Papa Rat Posted May 18 Posted May 18 (edited) Hi everybody! I’m new here and thought I’d show my entry into model building. I had this kit in the garage for decades and ultimately forgot about it until recently. I have zero experience with model building but after digging into this kit I’m hooked. I loved dealing with all the seam lines, dips and funky misaligned parts. I figure no better way to bust my modeling chops than to build an older kit from my childhood. “Kid of the 80’s” My build is riddled with errors and ultimately such a great stepping stone to learn from. I opted to use spray cans, enamels, a pin vise, pla plate, chisels, and whatever else I could try out to see what worked, failed, or inspired further exploration. I did learn that flooding areas with enamel washes for panel lining was a big mistake. Live and learn as parts literally crumbled and had to be rebuilt. lol. I love the hot mess this experience was and look forward to more. I have a bunch of Hasegawa kits on their way. Can’t wait. (= Anyway, here are a couple pice of the final build complete with finger prints and other sloppy play. Edited May 18 by Papa Rat Quote
derex3592 Posted May 18 Posted May 18 For a 1st build, that came out GREAT! I built one years ago and it was a struggle! Quote
Papa Rat Posted May 18 Author Posted May 18 Thanks so much. I have lots to learn and can’t wait to tackle some of those larger 1/72 kits. I discovered HLJ recently and have a basic Regult and a few Battroids on their way.! I’m super excited. Working my way up to a Monster and Tomahawk build some day. 🙃 Quote
Thom Posted May 18 Posted May 18 Gonna add to the chorus, great job!! Esp for a first build. Would love to see more! Quote
Papa Rat Posted May 18 Author Posted May 18 I’m still in the process of getting the fun tools of the trade. Last week I acquired an Iwata Eclipse airbrush and compressor my work had sitting in storage, collecting dust. I look forward to using it soon. I also decided to build a spray booth with an appropriate blower “used Vent Works plans”. I just need to get the courage to drill a hole for venting out of the garage wall. Quote
MKT Posted May 18 Posted May 18 11 hours ago, Papa Rat said: I wish my first model kit build looked this nice. Quote
Papa Rat Posted May 18 Author Posted May 18 2 minutes ago, MKT said: I wish my first model kit build looked this nice. Oh shucks, thanks. 😃 Quote
Big s Posted May 18 Posted May 18 19 hours ago, Papa Rat said: Hi everybody! I’m new here and thought I’d show my entry into model building. I had this kit in the garage for decades and ultimately forgot about it until recently. I have zero experience with model building but after digging into this kit I’m hooked. I loved dealing with all the seam lines, dips and funky misaligned parts. I figure no better way to bust my modeling chops than to build an older kit from my childhood. “Kid of the 80’s” My build is riddled with errors and ultimately such a great stepping stone to learn from. I opted to use spray cans, enamels, a pin vise, pla plate, chisels, and whatever else I could try out to see what worked, failed, or inspired further exploration. I did learn that flooding areas with enamel washes for panel lining was a big mistake. Live and learn as parts literally crumbled and had to be rebuilt. lol. I love the hot mess this experience was and look forward to more. I have a bunch of Hasegawa kits on their way. Can’t wait. (= Anyway, here are a couple pice of the final build complete with finger prints and other sloppy play. For a first build, you did really great. That’s definitely not a kit that I would recommend to a beginner, but if you’re gonna get into the hobby, you will probably have a much easier time after this one. A modern gundam kit almost builds itself compared to how these ancient kits went together. I’m also glad to hear that you’re planning more after this. Some people get really turned off by the amount of work it takes on these older kits. Keep up the good work and maybe soon you’ll do her big sister kit from Hasegawa. Quote
Thom Posted May 19 Posted May 19 2 hours ago, Big s said: For a first build, you did really great. That’s definitely not a kit that I would recommend to a beginner, but if you’re gonna get into the hobby, you will probably have a much easier time after this one. A modern gundam kit almost builds itself compared to how these ancient kits went together. I’m also glad to hear that you’re planning more after this. Some people get really turned off by the amount of work it takes on these older kits. Keep up the good work and maybe soon you’ll do her big sister kit from Hasegawa. It sounds like he actually has (gasp) fun modelling! It's been so long since I have... Quote
