David Hingtgen Posted October 3, 2008 Posted October 3, 2008 Jarrod--did you decal over the bare plastic, or did you clearcoat first? Also----you mentioned you've done washes before over bare plastic--what type of wash?
Jarrod Posted October 3, 2008 Posted October 3, 2008 To answer both of your questions: In short, my normal build method: Paint, decal/sticker, wash, clearcoat to seal everything in. But for this kit it was: Paint, decal, clearcoat, wash. In more detail: First I completely snap assembled the kit, then I dissable into sub-assemblies for painting. For example, I left most of the the leg and arm frame assembled, but removed all the outer shell, etc. I generally do not paint my white plastics if its solid (non-translucent) enough, which means on this kit (and nearly every other Gundam kit I build) the white was bare plastic. The grey frame, feet, gunpod, and black wings were all fully painted. Next I reassembled the kit and applied the decals, so they all pretty much went on bare plastic. I used MicroSet to help the decals adhere, and then MicroSol to soften them and help them contour better. Let them dry for a day or so. And let me say, Bandai makes some damn good decals. They adhered very well, the fit was near perfect, and they were neither too thick nor too thin. Now normally at this point on a Gundam or resin kit I'd do my panel line wash, but I wanted to protect the decals as soon as possible (since just in the process of semi-transforming the kit to apply all the decals I managed to damage a few), I went ahead and clear coated the kit. I again disassembled the kit into parts, in this case a whole arm, whole leg, etc, and sprayed on Testors' Model Master Semi Gloss (normally I'll use straght gloss, but I was out..boo), with a second coat sprayed primarily on the decals. After the clear had dried for a day, I applied an oil wash. I use generic black oil paint (the kind you buy in a tube at Wal-Mart), thinned down to about the consistency of water, using Low Odor Mineral Spirits (also from Wal-Mart). You dab it in a panel line with a thin brush, and, for the most part, it spreads out into the lines. Then after it dries for a few mins, the excess is just wiped away. You have to be careful tho, because it will also flow around the edges and underneath stickers and decals, which could pose a problem on the wings of the VF-25 if you don't clearcoat before the wash. This is another reason I changed my normal routine and clearcoated befor the wash for this particular kit Now, it's really a good idea to apply any wash to a glossy surface, and yes, bare plastic works great too. In fact, pretty much every bit of white on my MG Gundam kits had the panel lines added to bare plastic, and it always comes out great. Again, I'd normally clearcoat after the wash to seal it in, but really didn't feel like adding another layer of paint to some parts. And I didn't feel the wash needed sealing as it already stuck very well to the near flat semi-gloss coat, so well in fact that I had to rub more than normal to remove the excess. Whew. Hope that helps. Jarrod
David Hingtgen Posted October 3, 2008 Posted October 3, 2008 Thanks much for that--I'm still finishing up a few other things before starting my "practice Gundam", hopefully I can decide/perfect my technique before I actually get to the VF-25. Got a lot of things to try...
Graham Posted October 3, 2008 Author Posted October 3, 2008 Looks like they are finally arriving in dribs and drabs into HK. Seems to be all grey imports, not official Bandai shipments. Most shops are asking over HK$600 which is really price gouging, for what should be a HK$350 (US$45) kit tops. Just saw it in Waile Models on Wanchai Road during my lunch break. They had 2pcs in stock. No prices on the boxes, so I asked how much and was told HK$620! (US$79.50). I laughed in the guy's face and walked right out. I want the kit, but I'm not paying that price! Graham
Morpheus Posted October 3, 2008 Posted October 3, 2008 I'm planning to give the kit some decals and panel lining this weekend. Also, the kit is quite durable, yesterday I found my 2.5 year old son playing with the kit in fighter mode and manage to pull the legs out before I distracted him, phew talking about daylight nightmare How did he manage to grab the kit from the top shelves is beyond my knowledge
wolfx Posted October 3, 2008 Posted October 3, 2008 Finished panel lining and painting on the small details such as the head and the crotch piece. Decals is going to be a nightmare....so i'll leave that for tomorrow.
