I bought a metal earth kit on an impulse cause they looked SUPER cool and the “no glue needed” on the packaging really got me lol by the time I got home and actually looked at it, I realized I had no idea what to do. I’ve watched a couple tips and tricks videos. Yours is the best by far, you combined a tools-needed video with a tips and tricks one. Super helpful information for a complete newbie to the hobby 😁👍👍👍👍👍👍
The magnet sheets in a shallow box are an excellent idea! I was planning to remove one piece at a time as I assembled, but your idea makes a lot more sense! Thanks!
Once I saw the International Space Station model I fell in love with these little metal kits! I just ordered some tools and supplies on Amazon along with a couple of the cheaper, simpler models to try my hand at assembling them. I'm really hoping this becomes a fun hobby because these little figures would make for cool display pieces on my desk, or to give as gifts to friends and family! I also picked up a "third arm" assembly station with a gooseneck 3X LED-lit magnifying glass to help hold assembled pieces together that I'm working on (when two hands aren't enough).
I googled this video randomly while fussing with my first model and the cuticle clippers were brilliant. I put down my wire cutters and pulled the cuticle clippers out of my bathroom cabinet and liberating the metal parts became effortless. Thanks for making this video.
My daughter bought me the International Space Station model for Father's Day, and I've never done these before. Before I wreck it, I've been looking for videos on how to go about this. This video was great for newbies like me
this was a great video. I think i figured a lot of it out on my own, but i'm not sure I would have come up with some of your solutions (like twisting tabs instead of bending in some cases). I hope i get better with practice. Right now I'm building my least favorite of my 4 tank models, so hopefully I do better when I get to the next 3.
Hey thanks a lot! What a nice thing to read while I was at work. If you have any questions feel free to post them here. For whatever reason I have a knack for these things :D
alright Katie, so I see you don't use one of those PE bending tools that sell for 75 bucks...waste of money and just too much BS? Thank you in advance :)
Lol she says to ask any questions here, and you're still waiting on a response over 4 years later. To be fair, I guess she never said she would answer them. Just feel free to post them. lol 🙃
your "artsie fartsie" video is very informative and helpfull! great video and thank you for the awesome tips. these models can be super frustrating and time consuming but if done right absolutely beautiful when finished.
I just discovered these today and they’re so fun! Building my first Star Wars Model now. This video was super helpful getting started as I started pulling sheets out and had a lot of questions lol.
There is a metal model kit on Amazon I have that works fairly well it comes with a tapered tool that has a notch in it that makes twisting the tabs very easy
Thanks for the mention! I really like the idea of using little magnets to pick up the parts. I had not thought of that. I have to get me some magnets now.
+animateorange No problem! And wait to get em because I sent you some cool shit. It should be there by Tuesday :D :D (the stuff I show in the video came with like twice what I needed so I didn't know what else to do with it.)
You're awesome! I've built a lot of metal earth but was using dowel rod for my rounding...i like the mandrel trick. Now just to find one to purchase! Thanks again.
Another tip: when you clipped a piece off the frame, get your pliers and twist the little frame piece that is still on the piece gently, a couple of times until it breaks off.The piece will look better!
This was a GREAT video on tips for building theses 3d metal models. I've done maybe 30 or so, so far. I've found that a cheap set of drill bits and set of 1/4" drive sockets work great for bending round parts. One thing that I have not done is to work with the latex gloves. They are too clumsy for me.Again, great video.
If you use a coned solid rod with a slit in it is the easiest way to swist tabs I use for twisting, bending and all kinds of lift functions and its much faster and cleaner then pliers. I also use a bending block you can find them by typing photo etching bending block a must have. You can also run the metal.sheets in hot.water.to take out the springing of the sheet keep.parts from jumping. And I have used the snips you are using and they loose there edge quiet quickly. I personly use model snips from hippy shops extremely pointed sharp little snips and they are her durable I almost never have to file nibs down.
Without going through all comments I’m sure someone has mentioned flushcutters. They work the best for removing parts cleanly. They can even get the little ones.
I picked up a Star Wars one from the Dollar Tree. Instructions said needle nose pliers and tweezers are "helpful." When in fact it should have said that without cutters it is borderline impossible to not cause damage. After I broke 2 pieces, into the garbage it went. I'll make sure to have the right tools handy next time.