Papa Rat Posted May 19 Author Posted May 19 13 minutes ago, Thom said: It sounds like he actually has (gasp) fun modelling! It's been so long since I have... Hahahaha. Guilty as charged. Quote
Big s Posted May 19 Posted May 19 13 minutes ago, Thom said: It sounds like he actually has (gasp) fun modelling! It's been so long since I have... I still do. There are some stages that aren’t as much fun, like filling seams. But everything else is something that I really enjoy. I love snipping little parts and fitting them together. I love painting the parts and seeing the project nearer to completion. I love putting on decals. I really have fun at the weathering stage, it’s like making a mess on purpose. Quote
Papa Rat Posted May 19 Author Posted May 19 2 hours ago, Big s said: For a first build, you did really great. That’s definitely not a kit that I would recommend to a beginner, but if you’re gonna get into the hobby, you will probably have a much easier time after this one. A modern gundam kit almost builds itself compared to how these ancient kits went together. I’m also glad to hear that you’re planning more after this. Some people get really turned off by the amount of work it takes on these older kits. Keep up the good work and maybe soon you’ll do her big sister kit from Hasegawa. Thanks so much. I was nervous sharing it since there are so many amazing builds on this forum. The path to completion was a disaster but a good one. Haha. I’m a sucker for a challenge and will be doing more 80’s kits down the road. “Looking at you Monster” I just ordered the big sister kit along with a preorder for the Max version even though I think they are identical. lol I imagine the Hasegawa kits are more user friendly? Quote
Big s Posted May 19 Posted May 19 1 minute ago, Papa Rat said: Thanks so much. I was nervous sharing it since there are so many amazing builds on this forum. The path to completion was a disaster but a good one. Haha. I’m a sucker for a challenge and will be doing more 80’s kits down the road. “Looking at you Monster” I just ordered the big sister kit along with a preorder for the Max version even though I think they are identical. lol I imagine the Hasegawa kits are more user friendly? The Hasegawa Queadluun Rau is far easier than the Imai kit. Better fitting for sure. Beware, the Monster is a beast that’s not for the faint of heart. Parts have odd fits and some parts feel like they don’t match up. It’s a real monster of a build for such a small scale kit Quote
Papa Rat Posted May 19 Author Posted May 19 9 minutes ago, Big s said: The Hasegawa Queadluun Rau is far easier than the Imai kit. Better fitting for sure. Beware, the Monster is a beast that’s not for the faint of heart. Parts have odd fits and some parts feel like they don’t match up. It’s a real monster of a build for such a small scale kit Nice, I look forward to moving into the larger 1/72 scale. I think all the Hasegawa kits I have on order are the same scale. It will be nice to see them all together. I can’t wait to dig in. However my model time is rather limited in my life; having a fam and 6 year old but many late nights will see it through. Now I'm really intrigued about that monster kit…I guess it’s time to invest in some putty(s) Quote
Big s Posted May 19 Posted May 19 4 hours ago, Papa Rat said: Nice, I look forward to moving into the larger 1/72 scale. I think all the Hasegawa kits I have on order are the same scale. It will be nice to see them all together. I can’t wait to dig in. However my model time is rather limited in my life; having a fam and 6 year old but many late nights will see it through. Now I'm really intrigued about that monster kit…I guess it’s time to invest in some putty(s) Yeah, the Monster eats putty like you wouldn’t believe. Quote
