Introduction

Modellers are always looking for things to dress up their models to give a sense of atmosphere to their work; on other occasions it is something that draws the eye to something specific the modeller wants noticed. Whatever the requirement of the modeller one of the latest releases from MiniArt offers a must have product for any 1/35th scale model that would benefit from some eye candy in the form of a tool kit.

Review

This offering is supplied in one of the end opening cartons favoured by MiniArt, these are not the most robust form of packaging when it comes to storage but do display well. The contents are in a single plastic bag and contain six grey sprues, a clear sprue plus a photo etched sheet. The sprues are very cleanly moulded with no obvious faults that I can detect, best of all the connection gates are easily accessed and small in size and number in most places.

This tool set is obviously set up for a World War 2 setting but other than items such as the two man saw most would be equally at home in a number of modern settings. The other items that caught my eye as being dated are the warning lamp such as used on UK road works up until the 1970’s and the blow lamps plus the wood plain are going out in the 1960’s. In all other respects I believe this offering from MiniArt can be used up to and including the present day.

Contents that really caught my eye in this release are items such as the open tool box; this offering has to be assembled that provides the tool box with a very realistic appearance and it can have various tools placed in it, but what caught my eye was a number of nuts, bolts and washers moulded in some of the trays, items that each and every one of us knows are lurking in our own tool boxes. It is touches like this that add huge visual appeal in the item itself and makes it drag the eye of a viewer to the locations it is placed in and holds their attention.

While the injection moulded plastic parts are very nice in this release, it is the photo etched offerings that are the jewels by default. The saw blades have been provided in photo etch and the handles in plastic which I like, but it does mean you need to take care as the two man saw will act like a razor saw if you are not careful. The spanners are a nice inclusion in photo etch and also mean that placing them in a scale figures hand would not prove overly difficult.

Conclusion

This offering from MiniArt is one of those sets that every modeller interested in 1/35th scale must have in the stash for instant use when required. The contents could be used over very many models of any nationality covering a very long period of time from the industrial age to the modern day. I spent quite a while looking for something to complain about and found nothing as this is one of those rare beasts that is perfect I feel.