Gundam Plamodel Thread IV

[David Hingtgen]

Drool---metallic MG Epyon. http://schizophonic9...mg_epyon_f.html

[Savvi]

I really like the look of the Aegis. It has a BODY! More like a Gundam now!

I hope they don't release him last. :/

Either way, I think I would get all the GAT X series.

[thegunny]

Just finished this over the break.

MG DOM, RX-79[G] & RGM-79 GM Sniper with B-Club hovertruck.

I've called it; Confirmed Kill; The Reapers Last Harvest

Hope you enjoy it

[Archer]

^Great Work!

Well, for those [like myself] who have always wanted some of the cool stuff that G-System puts out, but were afraid to either work with resin or have to use advanced modeling skills, they are putting out a lot of pre-finished models right now that look REALLY good. For example, their new MSA-007 Nero's. Although they seemingly only make 12 of each, that's quite a few for the nature of the company.

They price isn't redonkulous either. I'm planning to pick up a General Type Nero for around $600. I like that they are using an ABS plastic internal frame now, which should put the durability near regular Bandai models.

Hoping for the best!

[Archer]

So, I've recently come to the realization that I actually suck at modeling, and generally ruin any model that I touch, usually with a horrid paintjob. Since I clearly can't do it well, do you guys know of any person, modeler, or service that offers to paint gundam models via commission?

I'm not looking for BAKUC championship level work, just enough to make it look kinda like Bandai's promo shots, that's all. Any help would be really appreciated!

[Vifam7]

So, I've recently come to the realization that I actually suck at modeling, and generally ruin any model that I touch, usually with a horrid paintjob. Since I clearly can't do it well, do you guys know of any person, modeler, or service that offers to paint gundam models via commission?

You don't have to paint Gundam models. They can look just fine straight out of the box.

Heck, most of the time all I do with Gunpla is snap it together, clean the sprue marks, panel-line, and spray clear flat with a rattle can.

Edited January 21, 2012 by Vifam7

[GU-11]

You don't have to paint Gundam models. They can look just fine straight out of the box.

Heck, most of the time all I do with Gunpla is snap it together, clean the sprue marks, panel-line, and spray clear flat with a rattle can.

Same here. Just some panel-lining and a simple matte coat, and it looks just as good as if were professionally painted.

I recently made the mistake of impulsively buying three Kotobukiya Border Break kits that were on massive discount, only to realize the amount of seam sealing, detailing and painting I'd have to do to get a decent-looking fig. The newer ones like the Shrike Type V and Heavy Guard II are still quite manageable, but the Zebra 41 is going to be a bit of a modeling workout, and it's ironically my favorite design of the three.

Back on topic, Gunpla are IMO the easiest kits to build and get a professional-looking fig with the least amount of work.

Edited January 21, 2012 by GU-11

[azrael]

You don't have to paint Gundam models. They can look just fine straight out of the box.

Heck, most of the time all I do with Gunpla is snap it together, clean the sprue marks, panel-line, and spray clear flat with a rattle can.

Reminds me of a magazine article from Hobby Japan(?) from a few years ago.

You can find the pics here:

See here when Flickr doesn't work

No paints. Just Top Coat to get rid of the glossy plastic look, Gundam markers for the fine details, and there ya go.

[miriya]

holy crap! That is a sick diorama!

[Archer]

So, when people paint their gundams, say, with spray cans, do they just lay out all of the appropriate runners for each color on the ground and spray them at the same time? Also, when you top coat, is it just stick the built model and spray, or is it more of a "unbuild it and spray each individual part" kind of ordeal.

Also, I've never worked with decals and whatnot, so I'm clueless there as well, and stickers look like crap. If you can't tell already, I'm not really an artistic talent type of guy. From what I can tell, Organic Chemistry majors rarely are...

Gah, it's all just so daunting. I'm fairly confident that I could still somehow screw up the top coating and what not, and I really don't have much time for painting. That's kind of why I was going around looking for someone who would do commissions for models, as I'm confident that there are a few out there. Any help with finding one?

