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RIP Shunsaku Tamiya, the man who made plastic model kits a global obsession

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Re: RIP Shunsaku Tamiya, the man who made plastic model kits a global obsession

#81

Post by prmoustache »

JKCalhoun wrote: post #4

When I grew up I would spend hours looking through all the plastic model kits at the local hobby store. I just loved building plastic models. I never mastered painting them. The most advanced I got was rattle-can style spray paints — maybe masking a bit for a camouflage or what-have-you. Only when I got older and got back into plastic model building did I make the leap to air-brushing and really finishing models corr…

I built 3 1/18 scale models (2 of them being Tamiya one) in my teenage years but objectively:

- unless you go 1/45 which is less enjoyable to build, it doesn't scale well (pun intented) given the room needed to store your finished models.

- it is quite an expensive hobby

As an adult living in couple, you need either to have your "hobby cave" or a comprehensive partner. Scale models are nice for nerds who like them, but it makes your living room look like a toy store.

Re: RIP Shunsaku Tamiya, the man who made plastic model kits a global obsession

#82

Post by 7thaccount »

Loughla wrote: post #77
hibikir wrote: post #70

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What is amazing is how much the modeling tech has improved. A modern warhammer model is much bigger and better not just than in the 80s or 90s, but even 110 years go. The painting experience is also much better. As for Gundam, the improvements in detail in assembly makes Games Workshop's models look bad and expensive. An amazing attention to the building experience. Even cheap HG model made this year would look like…

I know it's a mistype, but thinking of Warhammer and Gundam existing in the first world war is amazingly hilarious to me. >Dear Mother, I've grown a reputation among the men in my regiment as being both fearless and introspective. I never hesitate to go over the top, even when Jerry is close enough that we can smell him. But also the men are impressed with the play of light and shadows that I am able to accomplish on…

This is hilarious. I'm glad they left the typo there.

Re: RIP Shunsaku Tamiya, the man who made plastic model kits a global obsession

#83

Post by hydrogen7800 »

In my early teen years while I was into RC cars, someone gave me a Tamiya TA02 kit [0] that they gave up on/lost interest in. This kit loved to eat spur gears because of a design flaw in the gearbox that wasn't rigid enough to contain the gear loads, and it wasn't very fast compared to the Losi XX I also had.. However, the TA02 was more about scale reproductions than race performance. Tamiya also made the Clodbuster[1] which had legendary status in my time, with 4 wheel steering and 2 motors, specifically the one with the trailing arm/chassis modification kit which extensively revised the stock kit. Anyone who had one at the local track received a lot of attention. I still have the TA02 in my garage, but with an E46 M3 body instead of the IMSA Nissan 300Z it came with.

[0]https://tamiyabase.com/tamiya-models/58144 [1]https://tamiyabase.com/tamiya-models/58065

Re: RIP Shunsaku Tamiya, the man who made plastic model kits a global obsession

#84

Post by pengaru »

louthy wrote: post #25

In the 80s I had the Tamiya Grasshopper [1], which was the greatest remote control car ever (opinion). I remember attaching three battery packs (instead of the standard one)—to make it drive at roughly 8 billion miles per hour, in the process ripping the tyres to shreds and pretty much ruining the car—because it couldn’t turn without flipping several thousand times. Still, for those initial few seconds, it was glorio…

> In the 80s I had the Tamiya Grasshopper [1], which was the greatest remote control car ever (opinion).

Did you never graduate to the rc10?

Re: RIP Shunsaku Tamiya, the man who made plastic model kits a global obsession

#85

Post by chrisweekly »

JKCalhoun wrote: post #4

When I grew up I would spend hours looking through all the plastic model kits at the local hobby store. I just loved building plastic models. I never mastered painting them. The most advanced I got was rattle-can style spray paints — maybe masking a bit for a camouflage or what-have-you. Only when I got older and got back into plastic model building did I make the leap to air-brushing and really finishing models corr…

Similar experience; building model planes was one of my favorite activities for several preadolescent years.