Graham Posted October 3, 2008 Author Posted October 3, 2008 Yay, got it today from the Tai Po model shp I preordered it from and only paid HK$298 (US$32.80)! Will start building tonight. Graham
wolfx Posted October 3, 2008 Posted October 3, 2008 Decaled about 1/4 of it. Tough work! Used Mr Mark Softer on some of them and realised it also rubs off the panel lines. Some of the decals especially those for the torso and back area requires some trimming as the transparent parts tend to be left hanging at the edge. Tried cutting those off with knife but the decals keep coming off. My back and neck kinda hurts now. This will be the 1st and last VF-25 model i'm doing....i think.
Graham Posted October 3, 2008 Author Posted October 3, 2008 Phew, you guys were right about the huge amount of panel lines on this thing. Judging from their Gundam kits, I didn't think Bandai even knew what a panel line is . Not looking forward to starting on the panel lining. It's gonna be a huge job. Anyway, just finished putting the nose/cockit section together. Gonna call it a night for now and carry on tomorrow. It's about 5 years since I last built a model. This certainly seems to have more parts than the MG and HG Gundam kits. Graham
wm cheng Posted October 3, 2008 Posted October 3, 2008 Hey Graham, that's a pretty good price, how about picking one of these kits up for me and mailing it over (I'll paypal you of course) and I'll do a build-up thread...
Valkyrie addict Posted October 3, 2008 Posted October 3, 2008 Er...It's my original custom 1/72 Hasegawa VF-1 ...you can see a full gallery of it below in my sig. Jarrod Wow, I really got to say, that's some of the best custom work I've seen done ever!! you did a great job on it!! can't wait to see more pics of your VF-25
regult Posted October 3, 2008 Posted October 3, 2008 (edited) Yay, got it today from the Tai Po model shp I preordered it from and only paid HK$298 (US$32.80)! Will start building tonight. Graham lucky lucky you...I paid almost 100 more than you and I haven't even started putting the pieces together. have some terribly silly questons I hope more experienced guys like jarrod can answer. 1) what are you doing with the Macross signature "big screws"? seems the best way to go is to paint them black, but I had a go with the gundam pen, it looks silly. Got tamiya enamel flat black, but I am not sure how thick or thin should the paint be for ideal application, also there is one of these big screws under a decal, and it's represented in the decal as well as molded in the plastc...what is the best way to go? 2) the crotch area, or the big black chung between the legs should be mostly white, but tried the tamiya enamel flat white, looks like crap and comes off too easily...what's the best white paint for these surfaces? I have limited access to american stuff here in hong kong, mostly tamiya and mr. hobby (??) stuff... 3) my landing gears want to remain grey, same problem, tamiya doesn't want to stick. In the anime, I see it's mostly off white or just grey (by the way, in the anime I didn't see the catapult launch rod that sticks out like a huge dic* in the model)...what are you guys doing with yours? At this point, I must confess that I don't have an airbrush, and suck with spray cans...so far everything's been done with gundam pens, paint and brushes. Jeez, we're all so serious about building this kit! IT is actually a fact that Yamato toys are unpainted (except the occasional stripe or arrow) and just leave panel lines bare. Edited October 3, 2008 by regult
SDF-ONE Posted October 3, 2008 Posted October 3, 2008 I was reassembling the shoulders and I noticed that the model that was used in the manual has its shoulder caps the wrong way around. Initially I thought I had built it wrong, but the instructions are correct.
Jarrod Posted October 3, 2008 Posted October 3, 2008 I was reassembling the shoulders and I noticed that the model that was used in the manual has its shoulder caps the wrong way around. Initially I thought I had built it wrong, but the instructions are correct. Yep, I noticed that too. In fact I glued them together wrong before noticed the error...and broke one when I tired to remove it
TSP Posted October 3, 2008 Posted October 3, 2008 and I'll do a build-up thread... rolleyes.gif HERO!!! @Graham. Long before Bandai started with Gundam kits. They had chunky 1/16 scale tanks and 1/24 scale WWII fighter planes. The warbird kits had some nice fantasy panel lines and lots of rivets. I mean really lots of rivets. Their kits were better than the 1/32 Revell Stuff from the early 90. It's not like they don't know how to make model kits. It all became more child friendly and therefore unnecessary.
