How do you prioritize your RC builds?

[burakol 462]

My brain is somewhat scattered right now... I amassed new kits since the pandemic and I’ve only built 2 new kits so far (a ReRe Manta Ray and Terra Scorcher)... I still have at least 4 in the lineup that I haven’t started, but in between starting a new build, I’ve also been to tinkering with the cars I already built... My OG Hotshot and my TT01/2 cars... It sure feels it is never ending... At the moment I bought a few hopups for the TT02 but now my brain is telling I should have also bought other parts for any future builds... Im also considering buying a few more ESCs and Receivers but not sure if I need them at this time... Somewhere in me is also suggesting that I need to stock some parts that im not even sure I would use like ball connectors and various pinions sizes in .06 module... I guess my question is, how do you guys organize your thoughts when it comes to this hobby? 

Do you focus on one specific build/chassis, buy or stock up on hop ups for it, complete it, then move to the next one? or do you do things simultaneously? 
 

for the past 3 weeks during the holiday break, i havent really done anything except ordered some parts but I’ve just been waiting for them... and the more i wait, the more things cross my mind... 

 

[speedy_w_beans 4272]

Least-effort projects see attention sooner than the longer, more drawn-out projects.  Seeing results makes me feel like I'm getting more done. 

[toyolien 4660]

@burakol I can sympathise with you on this one. I'm exactly the same. I tend to collect parts for a build, then another, then maybe a third. Then I'll build the first one up to the point of painting the body. Then It's usually set aside while I start another. Sometimes I'll see one project through right to the end (Like my Wild Willy 2).

However, these days I'm not hard on myself about it. It's all fun, and I enjoy every moment I spend messing with Tamiyas. It's like a never ending child hood. 

In 1987 when I was 10, my folks bought me a Boomerang. The following year a Midnight Pumpkin. Then a Manta Ray started my racing years. That was all thanks to my Dad, who passed away last year. So, now, when ever I'm working on a car, I think of him.

So, I wouldn't worry about an order in which to build kits. I'd just enjoy your time doing/thinking about Tamiya.

[87lc2 2659]

Agree with @speedy_w_beans I usually just do whatever is easiest/most convenient at the time so I can feel like I accomplished something.  If I only have an hour or two, mounting a new set of wheels/tires on a model or painting a new body makes me feel more accomplished than only getting a small piece of a custom chassis done or a piece of a longer, more drawn out project.  Lately since the birth of my first daughter it seems I only get an hour or two in the shop if I'm lucky so some of my more involved projects have sat for ages...

With the limited time I have anymore, I really need to have a plan for when I get some time to myself or I just end up getting overwhelmed and either dont get anything done or waste time on something stupid.  I tend to be ambitious and have mutliple projects going on at once in different stages and without kids that was fine, I could be out in the shop all day, but that's just not the case anymore.  There are times I need to remind myself that I do this for my enjoyment and it's a hobby, otherwise I start getting frustrated that I can't get as much done as I used to.  

[Dakratfink 965]

I’ve never had more than one unbuilt kit for this to be a problem. 
static models on the other hand. I have unbuilt kits from before my dad passed in 2011 still in my closet ( shrink wrap broken of course ) 

[DeadMeat666 1675]

Honestly I think that the process of arranging/organizing your builds/spare parts/hopups is part of the fun of this hobby. Not to say that I'm nearly as organized as I need to be to avoid wastefully ordering too much of something, or even multiples of something by mistake (more often than I'd like to admit lol), but there are nights where I just go through my parts boxes and just take stock of what each item is and where it belongs. I try to keep one box for miscellaneous parts, and then put model-specific parts in the box for that model so that they are in the most 'logical' place when I go looking for them.

As for builds, if it makes you feel any better, I have bought 12 kits in the past 12 months (I started at zero). Now I have 13 kits in various states of completion, the 13th being a TT02 I made completely from spares. Of those 13, I have 3 complete runners, and 10 in various states of completion, none that are NIB, so it's chaotic in my closet 

I've stopped getting new kits for the time being and I focus on.... NOTHING IN PARTICULAR! I just take out a kit every once in a while according to what I fancy, work on it, snap a few pics, and then put my stuff away.

It's not a job, it's a hobby, so don't sweat it because then you'll be missing the point: fun.

