Official Bandai 1/72 Scale Macross Frontier Model Kit Thread Ver.2

[areaseven]

Depends on what you mean by removable-- You basically have to break down and rebuild about 25% of your model to put it in regular mode.

Good thing I got both regular and Super versions of the kit.

[David Hingtgen]

#%^@%$!^%&! The Super Packs have transparent purple parts in them! Why the **** couldn't they do that for the canopy? Do you know how much time/effort/money I'd have saved if they'd molded the canopy parts in the same color they used for the lights(?) on the Super Packs? (and I *still* don't have one canopy piece done--the biggest one---still have to make another attempt)

(mine just arrived today, via SAL)

PS--as I mod, I can swear all I want. I just intentionally mask it to leave it open to interpretation.

[edwin3060]

#%^@%$!^%&! The Super Packs have transparent purple parts in them! Why the **** couldn't they do that for the canopy? Do you know how much time/effort/money I'd have saved if they'd molded the canopy parts in the same color they used for the lights(?) on the Super Packs? (and I *still* don't have one canopy piece done--the biggest one---still have to make another attempt)

(mine just arrived today, via SAL)

PS--as I mod, I can swear all I want. I just intentionally mask it to leave it open to interpretation.

Heh this has been covered many times over--- the plastic parts for the ghost sensors are the correct transparent yellow as well, but the canopy and sensors for the RVF-25 are colourless--- just makes you wish Bandai had made the extra effort.

[bonizuka]

#%^@%$!^%&! The Super Packs have transparent purple parts in them! Why the **** couldn't they do that for the canopy? Do you know how much time/effort/money I'd have saved if they'd molded the canopy parts in the same color they used for the lights(?) on the Super Packs? (and I *still* don't have one canopy piece done--the biggest one---still have to make another attempt)

(mine just arrived today, via SAL)

PS--as I mod, I can swear all I want. I just intentionally mask it to leave it open to interpretation.

why this vf-25 series guns doesn't have clear green and red for his gun beam?because this is another business strategy of bandai.

maybe sooooon they will realese another version of this vf-25.example is the perfect grade just like gundam or 1/72 vf-25 version 2.

[David Hingtgen]

Yeah, but clear red/green/yellow/blue are easy to do--I've even had people comment on how well I do clear blue. But clear purple is just 1000x harder for some reason. It just doesn't work/react right. I could have several Lucas built in the time I've spent on my Alto canopy.

[edwin3060]

That's true. I guess that's because clear yellow is easily available.

[bonizuka]

Yeah, but clear red/green/yellow/blue are easy to do--I've even had people comment on how well I do clear blue. But clear purple is just 1000x harder for some reason. It just doesn't work/react right. I could have several Lucas built in the time I've spent on my Alto canopy.

did you mean you used clear paints like you mentioned?did you mix the clear blue and red?

i think blue mix to red = violet,right?

[David Hingtgen]

About the 4th time I've typed this:

Red and blue food color makes brown

Clear red and clear blue paint makes clear brown paint

Most purple paints and inks don't like being mixed with Future. At all.

Yes, it violates everything you've learned about colors in your whole life, but that's what happens with every brand I've tried. I even tried like 20 parts blue to 1 part red---instantly turns totally brown.

Very few things actually make a "clear purple" and even fewer dry smoothly/evenly, without specks or streaks. One of my little "experiments" seems to mix better as time goes by---I've had a cup of it sitting on the shelf for weeks now. Plan to try it after the next airbrushing attempt. (my current airbrush mix works, but is so finicky I've only gotten 2 of the 3 clear parts done now---I've come so frustratingly close with the biggest piece, only to have one run/bubble/hair screw it up)

[bonizuka]

About the 4th time I've typed this:

Red and blue food color makes brown

Clear red and clear blue paint makes clear brown paint

Most purple paints and inks don't like being mixed with Future. At all.

Yes, it violates everything you've learned about colors in your whole life, but that's what happens with every brand I've tried. I even tried like 20 parts blue to 1 part red---instantly turns totally brown.

Very few things actually make a "clear purple" and even fewer dry smoothly/evenly, without specks or streaks. One of my little "experiments" seems to mix better as time goes by---I've had a cup of it sitting on the shelf for weeks now. Plan to try it after the next airbrushing attempt. (my current airbrush mix works, but is so finicky I've only gotten 2 of the 3 clear parts done now---I've come so frustratingly close with the biggest piece, only to have one run/bubble/hair screw it up)

you are right,i also doing that and it turns clear brown,i don't know if you already do this but this time i still not yet use this clear blue 25% + clear red 20% + clear 55%.

i think using clear lessen the effect,and too much clear blue could cause brown.

