i am not shelling out 150 dollars for the Big Gun but damn if that isn't a fine looking Big Gun
they also announced a pbandai expansion set for the soon-to-be-released RG god gundam, unfortunately it's just the HG fuunsaiki but the effect parts look neat
lastly we got our first look at the witch from mercury kit boxarts recently and they've got some serious style, very much lookin forward to getting my hands on the lfrith and aerial
Got some more Mecha musume kits out for delivery today: ATK Girls Heracross and Titans. Given they're themed on rhino and stag beetles respectively, I've been considering painting and/or further customizing them on another pair of pint-sized beetle-based robots...
Beetleborgs?!
>_>
I was thinking more...
Twitch | Blizzard: Ianator#1479 | 3DS: Ianator - 1779 2336 5317 | FFXIV: Iana Ateliere (NA Sarg) Backlog Challenge List
Looks like USA Gundam Store is having a 10% off sale for anything on their site, including preorders.
Discount code is: Save10
(I know I've supplied discount codes here before, I'm not affiliated with this site in any way, just passing on savings opportunities to my fellow plamo enjoyers.)
Dearly beloved, we are here today to mourn IronKnuckle. He stepped on a Lego brick causing him to fall into his shelf of unfinished projects, which fell on him, killing him instantly.
+1
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NipsHe/HimLuxuriating in existential crisis.Registered Userregular
edited August 2022
Hey there, gunpla fans. Some of you might remember me from the holiday forum thread, where I threatened myself with the violence that is a couple of Gundam Artifact models (still sitting in box, on my shelf; violence has not yet been applied).
In the interim, for reasons that don't bear explaining, I just received this big boy:
(Yes, I realize it's not a Gundam.)
So, umm....I don't know if this is the deep end, but it feels pretty deep to me! That said, I'm hyper excited to somehow steal all the time to build this kit. Before I start though, I come bearing questions:
ADHESIVES: I have Loctite Professional Liquid Super Glue (best super glue I've ever used) and Plastruct Plasti-Weld (for working with raw styrene sheet/rod/forms for general model work). Am I good and use one of these, or should I invest in a particular adhesive for working with this particular kit? What's the best practice recommendation here?
PREPARATION: Do I wash the parts before assembling? I'm so used to other kinds of models where a mold release agent is used, and needs to be washed, I have no clue if that's necessary here or not.
FINISHING: Looking at the kit, it looks like I'll end up having to panel line it. Do you just....use a Tamiya Panel Liner right on the bare plastic? Do you seal it first? I've painted hundreds of hobby models (Warhammer 40k, Battletech, D&D, etc.), but I'm a little stumped where and when and if paint and topcoats should even come into the equation here.
I look forward to sharing the misery fun(!) of putting this model kit together with all of you looking on, judging harshly.
Nips on
+6
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AthenorBattle Hardened OptimistThe Skies of HiigaraRegistered Userregular
I can't talk about adhesives for a kit like that. Gundam models are a completely different breed than military models, even fictional ones. Do some test fitting. You might need to fill some gaps, which would necessitate painting afterward, etc.
But about panel lining, I have banged this drum several times in these threads: please consider not putting Tamiya Panel Liner directly on bare plastic. It can make plastic more brittle, and even break parts. It depends on the plastic, but I prefer to just not do it. I like using other products, whether it's a fine tip Gundam marker, or mechanical pencil, or Vallejo model wash.
If you absolutely have to use that product, put a gloss topcoat on first, THEN the panel liner, then a satin or matte or whatever you want to seal it in. The gloss provides a layer of protection and allows the panel liner to flow like it's designed to do.
So the big thing to know about plastic models and which adhesive to use is you need to know what kind of plastic your kit uses. The two most common types of plastic for kits are acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), and polystyrene (PS). There are different use cases for each type of plastic, but the quick and dirty definition is that ABS is softer and somewhat more flexible than PS. ABS therefore often is used for parts that need to have a bit of give, such as joints in a Gundam kit. PS, on the other hand is harder and more brittle than ABS, and is typically used for parts that may need to carry more of a weight load but do not need to flex.
In most cases the best glue to use for both ABS and PS plastics is liquid cement. Liquid cement is developed specifically for PS, but does work on joining ABS parts, or ABS to PS parts. Liquid cement works by chemically debonding plastic molecules, and turning them into a sticky soft mush. As the adhesive cures, that mush hardens again. In effect, you are taking two parts and making them a single part. This results a very strong bond that still has a certain amount of flexibility to it, which is often what you want with a plastic kit.
Cyanoacrylate glue (CA, aka "superglue") is a different beast, and while it will do the job on a plastic kit, it's not idea. CA glue is very strong, but the bond it produces is brittle. If parts need to flex, CA glue has a tendency to fail. However if you are joining plastic and some other non-plastic material, such as wood or metal, CA glue is a good choice, as liquid cement just will not work on those materials.
