Bandai DX Chogokin 1/48 VF-1

[chyll2]

 

GSI Creos Mr Topcoat semi-gloss - hmm never heard of that.  Is it more durable than semi-gloss Future?  I'd like to find something that would be able to withstand transformation better.

 

Oh gorgeous photography BTW Lolicon - aside from the amazing weathering too.

They should be the same. They are acrylic based, afaik.

 

MR Super clear (from same brand) is lacquer based or similar to Tamiya Clear spray (which imo, might be too hot)

[505thAirborne]

Damn that looks amazing!

Come on Bandai, get it together with the white painted landing gear, makes all the difference! 

[Lolicon]

 

GSI Creos Mr Topcoat semi-gloss - hmm never heard of that.  Is it more durable than semi-gloss Future?  I'd like to find something that would be able to withstand transformation better.

 

Oh gorgeous photography BTW Lolicon - aside from the amazing weathering too.

Thanks! 

So yeah, it's a water-based coat like mentioned, so it isn't going to be more durable than Future. Lacquer is probably more durable, but I've had too many issues with it. I'll stick with the water-based stuff. 

 

Damn that looks amazing!

Come on Bandai, get it together with the white painted landing gear, makes all the difference! 

That's a super easy and cheap thing Bandai could do that would really elevate the look of their valkyries. Maybe in another 35 years? 

[sumyumgoy]

 

That's a super easy and cheap thing Bandai could do that would really elevate the look of their valkyries. Maybe in another 35 years? 

I'll be waving my cane in excitement.

[Lolicon]

 

I'll be waving my cane in excitement.

I'll have my own metal hip bars by then.

[Slave IV]

 

I'll have my own metal hip bars by then.

[Capedbaldy]

 

Thanks! 

So yeah, it's a water-based coat like mentioned, so it isn't going to be more durable than Future. Lacquer is probably more durable, but I've had too many issues with it. I'll stick with the water-based stuff. 

That's a super easy and cheap thing Bandai could do that would really elevate the look of their valkyries. Maybe in another 35 years? 

would it be cheap though? It's labor intensive yes?  The materials are cheap, but applying it to thousands of units would cost.

[Lolicon]

Not sure why people feel the need to apologize for wealthy multinational corporations. Yes, it would cost a lot. For you and me. But for Bandai, who's already producing thousands of these units, painting an extra part or two is a drop in the bucket compared to the overall cost of the toy.

If saving pennies (yen) is all that mattered, why stop at the landing gear? Let's not paint the navigational lights either. Let's cut out some of that tampo printing too. Who needs the ejection seat warning anyway?

[chyll2]

Bandai can easily paint their diecast parts but I guess that they are just doing it so that it is obvious, HEY THIS HAS DIE CAST PARTS.

Edited March 11, 2019 by chyll2

[Lolicon]

Yeah, that's as good a postulate as any regarding why Bandai doesn't paint them. But I doubt it's a cost issue.

Strange since the kind of folks who would spend the kind of money on these things are folks who want lots of detail and accuracy i.e. folks like us. They probably figured they could skip painting the landing gear and we'd buy it anyway. They were right. 

[Slave IV]

It’s a throwback to the OG catapult landing gears. 

[kkx]

How does one go about painting the landing gear?

[Lolicon]

 

How does one go about painting the landing gear?

Masking tape and paint. Same as painting anything else.

[kkx]

 

Masking tape and paint. Same as painting anything else.

I see. Was wondering if it was done by some disassembly.

[Lolicon]

 

I see. Was wondering if it was done by some disassembly.

I wish. That would make it 10x easier. Bandai doesn't want you opening up their toys.

[no3Ljm]

@Lolicon
Enamel paint for the landing gear, yes?

 

[Big s]

I’m not a fan of enamel paint. They tend to rub off easily unless it’s just for weathering recessed areas.

[Lolicon]

 

@Lolicon
Enamel paint for the landing gear, yes?

 

Primer and lacquer paint. It takes a lot to fully coat the die cast.

[no3Ljm]

 

I’m not a fan of enamel paint. They tend to rub off easily unless it’s just for weathering recessed areas.

 

Primer and lacquer paint. It takes a lot to fully coat the die cast.

I see. I thought Enamel works best for metal. So lacquer is still the best, I presume.

And those were handbrushed too? Right, @Lolicon?

 

[Lolicon]

 

I see. I thought Enamel works best for metal. So lacquer is still the best, I presume.

And those were handbrushed too? Right, @Lolicon?

Nope. What do I look like,? A man who's not lazy?

Masked & sprayed. Masking the landing gear bay is the most onerous part. If there was a way to take it apart and remove just the landing gear for painting, that would make the whole thing so much easier.