I’ve done over 40 of these models and basically learned all these tricks by trial and error. The only one I don’t use is the magnets. I like your mandrel idea, I might have to buy a set of those. I also do chainmaille work and many of the tools I have for that work for metal earth models.
For my Yamato battleship, i used a exacto knife to cut the pecies out, the lnife was sharp and percise but it stil tpok aroubd five passes througth the metal before k can use the twisting ti take the reat kf the part out
Thank you very much! Have fun building models and feel free to tell me what you're working on :D there are some really cool advanced ones that cost a little bit more, I did a peacock and a parrot and gave them to my dad to display in his garden.
My first was the butterfly and it was ok, but I broke the torso! Next is the Enterprise D but I don't have the right tools all I have is my Leatherman.. so I'm waiting until I get the right tools. Thanks for this
I have completed about 20 of these models. They are far from easy. I have had a few that I ruined during assembly. So frustrating and so satisfying. I love these. They will stress you, test your skill and eyesight. They are not for a person who has difficulty paying proper attention to detail. Once they are completed, they are absolutely worthy of display. I relish the hours that I put into each one.
anneal the parts, with controlled heat(jewelry torch, jet lighter with distance), research it first, before you try on a real part, use part of the supporting sheet that holds all the parts.
thank you so much, this was not only my first model ever, but also my first metal model. Metal earth uh 60 blackhawk 122 scale. I have already lost 2 tiny peices fell on table and vanished and i had to use glue twice because it was 3 parts same time impossible for me to hold them all. Have you ever found a good tool for bending the hard to reach tabs?
You're welcome! Glad you enjoyed it. I have some other videos on metal Earth stuff, a lot of my videos are different but you can search the channel for specific things.
I make wooden model ships. Right now, I’m lining the hull of a tugboat with copper sheeting to customize a kit, Cutting straight lines through metal is harder than I thought, and you can’t compensate for errors by sanding off the irregularities. Any tips on how to cut a nice clean straight line in a copper sheet? Also, molding the copper to the hull is difficult, so any help would be welcome.
Have you built the Nautilus? I'm a very experienced modeler and have built a few other Metal Earths perfectly no problem. The Nautilus seems to have some geometry problems with the hull. I have cut the tabs off and used 3,000 lb super glue to glue from the inside to make perfect, clean joints. I am thinking seriously of removing one of the hull facets on each side due to the parts not aligning. The geometry just doesn't seem to work. I am also thinking of moving the superstructure aft a bit. Maybe shortening it some as well. What is your experience with this kit?
Just found you, and in the process found a new hobby! Thanks for the tips 😊😊. I did a horrible job with the drum set model, hopefully after watching your video I'll do better 🤘🏽🤓
That's awesome! It's always fun to see another girl doing them too. If you like Star Wars, the Kylo Ren ship and Darth Vader TIE fighter were not as hard. The other ones I've done were kind of hard, probably the most challenging are dinosaurs. If you go to the website www.fascinations.com/metalearth they will have a difficulty rating for the models so you have a better idea of what to try next.
Cuticle cutters...so helpful. Didn't want to spend $25 on fine point wire cutters. About to do the Hogwarts Express. One of my favorite tools is a small curved needle nose pliers. They are flat inside was well vs. the straight pliers
I've been doing these for a little while but still got something out of your videos. Thanks. I have done 20 -40 of them. Not sure got a bunch put away. Do I need to buy a whole kit if a brake a piece?
I am a retired man w time. Looking to have a starter model. What do u recommend. Good beginning tips, tools needed. Curious why gloves compared to skin. Is there a practical purpose. Thank u Tim
Really glad I found this video, thanks for making it. I just bought a couple of Chinese metal models from Ebay to try out (Darth Vader TIE and X-Wing).
Michael Cappuccio I’ve done over 40 models of varying difficulty. Depending on your experience with model building, start with something simple then work you’re way up to more challenging models. Go to fascinations.com and look at the models, they will show you the difficulty levels.
