CODE 3 JUST MAKE IT ALREADY !

I wouls still like to see a Crown snorkel or tiller... there are so much cool rigs they could di with the crown mold, but it just wanished from the face of the earth....

Smat

Location: Europe

Larry Phillips has hit the nail squarely on the head about kit bashing and kit bashers. There are a bunch of excellent kit bashers out there whose work is rarely seen in any forum. This may be due to a number of factors but oddly enough I believe many are secretive about their work because they believe it's just kid's stuff, screwing around with toy fire engines and the like. For years my mother and brothers believed that about my work but when I built a Boulder, CO. Pierce Tower for my mother last Christmas, that all changed. Their first reaction was "There's no fire truck like that in Boulder". That all changed when they discovered that indeed there was a rig just like that in Boulder, complete with a CU Buffalo Mascot on the sides of the ladder. Now I enjoy their full support and pride in what I build.
And the point is that kit bashing is not a solo endeavour. The greatest reward I've received from kit bashing is the number of new friends I've made. It'a not a competition, it's a group effort and a team sport. I'm constantly soliciting advice from other kit bashers and freely giving of my own advice as well. I'm continually challanged to build better pieces and pay more attention to detail. At some point a kit basher realizes that what's being created is not a toy but rather a work of art.
Just 'cause it's not a painted "pitcher" or a rock sculpture or "none of that fancy toe dancin' " does not mean it ain't art!
If you're an experianced kit basher or perhaps a newbie, get some support! Ask for help, show your stuff around on the net, visit local fire stations and show your work. If the local fire department has an office, offer to display your pieces there for all to enjoy. Much of my collection is at the Utah Firefighters Museum as well as a few fire stations around Salt Lake. Making my home a museum is not one of my goals and I'd rather have my work scattered all over Salt Lake and for that matter, in the hands of collectors all over the world.
One last word here. A lot of kit bashes are posted on various forums and albums on the net and for the most part, I refrain from commenting on them in public, good or bad. But I will sent personal emails to the builders and I will be happy to offer whatever advice and comments on work whenever I can. I'm fond of saying "My builds are expensive but my advice is free". Bottom line is that I'd much rather see a kit basher grow in their skills than to build myself. If I could make a living just teaching, I'd be utterly content with my life. But make no mistake, I'm loving kit bashing and the opportunities it has offered me.

Location: SLC, UT.

I couldn't agree more with Mike Adam's comments. Both kit bashing like Mike does, and model building like Charlie Rowley are art forms in the purest sense of the word. In fact work like theirs is more of an art form than some of the 'paintings' I see at art galleries near my home that are praised and priced beyond common sense. I have never had the priviledge to see Mike's work in person, but I am fortunate to have several of Charlie's models in my collection and to me they are better than any Rembrandt or Piccaso.
To me that is one of the great things about this hobby, to see fire apparatus that I love reproduced in miniature by artists with the same appreciation for these magnificant machines.

Location: Coral Gables, FL

Hey Larry (P), sent you an email.