QuinJester Posted October 3, 2008 Posted October 3, 2008 HERO!!! @Graham. Long before Bandai started with Gundam kits. They had chunky 1/16 scale tanks and 1/24 scale WWII fighter planes. The warbird kits had some nice fantasy panel lines and lots of rivets. I mean really lots of rivets. Their kits were better than the 1/32 Revell Stuff from the early 90. It's not like they don't know how to make model kits. It all became more child friendly and therefore unnecessary. It's also often a case of going for Anime accuracy as opposed to "if it were real"; Many of their HGUCs are very simple because they're meant to imitate the lines on the animation models. If you look at some of their lines, such as the early Wing and Endless Waltz kits especially (or just Katoki designs in general), they're absolutely festooned with panel lines. Excessively so, almost. Modern MG kits straddle this line by going for a general anime accurate look with minimal lining on the outside, but with internal mechanisms for the detail-obsessive.
Graham Posted October 4, 2008 Author Posted October 4, 2008 I was reassembling the shoulders and I noticed that the model that was used in the manual has its shoulder caps the wrong way around. Initially I thought I had built it wrong, but the instructions are correct. OK, you've got me worried now. I haven't started on the shoulders yet, but I can't tell from the pictures you posted what is wrong. You mean the assembly instructions are incorrect, or just the photos of the assembled model in the instructions is wrong? Could you explain which part numbers you are talking about? Graham
Graham Posted October 4, 2008 Author Posted October 4, 2008 Hey Graham, that's a pretty good price, how about picking one of these kits up for me and mailing it over (I'll paypal you of course) and I'll do a build-up thread... OK, I'll ask the shop this weekend. I didn't see anymore stock when I picked mine up yesterday. In fact the shopkeeper went up a ladder to his loft to bring mine down. Maybe he only had one, or he's hiding them all (dunno?). Anyway, I will ask. Graham
David Hingtgen Posted October 4, 2008 Posted October 4, 2008 For the shoulder--I think he's talking about the biggest piece of shoulder armor on top. Look around where the actual shoulder joint "opening" is---there should be a ridge on the inside edge. The "photo model" has no ridge there. I think the example one has the left and right armors swapped.
Jarrod Posted October 4, 2008 Posted October 4, 2008 For the shoulder--I think he's talking about the biggest piece of shoulder armor on top. Look around where the actual shoulder joint "opening" is---there should be a ridge on the inside edge. The "photo model" has no ridge there. I think the example one has the left and right armors swapped. Yeah, David you're correct. If you follow the directions, you'll be fine...they are totally correct. It's the built kit in the studio photos thats incorrect.
SDF-ONE Posted October 4, 2008 Posted October 4, 2008 Yep, sorry that wasn't very clearly written. Here's attempt no. 2: • The instructions are correct (don't worry) • The photo model in the instructions has the left and right shoulder armor swapped
anime52k8 Posted October 4, 2008 Posted October 4, 2008 so, has there been any word as to when the alto version will be available again? I need to get a couple of these... badly, but I live in the states so online's my only option in terms of ordering.
Swoosh Posted October 4, 2008 Posted October 4, 2008 Yay, got it today from the Tai Po model shp I preordered it from and only paid HK$298 (US$32.80)! Will start building tonight. Graham Hope I can find one within HKD400....
regult Posted October 4, 2008 Posted October 4, 2008 I made some progress, after panel line and clean up, painted landing gears and cockpit, head, now assembled 1 leg and the front of the plane. I took a shortcut and decided to use the sticker for the crotch area, what about you guys?? I am also puzzled at the instructions, which seem to tell me to add the decals or stickers during assembly, is that really necessary? I am also not sure what to do with the "big screws", they're moulded, so applying the decals could be tricky...and I am not great at painting with a brush, but have no clue how to do it otherwise.
