'31 Days' Contest Rules, Info, and Questions

[FichtenFoo]

If I can do it in 10, you guys can do it in 31.  Our next contest is a speed-build. Take the next month to gather your supplies, kits, materials and ideas. Then on February 21, 2009 we start building. Tools down on March 23rd, 31 days later.

Da Roolz:

• You can build and enter anything EXCEPT Bandai Gundam or Gundam kits in general. Let's face it, who can't build one of those in a month. They're too easy and really won't push anyone to try new things and expand their skills. Any other kit in any other scale is fine.
• You cannot start before 2/21/2009
• You must take images, no matter where you are of your project and display them for the 3/23/2009 deadline. Call it a "Hall of Fame" or "Hall of Shame".
• Kit must have a base. Not a piece of clear acrylic or a wooden plaque. No, make an actual scene-type base. Dirt, water, concrete, whatever. Be creative!
• You must show a dated image of your unstarted kit and materials as proof of not cheating. Be creative on how you accomplish this.
• Must show final images by Noon EST March 24th.

That's it. What's the point in this you might ask? Well for one our contests have started to drag on and on and on and without proper motivation you guys just procrastinate and don't finish. I and others have found that trying to push yourself like this keeps your motivated. Also you guys are still stuck on Gundam. I like it too, but you're not expanding your skills. Doing something else will make you learn new things and help you be a better modeler whether you go on to other subjects or back to Gunpla.

Plus it's for fun. Enjoy this and go crazy! It's cold out, what else you gonna do?

Glory awards for fastest GOOD build, most complex, and best vertical use of small footprint base. Fit as much as you can, nicely, on as small a display as you can. Go up! Perhaps there will be a prize or two at the end but the real rewards are the satisfaction in completion and expanding your skillset.

Questions, coments, etc below...

[chaos_theory]

... What's the point in this you might ask? Well for one our contests have started to drag on and on and on and without proper motivation you guys just procrastinate and don't finish. I and others have found that trying to push yourself like this keeps your motivated.

Monoracer...

This sounds fun. I will try to enter but I'm really focused on my X2 build. We'll see how things are progressing and how burnt out I am closer to the start date.

[AnatoleFarmond]

This is really interesting, and though I've yet to pump anything out for this site, I think that this would really push me to create soemthing with a deadline, no matte how good or bad the final results are. I'm actually really interested in this so I have a few questions.

1. Using PARTS from bandai gundam kits on the finished model?
2. Is there a size limit for the base? because making it all constrained onto a single sized base would be a bit of a challenge.
3. Are we allowed to start the planning process now, as long as we don't touch the parts?

[FichtenFoo]

This is really interesting, and though I've yet to pump anything out for this site, I think that this would really push me to create soemthing with a deadline, no matte how good or bad the final results are. I'm actually really interested in this so I have a few questions.

1. Using PARTS from bandai gundam kits on the finished model?
2. Is there a size limit for the base? because making it all constrained onto a single sized base would be a bit of a challenge.
3. Are we allowed to start the planning process now, as long as we don't touch the parts?

1: Parts from kits are fine. If you can scratch in 31 days, go for it... otherwise OOBs and minor mods are the way to go.

2: No size limit, but try to keep it close to the kit size. We were discussing a size limit of no more than 1 inch "border" of the subject's footprint. So say you have a car that's 4x6" then you could do a 6x8" base but put the car anywhere on it... corner, center, etc... But we decided against that in the end.

3: Yes, plan, design, purchase, etc... just don't start constructing anything yet. No cutting, gluing, sprue removal, base building, etc... The exception would be a custom decal order which needs to be done sooner to have them ready for the start date. But that's more "designing" than constructing I think.

[FichtenFoo]

... What's the point in this you might ask? Well for one our contests have started to drag on and on and on and without proper motivation you guys just procrastinate and don't finish. I and others have found that trying to push yourself like this keeps your motivated.

Doing something like this might be a great mental health break!

Monoracer...

This sounds fun. I will try to enter but I'm really focused on my X2 build. We'll see how things are progressing and how burnt out I am closer to the start date.

