Metal EarthLighthouse

I read a few reviews of these products before deciding to try one of the lower priced & easier ones.Someone had said they were over priced - I don’t know how much was paid in that instance, but I think the £7 I paid represented decent value.The lighthouse is a simple kit, consisting of just one sheet of metal. I didn’t time myself, but I think it took around an hour to assemble. I’m certain those with better eyesight & nimbler fingers will scoff at that, but I wasn’t in a hurry.Instructions are pretty easy to understand & the parts fit together well. The first three parts were maybe the trickiest, simply because the bits are tiny. Take note when you get to the point where you install the windows though & put them in place before you fold the bottom section.The only tools I used were a strong pair of scissors & a needle nosed pliers. I also found it useful to have some cylindrical items to hand, to help shape the curves. These could be anything of a suitable size - I used pens of various sizes, a screwdriver handle & a wooden spoon!If I make any more models I will probably source some less random items, perhaps assorted dowels & some sort of tapered rod.I don’t have any real criticism of the kit. Some of the tabs are visible, but not obtrusive & I trimmed some with the scissors to make things a bit tidier. Some of the parts are a bit tricky to free from the sheet, so a small snips or a craft knife could be useful, as something like a precision screwdriver for getting the awkward bits. The manufacturer’s tool kit, or something similar is definitely a good idea.I found that my needle nosed pliers were magnetic & picking the small bits of metal up - this caused issues when trying to place them precisely & I think a pair of stainless steel tweezers would have been useful parts of the build. Also take care when using metal tools near the visible areas, as the metal scratches easily. One other thing to add is there are some ‘spare parts’, which is a great idea if one of the tiny pieces flies off into the great beyond!It would be nice if the model was a tad bigger, but all in all I’m very pleased & have now ordered the supermarine spitfire. I have my eye on several other models too, but don’t want to run before I can walk.

This was the second kit I made (after Big Ben). I found it fairly easy and think it comes out nicely.It is mostly straight edges so not too difficult, although the domed roof of the lighthouse is slightly curved and looking back I think I should have bent those pieces round the edge of a coin, rather than trying to do it with tweezers. Live and learn!You don't need any special tools to complete this - a pair of nail tweezers is sufficient for this model in my experience.

Very easy to build in comparison to other Metal Earth models. Fiddly enough for the beginner to get a feel of what thease models are like. Higly recomended.

far too sharp edges

Easy instilanation

Excellent product, a fully adequate company.

A bit too fiddly for me and metal is rather sharp!

Awesome product- lovely quality. Highly recommended.