Papa Rat Posted May 24 Author Posted May 24 (edited) On 5/18/2024 at 3:39 PM, Big s said: For a first build, you did really great. That’s definitely not a kit that I would recommend to a beginner, but if you’re gonna get into the hobby, you will probably have a much easier time after this one. A modern gundam kit almost builds itself compared to how these ancient kits went together. I’m also glad to hear that you’re planning more after this. Some people get really turned off by the amount of work it takes on these older kits. Keep up the good work and maybe soon you’ll do her big sister kit from Hasegawa. Yeah so I went out to get one of the Bandai gundam kits. You were not joking when you said they practically build themselves. lol. Hope I’m not breaking the rules posting this non Macross kit here. 🙃 I found out we have a rad Japanese bookstore out here that also carries model supplies. They didn’t have any macross but were full of gundam kits, paints and supplies. I went with the $9 entry grade RX-78. I recognize it as the iconic Gundam but went rogue on the color scheme and gave it some love. I also grabbed some water slide numbers/letters and one for the RX-78. Yesterday I found out I got the wrong scale decals but used them anyways. Oh well regardless It was such a chill experience. Complete opposite of the Queadlunn-Rau I can see why it’s so popular. Edited May 24 by Papa Rat Quote
Bolt Posted May 24 Posted May 24 On 5/17/2024 at 8:34 PM, Papa Rat said: Hi everybody! I’m new here and thought I’d show my entry into model building. I had this kit in the garage for decades and ultimately forgot about it until recently. I have zero experience with model building but after digging into this kit I’m hooked. I loved dealing with all the seam lines, dips and funky misaligned parts. I figure no better way to bust my modeling chops than to build an older kit from my childhood. “Kid of the 80’s” My build is riddled with errors and ultimately such a great stepping stone to learn from. I opted to use spray cans, enamels, a pin vise, pla plate, chisels, and whatever else I could try out to see what worked, failed, or inspired further exploration. I did learn that flooding areas with enamel washes for panel lining was a big mistake. Live and learn as parts literally crumbled and had to be rebuilt. lol. I love the hot mess this experience was and look forward to more. I have a bunch of Hasegawa kits on their way. Can’t wait. (= Anyway, here are a couple pice of the final build complete with finger prints and other sloppy play. Nice one! Welcome to MW! I'm looking forward to your ongoing Macross builds. 6 minutes ago, Papa Rat said: Yeah so I went out to get one of the Bandai gundam kits. You were not joking when you said they practically build themselves. lol. Hope I’m not breaking the rules posting this non Macross kit here. 🙃 I found out we have a rad Japanese bookstore out here that also carries model supplies. They didn’t have any macross but were full of gundam kits, paints and supplies. I went with the $9 entry grade RX-78. I recognize it as the iconic Gundam but went rogue on the color scheme and gave it some love. I also grabbed some water slide numbers/letters and one for the RX-78. Yesterday I found out I got the wrong scale decals but used them anyways. Oh well regardless It was such a chill experience. Complete opposite of the Queadlunn-Rau I can see what it’s so popular. Lol, ya. I've built a ton of those with my son. Keep on having fun Quote
Papa Rat Posted May 24 Author Posted May 24 1 minute ago, Bolt said: Nice one! Welcome to MW! I'm looking forward to your ongoing Macross builds. Lol, ya. I've built a ton of those with my son. Keep on having fun That’s exactly what this is. I have a 6 year old and this one was for him. Had to customized it with their first initial and birth age. He’s so pumped!!! He just told me I need to add damage to it so I got to get back to work on this hahahaha I’ll post more Macross once my giant box from HLJ full of Hasegawa kits gets here and I get busy with it. Until then happy building everyone. I’m already hooked. Going to need some new glasses. ✌️ Quote
Big s Posted May 24 Posted May 24 3 hours ago, Papa Rat said: Yeah so I went out to get one of the Bandai gundam kits. You were not joking when you said they practically build themselves. lol. Hope I’m not breaking the rules posting this non Macross kit here. 🙃 I found out we have a rad Japanese bookstore out here that also carries model supplies. They didn’t have any macross but were full of gundam kits, paints and supplies. I went with the $9 entry grade RX-78. I recognize it as the iconic Gundam but went rogue on the color scheme and gave it some love. I also grabbed some water slide numbers/letters and one for the RX-78. Yesterday I found out I got the wrong scale decals but used them anyways. Oh well regardless It was such a chill experience. Complete opposite of the Queadlunn-Rau I can see why it’s so popular. I’m kinda glad you started with a rough one first. The old kits ain’t easy, but if you can handle that it must’ve made this gundam go together like a dream. Quote
