Fascinations Metal Earth Star Wars: AT-AT Model

The media could not be loaded. SO COOL!!! I enjoy putting these together and have done about twenty of them, I am far from an expert and my first three ended up a wad of twisted metal, rage and profanity with a one star rating. There is a special way to assemble because these are not typical models.TIPS AND TRICKS:Don’t waste your time with the special tool sets or needle nose pliers (they didn’t work for me). I recommend getting tweezers with different tips. There are many times where you will be holding a piece with one set of tweezers and twisting/bending/inserting tabs with another and many times you have to reach tabs inside a small piece you have already made. Attempting to assemble this all by hand became impossible for me. Tweezer were needed.Buy some really small, fine point wire cutters. The package says just pop out the pieces for assembly but when they are very small they do not “pop out”. They bend and just make a mess, so snip the points where they are connected and now they will easily pop out.Get yourself some nails of various sizes to help transform flat metal pieces into cylinder shapes. I use different sized nails, cables, pens and markers of all different sizes to round some parts of these models. Whatever you use just make sure you can slide the model part off one end. Trying to round using tweezers is possible but doesn’t look as professional.Don’t get mad if you break some pieces, just keep a small bottle of quick drying, clear super glue. I’ve broken many tabs and pieces. It just happens sometimes, if you fold pieces to many times it will break, read the instructions wrong and have to undo folding and bending they can break. Use small amounts of super glue and apply with a needle and you can hardly notice you used it once it has dried.Some of the instructions are a bit unclear so look at the pictures closely and even the pictures of the next few steps. The directions are not very specific and won’t tell you exactly which way a part is meant to be bent, or engraved side in or out. Putting together a 3D model from 2D parts and directions can be confusing. Green triangle means twist tab and blue circle means to bend tab down.If you get lost using their included flow chart, just know that the parts go on in numerical order.You can see from my video that these are far from perfect but being able to complete them is a satisfying feeling. The rotating display is by Facinations and is solar powered. It works well indoors and works fine with just the lights in the room but do not work well in shady areas but it does take a battery if you want. Take your time, take breaks, have fun!

Difficulty Rating: 7/10Tools Recommended: Clippers, Flat Nose Pliers, Needle Nose Pliers, TweezersThis was the second or third Metal Earth model I completed. I have a handful now and this is one that I appreciate the most. I say that because it wasn't exceptionally difficult to complete (as a beginner I would have rated it a 9/10, but after getting the hang of these I'd knock it down to a 7/10), and it looks the coolest! (Can you tell I'm a Star Wars fan?)As with many other models from Fascinations, this one has many parts and a lot of them are small and flimsy. You'll need to have some patience working with this one, but it won't require as much time as others. Be sure to make your folds right and flatten/twist tabs correctly or the whole model might be a bit misshapen.With a bit of work you'll get the hang of it!At the very top of this review I mention some recommended tools. You likely won't get very far without any. You'll need clippers or a sharp knife (think X-Acto) to separate the pieces from the metal sheets they come bound to. Afterwards you'll need tweezers or pliers to bend the metal tabs into place properly. Fascinations has a kit for sale that includes a few essential tools, but most people will have the ones they need around the house.This model might not be the best for your first model or children without supervision, but it's seriously cool to look at once complete!

I've put together more than 50 metal earth models and love every one of them. Many times you can find a set of multiple models for a much lower individual price. Some are just harder than others. A few considered "easy" on metal earths web site have been harder than ones considered "challenging" or "expert". I like the harder ones. Spending $7 to $10 on a model that I put together in less than 20 minutes sucks. Having the proper tools is a must. A pair of small wire cutters (I purchased the Hakko CHP-170 for less than $5), a small pair of pliers or two (I purchased at Hobby Lobby in the jewelry section), a set of small electronic/watch repair screwdrivers (to bend the tabs or to take apart when I mess up), and since my eyes are not what they used to be, a head magnifier or cheap reading glasses you can get at any dollar store. I search around the house for things that may help. Round pencils, small wood dowel, markers of different sizes, anything that fits the shape I need.Many of the pieces in the models are very small, and the tabs to be bent or twisted are hard to get to or manipulate. But isn't that the idea of a model? With all Metal Earth models, take your time and if something doesn't seem to fit then stop, backtrack, and look and see if you missed something or have a wrong piece in the wrong place. The instructions are easy to read, but on the more than 50 models I have put together only 2 or 3 have had an error in the instructions. I have learned that if you come to a spot in the instructions that is hard to understand then slightly twist the tabs. This allows for a much easier time taking apart. You can then bend or twist the tabs when you know it is correct. The tabs can be bent several times before they break (I can't seem to put together any of them without messing up and having to take a piece or two off to correct).

It's difficult to judge the size of these things in a picture. It was smaller than a hot wheels car! Ok for a display case, but too fragile to play with.

This is most definitely NOT a children’s toy. And not an adults toy either. I sat for an hour w Tweezers and tiny scissors and attempted to assemble this items for my son. Oh my gosh it is TINY and so detailed. I ended up just throwing it in the garbage. Such a waste of time and money!!! And I am a patient person!! Do not recommend!!