MiniArt Farm Cart & Village Accessories (35657) 1:35

[Mike]

Farm Cart & Village Accessories (35657)

1:35 MiniArt via Creative Models Ltd

 

 

Any diorama benefits from background details, and MiniArt have a range of kits for the modeller to use in order to improve the visual interest and realism of their models.  This set arrives in an end-opening figure-sized box, and inside are four grey sprues of varying sizes in a heat-sealed bag that protects them from excessive rattling, and therefore damage during transit.  The parts on the sprues allow the modeller to build a farm cart of the type that was typically pulled by a horse between the two traces, the long straight wooden rails that project from the front of the cart.

 

 

 

The instructions can be found of the rear of the box, and are quite simple with only a few steps.  The cart is begun by fixing the axle under the frame that has the traces moulded-in, and adding a support leg on one trace that indicates that this was more likely propelled by shanks’ pony, or people power.  The cart wheels slot onto the ends of the axles, and a three-part foot step is fixed to the right side of the frame, with two eyelets hanging one underneath each trace.  The body is a simple open box with sloped sides that is built around the rectangular floor, adding sides with raised rails at the top, and a rear bulkhead with hook, after which a short stop is added to the front, and over it, suspended between the two sides, is a simple bench seat, all of which is engraved with a fine wood texture.  The two sub-assemblies are joined together to complete them, then it is a case of putting together some of the more shapely accessories, and cutting the rest from the sprues.  A watering can is made up from two halves plus a nozzle, while three sacks are each two parts, with different textures implying the contents.  A long-handled mattock and rake are two parts each, adding a scythe, sickle, three forks or hoes to complete the toolkit.

 

A painting guide under the instructions gives some examples of possible colours for the various elements, but the world really is your oyster, unless you’re planning on painting it with HAVE Glass anti-radiation coating, which is just silly.

 

Highly recommended.

 

 

Review sample courtesy of