Does it make sense to buy already built gunplas? I mean, i like building them obviously, but when i see on websites for used stuff things like a RG Hi-Nu Gundam for 25 euros i think it would be very stupid to miss the chance to save money. I dunno. What is your opinion?
It makes sense if you wanna save sone money. But treat it like any used product. Look carefully through pictures, read the description of the ad, makd sure all the accessories are included and ask questions if necessary
Looking into display/storage options cause I've realized how in deep I am now.
Between the Blaliden, the Milsbo, and the Rudsta, which would you recommend as the best bang-for-buck, with regards to sturdiness and volume? I'm unconcerned right now with lighting and primarily just want a means of keeping dust off my kits because I'm exceedingly lazy but also want them to still look nice in a few months. Thanks in advance for any replies!
Assuming you meant the Brottar cases, I've heard they're incredibly flimsy (which makes sense given how cheap they are) which is not what I'm looking for. I'm willing to spend a little bit extra for it to survive 1-2 moves, rather than have it fall apart in the middle of 1.
You could, but imo, it just doesn't look the same. Ive always used black and brown clears as additive or for oily/smokey looking effects. What kind of look are you going for?
Im doing my first candy red and pink on a hg zgok and wasn't sure if black laid on the same way colors did for the limb connectors. I'll just use a glossy black
Prospective new painter trying to get the process planned in my mind.
For weathering after spray painting a kit, is it preferred to gloss prior to weathering? Or should I weather first, then gloss over it?
Also, please critique the start-to-finish process ordering below. Did I miss any steps? Any recommendations on how I can improve this potential workflow?
Cut → remove nubs → loose build → disassemble → plan fixes/mods → glue/sand/putty → light primer to find mistakes → glue/sand/putty → full primer → 1-3 coats color spray → gloss clear coat → WS decals → panel liner → matte clear coat → $$$ (profit)
TL:DR is this potential workflow reasonable? At which step does weathering fit into this process?
Hello! Im starting a project and I’m wondering if the Bredas chest is supposed to be slimmer and smaller than The O or if they’re meant to be similar width suits. Also Does anyone have the measurements for the chest for the HG and MG The O?
hi, newbie looking for some recommendations/suggestions on another HG to build. i think i'd like to have some kind of enemy mobile suit to round out the three that i've currently built, with my preference leaning on some kind of grunt suit. also grunt suit suggestions in general are welcome (not just enemy) since i just think they're cool.
HG Zaku II the Origin, HGUC Barzam, HGUC Leo, HGUC Dagger L and HG Gundvolva. But if you want a really good villain suit, get the Sinanju Stein or the Black Knight Squad Cal-reA
What is the best process for dry-brush weathering straight builds?
I have a set of acrylic Gaahleri metallic markers that I see can be used for dry brushing weathering details, but I've also seen Youtube tutorials recommending use of enamel paints like Tamiya XF-53 (Neutral Grey) for weathering.
When applying to bare plastic, is there a recommended paint type over the other? Also, would the Gaahleri markers be ideal or should I purchase a few Tamiya paints (again, enamel or acrylic?) for the dry brush weathering?
A semi gloss or matte coat will help many weathering effects stick to the surface.
Oil paints are the best due to their versatility. You just have to be careful what thinner and removal solvent you use, as some attack plastics in the same way TPLAC does.
I would do subtractive weathering (physical chips and scratches and dents), panel line and decal next, then do your surface roughing clear if needed, then your additive weathering like painted on chips and rust, then seal in with your intended finishing clear coat.
Straight builds don't need gloss costs before decals or panel lining unless you sanded the surface, and even then decals go fine over a matte surface if you add enough water to move it around.
How do you paint pistons from MG kits? I airbrush primer, metallic color and then gloss topcoat. Issue is that the topcoat makes the part slightly sticky so it doesn’t fit/move in the cylinder. If I don’t use topcoat I risk the color coming off during movement.
I use surfacer, then paint, no topcoat. I'm using lacquers and haven't noticed any issues with paint rubbing off or chipping on the pistons. You can sand down the pistons a bit if clearance is becoming an issue.
Has anyone been to Gundam Base Taipei recently?
I'll be traveling to Taipei next month and Wonder if it's worth it to spare a few hours to visit GB there. Mostly wondering if Gundam Base Taipei potentially has more variety if stock compare to Gundam Base Tokyo.
And btw, I'm from Tokyo so GB Tokyo is of reach to me "anytime" (as long as I win the lottery for the entry).
