Hi Everyone
Today’s Z scale model is what looks like a farm house.? It’s by ARCHISTORIES, simply called the Olive House (#ARC-404201).? Olive for its color.? I believe it comes in several color choices.? While building, the movie of choice is the infamous “African Queen” by John Huston, starring Katherine Hepburn and Humphrey Bogart.? It was a hot day here in Colorado, so the sultry hot environs of the African Queen seemed appropriate.
This kit is made of rigid cardboard and comes completely painted.? I was blown away at the quality of all the tiny (and I mean TINY) cardboard components.? I used an X-Acto blade to remove the pieces from its spurs.? Are they still called spurs if it’s all cardboard?? Basically I just followed the instructions.
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I’ve never built a cardboard kit before, in any scale.? I proceeded with a bit of caution and trepidation, but found that these feelings were unwarranted. Assembled everything using Aleene’s tacky glue, sparingly.? The only thing that was not cardboard were the acetate window glazing, which were all cut to size.
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Assembling this kit was a joy.? Every piece went together perfectly.? The pieces went together as modules.? This gives the benefit of letting you choose how to fit together the final modules.? The same kit can be assembled in several ways.? For example, the wrap around porch can be fitted in different positions around the main structure.
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Then, when you’re all done, there’s no painting required!? Boom, finished!? I am now a fan of cardboard structure kits.? I give ARCHISTORIES’ Olive House a ten out of ten.? Not just for its amazing precision, but also for the pre-painted colors that make this structure pop, but not overly pop.? It’s spot on.
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As the final sections were drying, I imagined Charlie and Rosie reaching the shoreline and moving into their Olive House, smiling ear to ear, happy, on my Z scale layout.
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Cheers!
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Jim Schulz
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Jim Schulz