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Quagga

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    1/72 Hasegawa vs 1/100 Wave Battroid (from a Gundam perspective)

    in The Workshop!

    Posted

    My advice to you regarding weathering is that less is more. If you think you have weathered too much then you probably have. The thing about weathering and damage is that it does get repaired and cleaned. Sometimes excluding an area from weathering or repainting a spot on a model with new clean paint can go a long way in adding realism and also variety. Often, I find that I have over done my chipping and exhaust staining. Stepping back from your work after each section you do will help your overall process.

    Thanks for the advice modelglue! I've since procured some cheap models on which to practise before attacking my battroids with the Dremel.

    I've been trawling the internet and I haven't found too many shops with either the Wave or Hasegawa battroid in stock. I hope that this is simply due to the holiday buying frenzy and not a permanent situation :unsure:

    As far as my own battroids are concerned, I hope to finish building both over the coming weeks and to conclude my comparison (you know, from a Gundam perspective :p). After the completing the initial dry build, I plan to shift gears and take things quite a bit slower: I first need to learn some new skills and invest in equipment in order to do them justice.

    As you might gather, I'm back to being hooked on model-building, following a twenty year break spanning ages 16 to 36.

    Is this an early sign of an oncoming mid-life crisis?

    Beginner's Model Building Construction BASICS

    in The Workshop!

    Posted

    Hi Quagga... sorry for the late reply.

    I'd go with a second hand compressor and a Iwata Revolution CR. Its a higher quality AB than the NEO, and can be found at really reasonable prices second hand. Its how I started modelling seriously... and I still use the CR to this day for large area painting. I guess I would suggest you do a fair bit of research on a model before you buy it. I bought a Senco PC1010, which is a really highly regarded compressor at a really reasonable price in the U.S. However it might not be as cheap in Europe. Really it is a question of what might be available for you.

    Since the painting set-up, i.e. airbrush + compressor + some sort of a home-brewed booth, is by far the biggest modelling investment, I'm going to follow this bit of advice. THANKS ^_^

    I'm a bit late, but happy new years Macross World!

    1/72 Hasegawa vs 1/100 Wave Battroid (from a Gundam perspective)

    in The Workshop!

    Posted · Edited by Quagga

    Live and learn! :D

    OK, last question before I try and do something productive on my last work day of 2014:

    Can anyone point me in the direction of a tutorial on space weathering?

    I'm also looking for (and not finding) reference pics of damaged mechs... Valkyries would be awesome, but anything would do. I'm in the process of re-watching the Western adaptation of Macross ( :p) and I'm looking out for scenes where damage occur. The obvious scene would be the first episode where the arm holding Minmay is shot off, but I'd prefer my model to be sporting all its limbs...

    I've watched international scale modeller's series on model airplanes (see youtube) and Steezy's Gundam weathering video (also on YT) and I'm working through WM Cheng's excellent step-by-step guides.

    I'd like to go for a well-worn and dirty look, possibly adding some scrapes and/or battle damage if I'm feeling brave.

    1/72 Hasegawa vs 1/100 Wave Battroid (from a Gundam perspective)

    in The Workshop!

    Posted · Edited by Quagga

    Ah, thanks for the tip! I've checked out your link and it looks very interesting. I did not see any reference to the chemical base of the wash though... Sticking with the beginners' thread terminology: how "hot" or "cold" is this wash? I have a colleague, who is an experienced modeller, and he advised me to try "Vallejo Air" paints, which are apparently "polyurethane / water based". If I understood your post (in the beginners thread) correctly this is would be a relatively "cool" paint...

    1/72 Hasegawa vs 1/100 Wave Battroid (from a Gundam perspective)

    in The Workshop!

    Posted · Edited by Quagga

    Hi Jefuemon!

    I appreciate you (and other experienced modellers) chiming in ^_^

    Your example looks nice and dirty! If you don't mind me asking: how did you get that finish? I've been reading up in the Beginner's Model Building Construction BASICS thread and my guess is that you've used some kind of a "wash" to pick out the panel lines..? I've been pondering how I should finish my models: I'm a bit hesitant in investing wads of cash into an airbrush, compressor and extractor setup, though it certainly seems like the best option. I'm keeping an eye on my local second-hand market though.

    1/72 Hasegawa vs 1/100 Wave Battroid (from a Gundam perspective)

    in The Workshop!

    Posted · Edited by Quagga

    Hi Guys!


    Tonight it was the turn of the Hasegawa´s nose / waist.


    Macross 141


    In contrast to the Wave battroid, who's hip joints are molded as part of the "fuselage", Hasegawa saw fit to use a separate part, one that felt pleasingly hefty. All the bits felt and looked good and went together precisely, without any need for sanding besides the nubs.


