Gundam Plamodel Thread IV

[kajnrig]

11 minutes ago, davidwhangchoi said:

you might be region locked out 

Sure am. Thanks for the info. I know a whole bunch of you are going to be excited for this.

Edited September 22, 2017 by kajnrig

[electric indigo]

P-Bandai 1/60 Astraea in 3 - 2 - 1...

[davidwhangchoi]

7 hours ago, kajnrig said:

Sure am. Thanks for the info. I know a whole bunch of you are going to be excited for this.

yeah no problem! i thought it was a rumor too until it was revealed.

[Valkyrie Driver]

So, I'm relatively new to the Gunpla thing. I built a few 1/144's back in the day, but never really did anything with them. I'm not new to building models (I have way too much Warhammer 40k stuff, both plastic citadel minis and resin forgeworld stuff, I have built many a Model airplane, Built warmachine, and even the Robotech RPG Tactics minis), so I am well versed in building and painting models. 

I was thinking of getting a couple of Gunpla models and for my first I was thinking of this one:

https://www.amazon.com/Bandai-Hobby-Jesta-Model-Kit/dp/B00B596V6W/ref=cm_wl_huc_item

What do you think? Too ambitious? What sort of paints and inks should I use? My experience was bad, it was like trying to paint a candle. 

[kajnrig]

I think if you're familiar with model kits, almost nothing of Bandai's will be difficult. They obsessively engineer their Gundam kits to be easy to put together. MG kits, especially nowadays, are no more difficult to build than their "easier" HG counterparts. More complex, that's all.

As for paints, if you intend to just hand-paint this kit, then Citadel paints (if you still have them) will suffice. Might want to thin them down a bit, but that's about it. A spray can of clear gloss can help too, if you want to panel line/apply decals. I don't think the kit comes with waterslide decals, though (only stickers and maybe dry-transfers). (If you do get clear gloss, you might want to get a second can of clear matte aka clear flat to give the finished product a non-reflective surface.)

For panel lining, anything from black paint to thin artist pens, from Gundam Markers to I think it's seti88 who uses mechanical pencils can work. For such a dark kit, I'd probably use black paint. There are tutorials online for applying panel washes. (I use enamel paint for the wash, but assuming you're sticking with Citadel, those will still work just as well.)

...you might want to buy a cheap HG kit along with this to have something to practice on. Food for thought.

Otherwise, standard tools apply. Sandpaper (200-1000 grit), nippers, a good hobby knife...

[Stemp Fester]

I have the Jesta linked above sitting next to me - great kit as far as MG's go.  Very solid and still looks good without any paint.  Comes with stickers and a small amount of dry transfers.

I don't tend to do much painting but when I do I use Tamiya acrylics, mostly as they're probably the most easily available paints where I live.  Also use gundam markers here and there - some people don't like these but they have their uses...  Personally have built around 30 MG's and 7 PG's using not much more than a pair of nippers and a small Swiss army knife so don't get sucked in to thinking you need a huge array of tools to build them.

My preference with MG kits is to stick to the newer releases as some of the older ones definitely feel dated.  Anything with 'Ver 2.0' is usually a safe bet.  Would probably advise avoiding the MG Victory / V-Dash kits as their inner frames are quite different to other typical MG's and can be somewhat tricky to work with.  

 

 

[Valkyrie Driver]

Awesome, thanks guys! I was actually thinking of doing a custom paint scheme, so I'd wouldn't be trying to paint match. It would still be dark, but I was also wanting to do some weathering work on it as well. So it's good to hear that citadel paints and washes will work. I'd also be Airbrushing if possible, do you think that would pose any real problems for getting paint to adhere?

 

[no3Ljm]

44 minutes ago, Valkyrie Driver said:

Awesome, thanks guys! I was actually thinking of doing a custom paint scheme, so I'd wouldn't be trying to paint match. It would still be dark, but I was also wanting to do some weathering work on it as well. So it's good to hear that citadel paints and washes will work. I'd also be Airbrushing if possible, do you think that would pose any real problems for getting paint to adhere?

If you're not a big primer-first guy, just make sure that you wash the kit first with water and dishwashing soap just to remove the remaining residues from the machine molds. And after painting it, make sure to apply a topcoat. But do note that this is still a kit. So if you move it and play it a lot, still expect some paint chip.