Edited March 15, 2009 by bonizuka

[westfall]

I mixed Clear Blue and Clear Red with Future and it didn't turn brown. I diped a test canopy from an old F-14 Revell Kit in it and it ended up with a very light violet tint. I wanted it with a bit more tint so, as an experiment i dipped only half of the already tinted canopy and after it dryed it was just right, for my taste, at least. The canopy violet in the animation seems to vary a lot, some times its just blue and sometimes is a grey-ish blue so its really up to anyone what shade they like.

What i never got was Brown. I guess it depends on what shade of red and blue the manufacturers use for their clear paints as certain shades mix to violet and others to brown. I used Vallejo Model Color Clear Red and Clear Blue.

The Green Eyepiece was tinted by dipping a wide brush in future and then in Clear green and brushing the outside. It looks great.

Of course this whole exercise could be avoided if Bandai would just mold these parts in color. But at least it pulled my creative muscle to new heights.

[David Hingtgen]

I really don't want to spend ANOTHER 10 bucks on ordering paints for the canopy, but may have to get some Vallejo then. (I think I have now spent more on red/blue/clear/purple things than I did on the kit)

[Dobber]

David, I feel your pain brother. What finally worked for me on my Ozma was just dunking the canopy into VERY thinned down Tamiya Acrylic Purple. Then just carfully dab the excess off. Yes it's the actual paint but since it was thinned so much it just left a nice sublte tint. Then I sealed it in future.

Chris

[David Hingtgen]

Thinned with what? I tried a "very thinned paint" before but didn't work well---though it was a Testor's acrylic purple for that, not Tamiya. I'd appreciate a pic or two to see how it turned out--honestly a lot of "successful" VF-25 purple canopies don't look at all how I want mine to.

I'm this close to ordering some Vallejo clear---getting the green too for my future armored Ozma, as I don't like how Tamiya green came out on Alto---too dark. (tamiya green is always streaky/uneven unless laid on heavily---and I used my shinest chrome paint to back-coat it, and it's still quite dark)

[Dobber]

Here you go David, I used Acrylic Flat Purple and Acrylic thinner...both from Tamiya. The sensor windows are also done in the same fashion. Good thing is since it's Acrylic, it can be removed very easily if you don't like how it came out. As for my model, It's completly painted....ie....no colored plastc showing. I sanded the nose seem, and the "Skeleton" parts came out really well...metalic and dirty looking. It's still not finished though. Still need to paint the cockpit, the root guns and the intake covers. I'll post pictures of it if your all interested, just figured we've seen enough VF-25S's so I never bothered.

Chris

Edited March 15, 2009 by Dobber

[David Hingtgen]

How are you protecting the decals? I'm not liking how "flattened Future" is coming out--inconsistent, and not that flat. The amount of flattener needed to make it really flat, makes it really white/crusty.

As for the canopy--that's the closest to what I want that I've seen yet. Currently, mine's a tad more "pink" than that, but I'm not going to re-do what I have just to get a different hue. (though if I can't get the main piece to match the others, I will have to strip everything and re-do it anyways)

PS---just how thin was the purple paint thinned? And you just dunked it, not with Future or anything?

[Dobber]

Thanks, for the flat coat I used tamiya clear flat right out of a rattle can. I worked slow and used a few coats while the "metal" parts I coated with MM semi gloss. As for the thinned purple, I don't know what ratio I used but it essentially looked like purple water. Then I just held it by the tab that locks it to the cockpit, with tweezers, and dunked it into the purple.....completley submerging it. Lift it out, and dab the ends onto a paper towel, which will drawl the excess liquid that pools around the frame, off. Hope it works out for you.

Chris

Edit: oh yeah, I didn't use future until after the canopy was dunked in the purple and then dry. Then I just dipped the canopy into the future using the same technique.

Edited March 16, 2009 by Dobber

[David Hingtgen]

OK, Future *after*. (most of my experiments have Future first, as it provides a barrier--easy to remove other layers if they get screwed up)

[protostar8]

This may sound stupid, but what is the proper way to do the stickers/decals that come with the Luca kit?

Edit: Thanks to the mod that fixed the multiple posts!

