Gundam Plamodel Thread IV

[SchizophrenicMC]

I like all the specialized GMs. I plan on picking up another K9 pretty soon, for further customization purposes.

Watch out for your beam sabers though. The handles may give you trouble disengaging from the skirt. Why they didn't cast them as single pieces is beyond me, but the small piece around the emitter is prone to cracking.

[mikeszekely]

I like all the specialized GMs. I plan on picking up another K9 pretty soon, for further customization purposes.

Watch out for your beam sabers though. The handles may give you trouble disengaging from the skirt. Why they didn't cast them as single pieces is beyond me, but the small piece around the emitter is prone to cracking.

Good to know, but I doubt I'll ever remove them from the storage rack. From a military design point of view it makes sense for it to carry some, but from a model display POV it's a sniper, so I can't imagine displaying it without a sniper rifle.

[SchizophrenicMC]

With all the weapons on the K9, it's gonna be awhile before I put beam saber in hand, but I like to change up my gunplas' poses every so often. Except MG Unicorn. That pose I have that one in is just too cool. Anyway I just wish the beam saber design were a bit less flimsy on the Sniper II.

[Hikuro]

can't believe I"m actually almost caught up on my stuff HAH! I got my RG Zeta Gundam and MG Tallgeese left and that's it.....until the Hi-Nu Vrabe comes out this month. But I just finished my MG Deathscythe ver Ka and eh, it's okay. You can tell they've made a lot of changes between it's release and the others as I think the Wing Gundam Ver Ka and Deathscythe were the first. rub on transfers I didn't bother with this time cause they were really sensitive and lost 2 already from trying.

Also finished my Lightning Gundam with booster pack but I'm gonna wait before I apply soot to it to give it my model damage level c look.

Next I think I'll work on Zeta as I swing away from Wing for a little while.

[SchizophrenicMC]

I have 4 unbuilt gunpla and 1 1/24 car, plus my unfinished MG GM Sniper dio.

This one needs funding.

[Hikuro]

I love learning new techniques, some I find here, some I find online. but using an oil based paint sharpie and iso. alcohol and a q tip I was able to make a very nice painted panel line. I know some people would use silver but I think the white gives it a nice pop! I liked it.
What do you guys think?

[Guest davidwhangchoi]

here's a shot of the recent RG gundam wing,

(shots taken at Gundam Planet)

Edited January 13, 2015 by davidwhangchoi

[Hikuro]

as much as I'd love to build the RG wing zero....I'm pretty happy with my MGs and I'd want to wait until most of the others are released. I really want to see how those look.

my second attempt at the RG zeta is going much better! I'm really only completing a limb a day as I'm spending more time cleaning the undergating and panel lining it the best I can.

it took me all sunday night just to white line all the dark parts but not to thrilled with the turn out. looks a bit to chalkie.

I'm even thinking I won't even apply stickers unless they're paint related like yellows and reds.

[Scyla]

as much as I'd love to build the RG wing zero....I'm pretty happy with my MGs and I'd want to wait until most of the others are released. I really want to see how those look.

*snip*

The real draw of the RG Wing Zero is to get Bandai to release the other suits from EW in the RG line so that we have a consistent line with the same engineering, details, etc.

[Hikuro]

The real draw of the RG Wing Zero is to get Bandai to release the other suits from EW in the RG line so that we have a consistent line with the same engineering, details, etc.

well unless it's changed from the fall they did say that the intention was to use the same exo frame for all the EW designs so all they really need to do is outer armor, new head sculpt and backpack and stickers. I'm sure by spring we'll hear which suit is next as the 00 raiser comes closer to release.

[Scyla]

well unless it's changed from the fall they did say that the intention was to use the same exo frame for all the EW designs so all they really need to do is outer armor, new head sculpt and backpack and stickers. I'm sure by spring we'll hear which suit is next as the 00 raiser comes closer to release.

....and if the Wing Zero sells well. Even if it sells well the MG line never released all the suits but there are many variants of the Gundam Wing.

[Nekko Basara]

My second attempt at the RG zeta is going much better! I'm really only completing a limb a day as I'm spending more time cleaning the undergating and panel lining it the best I can.

it took me all sunday night just to white line all the dark parts but not to thrilled with the turn out. looks a bit to chalkie.

I'm even thinking I won't even apply stickers unless they're paint related like yellows and reds.

RG Zeta was a beast for me; felt like as much work as building two RGs. Not that I didn't love it, it's just so complex. I can't believe Mike S did it as his first RG!

Can't wait to see more pictures!

[mikeszekely]

I can't believe Mike S did it as his first RG!

