Hi everyone.

Here's my build diary of my Samurai kit.
Rather than go the usual route I'll try and be a bit different with the presentation. I'd like to present it with my thoughts and experiences with the build in a hope to convert some of the lurkers out there to go for it and purchase the subscription. I was a lurker and reading everyone else's diary helped my to make my decision and purchase a subscription.

First off, the first pack consists of four trays of parts. All parts are very carefully packed in their custom made plastic trays so everything arrives in mint condition. All parts are metal so far with a flawless gloss black finish.
The instruction book is 8.5" X 11" in size and in full colour. Lots of colour photos to help explain the trickier bits. The instructions take you through all the operations that you can perform in each tray. So, you would do a bit with the tasset plates then some helmet work then face mask stuff. You're kinda jumping around a bit so I found it easier to do all operations concerning each assembly from beginning to end, so I did everything I could with the helmet, then everything on the face mask, cuirass and lastly the taste plates. Everything going to get greasy finger prints despite your best efforts, I found 99% pure isopropyl alcohol and a micro fibre cloth works well.

Lets start with the helmet;

Joining the two halves is quick and easy, the joining ring is cast metal, not plastic! Also, the holes for the screws are pre tapped, nice! You get one spare screw and two spare rivets. The rivets go in the smaller of the two holes. The instructions said to put some glue in the hole then put the rivet in the hole. I found it easier to put the rivet in the hole and hold it with my finger then apply one drop of CA glue from the inside of the helmet. No chance of CA glue getting on the outside of the helmet.






Next is the face mask;

The instructions say to glue the ears on with "multi purpose glue". I used CA with no issues. My "securing post plates" matched the contours of the face mask just fine. With the nose pins CA'ed in place I'm pretty sure I could still remove the nose piece if nessesary. It seems like you might have to, the instructions don't explicitly say one way or the other.






Next is the Cuirass;

Not much to say here except I used CA instead of the "multi purpose glue". I left the plastic sheet on to keep greasy fingerprints off the glossy black paint. An impossible task!





Lastly, the tasset plates;

The preceding assemblies were a piece of cake compared to the tasset plates. These are fiddly. I attached the leather backing without using sticks which went well, but then again I'm a troublemaker! When you make the pointy ends on the lace, make the ends very fine and pointy. If you don't it will be very tough to pull the end through the little holes. My ends were to bulky and the ends were frayed badly by the end. For the bottom of the sixth tasset I made a very fine point and that went way faster. The whole mountain fold vs valley fold is important to the finished look so do whatever you have to do to manipulate the lace to get the correct fold. The lace will fray easily so be gentle with it. With my experience with the first tasset assembly, I'm convinced I will be able to do the next tasset assembly in half the time or less with 69% less swearing!





That's it for now, pack two is in the mail as I write this.

Can you guess what the leather pads for the tasset plates have in common with a BMW i3?

Cheers, Gord.

Very nice start Gord Nice to see another Samurai build on here - BTW, if your worried about finger prints a couple of members have used the very thin gloves when handling any parts, either in latex or cotton, they are used by jewelers etc, you can also polish the parts up with your fingers when you wear them

here is an example - http://www.amazon.co.uk/...ILVERWARE/dp/B00II7PW32

Steve

I have now got some cotton gloves from Amazon, but they fit too loosely to do anything requiring precision. Might try powder-free latex gloves.

Thanks for looking in!

Hi Gord

A very nice start the Tasset's look great and as you do more they do get faster to do. One tip to be aware of the laces will stretch slightly with the weight of the metal plates so something to keep an eye on when making them up so they are all the same length. I started off using the cotton gloves but like yourself found there a hindrance more than a help so swoped to using nitrile gloves which was much better.

Regards

Andy

Ford

Very nice start to a lovely model.

Unless something else takes my eye this is one I am hoping to get once my SofS subscription finishes

Looking good Gord, no idea on the shaved head question but perhaps it was to give birds something to aim at.

Hi Gord

Nicely done those knots are a learning curve on there own but you still have a few more to do yet. One piece of advice about the stand if your going to permamently display the armour you may consider glueing it together but the stand was designed in real life to be colapseable so when the armour was packed away in its box the dismantled stand was wrapped in the cloth sheet that goes over the stand.

Regards

Andy

Lovely neat and tidy work Gord... keep it going....

Regards

Alan

Hi Andy.
Thanks so much for the advice, I had no idea! I was very close to sanding and glueing too!

Cheers, Gord.

Thats looking very nice Gord, your lacing looks great, I expect it can be quite tricky to get it looking that neat.

With regards to the stand I would say some of the parts are glued as the official build diary says to only glue where it tells you. Having not build this myself I cant advice anymore on the gluing, sorry.