Thanks for all the help guys

Edited January 21, 2012 by Archer

[anime52k8]

Back on topic, Gunpla are IMO the easiest kits to build and get a professional-looking fig with the least amount of work.

But where's the fun in that?

[GU-11]

So, when people paint their gundams, say, with spray cans, do they just lay out all of the appropriate runners for each color on the ground and spray them at the same time? Also, when you top coat, is it just stick the built model and spray, or is it more of a "unbuild it and spray each individual part" kind of ordeal.

Also, I've never worked with decals and whatnot, so I'm clueless there as well, and stickers look like crap. If you can't tell already, I'm not really an artistic talent type of guy. From what I can tell, Organic Chemistry majors rarely are...

Gah, it's all just so daunting. I'm fairly confident that I could still somehow screw up the top coating and what not, and I really don't have much time for painting. That's kind of why I was going around looking for someone who would do commissions for models, as I'm confident that there are a few out there. Any help with finding one?

Thanks for all the help guys

To answer your first question, it really depends on the kit itself. Those with lots of clear parts and holograms like the Exia and Unicorn require more work, as you need to spray individual parts of the armor to avoid getting paint or matte spray on the clear parts.

The method you mentioned [spraying the parts that are still on the runners] saves you a lot of time and effort, but you still need to do minor touch ups on the nub marks and certain parts that have seams you might want to seal.

Decals: there are two different types--dry transfer and the typical water-slide type [is that the proper term?]. The former simply requires you to place the decal onto the part, scratch at the decal with a fingernail or blunt end of a tweezer in order to transfer the decal onto the surface, hence the name.

Water-slide decals requires you to soak the decals in water, allowing the decal to separate from the paper underneath it. You then slide it off the paper onto the part, and gently dab off the water with tissue. When applying water slide decals onto curved surfaces, you can use certain products to soften the decals so that they conform better to the surface.

Always apply decals on a glossy surface, as it allows you to move the decals around more easily to get the right angle, and remember to top coat the surface afterwards to protect it.

As for painting, it's just like Vifam7 said; you don't necessarily have to paint the Gundam kits up. Most, if not all, of the 1/100 scale and MG Gundam kits have parts that are all molded in the correct color. The most you'll need to do is panel line, apply decals, and spray some matte coat on it.

But where's the fun in that?

I'll get back to you on that once I survive building that Zebra 41 kit.

[Archer]

Thanks for all the help guys. But your words make it sound a lot easier than it is! I looked at all the stuff I'll need beyond the nippers and scalpel that I am already using, and the spray paints + top coat cans + Gundam Markers + brushes + ventration mask to avoid cancer = a lot of mullah for each kit. Wow!

As an update though, I did shoot of three separate emails to three customizing services that I found for quotes on finished models. I see what they tell me and how much they charge me. If it's reasonable, I'll drop the cash, but if not, I'll head off into the perils of gundam modeling...

[GU-11]

There is no need to paint if you don't want to, unless you plan on customizing. Seriously. A layer of topcoat is all you really need; you won't be able to tell the difference.

Respirators are only necessary if you're spraying from a can or airbrush. Handbrushing acrylics is safe.

[anime52k8]

There is no need to paint if you don't want to, unless you plan on customizing. Seriously. A layer of topcoat is all you really need; you won't be able to tell the difference.

It actually looks a lot better when you fully paint the kits. Even with a topcoat bare plastic can have visible sprew marks, swirls and slight lack of opacitiy. there are also a lot of details even on MG kits that aren't correctly colored that look a lot better when you paint them.

Anyways, if you are going to go the clear coat over bare plastic route I'd recomend doing the following: Remove all the armor parts from the sprews, clean them up (remove mold lines, try to smooth down sprew marks etc.) then lightly sand all the parts with wet 600 grit sandpaper. Once you've done all that, wash the parts with warm, soapy water and a toothbrush to get rid of any dust from sanding, mold release angent and oils from your fingers. Then just put all the parts on skewers and spray them. Also, you should apply a gloss coat first, apply decals and panel lining, then finish it off with a flat coat.

