Bandai 1/72 Scale Macross Frontier Plastic Models

[David Hingtgen]

As I said, http://www.hlj.com/product/GNZGM02 is almost black----it'd show up against anything short of Panzer grey. (and Ozma is nowhere near that dark)

[Chronocidal]

Heh.. 1/60 nothing, I want one in 1/48 to go next to my other aircraft models.

[1/1 LowViz Lurker]

Yeah but then SK will cheat and decide the vf-25 isn't as big as the other fighters just so they can make it match the size of the 1/60 toys even at 1/48.

VF-11 has grown in size for the yamato toy, so for the bandai 1/48 model, the vf-25 will shrink. Oh and Alto never piloted a white valkyrie it was always supposed to be grey like shin's vf-0.

[Graham]

Still no lucking finding one here in HK.

One shop says maybe by the coming Saturday (4 Oct), but we'll see.

Anyway, I've given up and asked someone in Japan to find one and post it to me.

Also, preordered the Ozma from RainbowTen. First time to try them. Hopefully, it will be a more plesant experience than HLJ.

Graham

[SuperHobo]

Man HLJ is getting rather weird. I never received a payment request for my item, but i look at my account and it says i can pay it via a paypal button. Is this a new feature for HLJ?

[UN Spacy]

Try gundamstoreandmore.com for Gundam markers. I suggest getting the "Sumiire Gray Paint Marker #21". It's acrylic based and comes out easy with water if you make a boo boo.

Which of these grays provide better panel lining?

I don't want it too dark.

http://www.hlj.com/product/GNZGM21 - Gundam Marrker #21 (Sumire Gray)

http://www.hlj.com/product/GNZGM02 - Gundam Marker: Gray (Fine-tip)

[Alex]

Another word of warning about the kit. Be careful when you pull out the feet for battroid/Gerwalk. As gingerly as I handle this kit, i still broke one of the back cuffs on the left foot in half. This is a somewhat fragile kit so be careful to avoid my fate

Still one hell of a great representation of the 25 though.

[Hikuro]

Image Anime lists it for release on October 2nd and has raised the price to 60 even, WOW that's what I paid for it through them with shipping. i better not get charged again or I'll be pissed off.

[SuperHobo]

Damn if I ever manage to obtain this kit I'll transform it once into battloid and then just leave it there on my shelf to look pretty. Transformable model kits being fragile is nothing new.

[1/1 LowViz Lurker]

I do that with all my yamato toys because of the complexity. I have left my koenig monster in the gerwalk mode for about a year and half now!

I'm also frightened to touch anything with diecast on it because the paint will chip. Already the paint is chipping on the little diecast areas of my sv-51 nora.

I'm going to be super careful with these. What are the joints like? There are no polycaps in them? Does that mean it will get loose easily?

Edited September 30, 2008 by 1/1 LowViz Lurker

[Graham]

I think Bandai stopped using polycaps, because they do get loose too easily.

Graham

[valkyriepilot]

Yep, a lot of new Bandai kits now feature ABS joints, polycapless, and makes them a bit more expensive (ABS costs more than PS). But even though ABS is purportedly resistant to wear and tear, I still hear a lot of complaints that ABS joints loosen up fast enough...

[regult]

Still no lucking finding one here in HK.

One shop says maybe by the coming Saturday (4 Oct), but we'll see.

Anyway, I've given up and asked someone in Japan to find one and post it to me.

Also, preordered the Ozma from RainbowTen. First time to try them. Hopefully, it will be a more plesant experience than HLJ.

Graham

Thanks for the update, I am getting really impatient here, and after I got Hobby Japan, the symptoms are aggravating.

Seems getting your "Sheryl's panties" is going to be easier than that Bandai kit!!! You already pre-ordered Ozma! "no more wastin' time" (Basara singing)....

[miriya]

Damn if I ever manage to obtain this kit I'll transform it once into battloid and then just leave it there on my shelf to look pretty. Transformable model kits being fragile is nothing new.

Amen to that. I will be doing the same thing.

I just ordered the sumire grey gundam marker as well as a Tamiya sharp pointed side cutter so that I can cut the parts off the sprues very carefully. http://www.hlj.com/product/TAM74035

I have already spent a small fortune in supplies to make this kit.