I preordered the rg god gundam forever ago and like a fool I saw an in stock kit I ALSO wanted (one of them Nacchin tank robots, they’re very cute) and just ordered it all together
And now I’ve sat here months wishing I had that other kit but it’s all shipping together and there’s still forever before that dang gundam gets to the US
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NipsHe/HimLuxuriating in existential crisis.Registered Userregular
So the big thing to know about plastic models and which adhesive to use is you need to know what kind of plastic your kit uses. The two most common types of plastic for kits are acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), and polystyrene (PS). There are different use cases for each type of plastic, but the quick and dirty definition is that ABS is softer and somewhat more flexible than PS. ABS therefore often is used for parts that need to have a bit of give, such as joints in a Gundam kit. PS, on the other hand is harder and more brittle than ABS, and is typically used for parts that may need to carry more of a weight load but do not need to flex.
In most cases the best glue to use for both ABS and PS plastics is liquid cement. Liquid cement is developed specifically for PS, but does work on joining ABS parts, or ABS to PS parts. Liquid cement works by chemically debonding plastic molecules, and turning them into a sticky soft mush. As the adhesive cures, that mush hardens again. In effect, you are taking two parts and making them a single part. This results a very strong bond that still has a certain amount of flexibility to it, which is often what you want with a plastic kit.
Cyanoacrylate glue (CA, aka "superglue") is a different beast, and while it will do the job on a plastic kit, it's not idea. CA glue is very strong, but the bond it produces is brittle. If parts need to flex, CA glue has a tendency to fail. However if you are joining plastic and some other non-plastic material, such as wood or metal, CA glue is a good choice, as liquid cement just will not work on those materials.
This kit is polystyrene (PS) according to the box (with a helpful little callout, that's nice!). Is there a particular liquid cement that y'all recommend, or will any do?
[Edit] Oh, interesting! Apparently this kit doesn't require glue. Not sure I won't glue it, but at least it's nice to know it's not strictly necessary.
I personally have a thing of Testors cement that I've been using for something like ten years, though in recent years I've stopped gluing gunpla entirely. From my uneducated perspective pretty much any brand of glue is fine, provided it's the appropriate type for what you're using it on.
The vast majority of military kits are made in polystyrene, as static vehicles don't tend to have much in the way of moving joints. You can panel line with Tamiya Panel Liners safely on models that are made of PS, but it will embrittle ABS plastics, and you will have failures in stressed areas. In gunpla, this is often catastrophic as the stressed areas are pins and joints.
Cleaning before painting isn't as necessary these days as it used to be, but I still find it's better to do so just to head off any problems. Andy's Hobby Headquarters is a store in Phoenix, AZ where Andy builds, reviews, and sometimes paints model kits in his store. He doesn't even always bother to prime the models. Personally, I always wash the parts.
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LasbrookIt takes a lot to make a stewWhen it comes to me and youRegistered Userregular
Damnit, we burned through my thread too fast. This would have been a way better closer:
IanatorGaze upon my works, ye mightyand facepalm.Registered Userregular
edited August 2022
Forgot to post this when I finished it about three weeks ago.
Leo #2 has been painted in (kinda) MO-V colors. #3 will be in OZ blue-gray and get a flight pack. Kinda wish I had alternate boosters to make a knockoff Tallgeese with this shield and dobergun I have handy...
Also I have reconsidered painting my Heracross and Titans girls as Metabee and Rokusho, mainly because I don't think I have the patience for dealing with Metabee's yellows.
Ianator on
Twitch | Blizzard: Ianator#1479 | 3DS: Ianator - 1779 2336 5317 | FFXIV: Iana Ateliere (NA Sarg) Backlog Challenge List
dang, that thing is pretty cool...... anyone know how the engineering/quality on those kits is? I know it's a knockoff brand, not bandai.
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Dark Raven XLaugh hard, run fast,be kindRegistered Userregular
I've built it - the inner frame is better than Bandai's own HiRM line, IMO.
Everything else is close to Bandai quality, but not quite there. I remember having some weird issues assembling it where a section wouldn't go together quite right, I'd tear down and rebuild it 3 or 4 times and suddenly it worked perfectly. Plastic quality is good, color separation is insane.
I ended up going for it, thanks for the heads up dark raven x!
+2
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LasbrookIt takes a lot to make a stewWhen it comes to me and youRegistered Userregular
New p-bandai drops tonight and I had to get that RG God Gundam expansion set starring Fuunsaiki. I STILL haven't preordered the RG God Gundam itself because I am a fool who doesn't learn his lesson (I recently fence sat on the preorder for the kit of the Steel Titan from Live-A-Live long enough for it to go to waitlist)
Posts
Also Chara Soon sure is... something...
She's truly, truly outrageous.
