2022 AGM Wagon build competition categories

[Eastsidepilot]

Being a 'professional builder' does not always give you an advantage, I've seen scratch builds beaten by kit builds ! because the voters probably weren't judging the skill involved !

 

[Michael Osborne]

Having queried the definition of the tank wagon in the last competition a couple of years ago when I had a chemical tank that looked exactly like a petrol or oil tank which was scratch built by myself, I didn't enter that particular time. I have entered other times without any success but at times I wonder whether it is worth the hassle.

Like Ian I tend to scratch build as much as I can mainly because I am a hopeless kit builder, and I am building at present a hopper wagon. But I will not be entering this next competition. I hope the organisers sort out and make things a lot more clearer.

 

[Michael Osborne]

Perhaps we should call it home produced instead of scratch building ?

 

[Eastsidepilot]

To answer your question, Mike, I don't know. Very nice of you to class me as a "Professional Builder" I don't think I'm in that category. I'm a retired Marine Engineering Officer who makes models that sometimes people buy.

But If I use my lathe to turn a loco boiler from thick tube or alternatively I could 3D print the boiler the result is the same and I have used a machine to accomplish the task either way. The definition being used would mean that all parts would have to be made by hand with no mechanical assistance at all. That means no lathe, mill rolling bars and no bought in items. If that is the case then that is fine the definition of "Scratch Built" is that. If the Definition of "Kit Built" is manufactured form a kit that is commercially available. That is fine. But coming back to my original question if the item does not fall into either of these categories ie a personal project that is not commercially available, and never will be, but has been produce with some mechanical "assistance" in its build where does it sit. It currently does not fit into either of the two categories. if people don't think that it is "Scratch Building" fine and its not a "Commercially Available kit" what is it?

Marc

It's a tough one Marc, I know, and each of us are going to have different opinions on this I suppose.
I trained as a Carpenter & Joiner and my generation (I'm 65) were probably one of the last to be able to set out, cut and assemble sliding box sash's, doors, windows and cut roof timbers by hand from raw materials, as the decades have gone by the trade has been diluted so now a site carpenter just fixes the the windows into an aperture the windows having been made in a factory by CAD machines whilst the roof is pre-factory made trusses, basically a kit, stood up on the plate and fixed,
The skill has gone out of it and I can see this happening with model making, so this is why I see a need to re-define scratch building to try and maintain the skill element, that's not to say that CAD is not a skill, just a different one and coming back to your original question ? .... I don't know maybe we need another category for 'CAD designed' models as apposed to 'traditional scratch'
I look forward to seeing your model in the competition at the AGM.

Col.