The Worst Instructions

[Rheged]

Like that toilet paper you used to get at school...

My mum used to buy that.  We never did find out why she hated us so but when we all moved out she switched to the soft stuff.

Yea, but it was dual purpose as well. Could always be used as grease proof paper for wrapping the old man's sandwiches in for lunch. Hopefully before being used for its intended purpose 

Several of my former pupils used it as tracing paper when the official supplies ran out!

[Weaver]

My Arma Hobby TS-11 Iskra bis DF comes with only one lump, on the right side. This breech/ammunition feed housing, along with the gun fairing & barrel are attached separately. So mine can be built without the gun, if I wish.

The kit is described as a "Junior Set" but is, actually, a rather nicely moulded kit with slightly deep panel lines (which I think will be fine once paint is applied) & a nicely detailed cockpit for the scale (1/72).

The instructions look pretty good, too.

As far as I can tell, it's the same plastic as the fancy, expensive boxings, just with the resin, PE and huge decal sheet left out. Certainly shows you how much of the price of a kit is in things other than the plastic, doesn't it?

[NARSES2]

Like that toilet paper you used to get at school...

My mum used to buy that.  We never did find out why she hated us so but when we all moved out she switched to the soft stuff.

Yea, but it was dual purpose as well. Could always be used as grease proof paper for wrapping the old man's sandwiches in for lunch. Hopefully before being used for its intended purpose 

Several of my former pupils used it as tracing paper when the official supplies ran out!

Ah, tracing paper. Is it still in use by today's generation of youngsters ?

[Pellson]

The difference between mainstream kit producers instructions and short(er) run producers can be entertaining. Look at these, f.i. The first is Italeri's lovely ex-Esci F-104G and the second KP's MiG-15UTI. Where the former maxes out at about three actions per picture, the latter is a one-step slap-bang story with quite a lot of guesswork when it comes to the exact positioning of most of the interior. Or fit and fret, as we say..





In all fairness, the care taken when making the instructions seems to bear some resemblance to the moulding process too, but nevertheless, dry fitting indicates that also the fat little MiG will build up to a rather nice little model. Eventually, and if my skills are with me..

[Weaver]

Of course, producing those lovely diagrams is a non-trivial exercise in technical drawing, performed by a skilled individual who requires to be paid a non-trival sum of money in return. The ability to do the latter is why big companies can produce the former and small companies often can't.

Now these days you might well be able to generate the instructions from the CAD files used to design the kit in the first place, but even that requires a professional with considerable skill.

[The Rat]

Ah, tracing paper. Is it still in use by today's generation of youngsters ?

When we moved back to Canada in 1962 I returned to school, and one of the first days back we were told that we would be using 'onionskin paper' for copying pictures. Never heard that before. Yes, it was tracing paper. Weird mob over this side of the pond.

[scooter]

Ah, tracing paper. Is it still in use by today's generation of youngsters ?

When we moved back to Canada in 1962 I returned to school, and one of the first days back we were told that we would be using 'onionskin paper' for copying pictures. Never heard that before. Yes, it was tracing paper. Weird mob over this side of the pond.

Must be an old Canuckism, because we called it "tracing paper" when I was in grade school in New Jersey in the late 70s, and we still call it tracing paper today.

[Joe C-P]

I have bought some ship kits from Old Glory.  Their Ironclad era are good, but do not come with any instructions.  We have to find pictures of the ship to figure out what goes where.

[NARSES2]

I have bought some ship kits from Old Glory.  Their Ironclad era are good, but do not come with any instructions.  We have to find pictures of the ship to figure out what goes where.

I think that's  the first time I've heard of a kit coming with no instructions at all 

[Steel Penguin]

a great many of the small wargames companys dont give instructions, ok if you know what your doing or have a good set of referances, nightmare if you dont, especialy when some of the parts have a veryable level of QC and shrinkage.... shiver... 

[zenrat]

As with electronics, it won't be long before they realise they can save money by not putting in paper instructions and just directing us to a website.