Yeah, me either. When I built it I'd only built two or three HGs probably six or seven years ago. I remember looking at the instructions for RG Zeta and thinking, "What the heck have I gotten myself into?!" I'd almost like to try it again (or even better, one day getting my hands on the Zeta 3) to see if what I've learned since would improve my impression of the kit, which is that it's the worst of the RG line due to a transformation gimmick I'm afraid to try that leaves the entire thing far too fiddly.

In other gunpla news, Sei's Dad... er, I mean renegadeleader1 was kind of enough to send me a gunpla gift when he heard I didn't get any gunpla for Christmas. It's the HG Zaku II Ground War set. Now, I'll be honest, I figured he'd grab whatever was readily available, like maybe some Build Fighters kit, so I was pleasantly surprised when I opened the package. I love the Zaku and it's descendants, and despite having three variations of the Zaku II, I'd never built one without a head fin.

Now, as near as I can tell without having actually built the original HGUC Zaku II (just an HGUC Zaku I Black Tri Stars, an HGUC Shin Matsunaga Zaku II R1-A, and the RG Zaku IIs), the Ground War set is basically the old Zaku II repackaged with some extra runners. The extra runners have little dudes on them, parts to make a pair of Feddie tanks, parts to make a pair of those Wappa hovercraft, some explosion effect parts, and a few extra hands and accessories for the Zaku. This made for a very simple kit (each foot, for example, is only three pieces including polycaps). There's detail that's missing from newer kits, even newer Zakus, like the detailing on the joints. The end result is a chunkier Zaku that looks more like the animation and less like a "real" robot.

What it lacks in detail, though, it makes up for in accessories. While the RG Zaku has the machine gun, bazooka, and heat hawk, the Ground War has all that plus a pair of Sturmfausts, a pair of crackers, plus the leg mounted missile launchers and six missiles. There's also a pair of rockets and a pair of smoke effect parts that can mount the rocket to the bazooka, and Bandai threw in some waterslide decals that I doubt were included with the original release.

Obviously, if you just want one good-looking 1/144 Zaku the RG is the way to go. That said, if you're in the market for extra Zakus the extra accessories help make the Ground War Zaku visually distinct without requiring a custom paint job or anything like that. Also, the dudes, tanks, Wappas, and effects parts make this a solid choice for doing a Zaku diorama build.

Here it is with the RG and the Wappas... sorry, didn't have time to build the tanks today.

[electric indigo]

Remember this guy?

Go here for more:

http://gundamguy.blogspot.de/2015/01/16-scale-msh-06-humansize-custom-build.html

[SchizophrenicMC]

What I found most amusing was, it literally has nothing to do with Gundam or gunpla, except that it says Char's on the side, and has a silver Zeon emblem on the bike.

[Hikuro]

Yeah, me either. When I built it I'd only built two or three HGs probably six or seven years ago. I remember looking at the instructions for RG Zeta and thinking, "What the heck have I gotten myself into?!" I'd almost like to try it again (or even better, one day getting my hands on the Zeta 3) to see if what I've learned since would improve my impression of the kit, which is that it's the worst of the RG line due to a transformation gimmick I'm afraid to try that leaves the entire thing far too fiddly.

In other gunpla news, Sei's Dad... er, I mean renegadeleader1 was kind of enough to send me a gunpla gift when he heard I didn't get any gunpla for Christmas. It's the HG Zaku II Ground War set. Now, I'll be honest, I figured he'd grab whatever was readily available, like maybe some Build Fighters kit, so I was pleasantly surprised when I opened the package. I love the Zaku and it's descendants, and despite having three variations of the Zaku II, I'd never built one without a head fin.

Now, as near as I can tell without having actually built the original HGUC Zaku II (just an HGUC Zaku I Black Tri Stars, an HGUC Shin Matsunaga Zaku II R1-A, and the RG Zaku IIs), the Ground War set is basically the old Zaku II repackaged with some extra runners. The extra runners have little dudes on them, parts to make a pair of Feddie tanks, parts to make a pair of those Wappa hovercraft, some explosion effect parts, and a few extra hands and accessories for the Zaku. This made for a very simple kit (each foot, for example, is only three pieces including polycaps). There's detail that's missing from newer kits, even newer Zakus, like the detailing on the joints. The end result is a chunkier Zaku that looks more like the animation and less like a "real" robot.

What it lacks in detail, though, it makes up for in accessories. While the RG Zaku has the machine gun, bazooka, and heat hawk, the Ground War has all that plus a pair of Sturmfausts, a pair of crackers, plus the leg mounted missile launchers and six missiles. There's also a pair of rockets and a pair of smoke effect parts that can mount the rocket to the bazooka, and Bandai threw in some waterslide decals that I doubt were included with the original release.

