So it turns out reports that my modelling mojo was interred over 2 years ago (with semi-military honours, they aimed at the coffin with live ammo) have been exaggerated…
There are 3 members I’ve privately mentioned this mystery item to recently, y’all know who you are so schtum guys - the quick quiz for other players is : Does this thing drive, fly, float or swim?
I’m really not sure why I bought this kit 18 months ago, except it was a complete change from anything I’ve done before. Or where it’s going, although I do have a couple of half-baked ideas for a vignette. Rest assured it won’t require cranes to move it, or take five years to complete, consider yourselves lucky
Right now it just feels weird, like learning to walk again & getting back on the bike all at the same time. But it’s nice to float into that Zen feeling again at the bench, it’s been a while.
MiniArt kits. Some love ‘em, some don’t. My own commentary to most of their kits typically goes like this:
“Hmm nice box art. Good subject. Comparatively reasonable price. Buy. Open box. OMG seriously? 47 sprues to make a telephone booth? Oh well plenty of fodder for the spares box. Nice Instruction booklet…only 95 steps. But hey I like building complicated kits…ah wait, I know you guys at MiniArt (I’ve built your Trams for starters…you’re certifiably insane & so am I), unnecessary multi-part components you could have cast as one piece. And I recall you don’t seem to actually test-built your kits, otherwise you’d know Step 31 should have preceded Step 17 in order to better support/gain access to/facilitate construction. And those incredibly fragile 1mm diameter 6 cm long rods with 5 attachment points which you should have designed to go in the middle of a sprue – nope, you sometimes put ‘em at the end where they’d flex and snap before I got anywhere near teasing them off…
Wait I apologise! I DID successfully tease it off and…aww not so much, it fell apart while trying to glue it in place.”
And yet… I love MiniArt kits. Go figure. The tractor has actually been fairly easy - I accidentally bought a bottle of Tamiya Extra Thin Quick Setting glue. I didn’t know they made a Quick Setting glue, but it’s exactly what’s required with MiniArt kits, sets faster than CA. Even less room for error.
A few years ago I built all of my unbuilt Panzer III kits; 13 of them. The hardest were the Miniart Ausf B, C, and D because of those thin, over-engineered, not-always-correctly-sequenced parts you speak of.
Exactly 100% right. I love a shake’n’bake Tamiya kit as much as anyone but there’s a latent feeling of it being too easy. I haven’t always mastered a MiniArt kit (to my complete satisfaction anyway) but when I do, it’s a blast.
Well, I guess the good news is you didn’t jump back in with an easy build!
A good way to either: A) realize your decision to go on a building hiatus was a good one; or, B) realize how much you secretly enjoy the anxiety brought on when discovering that you need a third, steadier, hand to install that one tiny part that will be very hard to see, yet essential if you want your overall build to work!
You probably don’t recall but I told you about Tamiya airbrush cleaner. It’s even a little bit faster than regular green bottle and cheaper than the quick.
Welcome back to the bandwagon… You’ve been trailing behind waaaaay to long! But take a seat, cut some plastic, sniff some glue and paint your fingers! And most of all, enjoy!!!
You make me wonder: what is Operation Lazarus (yes, since nobody dares to ask, I’ll do so).
I only could only find a rescue action in Vietnam. Hardly a place for such a place of German engineering?
