Music Box - Fireside Music Night

Over my long life in many of the places I’ve lived there have been fireplaces.

I remember as a child, when I had children of my own and now my grandchildren, the fireplaces were and are decorated with stockings filled with little toys and goodies and on the fireplace mantles Christmas cards were/are displayed along with garland and other Christmas decorations.

A Christmas tree would stand (not too close near by). The house we live in now the fireplace is not used but the traditions still hold true.

Rolife’s Music Box-Fireside Music Night brings back so many memories with its garland and ribbon decorated fireplace, cozy flame, jolly Santa Claus, presents, small Christmas tree, filled stockings and three adorable Teddy Bears decked out in their Christmas finest and musical instruments.

The little brick fireplace with its red mantle, fancy hearth and turning handle flickers and glows!

Yes, you heard right, Turn the handle and listen to the Christmas music, watch the inner fireplace twirl and thrill as the Teddy Bears play their musical instruments.

Usually whenever I review a Rolife kit I talk about the various stages I go through to assemble the kit. That’s all fine and good. But, in this review I’d like to take a slightly different approach. I’d like to talk about how I approach buildiing a kit. In this case the Music Box - Fireside Music Night.

Here’s how I start. I look over the box to see if there is any information that might be slightly different than on most Rolife kits. Seems pretty standard: material used, age range, approximate time to assemble, how many pieces, some cautionary text and photos.

The next thing I do is make sure all the pieces are in the kit. (They are.) This involves opening sealed packages and bags. I look over the instructions and compare parts to pages.

Next I check as too how elaborate or complex the lighting set up is. (Batteries are not included.) Looks pretty standard for this kit-nothing too complicated.

Then I decide what tools I may need to have on hand to assemble the kit. A Phillips-head screwdriver and tweezers are included. I like to keep a magnifying device (my eyesight is not what it used to), a Flathead screwdriver, a pointed tool, a strong light and liquid glue and a brush just in case I break a tab or part. I tend to be clumsy. Thank God for glue!

Tweezers come in real handy for small parts and for peeling away stickers. I usually have a little difficulty with the folded paper products as they are small and my hands are big.

Finally I look to see if there might be some assembly that might prove to be a little difficult and critical.

In the case of the Music Box - Fireside Music Night I see three things. First up is the handle and mechanism. Special care has to be taken to make sure it is secure, tightly assembled and works smoothly.

Next are the Teddy Bears that move. Again whenever moving parts are concerned it takes a little more patience and care to make sure the mechanisms work and the parts are secure.

The rotating fireplace inner piece where Santa disappears and returns can present a problem. Since it is an interior piece it’s best to make especially sure that are the parts are secure, there are no obstructions and it rotates smoothly. The fire light takes a light touch.

Also, I like to refer to the video on Rolife’s website so I can see how the mechanisms are supposed to work. Also, examining the close-up photos on the website page lets me examine little details that I need to keep in mind while assembling the kit.

I check the kit web page, look at the Rolife’s website for other similar kits and then move over to Rolife’s mother company website: Robotime, to see if there are other kits I’m interested in.

I hope this provides some helpful advice. This is what works for me. You may have your own way of assembling Rolife kits. To each their own. The important things are to have fun, to take your time and to enjoy the process.

Ephesians 4:29Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.