Edited January 22, 2012 by anime52k8

[GU-11]

It actually looks a lot better when you fully paint the kits. Even with a topcoat bare plastic can have visible sprew marks, swirls and slight lack of opacitiy. there are also a lot of details even on MG kits that aren't correctly colored that look a lot better when you paint them.

Anyways, if you are going to go the clear coat over bare plastic route I'd recomend doing the following: Remove all the armor parts from the sprews, clean them up (remove mold lines, try to smooth down sprew marks etc.) then lightly sand all the parts with wet 600 grit sandpaper. Once you've done all that, wash the parts with warm, soapy water and a toothbrush to get rid of any dust from sanding, mold release angent and oils from your fingers. Then just put all the parts on skewers and spray them. Also, you should apply a gloss coat first, apply decals and panel lining, then finish it off with a flat coat.

Of course, touching up the sprue marks and panel lining are necessary. It's just that since MG Gundam kits are so precise in the color of their plastic parts, you can forgo painting them up--even with just a layer of matte topcoat, and they will still look good. That said, nothing beats a proper coat of paint, but since Archer seems hesitant to invest the time and money on paint and equipment, the matte-coat-on-bare-plastic route is the way to go for him.

As for the swirls, a few layers of matte coat will take care of them. It worked perfectly for my Exia. at least.

Edited January 22, 2012 by GU-11

[Beltane70]

I haven't painted a Gundam model in years!

[David Hingtgen]

No paints. Just Top Coat to get rid of the glossy plastic look, Gundam markers for the fine details, and there ya go.

That's how I'm doing my MG Wing. I'd like to do my Zeta Plus like that as well, but transforming+paint doesn't do well in my experience*. I may just have to leave it glossy-bare so that I don't scrape off half the clear coat every time I transform it.

*Wing Gundam looks stupid in "bird mode" so it'll be transformed once, if that---plus it doesn't really have any sliding parts/joints involved.

[Vifam7]

Thanks for all the help guys. But your words make it sound a lot easier than it is! I looked at all the stuff I'll need beyond the nippers and scalpel that I am already using, and the spray paints + top coat cans + Gundam Markers + brushes + ventration mask to avoid cancer = a lot of mullah for each kit. Wow!

If you forgo the full paint job and simply do the Top Coat, the total cost won't end up no more than US$40.

Panel-lining marker = approx $3

Gunze's Top Coat Flat spraycan = approx $8 (here in the US) per can (each one will last you 2-3 models)

Respirator = approx $25

Don't listen too much to the expert modelers telling you to - do this do that. If you are a newbie, my advice is to KEEP IT SIMPLE. Don't worry about a few imperfections.

Heck, look at this. No paint or detailing whatsoever. Just straight out of the box.

Edited January 22, 2012 by Vifam7

[Archer]

So, I got those price quotes. It was for a bare PG strike (no aile pack). Told them I didn't need any inner frame details or anything, just a straight up outer armor paint and build. The quote I got back was around $750 after shipping, even with bare minimum paint >_>

I was expecting more around $400 to $500. Looks like I'm getting started on modeling guys!

[David Hingtgen]

#1 tip I can give you: Heat your spray cans. Not directly, but let them sit in very hot water for a few minutes. The can should be hot (not too hot to handle, but close to it). It'll atomize the paint droplets better. It'll quickly cool as you use it (similar phenomenon to using canned air for airbrushing).

Having "hot cans" made a bigger difference than most other things I've tried (like super-stringent surface prep/cleaning, paying close attention to spray distance, etc). Better spray=better paint job!

#2 tip---running your thumbnail against a sprue mark can greatly lessen its noticeableness.

[Archer]

Thanks for the tips guys! Another guy got back to me, and told me that the basic kit (unbuilt, just the basic kit) would cost around $400, and that he can only get it from his provider at that price, and that painting would be around 600 dollars. Wow, really, 400 dollars for an unbuilt kit?

Sounds a litle bogus

[mechaninac]

Sure sounds like somebody is trying to make a Mint off you... A grand, really?

