MiniArt Lathe Machine 1:35 – build review

Kit ref: No 35660

Short Feature Article with Tim Haynes

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A note from Geoff C…
I do love projects that are a bit different and that’s exactly what we have here from Tim. Projects like Tim’s lathe machine do create a bit of a dilemma in terms of where it should be located as a build in SMN? We don’t have a specific area for such projects but it feels like this could be a great addition to armour modellers and those creative dioramas that may feature a workshop and so on, so Armour is is :)

Here’s a quick look at how it all turned out…

Now, over to you Tim…

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Background

This was an impulse purchase, as it reminded me of the type of older lathes (not quite this old) that I used during my apprenticeship way back when. I was struggling with a larger build and needed something a bit different that I could finish to my own taste.

The Plan…

I decided that I wanted the finish to be that of an old but well-kept machine similar to those that end up in small tool rooms/ machine shops once their main production life is over. So I would basically build it out of the box, and use which ever colours I felt appropriate, and / or were to hand.

What’s in the box:

The sprues were all contained in one cellophane bag, which having since obtained several other MiniArt kits, appears to be the norm. The moulding detail is excellent with little levers and adjustment wheels all present. The attachments for the smaller parts are reasonably delicate, however use of a PE razor saw or similar is recommended to avoid breakage when removing them from the sprue.
The instructions are simple and clear, with MiniArt’s colour call outs indicated throughout the build sequence.

Read on…