Welcome back to my multi-part review of Mechanicore’s 1/100 scale Tief Stürmer. In this section I’m going to talk about the stand and how things went assembling all the various components.
Review Menu:
- Part 1: Kit Introduction
- Part 2: Head and Torso (Steps 1 through 5)
- Part 3: Booster Pods and Rear Booster Module (Steps 6 and 7)
- Part 4: Main Gun and Radar (Steps 8 and 9)
- Part 5: Arms, I-Field Generator, and Secondary Gun (Steps 10, 11, 12, and 17)
- Part 6: Rear Boosters and Booster Legs (Steps 13 through 16)
- Part 7: Stand and Final Assembly (Step 18 and 19)
- Part 8: Final Kit Review
Common Issues
This is a quick list of the common issues on the build. They apply pretty much across the board and pop up so much that I’d probably go crazy trying to specifically mention each time it occurs throughout the build.
- Beware pegs and holes with fitment issues. Whenever inserting pegs watch to make sure that the peg actually fit. Quite often they’re too large for the hole they’re supposed to go into. This can be resolved by a properly sized drill bit (use an hand held driver instead of an electric one, or be very careful, to avoid going through the other side of the piece) or with a fine round metal file to widen it from the inside out.
- Beware pieces who’s sprue connection often coexists with an important piece. In other words, runners have been connected to the pieces themselves in areas that are also happen to be connection points to other parts of the kit. Never cut flush with the plastic to get it off the runner (which you shouldn’t be doing anyway. For the second cut, make sure you check out the part and how it’s going used to make sure you don’t lop off something important.
- Beware pieces with subtle flashing around the connection points. Connection points may have subtle flashing issues that result in a poor fit. If something doesn’t quite work like it should, make sure this is not the case before proceeding. Use of a hobby knife is recommended to clean these areas up.
Build Notes
- There are quite a few piece that really should be glued into place. Since I intend to go back and paint I’m holding things together with masking tape.
- Because I’m going back and repainting I’m not applying any of the metal detail parts at this point. When I finish the build, and add them, I’ll add any additional thoughts regarding their application to this review.
The Stand
The stand is rather well made to support the rest of the kit. It’s build from thick, semi-transparent black plastic. It’s nice and sturdy but you have to be careful when removing the pieces from the runners. Transparent plastic is generally more brittle than coloured plastic and more likely to have separation anxiety. That is, nub marks. Combine that with the added thickness of the pieces and you’ve got a recipe for some nasty nub marks. Don’t be wanker like I was rushing through construction, take your time and use a sharp hobby knife here.
