Ooh, gunpla thread, perfect timing. I have a very modest collection, like a handful. A couple HGs and some MGs (Exia, Blue Astray, Astrea, currently making Destiny). But I've not really liked the plastic-y cheap look, so I want to get into painting too. Do you know anything about that? There was only one time I painted, and it was with a brush and it was terrible, and nothing fit right. Probably because I didn't really plan ahead and just went over the exterior-showing bits.
I'm wanting to get one of these White Glint+VOB models (http://www.amazon.com/Kotobukiya-Armored-Core-Answer-V-O-B/dp/B003479GLU), but I really want to do it right. Make it look really great. If you have any suggestions and advice, that would be great. If you do, hopefully it's small stuff I can keep in a school dormitory.
The Metal Gear looks pretty awesome by the way.
What a lot of people do when they paint is also fill the seams in, which is always good practice. That takes reading ahead a little bit in the instructions, knowing which parts have a seam and which are engineered to have a panel line. I'll have to see about some examples on my current builds to show a better example, but seam filling isn't really that hard. Use Tamiya Extra Thin cement on both parts - I use two coats applied right after each other - with about 15 seconds for it to moisten the parts. Really press the parts together hard, hopefully to ooze some plastic out of the seam, and hold together for around 30 seconds. Let it cure for two hours. Cut off the oozed plastic with your hobby knife, sand the seam down, and boom - the seam is filled.
I would suggest starting with something you don't care about. Get your practice on.
I would note that newer kits tend to integrate the seams into the panel lines very nicely, hide them under another part, or whatever. On something like a RG, you can probably get away without doing any cementing at all.
BTW, Tamiya Extra Thin may not work on some formulations of plastic. I think anything Bandai should play nice with Tamiya Extra Thin, but if not, there's always Plastruct Plastic Weld.
SD kits work well for this. Not only are they dirt cheap, everything is very simple, so you can easily get a feel for how Gunpla pieces fit together in general before you graduate up to something more partsy.
The thing about SD kits if they're anything like the SD Command Gundam (the little olive drab green guy in the Aila shrine) - their nubs are not designed to be cleanly clipped away and sanded down. They're basically right from the sprue to the part, meant to be twisted off by kids' hands. It's going to leave a mark unless you paint, and SD kits are put together such that your only real option is to clip the parts apart, then prime/paint, then assemble.
I had no issues with all the Bandai kits and the Kotobukiya MG Rex with Extra Thin - Maullar, do you consider Plastruct better? Never tried it, eager for something that doesn't require two serious business coats like Tamiya.
ive actually been wanting to try building one of these for awhile just for the hell of it. so any recommendations for a noob like me?
Thanks for the tips. I would have experimented with the paints on some random HG or something anyway, but I really wouldn't put it beyond my lazy self to just just straight into some huge mess.
Alternatively, on an RG or the MG Turn-X that recently came out. That one has like only 2 colors so it shouldn't be all too hard.
As for the seam filling, I'm not entirely sure what you're talking about or the final effect it turns out looking like. Do you have any examples?
And just out of curiosity, how much experience do you have with weathering or custom part making with putty?
What's your favorite series/mecha/Gundam? There's tons of options out there. Zeitgeist opinion is "build what you like" but there's very real value into building something that teaches the basics even if it's not your single favorite. Hit me with four or five things if you can, I'll see if I can do some digging and make a recommendation or two.probably my favorite ones are
probably my favorite ones are
freedom
epyon
zoids liger
that one if full metal panic :V
that really cool blue zaku from 8th ms team
thats pretty much all i got. i would have said aldnoahzero but i think thats to new
that really cool blue zaku from 8th ms teamThe Gouf Custom? (https://www.google.com/search?q=gouf+custom&es_sm=93&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=aAijVKrBCpS7ogSspoLQAg&ved=0CAgQ_AUoAQ&biw=1262&bih=670) This is no Zaku boy! No Zaku!
If you're wanting to make a Freedom (not Strike Freedom), then I'd say go for the RG one. The HG one doesn't allow you to do the HiMat full burst pose correctly (the wing shoulder cannons can't fold over the shoulder and have the wings folded out at the same time), and I don't think you want to do an MG or PG as a beginner. Plus RG ones are cheap yet very detailed.
If you're just beginning, then the HG line is probably the best; they're the easiest. If you want something more detailed for about the same price, then go for the RG ones. Pick the one you want to build, ie: a mobile suit that you like. Like he says, you're really only playing against yourself. It only gets more and more in depth the longer you want to spend time on it. If it's just cutting the nibs off and sanding/cutting, then I think anyone that's not a kid can do any kit.
RG is basically MG detail in HG scale. Personally it scares the pants offa me simply because I'm a bit fumbly. I also am not huge enough into any of the suits on offer in the RG line to build them smaller rather than bigger.Was it HG price + MG detail + PG frame? Forgot about the latter bits.
I can't recommend enough as a beginner that HG is a far better starting point than RG.
For example, here's HG Strike Freedom versus RG Strike Freedom:Please forgive my nit picking
It might be inappropriate, but I feel obligated to post this.http://a.pomf.se/tuckji.jpg
massive feels