Anyone into gunpla - Japanophiles unite to share tips on painting our toys (GUNPLA IS FREEDOM)

[King Dead]

@King Dead you should check out the MGEX strike freedom if you like gimmick points. All the vents are posable, and includes some extra hip gimmick so the legs can sit in line (crossing the toes) Personally I'd never buy one, but I won one so

The gold was supreme with this kit, everything was an undergated. This is the latest model kit I've worked with, and it was nice not needing too sand so much (in comparison too my last builds.)

I have a Zeta Verk.Ka in my backlog, think I'll save "the best for last", as well my cousin's kid is getting into model kits as well now. I got him an HG ZZ Gundam and HG Gremory. Seriously gets me stoked too see younger people be interested in something physical versus glued too an iPad.

I think my next project is an MG Sniper (blue variant), I've still been on the hunt for an MG Turn A but I might as well order a pillow for that dream.

I might pick it up sometime, given how much detail they've put into it. Seed isn't my favorite series, but it does have some good mobile suit designs, Strike Freedom being one of them in my opinion.

You're in luck, MG Turn A is getting a reprint this month, so you should expect to see it in stock at various retailers very soon. Still no word on a Turn X reprint in the foreseeable future, sadly, it's been ages since its last one.

Glad to hear that you're spreading the love of building to the next generation! They're spoiled for choice with plenty of fantastic options these days for all skill levels. Makes me kind of glad I didn't get into the hobby when I was a kid when I compare the quality of older kits to newer ones. Then again, I'm sure I would have loved them just as much.

 

[00R-Gundam]

Looking forward to RG Shining Gundam. Finally ill be able to recreate the iconic scene where God Gundam holds Shining in his hands. Still mad theres no fuunsaiki that comes as a stand alone.

 

[King Dead]

Looking forward to RG Shining Gundam. Finally ill be able to recreate the iconic scene where God Gundam holds Shining in his hands. Still mad theres no fuunsaiki that comes as a stand alone.

There's the RG God Gundam expansion set that comes with a Fuunsaiki and a bunch of effects parts for the God Gundam; it cost about $30, but that's not a bad deal since it also has a stand included with the rest of the stuff. It's been a while since the last reprint, but they might do another in the coming months to coincide with the Shining's release, so I'd keep an eye out on P-Bandai. (Couldn't find them currently in stock at Suruga-ya, which is a decent alternative that typically only costs a little more if you wait for one of their frequent free shipping events.)

 

[Nopenopenope]

Gunpla newfag here. I bought this particular kit because it was one of the top results on Amazon, and wasn't too expensive so I wouldn't be pissed off if I messed it up or lost interest.

Assembly was fine, I'm using some flush snippers which typically don't leave any raised bits. Although, I might get a nail file or something because in some places you can see where the plastic was on the frame, might be better sanding it down?

The stickers are a bitch. I've been using this scalpel to take the stickers off the sheet and very gently put them in place. This is working so far, but is there an easier way? I think I would have been better doing some of these stickers during assembly because now it's a pain.

Other than that, good times! I'll post pictures of when it's actually finished and I've posed it in some way. I'm thinking of getting a Zaku to go with it, mount them both on some black painted timber in some sort of battle pose.

 

[00R-Gundam]

The stickers are a bitch. I've been using this scalpel to take the stickers off the sheet and very gently put them in place. This is working so far, but is there an easier way? I think I would have been better doing some of these stickers during assembly because now it's a pain.

The stickers are always the most annoying process, especially the eye ones. Reminder that the stickers arent really necessary and you can just leave the model kit with the basic ones. I personally recommend to first make each section of the kit(Legs, arms chest etc) after finishing those parts instead of putting them together start putting the stickers(after clean up and panel lining) i find it to be easier for me like that.

 

[King Dead]

Gunpla newfag here. I bought this particular kit because it was one of the top results on Amazon, and wasn't too expensive so I wouldn't be pissed off if I messed it up or lost interest.

Assembly was fine, I'm using some flush snippers which typically don't leave any raised bits. Although, I might get a nail file or something because in some places you can see where the plastic was on the frame, might be better sanding it down?

The stickers are a bitch. I've been using this scalpel to take the stickers off the sheet and very gently put them in place. This is working so far, but is there an easier way? I think I would have been better doing some of these stickers during assembly because now it's a pain.

Other than that, good times! I'll post pictures of when it's actually finished and I've posed it in some way. I'm thinking of getting a Zaku to go with it, mount them both on some black painted timber in some sort of battle pose.

