Boris the model is coming along well, yes it may be a bit on the time consuming side, but lot it was to get a bit extra strength in the hinges of the model that would be taking up the movement in the model.
The knitting needles in my view is a non-negotiable part of any paper modeler to ensure that you get good cylinders. I made it a point to get all possible sizes of needles as to give myself options with other models.
It you look at my tooling document for beginners it in fact is also a very good doc. for more seasoned builders.
http://www.papermodelers.com/forum/v...ownloadid=1553
:-)
R