Re: RIP Shunsaku Tamiya, the man who made plastic model kits a global obsession

#86

Post by jabl »

mediumsmart wrote: post #41
rightbyte wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I never mastered painting them. It was really hard to paint with these old oil based paints if you are as old as me or older. I struggled with that too. The water based one sold by e.g. Games Workshop I bought years later was way easier to work with.

I used to make the ww2 models as a teenager and loved painting them with the oil paints (you need the right brand but I can’t remember the name). I got really good at weathering them using the watered down paint cleaner/thinner that runs into the folds and produced tiny cracks in the paint and then drybrushing lighter colors over areas. I know I got it right because a shop in England selling those Tamiya models would…

> I used to make the ww2 models as a teenager and loved painting them with the oil paints (you need the right brand but I can’t remember the name).

I had a conversion chart for Revell, Humbrol, and Tamiya colors (which were the ones around when I was building models as a kid). It was good enough for me. Perhaps if you were really good or picky about the exact color it wouldn't do.

Re: RIP Shunsaku Tamiya, the man who made plastic model kits a global obsession

#87

Post by ColinEberhardt »

louthy wrote: post #25

In the 80s I had the Tamiya Grasshopper [1], which was the greatest remote control car ever (opinion). I remember attaching three battery packs (instead of the standard one)—to make it drive at roughly 8 billion miles per hour, in the process ripping the tyres to shreds and pretty much ruining the car—because it couldn’t turn without flipping several thousand times. Still, for those initial few seconds, it was glorio…

I had a car from the same era, the Boomerang, similar in style but 4WD:

https://randomcompetitions.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/...

Absolutely loved that car, used it for hours and hours every week. The best 'toy' I ever had (other than my Amiga A500!).

Re: RIP Shunsaku Tamiya, the man who made plastic model kits a global obsession

#88

Post by louthy »

ColinEberhardt wrote: post #87
louthy wrote: post #25

In the 80s I had the Tamiya Grasshopper [1], which was the greatest remote control car ever (opinion). I remember attaching three battery packs (instead of the standard one)—to make it drive at roughly 8 billion miles per hour, in the process ripping the tyres to shreds and pretty much ruining the car—because it couldn’t turn without flipping several thousand times. Still, for those initial few seconds, it was glorio…

I had a car from the same era, the Boomerang, similar in style but 4WD: https://randomcompetitions.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/... Absolutely loved that car, used it for hours and hours every week. The best 'toy' I ever had (other than my Amiga A500!).

I have to admit—even though I loved the Grasshopper—I did lust after the Boomerang!

Re: RIP Shunsaku Tamiya, the man who made plastic model kits a global obsession

#89

Post by louthy »

pengaru wrote: post #84
louthy wrote: post #25

In the 80s I had the Tamiya Grasshopper [1], which was the greatest remote control car ever (opinion). I remember attaching three battery packs (instead of the standard one)—to make it drive at roughly 8 billion miles per hour, in the process ripping the tyres to shreds and pretty much ruining the car—because it couldn’t turn without flipping several thousand times. Still, for those initial few seconds, it was glorio…

> In the 80s I had the Tamiya Grasshopper [1], which was the greatest remote control car ever (opinion). Did you never graduate to the rc10?

I’d probably moved on to skateboarding

Re: RIP Shunsaku Tamiya, the man who made plastic model kits a global obsession

#90

Post by lmpdev »

spython wrote: post #66
lmpdev wrote: post #46

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I sell modern Chinese ones I have to often explain to customers after a certain price point (for me ~$200+ AUD) you have to turn the speed trim pot down for it to be enjoyable at all Similar to what Gran Turismo 7 players have realised with EV “Vision” Cars - car enjoyment greatly diminishes with speed after a certain point - instead of plateauing No-name Chinese build quality is actually a lot higher than I’d’ve ant…

Which one would you recommend for a novice?

Unironically for a beginner the Tamiya Grasshopper is still fantastic value

Otherwise if you just want something Ready to Race just whatever is cheapest and most available in your area

Don’t be suckered into a $200-600+ RC car until you’ve beaten up something cheap - same advice I imagine drone enthusiasts give

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