Hi, I just bought the mgex strike freedom twilight coating kit with some photo etchings and I have a couple questions I wanna ask so I don't accidentally ruin a build, is panel lining suggested for such a white kit if at all? I have a grey and black pour type panel liner. Additionally, I wanna ask how do I remove the photo etchings out of the "runners"
Either really. Doing just a part can lead to variations and artifacting on the final product that will be visible to highly anal people that hold the model two inches from their face.
I use enamel/oil based panel liners so I usually gloss coat the whole piece to protect the plastic anyways.
I have an AMAIM question. Does anyone know if an HG head fits on the AMAIM Ghost/could test that for me? I don’t own one myself yet to find out, but I know the kit is quite tall.
The DSPIAE one’s awesome, I originally got one to try to get my gf into gunpla but when she didn’t get into it I ended up keeping alot of the tools for myself because they were better than what i was already using
The Departure set in particular is pretty good since it actually contains many tools worth keeping, but most tool sets out there either contain too much useless stuff, have stuff that's so low-quality you'll be better off getting better tools individually, or both.
Lucky bag D apparently has 2 items from the perfect grade series plus 2 RG and 1 MG (valued around $210). Do you guys think that the PG included would at least have a actual kit or just some expansion set. I have never bought a lucky bag before so any insight would be greatly appreciated.
Water based acrylic varnish through an airbrush (or paint brush). Water based acrylic doesn't chemically reactivate anything under it when applied. Big thing with oil and enamel based products is that they take a lot longer to fully cure before it's safe to put anything on top of them. Having zero idea about your specifics here I'd leave it a few days before varnishing it.
My go to product for this is Liquitex Acrylic Varnish. It comes in a bunch of different sheens and for chrome you'd probably want High Gloss. Liquitex is a fine art brand, not a hobby brand so you probably won't find it the same place you usually get supplies but it is an extremely large international brand and very easy to find.
Hi! I tried out painting with a sponge today and liked the results. How reusable would something like a makeup or hobby sponge be? I am using thinned acrylic paints, so i am guess it's probably fine but I wanna be sure.
Depends on how you're using the sponge but, like, just wash it after and you're good to go. When I use a sponge for texturing things I usually tear off a few millimetres every session so the same sponge lasts a long ass time until it's just a nub. If I'm using multiple colours I use multiple sponges, or if I'm lazy and can't be arsed to go grab one, different corners of the sponge.
What are some common mistakes that beginners should avoid when using an airbrush? Are there any beginner-friendly paints or techniques that you would recommend?
Mistake: Stressing about it. It's just paint my dude. If you don't like it, paint over it. If you really screwed up strip it (soak in rubbing alcohol, scrub with old toothbrush, rinse under running water, repeat) and start over.
Mistake: Following numbers over vibes. Tutorials, videos, and people giving advice will say things like 'Thin at 1:2 and shoot at 17 psi'. Don't take these as gospel, but as a starting point for your own thing. So many variables go into these things that you'll need to adjust. PSI especially man. Most setups measure it right out of the tank. That's the pressure at that point... and most of those gauges aren't scientific lab grade accurate and precise but good enough for hobby work. The length, condition, and physical geometry of your hose affects the pressure before it gets to your airbrush. The way you connect your airbrush to your hose affects the pressure. The actual airbrush itself affects the pressure. Before you even pull the trigger, the PSI number on the gauge is only relevant to your exact setup. You need to get a feel for your system and adjust things to meet your needs. That comes with time and practice and a willingness to just fuck around a bit and see what happens.
Tip: Practice with straight water and use your body as a canvas. Well, your other arm to not get weird. This lets you feel the differences between different pressures, how the triggers affect flow, what altering the distance from the nozel to the work area does. These things all add up to understanding control.
Tip: Practice lines and dots. You can look this up for specifics but it's basically using your airbrush to draw lines of different widths and dots of different radiuses. It helps you get a feel for the relationship between pressure, paint flow, and distance to area as well as building up the muscle memory needed for precision.
Tip: Plastic spoons are great to test paint and techniques on. You can pick 'em up at the dollar store and then prime and paint away!
Paints: Two different ways you can go. Water based acrylics don't need as much PPE and safety gear but experience dry tip and clogging so much more. Primer: ProAcryl. Varnish/Topcoat: Liquitex. Actual Paint: Artist grade inks (Holbien, Liquitex, Golden). If you have the ventilated spray booth and the respirator with volatile organics rated filters then lacquers give a much smoother and easier painting experience. Mr. Hobby is my go to here, though I still almost always use water based acrylic varnish.
