wm cheng

Hey @arbit unfortunately now, my software of choice is email/gmail, excel & google sheets being an Supervising Art Director. However, I usually do most of my designs in SketchUp and paper sketches with rendering in Enscape, but now I mostly sketch on a paper napkin or if I have time, SketchUp loosely to sell the ideas to higher ups and then direct the Set Designers or VFX to actually do the "real" design work and occassionally look over their shoulders while they are drafting it up and supervise the actual physical set construction.

After 3wks of chores, I finally got through enough of them to start a model (in between jobs - finished 3rd season of The Boys, everyone go see that next year / but I'm especially proud of Foundation I did last year, everyone please see that which is airing NOW!). I'm starting the G.W.H. 1/72 F-15C Eagle (can't wait to place it between my F-14 & F-16). Started a few days ago on the cockpit office with Quickboost Resin seat (not really recommended - had to scratch build the ejection rails) and Eduard Photo-etched set.

Do you guys in the US have to pay a extra brokerage fee and customs, taxes & duties directly to DHL afterwards on top of the DHL shipment prices from the online stores?

Good idea @BlueMax. If it were something a little more essential, I would do that next time. I don't have to totally get this Armor set, I have the older Yamato 1/48 one that I put a lot of work into weathering and applying @Anasazi37's amazing decals on - so this is a "nice to have" not a "must have". I'll wait it out and see. Its mostly hearing about the NY horror stories here that has me anxious, otherwise I'd be blissfully unaware.

I know NY has screwed a lot of people here (they are my last resort). I've been lucky so far (maybe pushing my luck) but they have never failed me yet - even with the VF-31A I still got it from them. I don't mind getting my armor set in October as long as I actually get it (I couldn't get a pre-order in anywhere else). I'd just hate to wait on them only to find out they couldn't get it and I've missed all these windows of opportunity at release time. I think that's just the anxiety and fear I get when I read these forums and hear about all the horror stories from other members here that did get screwed.

So the double set (both VF-1J and Armored parts) came out before just the Armored parts set? or did both come out at the same time and my just Armored parts set is delayed to October because NY screwed me and dumped me to the 2nd issue?

Just to chime in, I've been using an old Sil-Air 30D compressor from 25yrs ago when I was airbrushing artwork (before that, I was using a refrigerator compressor I salvaged from a junk yard for 10yrs, I had to put a wet sponge on the cylinder head to allow me more time to spray to keep it cool!). So I went from a junker to a Cadillac and don't have much to compare. Mind you I also went from a single action badger to a dual action Iwata as well 😛 Its nearly silent, I only hear it when it kicks in occasionally to fill up the tank and the pressure relief valve goes off when its full. It's been bulletproof and with a slight hum when its filling the tank (quieter than the noise from the airbrush when spraying). I highly recommend it. When I'm done, I just turn it off and within a day or two, it eventually bleeds out empty. Now mind you it can often go for months or years without being touched (depending on my daughter when she was young and my job) - but every time I fire it up, it makes me smile.

NY hasn't failed me yet, but thanks for your warnings (now you have me worried) 🙄

Yeah, kind of sucks. They've always come through for me - even the VF-31A fiasco. As long as I'm not stuck without one waiting for them to deliver only to cancel after all the ones initially for sale comes up - I'll be relieved. I only want one, I don't have multiples, they are only for me

Yes @borgified, are they shifting the solo armour stock to the combo pack?

Argh! I just got Nippon-Yasan'ed and got a shipping date change from Sep 30 to Oct 31 - I pre-ordered as soon as it was available but I guess they shifted me to the 2nd batch?!?! (yes, I know I went to NY against advice, but they haven't failed me yet and it was the only place I could secure a pre-order)

Nope, just straight on. It works really well because the bare plastic is so slippery anyways. I also forgo the clear coat afterwards as well now. It really stays around, even the pencil smudging seems to hold pretty well - although I don't handle my DXs too roughly and don't transform them too often (maybe 2-3 times a year). My tip is to vary the wash with different shades of grey, the lightest grey (I often mix my own grey with a white flory wash and grey wash) for the lines on the white part of the plastics, the more the panel opens, the darker the colour till I hit the moveable surfaces with dark grey and vents with black. It gives more life to the panel wash than just one colour.