Papa Rat Posted June 14 Author Posted June 14 HLJ order came and now it’s time to get busy. Which kit should I start with? Hmmmm… I’m thinking the Super Battroid, Max color-way While I was waiting I grabbed a 1/144 FSS Bang kit from Volks. Finished it up today. I had read a bunch of negative reviews on this kit, but I really enjoyed my time with it. I’ll have to do more of these FSS kits. I also got to use my airbrush for the first time. I went with Mr Color Lacquer paints and had a blast. It’s not perfect; not even close, but I had so much fun. I have lots to learn. Just need to build/paint more kits. Quote
KOG Water Dragon Posted June 14 Posted June 14 31 minutes ago, Papa Rat said: HLJ order came and now it’s time to get busy. Which kit should I start with? Hmmmm… I’m thinking the Super Battroid, Max color-way While I was waiting I grabbed a 1/144 FSS Bang kit from Volks. Finished it up today. I had read a bunch of negative reviews on this kit, but I really enjoyed my time with it. I’ll have to do more of these FSS kits. I also got to use my airbrush for the first time. I went with Mr Color Lacquer paints and had a blast. It’s not perfect; not even close, but I had so much fun. I have lots to learn. Just need to build/paint more kits. Nice to see some FSS action! If I'm not mistaken, I think most of the complaints were about the 1/100 version of the volks plastic Bang Doll kit? Quote
Papa Rat Posted June 14 Author Posted June 14 (edited) 16 minutes ago, KOG Water Dragon said: Nice to see some FSS action! If I'm not mistaken, I think most of the complaints were about the 1/100 version of the volks plastic Bang Doll kit? Ahhhh, I see. Thanks. I’m new to that series. Read the manga online over the past week. The mecha design is awesome, but that’s just my opinion. Lol Edited June 14 by Papa Rat Quote
KOG Water Dragon Posted June 14 Posted June 14 4 minutes ago, Papa Rat said: Ahhhh, I see. Thanks. I’m new to that series. Read the manga online over the past week. The mecha design is awesome, but that’s just my opinion. Lol Oh I agree. My username is from FSS so I may be biased. Quote
Big s Posted June 15 Posted June 15 (edited) 1 hour ago, KOG Water Dragon said: Nice to see some FSS action! If I'm not mistaken, I think most of the complaints were about the 1/100 version of the volks plastic Bang Doll kit? Yeah, the 1/100 kit was one of the first in the IMS series and had a lot of gaps and odd fitting. They’ve definitely improved since then. 59 minutes ago, Papa Rat said: Ahhhh, I see. Thanks. I’m new to that series. Read the manga online over the past week. The mecha design is awesome, but that’s just my opinion. Lol I’ve been thinking about getting that kit and wanted to hear more about it, but honestly, nobody really reviews them in English. I was curious about things like how well it went together and where the seams are and if it had much mobility. If you can, can you fill us in on that info and maybe throw in some cool pictures? It looks really great with that bit of weathering in those little grooves Edited June 15 by Big s Quote
Papa Rat Posted June 15 Author Posted June 15 (edited) 18 hours ago, Big s said: I’ve been thinking about getting that kit and wanted to hear more about it, but honestly, nobody really reviews them in English. I was curious about things like how well it went together and where the seams are and if it had much mobility. If you can, can you fill us in on that info and maybe throw in some cool pictures? It looks really great with that bit of weathering in those little grooves Dang! I should have documented it. Anyway, most of the seams are well placed behind elements so clean up was very minimal. There are a few dips in some spots especially the shield, but I left them since it didn’t bother me much. There is thin plastic on edges of parts that need to be sanded off and a few mold lines here and there. Nothing major I’d say. Overall it was a super fun build for me. For context the Hasegawa VF-1A Super Battroid I started lastnight is going to take 1000% more work to look decent. Almost every major part has a seam line down its center. Putty and rescribe time for the foreseeable future. 😄 I’m so excited to take this kit apart and get to work. Edited June 15 by Papa Rat Quote
