Fascinations Metal Earth Samurai Armor (Naoe Kanetsugu) 3D Metal Model Kit

Challenging but worthwhile

Just started working on this w/ my 12 yo. So far for just the face mask we've needed: Very fine flush cutters Needle nose Leatherman (small) Pointed tweezers Curved fine tweezers Nail set (for smoothing back tabs) Metal barrel (for curving the face mask) Headlamp It might help to get a large lighted magnifying glass. Some pieces are extremely tiny, and then the tabs on them are even smaller. You need to guesstimate how far to bend the pieces so that the tabs are the correct distance apart, and the metal is stronger than it looks for being so thin. Once the tabs are in, you need to fold back a piece of metal probably 1/4 mm long so it doesn't fall out. Some pieces we could make the tabs long enough because they were not laser cut accurately enough, so I had to use a toothpick with a dab of e6000 on the back to hold it.

I picked this up as a fun activity to fill the last couple days of history (high school, homeschooled child) before Christmas. It worked even better than I'd hoped. It was just right for my teen child to work with, since it does require a bit of finesse and care but not to the point where it is overly difficult or takes days to complete. The end model is (roughly estimated) 4 inches tall and while I wouldn't recommend knocking it around, is sturdy enough to stand on the shelf and look nice. She opted for wire tools over the suggested tweezers, but the tweezers would have worked as well. It's simply easier to remove the small parts from the metal sheets with wire tools. It does take care to make sure to bend everything correctly but isn't overly difficult, either. Just a little fine work and a bit of patience. The figure looked very nice when completed.

Kinda flimsy and should have a harder rated level,that or I really am bad at these,lol.

These products are for hobbyists. Use the proper tools. Find other creative tools for extra benefit. There is no sense in bending the metal from the sheets. Carefully clip the tabs that are holding the pieces with a small cutter.

I bought this kit to have something to do while the wife was gone, unless you have the exact tools you need it's almost get the pieces out of the metal sheets without bending other pieces and then you have to insert these tabs into little tiny holes and try to secure them some pieces or smaller than the clipping from your smallest fingers nail. I found it to be very frustrating and threw it in the trash within 15 minutes, if you want a headache and plenty of frustration go for it

I purchased one of these metal laser cut building models at our local hardware store for my nephew’s birthday last Fall. He really enjoyed building his model so, in the hope of providing each of my children’s families the opportunity to spend time together, I bought several more models here on Amazon to give as gift to each of my family members this past Christmas, 2021. I was able to find several different model subjects, at several different build levels, to satisfy everyone on my Christmas list. These models were a big hit. My family really enjoyed building them. When purchasing make sure to match the build difficulty with the recipients age and ability. The models I purchased ranged from easy to expert skill level. The building instruction are relatively easy to follow; however, for the more complicated builds… tools are required. The company does sell several different tool sets, to assist in building their models. I was able to purchase and give a set of tools to each family. The tools were relatively high-quality and appropriately sized for use by adults and/or older children, to accurately cut, roll, or bend the metal components as required for model construction. My younger grandchildren, those in elementary school, were able to use the tools and enjoyed building their easier models with supervision and assistance from their parents. I succeeded at providing an activity all of my family could enjoy and do together. Can’t think of a better way to start a New Year! .

Easy build, looks good

Es muy complicado armar ya que las piezas son muy pequeñas y algo difíciles de ensamblar,sería mejor que se vendiera armado aunque el precio sea mayor

Great hobby... building metal models.

value for money great detail looks good quality excellent not built it as yet so cannot give full review as yet reson for 3 stars at moment

Wenn die Figur fertig ist, dann sieht sie wirklich gut aus. Allerdings glaube ich nicht, dass ein 14jähriger das alleine hinbekommt. Wir haben es nur mit Hilfe von Klebstoff geschafft.