David Hingtgen

Just got this in their newsletter: >>Important Announcement We will now start providing replacement parts for the Yamato Macross Toy Series. As this is part of the Yamato Customer Service available in Japan no fees will be asked for any part. The only fees needed will be a $3 handling charge per part and shipping fees. Please note this service is for customers in need of replacement parts and is not meant for people who want spare parts. We are sorry but we will not accept nor reply to any requests for multiple parts. For more information please check out our website. http://www.over-drive-inc.com/macross_parts/ >>

Tamiya colored clear paints are so glossy, I wonder how they'll look for an engine exhaust as a top coat. But flattening it could totally screw up the metallic sheen beneath. Or maybe a super-thin layer would come out more satin, yet still "tint" the appearance. I also wonder about mixing clear brown into the metallic, then spraying---a lot of "colored" metallic paints are actually that anyways---some brass/steel/copper etc paints are actually pure silver paint, with clear yellow or orange added in--let it separate out and it's obvious. Canopy dipping--I worry about it "pooling" or pulling away from the frames. Dipping's great for totally clear, but when it's colored, the different thicknesses will show: http://www.swannysmodels.com/Tinting.html I plan to just paint the colored future on the back of the canopy. That side's smooth.

For legal reasons, in the US, it's a guy. And we're well outside the guidelines of Macross at this point.

My general rule for painting Gundams is that hands and joints and most grey details are gunship grey, while weapons and backpacks are intermediate blue (the source of the infamous "medium blue" mistranslation). But sometimes I just want to match what they're already molded in.

Vajras sorta transform--it's even shown twice in the schematic that Leon and Luca(?) view.

That's far beyond my ability--I paint them one color and am lucky if they come out smooth. Anyways, another paint question I thought of: Is there anything out there that matches the "purple grey" that weapons/hands are often molded in? The only purple-grey paint I know of is RLM Grauviolett, but that's so BARELY purple I don't think it could possibly match. PS--the Tamiya Light Green I was asking about is X15.

Upper intake? Looks black to me in the anime. (really, the onscreen model only uses 1 shade of grey for everything, which is much lighter than the very dark grey they use to represent black). Thus--Gundam marker it in. The upper intake perfectly matches the nose stripes, and we know those are black.

Anyone tried tinted Future for the canopy yet? I forgot just how thick and goopy Tamiya clear colors were until I opened one up today. Possibilities for canopy: Very thinned Tamiya clear blue(with a touch of red), brush-painted. Future+Tamiya mix, brushed. Future+Tamiya mix, dipped. Future+food color, dipped. Dipping will invariably cause problems with the frames though--even airbrushing should be limited to "from behind only". I'm not sure food color+future can be brush-painted nicely.

I doubt the metallic would show up much in pics, the mix I tested. I do plan to make it slightly more metallic when I actually paint it though. Still, it'll be more like "flat brown with tiny metallic specks" than anything. Not truly "metallic brown". I've never tried metalizer brass, is it grainy at all? If I could get a nice "smooth metallic brown", like a very dark old copper color I'd love that, but it just seems impossible from what paints exist--anything even close is way too orange/red. (also, I plan on not using the airbrush, but would drag it out if the color's worth it) Annoyingly, the semi-hidden inner nozzles will look way better than the outer ones.

Quick question: What's the best cheap DVD keep case you can buy? As in, generic black ones, to replace your old ones that have gotten scuffed, etc? I just want to transfer the disc and artwork sleeve to new cases to have everyhting look nice and new. Target seems to sell Fellowes brand, Best Buy has their own Dynex brand. I'd like to get actual Amaray ones, but are they only sold OEM?

Surprisingly, my first mix worked really well, will probably go with it. Pollyscale "roof brown" is close to the molded color---and adding Pollyscale stainless steel results in a DULL metallic sheen---about what I wanted, and still darn close to the original color.

New post for new topic: The outer exhaust nozzles. I'm having a heck of a time trying to figure out how/what to paint them. I basically want "the color they're molded, but metallic". Testing out metalizer over bare plastic scrap sprue isn't working so far, it's too opaque even in the lightest coat I can do that doesn't leave bare spots. The molded color is actually quite close to olive drab. I have no idea how that'll behave when mixed with others, is it even possible to mix that? Most olive drab is very opaque and very flat, and I worry it'll kill whatever metallic I add to it. I'm seriously considering ignoring canon color and just painting them magnesium or something. (I've already painted the inner parts of the nozzle titanium and they look awesome--but I want the outer parts to contrast, and be "properly" brownish if at all possible) PS--anyone ever flattened a Tamiya gloss metallic? Their bronze could be decent if it wasn't so glossy---looks wet even when dry.