Edited March 16, 2009 by protostar8

[alfye]

VF-25F Retro Custom

http://bbs.comic.qq.com/b-1001024123/775.htm

[Kelsain]

VF-25F Retro Custom

http://bbs.comic.qq.com/b-1001024123/775.htm

Pretty cool! Personally, I wouldv'e put the jolly roger on the chest in front of the head. 'Course, a 25S would have been cooler too.

Yet, I've still got the same VF-1A half-built from 3 years ago - so who am I to talk?

Edited March 16, 2009 by Kelsain

[edwin3060]

Here you go David, I used Acrylic Flat Purple and Acrylic thinner...both from Tamiya. The sensor windows are also done in the same fashion. Good thing is since it's Acrylic, it can be removed very easily if you don't like how it came out. As for my model, It's completly painted....ie....no colored plastc showing. I sanded the nose seem, and the "Skeleton" parts came out really well...metalic and dirty looking. It's still not finished though. Still need to paint the cockpit, the root guns and the intake covers. I'll post pictures of it if your all interested, just figured we've seen enough VF-25S's so I never bothered.

Chris

It looks great! I for one would like more pictures

[edwin3060]

VF-25F Retro Custom

http://bbs.comic.qq.com/b-1001024123/775.htm

Nice--- I wish he put skull logos on the tail fins as well-- that would rock!

[nylcbv]

I just finished my "Super Alto Messiah"... and I used "Tamiya German Grey" (TS-4) for Fast Pack

[edwin3060]

It looks great! I like the hip guns in grey as well... matches the rest of the super pack parts better than the normal white.

[Jarrod]

Here you go David, I used Acrylic Flat Purple and Acrylic thinner...both from Tamiya. The sensor windows are also done in the same fashion. Good thing is since it's Acrylic, it can be removed very easily if you don't like how it came out. As for my model, It's completly painted....ie....no colored plastc showing. I sanded the nose seem, and the "Skeleton" parts came out really well...metalic and dirty looking. It's still not finished though. Still need to paint the cockpit, the root guns and the intake covers. I'll post pictures of it if your all interested, just figured we've seen enough VF-25S's so I never bothered.

Chris

Wow....that might really be the best clear purple for the VF-25 I've seen! Totally smokes both shades I've used, and has the perfect amount of clearity. I'm actually tempted to strip mine and try this method!

Jarrod

[David Hingtgen]

Anyone got a good paint match for the purple-grey of the super pack plastic? I just want to paint a few parts.

Question---decal 53 and 54 (for Alto at least) seem to go on the sides, then wrap around the bottom of the piece? (the piece right under the purple sensor windows). With a white background? Anyone got a screen cap or something that shows this area? (on any VF-25, I'm just trying to figure out what should be painted and how visible it is)

[Dobber]

Wow....that might really be the best clear purple for the VF-25 I've seen! Totally smokes both shades I've used, and has the perfect amount of clearity. I'm actually tempted to strip mine and try this method!

Jarrod

Hey thanks Jarrod! Glad you like my canopy. I hope it works as well for all of you too

Chris

[valhary]

i like to have a VF-25s with that Retro scheme

[regult]

Hey thanks Jarrod! Glad you like my canopy. I hope it works as well for all of you too

Chris

I love your decals too...so you mean a can of tamiya clear coat can work??? My first VF-25F has most decals damaged as of now (less than 10 transformations)...I did use some softener and left it bare, that's the mistake I guess.

I have painted some models with spray cans but it is crude, may spit gigantic drops sometimes and with such small parts as the VF-25, do you paint them assembled or apart from the skeleton (like that retro custom)??

I have just made the mistake of buying the Alto's VF-25F Super and Luca's RVF-25 with ghosts, so with Ozma's VF-25S, I have now 3 un-assembled kits sitting in a corner, fearing my inexperienced hands.

Edited March 17, 2009 by regult

[Dobber]