Welcome to the hobby! Glad you had fun building your first kit, especially considering Real Grades are pretty complex for their size. Newbies sometimes grab a RG and end up in over their head because they didn't realize how many parts there were, as well as how small many of them are.

For nub removal, one-sided nippers like the ones I assume you have are a good place to start, they cleanly remove most of the material, and depending on your angle you can sometimes get it all. Even with those, you'll usually need to do a little more to finish it off and get it completely smooth. There's lots of methods, from shaving it down with an X-Acto knife, sandpaper or sanding sticks, or glass files. You'll see me evangelizing the benefits of glass files constantly, since they're easy to use and produce great results. Gunprimer's Raser is supposedly designed specifically for model kits, but you can pick up cheaper ones off of Amazon that should work about the same.

That generally is the best method for applying stickers, yeah, sticking your knife underneath it to pry it up and then place it. Real Grades in particular are chock full of stickers, so not every kit is going to be so overwhelming in that regard (and as @00R-Gundam said, they're totally optional because gunpla is freedom). Don't be afraid to take the kit apart to make it easier to put them on. I personally prefer waterslide decals since they look nicer, but you generally have to buy those separately and you'll have to topcoat to protect them when you're done. They're not too challenging, but I definitely recommend looking up some tutorials before you jump in. If you want something simple to help improve your kits' appearance, look into panel lining.

Beyond that, hope you continue to enjoy building! Fair warning, it can get quite addicting, though...looking around me, I have about two dozen kits or so collected over the past decade (though the bulk of them are from the last five years), and have no plans to stop collecting anytime soon.

 

[Nopenopenope]

Thanks for the tips. Next time I'll do the stickers on each component before assembly, makes sense that would be the easiest/better way of doing things, for now anyway. Even though the stickers are infuriating, it's not enough to overcome the completionist in me so they're all going on.

I'm going to look into those glass files, I was considering stealing my wifes nail file as an alternative but if I'm ordering another kit (I am, I think I'm a gunpla guy now), might as well get the files as well.

As for where to put them, my son thinks it looks cool so I'll probably let him put it in his room. He has no idea what a gundam is, he's 8, as far as he's concerned it's a sweet robot with a laser sword riding a fighter jet. Got to get them young though, I'll turn him into a sperg yet.

 

[00R-Gundam]

Although a good habit to have when getting gunpla is to look up the reviews since sometimes they come with wonky parts. Also if you want to kitbash and experiment, i would recommend the 30Minute Mission kits, they are modular and allow you to add it all kinds of equipment from gunpla(mostly High Grade) and you can customize them to your liking.

 

[King Dead]

Thanks for the tips. Next time I'll do the stickers on each component before assembly, makes sense that would be the easiest/better way of doing things, for now anyway. Even though the stickers are infuriating, it's not enough to overcome the completionist in me so they're all going on.

I'm going to look into those glass files, I was considering stealing my wifes nail file as an alternative but if I'm ordering another kit (I am, I think I'm a gunpla guy now), might as well get the files as well.

As for where to put them, my son thinks it looks cool so I'll probably let him put it in his room. He has no idea what a gundam is, he's 8, as far as he's concerned it's a sweet robot with a laser sword riding a fighter jet. Got to get them young though, I'll turn him into a sperg yet.

What I like about glass files is that they're good at generally only removing the nub without making any marks on the part itself. Sanding with traditional sandpaper will generally cause the area around the nub to get scuffed, which is typically removed by sanding with progressively higher grits until you've basically buffed any damage away. It produces good results, but it takes a lot of time. A glass file will cut away at only anything that's raised up, like the nub, so by the time you get down to the level of the part itself, it won't remove any more. It's a one-and-done process, greatly speeding up your cleanup time so you can get back to the building faster.

You do still have to be careful, though, as you don't want to accidentally remove surface details while you're trying to get a nub sanded down, and you need to be sure you're holding it flat with the part so you don't wear down the edges of the piece. It's kind of hard to describe in words, but you'll figure it out pretty quickly.

 

[Nopenopenope]

I've been reading this thread, you can get custom decals? Saw some lame BLM one. What I'm asking is, if there is any chance of there being a 3rd Reich set? I'm thinking a set of Zakus with SS insignia, and of course Char will have to fill in for the big man himself in that scenario.