[SDF-ONE]

It is now up for a re-release in November on Hobby Search...

http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10075554

[SuperHobo]

It is now up for a re-release in November on Hobby Search...

http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10075554

Hobby search the king of scams?

[anime52k8]

It is now up for a re-release in November on Hobby Search...

http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10075554

is there ANY reason to believe this? totaly missed this first run, so i'll need to get a least 2 alto's next time around.

so do we know when/if we'll be getting anything besides ozma? (spacificaly michel and fast packs)

[Graham]

There's no official word on Michael's and Luca's yet, but given the success of the Alto version, I'm sure Bandai will release them.

Graham

[yellowlightman]

Took this shot in Sofmap Akihabara last week. Was on a friends camera so I had to get him to send it to me.

[MechTech]

HLJ is back to nearly taking orders, just like I thought: http://www.hlj.com/hljlist2/?Dis=2&Mac...p;SeriesID=3659 The discontinued thing was temporary. November 30th orders a possibility.

Some people have complained, but they've been great, even crediting a mistake on my behalf. In fact, the last order I placed had two items back ordered (yellow status). A week later they shipped still showing same status online. They may be having database problems compounded by our thirst for VF-25s! - MT

You know, overall this whole situation is great! Frustrating for those who want a kit NOW, but good news in the long run! If I was in production, I'd be yelling out, "double the production run" to my crew! That's probably what they're doing. I bet they were also tooling up for the other variants and didn't expect to sell their first run so fast of the first version! - MT

Yellowlightman loses points for torturing everyone

Edited September 30, 2008 by MechTech

[007-vf1]

Hobby search the king of scams?

I thought that was Hobbyfan

[AcroRay]

There's no official word on Michael's and Luca's yet, but given the success of the Alto version, I'm sure Bandai will release them.

I'm in total agreement with Graham. In spite of how annoying it is that the kit has sold out so quickly, I couldn't be happier this has happened. That's a h3lluva good measure of MacF's success.

Like watching your favorite racer jump out of the pack and cross the finish line!

[Dobber]

When the hell did the Ozma go up for pre-order on HLJ? I've been checking and it's been like 2 days since I last checked and now it's showing an order stop!!!

Chris

[Dobber]

Is Rainbow 10 a reliable vender......it seems like a really complicated order system.

Chris

Edited September 30, 2008 by Dobber

[Grayson72]

Is Rainbow 10 a reliable vender......it seems like a really complicated order system.

Chris

They have been very reliable for me in the past although it's been a number of years since I ordered from them.

[wolfx]

Feedback time, guys.

I managed to decal up the VF-25 and overall it looks good. I am bias towards the Gerwalk mode so I am going to leave the kit like this for the time being. I have TFed it to Battriod and looks like any MG Gundam kit.

Hey Tcracker! Nice job! Just wondering, how much of the kit did you paint up? Or did you just do the panel lines?

I found the last VF-25 kit here around the city today and I'm so happy to have gotten it. And incidentally I'm on hols for the whole week so I'll have something to preoccupy me for a few days. Can't wait to start on it tomorrow.

Oh also wanted to ask, what do i do after i decal it up? I got myself a bottle of Mr Mark Softer...will this seal the decals? Do i need to get some sorta clear coat spray ?

Edited September 30, 2008 by wolfx

[Hikuro]

I was wondering that myself....should i clear spray the model to seal those decals to the part, and do i want to do that every part that has decals, or just wait until I finish the kit and then do it?

My guess every part that has it so its not missing spots.

also wanted to get some clear blue for the camopy, and clear green for the battroids visor...so do I want to do that outter or inner sides of the clear parts? or hell, both in and out sides?

I wanna make this kit pretty gorgeous.

[miriya]

also wanted to get some clear blue for the camopy, and clear green for the battroids visor...so do I want to do that outter or inner sides of the clear parts? or hell, both in and out sides?

I think you can use colorerd pigmented future and dip the canopy into it.

Edited September 30, 2008 by miriya

[Ghostkiller]

I will not use the black and red decals

as they are really easy to paint

all you need is a good tam masking tape

Decals on this transforming model won't last long if the model gets transform a lot

how to make a model as durable as the toy

for the rest of the decals they need to be aplyed on a gloss finish coat and after the application you can spray flat clear all other the bird

this will need its own topic when I get the bird

I will share with you guys my build of course

[David Hingtgen]

Mr Mark softer will only make the decals conform to the surface better, and *slightly* increase their adhesion to the surface. It will not seal/protect them.