    Macross 142


    Sadly I got too enthusiastic with the Stanley knife and damaged the nose :(


    Macross 143


    Looks better in real life, but I don't know how good it will look once painted...

    I've resigned myself to second round of sanding (and a first of filling)


    Macross 144


    The work of a n00b. Looks good from far, but far from good.


    Macross 145


    It is amazing how precisely these little bits of plastic fit together.

    Treat the little tabs on the hip joint cover (B6) with care!


    Macross 146


    We're getting there...!

    As it turned out, the little polycapped plastic bits I was concerned about, are not much more than guides. I guess they were supposed to hold the waist / nose firmly to the torso, but mine aren't doing much. It feels as if the lower body might drop off at any moment! :huh: Perhaps I should give the waist a firmer push, it certainly looks as if something should go "click", but I don't dare to apply much force. I'll take another look tomorrow


    Macross 147


    The size difference is considerable, not to mention design and level of detail


    Macross 148


    Hasegawa's detailing is awesome. Very shallow, but pin sharp. Any coat of paint will have to be very thin... It also appears to be as fragile as its reputation suggests. I've never heard anyone criticize a model aircraft for lack of durability: I guess you need to apply the same criteria when judging the Hasegawa.


    Macross 149


    That Wave can't compete with Hasegawa on level of detail is certainly understandable, given the scale difference. Wave make up for it by having deeper panel lines, which gives their battroid more of a anime look IMO. The Wave feels totally different, closer to the Gundam than the Hasegawa in fact. I also expect the 1/100 Valkyrie to end up very close in size to a 1/144 Gundam (with a 1/100 Gundam almost 50% taller). To someone who doesn't know any better, this would look better in a mixed display.


    I must be close to half-way through assembling the (basic) models and judging by my original criteria, the Wave is ahead.

    1/72 Hasegawa vs 1/100 Wave Battroid (from a Gundam perspective)

    in The Workshop!

    Posted

    And we´re back to Wave! I briefly considered assembling the legs first, but a look at all the little parts was enough to convince me to stick with the announced program.

    Macross 127

    Doesn't look very hard, but I'm slightly wary after last night

    Macross 128

    Snip snip snip and we're ready to go!

    Macross 129

    Nubs are often placed out of sight

    Macross 130

    This positioning makes cleaning them up much quicker and easier

    Macross 131

    This looks pretty sturdy, certainly if you consider the size of the model
    One of the polycaps proved imperfectly cast and required some careful trimming to fit

    Macross 132

    This tip I got from a Gundam book. The book was in Japanese but I thought I saw a picture suggesting you support a polycap from inside when called for

    Macross 133

    Close-up the fit isn't perfect, but it looks and feels pretty darned decent

    Macross 135

    The waist assembled

    Macross 134

    If anything is getting filler...
    Or perhaps not as it turns out this isn't really visible when assembled

    Macross 136

    Please learn from my mistakes and don't bend your battroid too far over backwards: it gets stuck :o

    Macross 138

    Why didn't they just center the pin?
    Just as well I'm not planning any poses with the waist rotated 90 degrees :p

    Macross 140

    Ladies and Gentleman: GERWALK mode! :lol:

    1/72 Hasegawa vs 1/100 Wave Battroid (from a Gundam perspective)

    in The Workshop!

    Posted · Edited by Quagga

    I've been looking forward to tackling the Hasegawa all day! Bolstered by the smooth ride so far, I expected more of the same. The 1/72 had other plans though: assembling the torso proved rather tricky. To be fair, it cost nothing more than some careful sanding and I am left chuffed with the results, if slightly worried about durability... Can't say I wasn't warned, but this was my first personal encounter with the famously fragile nature of this model.

    Macross 108

    OK, this doesn't look too hard B))

    Macross 109

    Goodness me, what are those supposed to be?
    Time to grab the tweezers...

    Macross 111

    Not something that you are likely to come across in a Gundam:
    Little bits of ill-fitting (though admittedly fantastically detailed) plastic veneer
    Note to future Hasegawa Battroid builders: Respect the fragile bridge!

    Macross 113

    A bit of judicious sanding and voila!
    Since this piece isn't structural, I took the easy way and mainly sanded the male connectors

    Macross 115

    Hasegawa trusts ME to remove this nub?!?
    I'm going to have to be extra careful...

    Macross 116

    This nub is perilously close to some fine surface detail...
    Care is called for!

