Spinasaurus Skeleton Kit
My dinosaur is a ‘snap’ together wooden kit, which the manufacturer refers to as a puzzle. Perhaps they thought that calling it a puzzle would be less intimidating then calling it a model. Or maybe because when the pieces are spread out it resembles a puzzle. Actually, I think it’s because the instructions are puzzling.
Which brings me to hint #1: After popping the pieces out of their plywood carrier sheets, lay them back on top of the holes from whence they came. It will be a lot easier finding them when the instructions call for them.
The Spinasaurus came on two 1/8 inch thick by 7 inch by 9 inch sheets of plywood. Parts – 54 of them to be exact – are ‘die cut’, which means that not all pieces will be cut all the way through. You’ll have to use an Xacto knife to complete the job.
Which brings me to hint #2: Some of the spines on this creature are not too easy to pop off the sheet. I flexed the plywood to loosen the parts. I had a couple of pieces break, but was easily able to glue back together with white glue.
It took me about two hours to remove the parts; 20 minutes to assemble it. Although the instructions say it snaps together, some on my ribs kept falling off. Since I’d be handling at the shop to show customers, I decided I wanted something more permanent. I used Tacky Glue on all the parts.
You have the option of either leaving it as bare plywood or painting it. I decided to stain it using highly diluted acrylics. Before I removed the parts from their sheets, I gave them several light coats of stain – each stain being a different color. (As seen on the middle photo.)
There are several other dinosaurs available Among them are – –
Tyrannosaurus: 28 pieces – 13 inches long, 3 inches wide, and 9 inches high
Triceratops: 17 pieces – 8 inches long, 4.5 inches wide, and 6.5 inches high
Stegosaurus: 51 pieces – 16 inches long, 4 inches wide, and 9 inches high
My Spinasaurus is 13 inches long, 3 inches wide, and 8 inches high
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