Dio---for a paint you could find at Hobby Lobby/Wal-Mart, look for "Jade Green" from Testors. (they might simply call it Green Metal Flake now) It's a bit metallic, but also pretty good for a clear green, as Tamiya paint is not that widely available. Testors does make a clear green, but will only be found at a dedicated model shop. I would suggest getting some Jade Green, and let it SIT. Let it separate out--you'll be left with some nice clear green floating on top. I used that method for years for various things. And remember, paint the back side of the clear pieces. For clear blue, Testors *spray can* of transparent blue is easy to find. May be overkill on small parts, but the only way I know of to get transparent blue without access to Tamiya. I'd use it on the sensors, but not the canopy---it is supposed to replicate the blue strip on car windshields, and is that "intense" and hue.

Only the grey and blue decals are printed newspaper style. All the rest are screened. (blue=lights/sensors, which even the people who aren't painting the kit are painting those) There's only 4 grey decals if you ignore the vernier ones. (stripe on each wing, and each knee cap)

Photocopy the decal sheet, then use that as your reference. If you photocopy the decals, then cut those shapes out of the paper copy--you've got a mask. Note that photocopiers usually aren't that good at doing perfect 1:1 copying, if you plan to do this, see if you can get a "calibrated" copier or something.

I'll probably paint the spike, decal the rest of the red on the fin.

I had a bad experience painting some parts on my 1/100 Wing Zero---had to scrape a lot of it out of various joints etc in the wings. Simple elbow/knee joints are fine, but sliding/transformation parts---do not work with the extra thickness of paint. Also, I think the ABS-on-ABS factor of newer kits is an even bigger factor. If anything, I think all the "internal" parts of a VF-25, if you must paint them, should simply get a VERY thin coating of metallic paint. Don't primer, don't apply a full coat--just mist it on enough to get "metallic grey". Let the base color of the plastic show through. Something like metalizer or alclad, which are super-thin and designed to let lower layers show through when applied lightly.

Wing glove. Where a swing-wing plane's moving part of the wing actually meets the fixed part of the wing/fuselage, is the glove.

How could they do Grapple? Grapple's main difference was having a crane boom instead of a ladder, not his color change. Classic Inferno doesn't have a ladder to swap with... Well, they could pull an Ultra Magnus. "Hey, let's repaint Prime white and call him Ultra Magnus---nevermind his distinct armor!" PS--Grapple rocked, especially in the movie. PPS--found all the new TFs today, bought Sideswipe and Silverstreak. (my first examples of those molds). Passed on Ironhide, looks awful in person, paint/colorwise. Will snag Henkei version instead, or Ratchet.

That was actually removed if you look closely. Now that the 1/72 is actually out, we have less of a problem with it being confused with the 1/60. Though now we get 1/100 confusion...

I just snipped off the launch bar, now to spray the gear (about the only parts I intend to paint, as they're completely wrong as molded---why didn't they mold them on one of the white sprues? Or better yet, on their own sprue, like the exhaust nozzles are---the gear will ALWAYS be white, no matter whose valk it is so no need to accomodate different schemes/variants) I don't intend to do anything else for a few days until I finish my Gundam. (today is probably the last day I can spray outdoors, so I'm trying to do all the spraying I'll need for a while) Also found a can of Titanium, and will spray the inner nozzles.

Graham--did you use name-brand Gundam markers for your panel lines? If so, which color? Yours are more subtle than most that I've seen---I think you did a "post-lining wipe", maybe the others I've seen so far didn't.

I find all the Lunar eps I've tried to be a bit blurry, didn't download 25.

Late edit: a swingbar would fix 90% of the *battroid* problems. (I don't know how to get the legs above the shield in fighter)

A hip swingbar like the model would fix 90% of the toy's problems. (Gear would still suck) I mean, it is possible they're keeping it hidden (like Yamato did about the -19's shoulders) but it really doesn't look like there's any way it could happen--no hinge line, joint, or anything is visible. Plus that's such a big thing it really shouldn't be a "bonus surprise" like the -19's shoulders. ::edit:: Hmmn, if the swingbar was actually in the back of the hip itself, instead of in the pelvis, it could exist in the current photos. But that's wishful thinking.