this post was submitted on 10 Oct 2023

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First builds! Absolutely hooked (i.imgur.com)

submitted 1 year ago by robalees to c/gunpla

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I got the Z’Gok in Odaiba while on my honeymoon and visiting the Unicorn. Just finished the Guncannon I got online. I also have the clear color Heavyarms from Gundam Factory Yokahama, starting it next, although the clear plastic is intimidating!

Been using Raser glass file and Balancer with Tamiya sharp sided nippers. Struggling with the craft knife to cut nubs off, find the file much easier. Using Tamiya panel liner and I haven’t mastered it yet, too messy or not dark enough. Any tips appreciated!

Was thinking about painting the Heavyarms grey weapon parts with metallic paint.

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[–] [email protected] 7 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

Looking good, glad you're enjoying!

Using Tamiya panel liner and I haven’t mastered it yet, too messy or not dark enough. Any tips appreciated!

If you're using the ink/flow type out of the jar, there are absolutely some things to keep in mind.

Do NOT use it on ABS plastic. Inner frames are commonly made from ABS, but most Gunpla parts are made from polystyrene (PS). There will be a marking on the back of the runner (usually on a number tag) indicating the plastic type.
Even on PS, don't let it get between parts. If it cannot evaporate properly, it will start to eat the plastic. The easiest way to avoid this is to line it before assembling.
There's going to be overflow. If there's pooling, wick it up with a paper towel or swab, and use less liner next time. 🙃 Otherwise, let it set inside the line, if not fully dry, before attempting cleanup. My preferred method is to use a cotton swab lightly dampened with isopropyl alcohol and run it perpendicular across the panel line, rolling the swab a bit in the opposite direction of the motion. This should leave you with a nice crisp line.
Some kits use a more matte plastic, such as a lot of the Witch from Mercury line. Flow-type liners have more trouble here compared to the standard glossy plastic. Rather than fight with the ink, I went back to the pen type liners.

Edit: About clear plastic: it's a bit harder/more brittle than standard plastic. If you have single bladed nippers, it's probably better to set those aside and use a more standard pair. The nub marks are going to be more difficult to clean up, but you're already using a glass nanofile and buffer so you're ahead of the game. 👍 Otherwise, there's nothing really intimidating about clear kits. Some hate 'em. I like the options they present (though I'm not particularly fond of the milky white they sometimes use). I gloss coated my first few clear kits and really liked the shine. Some folks also paint the undersides of parts - that might be a way to approach the Heavyarms weapons.

[–] robalees 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Thank you @[email protected]

I am doing the ink/flow method, I did consider getting a quill. I must admit I'd not been paying enough attention to the plastic type, but I think I've only done the PS. I will be careful with the in-between parts, might try lining before assembly next time. I've been using Mr Color 400 thinner, but I've got ISO as well. I was definitely taking too much off so I might need try this method and maybe wait a little longer before cleanup. Honestly I don't hate a little smudging, feels like it fits the aesthetic, but I need to get better at it. Not encountered the matte yet, good to know if I get the Aerial or any other Witch from Mercury kit.

Can you provide any additional details on the underside painting? Tried Googling with no success.

I was thinking about cutting the weapon parts away from the other parts, but keep them on the runner. Then try to spray paint them, sadly I don't have the space for a airbrush in my NYC apartment, spray paint off the balcony is the best I can do. I've sticky tac'd 40k minis to cardboard and then sprayed them, feel like I need some crocodile clips and dowel so I can hold the parts and spray a coat on them.

Bonus question: Red theme on my desk, suggestions for cool red and white HG (144) kits?

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

I’ve been using Mr Color 400 thinner, but I’ve got ISO as well.

If it works, cool. There's a whole hierarchy on what paint types can go on top of what without damaging the undercoat, but I'm not well versed. If the thinner is cleaning up the liner, it's probably fine. Alcohol is my go-to due to the low fumes.

Can you provide any additional details on the underside painting?

Instead of painting the outside of the part, paint the inside. When assembled, the clear part is still exposed and the paint underneath comes through. If metallic paint is used, you also get some shine. I used the Heavyarms' gatling as an example above, but after a quick search it looks like those parts are still in regular gray plastic. Oops! I can see how that would create confusion, my apologies.

feel like I need some crocodile clips and dowel so I can hold the parts and spray a coat on them.

This is the way to go. Any parts that are too small or don't have a handy post, you can sticky tack it to the dowel. And cardboard cat scratch toys work great as a dowel storage/part drying device.

You'll want to steer clear of spraying while on the runner. Most kits aren't undergated, so the nubs and any cleanup will mess with your spray job. You can make it work if you want to, it's just a lot of touching up.

Bonus question: Red theme on my desk, suggestions for cool red and white HG (144) kits?