Papa Rat Posted June 15 Author Posted June 15 25 minutes ago, Thom said: Great work on that Bang kit! Looks awesome! 21 minutes ago, Goodman Models said: That’s great and keep at it! Thanks. I hope to build a LED Mirage once I dig into these macross kits. Quote
Big s Posted June 15 Posted June 15 3 hours ago, Papa Rat said: Dang! I should have documented it. Anyway, most of the seams are well placed behind elements so clean up was very minimal. There are a few dips in some spots especially the shield, but I left them since it didn’t bother me much. There is thin plastic on edges of parts that need to be sanded off and a few mold lines here and there. Nothing major I’d say. Overall it was a super fun build for me. Sounds like a kit that I need to get. I’m trying to keep things a bit smaller here and there and the 1/100 version is boxed up due to lack of space. That top horn is so tall it doesn’t fit on any shelves that I have. The 1/144 should fit a bit better. How’s the mobility of the joints? Quote
Papa Rat Posted June 16 Author Posted June 16 7 hours ago, Big s said: Sounds like a kit that I need to get. I’m trying to keep things a bit smaller here and there and the 1/100 version is boxed up due to lack of space. That top horn is so tall it doesn’t fit on any shelves that I have. The 1/144 should fit a bit better. How’s the mobility of the joints? Total height is 10 inch complete. As far as articulation, the PC’s are very tight and I have no problem posing and not having it fall over or sag with shield extended if that makes sense. Hip sockets and ankles are very tight and strong in a good way. I would highly suggest attaching legs before skirt is glued in place since I don’t think you’ll have room without a chance of breaking something. Space is very limited. Oh one more thing to mention. The cables/power cords details are made of the PC material and I am having issues with paint simply flaking off of those parts and I think it looks messy. I’d avoid painting those all together if I get another kit with similar details/material usage. Just a heads up. Quote
Big s Posted June 16 Posted June 16 34 minutes ago, Papa Rat said: Oh one more thing to mention. The cables/power cords details are made of the PC material and I am having issues with paint simply flaking off of those parts and I think it looks messy. I’d avoid painting those all together if I get another kit with similar details/material usage. Just a heads up. Those softer plastics can be a pain sometimes Quote
Papa Rat Posted June 18 Author Posted June 18 (edited) I tried out a new metal file on this kit for seam removal which left a very rough scratchy surface that needs a lot of attention. I was surprised by the surfacer 1000 I used and its ability to sort of smooth out the surface to a decent degree. I’m currently in the process of filling with putty, priming, sanded and more to go. I figured it would be easiest to just make custom details out of plate material since those seam lines were causing some alignment problem. Fingers crossed it doesn’t look horrible. Also in the process of scribing panel lines that were sanded off. Edited June 18 by Papa Rat Quote
Big s Posted June 18 Posted June 18 1 hour ago, Papa Rat said: I tried out a new metal file on this kit for seam removal which left a very rough scratchy surface that needs a lot of attention. I started using glass files rather recently. Oddly they can be bought in women’s beauty sections and are surprisingly great at filing without leaving the scratchy surface that metal ones do and they’re rather inexpensive. I didn’t believe the hype when I got a set and was very surprised at the results Quote
Papa Rat Posted June 18 Author Posted June 18 (edited) Thanks for the recommendation. I’ll have to look into it. For my first two builds I just started my sanding at 400 and finish up with 800. I was just curious about using a metal file so this Battroid is a test for that approach. In the end I went back to using 400/800 sand papers Edited June 18 by Papa Rat Quote
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