As for coloring the canopy and visor----Tamiya clear paint (various colors) works, but it is sticky, and behaves strangely due to being transparent. Put it on THICK. Flood the thing. Do not "brush" it on in my experience--that will lead to "varying opacity". And only use it on the visor. Using any ready-made colored clear paint will be WAY too deep for the canopy. I'd go with 'dip it in tinted future' for that. Food coloring is popular for the tinting. Or probably a bit of Tamiya clear paint mixed in would work---try it out on something else first though.

PS---paint clear parts from "behind".

[CosmicSpore]

Always keep the leftover sprues.

You can test paint colors on them.

If you want a specific tint using Future, dip a piece of the clear sprue to test.

That way, you don't get the wrong color on your piece.

[wolfx]

Mr Mark softer will only make the decals conform to the surface better, and *slightly* increase their adhesion to the surface. It will not seal/protect them.

As for coloring the canopy and visor----Tamiya clear paint (various colors) works, but it is sticky, and behaves strangely due to being transparent. Put it on THICK. Flood the thing. Do not "brush" it on in my experience--that will lead to "varying opacity". And only use it on the visor. Using any ready-made colored clear paint will be WAY too deep for the canopy. I'd go with 'dip it in tinted future' for that. Food coloring is popular for the tinting. Or probably a bit of Tamiya clear paint mixed in would work---try it out on something else first though.

PS---paint clear parts from "behind".

Thanks for the tips, David Hingtgen. I have no idea what a "Tinted Future" is and this site describes what you need to do pretty well.

http://www.swannysmodels.com/Tinting.html

Possibly some use to people who had no idea like me.

Now i wonder if this "Future" is sold in my country.

As for my model building, progress for the model is slow. There are alot of small individual parts and my fingers feel sorta big and clumsy so handling them was a challenge. Done the cockpit nosecone + 2 hands before calling it a day. Not feeling so well either so decide to keep it for the next day to continue work.

Edited October 1, 2008 by wolfx

[SDF-ONE]

Yay!

I got it today. Right on schedule with SAL. It usually takes 10 working days (incl Sat) to the UK. This was my first experience with Rainbowten and it was a good one. Their site might be a bit spartan, but their emails are always friendly and they seem very eager to please. Good packing. No plastic bubble wrap, but regular newspaper (gives me something to read - I always wanted to know the price of a three seat sofa ). The box was covered in big friendly handwritten letters FRAGILE. Pretty much flawless service. Will definitely shop there again. It's up there with hwjapan and HLJ.

As for the content. A big but very thin box. As usual the model is smaller than it appears on photos. That's just me I guess. For once Bandai did not have to cramp all the runners in there. Usually if you take the content out it is very hard to put it back in. Yes, there was space left for the fast packs (if only). A very luxurious looking manual. Can't wait to snap it together!

[regult]

As for my model building, progress for the model is slow. There are alot of small individual parts and my fingers feel sorta big and clumsy so handling them was a challenge. Done the cockpit nosecone + 2 hands before calling it a day. Not feeling so well either so decide to keep it for the next day to continue work.

It took me a while to finish my MG Zaku V 2.0, which had a lot of parts and articulations. I was tired after making a pair of legs (3 layers in two sections...forgot how many parts). Honestly, I'd rather enjoy the soreness of fingers and eyes than waiting empty handed.

Just read in a forum in HK that Bandai is reluctant to release it outside Japan...so my question is, how did you find it in a mall in Malaysia???

not even the usually highly resourceful Hong Kong "toy merchants" have shown no signs of the VF-25!!!

I guess Graham was right about giving up searching for the kit here.

[wolfx]

Just read in a forum in HK that Bandai is reluctant to release it outside Japan...so my question is, how did you find it in a mall in Malaysia???

not even the usually highly resourceful Hong Kong "toy merchants" have shown no signs of the VF-25!!!

I guess Graham was right about giving up searching for the kit here.

Hmmm i dunno. Perhaps HK toy merchants took for granted that Bandai HK will provide them stock but were left in the lurch when Bandai didn't provide.

As for Malaysia, some retailers get stock direct from Japan (grey imports) so i guess that's where this shop in a mall had it. In contrast i didn't see shops that usually stock toys from Bandai (ie toys r us etc) have the VF-25 yet.