 

[chyll2]

I would suggest the use of primer unless you are using lacquer based hobby paints. I use spray can, those are lacquer based hobby paint and they stick well with plastic as long as you wash the kit in warm water and with dishwashing soap. The only time I use primer (basically basecoating), is when I am painting a light color over dark plastics. (or any case the paint color is weaker than plastic color)

[kajnrig]

If you don't want to use primer, a trick is to sand the surface of the kit pieces with fine-grit sandpaper (1000-grit or above) to remove the glossy top and introduce some texture for the paint to adhere to the plastic. I'd still recommend priming, but this is a cheap, fairly easy alternative.

[Ignacio Ocamica]

AE requested shipping for the MG RX-171 Hazel.

Can't wait to get my hands on it!!!!

[Valkyrie Driver]

8 hours ago, no3Ljm said:

If you're not a big primer-first guy, just make sure that you wash the kit first with water and dishwashing soap just to remove the remaining residues from the machine molds. And after painting it, make sure to apply a topcoat. But do note that this is still a kit. So if you move it and play it a lot, still expect some paint chip.

I do like to prime first, so that's not going to be a huge problem. I do a lot of dark camo patterns so, I find that priming does an excellent job of helping with pre-shading, which will give the pattern depth. I was thinking of doing a grey base with 2 tone green and brown blobs, to break the outline, and then adding weathering. Additionally I don't mind chipping and wear around the joints, as that can be touched up with a darker metallic paint to help the weathering pattern. I will of course hit the model with a clear coat, and some texture paint around the areas that would contact the ground regularly. 

The Dish soap pre-wash was something I've never really had to do so thanks for the heads up. I'm used to my models coming ready to prime and paint. 

If you don't mind me asking, with handling, where are the usual areas of wear and tear on the paint?

[no3Ljm]

1 hour ago, Ignacio Ocamica said:

AE requested shipping for the MG RX-171 Hazel.

Can't wait to get my hands on it!!!!

Congrats Ignacio! Post some pics once you build it.   I do got a restock notification for it but I still have some second thoughts on getting one. I know I love Hazel Gundams and its all variants. But knowing that I don't have time of building it and not having too much space at home, and somehow I now really appreciate more the ones that are already built/pre-built (e.g. Metal Build, GFF Metal Composite, etc.), I decided not to get it. Unless they make one in that said line -- I wish it's Metal Build. But I doubt it's going to happen. But who knows?  

1 hour ago, Valkyrie Driver said:

I do like to prime first, so that's not going to be a huge problem. I do a lot of dark camo patterns so, I find that priming does an excellent job of helping with pre-shading, which will give the pattern depth. I was thinking of doing a grey base with 2 tone green and brown blobs, to break the outline, and then adding weathering. Additionally I don't mind chipping and wear around the joints, as that can be touched up with a darker metallic paint to help the weathering pattern. I will of course hit the model with a clear coat, and some texture paint around the areas that would contact the ground regularly. 

The Dish soap pre-wash was something I've never really had to do so thanks for the heads up. I'm used to my models coming ready to prime and paint. 

If you don't mind me asking, with handling, where are the usual areas of wear and tear on the paint?

Regarding your posted knowledge on building kits, I think you're good to go on this MG kits.

As for the wear and tear, it's usually on the joints and panels that moves. So basically, almost 'everywhere', I think.  To be honest, if it's a non-transformable one, I guess it's all on the joints and watch out for all the panel gimiks that it has since most of them also moves. Anything that will contact to other parts expect some paint chips there too. And for transformable one, then basically everywhere. 

It's also why most people do some loose fit first so that they will know all the movements and parts that will have contacts after built. Atleast you can sand those areas a little bit to lessen the rubbing and contacts of one another. Do note that in order to do the 'loose fit' method, you have to make the peg connectors (the female parts) a little bit looser for easy dissassembling.

 

[Valkyrie Driver]

5 hours ago, no3Ljm said:

Regarding your posted knowledge on building kits, I think you're good to go on this MG kits.

As for the wear and tear, it's usually on the joints and panels that moves. So basically, almost 'everywhere', I think.  To be honest, if it's a non-transformable one, I guess it's all on the joints and watch out for all the panel gimiks that it has since most of them also moves. Anything that will contact to other parts expect some paint chips there too. And for transformable one, then basically everywhere. 