[AnatoleFarmond]

1: Parts from kits are fine. If you can scratch in 31 days, go for it... otherwise OOBs and minor mods are the way to go.

2: No size limit, but try to keep it close to the kit size. We were discussing a size limit of no more than 1 inch "border" of the subject's footprint. So say you have a car that's 4x6" then you could do a 6x8" base but put the car anywhere on it... corner, center, etc... But we decided against that in the end.

3: Yes, plan, design, purchase, etc... just don't start constructing anything yet. No cutting, gluing, sprue removal, base building, etc... The exception would be a custom decal order which needs to be done sooner to have them ready for the start date. But that's more "designing" than constructing I think.

Thanks for the speedy reply, FF.
I doubt I can scratch in 31 days, however, I do have a german wagerwagon and motorcycle kit that haven't even been taken out of the box, and since I figured your answer to three would be what it was, I was thinking about making a centipede-ish walker tank, but it that all depends, I may just do OOB with minor detail parts added, and focus mostly on the base. I'm trying to stay away from getting over-ambitious and treating this more like I HAVE to get it done, but still have fun with it.

[mtomczek]

Fantastic! I was waiting for this to get posted.  I am quite excited for this.

Now, what do I want to do..... 

[fulcy]

Fantastic! I was waiting for this to get posted.  I am quite excited for this.

Now, what do I want to do..... 

1/35 scale gundam!

[Lin.K]

Can I apply for Hall of Shame now please? 

Oops, let that internal monologue out again.  This is a great idea and definitely keen to get stuck in.

[nico]

Interesting it could kick my lazy ass. :lol:Actually I'll be in alps for one week during marsh. But you did one in 10 days so...

[mtomczek]

Fantastic! I was waiting for this to get posted.  I am quite excited for this.

Now, what do I want to do..... 

1/35 scale gundam!

In 31 days?! Probably not, besides no Gundam allowed for this one. :)

[clee-cm]

1/35 scale gundam!

 hehehe....

  Your funny...

Sorry, no 1/35 gundam projects for a while, I bit off way more than I can chew in one year, that's for sure...

I agree with Matt, no gundams

[GlauG]

This sounds like the excuse I need for making my Junchoon or Aaliyah. >_>;  I feel kind of bad for not touching either, but there's always a Gundam I've been wanting to finish first. 

[FichtenFoo]

Yeah, Gundams are not allowed in this compy. Consider this comp a boot camp of sorts getting you into a new mindset and into learning new tricks and even time-saving methods. I learned a lot with my 10 day build... usually I wait a day between steps for curing, but with the Hardboiled I did everything in a day or 2. Really taught me a few things.

As for me, I'm torn between a few kits. There's my Bandai Swordfish II, but that might be too easy as it's a bandai kit. There's also a Gasaraki Ishtar or Shinden I could do which based on the Raiden are full of seams to fix and figure out. But again, it's Bandai. So I might just build my Akuyaku #1 (Bad Guy #1) tank from Tasca/Miyazaki instead. We'll see.

[FilmMkr]

Why don't you build a girl kit?  Like this one with Karen and So-Ran, for example - they've got mechanical parts:

'31 Days' Contest Rules, Info, and Questions

'31 Days' Contest Rules, Info, and Questions

[FichtenFoo]

Hmmm... actually I have several girl kits in my stash that I forgot about. One is a huge DOA Kasumi bending over fig that was given to me as a gift and the other is a girl in a pumpkin dress thingy which I thought was cool. One of those could work as well. Thanks Filmy!

PS: Those look fantastic! Love the neon orange hair.

[clee-cm]

   A girl kit sounds like a good idea, I have one resin kit sitting in the closet waiting to be built.

[FilmMkr]

If you guys will actually build something other than a "just another robot", I'll commit to this little challenge!

[FilmMkr]

Maybe I'll build one of those gay-ass walking tank doodahs! 

[chaos_theory]

Maybe I'll build one of those gay-ass walking tank doodahs! 

HEY! I resemble that remark... wait wat. 

Lotsa legs. Sexy mechanical legs...