I like the crack! Castles are old and often falling apart... I'd make that crack look like the result of bombardment, and now it's got grass and whatever growing in it. Great video!
In the U.S. we generally don't build card kits, honestly, this has changed my mind. These kits seem every bit as substantial as any other. THANKS Zoe for opening my eyes!
Hi Zoe, I went the whole hog and built everything. Including 4 towers, 2 sets of walls and my piece de resistance 2 very large towers made from adapting a second gatehouse. Still not got a place for them to be set up yet. As you say they are quite massive. But one thing that people need to understand is that to build the full castle can be quite expensive. But you can of course spread that over a period of time as you build each individual section.
Brilliant kit of the castle you just build Zoe. I build lots of HO/OO scale kits buildings for myself and my friend. I build lots of N scale kits buildings my friend.
The Watch Tower kit is good, I was thinking it would make a nice stand alone folly. The crack though is very strange, it's not a technique I've seen Metcalfe use before, and I've made lots of their kits. Good review Zoe.
I wasn't going to use any of it until I watched this video. Now, I have had a thought as my layout is going to be called YORKDALE LNER reservation Railway I could encase Yorkdale city within the walls of a castle. Like York is and Iper in Belgium. Thanks, Zoe for making this video. Martin. (Thailand)
Great review. I must admit I'm sold on Metcalfe kits they are all wonderful and such an extensive range, but above all they are just a total delight to build.. so relaxing.
Great Zoe looks great cannot wait to see it all done up for Christmas.1 issue where you changed the door for a window will stop people from walking around the castle walls so they will be cut off..Love the videos.
Used the castle walls, three towers and various other kits to make a freelance walled church that has been converted to a tourist attraction complete with picnic tables and half timbered shops, all from the Metcalfe range.
Hi Zoe, I have just built this series of kits. They are wonderful. I did send metcalf a suggestion about build a kit with some exterior stairs for the walls. Plus it would be nice if the could make a set of walls that allow you to walls that go up hills. But that might be just me being a bit picky.
Walls for going up hills would be a most welcome addition! The only workaround I can think of for this at the moment is to custom build a base that goes up the hill, then use the castle wall sheets Metcalfe sell to cover that custom base. It's a bit of a patchwork method to get things done but it can work in a pinch.
Hello Zoe. I think Metcalfe Kits are great. I am told some of the older ones are questionable but still better than the rest. You missed a couple of things. Total size when built. Protective covering of the kit. Where to put it would depend on those things. Most obvious place would be a full width hill used as a scenic break. Track goes under the hill and you can do whatever you want with it after that. I believe there are other examples of old railway lines going to Castles. Crack at the back of the Tower, with all that extra brick card you can patch it. Another use for the "Spare Kit" would be to lengthen the walls to meet the terrain. Or to create an outer wall as a sea break/cutting for a passing rail line. My final point, Yes its Big..... but is it. The floor plan is no bigger than a Deltic ( In oo scale maybe) that would make the whole Castle including walls no longer than a four/five carriage express. This really could be a cheap alternative to a town scene.
There are a few walled towns and city's in the UK. York, Chester and Conwy spring to mind. You could use them in an urban setting then and still have the visual impact they give.
The 'little bit that hangs over' is the Guarderobe - aka the long-drop toilet! In the real building it is very draughty - especially in winter! (You are liable to get frostbite in places that you don't talk about!)
I have just bought my first Metcalfe kit (a loco shed) and was wondering how substantial the assembled item will be. Having seen your results I'm eager to get started.
I have often wondered how these would go as gaming pieces and they certainly look substantial enough. Just viewing you handling them they would appear to be suitable for 20mm miniatures, and possibly as large as even 25 mm. Sadly 20 mm is not that popular a scale any longer, for wargaming, but I might just make an exception because these really are the nicest looking castle on the market, and I do still have quite a few old dungeons and dragons knight miniatures that would suit this perfectly.
These look great for D&D or 1:72 military dioramas. Imagineca Spitfire being refueled on the keep in front of a castle or tower! Wouldn't it look cool on a hill above the town on your layout. Or a medieval fair?
Those castle parts look fantastic - I'll definitely put some of those on the Santa list! Is the overhanging part on the castle hall the privy? - complete with open-plan drainage.
