Today I am reviewing a 28mm laser-cut Bank kit from 'Tri-City Laser' courtesy of 'Knuckleduster Miniatures.'
Unlike most laser-cut kits I've seen, it is not cut from 2mm MDF, but from 1/8 in plywood. Supposedly some folk have had problems with warpage, but all my parts arrived straight and flat. Detail is everything you could ask for, as good or better than others on the market. The thicker material allows deeper engraving while retaining strength.
Another difference from many other kits is that it has a floor and interior walls. The walls are nicely done, with teller cages, and a vault door with fancy frame.
The walls interlock with a simpler system than most, but provide good location for the pieces, The walls also slot into the floor. Since they are not tabbed into place, you have some leeway in positioning the interior walls, and they will not leave gaps needing filling should you omit them because you aren't using it as a bank.
The combination of floor and internal walls proviides a lot of structural strength to the kit. It also has a nice 'heft.'
All windows are open, but the doors are just engraved details. (They can easily be cut open, of course) So that the walls seen through the windows don't look too thick, the window openings are cut oversize, away from the frames. You can't see the wall section from the outside.
|
About half the pieces are for the building front: Two sections of detail pieces, and seven pieces form the cornice.
The front has a lot of windows, and a lot of decorative detail. I chose to not hide it with an awning of any sort, just so it could still be seen.
My kit included the etched sign, although I'm not sure if it comes standard with the kit.
The flat roof sits on the walls and a hidden support, held in place by a tab on the back wall. I opted for the peaked roof option. I like flat roofs, but the shingle detail is very, very nice. They don't look like bricks lying on their sides.
It interlocks at the top, and slots onto an end piece. When dry, I filled and sanded the gaps, and carved the detail in where filling had taken it away.
I added a tab to the inside of the rear peak support so that it couldn't slide out of position.
Overall, the feeling was like building a Plasticville kit: Well designed, well detailed, and a pleasure to build. It's a good-looking, sturdy and serviceable model.
It's also the only Old West kit I have built where I didn't change anything.
|