Obviously, if you just want one good-looking 1/144 Zaku the RG is the way to go. That said, if you're in the market for extra Zakus the extra accessories help make the Ground War Zaku visually distinct without requiring a custom paint job or anything like that. Also, the dudes, tanks, Wappas, and effects parts make this a solid choice for doing a Zaku diorama build.

Here it is with the RG and the Wappas... sorry, didn't have time to build the tanks today.

WP_20150113_16_25_03_Pro.jpg

lol I didn't get gunpla for christmas either..............just before christmas lol.

Yeah RG Zeta isn't my first RG Zeta. The first one I did was just a mess, was having a hard time with a break up and there were things I didn't read right on the instructions and just fubar it up. This time, it's coming out better.

[Nekko Basara]

What I found most amusing was, it literally has nothing to do with Gundam or gunpla, except that it says Char's on the side, and has a silver Zeon emblem on the bike.

I dunno. It has a mono-eye, at least. That's better than the 3A Zaku.

[Hikuro]

looks like my first attempt at airbrushing was not a success. while darker parts came out decently the white parts to get the tallgeese TV authentic look bad. I think it was way to much thinner as I swear I see like alcohol rainbow hue on the paint and it's not drying correctly which also suggests not enough paint to the mix.

so, I guess the next step is to ask if this is salvageable? I'll send a photo later.

I also noticed I ran out of paint super fast!

[SchizophrenicMC]

If you're using acrylic paint, you can strip the paint with rubbing alcohol, and it won't damage the plastic.

Consider setting your compressor pressure as low as you can- you get better control the lower the pressure is, and with an Iwata brush, you can maintain a very fine, even spray even at low pressure. I think the minimum pressure these Master compressors' regulators can run is 8psi, and that's pretty good pressure for this kind of work. With white, I thin a bit less than I usually would. But again, don't go by a strict ratio. Just add thinner to your well-mixed paint until it leaves a residue behind on your mixing cup that's like the line milk leaves on a cup after you take a sip. With these really fine Japanese paints, that's a pretty effective method.

Another thing to watch out for: When you're painting with an airbrush, keep the trigger pushed for air whenever you're about to paint, and for at least a couple second after you're done spraying. This keeps the nozzle clear, and it lets you focus on only adding paint to your air, giving you cleaner results. Prevents blobs and spatter. Also keep in mind that the paint flow action has a lot of modulation, so you can really get some fine control over how much paint you're shooting. Basically, keep your finger pressed down, but move it back and forth a lot. At the end of a pass, keep the air flowing, but let off the paint, then resume shooting paint as you start your next pass.

There are a lot of things you'll figure out by feel.

[Hikuro]

Here's what it looks like....I almost want to say this was a weather issue cause it has been fairly cold but not like below freezing. But I wanna say this is a mix issue. I may end up having to strip this with a large amount of the isopropyl alcohol I have.

[Hikuro]

Okay........I've just figured out how to mix this better now.....now that my brain is working a little better! Now the other thing that I'm curious about is spray control. From what I've gathered, if you press directly down on the trigger you're gonna get the heavy spray application, if you press down and pull back the trigger you get the fine line application right?

What I'm having issues with is that the compressor and the iwata came with basically NO instructions. They have "Quick Guides" but the compressor isn't clear on anything, and the iwata's is all in japanese.

So I basically gotta mix the paint up again here little later and try doing another round on the dark parts that I have, cleaning this wasn't hard, it IS a bit of a chore.

[Hikuro]

Okay, phew, I fixed it. It was both the mixing ratio being off (Now I'm almost out of German Grey....) and the Gun. So mashing the button gives me the fine, and pulling back the trigger gives me the blast. Everything is looking MUCH better and I think I like this more than I do spray can.

[anime52k8]

So mashing the button gives me the fine, and pulling back the trigger gives me the blast.

oh wow, um... I suppose someone should have explained that...

[Hikuro]

oh wow, um... I suppose someone should have explained that...

you mean like.........the instructions that should of existed?

[Hikuro]

fixed!

[SchizophrenicMC]

Pressing the button straight down and all the way forward shouldn't give you any spray. The manual in the Eclipse's packaging details how to adjust your needle so it sprays evenly, but gives just air if you don't pull back on the paint trigger. Learn your adjustments, and get a feel for them. They'll do so much to clean up your paint.

[Hikuro]

Pressing the button straight down and all the way forward shouldn't give you any spray. The manual in the Eclipse's packaging details how to adjust your needle so it sprays evenly, but gives just air if you don't pull back on the paint trigger. Learn your adjustments, and get a feel for them. They'll do so much to clean up your paint.

