Having finished the last batch of issues that were sent out and hearing of supply problems in the US, I did wonder when my seven-year-old daughter and I would be able to continue our build of the Millennium Falcon. I need not have worried; the delivery was very punctual, and Ember and I could get back to building. Unlike the last delivery, the box that held the next five issues was like the others we had received: smaller. This is by no means a complaint, the amount of space this project is taking up is getting greater and greater. When opening the box, I was greeted by the standard five issues but also the next gift for subscribers; a cup based on the Falcon.
Like with the cap that was delivered in an earlier delivery, it was quickly taken out of my hands by my daughter who thought the shine on it was fantastic. I must agree, it is a very nice mug. However, one thing we did notice on it coming out of the box was a chip at the bottom. This was – of course – slightly disappointing. Damages are part of any delivery service; these should always be expected. However, what really matters is how a company deals with things like this, Contacting Fanhome with some images and it was responded to within hours, and I am now awaiting a replacement. Great customer service. It reassures me that if there are any problems with the parts themselves, that these will also be rectified very quickly.
It would be remiss of me if I were not to also mention the one other addition to the delivery box. Inside there is a letter explaining that the price of each issue is going up by £1. This is never welcome news, particularly with such a large project that is only a fifth of the way through. However, prices across every industry are going up and it would be silly to think that it wouldn’t also go up for production of this magazine. While this is not an update a subscriber would want to receive hopefully it will be the only one. I still think the magazine is great value compared to what else you could be spending the money on.
Back to the build itself, the last two issues had found Ember and I working on the passage tube. These were fairly short, and we were able to do both in one sitting. Looking at issue 22, I could see very quickly that it was a repeat of the previous issue but for the other side of the tube, adding the cushions. The issue would not take us long. Looking onto issue 23, I found that it was adding more cushions and placing the ceiling area onto the tube. All of it fairly straight forward. Like the last time, my daughter and I would be able to handle both issues at once. It also was evident that this would finish the passage tube, at least for now. Although I have really enjoyed the passage tube for its simplicity, I was also looking forward to having it completed.
With no need to prepare anything or paint any parts, we were able to start the issues straight away. Ember and I have been able to get a great rhythm with the last two issues, with Ember clipping pieces and filing, while I glue. Issue 22 was going to be no different. I was worried that repetition in these issues could get boring, yet it is anything but. Ember loves becoming an ‘expert’ and consolidating the skills she has been learning. From my point of view, it is fantastic to see this development in my daughter. Her confidence keeps growing and growing and I love that she is taking so well to this new hobby. As soon as she saw the instructions she grabbed the clippers and went straight to work. The issue is identical in every respect to the previous issue. Like the previous issue, taking out the arches was hugely helpful in ensuring the pads went on correctly. We were done in about fifteen minutes, and I could see Ember was eager for issue 23.
Issue 23 only needs two pieces from the pieces supplied, the four pads coming from the remainder of the sprue in issue 22. I was glad I wasn’t packing everything away and could finish using the sprue. Four pads are added to the roof of the corridor before you place the roof piece onto the corridor itself. It is very straightforward and didn’t cause us any problems. One thing I will say is when you are placing the two parts of the tube together, it tells you in step two to make sure the locating pins on the three arches are lined up. We found that they didn’t but taking them out and turning them around quickly solved this problem. This issue took us even less time!
These two issues go together perfectly. The fact that all the parts you need are already there for you to follow on from issue 22 to issue 23 makes that even more so. I will say that for the time we spent on these two issues, I think I would have preferred them rolled into one. These two have certainly been the shortest of all the issues we have completed. That said, I am looking at all the parts that are provided and it is clear that these have been built up for some rather large-scale work. I do appreciate that sometimes this is going to be the case. For Ember, she doesn’t really know any different and has just enjoyed spending more time on this daddy/daughter project. Hopefully we can sink our teeth into the next few issues.
