I have been offered a Dragon T34/85 Premium Edition kit at a very resonable price, but I am not sure as to the skill level required to do such a kit justice. My main concern is that I have never worked with PE parts, in fact I don’t even think they were available when I ceased modelling.
I realise that any answers would be subjective, but in members opinions what would be the skill level needed. I am quite happy with Tamiya 1/35 armour but choice and price here in South Africa, at least in my area, is limited.
Hi David . Well Im building my first Dragon kit a King Tiger. Lets just say it can be a little daunting but the kits fit and attention to detail make up for the time it takes to build .As for PE dont worry photo etched arent as hard as you think ,and the finished look it brings to your build will make worth the investment. Best of luck! Tom.
David, don’t worry about part count. Those big numbers can be scary but parts are just parts. Look at it as just that much more fun. As far as PE goes unless you pln to never use it, then there is no time like the present. You will get the help you need here in this and other forums.I go over some of the real basics on my webiste. And in most cases oyu are givne the options to use the PE or not. Start with the simple stuff. If the piece is complex, try bending it and if it doesn’t turn out quite right go with the molded part.
My suggestion, if you think your ready or not, GET IT. That is why we have stashes. Cant tell you how many kits I have that I’m not ready for heh, photo etched, resin, LED wirings, you name it. Get that kit, if its a reasonable price
I have to agree with all the above! If your getting it for a great price then why not jump in a get your feet wet now! My first complex Dragon kit was a Sherman Firefly. Had never touched pe, let alone all the indy links that those Sherman kits come with (a nightmare in themselves!), and the instructions were wrong in about every other step, but in the end it turned out fine. You have one of the best resources in todays modern age available to you, these fine forums right here and all the folks that are regulars here! So I say go for it!
Give it a shot, you’ll never know if you’re up to the challenge if you don’t! PE seems scary at first, but all you really need to work with it is patience, some good tweezers and flat nosed pliers, and appropriate glue like CA for attaching it. The DML Premium kits are upgraded older kits with new things like PE and clear parts, some new-tool upgraded sprues (but not the whole kit), etc. If the price is reasonable to you, go for it! [tup]
As is obvious, the unanimous response was to go for it, which I shall. As was said if I don’t and remain within my comfort zone I shall never improve my skills or learn what my limits are.
That should be a fun kit. The first Dragon kit I built was their JS-2. The indies scared me at first, but I found they were among the easiest I worked with. Dragon makes some of the best armor kits around. Being that you’re getting it at a good price, means you can take some chances and not worry so much about ruining an expensive kit.
im a big fan of the Dragon kits, PE parts had me terrified the first time i tryed them but i cant do a kit without them now, i did alot of the basic Tamiya kits then moved on to the Dragon ones, they are a great stepping stone, you wont be disappointed!