The issue is there's no instructions so I don't know other than the trigger doing this or that what else the brush is capable of doing. Same thing with the compressor I'm turning a knob above the filter and I get some pressure but if I turn it just slightly back the other way I get no air pressure. So I'm kinda stuck with a high PSI versus a decent one.

At least when I messed with it thursday and went for my second coating of a bitter mix ratio, I had a lot more paint left in my cup after spraying down two runners with paint.

[SchizophrenicMC]

Did you get the Master compressor? If you did, you should be able to dial in a working pressure on the gauge. While the compressor is running, hold down the air trigger on the brush and dial the regulator until the pressure is ~10psi toward the bottom of the gauge. Then, let the button go and the compressor will fill to a slightly higher pressure and shut off.

As for the Eclipse instructions, the little sheet that comes in the packaging details, in English, how to perform your basic adjustments. Unless you got a significantly different package than I did.

I guess the most important one is the needle adjustment:

1. Unscrew the tail cap (the big section behind the air fitting that comes off completely)
2. Loosen the needle chucking nut (the little nut that you can see in the "window" of the tail cap)

3. Carefully push the needle forward until it bottoms out, then pull slightly back

4. Tighten the needle chucking nut

5. Test paint/air flow- you should not get any paint with the button only pressed down, but paint flow should begin immediately after you begin to pull back on the paint trigger

6. Repeat adjustments until you get the above results

7. Reinstall tail cap

If your needle is improperly adjusted, you could get too much flow, including flow with the brush idling, or you could get too little flow if the needle is packed too far forward. Be very, very careful when adjusting your needle, as any bends can be catastrophic. When I say "slightly" I mean "by fractions of a millimeter at a time". It's really something you'll get a feeling for, just like the rest of it. I got my brush adjusted properly on the first shot- I attribute my ability to find that adjustment to lots of practice with a cheapo brush that doesn't make it as easy as the Iwata.

The other important thing to know is cleaning. Use a napkin to get most of the paint residue out, then fill the cup about halfway with thinner. Put your finger over the nozzle cap, then give it air and pull back slightly on the trigger. This gargles thinner through the forward passages and cleans them up pretty handily. I like to dump out the cup at this point, then run a clean cup of thinner through. Q-tips are also your friend. Keep cleaning it until it looks good, and I stress again: Be very careful around your needle. If that sucker bends at all, you'll need to buy a new one, and that's not fun when you're in the middle of a project and can't find parts nearby.

[Hikuro]

Yesterday was the 2nd meeting I attended for a small group of nice guys who are into Gunpla.

1 is a complete newbie just getting into it while 1 other was just new to the group. The guy in the yellow is the leader of the group and I guess out of 21 members I'm the most experienced in the build, this other guy in the photo with the cutting mat and gloves and magnifying glass is probably a close 2nd.

We were at a book store last night and built for a couple of hours and conversed about techniques and styles. 1 was build the Astrea F, another built the Duel, another working on polishing up his RG GP01 with some metalizer paint and then me working on the tallgeese.

[Hikuro]

Hah, I'm so proud of myself right now.

The wash went flawlessly!

[SchizophrenicMC]

It looks good, Hikuro. The only flaw I can see is that blob on the top of the chest, but I'm sure there's a story behind it.

All in all, you should be proud. That's a good first paintjob. Keep 'em coming man.

[Hikuro]

It looks good, Hikuro. The only flaw I can see is that blob on the top of the chest, but I'm sure there's a story behind it.

All in all, you should be proud. That's a good first paintjob. Keep 'em coming man.

No story, when you mentioned it that's when I first saw it, dunno HOW that happened. But that'd of had to of been during the airbrushing.

[Phyrox]

See a lot of sprue marks left untrimmed on the Tallgeese.

The wash looks great, but would look even better without the visible trim marks.

Edited January 19, 2015 by Phyrox

[SchizophrenicMC]

I'm just now beginning to notice those.

You painted it on the runners, yeah Hik? That'd cause that.

I'm more partial to the much slower method of dry-fitting a kit then pulling it apart and spraying each part individually. Lets me address small imperfections and get a more even effect. Also makes it easier to mask off sections for different colors. That Tallgeese still isn't bad, but looking closely enough reveals some of the disadvantages of a given technique, just like looking closely at a kit assembled with a different technique would reveal the disadvantages of that one.

The takeaway here is, there's always room to improve and combine techniques for an even better finish.

[anime52k8]

I'm a fan of putting everything on sticks.