jardann

Lookin' good! Thanks for posting those pics! What's next?

As much as I like the Phantom, I was never able to bring myself to buy one of those. Now that I see it built-up...I'm quite thankful.

For a three day build with cardboard, that is a great result. Your basic skills look quite strong. It looks like focusing a little more on the finishing details is the only area you need to work on some more. If you want to progress with your scratchbuilding, you can begin to use sheet styrene instead of the cardboard and model (solvent type) cement for assembly. As long as your having fun, then that is what the hobby is for. Keep up the great work! Oh yeah! Welcome to MW!

Looking great Ryuji! I really like the closed mouth face. Gives her a great expression!

If you have a craft store (Michaels, Hobby Lobby) nearby they should have most of the items you need. Or check out an artist supply store. Otherwise, a hardware store or an auto parts store may have most of the stuff on that list as well. You can use Krylon brand primer paint in the spray can, its actuallly pretty decent and reasonably priced. Just spray it in thin coats. You can use Bondo brand auto body putty for gap filling it works well and is cheaper even than most model putties. You can check out starshipmodeler.com for some supplies. Also try hobbylinkjapan and squadron.com

The epoxy should work, especially for the larger heavier pieces where you need a lot of strength. You may want to try a 5 minute epoxy for a quiker set time. Any CA (cyanoacrylate) glue will work for a resin kit. Super Glue, Krazy Glue etc. Regular plastic model cement will not work.

Hi Scopedog and welcome to the boards! I don't have any idea about the kit your looking for as I stay away from the vinyl kits, but I wish you luck. If anyone would know about the kit I'm sure it would be a member here. Just be patient and I'm sure some more help will be forthcoming. We have a few members in Japan who may be able to dig up some more relevant info on that kit. Graham, Samurai-M and SaveRobotech are all located in Japan and may be able to help you out.

Not sure about a ratio, but the general advice is to thin the paint until it is the consistency of milk. You should definitely practice with the airbrush on some unimportant (old or cheap) kits before you try it on an expensive model. Make sure you have plenty of thinner on hand and clean the airbrush thoroughly after each use. I would recommend you give the resin kit a good wash with a detergent and use a primer before painting. I'd also suggest you check out some other sites for airbrushing advice and some resin kit building advice before you proceed. A lot of people on this site will give you some good advice, but there are sites with entire sections of instruction on just what you are asking about. The starshipmodeler sitehas a good airbrushing section on it's discussion boards for a start. I'm sure some other members here can direct you to some even better resaources. If I can ask, what models are these? Are they the fantastic Moscato versions, or are they the old Imai version that someone copied in resin? Good luck with the models, and be sure to show us some pics of your progress!

Both of those are really awesome. I've been checking back to see if the guy who sold the one on Ebay gets any feedback for the deal. That would indicate that the buyer actually paid and finished the transaction. Nothing so far. Even though it is a great custom, I can't believe someone would pay that much for it.

Oooh You're lucky, using paint thinner to strip an entire modle can be very messy or even dangerous! Next time, ask around for some better alternatives. I use a product called "Greased Lightning." It is a degreaser and is biodegradeable. Lots of people use Easy Off oven cleaner or Castrol Super Clean. You do have to take care when using any of these, but they won't harm the plastic and are easier to deal with than straight paint thinner. Many paint thinners will attack (melt) the plastic and the fumes can be very dangerous. Looks like you will have another shot at finishing the battroid though! Good luck and have fun!

Nice job on that kit VA. The paint scheme works really well on it. Love the Max-n-Millia VF-22s as well!

Don't know how many times I've picked up that airbrush at Big Lots. That price is super tempting, but I always put it back figuring I just need to learn how to use the one I have. Did you ever pick up the mini-table saw? I was wondering how it worked for you. I have the mini miter saw, and it cuts nicely but is a little bit difficult to see exactly where you are cutting. The blade is so small and the housing is fairly large.

You could strip it, but I would wait until you have some more building experience. That kit will wait while you work on some other things and you can always strip it later when you're ready. In the meantime, it will serve as an example to you to show your progress as your skills improve. If you can't find the Mr. Surfacer, I have used the Games Workshop primer with good results. It is a spray can and comes in white and gray, I think maybe black too. You should be able to find it where gaming miniatures are sold. It goes on very thin and will not obscure the fine detail on the Hasegawa kits. Depending on the kit, I sometimes use Krylon gray primer from the spray can. I like the way it works and it is cheap, but as redfinger said, it can be a little thick for the fine detail that is on the Hasegawa Macross kits.

