what material are they resin, olastic,3d printed?
I recently received three of the new SS Models from China, which are available on Ebay. The illustrations online make these appear to be highly detailed 1250 scale 3D kits, and folks wondered if the actual models could be as good as they looked. Well, the answer is yes they do. As my first endeavor, I assembled the ARKANSAS model. The parts are exquisitely detailed, as good as anything ever commercially produced thus far in this scale. Cage masts, railings etc. exceed anything that can be produced in metal.
The model came with simple but adequate illustrated directions. However, one of the other kits came with none. The parts come cast on supports or sprues, which need to be carefully removed, and trimmed so that no residue is left, because any tiny bits remaining will interfere with their proper fitting. While the sprues cut off easily, the problem here is that some of the parts are so fine and fragile that it is difficult to handle them without causing damage. The cage masts are very thin and hold searchlights, which are barely affixed so that they easily fall off. Bottom line, steady hands and great care is required.
The hull is solid, not hollow. Once removed and trimmed the parts dry fit fine, except for the turrets, the stalks of which were too wide to fit into the hole in the barbettes. This required either trimming the stalks, or widening the holes. The turrets are not made to turn, which is just as well, because once completed you won't want to do anything with these models except to display them.
It is best to paint as many of the parts as possible before assembly, because there are too many nooks and crannies to get into. Thus I painted the hull and deck before gluing anything on. Paintwork also requires great care and precision, as there are a lot of very fine details everywhere. In the case of the cage masts and railings, repeated scant coats of paint are necessary to avoid filling in the tiny spaces between the thin wires. I did all the painting by brush, but with the next model, I will airbrush the hull before painting the deck by hand.
These models aren't meant to be handled. They are just too fragile. One accidental hit on a cage mast or boat davit and it's the end. I have been building and modifying models for decades and these are the most delicate ones that I have encountered.
Building these is labor intensive and requires steady hands and good eyesight (which may be corrected with magnifiers). These are great models, but they aren't for amateurs or the faint of heart, and are challenging even for experienced modelers.
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