Introduction:
RT Diorama continues to expand its line of 3D printed scenery with another complete kit: Fir Tree (No2) (35480).
As with other products in their “swift vegetation” series, this RT Diorama’s kit promises a quick and easy solution to modeling vegetation for vignettes and dioramas. Let’s see what the kit is all about…
Review:
The set comes packed in a large cardboard box measuring 22 x 10 x 10 cm.
I opened the box to find bubble wrap protecting the top of the tree. The warning label on the lid immediately pops out, informing the modeler NOT TO PULL THE TREE OUT, as the base of the tree is firmly secured to the bottom of the box. In order to safely remove the tree, the manufacturer recommends opening the box from the underside or carefully cutting the side panels. Here’s a short tutorial video which could help in the process: link.
Following the instructions, I opened the underside of the box. The box didn’t survive, but the tree came out intact. It really looks impressive in its full glory.
Once the tree is out from the packaging, the cleanup is a breeze with only a few printing supports to be removed. The instruction leaflet explains how to safely do so using a sharp hobby knife and side cutters.
This particular tree depicts a more mature fir, printed as a single piece with intricate branches that fan out beautifully. The level of detail is astounding with individual needle-like leaves nicely defined and delivered. The images taken under magnification show really well how realistic the branches look... remember, this is 1/35 scale. Also, the tree bark texture is nicely represented.
As with the earlier RT Diorama release (Fir Tree (No1)), the undersides of the branches show slightly less definition due to the orientation of the 3D printing process. That said, this won’t be noticeable once the tree is set in a diorama. If a modeler wants to add even more volume or variety, RT Diorama’s separately available coniferous branch sets could complement this model nicely.
Standing 200mm tall, this tree really makes a statement. To illustrate the scale, I placed a 1/35 figure next to it — it’s an excellent fit for larger forest scenes or mountainous terrain in dioramas.
Painting this piece might present a bit of a challenge due to the dense branch layout. Airbrushing a base coat and then detailing branch after branch could take time, but the result should be well worth the trouble.
Conclusion:
Fir Tree (No2) (35472) from RT Diorama is an outstanding addition to the company’s growing line of ready-to-paint scenery. With well thought out packaging, minimal cleanup, stunning detail, and a towering 200mm height, it’s a perfect focal point for any 1/35 scale scene.
Highly recommended.
A big thank you to RT Diorama for the review sample.
