I am in over my head with a Faller freefall!

I recently ordered a Faller Free fall kit off Ebay. I paid all together $115 as oppose to $170 on the official Faller website. I was excited for my new project until I opened the box. I never get overwhelmed with model kits, but this one is really beyond an average model kit. It has over 400 pieces. I thought not too bad, but the pieces are so tiny! They are little parts that make this huge freefall. Unfortunately I think some of the instructions are I in German. I have not had time to look through the manual too much, but I did see some English in it.

Has anyone ever built this model? Any suggestions; idea, tips, etc. I need model glue to piece it together, should I use only Faller model glue? Or is any modeling type of glue good enough?

I havn't built the free fall tower kit yet but I am building it when I get it over Christmas. I have built the wild mouse type one before and it was hard with all the small parts.

I would recommend buying the Faller glue just because the aplicator is smaller than a needle so you are able to put just the right amount of glue.

On the manual the English is alway the second box down right below the german.

My advice is to just take your time and be extremely patient. I have two Faller models - the Wild Maus and the Pirate Island log ride, but not the Free Fall. Don't get in a rush building the model because once you glue a piece it's not moving anywhere. You shouldn't have any trouble with the German and English. The pictures in the manual are very helpful as well.
But on a good note, when you finish your model you will be so amazed at how detailed it is. And you will have a lot of fun playing with it and looking at it.

How was the Wild Maus? I was thinking of getting one myself..but I hear the coasters are really finicky and dont work too well. Also, how large was it? Small enough to put on my desk as work?

The Wilde Mause as they call it is pretty decent. It was fun to build. I did not like the concrete path so I turned it into a fair type ride with grass and some other items. It looked really nice until my lovely little brother decided to have his stupid friend over. And the stupid kid smashed it. I am still putting the pieces back together and it is beginning to look pretty decent again.

As far as the free fall tower. I find that one to be pretty fun. The only thing I had a problem with was the sensor that came with the ride that controlled the drop. I had to have them replace it, but better luck with yours. Maybe you won't have to end up replacing it if they figured out the problem, or maybe they just got rid of them entirely.

I would recommend using liquid model glue because its easier for smaller models. There are multiple types to chose from, but remember to use the glue that is labeled for plastics, and not metals or any other material. I usually use Testors.

I would also recommend using a primer and then painting your parts. This is usually recommended if you’re going to change the colors of the ride. But if your going to stay with the same colors, then don't bother priming it, just get that color paint (White, Red, Yellow, Grey, Black, Etc.)

For this scale model I would also recommend you get a very sharp X-Acto knife, fine grain sandpaper, and a wire cutter. “A wire cutter you say?” Yes, you will need one to “snip” the pieces off. It is much easier than using an X-Acto knife, and it is much more precise. After the piece has been “snipped” off, use the X-Acto knife and shave off the rest of the excess plastic. Then glue the pieces together. After the part is dry. Use the sandpaper and sand the edges where the glue popped out of the crevices. This will give the piece a smooth texture, giving you the chance to make a cleaner looking model. After you are done sanding, make sure all the excess plastic powder is off of the part, and then spray paint!

Wow, I sound like an instruction manual. If you need anything else or any other information, feel free to IM me at Protoaxisdesign.

Of all the ones I have built, the freefall was the hardest... the hardest part is the car. Just take it slow. :)

I've done about twelve faller models, and the hardest so far was the Freefall model. However, when all was said and done, the absolute pleasure of
A: knowing you've done something harder than alot of Americans will ever do.
B: you finished something harder than a lot of Americans will ever do.
C: it's so much fin to watch the car go up and down, up and down. I watched my model for about and hour one rainy day, just sitting there, watching it. Well, that and the Wilde Maus.

My goodness.....We always have to go through this every year. YES ITS A DIFFICULT MODEL. JUST LIKE IT HAS BEEN YEAR AFTER YEAR! All you have to do is fork over the cash, and there you go....YOUR IN! Geez......has anyone ever tried to do a search on these things!

Sorry, that was toward you and only you LeeHolman.

You mention painting: are the parts not molded in color? Or is it the fact that the colors are kind of washed-out looking? Wouldn't the model be easier if the stock colors were retained?

I'm not one to take the easy way out, but refraining from painting seems to me to be the way to simplify things.

Does anyone have links to sites with pictures of these models in a park or carnival setting. The Walther catalogue has had pics of parks before.

I think there are pics at the Faller website.

I don't mean pics of just the models. I mean working parks/carnivals. Thanks though.