[Archer]

Sure sounds like somebody is trying to make a Mint off you... A grand, really?

ikr? Gah, I keep telling all these people I don't need BAKUC winning level work, just a basic build and paint. Is that really hard to do at around $500 - $550 for a perfect grade? I even told them not to paint the darn inner frame or anything, just give it a top coat and paint the outside. But nope, still got to charge $1000 for it, and sign off $450 as payment for buying the basic kit.

Yeah, definetely mate. Especially while it's going for like a hundred on amazon

[GU-11]

Really? 450 for the kit? Even the most expensive PG kits are just around $300, more or less.

I don;t know what the market price is for customized kits, but that is a lot of cash.

[anime52k8]

hmm... the cheapest I could get a PG strike gundam for is 171.95 on amazon. I can't remember off the top of my head what paint's I've got ready to go but I'll just assume about $50 for paint plus perhaps another $30 for other supplies. So that's $250 up front just to cover buying everything I'd need to get started.

Then you're talking about maybe 15 hours for basic assembly, 4 hours for surface prep before painting, 6 hours for spray painting, 3~4 hours to decal (depending on how many there are) 4~6 hours for detailing (brush painting parts, panel lining etc). So at least 30 hours of work to finish a PG kit.

So to do it for $550, I'd be doing for about $10 an hour. Also that doesn't include shipping.

Edited January 23, 2012 by anime52k8

[Archer]

Anime52k8, when you put that way, sounds kind of horrible. $10 an hour is nearly minimum wage, and I don't want to put anyone through that

Alas, most of the guys I've contacted do it in their leisure time as a hobby, so it didn't seem that bad at the time of requests...

Edited January 23, 2012 by Archer

[anime52k8]

Anime52k8, when you put that way, sounds kind of horrible. $10 an hour is nearly minimum wage, and I don't want to put anyone through that

Alas, most of the guys I've contacted do it in their leisure time as a hobby, so it didn't seem that bad at the time of requests...

Of course that 30 hours is assuming my petheticaly slow work flow. I'd think someone more pro level than I am could get it done much quicker but I'd still think around $400 for just the work done would be reasonable for something as big and complex as a PG kit.

[reeoyuy]

New RG: Gundam Mk.II (April release)

Also, HGUC Nemo (Unicorn version) for April, while Marasai (Unicorn version), Zaku I Sniper Kirks Custom, and Juagg for March.

For MG. we'll have Banshee (not that surprising, March release) plus confirmation for Buster, Blitz and Aegis (TBA).

[anime52k8]

...and suddenly I give a crap about Real Grade again.

[slaginpit]

Just finished this over the break.

MG DOM, RX-79[G] & RGM-79 GM Sniper with B-Club hovertruck.

I've called it; Confirmed Kill; The Reapers Last Harvest

Hope you enjoy it

WOW! YOU got TALENT! Are you going to enter it into a gunpla contest?

[Vostok 7]

A new HGUC Zaku I Sniper? What was wrong with the other one?

Edit: Oh, I see it's a custom.

Mmmmm RG MkII... I know my next RG!

Edited January 23, 2012 by Vostok 7

[slaginpit]

You don't have to paint Gundam models. They can look just fine straight out of the box. Heck, most of the time all I do with Gunpla is snap it together, clean the sprue marks, panel-line, and spray clear flat with a rattle can.

That is True. Case in point. Decaled, Panel Lined, and some minor paint apps. And then Flat coat does the trick! It helps to buy the water decals tho, Those rub ons are a pain in the ass

[GU-11]

It helps to buy the water decals tho, Those rub ons are a pain in the ass

Ain't that the truth. Ruined a few dry-transfrer decals trying to adjust the angle--damn thing just stuck to the surface, and I haven't even applied any pressure.

[thegunny]

WOW! YOU got TALENT! Are you going to enter it into a gunpla contest?

Thanks for the comments.

Can't enter it into Bakuc as it has resin parts and even though the hovertruck is B-Club (read Bandai) because its resin its a no go as well.