Kitbashing
Encyclopedia
Scale model
A scale model is a physical model, a representation or copy of an object that is larger or smaller than the actual size of the object, which seeks to maintain the relative proportions of the physical size of the original object. Very often the scale model is used as a guide to making the object in...
is created by taking pieces out of commercial kits. These pieces may be added to a custom project or to another kit. For professional modelmakers
Model maker
A model maker is a professional craftsperson who creates a 3 dimensional representation of a design or concept. Most products in use and in development today first take form as a model. This "model" may be an exacting duplicate of the future design or a simple mock-up of the general shape or concept...
, kitbashing is popular to create concept models for detailing movie special effects. Commercial model kits are a ready source of "detailing", providing any amounts of identical, mass-produced components that can be used to add fine detail to an existing model. Professionals often kitbash to build prototype parts which are then recreated with lightweight materials.
For the hobbyist, kitbashing saves time that would be spent scratch building
Scratch building
Scratch building is the process of building a scale model "from scratch", ie. from raw materials, rather than building it from a commercial kit, kitbashing or buying it pre-assembled....
an entire model. Hobbyists may kitbash to create a model of a subject (real or imaginary) for which there is not a commercial kit.
Although it has a long history, kitbashing came to the attention of a wider public via the fine modelwork seen in TV series such as Thunderbirds
Thunderbirds (TV series)
Thunderbirds is a British mid-1960s science fiction television show devised by Gerry and Sylvia Anderson and made by AP Films using a form of marionette puppetry dubbed "Supermarionation"...
and the films 2001: A Space Odyssey
2001: A Space Odyssey (film)
2001: A Space Odyssey is a 1968 epic science fiction film produced and directed by Stanley Kubrick, and co-written by Kubrick and Arthur C. Clarke, partially inspired by Clarke's short story The Sentinel...
and Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope
Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope
Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, originally released as Star Wars, is a 1977 American epic space opera film, written and directed by George Lucas. It is the first of six films released in the Star Wars saga: two subsequent films complete the original trilogy, while a prequel trilogy completes the...
. Many of the spaceship models created for these programs incorporated details from tank, speedboat and car kits. Another example is the Tumbler from the 2005 film Batman Begins
Batman Begins
Batman Begins is a 2005 American superhero action film based on the fictional DC Comics character Batman, directed by Christopher Nolan. It stars Christian Bale as Batman, along with Michael Caine, Gary Oldman, Liam Neeson, Katie Holmes, Cillian Murphy, Morgan Freeman, Ken Watanabe, Tom Wilkinson,...
, as seen in the special features disc of the film's DVD.
Sometimes source kits are selected primarily due to kit quality, and sometimes because a kit closely resembles the desired model result. Kitbashing is common in sci-fi modeling.
It is not uncommon for parts to be cut and filed into shapes leaving gaps that are later filled with putty
Putty
Putty is a generic term for a plastic material similar in texture to clay or dough typically used in domestic construction and repair as a sealant or filler. Painter's Putty is typically a linseed oil based product used for filling holes, minor cracks and defacements in wood only...
. Although a model with putty often looks unprofessional at an early stage, careful painting can completely hide defects. Textural details known as greeble
Greeble
A greeble or nurnie is a small piece of detailing added to break up the surface of an object to add visual interest to a surface or object, particularly in movie special effects. They serve no real purpose other than to add complexity to the object, and cause the flow of the eye over the surface of...
s may be added to enhance a model.
A popular venue for kitbashing is diecast emergency vehicles such as fire apparatuses. Kitbashers frequently utilize models from manufacturers such as Code 3 and Corgi. The kitbash in such cases can be as simple as painting or redecaling a model, or as complex as tearing the model down and adding scratch-built components, followed by custom decals.
The UK wargames manufacturer Games Workshop
Games Workshop
Games Workshop Group plc is a British game production and retailing company. Games Workshop has published the tabletop wargames Warhammer Fantasy Battle and Warhammer 40,000...
actively encourages kit-bashing with its own products (although it considers use of other company's products to be a violation of its intellectual property
Intellectual property
Intellectual property is a term referring to a number of distinct types of creations of the mind for which a set of exclusive rights are recognized—and the corresponding fields of law...
) to create 'conversions' for its Warhammer Fantasy Battle
Warhammer Fantasy Battle
Warhammer: The Game of Fantasy Battles is a tabletop wargame created by Games Workshop. It is the origin of the Warhammer Fantasy setting....
and Warhammer 40,000
Warhammer 40,000
Warhammer 40,000 is a tabletop miniature wargame produced by Games Workshop, set in a dystopian science fantasy universe. Warhammer 40,000 was created by Rick Priestley in 1987 as the futuristic companion to Warhammer Fantasy Battle, sharing many game mechanics...
games. Over recent years their model designers have made an effort to make kits compatible with each other to make this easier for modelers (a good example of this is the Fantasy Orc and 40,000 Ork ranges, which are entirely compatible with each other, allowing modelers to mix and match to create interesting and distinctive looking models for their forces).
An important aspect of kitbashing in model railroading is the reconfiguration of structure kits, most often to fit the geometry of a specific space. Walls can be shortened or lengthened, and/or corner angles changed to fit a given location on the layout. Another application is to use the wall parts to create a "flat", or shallow relief model to be displayed against the backdrop. For example, since it isn't needed in this case, the rear wall can be abutted to the front to double the length of the building; usually, but not exclusively, done with industrial structures. Plain sheet styrene or other material is typically added to the rear to strengthen the resulting model.
The popularity of ready-to-run, pre-assembled models, even coupled with the increased availability of many unique prototypes using resin castings, seems not to have seriously impacted the art of kitbashing.
In model rocketry, kitbashing refers simply to using the pieces from a one kit to build a different model. This is typically used to create unusual and/or especially complex models.
An admittedly rare usage, but kitbashing has even been used to create art. The Toronto sculptor Kim Adams
Kim Adams
Kim Adams is a Canadian sculptor who creates assemblage in different scales. His visual style is influenced by industrial design, architecture and automotive design. His work incorporates the model railroading technique of kitbashing, and bright stock colours and prefabricated elements are...
has used HO gauge freight cars, containers, detail parts, figures and scenery to create artistic landscapes.