I place them on the magnet sheet to match the instructions, and that makes it so easy to find the part I'm looking for and also without having to stop and cut them out on each step :)
Dam i bought my first Metal Earth Model(Freight Train) And im beginning to think this is more than i first thought. My other hobby is frame off restorations of 60s muscle cars so i figured this would be a 5 hr project at most. Guess i was wrong!
Good video... I admit to having used glue for small repairs of errors...However, I have all the best possible tools (microelectronics, watchmaking, electron microscope, etc...) These parts are very delicate and the user guide contains inaccuracies. The slightest folding error is fatal. Drop a small coin to the ground... and we can't find it again! I admire people who build aircraft carriers or the ISS...
I see that you like the Metal Earth models. Have you ever tried the Piececool models? The come from China, and have exquisite detail. A lot of them are of Asian buildings, warriors, and a few fantasy pieces.
Piececool is pretty good too. Maybe not as great as Tenyo/Fascinations in terms of precision for some models, but Piececool offers a wide range of exquisite models. Sometimes I can't help wondering if Piececool is the OEM for Some ICONX Metal Earth model. The models from Korean brand "Metal in Korea" are beautiful and of pretty good quality too (it has the best Effiel Tower model among these brands imo) but they are difficult to find and order now. Any other brands did you try? e.g. Microworld, Nanyuan, MCG, MU?) I like your video very much. Very attentive to details and useful sharing. Looking forward to watching more of it.
I bought a metal earth kit on an impulse cause they looked SUPER cool and the “no glue needed” on the packaging really got me lol by the time I got home and actually looked at it, I realized I had no idea what to do.
I’ve watched a couple tips and tricks videos. Yours is the best by far, you combined a tools-needed video with a tips and tricks one. Super helpful information for a complete newbie to the hobby 😁👍👍👍👍👍👍
The magnet sheets in a shallow box are an excellent idea! I was planning to remove one piece at a time as I assembled, but your idea makes a lot more sense!
Thanks!
Once I saw the International Space Station model I fell in love with these little metal kits! I just ordered some tools and supplies on Amazon along with a couple of the cheaper, simpler models to try my hand at assembling them. I'm really hoping this becomes a fun hobby because these little figures would make for cool display pieces on my desk, or to give as gifts to friends and family! I also picked up a "third arm" assembly station with a gooseneck 3X LED-lit magnifying glass to help hold assembled pieces together that I'm working on (when two hands aren't enough).
Memento mori
The Force Is Strong With This One.Great Video.
This was exactly what I was looking for. Awesome video. Thank you.
Super informative and to the point. Also enjoyed your sense of humor. Thanks for making this. I was nervous about my first Metal Earth 👍
I googled this video randomly while fussing with my first model and the cuticle clippers were brilliant. I put down my wire cutters and pulled the cuticle clippers out of my bathroom cabinet and liberating the metal parts became effortless. Thanks for making this video.
My daughter bought me the International Space Station model for Father's Day, and I've never done these before. Before I wreck it, I've been looking for videos on how to go about this. This video was great for newbies like me
I'm working on my first one this weekend. I bought a tool kit but I'm definitely picking up the rubber tipped and jewelry pliers today at Walmart.
this was a great video. I think i figured a lot of it out on my own, but i'm not sure I would have come up with some of your solutions (like twisting tabs instead of bending in some cases). I hope i get better with practice. Right now I'm building my least favorite of my 4 tank models, so hopefully I do better when I get to the next 3.
Excellent excellent starting video before opening the starting project. Thank you
Ok has anyone ever told you....YOU ROCK!!! what a great video, exactly what I was looking for, I'm saving and using you as my Sensei :) Thank You :)
Hey thanks a lot! What a nice thing to read while I was at work. If you have any questions feel free to post them here. For whatever reason I have a knack for these things :D
alright Katie, so I see you don't use one of those PE bending tools that sell for 75 bucks...waste of money and just too much BS? Thank you in advance :)
Lol she says to ask any questions here, and you're still waiting on a response over 4 years later.
To be fair, I guess she never said she would answer them. Just feel free to post them. lol 🙃
@@Corn0nTheCobb It was a TOTALLY different planet, 4 years ago.
