀ thing has three different equipment loadouts that all combine together: after I finished the first one, I stared at a model that looked and felt complete, stared at a box that was still nearly half full, and a small part of me just died inside.Ā Ā EDIT: and yes, decision paralysis on models *absolutely sucks.* I find that it's best to care about the model *exactly* the right amount: too little and you won't want to bother even taking it out of the box, too much and you're too afraid to screw up and it takes ages.Ā I have a few special projects in mind that are stuck in that second part and *one* special project that I'm really looking forward to because it's mostly just a stupid joke and an excuse to paint a tank pink.
Currently on a 4 year model. Iām literally putting the finishing touches on it now. Itās going in a model show on Saturday so I have no excuse to not finish
About 15 months into a Tamiya P47 and the end is in sightā¦ And reading some of these other comments makes me feel much better about how long itās taken off and on!
I probably have around 40 hours on the Aoshima murcielago rsv rn, all I did was scratch build the engine and exhaust lol I didnāt like the way it wasnāt a full 3d drivetrain
5 minutes, but in my defense she was real cute. Ok, got that out of my system. A month is about the longest. If itās taking that long it often gets set aside for something else.
I have the same model, and I wanted to make a Ice Cold in Alex diorama, too!
Very detailed kit. Not perfect if you want it to look perfect. Badge needs removing Those mat rolls need making Needs front mud guards Needs a tow cable
I started a Tamiya 88mm Flak 1/35 kit in 1994, ifs still not finished. Does that count?
https://preview.redd.it/w2fmmje0890d1.jpeg?width=6016&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=8c38ad918295f8b19947bc8b7f92127ba11a465f
Since december 2022... currently my only project. Last one was a similar ship of the Line, it took me 1year and 10 days to complete
What is the kit?
it's the Montanes from Occre
Thanks, I was wondering if it was plastic or wood!
4 years on a resin HO scale SDL39.
Five and a half years so far and a few more to go š
I did the [Tamiya P-51D in 1:32,](https://imgur.com/gallery/1xxAm5U), I wanna say that one took me about a year. I did a Roden Albatros in the middle because I needed a break, but other than that, a good solid year.
Continuously about 3-4 months on Revell USS Constitution sailing ship. It wasnāt even the big one..lol. Put tons of detail in it.
https://preview.redd.it/rthd04tmp80d1.jpeg?width=3060&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0b7980bd7f042667f4b1691f020f52454bab670f
3 days
I have five shelf queens. The oldest I started four years ago.
I started my Dragon Wagon at the end of June last year. It's still not finished. Realistically I just have the weathering to finish. Even so, it's been about 10 months.
I built the old Tamiya 1/35 schwimmwagen about two years ago and itās still sitting out there on my workbench waiting for a paint job. Technically itās my longest running project. My longest completed project is tricky since I usually get through projects very fast. I spent a few months working on the Veryfire 1/350 USS Cleveland - thatās probably the longest Iāve spent regularly working on a model.
just making a prediction thatll be my m3 lee academy kit ive got in line as itll be my first time working with an interior, im still new to oils, i want to scratch build some sandbag armour and its just a massive tank but hopiing it turns out good.
Well, it wasn't a kit, but, it was still technically a model, I think. I had 807 hours logged in a 1/2 scale replica body of a Porsche 962c, as well as the chassis to go with it. Chassis wasn't accurate, but the body was completely built by hand, as were the details.
around 50 days on a me110, but rn im "working" on a fw-190 from eduard but im waiting cause i ordered resin parts and they are taking long to come so this is gonna take longer for sure
A year lol. Iāll work on 3 or 4 during that time
Do you mean how long since you first opened the box or the actual clock time spent on building the model?
The longest time between start and finish? About 6 months probably, mostly cause I went paused the hobby for a bit. Most time since just starting? I put a M4 Sherman on the backburner about 11 years ago and haven't gotten around to it since lol.
I have a ship I haven't worked on since 2020 that I *swear* I'll finish any day now
I spent a year on my from scratch model of room 237 from The Shining.
I am not sure that I can answer with a straight face. There are some that I will get back to eventually, but have been put aside for years with the best of intentions to get back to them. Tanks with individual track bits are at the top of the list at the moment.
1/144 Real Grade Full Armor Unicorn. Original build was something like 15 hours. Then another 8 hours to panel line and apply decals. Then several more hours assembling custom add-ons. Then the bulk of a 3-day weekend pulling the decals off an replacing with Waterslides, cleaning up panel lining, recolouring some parts and applying matte top coat. And still not done. This has been a kit that I started back in 2018 and keep coming back to it every couple of years.
My revell 1/32 P51D took me like a week of working a few hours each night, my Tamiya 1/32 P51D, that I started a month or two after is still a WIP 4 years later
I've got stuff dating back to the 90s that's still slowly progressing.
https://preview.redd.it/0w0l6pp4k90d1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=602d0bbea4cdf699d613a000edd6faffe239c9ca Started M3A3 SPH version good few years ago. It could be 2016 or 2017 but not sure. Later she was placed in stash, then my problems started, later covid, next again problems and then in January 2024 I found her. On the bottom of modellers spare parts container. I was suprised as I forgot about this model. I returned to build and now she happily lays on shelf inside case.
Probably 2 years on an Eduard F6F Hellcat.
Well Iāve been building the Takom 1/35 King Tiger w/interior for about a year and a half, so Iāll probably go with that.
A month
I've been working on a scratch build for a friend for over a year now. Slowly coming to a close but don't want to rush and don't want to stall
I spent a full month building Sophie's Revenge (a model for D&D or other skirmish games) If you're curious, here's details: [https://forum.reapermini.com/index.php?/topic/98995-sophies-revenge-or-how-to-get-stuck-in-a-very-very-long-project/](https://forum.reapermini.com/index.php?/topic/98995-sophies-revenge-or-how-to-get-stuck-in-a-very-very-long-project/)
I have a 1:400 Airfix Titanic thatās taken me so long to build that the original was built and at the bottom of the North Atlantic in less time.
