It does not seem like five minutes ago that my nine-year-old daughter and I had started on this latest delivery of the Millennium Falcon build from Fanhome. It has not been without its trials and tribulations. Whilst it has tested both Ember and I to our limits, we ended the last magazine on a much needed high and we were both looking forward to seeing the current delivery out. I was especially excited as the Falcon was really starting to take shape. The mandibles were finally lined up with the bottom part of the hull. Not attached – but placed next to it so the skeleton of the ship was there – looking like this piece of junk was in some sort of shipyard under construction.
Getting ready to sit down with my daughter, I sat down with the installment and had a look through, which has become part of my routine before bringing my daughter in. When we started this project three years ago, my daughter was only six years old. I had to make sure that certain things had been completed before even thinking about following the steps contained in the magazine. It has saved me from many stressful situations! Going through this time around I found that this was going to be the other way around. While we would be adding some details to some recesses (and I say we…) those recesses would then need undercoating and dry brushing before being attached to the mandible we would finish assembling this issue.
While we would be able to add the detail and finish constructing the mandible, there was little hope that I would be able to get the recesses undercoated, dried, dry brushed and attached in any sort of short time span – especially for this review. Why? Because of the glorious British weather. Being the height of the winter weather, the sun is not braving to show its face and the amount of water in the air is making it nigh on impossible to get it dry enough to be able to spray anything well enough to not have models mess up. It was not going to work. This was certainly going to be something that I was going to have to sort out in post – and to be able to say that sounded pretty cool if I’m being completely honest! As we had to wait for the next delivery to arrive, Ember and I would have a bit of time to be able to watch the weather for a brighter day and I could rush out and get a very small part of the build done. Thankfully it wouldn’t impede much of what we needed to do here.
With nothing to worry about and knowing which parts to skip for now, it was time for Ember and I to work through issue eighty-one. We got started on the details for the recesses and to my delight, Ember was happy to cut all the pieces. It can sometimes be hit and miss with Ember whether she wants to do them, she is often worried about breaking them. Here, I think the difference was there were only six pieces, it was really easy to see those pieces, the joins and where they would be fitting. In her mind, she could see how it all came together. The last few times we have had to add details; there have been over twenty. That is a lot to try and figure out for one so young. It certainly is going to make me think a little differently to how we approach the more detailed aspects of the second mandible moving forward.
After that it was straight onto screwing on the second plating to the mandible. With only five screws and this being Ember’s area of expertise, I knew that we wouldn’t have any problems. It was over before we even really began. I even thought that maybe, just maybe I could quickly spray the recesses and we could get those added, but one cursory glance outside told me all I needed: it was still raining (like it had been the day before, and the day before that, and the – well you get the idea!).
With that, the magazine was done, at least done as far as we could do it. I would have to wait patiently for a break in the weather to allow me a small glimmer of sunshine – heck – I’d settle for not freezing and dry at this stage, to finish the recesses. But at least we’d be able to get the majority of what we needed to do. Ember and I had enjoyed it, and I think after the middle part of the delivery, it has been important that these last couple of installments have been filled with fun and laughter for the both of us. This was a small issue in terms of instructions, but it felt like getting back to basics. Now we just must wait for our next delivery and the weather.
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