Full Circle Hobbies

Imprimerie Hergé Et Fils
(Herge And Sons Printing)

According to the manufacturer "The building was inspired by a print shop that I used to work in, and is a typical style that can be found in most European or North American cities and towns. Although the building depicts a print shop, it can easily be made to resemble a grainery, brewery, slaughter house, etc., by making your own sign. This kit represents an old building which is still intact. Many photos of WW1 and WW2 show soldiers and their equipment passing through villages on the way to the Front with buildings untouched by the fighting. With this kit, you can create a scene which can show a lull in the fighting as troops relax, or are passing through a village."

Kit contents consists of a base, wall and sign all cast in resin, plus a set of four felt pads for the underside of the base to protect your shelf.

The base is a cobble stone street with a sewer grate and manhole cover, plus a brick paving stone section with a narrow gauge track that leads to the shipping doors. Measurements for the raised road portion are 5 1/16" (128mm) wide & 3 3/16" (81mm) deep. The portion of the base that sits on the shelf is 5 1/4" (134mm) wide & 3 3/8" (86mm) deep. Total thickness of the base is 13/32" (11mm) thick.

The building front has 7 windows, one of which has been bricked in, an entry door and a shipping/receiving door. The width is the same as the base, while the height is 5 3/16" (132mm). Thickness is roughly 3/4" (20mm) not including the window sills or door jambs. According to Full Circle Hobbies the total height of the diorama including the building front and base, is 5 3/4" (145mm) tall, and is designed to fit any standard size shelf or bookcase.

No assembly diagram is included, which makes sense with the paucity of parts. The instructions deal mainly with surface prep and finishing.

The parts casting is excellent with no obvious pin holes. There is a bit of flash around the wall structure that must be removed. My dry fit showed that the wall to the base join is almost perfect. As with all the other diorama building offered by Full Circle Hobbies at this time, this one too has the window panes molded solid which will require painting to simulate glass.

If a vehicle is to be added I'd suggest a small subject, something in the order of an automobile, Jeep, small armoured car, or tankette, as the base size will make anything larger look a bit cramped. A scratch built delivery cart for the rails would make a nice touch.

All in all, this is another fine diorama piece from Full Circle Hobbies.

Review sample supplied by David Gurinskas of Full Circle Hobbies.

Article Last Updated: 21 March 2013