While washing the dishes this morning, my mind wandered (as it does during domestic tasks like this) to some more ponderings on competitions, which in part has been promted by Amateurfetlers last post for the year (and then the one after that).
If you have a look at the competition rules (to be found here) there is a distinction drawn between scratch built and kit built, I guess because they require different skill sets. To be in the scratch built category 50% of the model must be hand made from basic materials. My question was ; Where does this put CAD/laser cut models. If someone is going to sit down and do the work on a computer then is this still hand crafting? and whats the difference between using this technique and making a master by hand to make a mould to cast 10 or so (Note that the rules define a kit as a set of parts commercially available, so if you make 10 for yourself from a mould is it a kit?).
What are everyone else's opinions on this?
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8 comments:
My feeling on kits vs scratchbuilt is that if you designed the kit and the masters then, when you build the kit it's scratchbuilding!
Use of CAD is in the same category as use of a fretsaw - it's a skill not all of us have and the spark of inspiration is all in the drawer's mind.
Maybe they need to look at starting some new categories with all this new technology coming into the hobby .
I feel Cad/laser etc and hand crafting should be in separate categories .
While they are all working towards the same end there is vastly different paths getting there and should be judged accordingly .
I am in now way saying one way is better than the other just that they are different skills needed to produce a finished model .
As for moulding 10 for myself is it a kit ? No way if you made the master/ mould and they are for yourself .
I would assume a kit is anything I buy from someone else to assemble into a complete model (i.e not components).
As for the "Is CAD/CAM work scratchbuilding?" question, who can tell. I can only assume my J5 is streets ahead of any other J5 anyone else has done in the scale by hand, but marking at competitions should reflect the extra effort the handbuilt model needs to move it to completion.
However, there also needs to be some reflection on the skill needed to use the CAD/CAM tools, as it can still be done badly.
Who is going to be first to test the competition judging?
I believe that this isn't a new question and that it was tested (in respect of producing masters rather than CAD) a good 30 years ago.
I understand the NZAMRC revised the competition rules a few years ago, after some soul searching & reflection - perhaps it is time to suggest they be revisited, in light of the technology advances in materials & techniques - i.e how are RP parts/whole units etc to be judged against those which have been anciently fettled from a solid brass bar ??
Especially from the perspective of TTn3.5 models, this subject may well be one to muse further on at the Convention SIG.
There may well be some overseas jurisdictional guidance available, as presumably, for example, NMRA in the US, and the 7 MM Society etc in the UK (& maybe the Oz, European associations etc) have already opined on these aspects as they impact on quality of models & judging.
if you designed the masters and then either cut them out by computer or hand cut them from stock material then they are scratch built. if you buy them or get a machine to build them then they are a kit? i'm using more and more computer aided design to get better and better models. i still have to do a lot off manual building to complete them.
This is an interesting take on the subject - clearly how the 75% is produced (hand crafting or CAD) is not of interest under the AMPS ruleset. http://www.amps-armor.org/ampssite/contestRules.aspx
Category VIII, Scratchbuilt: A "Scratchbuilt" model is defined as a model where no more than 25% of the finished model consists of commercial model kit components. Aftermarket accessories are considered to constitute part of the 25% of kit components. It is the responsibility of the modeler to provide the judges with details of the scratchbuilding work he has done on the entry.
I've been impressed with the minimal CAD stuff I've done and my hacking things out of styrene is paling in comparison on the straightness and squareness fronts.
But you're still scratchbulding as far as I'm concerned. Just another tool like the lucky beggers (not us) who have had drill presses and milling machines to make straight edges and round holes all these years...
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