I couldn’t wait and ended up starting the orchid kit today.
So far I’ve been working on the flowers, and it’s been a fun change from the ships and vehicles I’ve built before. The finished flowers look really nice, but I’ve definitely spent more time on them than I expected.
A lot of that is probably because I’m a bit of a perfectionist. I don’t like when pieces don’t sit flat, so I keep going back and making small adjustments. While removing some of the pieces from the sheets, I noticed that a few spots splintered slightly and took some of the pink surface coloring with them. I also had a couple of areas where I sanded a little too much while cleaning up the edges. To fix those spots, I used an acrylic marker to touch up the color, and I’m pretty happy with how it turned out.
I also managed to break a flexible piece and one of the thin bar pieces while trying to get everything to sit perfectly flush. Thankfully, there was an extra flexible piece included. For the thin bar, I carefully repaired it and was able to save the part without it being too noticeable.
The build is taking longer than I expected, but I’ve been enjoying the process. I’m happy with how the flowers are turning out so far and I’m looking forward to moving on to the stem next.
It’s looking really pretty already, Zoe! Some of my students built this kit this year and they found it quite tricky. When I built it myself it didn’t feel that difficult, but of course, for them it definitely had its little challenges
I can definitely relate to spending longer on the flowers than expected. It sounds like all of those little adjustments and touch-ups really paid off, and I like that you found a simple way to fix the color where the pieces splintered. The repaired parts are a good reminder that even when something goes wrong during a build, it usually isn’t the end of the project.
You’re doing an awesome job on building these.
I love how you’ve problem solved through your issues and kept going. Make sure you share the finished result.
@Zoe_Lau the care you put into those orchid flowers really shows, especially with the acrylic marker touch-ups and careful repairs. Splinters and broken thin pieces can be discouraging, but you turned them into part of the progress instead of letting them stop the build. Looking forward to seeing the stem stage when you get there.
@Kim_Kieffer this is a lovely way to frame build mishaps. A repaired part or touched-up edge often becomes part of the builder story, and it helps newer builders remember that one problem does not ruin the project.
The flowers definitely take more time than expected. I did this one with my great niece after I finished my own. Doing it twice was quite tedious. Yours is looking great
It sounds like all of those little adjustments and touch-ups really paid off, and I like that you found a simple way to fix the color where the pieces splintered. The repaired parts are a good reminder that even when something goes wrong during a build, it usually isn’t the end of the project.