My tip: twist every tab and snip the end, MUCH cleaner look. untwisting tabs is safer than unbending them 😉
your "artsie fartsie" video is very informative and helpfull! great video and thank you for the awesome tips. these models can be super frustrating and time consuming but if done right absolutely beautiful when finished.
Excellent tips, thank you! I just found a new use for all those dotting tools I used twice.
Good tip on the force. I was beginning to underestimate it, but then realized I probably should not.
I was getting discouraged and your video helped me dive back in! Thank you for making such a fun and informative video! The FORCE!
Don't underestimate the force! lol I am glad you feel inspired again. I love these models.
I got one of the triceratops models as a gift and this video was perfect thank you! I need to get me some needle nose pliers
I just discovered these today and they’re so fun! Building my first Star Wars Model now. This video was super helpful getting started as I started pulling sheets out and had a lot of questions lol.
A friendly and helpful video. Thankyou Kate
Thank you for your tips! This model is very intimidating to me.
That tip about clipping thin end first. My goodness brilliant
This is the one I thought was the most pointless. She has some good stuff in here but some useless stuff also
Great video and well explained. Thanks for creating and releasing it.
thank you very much for your absolut brilliant tipps. Very good video.
There is a metal model kit on Amazon I have that works fairly well it comes with a tapered tool that has a notch in it that makes twisting the tabs very easy
I have a clay modeling tool that has a tiny sort of dentist's mirror shaped round bit on the end and it's perfect for bending tabs.
Awesome tips and well explained.....thank you! I am just getting started with micros. I will be in tuned for more information Great insight :)
Thanks for the mention! I really like the idea of using little magnets to pick up the parts. I had not thought of that. I have to get me some magnets now.
+animateorange No problem! And wait to get em because I sent you some cool shit. It should be there by Tuesday :D :D (the stuff I show in the video came with like twice what I needed so I didn't know what else to do with it.)
Oh yay! bonus goodies!
I've already done some of this an some of this trics a was able to learn from experience on my own like don't bend the tabs I. The same direction
Great video! Clear and concise with some good subtle humor. Very well done. And by the way, I love your voice!😁
Thank you so much for the info! Just started my metal earth journey! You're a lady and a scholar!
Enjoyed you video!! Thanks for the tips! Going with saint Basil's cathedral for my first project! You're hilarious LITTLE KATIE!!!
Great video. Thank you Katie.
I’m years late but this info was still very helpful. Thanks.
Good tips! Thx. Started my first one. Prob should have started with an easier one. But it’s coming along nicely.
You're awesome! I've built a lot of metal earth but was using dowel rod for my rounding...i like the mandrel trick. Now just to find one to purchase! Thanks again.
Andrew Honey Michaels craft store has many jewelry tools that will work for these models, if you have one in your area. If not, try a hobby shop.
Another tip: when you clipped a piece off the frame, get your pliers and twist the little frame piece that is still on the piece gently, a couple of times until it breaks off.The piece will look better!
This was a GREAT video on tips for building theses 3d metal models. I've done maybe 30 or so, so far. I've found that a cheap set of drill bits and set of 1/4" drive sockets work great for bending round parts. One thing that I have not done is to work with the latex gloves. They are too clumsy for me.Again, great video.
If you use a coned solid rod with a slit in it is the easiest way to swist tabs I use for twisting, bending and all kinds of lift functions and its much faster and cleaner then pliers. I also use a bending block you can find them by typing photo etching bending block a must have. You can also run the metal.sheets in hot.water.to take out the springing of the sheet keep.parts from jumping. And I have used the snips you are using and they loose there edge quiet quickly. I personly use model snips from hippy shops extremely pointed sharp little snips and they are her durable I almost never have to file nibs down.
I've done quite a few of these now, and I had know idea the fan base behind it. I love it. I did learn from your artsy fartsy video. Thank you.
Without going through all comments I’m sure someone has mentioned flushcutters. They work the best for removing parts cleanly. They can even get the little ones.
I picked up a Star Wars one from the Dollar Tree. Instructions said needle nose pliers and tweezers are "helpful." When in fact it should have said that without cutters it is borderline impossible to not cause damage. After I broke 2 pieces, into the garbage it went. I'll make sure to have the right tools handy next time.