Hikuro Posted October 4, 2008 Posted October 4, 2008 Checked shipping on mine, it's sitting there like 15 miles from my house, sonavabitch lol. I doubt they'll even deliver it today cause it'll just sit there all saturday and monday for processing, then go backwards to another town (yep backwards) and process there and then ship to my place on the 8th when i wont be home, loosers! But gives me time cause I broke my hobby knife....
wolfx Posted October 4, 2008 Posted October 4, 2008 3/4 done today with the decals. I screwed up alot on the red black stripes... oh well. Could've been worse.
rainbow Posted October 5, 2008 Posted October 5, 2008 (edited) Just finished building my vf today. Marked most of the panel lines as well, and did a few decals for some eye candy. Very nice model kit in my opinion, kind of a pain for me to transform into battroid, but it's fun nonetheless. Again, very nice model kit from bandai, bravo. oh yeah, anyone else having trouble keeping the arms clicked in while in fighter mode? the shoulder plate things right before the wings seem to have trouble staying in place as well. Edited October 5, 2008 by rainbow
Chowser Posted October 5, 2008 Posted October 5, 2008 Which of these grays provide better panel lining? I don't want it too dark. http://www.hlj.com/product/GNZGM21 - Gundam Marrker #21 (Sumire Gray) http://www.hlj.com/product/GNZGM02 - Gundam Marker: Gray (Fine-tip) I like the #21, it's not too dark, I had some valks panel lined with it, but I think I sold them all. If I can find it, I'll post some pics. --- Does anyone know if Bandai is ever going to release fighter mode only models?
wolfx Posted October 5, 2008 Posted October 5, 2008 Just finished building my vf today. Marked most of the panel lines as well, and did a few decals for some eye candy. Very nice model kit in my opinion, kind of a pain for me to transform into battroid, but it's fun nonetheless. Again, very nice model kit from bandai, bravo. oh yeah, anyone else having trouble keeping the arms clicked in while in fighter mode? the shoulder plate things right before the wings seem to have trouble staying in place as well. I sorta have those problems too and no idea what's causing it. Overall my fighter mode doesn't click together well and the wingroots have trouble staying on to the fuselage and they leave a wide gap, just like your picture. But Jarrod got his perfectly in fighter mode. Any idea what i'm doing wrong?
wolfx Posted October 5, 2008 Posted October 5, 2008 Finished mine finally. Man i'm NOT gonna build another one. I lack the endurance for these. >_< Building isn't so bad but the decals....gawdddd.
Spitze Posted October 5, 2008 Posted October 5, 2008 What are the necessary modifications on the legs that are needed to get the proper gerwalk mode pose? (the one where the nose dips down)
wolfx Posted October 5, 2008 Posted October 5, 2008 What are the necessary modifications on the legs that are needed to get the proper gerwalk mode pose? (the one where the nose dips down) No mods needed. Make sure the joint near the intakes/hips are pulled all the way down. The nose actually dips until it can touch the ground but you can adjust the knees or the hip joint.
Graham Posted October 6, 2008 Author Posted October 6, 2008 Finished building and panel lining mine at the weekend. About halfway through applying the stickers. The stickers are actually extremely good quality. Nice and thin, with no border and they stick really well. As others have said, the kit is very solid in battroid mode, but really needs some locking pegs in fighter mode, as the legs do not lock onto anything. Also, the left wing-root gun on mine doesn't want to stay in position in fighter mode, leaving a big ugly gap. Haven't tried Gerwalk yet. Only painted a few small parts, such as the head lasers, canopy frame and PPB Knife blade, otherwise the left the rest of the kit unpainted. Used Gundam markers for the panel lining. I found through trial and error that the best way of removing the excess ink from the bare white plastic, was to just wipe it off with my fingers. Needed to rub quite hard, add the occasional dab of saliva (don't worry, I washed the parts afterwards with soap and water to remove any smell ), but I was really pleased with the end result. Overall, I'm very impressed with the engineering and design that went into this kit. What really surprised me was the amount of ABS parts in this kit (Probably about 50%, or most of the internal frame). I know it's been mentioned that Bandai is now using a lot of ABS in their recent kits, but it's new to me. From 1987 to 2002, I built a lot of Bandai Gundam models, and the ones from that period had none or minimal ABS parts. Looking forward to the Ozma kit, which has far fewer markings. Graham
GGemini Posted October 6, 2008 Posted October 6, 2008 Finished mine over the weekend too... used minimum paint (canopy, canopy frame, side sensors, visor) and stickers as well but I ended rubbing off about 3 of them trying to transform it for the first time I hope the DX toy doesn't need as many stickers as this one. Very nice looking kit, I found funny the difference in size of the 3 sets of hands included (the one for the gunpod feels a bit oversized). I'll post pictures later. Graham, did you use the Gundam marker for the "macross screws" as somebody was asking in a previous post?
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