[Fabia130vRS 2098]

Its a individual calculation of „how much work is there“ and „how long has this been waiting“

[Mad Ax 9306]

I break my workload down into five broad categories:

• Workshop (quick)
• Workshop (slow)
• Paint
• Studio
• Indoor

Workshop (quick) is something that really needs to be done in the shop, but can be done quickly.  Like changing a servo on a mud-encrusted scaler or adjusting touring car suspension on the setup deck.  I sometimes do things like this on a spare evening.  Pre-paint prep often comes under this heading if it involves sanding.

Workshop (slow) is shop stuff that is a few hours to a few days.  Like, making a new chassis or making a winch bracket.  Something that requires a lot of tools to come out and a lot of mess to be made.  At the start of the pandemic my wife and I agreed we would each have one full day off every week, so I get to spend every Sunday in the workshop doing these longer projects, it's about the only thing keeping me sane.

Paint - that's obvious, something I can only do when the temp and humidity is right and the paint bench is clear.

Studio - designing decals, setting up Beier systems, programming Arduinos, sometimes I'll do soldering here too as I can sit down and watch TV at the same time.

Indoor - building NIBs, adding hopups to clean cars, that sort of thing.  At the start of the pandemic I had a big stack of NIBs and I've bought more through the year, but my stack is looking painfully thin - I don't have much left to build.  I generally do an hour or two on a Saturday while I'm looking after my daughter but that adds up to a lot of NIB time over the year.  I'm not sure what I'll do when I run out!

[Grumpy pants 4453]

I try and focus on just one model at a time as I’m so slow at getting anything finished.

Otherwise I just end up with more mess and less activity 😂

[burakol 462]

Thank you for all the responses... I think that's what makes this hobby, a "hobby" after all... I know to each is to their own and there is no right or wrong approach to this... I just have to remind myself sometimes that I have to stay within my boundaries and do go above and beyond my head... keep it simple and don't overcomplicate things... as most of you have said, enjoyment is the key... I think taking it slowly and having a plan in mind helps as well... with 3 young kids, and another one coming in June, finding a hobby helps in maintaining sanity as what @Mad Ax shared... 

Apart from RC cars, I've also been longing for the longest time to build my own HO scale train set but we just don't have the space in our home for it at the moment... 

[87lc2 2659]

10 minutes ago, burakol said:

Apart from RC cars, I've also been longing for the longest time to build my own HO scale train set but we just don't have the space in our home for it at the moment... 

I would love to do an HO or N scale layout as well, but same as you no suitable place at the moment.  It would be a great winter time activity.  My father is a huge train nut and has a quite large G scale garden layout which is nice, but the smaller scales let you cram a lot more into a small space.

[burakol 462]

59 minutes ago, 87lc2 said:

I would love to do an HO or N scale layout as well, but same as you no suitable place at the moment.  It would be a great winter time activity.  My father is a huge train nut and has a quite large G scale garden layout which is nice, but the smaller scales let you cram a lot more into a small space.

and I got some old school Aurora Slot cars that I've been meaning to integrate with the train layout... 

uughh.. too much ideas... I guess this what happens when one didn't really get the chance to enjoy such luxuries of life during their childhood... 

[El Gecko 1343]

21 hours ago, burakol said:

and I got some old school Aurora Slot cars that I've been meaning to integrate with the train layout... 

uughh.. too much ideas... I guess this what happens when one didn't really get the chance to enjoy such luxuries of life during their childhood... 

You should! I just set up an old HO train layout on my basement floor the other night and used the Aurora track as "streets" with the railroad crossover piece.

And I agree, too many ideas and not enough time!

[Alwb68 125]

I went through a phase of collecting vintage cars I wanted , then it was buying the missing parts for those cars, then it was the multiple chassis stage, due to all the spares I amassed. Now I’ve slowed down on the buying, I’ve been building everything up. But I’ve left all the bodywork and painting so I have about 18 cars to finish. But I’m looking forward to being at a point where I can focus on finishing specific cars, some should be fairly straight forward others are more of a challenge. As long as they all get done or I decide I want to move them on. I’ve also reached a point where I want to start selling on the old spares and bits I really don’t need. I might actually see some money coming in, hurrah !!! To spend on another car ???