It's also why most people do some loose fit first so that they will know all the movements and parts that will have contacts after built. Atleast you can sand those areas a little bit to lessen the rubbing and contacts of one another. Do note that in order to do the 'loose fit' method, you have to make the peg connectors (the female parts) a little bit looser for easy dissassembling.

Great! Very helpful. I wasn't planning on doing a transformable one for my first real go at a kit. That comes later.

[kajnrig]

9 hours ago, Valkyrie Driver said:

The Dish soap pre-wash was something I've never really had to do so thanks for the heads up. I'm used to my models coming ready to prime and paint. 

If you don't mind me asking, with handling, where are the usual areas of wear and tear on the paint?

For my part, I rarely wash my plastic kits. I've always reserved baths for resin kits, which typically use a more resilient mold release than injection plastic kits. That said, Noel's advice is still sound. Even IP kits use some form of mold release, and sometimes they leave behind residue as well. The Ground GM Sniper I snapped together the other day had a thin layer of white powdery stuff on some of the parts. (By the by, those Ground Gundam/GM kits? Beautiful things. I'm falling in love with them all over again.)

As for wear and tear, like Noel said, it's mostly on areas that will be rubbing up against other areas. Specifics change from kit to kit, obviously, but in general, you can expect joints to see the most flaking. You can work to minimize the impact by, say, masking off the surfaces that will rub each other and painting only those faces that don't touch anything, or not painting the joints at all, among other strategies. Painting parts makes them that little bit bigger, too, so they'll fit together more tightly; articulated areas will resist movement more strongly, which creates the additional potential problem of stressing the joints.

You can test-fit beforehand without necessarily having to cut pegs, but it does make disassembly a bit more difficult. As long as you're careful and patient with the kit, you should be able to figure out a plan for attacking it.

Anyway, enough of that. Have fun with the build!

[seti88]

I never did wash my kits before i built them, but one accidental beverage spillage made me wash em, and from then on i normally do.

I find stickers or paint do adhere just slightly better, and somehow building cleaned plastic is a kick in itself. 

[no3Ljm]

Perfect Grade 1/60 Gundam Exia (Lighting Model) for Y30400
https://hlj.com/product/BANN19773/Gun

Perfect Grade 1/60 Gundam Exia (Regular) for Y17100
https://hlj.com/product/BANN22249/Gun

 

[anime52k8]

Is it too much to hope for a repair 3 version?

[no3Ljm]

Here's an airbrush for people who doesn't want to mix colors and always use Gundam Markers.

 

[chyll2]

1 hour ago, anime52k8 said:

Is it too much to hope for a repair 3 version?

wait for 5 years for them to release a P-bandai in different finishes

[kajnrig]

Not strictly on topic, but...

Aoshima 1/48 Laevatein on display at All Japan Model and Hobby Show (not yet open for preorder, shop link takes you to other FMP merch, including Aoshima's October/November re-releases of their M9/Arbalest kits):

 

[Kelsain]

9 hours ago, no3Ljm said:

Here's an airbrush for people who doesn't want to mix colors and always use Gundam Markers.

 

That's hilarious, and I'll admit, kinda cool.

One of the main things that's always kept me from airbrushing is the amount of cleaning required.

[chyll2]

I thought it was a fairly useless product until I read your comment about clean up. Yeah, I guess that is the main strength of that item

[mark-1s]

That's a very similar product to Copic's airbrush system that also uses markers - I bought the starter set a few years ago .

I was skepticle of it at first but was quite impressed the moment I used it. You don't get the level of detail you can get out of a traditional airbrush system, but having nothing to clean up is well worth the trade off. That said, I don't know how it good it would be on plastics though as I've only ever used mine on paper and canvas. 

   http://copic.jp/en/product/abs/  

[Duymon]

no joke if that airbrush actually works well I would consider buying it.

With the wife and work and being an involuntary baby sitter for 5 nephews all under 5 not spending 3-4 min cleaning up between colors will see me spraying a lot more than I used to.

Only limitation is that the Airbrush is single action so my Iwata will still be used for preshading and other fine airbrush work for where flow control matters.

Edited September 29, 2017 by Duymon

[Kelsain]

It'd be good for laying down base colors, though. I barely ever get past that stage, because handbrushing large areas like shields sucks - especially with Tamiya. I sometimes do rattle cans, but you have almost 0 control there.

What will limit this is the colors available in the markers, which is probably more limited that your rattle can selection.

