3D Wooden Puzzle London Model Kit, Big Ben and Ferris Wheel with Clock and LED Lights

Description

This is a build it yourself wooden model that ends up as a desk piece rather than a puzzle you take apart again. The pieces punch out of seven laser cut boards and join by friction, so there is no glue, no solvent smell and no drying time. If you make a mistake you pull the piece back out and try again.

What is in the box

Seven wood boards, one printed instruction booklet, one LED lamp line, one clock movement and a strip of sandpaper for cleaning up the cut edges. The sandpaper is a small thing that tells you something useful: the maker expects you to care about the finish, which is a good sign in this category.

What you build

The assembled model is a small London scene rather than a single tower. Big Ben stands at one end with a working clock face driven by the included movement. Beside it runs the long facade of the Palace of Westminster, and in the middle sits a Ferris wheel with individual cars, standing in for the big wheel on the South Bank. A bench and a piece of riverside complete the base. The LED string threads behind the facade so the windows glow warm from inside, which is what lifts it from a model to something you leave switched on.

Time and difficulty

Expect an evening or two rather than an afternoon. The tower and the wheel are the fiddly parts; the facade goes quickly. It is a good project for an adult who wants something to do with their hands, and a good joint project with a child of about ten and up. Younger than that and the small window frames become frustrating.

What we cannot tell you

The supplier publishes no assembled dimensions for this kit and no piece count. The packed carton is 320 by 220 by 25 millimetres, which tells you the board size but not the finished footprint. We have left both figures off rather than estimate them. If the finished size matters, ask us before you order.

Ordering in time

Handling is 1 to 3 business days and transit is 5 to 9 business days. The last order date for Christmas delivery is Monday December 7.