I have been thinking about how to describe the Mechanical Santa and the only thing that comes to mind is awesome! I build a lot of models with different mediums and complexities. When my wife saw this model she took it immediately to her desk. I am allowed to visit but it is not with my collection. This only happened once before and it was with the Moyustore purple dinosaur.
Moyustore went the extra mile and it arrived before Xmas. I was impressed because this is not a simple model but if you are new to nut and bolt models this is a great first model to try. The instructions are clear but with all models of this type you always read ahead. When you first open it, you might be overwhelmed because the pieces are separated into small bags and there are a lot of them. Once you get started you will see a lot of thought went into the design, the instructions and the packaging of the pieces. FYI, there are a couple of extra small nuts and bolts. Just the ones you use a lot.
If this is your first model of this type I offer 3 pieces of advice.
1. Use a black or dark colored felt or other cloth to build on. This keeps pieces from rolling away.
2. If possible, lay out your pieces so you can find them. I have a folding table about 3 foot (91 CM) square that I lay everything out on.
3. Lay out all the parts as they appear in the instructions before you start to assemble the step. In some steps the direction of the part is extremely important and this lets you align everything before continuing.
This model took me 4 nights so about 8-9 hours to assemble but I really take my time. The instructions are very well made and you can always find more info online. You can also find a complete step by step build video on YouTube that takes you through the whole process.
As I said, I have built a lot of models. This is the first model I ever built with bendable fingers. This lets the model actually grab items when you add it into your display. The arms and legs are well thought out. When you finish the skeleton, it becomes apparent “Santa” can be moved into almost any position
This is the first model I built where the lights (the head) attach magnetically. This allows you to position it easily and the light unit is rechargeable using a standard USB port. No swapping batteries and no finding button batteries. The head unit recharges fast. Depending on your display, the light color can be easily changed to match. This is not just for Xmas. Without the Santa clothes it has a cyborg look or keep the Santa look all year.
It is not often I can say this but it does not matter if you are new to modeling or have years of experience. This model is for you. It has repetition and great instructions for the new builder and it is challenging enough with an amazing finished product for the experienced modeler.
KC