[Valkyrie Driver]

9 hours ago, Duymon said:

Only limitation is that the Airbrush is single action so my Iwata will still be used for preshading and other fine airbrush work for where flow control matters.

I use a single action paasche, and it does pretty well for me, in both base coating and doing fine detail, Though really fine detail is something for which I use a brush. I need to get some fine paint markers, so I can write words and do fine block lettering. I also have had my eye on a double action airbrush for some time, but as I rarely have to paint...

I actually like to let my primer do my pre-shading. I layer up from black most of the time, since I do so much with camouflage (I play Imperial Guard in Warhammer 40k...).

5 hours ago, Kelsain said:

It'd be good for laying down base colors, though. I barely ever get past that stage, because handbrushing large areas like shields sucks - especially with Tamiya. I sometimes do rattle cans, but you have almost 0 control there.

That's very true. I got my airbrush set up so that I could do my larger vehicle models for my Warhammer addiction...

[seti88]

hmm ....

thinking abt;

1. cost
- how much are gundam markers again vs lets say small bottles of aryclics/enamels?
- using compressed air cans?
2. are copic/gundam marker ink particles less dangerous without spray booths? Who knows, right?
3. expect spray patterns to be a lot more spotty than traditional ink well airbrushes?
  

Just wondering if this marker spray set-up is a good idea...

Has this set-up been around a while? guess the above is different from the csi creos version below...

 

Edited September 30, 2017 by seti88

[kajnrig]

24 minutes ago, seti88 said:

hmm ....

Has this set-up been around a while? guess the above is different from the csi creos version below...

I mean... kind of? These "beginner" airbrush systems have existed for a long time, but I don't know a single person in the hobby, or even in general, who has ever used one. Maybe with the Bandai name recognition, some of the "amateur" (I hate to use that word, but I hope you know what I mean) modelers will pick enough of them up that we have an idea of how well they work. The biggest drawback is the compressed air cans, as I DO know that people have tried and really disliked (or at least look down on) those for the uneven pressure they put out and how expensive they get how quickly.

[seti88]

What i meant was more to the use of pen markers with air brush systems. Has that been around?
I saw the beginner sets in art shops but they had ink jars and worked with compressed air cans (yes i heard the cans were expensive etc) 

[kajnrig]

38 minutes ago, seti88 said:

What i meant was more to the use of pen markers with air brush systems. Has that been around?
I saw the beginner sets in art shops but they had ink jars and worked with compressed air cans (yes i heard the cans were expensive etc) 

Right, that's what I was referring to, the airbrushes that use markers as paint source. They've been around, but I don't know anyone who's actually used them. The inherent flaws in them have seen them mostly marketed to kids as super easy introductory ABs - Crayola, especially, advertises an easy airbrush system that uses their own markers.

[seti88]

Oh i see, that's something new for me, never saw this ever b4 even in artshops. hmmm...  

[Valkyrie Driver]

My Airbrush system is a Paasche H-series, powered by a husky Jobsite style tank compressor. I've got 2 water traps and coiled hose to remove moisture from the line. My set up is pretty basic and was relatively inexpensive. So if you have a compressor, it's easy to get into airbrushing with minimal money. Then all you have to do is practice. The only downside to my setup is noise. It's loud. 

Air Cans do get expensive, and I have found that they have an ester additive which is an irritant, so unless you're in a well ventilated space, it will be most uncomfortable (It makes your eyes water, makes you cough, it's just thoroughly unpleasant). 

[kanedaestes]

Looks like I’m getting back into models. I got the ZZ Ver Ka on the way and this time I’m going to try and use the panel line paint by tamiya. This time I’m not going to go crazy and stick to some core suits and the Wing suits. Last time I went a bit nuts and had too many models. 

 

One question. How do you guys choose (if you do) between using gray or black panel line on white parts of a kit?

[slide]

Just now, kanedaestes said:

Looks like I’m getting back into models. I got the ZZ Ver Ka on the way and this time I’m going to try and use the panel line paint by tamiya. This time I’m not going to go crazy and stick to some core suits and the Wing suits. Last time I went a bit nuts and had too many models. 

 

One question. How do you guys choose (if you do) between using gray or black panel line on white parts of a kit?

Black lining on white paint looks VERY stark, and anime-ish. I use browns/greys on white mostly.

 

if it's an off-white, I'll darken as I need.

I use Flory models Clay/water-based washes, so they're pretty easy to mix.