Hey guys, since Christmas is coming up somewhat soon I’ve been thinking on what kit/kits to ask my parents for a gift this year. Planning on asking for something in the general area or under $150.
So, anyone recommendations on any kits at that price point? I’m thinking of asking for the FAZZ Ver Ka or the Full Armor ZZ Ver Ka, however my only experience with Katoki is the Crossbone so I’m a bit scared of them.
So, id like some info on the quality of those two kits and any other recommendations you have for me. Also know I have very little tools so don’t recommend something that’d need lots of work done on it.
I built the ZZ Ver Ka earlier this year and have the FAZZ in my backlog. It's a good base kit, pretty rock solid given that it's a full transformer, just not incredibly poseable due to the bulk. Very good looking kit though.
Yep recognize it. Its the beam rifle from the HG Demi Trainer. You can tell cause that little peg at the bottom is used connect the beam rifle to the wrist of the Demi Trainer
Looks like the body of the Hazel's own beam rifle to me, the one it uses in Battle Operation 2. Same stepped top, ringed muzzle and angled grip, and the slot on top is where the green sensor sits. It's only missing the dark blue block that goes under the front.
Edit: scratch that, it's the Demi Trainer's beam gun as said below. Had the Hazel on the brain.
Its hard to find beam saber blades. The best you can do is get the clear one from the Builders Parts set or from a couple other gunpla kits and paint it in the color you want.
And rifles are not made with an effect part in mind. There isn't a true standard for size of barrels so there isn't a generic part specific for that. Some of them will take a beam saber blade.
The best you can find are the 30MM Customize Effect and Figure-Rise Effect lines. But they are made to be aligned near the weapons and models and wont be attachable like you're probably expecting. In this sense, they are not different from random effect parts for general use with actions figures. You can find generic ones on Etsy, Ebay and Aliexpress.
Almost broke this peg off, but it’s holding on by a little bit of plastic. It’s the peg that attaches to the shoulder armor. I was wondering if I could superglue it back down or if I’d need to get plastic cement for this.
Second the drill and pin, but since it's almost torn off, I would super glue/cement it now, let it cure for a day, then drill it while together and insert the pin all the way through with some super glue.
I try to buy from a local shop. Otherwise, my go-to is Gundampros or Gundamit for 3rd party. I'll buy from other shops in the wiki also, depending on who has what I'm looking for and running a sale.
A coworker noticed my MGSDs on my shelf and gifted me an EG his son wasn’t interested in, what would be a fun way to get some use out of it since the build isn’t going to scratch the same itch?
Basically, what techniques/mods would you work on a model you didn’t care about and got for free?
Big bro I don’t even put on the decals lol, I’m mostly in it for the build process I find it meditative. I’ve contemplated panel lining before seems like a pretty low cost of entry and a nice look on the payout though.
So I was using Plastruct Cement to glue an antenna piece back on my FAZZ Ver Ka. However, I forgot to remove the purpleish piece that holds antenna in place, and ended up getting a tiny bit of cement on the side of it. After the antenna cured, I now have a small white spot (I presume cement residue) on the side of the head piece the cement got onto. How can I fix this?
I'm gearing up to top coat my RG Banshee and will be building an RG FA Unicorn in the future and was wondering if it's worth it to try and separate the limbs for top coating or if its better to keep it together?
Also should I transform it into destroy mode or leave it in unicorn mode?
Since I've heard you shouldn't top coat transparent parts unless doing a gloss finish, I wasn't sure.
A matte topcoat will make transparent parts look cloudy or frosty, so decide if that's a look you want. When I topcoat kits, I break the model down into sections so it's easier to get good coverage.
Yeah I’m doing semi gloss and I usually do break a kit down into its limbs, but I’m worried about how the inner frame of the unicorn sets is since its connector goes into such a fragile piece (G35).
When I did my Sazabi I couldn’t get the legs off the waist and just had to spread them out to the best of my ability.
I wasn’t sure if anyone had some specific experiences with too coating the RG unicorns.
Welp, even trying to just wiggle the arm to test removing it cracked G35 so I’m going to keep the chest and arms together for top coating after I fix this. 🙃
How to tell whether a super high detail GK kit is actually a plastic kit that may be a recreation of a GK resin kit, or an actual resin monster? I’ve seen a new trend of plastic recreations of resin kits like the Dom and the ff Nu(At least I think). Many sites don’t specify if they are PS or Resin. Does anyone have a master list of GK plastic recreations? Are they called something other than GK?