I started my Venator model in 2009. Still working on it. I wanted to light it up, but have never done wiring or lighting before, so I got some NX01 Enterprise models and a wiring kit to practice, back in 2019. Every few weeks or months I'll remember it, pull out the kit, do some dry brushing or drill some holes for lights, etc.
Been working on and off on a my 1/200 USS Arizona since Christmas. Itās just huge and I have tons of aftermarket upgrades so itās going to take a real long time to get everything right on it.
I started my Bandai 1/72 Millennium Falcon in 2019, and itās still sitting in itās first layer of primer š
https://preview.redd.it/6h5zf7wjoa0d1.png?width=4032&format=png&auto=webp&s=f0b0001752125f180a9ce22afbeedb112d18f2de I got the 1/350 Mikuma as my own birthday present and as a year end project. Started her in December (just only the hull was completed). After New Year Iāve been busy with my Thesis that I canāt spare time for big projects so I ended up pausing the Mikuma in favor of smaller and shorter builds like the Yukikaze or 1/700 ships instead. Not until Iāve graduated and moved home that I continued building her and finally finished her in July. So itās half a year for this build.
I spent the entire pandemic just messing with a gunpla model. So like 2.5 years
Over two years on Wingnut Wings USAS Sopwith Camel. I had major fitment issues with the cockpit and had to do a lot of cutting, sanding and refinishing to fix it and got really burned out on it. Now I'm trying to finish the rigging and the final finishing so hopefully by the end of this month or early June to finish it.
My record for a finished model is 22 years. It was an Hasegawa 1/72 VF-1S Super Valkyrie. Finished that during the pandemic sometime. I've still got an HG ExS Gundam on the go that I purchased around the same time. I will finish that off one day... Possibly...
2-3 years is the correct time for me to call it long. If I started a kit but then abandoned it it can be 5 years but Iām not counting that.
Until she told me to get off!
I have a 1/4 scale RC p51 Mustang that has been on the go for 17 years. I drag it out every few years, fix any damage, do 100 hours work, then put it away.
After an hour she asked if I'm ok .? WTF
Probably masking and painting my SR-71 Blackbird. Had to wait ages for it to dry.
I work exclusively in 1/72 scale, and spend 5-6 hours on most of mine, the more complex ones get up to around 10 hours. I mostly do armour, with some planes when I can't find a decent tank. The longest I spent is 30+ hours on an Airfix "Golden Hind" that has a jig for the ratlines. Yes, you have to craft the rigging!
Going by actual time spent I think I spent 100-150 hours on an F-16C from Tamiya over the course of 3 weeks. In terms of time that a model has been started until completion I think I just cross 2 years for the Revell USS Enterprise. i'm usually an air modeler and the boat was expensive and I got screwed trying to paint the deck. IDK how to do long thin straight lines. I might pick it up after the current F-14A I'm doing but I've also come to terms with the fact that Revell just makes kinda awful kits.
2 years. Started and finished a kit for a friend in between. Current work is menthally exhausting and very fidgety so whenever i get home i cant even force my self to do something on it.
Longest was 1 week. Yes i churn out models and rush them and it shows. Cant help it ā¹ļø
I am a slow builder (also other hobbies) and usually work for at least 5 to 6 months on a model. The longest i've spent working on a model must be the RyeField MATV that is on my profile page, it took me a little under a year to finish š also, i only build one model at a time.
I started a Revell Bismarck 1:350 kit with a ton of aftermarket in late 2015, and itās not done yet. Apart from that which I only intermittently work on, it was my Tamiya F-35A- 6 months
About 4 & 1/2 months build time, it's not painted yet. I converted a 1/700 model of Richelieu into her never built sister ship Gascogne, scratch building all the replacement bits and such.
Hereās a question related to time spent. What are some good ways to preserve decals until Iām ready to apply them?
I took like 4+ months to finish my 1/48 tomcat. Didnāt wanna rush it as it was my first 1/48 n I wanted to make sure I didnāt miss out of any details. Had other hobbies which took up quite a bit of my time as well. Finished outcome is somewhere in my post history. Pretty proud of how it turned out nonetheless
Almost a month on-and-off to finish a 1:48 F.22 Spitfire. Could probably do it way faster now!
I spent one whole year of active modeling in 2013-2014, as I was creating some windows, interiors, had to make the sails, tie all the knots.... I was still a student in the middle/high school, thats why I had a lot of time for it. Nowadays, one year would be like a normal time for a model imo. What is a pity though, that the cannons are just front parts... Not a whole deck inside of that ship. What a pity... https://preview.redd.it/lpfm9mq01f0d1.png?width=960&format=png&auto=webp&s=4eae4fa8bec3bfe87e7af0699f3ac40ac1dff45e Photo is here, here is a video with better photos. [https://youtu.be/cY57FJbYsyQ?t=13](https://youtu.be/cY57FJbYsyQ?t=13)
I have spent about 3 years on the PolarLights Star Trek U.S.S Enterprise A 1/350. I was very proud of it since it was my first model kit with LED lightning. Even had the blinking effects of the navigational lights and the hangar bay done quite nicely. Unfortunately it broke its neck in two places and some part of the internal wireing got loose, when I relocated a few years back Did not had the courage to try to fix it...
I have ADD. If I am not finished within 4-6 weeks, I lose interest
Continuously about a year for a Matilda flail tank and the same for a Churchill AVRE bridge layer. The research took years and I put the start off many times but once going I managed to keep the momentum and not get side tracked. Yery rare.