I’ve done over 40 of these models and basically learned all these tricks by trial and error. The only one I don’t use is the magnets. I like your mandrel idea, I might have to buy a set of those.
I also do chainmaille work and many of the tools I have for that work for metal earth models.
nice job - just starting to do a B-17 Fortress. I love the technical graphics at ~~6 minutes
Extremely helpful, very well explained. Thank You.
Thanks for making this video. I found it very informative and useful for starting to make these types of model kits
I've done 6 models already but you still gave me a few good tips. your advice Is flawless!!!
Awesome! Nice tips. Thanks!
dang, this had some really good detail! thanks!
Thanks for these tips I just bought my first model and was having some trouble.
You're very welcome! I love these models and any time I can share tips is a true joy
It would have been nice to see the end result of what you built
wow my daughter bought me the corsair back in may I'm just getting info on it to start its wild I'm glad I'm getting tips.
For my Yamato battleship, i used a exacto knife to cut the pecies out, the lnife was sharp and percise but it stil tpok aroubd five passes througth the metal before k can use the twisting ti take the reat kf the part out
Wow. GREAT instructional video.
Thank you very much! Have fun building models and feel free to tell me what you're working on :D there are some really cool advanced ones that cost a little bit more, I did a peacock and a parrot and gave them to my dad to display in his garden.
Great video- thanks!
You’re awesome. Thanks for the tips!
My first was the butterfly and it was ok, but I broke the torso! Next is the Enterprise D but I don't have the right tools all I have is my Leatherman.. so I'm waiting until I get the right tools. Thanks for this
Nice! Thank you, Very helpful 😊
Those are great tips thanks for sharing them.
I have completed about 20 of these models. They are far from easy. I have had a few that I ruined during assembly. So frustrating and so satisfying. I love these. They will stress you, test your skill and eyesight. They are not for a person who has difficulty paying proper attention to detail. Once they are completed, they are absolutely worthy of display. I relish the hours that I put into each one.
Thank you. You gave me nice tips.
anneal the parts, with controlled heat(jewelry torch, jet lighter with distance), research it first, before you try on a real part, use part of the supporting sheet that holds all the parts.
thank you so much, this was not only my first model ever, but also my first metal model. Metal earth uh 60 blackhawk 122 scale. I have already lost 2 tiny peices fell on table and vanished and i had to use glue twice because it was 3 parts same time impossible for me to hold them all. Have you ever found a good tool for bending the hard to reach tabs?
Thank you. Any tips for when you do break a piece? My first time and I already snapped a tiny one.
I really enjoyed this video, it made me laugh, and it helped a lot! Thank you 😊
You're welcome! Glad you enjoyed it. I have some other videos on metal Earth stuff, a lot of my videos are different but you can search the channel for specific things.
Would you use super glue for attaching pieces where the tabs broke?
I just got into these and found your channel; stay classy! You are really cool and funny; keep on keepin' on!
thanks! what a nice thing to say 😃
I make wooden model ships. Right now, I’m lining the hull of a tugboat with copper sheeting to customize a kit, Cutting straight lines through metal is harder than I thought, and you can’t compensate for errors by sanding off the irregularities. Any tips on how to cut a nice clean straight line in a copper sheet? Also, molding the copper to the hull is difficult, so any help would be welcome.
Have you built the Nautilus? I'm a very experienced modeler and have built a few other Metal Earths perfectly no problem. The Nautilus seems to have some geometry problems with the hull. I have cut the tabs off and used 3,000 lb super glue to glue from the inside to make perfect, clean joints. I am thinking seriously of removing one of the hull facets on each side due to the parts not aligning. The geometry just doesn't seem to work. I am also thinking of moving the superstructure aft a bit. Maybe shortening it some as well. What is your experience with this kit?
Just found you, and in the process found a new hobby! Thanks for the tips 😊😊. I did a horrible job with the drum set model, hopefully after watching your video I'll do better 🤘🏽🤓
That's awesome! It's always fun to see another girl doing them too. If you like Star Wars, the Kylo Ren ship and Darth Vader TIE fighter were not as hard. The other ones I've done were kind of hard, probably the most challenging are dinosaurs. If you go to the website www.fascinations.com/metalearth they will have a difficulty rating for the models so you have a better idea of what to try next.