 

[King Dead]

I've been reading this thread, you can get custom decals? Saw some lame BLM one. What I'm asking is, if there is any chance of there being a 3rd Reich set? I'm thinking a set of Zakus with SS insignia, and of course Char will have to fill in for the big man himself in that scenario.

Yep, there are tons of custom decals available, including Nazi decals (typically for wargame or military miniatures so obviously they need to be historically accurate). Did a search and found some here that should more than cover what you're looking for. Like I said, look up some tutorials so you know what you're getting into, but waterslides are pretty easy to handle.

If you can't find a specific decal you want, you can also make your own by purchasing special decal paper (I've found it at Hobby Lobby) and printing your own. It's a little more involved, but it does ensure you get exactly what you want. Just make sure to spray a clear sealant on it before you try to apply, or else the decal will turn to mush when you soak it.

 

[King Dead]

Double posting with both a rant and a followup:

@Nopenopenope: If you want a particular Zaku that will fit perfectly with your Nazi mecha fantasies, I'd suggest the Zaku II FZ, available in both the HG and Re/100 lines. I'd suggest the HG since it'll be easier to find and it'll be the same scale as your other kit purchases so far. It has an alternate helmet that looks like a German Stahlhelm, so plaster it with swastikas and go nuts.


As for the rant, I check the gunpla subreddit semi-regularly to keep up with news and see what other people are building, plus I've gotten some pretty good deals on kits that others were selling. But man, I fucking hate redditors' hivemind with a passion. Some faggot posted a gunpla repainted in tranny colors with some bullshit about how "we need this right now," and because Orange Man Bad, those faggots updooted it to be (as of this writing) the number-three all time most popular post, above a multitude of incredibly skilled builds and custom gunpla. At least that had more effort put into it than one posted last year, which was just a Nobel Gundam posing next to titty skittle vials, which still got a bunch of updoots.

This shit happens literally any time someone posts anything tranny-related to the sub. Another person posted an Eva-01 repainted in troon colors today and it's the top post of the day. They're like seals, they'll clap mindlessly as long as someone's posting shit that makes them feel heckin' valid. But hey, if you need to farm some karma on that hellhole for whatever reason, find an old kit and some pink/blue/white spray paint, repaint the whole thing in those godawful shitty colors, and throw it up there for a few thousand quick updoots.

 

[00R-Gundam]

You should post a photo of a tranny colored suit blowing its head up with a shotgun and the caption "We need this right now" that will show them

 

[Junkers 87]

As for the rant..

I took a look for myself and saw a fagged out Exia. The comments were the usual, revulsion-inducing fare.

'estroGN particles might be the best pun I’ve read lmao'
'Slayyy'
'Estro-GN Particles'
a bunch of 'hue hue TRANS-am (get it?) hue hue' jokes.

The same user later posted a Quebeley that was painted in dazzle camouflage, similar to a WW1-era warship. It was really well done but it got nowhere close to the same level of engagement as troon Exia, because it had nothing to do with sex offenders pretending to be women.

What I'm asking is, if there is any chance of there being a 3rd Reich set? I'm thinking a set of Zakus with SS insignia, and of course Char will have to fill in for the big man himself in that scenario.

If you want a particular Zaku that will fit perfectly with your Nazi mecha fantasies, I'd suggest the Zaku II FZ, available in both the HG and Re/100 lines. I'd suggest the HG since it'll be easier to find and it'll be the same scale as your other kit purchases so far. It has an alternate helmet that looks like a German Stahlhelm, so plaster it with swastikas and go nuts.

This is going to sound retarded as I'm bringing up historical accuracy in relation to fictional robots, but from the perspective of someone who mainly builds historical subjects, I have some thoughts regarding an Axis-inspired mobile suit.

- Decals pertaining to the Heer's Großdeutschland Division might be an interesting choice to consider. No Waffen SS Division has ever achieved the same kill ratio as the Heer's best.

- If using a stalhelm as a reference, the swastika goes on the port side, while the SS runes are starboard.

- If using Waffen SS vehicles as inspiration, most never had SS runes painted on them. Instead, individual division insignias were used. 1st SS. Liebstandarte would've used a skeleton key, 2nd SS. Das Reich would've had a wolfsangel, 3rd SS. Totenkopf had the ugly skull etc. A lot of these symbols would be replaced during the Battle of Kursk, but they still didn't use SS runes.

- Swastikas almost never appeared on German armor. Exceptions are the Afrika Corps and some captured T-34s and Shermans that were put into German service. For identification purposes when coordinating with air assets, a swastika flag would've been draped over the rear of the vehicle instead.