Here's what I did with the Ozma, I kind of worked as I went instead of doing everything at once. but the overall hull color is ....... wait for it............ Tamiya gray primmer out of a rattle can! the light grey is MM acrylic light grey and the internal parts like the inside of the backplate, arms, and legs are done with Tamiya Acrylic metalic Grey which was given a wash with black Tempera paint (right out of the bottle) this is then just wiped off with a damp paper towel. It gave the "metal" parts a really good worn look. Then I sealed the "metal" parts in MM semi-gloss. for the "outside" parts I would cut a section off of the spru tree as I went...ie forward fuselage, then both arms, the both legs....ect prime, then paint (if needed like with light grey) or just make sure that the primmer was in a nice even coat since it was the color that I was using. I then panel lined, using a No.2 pencil and sealed using Tamiya clear flat from the the rattle can and then decaled. Let me re-phrase, I built the nose and forward fuselage, the Arms, the Legs but didn't connect them all. The legs I didn't put the external parts on until after I finished the "metal" parts. I then decaled those sections and sealed. For the legs I decaled the external parts BEFORE I attached them the the internal stucture. The only part that did get attached before I decaled it was the intake area becase the decal wraps around 3 parts, but that was done after the internal "metal" parts were done. I used Decal setting solution and then alot of solvent to make sure they settled down really well. Once it was all dry and set....a day or two.... I sealed with the Tamiya clear flat and put it all together. Now some areas will require more assembly before decaling, you just kinda go with the flow and figure out what will make it easier for you......like not having to mask parts that won't have the same kind of coating ie flat, gloss, or semi gloss, and really the main areas that had that problem are the legs and arms. I'll post some pictures of how it all came out, I'm just at work at the moment. This all worked for me because I built the Alto already and basiclally made it out of the box with just minimal painting, so I had an idea of how the kit went together and could really break it down into sections.

Chris

[Dobber]

I have Luca already and a Mikal on order, both of those will be Super packed and I think I may order another Alto to build as a Superpack since I have 3 pack kits sitting at home....didn't realise the kit would need so much "re"assembly for the separate kits. I'd be will to do a build up if it would help you out.

Chris

[westfall]

....... wait for it............

(...)

Chris

Was that a "HIMYM" reference?

If so, carry on. If not ... then forget i said anything.

I have just made the mistake of buying the Alto's VF-25F Super and Luca's RVF-25 with ghosts, so with Ozma's VF-25S, I have now 3 un-assembled kits sitting in a corner, fearing my inexperienced hands.

You're not alone. I've had Alto and Ozma's VF-25's sitting on the shelf since they came out, afraid to mess them up.

But finaly, 2 weeks ago, i maned up and steped up to the plate.

I said to myself "Hey, it may not look as good as some that you have seen (for example, Jarrod and WM Cheng's --- i hate you guys... but in a good "i'm soooooooo jealous of your modeling skills" kind of way ) but you're gonna give it your best and when you finish, you'll know you gave it you're best and it will look awesome".

I grabed my VF-25F box, opened it, got the bags out, opened them and i started.

First thing i built was the gunpod, just to get the feel of it. Nothing fancy, no weathering, no paint, i just snaped it together.

And the fear was gone.

Next, i assembled the head, put it all together, looked at it, saw what needed to be changed (2 thin white stripes along the red top section, the head lasers painted, green sensor, inner "jaw" painted, eye piece tinted, pannel lines). And that is just the head. Overwelming stuff. But i did it and it looks great.

Next, i dissassembled the gunpod, painted the inner mechanism, weather it, painted the top red and green sensors and pannel lined it. And it looks great.

I'm taking it slow now 'cause i'm waiting for the Super Pack to arrive, even though i havent decided if i'll use them on this VF-25F or if i'll just leave this one as a stand alone and get another for the Packs. As for Ozma's that will only be put together when (or better said, IF) the Armored Pack comes out. Luckilly i'll have the RVF-25 to assemble 'till then.

What i'm saying here is... i'm a total noob at this, looking at some of the masterpieces these guys have done made me feel even more of a noob. But you just have to take the first step and go for it, not to make a masterpiece but something that will make you proud of a job well done and in the end... it will be YOUR masterpiece.

Best of luck, my friend.

Edited March 17, 2009 by westfall

[areaseven]

I just finished my "Super Alto Messiah"... and I used "Tamiya German Grey" (TS-4) for Fast Pack

Wow - the FAST Packs look better in German Gray. Perhaps I'll use the same color scheme on my 1/72 Ozma.

[Fly4victory]

Anyone got a good paint match for the purple-grey of the super pack plastic?

How long before Bandai makes the paint and markers for these models? Or will that luxury only be reserved for their Gundam models?

[mrsmithz]

Anyone got a good paint match for the purple-grey of the super pack plastic? I just want to paint a few parts.

Question---decal 53 and 54 (for Alto at least) seem to go on the sides, then wrap around the bottom of the piece? (the piece right under the purple sensor windows). With a white background? Anyone got a screen cap or something that shows this area? (on any VF-25, I'm just trying to figure out what should be painted and how visible it is)

use tamiya blue-violet ts-57. its very close to the color of the super parts.

www.modelaid.com/macblog/attach/3/9217119892.jpg

sample sprayed on. So you know what you get before purchase.