Hi All,
Just couldn't resist putting my oar in!!!.
In the beginning I built from kits and maybe made a few extra bits myself to make mine different or better, not scratch building.
As my skills and knowledge grew and my finances allowed, I built up a very nice workshop, with lots of lovely 'toys' as my wife calls them, to play with.
No matter what 'stuff' I had, I had to learn how to use them. Courses, help from some wonderful and skilled modellers, who are no longer with us, practice and hard work brought rewards and now I am happy to teach newcomers those hard won skills. Now a retired Engineering and Design and Technology teacher, I continue to learn and attempt to make things that will keep my brain sharp and my interest high.
I am a 'Scratch-builder' and proud of it, I enjoy finding subjects, boats usually, that no-one has done before, which often means that the parts needed cannot be bought, anywhere. As a result I have embraced all aspects of our wonderful hobby and learnt even more new skills as technology moves along. Long gone are the Casein and animal glues of my past and now we have Cyano-acrylates and so on, the wooden block planes along with their Record and Stanley newcomers now sit unused near the planer machine and the router. I've even built a Pole- lathe to turn wood and soft metals, but a shiney new Myford sits in its place.
I now make the patterns and cast in Resin the parts I need if more than a couple are needed, I will make a tool to turn handrail parts and I have taught myself how to etch parts as well. Still everything I do is original to me, I do the research, the drawings, the patterns and make the whole thing by dint of my own skill and work....That is Building from Scratch.
Also on my workbench is a Prusa i3 3D printer, which I researched how to make, bought all the bits for (and made some) and made myself. I had to buy a Drawing program and the Idiots guide on how to use it as well as the Slicer (G. Code programs) and I have spent the last 3 years on and off teaching myself how to use it, like I did with my Etching stuff and my Milling machine. When I actually manage to get a drawing right I produce some nice parts, which invariably become the masters for a resin mould. Now I think that is 'Building from Scratch as well'
None of this is any big deal, I do what I enjoy and so do hundreds of others out there, don't knock them, there are building from scratch as far as they can as well, besides its all fun, no matter how you do it, long may it all last.
Ron.