At least on the DX VF-1J you can remove the bay doors completely, which makes it easier to mask than other valks where the doors are not removable. Which is why I haven't started on the 25G or RVF. Just thinking of those doors makes me balk. 

Edited March 13, 2019 by Lolicon
spelling

[Xigfrid]

You can remove easily the front gear bays on the 25 series, using screws, no glue. I don’t know for the rear gears  though

[Lolicon]

 

You can remove easily the front gear bays on the 25 series, using screws, no glue. I don’t know for the rear gears  though

Thanks! Good to know. Though it's the rear doors that are the real pain, with their shape and close positioning to the gears.

[no3Ljm]

 

Nope. What do I look like,? A man who's not lazy?

Masked & sprayed. Masking the landing gear bay is the most onerous part. If there was a way to take it apart and remove just the landing gear for painting, that would make the whole thing so much easier.

At least on the DX VF-1J you can remove the bay doors completely, which makes it easier to mask than other valks where the doors are not removable. Which is why I haven't started on the 25G or RVF. Just thinking of those doors makes me balk. 

Hey! No offense meant, my dear good sir.

I'm just asking since what I believe is mostly garbage now after finding out I can use lacquer for metals. 

 

[mickyg]

I don't think he took any, Noel.  He's suggesting he's lazy and that brush painting would be way too much work.

As someone who has painted DX gear before (I did Isamu's YF-29), and used a brush, Lolicon speaks the truth.  Though brush painting seems simpler, masking and spraying is way easier.  Of course that assumes you've got the required tools for such a task.  Masking tape, a sharp knife to cut it cleanly, toothpicks to burnish it down into the bay and recesses, preferably an airbrush...

It sounds complicated but the results are far better than brush painting.  I used a lacquer on my attempts and trying to get the coverage right, not having it dry too quickly, preventing brush stroke marks, not lifting the previous coat, all of this stuff was way too much work in the end.

[Lolicon]

No offense. I say that all the time. It's a Futurama reference.

 

Are there issues with using lacquers directly onto die cast parts? I used a coat of primer before painting.

Edited March 13, 2019 by Lolicon

[no3Ljm]

No worries guys! Everything is all good.

There's no issues whatsoever. I just had an impression of it since I didn't had the knowledge that lacquer can be used on metal. I always remember my grandfather always uses enamel on metal parts so it stuck in my head. And I found out 20 years ago, that we can use enamel for panel lining. So that's my limited knowledge about enamel since I'm more of a water-based paint guy. 

 

[mickyg]

 

Are there issues with using lacquers directly onto die cast parts? I used a coat of primer before painting.

Very good question!  I didn't know any different so applied it straight on.  I can't say I noticed anything too scary other than needing to apply a few coats but it's been awhile and @Sildani now has that particular specimen so I can't check it.

I think the reasoning behind using enamels is possibly to do with paint consistency.  Enamels are generally pretty thick, straight out of the container and the fact that they dry slow probably has some benefits when you're applying them to metal.  But as far as paints reacting or doing scary things with diecast, I can't say I have ever heard of that being an issue.

Has anyone looked really closely at the gear legs to see if they're coated with anything from the factory?  I was under the impression they were clear coated.  But maybe that's just an assumption on my part.

[Icewedge]

 

Well, I managed to get my wings lined up in battroid. My wing flaps are a bit wonky by the looks of it because by using them to apply small pressure with each other, I got them aligned. This is after I took the entire wing apart, shaved off what looked like excess glue on one side the rear rudder assembly is attached to and ended up stripping a screw hole in the whole process. So be extra careful if you decide to take it apart and reassemble it. But this wing misalignment seems to be more of a YMMV issue. Since I had no excess flash even after taken the time to shave off somethings here and there, I still had the issue. Only messing with the wing flaps seem to have fixed it (but adds to the list of things easily bumped and need to fiddle with after posing).

Wing Aligned by Vicki Lee, on Flickr

The wings are held together by 5 screws. Once you get those screws out, it's easy to dismantle. Here's a blow up of the assembly.

Wing Assembly 1 by Vicki Lee, on Flickr

Wing Assembly 2 by Vicki Lee, on Flickr

Wing Assembly 3 by Vicki Lee, on Flickr

The rubber pieces attached to the wing can be poked out and removed if needed

Wing Assembly 4 by Vicki Lee, on Flickr

 

How did you correct the wing flaps.  I too have the same issue?

[Chronocidal]

 

Yeah, that's as good a postulate as any regarding why Bandai doesn't paint them. But I doubt it's a cost issue.

Strange since the kind of folks who would spend the kind of money on these things are folks who want lots of detail and accuracy i.e. folks like us. They probably figured they could skip painting the landing gear and we'd buy it anyway. They were right. 