Cuticle cutters...so helpful. Didn't want to spend $25 on fine point wire cutters. About to do the Hogwarts Express. One of my favorite tools is a small curved needle nose pliers. They are flat inside was well vs. the straight pliers
Thanks for the help!
I've been doing these for a little while but still got something out of your videos. Thanks. I have done 20 -40 of them. Not sure got a bunch put away. Do I need to buy a whole kit if a brake a piece?
Volume was a little muffled, but the tutorial was exceptional.
I am a retired man w time. Looking to have a starter model. What do u recommend. Good beginning tips, tools needed. Curious why gloves compared to skin. Is there a practical purpose. Thank u Tim
Really glad I found this video, thanks for making it. I just bought a couple of Chinese metal models from Ebay to try out (Darth Vader TIE and X-Wing).
Cool! I love the star wars ones. have fun :D the x-wing is a pretty tricky one but that's why I liked it.
Excellent video thanks for tips ..really makes it easier ...looks like you've got it down...how many of these models have you done ?
Can you tell what kind of gloves you use? I think they should be as thin as possible, and regular household cleaning gloves would be way too thick.
Thank you so much for this video!!
Which metal earth kit should I first start out with? I just started watching videos on metal earth how to kits.
Michael Cappuccio I’ve done over 40 models of varying difficulty. Depending on your experience with model building, start with something simple then work you’re way up to more challenging models. Go to fascinations.com and look at the models, they will show you the difficulty levels.
I’m a newbie and was able to make the Golden Gate Bridge, am doing the lighthouse and saw this video, excellent!
What is the metal tool that you used at 3:25?
Thank you very much for this!
Outstanding!
Thank you, helpfull
Hey I just got model's and I haven't built anything yet. Any tips for me 😊
All good tips- I was curious as to why you choose to remove all parts from the metal sheets at one time and position them on the magnet sheets though?
I place them on the magnet sheet to match the instructions, and that makes it so easy to find the part I'm looking for and also without having to stop and cut them out on each step :)
Hi! I've tried assembling the P-47 Thunderbolt model twice, but I messed it up both times. Could you make a video on how to assemble it correctly?
I could, give me alink to which one you're having trouble with. And if you have a song in mind i can filter it in there 😉
Dam i bought my first Metal Earth Model(Freight Train) And im beginning to think this is more than i first thought. My other hobby is frame off restorations of 60s muscle cars so i figured this would be a 5 hr project at most. Guess i was wrong!
This is suuuch a good video!!
What's the strength of the magnetic sheets and pins?
I'm so glad I found ur video....u have no idea lol thanx!!!
Very helpful thank you
Thank you bunches!!!
Good video... I admit to having used glue for small repairs of errors...However, I have all the best possible tools (microelectronics, watchmaking, electron microscope, etc...) These parts are very delicate and the user guide contains inaccuracies. The slightest folding error is fatal. Drop a small coin to the ground... and we can't find it again! I admire people who build aircraft carriers or the ISS...
great tips ..
My biggest issue right now is not being able to get the tabs to line up correctly.
I see that you like the Metal Earth models. Have you ever tried the Piececool models? The come from China, and have exquisite detail. A lot of them are of Asian buildings, warriors, and a few fantasy pieces.
Yes I have! I did the air craft carrier. The tiny planes and helicopters were so freakin adorable I really wanted to build it ^_^
Piececool is pretty good too. Maybe not as great as Tenyo/Fascinations in terms of precision for some models, but Piececool offers a wide range of exquisite models. Sometimes I can't help wondering if Piececool is the OEM for Some ICONX Metal Earth model. The models from Korean brand "Metal in Korea" are beautiful and of pretty good quality too (it has the best Effiel Tower model among these brands imo) but they are difficult to find and order now. Any other brands did you try? e.g. Microworld, Nanyuan, MCG, MU?)
I like your video very much. Very attentive to details and useful sharing. Looking forward to watching more of it.
I haven’t seen the kit you’re building before, which one is it? It almost looks like krennics shuttle with different wings.
Love it! Thanks For The Video!
I'm glad you do!
Thank youuuuuuu!!!!! 😃😃😃😃🤗