There are a ton of red kits but not a whole lot of red and white ones. The first thing that jumped to mind for whatever reason is the Re-Zeon Barzam. It's gotten a few reprints in the past year or so but who knows when the next one will be. More mainstream would the the Astray Red Frame, which also has an RG kit available. Decidedly less mainstream is the Zogok (Unicorn version), though that's more red and gray. And if you want a big slab of lobster on your desk (and I mean big), go with the Nightingale.

Edit: one more for the red and white pile: Marsfour Gundam. The Core Gundam is a neat little dude all on its own, and the red and white Mars armor goes on top. It's pretty sharp.

[–] robalees 2 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

Thank you for the underside painting advice, I'll do that with the chest and shoulder/leg guns/missiles. As well as the gatling gun and blade.

Ordered a bunch of dowel in different sizes, figured they'd be good for 40k bases as well. Also got some alligator clips on wire, hoping I can tape/tac/clip all kinds of sized pieces. Great call on the lack of undergating and not doing it on the runner.

Oh boy, I love the look of the BARZAM, but it looks like it'll be hard to get. Really dig the Marsfour and might do that next, I really want the [Dive Into Dimension Clear] version, but no way am I going to find that kit. Another one I found was the Wing Gundam Zero Honoo. The Nightingale is WAY too big, but pretty cool!

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

The Dive into Dimension version is a Gundam Base exclusive: easy to get if you happen to have a base nearby. The past few years, Bandai has run a Gundam Expo in September where a ton of GB exclusives are made available on the P-Bandai shop. I haven't heard about one happening this year, but keep an eye open for it.

Edit: Last year's expo was in November, so it's not like this year's would be "late" at this point. There is hope!

IMO it's best to consider exclusives like the Marsfour clear and Re-Zeon Barzam as long-term goals. Bandai will reprint them, just gotta be patient.

[–] robalees 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

It was probably at the Odaiba store and the Yokohama base stores, oh well, didn’t know what I was looking for yet!

I’ll keep an eye on Gundam.info for Expo news. Any other places I should look for good Gunpla news? Specifically releases or reprints? I’m avoiding the site that won’t be named and I know Lemmy is still growing. I’d love to just check Gundam.info and P-Bandai daily, but I know I’ll forget lol.

Good call on the long term goals, I’ll keep an eye out for them and I’ve got my Heavyarms to keep me busy!

Thanks again!

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I used to rely on that other site for news. It really is (was?) a great community, lots of folks keeping everyone else updated. P-Bandai will send out emails about new products, but for whatever reason the notification is delivered at 5pm the day after stuff went live. 🤬 So I check the site manually a few times a week. They used to do one drop a month, usually on the 3rd Thursday. But these days stuff goes up whenever. I try to post here when I see a new batch.

For new kits, Gundam.info is a good source. I also watch Kakarot197 on YT as he's very thorough and I enjoy his sense of humor.

Reprints are tricky. Bandai used to publish a reprint schedule listing out everything they were producing for a given month. (But they pulled the plug on that right around the same time that they clamped down on Japanese retailers selling to the US. They claimed it was to stop scalping, but I have a pet theory that gets way in the weeds. I'll put it below.) So the only source for upcoming reprints is what retailers have preorders up for. I've got a semi-local shop that puts all of their restocks up on FB or YT, and oftentimes that's the first place I'll see that kit X is back in circulation.

Pet theory that got way too long: Bandai is an official distributor in the US through Bluefin (who they bought outright). The exchange rate has been heavily skewed in favor of the US dollar for quite a while now. Bandai's US pricing doesn't reflect that: if something retails for ¥2500, the US price will be about $25. (Exchange rate as of today would be about $17.) So Bandai is basically pocketing the difference on each and every kit (and merch) sold through Bluefin/PB. Even at wholesale prices, that adds up very quickly. So they have quite the motivation to keep the domestic and overseas markets from mixing. And once things picked back up "after" Covid, there was a marked shift in distribution: Japanese retailers were frequently sold out while US stores were stocked to the brim. This includes P-Bandai US. We used to get select kits. Then we started getting everything new. And now we're getting a slice of every reprint, and things aren't selling out instantaneously. Bandai is making BANK on the US market right now. There are still Japanese retailers that sell to the US, but shipping costs obliterate any savings. Covid is a part of that. But my last shipment from HLJ, for example, hit me hard in the wallet (months worth of Private Warehouse purchases shipped all at once). That was summer 2019. And it's even worse now, with HLJ charging $20-30 shipping for a single HG. The old method of shipping in bulk to get a lower shipping cost per item doesn't work anymore. It sucks.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

@MelodiousFunk @gunpla the r/gunpla discord has a hobby sales channel that’s usually on the spot about upcoming US p-Bandai drops. I think PB posts on their instagram account, and occasionally on the gundaminfo YT channel feed as well, but not sure about their timeliness.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

Great info, thanks! I don't use Discord or IG, but I'll try to keep that in mind for the future.