Fascinations Metal Earth Himeji Castle 3D Metal Model Kit

I've put together about a hundred of these kits. So I thought I'd share some of my insights with you about them as I think they would be helpful. First, I'll address what these kits are not. They're not made for kids to build on their own. They involve tiny and sharp metal pieces that can do some damage to fingers. They are not easy to assemble. The packaging is deceiving a bit in this way. As for the assembly process, don't expect the process to be as simple as cutting out the pieces, bending them and then putting them together via a pair of pliers. If you start off with these expectations, then odds are that you will be very disappointed and frustrated. So here's what these kits really are about and what's required to assemble them. They're made for people who really like to put things together and have the time and patience to do so. If you like putting together models of ships or airplanes or complicated Lego sets, then you're probably going to like these kits. You're going to need some special tools. Having these on hand will make all the difference in the world. As mentioned above, scissors and pliers won't do the job. The tools I use include the following: Small short needle nose pliers. Small long needle nose pliers. Small flat end pliers. Long nose tweezers. Sharp, small metal cutter. Small metal file. Two types of photo-etching bending tools. One for bending straight edges and the other for making curves or circles. A good light source. A strong magnifying glass that can stand by itself while you're doing your work. Instead of this, I have a special pair of glasses that my dentist uses. As mentioned above, you're going to need time and patience. It takes me a few hours to build their simplest of models. Once you have all of these, then my suggestion is to start with the simplest kits first. These are pretty easy to spot versus the more complicated ones; one sheet versus three, more straight edges versus curved, etc. My next suggestion is that for your first several models that you consider buying 2 or 3 kits of the same model. You can count on that you're going to make mistakes early on and you're going to wish you had a spare part or 2. The good news is that the kits are inexpensive. Assuming you have the expectations and the right tools, then these kits become a real joy. At least they have for me. They're a workable challenge and the finished result is very gratifying and fun to show off. Building these can become an obsession. Your skills will improve with the construction of each model. You'll also find yourself more discriminating of the results and want to do a better job on the next one. This is a fun and challenging hobby that is worthy of consideration assuming, again, that you have the right tools and expectations. Hope this helps.

Very involved project that required good 12 hours. But this was my first work in fact first handy work in awhile so it was very satisfying and relaxing. It comes in 3 small sheet metal. It is exceptionally well cut and engraved. None of the part came a part, fell off, nor not fit as shown. It being a metal too a little bit of coarsing to get it in place but the thin and small material took the extra force and held on.All the connectors are notches were all good as one little nip would have ruined the project that it was very pleasing to see such well designed and finely crafted work of art. It seats on top of my speaker and pretty. I will buy more.

Osaka Castle is bigger, fits together better and sturdier. Hijiemi is ok but compared to Osaka it got very frustrating at times. It's also frustrating that some parts fit oddly and jiggle.

If you are impatient or clumsy, do not buy this model. The parts are very small, and it is quite challenging to put some of them together properly. However, if you enjoy small work and have the proper tools (I used a small pair of flush cutters, and both round and flat end small needle nose pliers and a lighted magnifier), the results can be very satisfying. I think I should probably have started with one of the simpler models for practice, but it still looks very good. For the price, I can easily get another one and do even better the next time.

This is a fairly complicated build because of all the parts. Most of it isn't difficult; there's just a lot of parts. For all of these Fascination Metal Earth models, it helps to READ the instructions. If you pass over a part; it can be hard to go back.Good:- Subject (the shape looks nice when done and people find it interesting to talk about)- Builds up nice- not too difficultNot so good- This one takes some time!!

Beautiful model. I’ve built about 20 of these and this is my favorite.

These little puzzles are such fun. They definitely require a pair of needle nose pliers though. They say no tools required which, technically is true, but I wouldn't want to do them with out any. Once you have your tools though the puzzle is great. Usually takes about 2-3 hours depending on how intricate the thing is you are working on. Pieces are forgiving, they can handle 3-4 mistakes before you start to realize the piece may break from too many folds.

Much, much smaller than I thought it would be. There was no way I could complete this without using magnification.The diagram only directions are okay, however when bending pieces as needed there are no directions (arrows, etc..) as to which way the bend should go.If you mess up on one piece, it's very difficult to undo and fix.It IS a 3D puzzle so take your time like you would for a jigsaw puzzle. When completed, it IS nice looking.