Gunpla mode!
August 13, 2008 
1:23 PM
Tags: Feeling: annoyed
Is this a Keroro Gunso influence? Well, a little.
My brother and I have been interested in Gunpla for years. It all started with Gundam Wing. My brother did most of the assembling, but he did it quickly. That means the Gundams are all plain-looking, aren’t “polished” with most nubs noticeable, and the stickers were badly placed. 
I thought it’s such a waste to just keep them in boxes when they should be displayed! But displaying them looking like that isn’t such a good idea, so I thought I should fix them — try to cover the seams, put panel lines, and paint whatever I can. Most of the Gunpla here are 1/144, so most parts aren’t as detailed or the colors are different from the actual Gundam. My first attempt is with Gundam Sandrock Custom. It’s the Endless Waltz version that looks a bit like Wing Gundam because of its color. XD; Brother was alright with me working on it because he says he doesn’t have any love for that Gunpla. WAHAHHAHAHA~ I have very limited knowledge on building Gunpla, so the attempt made me feel a bit nervous. Too bad I don’t have a before and after picture of Gundam Sandrock Custom. I do believe it looks better than before. Well, somehow.
Started on Sunday (August 10) and finished on Monday (August 11)
I had to keep it that small because it’s really crappy. Shameful really.
It’s not properly sanded, nubs can still be seen, some stickers are still there, and I made panel lines on where there shouldn’t be any.Things I learned:
1. Wash the parts first.
This method has been used/mentioned here and here.
The Gunpla has been stored for years. No doubt there will be dust accumulated specially on the unpolished nubs. I only realized that when I tried to polish the seams. There are some dust particles I can’t seem to remove even with sanding. Tsk.
2. Thick-pointed Gundam Markers are FAIL!
Along with a fine-tip black ink Gundam Marker, I also purchased a white ink marker, but it’s thick. I thought I should use that for my first attempt in coloring/painting the Gundam. Using it though is HARD! It’s like coloring using a correction pen. WTF. The color becomes uneven forcing me to apply more than I should. My brother did a good job with it though.
3. With the Gundam Marker, wait for the color to dry before applying another coat.
The white marker seems similar to nail polish. Put too much especially if the first coat is still too wet, then it will flow to the sides. This will become time consuming since you have to sand off the excess. If it flows to the seams, that will be harder because there’s a chance you will sand the supposedly painted area. D:
4. Nail buffers can polish scratches.
Learned of this here. I was buffing the easily reached parts of Gundam Sandrock Custom earlier. I wish I knew this before I reassembled.
5. Use primers
Gundam Sandrock Custom’s tummy is originally gray yet based on the actual it’s supposed to be white. My brother put a white color on it. I don’t know if it’s just bad coloring, it really gets uneven without the primer, or the marker is just really FAIL. >_>
6. Throw away the stickers
Those that are of only plain colors must be thrown away. They’re fugly. Those on the wrists of Gundam Sandrock Custom, if you hadn’t noticed, are just stickers. I’ll just paint them as soon as I get acrylics. If you wanna use the stickers, I read that you should cut them a bit (lessen their size). I did notice they’re usually larger than what they should be.
7. Best to work alone
I don’t know modeling works for everyone, but based on my experience, it’s best to work on modeling ALONE. Bf did a bad job paneling and my brother was so excited that even though there were still parts to sand, he just went ahead — cemented parts or paneled.
Comments
Comments are closed.