Welcome to the boards Sonic! As everyone else has said, fixing the seam lines on your model will be the first thing to do and will greatly improve the appearance. (I hate fixing seam lines by the way and it is an area of my own modelling that needs great improvement as well ) It needs to be done before painting and weathering. You will need some filler putty to fix those seams, not primer. I suggest Tamiya basic putty. A lot of other people really like a product called Mr. Surfacer. It comes in different consistencies and can be brushed on, then filed/sanded down. Still others use super glue. If you use super glue, make sure you sand it smooth within about 15 minutes or else it will become much harder than the model plastic and will be very difficult to sand. These techniques can be explained (and are explained on many web sites), but really only improve with practice. Keep up the good work! It looks like you are off to a very good start, and we all love to see examples of each other's work. Hopefully we'll see more of yours soon. Have fun building!

Great work Ruben!!! Thanks for showing us all your collection. You deserve to take a bow in recognition of all of your efforts. Especially the great progress you have made in the quality of your finished kits. Keep up the good work!

Hey LTSO, haven't heard much from you in a while, and now here you are stirrin' the pot! How is the little one? (ones?) I seem to remember you were part of the fairly recent baby boom here on MW.

Nice work lmm! I'd love to hear about the mods you made to those kits. The hands are definitely replacements. I would guess lmm used some Gundam hands on these. The hands on the Bandai single mode kits are a big problem. They are far too large and poorly sculpted. Replacing the hands is an easy start to improving the Gerwalk kits. The Battroid kits have even more problems. It looks like the legs have been modded to get that dynamic stance too.

Fantastic job Grayson! Your side by side shot shows how close the two kinds of kits can get. Looks like you achieved a perfect build-up of your Bandai VF-1D. You must have spent hours cleaning up those seam lines, and it looks like you got the gear doors to line up nice and snug with no bad gaps. That is a huge accomplishment with those kits. Ever notice how much bigger the fast packs are on the Hasegawa kits and Yamato toys? I guess it must be the impact of their look in DYRL. So, Fai, it seems that either Bandai or Hasegawa kits can be a good choice. If you want Transformation capability or need Gerwalk mode, Bandai is the way to go. Careful building and attention to parts alignment and cleaning up seams is the key to building a good Bandai. (They are key with the Hasegawas too, but is easier with them) If you want amazing realistic detailing in either Battroid or Fighter mode only, then the Hasegawas are the way to go. Prices are about even between the Hasegawa standard fighter kits and the Bandai variable kits. The Hasegawa Battloids and Super/Strike Variants increase fairly significantly in price, but you can't get the Bandai variable kits with fast packs at all. You could always try one of each. As long as you're having fun, it should all be good!

Nexx2, your side by side comparison shows that these kits can still stand up and look great. I know it looks different than the Hasegawa, not as sleek and certainly a bit less realistic in detail, but quite anime accurate in my mind and They Transform!!!!. Just amazing considering the time they were developed. Thanks for showing that pic! Now.....where's that old Bandai kit I had stashed away?!?!? This thread is inspiring me!

Yeah, either the pin vise or the spiral mini-drill from SSM should work fine. I've never used the spiral kind, but it looks like it might be more difficult to work on such a small area. Can't beat those prices and SSM is a great place to shop! You would still need to get some micro drill bits too. Like this, not sure if you can find some a little cheaper. That's less than a dollar per bit, so I guess it isn't a bad price.

Cool pics! You did a nice job getting the pilot to look like Millia. The cockpit looks clean and detailed too. I especially like the pic of the underside. All of the vertical white lines result in a pretty cool effect. They impart a sense of motion, almost like the plane is racing along. bummer about the head laser. I know that at least the first four Macross kits I built as a kid ended up with broken head lasers right away. Once you add a layer of paint (especially thick gloss white paint as I was prone to use when younger) turning those lasers becomes about impossible. I finally figured it out though and have a kit much like yours here that still has intact, moveable lasers after about 20 years! God could it really be that long? (possibly even longer ) I'm getting old! Careful packing and only moving the lasers by gently turning the base part on the side of the head is the way to go. Probably the best way to fix it would be to carefully drill out the broken areas and insert a thin metal pin. With the right drill bits and a pin vise it's not that difficult. Just be careful to drill as straight as possible. Good job on the kit. It's very nice to see those old warhorses getting some love, and good luck with the repairs! PS: I love the stand you are using too! Though for Millia, you might need a nice bright red Swingline model! Millia: "Excuse me, but that's my stapler.....yes but.....you have my stapler."

Gotta get 'em all! I'm in for two!!!

Amazing precision work MechTech! That boat is going to be awesome!

hey Demon, Those are some pretty cool color schemes. Looks more like real world AFVs.

That kit is not just similar Orguss, it is exactly the same. The only differences are in the packaging and the nice English instructions. Even the decals are the same as the Bandai Millia kit. So start building and show us your progress!