    Macross 118

    Just look at that surface detailing, perfectly spanning pieces :wub:

    B9 (white chest bit) and E1 (red) fit precisely and brought some much-needed stiffness to the party

    Macross 119

    The shoulder-tops are some of my favourite bits, of this particular kit and of VF-1 Battroids in general

    Macross 120

    I'm worried about the connection with the nose of the plane / waist of the Battroid. As far as I can tell, that is where the little plasticy bits in the poly-caps come into play (see photos 2, 3 and 4 in this post). I fully expect them to break as soon as I attempt to pose this guy. Please someone, tell me I'm wrong :unsure:

    Macross 123

    Despite my misgivings, this is a lovely sight :D

    Next time I aim to complete enough waist to attach the legs.

    1/72 Hasegawa vs 1/100 Wave Battroid (from a Gundam perspective)

    in The Workshop!

    Posted · Edited by Quagga

    From I what found on Google, Kakizaki's scheme looks very similar to how TwoBad finished his Hasegawa VF-1A (see Hobbyfanatics and PhotoBucket). Posted by electric indigo in my original thread, I was impressed enough to ask permission to repost. This level of build is obviously far beyond my abilities, but it is nice know that it can be done (and out of the box too).

    HasegawaVF1A 01

    This thing looks great

    HasegawaVF1A 02

    Just look at those panel lines and the teensy "Don't step" stickers... WOW

    HasegawaVF1A 06

    And here we have electric indigo's fabled "dusting technique" blending in the decal. Check out the transition between the brown and creme: I suspect that this is the work of a highly experienced modeller. While TwoBad's work is inspirational, check out JET7's build to see how good a straight-forward build can look.
    Anyway, tonight I've assembled some of the Wave's torso, just enough to connect the arms. It was quick and painless and I can report that I am very pleased with the results :D

    Macross 002

    Assembling the "Body" as described in step 2, leaves you with a loose-fitting collection of bits.
    I despaired at the thought of a wobbly Valkyrie :unsure:

    Macross 008

    Not solid at all

    Macross 011

    To make life easier I'd suggest to rather stick the polycaps (PC23 and PC24) into A2 (the chest plate featuring jet intakes) before assembly.

    Macross 017

    With front (A2) and top (A8) plates fitted, the torso is rock solid

    Macross 019

    Of all the possible shoulder joints in the world, Wave chose a wee little plastic rod with balls on the ends :mellow:

    Macross 021

    This is starting to look like a robot..! The little rods fit firmly into both arm and shoulder sockets and yield good articulation

    Macross 022

    Brotherly love. Wave impressed me with a combination of a good solid feel and decent articulation ^_^

    Macross 025

    The Gundam has amazing casting and clever design. It feels as if more effort went into it... Not to knock the models, being Valkyries they push all the right buttons for me, but Bandai did a great job ensuring that I end up with a perfect end-product. Wave and Hasegawa left more responsibility with me. Time will tell whether that was a smart move...
    Next time it is back to the Hasegawa!

    1/72 Hasegawa vs 1/100 Wave Battroid (from a Gundam perspective)

    in The Workshop!

    Posted · Edited by Quagga

    Hey mickyg

    Thanks for commenting! I'll try to keep up standards :rolleyes:

    I'm looking forward to the torsos (torsi?) which contain some lovely detailed parts.

    Then there is also the matter of choosing paint schemes... My current plan is to build the Wave in Rick Hunter Ichijyo Hikaru's red/white (not that I have much of a choice if you go by the decal sheet) but without Strike Parts (or perhaps I can make the upgrades removable?)

    Senpai Hasegawa I'm planning to finish in Roy Focker's colours. Unless I go for the brown Cannon Fodder VF-1A finish, which Hasegawa also has covered... Another option would be to go for two identical VF-1S...

    I'd like to hear some suggestions and/or opinions on the matter!

    1/72 Hasegawa vs 1/100 Wave Battroid (from a Gundam perspective)

    in The Workshop!

    Posted

    Macross 02

    All three came in pretty boxes.

    Macross 03

    They were adequately documented and supplied with stickers

    Macross 05

    Wave's 1/100 offering comes with Strike parts and is grouped by sturdy plastic bags, filling the compact box. Only the S variant is covered, which explains the small sticker sheet. It came molded in white, dark grey, strike-parts-blue, clear and rubbery polycap (PC) material.

    Macross 04

    The 1/72 Hasegawa's stack of plastic was biggest. Three heads are includes, and almost everything was contained in a single bag. Sprues became entangled and a few small parts broke free, but nothing was damaged. Molded in white, red, clear and PC, with an impressive sticker sheet covers three variants (A/J/S).

    The Gundam came in a compact box on 5 runners, without any plastic bags. It seems made up of fewer parts than the static models. Molded in white, red, yellow, blue, grey.

    Macross 73

    Quite a few hours later and here we are: Arms built / dry-fitted.
    First I washed everything with some kitchen degreaser, then clipped from tree's with a nail-clipper. Nubs were shaved and sanded. All three went together very precisely, without any glue so far.

