Phantom
kiwifarms.net
- Joined
- Mar 31, 2018
I'm waiting for a 1.5 psycho Gundam with those arms
Anyone into gunpla - Japanophiles unite to share tips on painting our toys (GUNPLA IS FREEDOM)
- Thread starter cool4cats
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- Joined
- Jun 17, 2018
Repairing the FUCKING TINY neck joint that I snapped off on the Muv-Luv kit…
I highly recommend everyone get a pin vise and some thin metal rods - I got mine at the hobby store, it’s 1mm diameter, but they had a bunch of different thicknesses. It’s a generally good option for fixing dumbass mistakes like this, where glue just won’t cut it.
Taking recommendations on glues that can bond plastic to metal, basic-bitch Loctite gel holds it in place well enough but it’s clearly not a rock-solid connection as I can still freely rotate it in place (even though it doesn’t come out).
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- Joined
- Sep 14, 2020
You may have to drill all the way thru the peg, insert the rod, and hammer the exposed ends flat. Kind of like a rivet. I don't know the geometry of the parts but it's what I came up with. The MG Sinanju (anime version) had the same issue with the waist peg. To fix it, I did what you did. I also bent the lower part of the rod a few times and enclosed it in epoxy putty. That anchored it in place.
- Joined
- Jun 17, 2018
Good recommendation… won’t work in all cases (won’t work here for instance due to parts geometry) but I’ll keep it in mind for the future. That’s if this rod I’m using can even BE hammered - it was sold as “Music wire”, which according to the Internet is usually spring steel, which I can believe since it is very stiff and hard to cut (I need to use my heavy-duty pliers that I use for cutting small bolts).
- Joined
- Sep 14, 2020
Huh I don't know anything about music wire. If you can bend it and reinforce it with putty, it'll work for sure. I still can't find any glues that will bond plastic and metal.
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- Joined
- Mar 13, 2022
I started getting into Gunpla... sorta... through Evangelion. Started cutting, filing, painting, and assembling when I realised that a whole sprue sheet was missing. Kinda stopped when it seemed like the sheet was going to be impossible to locate. Lost inspiration.
- Joined
- Sep 14, 2020
I'm sorry to hear that. There are a few retailers in the USA that still have some Evangelion kits in stock.
- Joined
- Jun 17, 2018
What kit is it?
- Joined
- Mar 13, 2022
Eva-05 HG. Say 08 for the Series, if that gives more information.
- Joined
- Mar 27, 2018
Just finished the Entry Grade Strike today.
Like the RX 78 before it, this kit was really fun and easy to build. The color and part separation is pretty nice, and while some parts are a bit loose, you can really play around with this guy.
One thing I'm not too fond of is that the legs can bend forward, which can make posing sometimes a bit difficult. I had the same problem with the RX 78, but that's not a big deal I guess.
I also picked the 30 MM Option Parts Set 3, mainly because the weapons look badass. You got great sword, shield, and lance/drill. It's a cool addition for any 144 kit if you ask me.
I've yet to build the lance, but it's a really simple build, if the manual is anything to go by. I think the main attraction is the great sword, which the parts can be mix and matched to some extent. Later, I painted the sword a bit.
Like the RX 78 before it, this kit was really fun and easy to build. The color and part separation is pretty nice, and while some parts are a bit loose, you can really play around with this guy.
One thing I'm not too fond of is that the legs can bend forward, which can make posing sometimes a bit difficult. I had the same problem with the RX 78, but that's not a big deal I guess.
I also picked the 30 MM Option Parts Set 3, mainly because the weapons look badass. You got great sword, shield, and lance/drill. It's a cool addition for any 144 kit if you ask me.
I've yet to build the lance, but it's a really simple build, if the manual is anything to go by. I think the main attraction is the great sword, which the parts can be mix and matched to some extent. Later, I painted the sword a bit.
- Joined
- Jun 17, 2018
Look online for good starter kits recommendations. I'm sure people in this thread will have their own recs too.
Now, just to start off, gunpla comes in various "grades". HG (High Grade) is the mainline 1/144 scale models; MG (Master Grade) are larger, usually 1/100 scale models that have more details and gimmicks like opening hatches; and RG (Real Grade) have the details and gimmicks of MG's at a HG scale. There's also other scales like entry grade and perfect grade but HG, MG and RG are the main ones you'll run into.
HG is mostly where you'll want to start, since they're cheaper and simpler to put together. I personally don't own many HG kits so I don't really have any useful recommendations on that front. The problem is HG kits are very hit or miss, they can be really good or really ass and there's no way to tell without looking up reviews. I'm gonna go with the possibly controversial take that you can start with newer MG kits and be fine, gunpla isn't rocket science or anything - in which case I highly recommend the MG Barbatos as a starter kit. As a beginner I'd stay away from RG kits though, as they tend to be more finicky due to cramming more moving parts into a smaller scale.