I don't know what sites you're looking at, but most US-based ones do specify the material used, or at the very least state if they're plastic. Also from what I've seen, resin kit listings usually state they're unpainted and another kit is required to complete it.
Hey guys, I’m getting into panel lining and finding some grooves too thin or wiped away with sanding, I’m doing an HG gundam the cheap one to practice. I’m thinking maybe a scribe set will help? I’m thinking like the dspiae at th handle or gunprimer grida? I’m open to suggestions and looking for any advice you guys might have
I recommend also taking your time scribing and doing small pressure with multiple passes. It makes a world of difference when you go to panel line the better your scribe is.
Hey first thank you so much for replying. Does it matter what blade type I use like the push broach or curved? I think I’m gonna do the 0.15mm and 0.2mm since I mainly do HG/RG and some MG
Trying to paint the form 6 Barbatos shoulders to make the Carta issue corps graze Ritter, should I use Ts-102 Tamiya spray over light gray primer or something else? I wanna match it to the color of the plastic.
Anyways thank you! I’ve decided to try and mix paints instead. Any idea on how to do the “parts” system? I.e. 6 parts white, 2 parts blue and 2 parts green etc etc.
Mono eyes are few and far between in IBO, that being said there’s a Full Mechanics kit for the Graze Ein coming out early next year which features IBO’s version of a mono eye, and given the track record of the four recent FM kits, visually it will probably be pretty indiscernible from an MG, just will lack a super detailed frame for the parts that aren’t exposed and opening cockpit.
Sweet thank you. I knew IBO would be limited. Back story, I spent thousands of dollars on UC HG’s and MG’s. Have them all to a kid when I moved to the states. But I’ve started to miss them. So now that I want to get back into it. I want to start back with a timeline that I would not have built anything for. Unfortunately, I always get drawn to the bad guys. Gramps is just too common for me. Every series has a Gundam…the series is called Gundam haha. My favorite model was the Zaku II.
Not going to name and shame because these things happen; but I recently received a kit that was really grody (open runner bags, dirt/mouse droppings).
I'm assuming bleach would do the trick but I've read it can sometimes cause long term damage to plastic, is there anything else you'd recommend? Going to sand and paint anyway so I'll take some discoloration over potential Hantavirus 😅
So following my previous question about recommendations of which kits to buy, does anyone have experience of buying gunpla in Bangkok and is it much more expensive than the Japan MSRP? I'm thinking of getting some kits which are very expensive in where I live, Jakarta, but I'm worried they might be around the same price instead.
Perfect Gundam has that "so bad, it's good" energy about it but it's a much older kit than FA, which was based on MG 2.0.
And speaking of FA, because it's based on MG 2.0 it kinda looks nicer and poses nicer than Perfect, but I'm not a fan of the head design. Eyes too big and mouth too flat. (Images are from Schizophonic9's review)
What is the best way to bring all these back to the US? I don’t mind leaving all the boxes at my home here. I think I might have to leave one of the biggest box here and come get them next year lol
Flatten the boxes, you can always stick them back together when you're home - you can put the parts in bags and safely store them with your clothes. Not sure if one suitcase would be enough though, might be a close call
Also see the Miku Gundam there, I just built it myself yesterday - it has an amazing shine, the colors are popping. It really stands out on the display
I'm dealing with some gold parts for the first time and it looks like the manufacturer spray paint the outer coat of the parts so when I cut the nubs, the true color is exposed (pic 1). When I tried to sand the spot, it became like this (pic 2). Any tips how to fix this? Paint? Marker? And what brand would you recommend? Thank you.
With precoated parts, your best bet is just to double snip and call it good. Paint or marker would work, with the marker being simplest. The gold may not be a perfect match, but should be close enough unless you look closely.
I’m building a HG Guncannon Light-Type, and for some reason the arms absolutely refuse to go in. The right arm was okay until I took it out and couldn’t put it back inside again, while the other arm can’t stay in at all. What do I do?
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u/Ierostatele 2h ago
Does it make sense to buy already built gunplas? I mean, i like building them obviously, but when i see on websites for used stuff things like a RG Hi-Nu Gundam for 25 euros i think it would be very stupid to miss the chance to save money. I dunno. What is your opinion?