    Macross 74

    Hasegawa: Lovely soft plastic material, beautiful details, what's not to love? Look and feel true to Hasegawa's aircraft model heritage.

    Macross 75

    Bandai looks and feels like a quality action figure. Hardest plastic. Clicks together securely, unlike the VF-1s which goes together smoothly but gives no "click".

    Macross 76

    Wave is closest in feel to Bandai. Plastic feels dense. Unexpectedly the smaller model is made up of more little parts (in the arms at least) and feels denser / heavier that the relatively lightweight Hasegawa.

    Macross 81

    The Gundam features a double-jointed elbow, but it remains to be seen how much (if any) advantage it brings.

    So far I'm very happy with all three models and it is interesting to switch back and forth. Sharp as the panel lines on the Wave may be, Hasegawa's Battroid is sized in the popular 1/72 scale and only costs half as much, which may decide it for many.

    Next time: The torso!

    1/72 Hasegawa vs 1/100 Wave Battroid (from a Gundam perspective)

    in The Workshop!

    Posted · Edited by Quagga

    Hi Guys



    Recently I posted a request for advice regarding Battroid kits ("Looking for a Gundam-style Battroid kit"). Since I've gone ahead and ordered some models, I'm moving here to continue the discussion ^_^



    Recap


    I recently discovered Gunpla and having loved Robotech as a kid, I wanted a Battroid kit, Gundam-style (fool-proof build, great articulation, decent durability). After considering some options, I ended up convinced that I'd be happy with an articulated display model, despite it requiring more work than a Gundam. The choice came down between the older and bigger Hasegawa and the smaller newcomer from "Wave Corporation". I couldn't choose, so I ordered both from HobbySearch (see links).


    • 1/72 Hasegawa - VF-1 Battroid (No.10 - A/J/S)
    • 1/100 Wave - VF-1S Strike Valkyrie Battroid Ichijyo Hikaru Custom

    Both have since arrived in good order. They are joined by a HG Gundam AGE-1 "Spallow" for comparison.



    Pics to follow in due course :unsure:

    Looking for a Gundam-style Battroid kit

    in Model kits

    Posted · Edited by Quagga

    Hi modelglue

    Thanks for taking the time to post those pictures! They do a good job of illustrating the articulation of the Hasegawa Battroid. Now I'm curious as to how the Wave 1/100 compares...(wink wink, nudge nudge :p )

    And it has to be said: you are totally right in looking for different things in models and toys. I guess I should have known, given my experience with scale model aircraft and the radio-controlled variety (i.e. horses for courses) but the Gundams threw me off. And then to come across detailed plastic models with articulation... :blink: 1 + 1 = 11 :wacko:

    With that in mind, I've also been checking out some proper "toy" options (specifically Revoltech's "super poseable" #034 Battroid - see Amazon - for those way-out anime poses). When comparing the high-definition photos of the toy with the models posted by electric indigo (as seen here) and JET7 (this thread, post #16) the difference is clear.

    How far are you planning to go with your Hasegawa's?

    Currently I'm highly inspired: I've watched all 13 parts of International Scale Modeller's video series on aircraft modeling technique (Youtube) as mentioned by TwoBad (electric indigo's buddy on Hobby Fanatics) and I'm slowly working through Mr WM Cheng's modelling guides. Half of the fun is in the anticipation...

    Just to be clear, I don't expect to reach anything close to perfection, but I intend to have fun trying :D

    My order from HobbySearch is underway:

    03 December: Placed order with payment by way of "pre-approved" PayPal transfer

    05 December: Funds actually transferred

    06 December: Shipped (EMS)

    07 December: Dispatched from Tokio

    No news today, but I suspect that my bundle of joy is already somewhere in Europe, or arriving shortly. The estimated shipping time was "6 to 9 days" so I expect to receive it sometime during next week.

    PS - Since my first post I've read up a tonne and the suggestion of Vifam7 and MechTech regarding the VF-19S (1/100) was a really good one, basically the perfect answer to my initial question. I asked for expert help and I got it! If you are looking for a Macross-themed Gundam-style model, I would go for it (given the right price). Even the newer Bandai 1/72 transforming Valkyrie isn't bad, IF you know what you are getting into.

    In the end I was won over by the price/looks ratio of the Hasegawa and Wave models and changed my criteria.

    Looking for a Gundam-style Battroid kit

    in Model kits

    Posted · Edited by Quagga

    Hmmm, 24 hours later and my order is still "Preparing for shipment".... I paid with "PayPal re-approved Payments". EMS shipping is supposed to take 6 to 9 days (excluding time spent in warehouse limbo). Oh well, a watched pot never boils. It can always be worse: SAL shipping has a maximum delivery period listed of FOUR MONTHS!!! :o

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