That's exactly what I do - he's even using the Flory clay based wash I've used. Works great on the Bandai DXs.

What's a sludge wash? I do panel wash them with Flory's clay based wash - is that the same thing?

@peter I do weather them slightly, minimal effort to fit into my collection. I don't think I've posted them here. I do paint my gears white (it makes such a difference). I'll post some group pictures when I do my VF-1D in the next few weeks.

LOL @peter - that is an absolutely beautiful VF-1 (I see you fixed the angle on the rear legs too - was that a hard fix?). I do enjoy models too, but with my crazy work nowadays, toys provide me that "instant" gratification 😛. I don't know when I'll be able to build again, and its such a long commitment at least several weeks to start, then I get obsessive about finishing it. The Bandai DXs don't require much to get it up and passible, you can just do a quick wash to capture the panel lines and I do a light pencil rubbing with a smudge stick over some of the panel lines to weather it a bit, a day and you're done and back to enjoying (no swearing from the basement in the middle of the night :P).

For Canadians - my Hobby-Genki order where I specified EMS got "upgraded" to DHL (I think at pre-order the EMS was actually a little more expensive 5,200Y) and its taking at least 8 days delivery (scheduled for Jul 30th). As expected from DHL, I was dinged with customs, tax, duty and brokerage fee - but it was less at $34cdn than I expected, so my total shipping costs came out to $94cdn just in shipping alone! Argh.

Huh, I checked in with Hobby-Genki's website and it says my order shipped - but I didn't get any emails notifying me of anything. I too paid (5,200Y) for EMS back at pre-order hoping that would be available now - mainly to avoid the DHL guaranteed customs, duty & brokerage fees which would probably be another $60cdn on top. I hope they don't "upgrade" me to DHL either. The website status does say 07/23/2021 Japan Post EMS (but shipping cost to be paid later?) - there's even a tracking number, but its not a valid EMS tracking number. Very strange. I must say I'm pretty excited for this release - more so than the last few, I love orange Valks and I missed out on that Yamato Fan Racer and now I'm glad I did!

So would there be a "CX" version of this (Mirage Farina Jenius)? I'm just missing the magenta valk... 🙄

I think DHL & EMS options were the same price (or at least really close) back then, but I hope they don't "upgrade" me to DHL as it would guarantee a Customs & Duty of $40 (HST taxes) and DHL's $20 brokerage and handling fee. 😭

Nothing from Hobby-Genki either, but I paid 5,200Y for EMS (back in Dec, I hope its available again to Canada as their website still has a Apr 16 notice that says EMS is not available - thought it was available again in another thread, but things looks headed for another lockdown in Japan)

Unfortunately I'm in Canada, so shipping, customs & duties and the crappy exchange rates puts it over $100cdn and Amazon.ca is $110.66 - argh! Are God Hands that much better (x3) than DSPIAE Nippers? Are the Micromark Micro Sprue cutting pliers that much smaller that I would need both DSPIAE and Micromark? Are the Meng just like the DSPIAE?

Yes, every few years when I get back into this hobby there seems to be all these new paints and companies to learn all over again! Just when I thought no one builds physical models anymore (there's a few brick and mortar shops that have closed around me). I can't see myself paying over a $100 for God Hands, but $35 for these Chinese clippers might be a gamble I'm willing to take - especially like that circle cutter from the same company! My new hobby (other than collecting kits for my retirement) is collecting tools for my retirement 😛

Anyone ordered from Hobby-Genki? Any good experiences with them? It's my first order with them, but it still says July 31st on their website and they still have a Apr 16th warning that there's not EMS to Canada on their front page - both not instilling much confidence in me 😬

Wow, thanks for all this info on sprue cutters - I never knew. I've been using my x-acto blade all this time (sometimes I might even break out my Canadian Tire hardware $1.99 wire clippers!)... now I really feel like a dinosaur! I'd love to find out more about this glass file as well. I've always hated sanding, its the worst part of model making - I'd love to learn anything new that will make this chore less like a chore.