Great vlog Zoe. Love the Metcalf kits, got quite a few of them. Would love the castle you have done, but alas my layout is 10ftx10ft so no room.☹ Thanks Zoe stay safe. DELPH JUNCTION
I would be interested to see how easy these are to add several hundreds of years of weathering cutting sections out where the walls have crumbled. FIlling the gaps between with something like modelling putty and painting to match the brick colour.
Great video! Are these kits available in other scales and subject? An O-gauge via-duct would be an awesome piece. I tried a card kit once and was not at impressed with it. It was very flimsy and not east to build; I scraped it in the middle of the build. These certainly look impressive!
Ah yes, much embarrassment has been suffered through the exposure of one's rear crack... Anyway! Those castles are so hefty, you could in fact use them to wage war from! Or you could throw them at your enemies and the sheet weight of them would simply CRUSH your opponent!😁 As I said the other week Zoë, well done with these! ❤️❤️only thing I'd Add is that it would have been nice to see you building a little part of it, just a couple of minutes worth 🙂
Roket card glue or gorilla PVA are the 2 best options, make sure to buy precision glue dispensers though ( £4.50 for 3 from Metcalfe) UHU glue is stringy & very messy
Great kits. But alas I tend to kit bash them using embossed plasticard and white metal detailing. Am I the only one who does this to a decent card kit.
I like the crack! Castles are old and often falling apart... I'd make that crack look like the result of bombardment, and now it's got grass and whatever growing in it. Great video!
Hi Zoe, you can't beat Metcalf kits, even with all the plastic and resin efforts out there. That's a superb job.
In the U.S. we generally don't build card kits, honestly, this has changed my mind. These kits seem every bit as substantial as any other. THANKS Zoe for opening my eyes!
Hi Zoe, I went the whole hog and built everything. Including 4 towers, 2 sets of walls and my piece de resistance 2 very large towers made from adapting a second gatehouse. Still not got a place for them to be set up yet. As you say they are quite massive. But one thing that people need to understand is that to build the full castle can be quite expensive. But you can of course spread that over a period of time as you build each individual section.
Great review! The kits look very good - I didn't expect them to be so sturdy.
Brilliant kit of the castle you just build Zoe. I build lots of HO/OO scale kits buildings for myself and my friend. I build lots of N scale kits buildings my friend.
The Watch Tower kit is good, I was thinking it would make a nice stand alone folly. The crack though is very strange, it's not a technique I've seen Metcalfe use before, and I've made lots of their kits. Good review Zoe.
I wasn't going to use any of it until I watched this video. Now, I have had a thought as my layout is going to be called YORKDALE LNER reservation Railway I could encase Yorkdale city within the walls of a castle. Like York is and Iper in Belgium. Thanks, Zoe for making this video. Martin. (Thailand)
I'm building the gatehouse at the moment, really good kit and having fun building it. Already done the castle hall and it looks great.
Great review. I must admit I'm sold on Metcalfe kits they are all wonderful and such an extensive range, but above all they are just a total delight to build.. so relaxing.
Great Zoe looks great cannot wait to see it all done up for Christmas.1 issue where you changed the door for a window will stop people from walking around the castle walls so they will be cut off..Love the videos.
Used the castle walls, three towers and various other kits to make a freelance walled church that has been converted to a tourist attraction complete with picnic tables and half timbered shops, all from the Metcalfe range.
Hi Zoe, I have just built this series of kits. They are wonderful. I did send metcalf a suggestion about build a kit with some exterior stairs for the walls. Plus it would be nice if the could make a set of walls that allow you to walls that go up hills. But that might be just me being a bit picky.
Walls for going up hills would be a most welcome addition! The only workaround I can think of for this at the moment is to custom build a base that goes up the hill, then use the castle wall sheets Metcalfe sell to cover that custom base. It's a bit of a patchwork method to get things done but it can work in a pinch.
Hello Zoe. I think Metcalfe Kits are great. I am told some of the older ones are questionable but still better than the rest.
You missed a couple of things. Total size when built. Protective covering of the kit. Where to put it would depend on those things.
Most obvious place would be a full width hill used as a scenic break. Track goes under the hill and you can do whatever you want with it after that. I believe there are other examples of old railway lines going to Castles. Crack at the back of the Tower, with all that extra brick card you can patch it. Another use for the "Spare Kit" would be to lengthen the walls to meet the terrain. Or to create an outer wall as a sea break/cutting for a passing rail line.