- Pretty much all German vehicles had the Balken cross. This was the primary insignia for identification and holds a certain level of priority over other markings.

I'm not a Wehraboo or someone who is sympathetic to third position politics. These are just things that one might want to take into account if trying to overlay historical precedent over something fictional. Do whatever you want of course.

 

[00R-Gundam]

As a 00 enjoyer, seeing those puns made me want to kill myself out of disgust.

 

[King Dead]

You should post a photo of a tranny colored suit blowing its head up with a shotgun and the caption "We need this right now" that will show them

Funnily enough, you could do this pretty easily thanks to a soon-to-be released kit. There's a gunpla up on P-Bandai now that comes with a beam shotgun, the D Gundam First:

I like the pseudo-Gundam looks of it (it's from a manga where a Gundam fanboy dresses up his mobile worker to look like the Gundam and ends up accidentally fooling Zeon into thinking it's the real deal), so I might get it even if I don't do an epic tranny hate shitpost with it. Definitely a quick way to eat a ban, but it's Reddit so who cares?

I'm not a Wehraboo or someone who is sympathetic to third position politics. These are just things that one might want to take into account if trying to overlay historical precedent over something fictional. Do whatever you want of course.

Don't feel weird, I found that very informative. If I were more skilled at painting and weathering, I'd totally attempt a dieselpunk Nazi Zaku and use your post as reference.

 

[Hateful Maggot]

I recently got my hands on a bunch of kits i've been eager to build for quite some time, HGUC The O, HGUC Marasai (unicorn ver), HGUC R-Jarja, MG Rick Diaz and an SD Shin Getter Robo.
I plan on customizing the Marasai a little bit by removing the horn, shoulder spikes, increase the lenght of the skirt with some putty and add some 30MM details for thrusters and such. Haven't decided on a colorscheme tho, maybe something beige with a dark gray and red accents.

The stickers are always the most annoying process, especially the eye ones. Reminder that the stickers arent really necessary and you can just leave the model kit with the basic ones. I personally recommend to first make each section of the kit(Legs, arms chest etc) after finishing those parts instead of putting them together start putting the stickers(after clean up and panel lining) i find it to be easier for me like that.

What i usually do for the eyes is just paint the whole thing black and then use the back of my knife to remove the dry paint off of the eye details.

 

[King Dead]

HGUC The O

I built that about a month ago as part of a project to build all of the PMX line now that they're all available in HG form. It suffers a bit from being an older kit (it has a ridiculous amount of polycaps), and the yellow plastic has kind of a greenish tint to it, but it was still a fun build. I love bulky mobile suits, and they don't come much bulkier than The O.

What i usually do for the eyes is just paint the whole thing black and then use the back of my knife to remove the dry paint off of the eye details.

That works if the plastic of the eye piece is the same color as the eyes. If it isn't, another alternative is a reverse wash. Get some acrylic paint of the eye color (or a Gundam Marker) and black enamel paint, as well as a bottle of lighter fluid. Paint the entire eye area with the eye color, let it dry, then paint over it with the black enamel. Once it dries, dab a cotton swab with a little bit of lighter fluid and gently rub the raised areas where the eyes are. The enamel will dissolve and reveal the eyes. If you accidentally remove too much, repaint with the enamel and try again. It's a little bit of effort, but the results look great, and you don't have to deal with the flimsy little eye stickers.

 

[Hateful Maggot]

I built that about a month ago as part of a project to build all of the PMX line now that they're all available in HG form. It suffers a bit from being an older kit (it has a ridiculous amount of polycaps), and the yellow plastic has kind of a greenish tint to it, but it was still a fun build. I love bulky mobile suits, and they don't come much bulkier than The O.

I love chunky suits too, been trying to get my hands on a Xeku Eins for quite some time, but they sellout so fast and end up on ebay for twice the price. I love it's design, but dude, i'm not paying that much for such an old kit, it is so old that the beam sabers come in white

 

[Space Police]

What is the bias against old kits? I've noticed that old kids tend to feel sturdier because they have fewer small parts, and I like some things like the same red thrusters being used throughout. They may be more primitive when it comes to colour separation, but there's still something oddly soulful about a monochrome Gundam face. Keep in mind that I basically use these as toys rather than ultra-accurate anime figurines.
Also, what version of the F91 is best? The HG seems awfully small, so I'm wondering if the RG is better and more in-scale with a SEED mobile suit. Does the smaller scale make it more fragile?