Topic: Model Failure

[AlchemistiD]

Got any interesting stories about models that just didn't make it?  C'mere and share them!

Mine comes from elementary school.  One christmas (I think I was in third or fourth grade at the time) I got a detailed model of Qo'noS One from STVI.  Being knee-high to a grasshopper, I didn't really get the whole model kit thing, and was just looking for something to play with.  My mother worked as a nurse on the night shift, and kept telling me to wait and we'd put it together when we could buy some glue. 

Now, needless to say, a third grader has many things.  Including energy, imagination, and tons of free time.  But one thing third graders are almost never blessed with an abundance of is patience.  I wanted to hold that sucker in my hands, and I'd be damned if I was going to let something as mundane as a lack of glue get in my way.  Fortunately, mom always seemed to leave lots of rolls of Transpore surgical tape lying around the apartment, the stuff was everywhere.

Use your imagination.  XD

I immediately considered it the single most genius idea I had ever come up with, and pulled an all-nighter with it. 

The next day my family thought far less of the aftermath of my epiphany.

But I'll give it this.  That Transpore-taped behemoth lasted a hell of a long time spent in the hands of a sugar and caffeine'd up kid with ADHD.  When I put tape on something, it damn well stays together.

[TAnimaL]

I'll share my story, but first, a moment... you were in 3rd grade after ST6... I feel sooo old...

My experience was with the first AMT models of the TOS 1701. As anyone can attest, it was a simply model, until it came to the engine struts. Those things would NEVER hold the engines up. I attached the engines, and they drooped. I tried again, and they drooped again. Using the logic of a 10-year old, I decided to try more glue. LOTS of glue. AT which point I discovered that model glue works by melting the styrene. I tried that model 3 times, with no success. A couple of years later the ST Tech Manual came out (yes, this was THAT long ago), so I took a hacksaw to the remains and made some pretty decent Franz Joseph DDs out of them. Kinda wish I still had them. I do still have the 3-ship AMT TOS mini 1701, D7 and Warbird I successfully built back then - they went together well and withstood some rough playing.

Just this weekend I bought my son the Art Asylum 1701-E I found on sale. Yeah, it's cool that it has sound and lights up, but it just slid from the box, all finished... It's just not the same.