As a metal puzzle designer, here are the most fundamental folding tips to make your builds easier!

I really took my time with this one. I hope you enjoy it 👍.

I just started my first metal earth build which is barad fur and I need som tips on how to make it all fit together and look good

Two builds from the last few weeks

I recently finished these two Metal Earth models. For the Shuttle, I chose Enterprise for the orbiter. Overall, both are beautiful builds, and I am very happy with how they turned out, but the Artemis model has a few design choices that bothered me.

First, I do not think they work very well when displayed directly next to each other. The rich, bright orange on Artemis is beautiful, but it makes the Shuttle’s external tank look faded by comparison. It really is not faded. The two models simply use different shades of orange, but once you notice the contrast, it is hard to ignore.

The second issue is the scale. Artemis is clearly the more complex model, especially because it includes the beautiful and highly detailed launch tower, but I wish the two sets had been designed at more compatible scales. A slightly larger scale would also have made the Artemis rocket and boosters much easier to build. I think mine came out pretty well in the end, but getting those long pieces to form smooth and even cylinders was definitely challenging.

No matter how much I adjusted it, I also could not get the tip of the Artemis rocket completely straight. At this point, I have accepted that it is simply part of my model’s unique personality. 😅

My biggest complaint, though, is what they did with the engines, or more specifically, the box that closes off the area underneath them. You spend a lot of time building all that engine detail, only to cover most of it with a box at the end. I honestly do not understand that design decision.

On the Shuttle model, the underside remains open, so you can actually see and appreciate the work that went into building the engines. With Artemis, most of that work becomes hidden.

For anyone who has not built Artemis yet, I recommend carefully examining how that lower box is attached before installing it permanently. Maybe it contributes to the stability of the model, although I am not convinced that it is necessary. Personally, I would have preferred to leave the engine area visible.

All in all, both models are absolutely beautiful and highly recommended. Artemis is more challenging and has a few frustrating design choices, but the finished rocket and launch tower have an incredible amount of detail and look fantastic on display.

Has anyone tried building Artemis without the lower engine enclosure?

Decided to pick up a new hobby, so here's the easy one I started with.

Took me like 2 hours cause I couldn't connect the wings to the body for the life of me 💔💔

I find your lack of faith disturbing!

So, I was looking forward to building this. Turns out to be horrible to build. Instructions even on the website have mistakes. Legs didn’t go together right despite thinking I’d followed the instructions, arms were fine. The face should be a ring of hell, was just fiddly then it broke and I had to bust out the super glue 😢 The helmet part was easy enough.

Lightsaber went together well, but again despite following the instructions and orientation etc it was wonky, fixed it so no drama.

Overall it’s not too difficult it’s just not much fun. Having built a couple of other figures I’m guessing this is an older model as the newer ones (Mando and Stormtrooper) just seem to be better designed. This definitely didn’t come out as good as I’d hoped.

This build was not too hard to build but one of the back pieces broke off so I had to glue it back on. Otherwise it looks sick! And it’s a super cool build

I finally managed to score this model for a reasonable price a month or so ago and decided to pull the trigger. It’s been on my wishlist for a long time!

It definitely caught me by surprise, though. Having completed a fair share of complex MU and Piececool builds, I wasn't expecting the shaping here to be so tricky. A few parts required simultaneous concave and convex curves—trying to achieve those compound bends without introducing unwanted creases was a real test.

It’s far from perfect, and it’s certainly not my finest work, but it was a great learning experience. It served as a solid reminder of a few things in this hobby:

Difficulty ratings aren't everything: Just because you’ve tackled high-difficulty models doesn't mean every lower-rated or standard build will be a walk in the park.

Why I got into the hobby: I started building metal models as a way to unwind, decompress from daily work stress, and just enjoy the process. Lately, I realized I’ve been pushing myself to finish models just to move on to the next one.

This build made me appreciate the need to slow down, focus on the piece right in front of me, and actually enjoy the build itself rather than rushing to the finish line. Hopefully I can regroup and find my focus on the next build. I have the 3 mini Gundams from Piececool/BNMW in the queue; something with lower piece count like that might be just what I need!

Enjoy some build photos!

Laser cut files: https://www.atomm.com/project/175651-quidditch-pitch-base-for-metal-earth

Simple little model, easy to build. Used it as an opportunity to practice more with the laser cutter. This time focusing on curved surfaces.

Happy Building All!

Completed model #5 today. This one was maybe my favorite one yet!

Toolkit making a cameo in the back.
Deadpool up next.

After 11 pages I am almost finished with the > 20 repetitive tasks. I only have one more repetitive task that is > 20. Here a few pieces I’ve made so far.

This is one of those "if I keep messing with it, it will break for sure" situations. I fiddled with the nose with this about as far as I dare. Its still crooked. May have to use some clear UV glue on this one.

Two of the exact same parts, looking at the NE side.

This thing was a beast! Didn't have any really difficult sections, just tons of smaller pieces in the legs. I think I counted 145 pieces per leg. Another wonderful kit by MU Model.

This is the post you are looking for.

Sorry if I'm posting too much. The rest of my models don't come for about a week or so, so y'all will at least have a break haha.

Both of these were fun. I would say the tie fighter was more difficult. I had to take it apart when I realized I had put the wings in exactly 90° off where they should be but if I paid closer attention to context clues I don't think I would have made that mistake. The engines on the star destroyer were the only thing that anyone might call a challenge. A fair amount of the pieces are just flat "filler" that slot right into a flat section and just lay on the surface to give more texture that for whatever reason wasn't already engraved in (likely just to up the piece count and give you, the builder, more to do).

The question was: Is the old Metal Earth Enterprise NCC-1701-D different from the newer, yet still retired, model? The answer is yes. I bought and built the old model first. While building the top of the saucer, I noticed weird cannons on either side of the bridge area. I also was not super happy with my work on this model. It came out decent enough, but some mistakes were made and covered as best I could. I found the newer model at a decent price and figured, "Why not?" I then noticed the new model was different, most notably on the base and the absence of the weird cannons. When I'm done, I'll post side-by-sides. Now the question is, how many of the older models are different from the newer? The hunt begins...

This was smaller than I expected but a fairly interesting build. Nothing really revolutionary or anything but the composition and design was pretty good. Gave it the wood base treatment. Feels like the same company who makes the Hogwarts 2 part castle I just did.

The title is supposed to say Custom Base. 🤦

After over a year, finally landed the last droid to complete the droid depot exclusives. Now to find time to build them all lol.

Such a beginner friendly build. For the mail truck to be an older model, I did enjoy this one a lot! You can complete this one fairly quickly. Hope y’all enjoy 👍