My final point, Yes its Big..... but is it. The floor plan is no bigger than a Deltic ( In oo scale maybe) that would make the whole Castle including walls no longer than a four/five carriage express. This really could be a cheap alternative to a town scene.
Brilliant kit. The little bit that is caterlevered out the back is the privey. It is a dead drop toilet.
There are a few walled towns and city's in the UK. York, Chester and Conwy spring to mind. You could use them in an urban setting then and still have the visual impact they give.
The 'little bit that hangs over' is the Guarderobe - aka the long-drop toilet! In the real building it is very draughty - especially in winter! (You are liable to get frostbite in places that you don't talk about!)
Yeah, I forgot the word when making the video so I talked around it! :)
Hi Zoe that looks brilliant
I have just bought my first Metcalfe kit (a loco shed) and was wondering how substantial the assembled item will be. Having seen your results I'm eager to get started.
Well explained very informative too .
I have often wondered how these would go as gaming pieces and they certainly look substantial enough. Just viewing you handling them they would appear to be suitable for 20mm miniatures, and possibly as large as even 25 mm.
Sadly 20 mm is not that popular a scale any longer, for wargaming, but I might just make an exception because these really are the nicest looking castle on the market, and I do still have quite a few old dungeons and dragons knight miniatures that would suit this perfectly.
These look great for D&D or 1:72 military dioramas. Imagineca Spitfire being refueled on the keep in front of a castle or tower!
Wouldn't it look cool on a hill above the town on your layout. Or a medieval fair?
They are really great kits, I've made them all as well
Those castle parts look fantastic - I'll definitely put some of those on the Santa list! Is the overhanging part on the castle hall the privy? - complete with open-plan drainage.
Yes, that’s the privvy. :)
Think they are known as a "Garderobe", though I may be wrong!
@@mooglesmodelrailways Yes, they doubled as a wardrobe as the smell keeps the moths away. It "gards" your robes.
Great vlog Zoe.
Love the Metcalf kits, got quite a few of them. Would love the castle you have done, but alas my layout is 10ftx10ft so no room.☹
Thanks Zoe stay safe.
DELPH JUNCTION
I see what you mean about the join Zoe. I would be tempted to hide it with some foliage. Something like Ivy effect?
I would be interested to see how easy these are to add several hundreds of years of weathering cutting sections out where the walls have crumbled. FIlling the gaps between with something like modelling putty and painting to match the brick colour.
That's a great suggestion. I can't imagine it would be too difficult for an experienced scratch-build modeller.
That’s put food for thought, am thinking of a TT120 build, a Castle would look good. What’s your thoughts on the TT 120 range????
Great video! Are these kits available in other scales and subject? An O-gauge via-duct would be an awesome piece. I tried a card kit once and was not at impressed with it. It was very flimsy and not east to build; I scraped it in the middle of the build. These certainly look impressive!
15.36 Is that a couple of nights or a couple of knights? Great video. Must try some out. Thank you
Ah yes, much embarrassment has been suffered through the exposure of one's rear crack...
Anyway!
Those castles are so hefty, you could in fact use them to wage war from!
Or you could throw them at your enemies and the sheet weight of them would simply CRUSH your opponent!😁
As I said the other week Zoë, well done with these! ❤️❤️only thing I'd Add is that it would have been nice to see you building a little part of it, just a couple of minutes worth 🙂
I’ve been experimenting with the ways I make these reviews and it seems the best way is definitely to include some building footage.
@@GameHammerCG next time!😁
What sort of glue do you prefer on these - something like a UHU or is there a more modern alternative that you experts would go for now?
Roket card glue or gorilla PVA are the 2 best options, make sure to buy precision glue dispensers though ( £4.50 for 3 from Metcalfe) UHU glue is stringy & very messy
Thanks very much - I have UHU but agree it is very stringy - will get some dispensers!
Do they make the castle "anthrax?"
Castle Anthrax? Is that where Lord Thrash lives? I hear he has a Mosh Pit in the dungeon... :=)
@@mooglesmodelrailways Castle anthrax from "Monty Python and the Holy Grail"
@@martensiersma3304 forgot about that film! Beware the killer rabbit!
I would like to make a model of the ulsteaf castle from Thomas and friends.
Great kits. But alas I tend to kit bash them using embossed plasticard and white metal detailing. Am I the only one who does this to a decent card kit.
Wait -- did you lock Jenny in the closet?!
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