Tools wise, you're going to want at the very least a pair of decent nippers, a hobby knife, and a few different grades of sandpaper/sanding sticks (I use 1000 and 2000 grit for polishing. The "hardest" part of building is nub mark removal, modern Bandai kits generally do a pretty good job of hiding nub marks and undergating when necessary but nonetheless this is something that takes practice.
As for buying kits, if you live in the US I usually buy from Bigbadtoystore, USAGundamStore, or Newtype. Though you should always check out your local hobby shop first to see if they have anything good.
Happy building, post your results in this thread if you decide to buy and build.
- Joined
- Jul 25, 2019
Never done any kind of model kits, but I build things for fun, So I think I have the tools and can get the basics done (painting and detail work will be new, but I'll figure it out). Think I'll go with something HG from Gundam Wing because that was my first anime-y anime and I don't know much about the other series. I find that making something because I want to have it gets the best results.
Back in college I thought this was expensive, so I never really got into it. I have a pathological need to always be working on something and I'm spending too much money trying to start a business to justify my crazier hobbies. This might be budget positive? Hell, cutting out a day of going to town to build a HG kit would be budget positive at the current gas price.
Edit: Looking through the sites and what the fuck is this madness
There's one colored for unit 02 as well.
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- Joined
- Aug 14, 2014
Assuming you are in the US, Hobby Lobby and Target sell Gunpla too. Target also has simple entry level nippers made by Bandai if you get unlucky can't find any in hobby shops. Hobby Lobby has 40% model kit sales every other week I think. Getting a simple, modern kit is a great starting experience. Assume you go to Hobby Lobby, you can get a EG (Entry Grade) RX-78 (which can be built without tools), a HG RX-78 or Zaku II (which will need tools), and if you feel like you have that down, a RG Wing Gundam. A lack of attachment might actually help your first build. Less pressure if you make a mistake. I started with a simple Amazon $9 Gunpla tool set and a few cheap 0080 GM kits. One thing I wish I knew was getting a better starter nipper and a glass nano nail file for sanding.
- Joined
- Jan 19, 2021
So, I'm trying to decide between to RX-78-2 kits, maybe you folks can help.
1- HG The Origin
2- HG Beyond Global
I know the EG version exists and it's WAY cheaper, but I already have the EG Strike.
This would be my first RX-78-2 and I'm not too fond of duplicates (even if they're variants) in my collections.
Any personal experiences with any of these?
1- HG The Origin
2- HG Beyond Global
I know the EG version exists and it's WAY cheaper, but I already have the EG Strike.
This would be my first RX-78-2 and I'm not too fond of duplicates (even if they're variants) in my collections.
Any personal experiences with any of these?
- Joined
- Sep 14, 2020
Origin kits have really good details and articulation. Beyond global isn't as detailed but is way more articulate. The Origin RX-78 will have the special weapons it's designed with while the beyond global only has the basics. Have you heard of Dalong's gunpla website? It's very useful for previewing any kit before buying.
Dalong.net
- Joined
- Jan 19, 2021
I'll admit I knew about Dalong, but I didn't include it in my radar. I've seen a few videos of both kits before and after having seen the site I've decide to go for the Beyond Global.
Origin ver looks great, almost like a master grade, but I don't think I'll make good use of all the accessories it has.
Also, I personally think the BG's sleek build looks much better, although I saw that the kit has less articulation compared with the OG version.
- Joined
- Jun 29, 2013
I know little about gunpla too but what is a fun one to build on a reasonable budget? Is painting required or do people do that as an enhancement?
- Joined
- Sep 14, 2020
High grades are a good start if you're wanting to build on a budget. Painting is an option.
- Joined
- Jun 17, 2018
Painting is fun but I can guarantee you probably like 99% of gunpla that gets bought is just snipped and snapped together with no further modifications. Most Bandai kits nowadays also have pretty good color separation and don’t really need paint to look good.
Gunpla kits are hard to recommend cuz they tend to go in and out of stock all the time, and may or may not ever get re-released at Bandai’s whim. My favorite HG kit is the Justice Gundam but I checked and it’s out of stock everywhere right now. Of course the Zaku and the RX-78 is always a safe bet if you’ve never built any gunpla before, and of course they’re always in production because they’re the most iconic designs.
If you don’t have something specific in mind, the best way to find good kits is to go to the in-stock section of your favorite site (I like BBTS and USA Gundam Store) or a local hobby shop if you have one, find something you like the look of, and then look up reviews to make sure it’s not shit.
I DIDN’T do that, which is why I bought this kit (Z’gok E). It fucking sucks, I had to glue all the arm and leg bits together because they kept flopping around. Which is a shame because it’s a really cool looking robot design, I prefer it over the normal Z’gok.