I've been under the impression that they just continue to cling to those last little threads of nostalgia for the chunky monkey.  Remember how long it took them to finally paint the chest stripes at the proper angle?   

[MacrossMania]

 

At @davidwhangchoi's behest I touched up a second DX 1J so it'll look like my Yamatos.

Lolicon, you need to work for Bandai and make a weathering version happen.  I would snap it up in a second.

 

This is a textbook example of weathering.  All faded panel lines with the ghost-like imprints.  I'm wondering though.  Has anybody every thought to expand the universe of tools that modelers use to achieve the weathering look?  I guess I mean like added little touches.  If you notice some of the old F-15's, F-18's, F-16's and F-14's up close, they do have that wash around certain edges where exhaust fumes or water stains must have flowed off the edge of the surface mid-flight.  It's like the stains of a waterfall or something and speaks to the years of service the plane must have seen to achieve that kind of look.  Only hardened exposure to repeated flights over the years would produce it.  And it goes beyond simple panel lining.  Has anyone ever thought to do it?

Here's a stock photo from wikipedia.  The force of the wind over the wing's trailing edge has created what appear to be water stains there.  The same is true of the stabilizers and the ailerons.  Has anyone thought to replicate this effect in the modeling world?  It would add a lot of realism.

 

Edited March 15, 2019 by MacrossMania

[no3Ljm]

 

This is a textbook example of weathering.  All faded panel lines with the ghost-like imprints.  I'm wondering though.  Has anybody every thought to expand the universe of tools that modelers use to achieve the weathering look?  I guess I mean like added little touches.  If you notice some of the old F-15's, F-18's, F-16's and F-14's up close, they do have that wash around certain edges where exhaust fumes or water stains must have flowed off the edge of the surface mid-flight.  It's like the stains of a waterfall or something and speaks to the years of service the plane must have seen to achieve that kind of look.  Only hardened exposure to repeated flights over the years would produce it.  And it goes beyond simple panel lining.  Has anyone ever thought to do it?

Here's a stock photo from wikipedia.  The force of the wind over the wing's trailing edge has created what appear to be water stains there.  The same is true of the stabilizers and the ailerons.  Has anyone thought to replicate this effect in the modeling world?  It would add a lot of realism.

I've seen some members here already added some weathering details to it. It looks awesome. I highly respect people who does this kind of stuff. And I always wish I could do the same on mine.

However, do remember that this is a transforming figure. Meaning, if you invest too much on adding effects and whatnot to make it look real, the chances of ruining the added effects during transformation is huge. Whereas on model kits, the sky is the limit when it comes to modifications and effects. It means less handling on the model kits.

In the end, why pay for more on a premium deluxe transforming figure and invest on adding effects knowing in the end it might ruin during transformation rather than just get a kit and do those effects to your heart content and spend half or more than half the cost?

 

Edited March 15, 2019 by no3Ljm

[Capedbaldy]

 

Not sure why people feel the need to apologize for wealthy multinational corporations. Yes, it would cost a lot. For you and me. But for Bandai, who's already producing thousands of these units, painting an extra part or two is a drop in the bucket compared to the overall cost of the toy.

If saving pennies (yen) is all that mattered, why stop at the landing gear? Let's not paint the navigational lights either. Let's cut out some of that tampo printing too. Who needs the ejection seat warning anyway?

It's not an apology. that's the point. It will never happen because to sell these things they have to reach a profit point. I guess the point wooshed over you head a bit.

My point is that some diecast here, and some painting there is pennys... but paying people to paint something by hand is labor intensive and cost prohibitive.

[Sildani]

And might be done badly, anyway. 

[Lolicon]

Please. If small time operations like Yamato and Arcadia can do it, then Bandai can too.

Edited March 15, 2019 by Lolicon

[slide]

 

This is a textbook example of weathering.  All faded panel lines with the ghost-like imprints.  I'm wondering though.  Has anybody every thought to expand the universe of tools that modelers use to achieve the weathering look?  I guess I mean like added little touches.  If you notice some of the old F-15's, F-18's, F-16's and F-14's up close, they do have that wash around certain edges where exhaust fumes or water stains must have flowed off the edge of the surface mid-flight.  It's like the stains of a waterfall or something and speaks to the years of service the plane must have seen to achieve that kind of look.  Only hardened exposure to repeated flights over the years would produce it.  And it goes beyond simple panel lining.  Has anyone ever thought to do it?

Here's a stock photo from wikipedia.  The force of the wind over the wing's trailing edge has created what appear to be water stains there.  The same is true of the stabilizers and the ailerons.  Has anyone thought to replicate this effect in the modeling world?  It would add a lot of realism.

one could try to "properly weather" a Greek Air Force Bird...

 

as far as the tools us modelers use, there's a whole sub-industry for that...

Edited March 15, 2019 by slide