Rock Band DLC | GW:OttW - arrcd | WLD - Thortar
Twitch | Blizzard: Ianator#1479 | 3DS: Ianator - 1779 2336 5317 | FFXIV: Iana Ateliere (NA Sarg)
Backlog Challenge List
i am not shelling out 150 dollars for the Big Gun but damn if that isn't a fine looking Big Gun
they also announced a pbandai expansion set for the soon-to-be-released RG god gundam, unfortunately it's just the HG fuunsaiki but the effect parts look neat
lastly we got our first look at the witch from mercury kit boxarts recently and they've got some serious style, very much lookin forward to getting my hands on the lfrith and aerial
I was thinking more...
Twitch | Blizzard: Ianator#1479 | 3DS: Ianator - 1779 2336 5317 | FFXIV: Iana Ateliere (NA Sarg)
Backlog Challenge List
Discount code is: Save10
(I know I've supplied discount codes here before, I'm not affiliated with this site in any way, just passing on savings opportunities to my fellow plamo enjoyers.)
BAKE THEM AWAY, TOYS
Dearly beloved, we are here today to mourn IronKnuckle. He stepped on a Lego brick causing him to fall into his shelf of unfinished projects, which fell on him, killing him instantly.
In the interim, for reasons that don't bear explaining, I just received this big boy:
(Yes, I realize it's not a Gundam.)
So, umm....I don't know if this is the deep end, but it feels pretty deep to me! That said, I'm hyper excited to somehow steal all the time to build this kit. Before I start though, I come bearing questions:
ADHESIVES: I have Loctite Professional Liquid Super Glue (best super glue I've ever used) and Plastruct Plasti-Weld (for working with raw styrene sheet/rod/forms for general model work). Am I good and use one of these, or should I invest in a particular adhesive for working with this particular kit? What's the best practice recommendation here?
PREPARATION: Do I wash the parts before assembling? I'm so used to other kinds of models where a mold release agent is used, and needs to be washed, I have no clue if that's necessary here or not.
FINISHING: Looking at the kit, it looks like I'll end up having to panel line it. Do you just....use a Tamiya Panel Liner right on the bare plastic? Do you seal it first? I've painted hundreds of hobby models (Warhammer 40k, Battletech, D&D, etc.), but I'm a little stumped where and when and if paint and topcoats should even come into the equation here.
I look forward to sharing the misery fun(!) of putting this model kit together with all of you looking on, judging harshly.
But about panel lining, I have banged this drum several times in these threads: please consider not putting Tamiya Panel Liner directly on bare plastic. It can make plastic more brittle, and even break parts. It depends on the plastic, but I prefer to just not do it. I like using other products, whether it's a fine tip Gundam marker, or mechanical pencil, or Vallejo model wash.
If you absolutely have to use that product, put a gloss topcoat on first, THEN the panel liner, then a satin or matte or whatever you want to seal it in. The gloss provides a layer of protection and allows the panel liner to flow like it's designed to do.
So the big thing to know about plastic models and which adhesive to use is you need to know what kind of plastic your kit uses. The two most common types of plastic for kits are acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), and polystyrene (PS). There are different use cases for each type of plastic, but the quick and dirty definition is that ABS is softer and somewhat more flexible than PS. ABS therefore often is used for parts that need to have a bit of give, such as joints in a Gundam kit. PS, on the other hand is harder and more brittle than ABS, and is typically used for parts that may need to carry more of a weight load but do not need to flex.
In most cases the best glue to use for both ABS and PS plastics is liquid cement. Liquid cement is developed specifically for PS, but does work on joining ABS parts, or ABS to PS parts. Liquid cement works by chemically debonding plastic molecules, and turning them into a sticky soft mush. As the adhesive cures, that mush hardens again. In effect, you are taking two parts and making them a single part. This results a very strong bond that still has a certain amount of flexibility to it, which is often what you want with a plastic kit.
Cyanoacrylate glue (CA, aka "superglue") is a different beast, and while it will do the job on a plastic kit, it's not idea. CA glue is very strong, but the bond it produces is brittle. If parts need to flex, CA glue has a tendency to fail. However if you are joining plastic and some other non-plastic material, such as wood or metal, CA glue is a good choice, as liquid cement just will not work on those materials.
I preordered the rg god gundam forever ago and like a fool I saw an in stock kit I ALSO wanted (one of them Nacchin tank robots, they’re very cute) and just ordered it all together
And now I’ve sat here months wishing I had that other kit but it’s all shipping together and there’s still forever before that dang gundam gets to the US
This kit is polystyrene (PS) according to the box (with a helpful little callout, that's nice!). Is there a particular liquid cement that y'all recommend, or will any do?
[Edit] Oh, interesting! Apparently this kit doesn't require glue. Not sure I won't glue it, but at least it's nice to know it's not strictly necessary.
The vast majority of military kits are made in polystyrene, as static vehicles don't tend to have much in the way of moving joints. You can panel line with Tamiya Panel Liners safely on models that are made of PS, but it will embrittle ABS plastics, and you will have failures in stressed areas. In gunpla, this is often catastrophic as the stressed areas are pins and joints.
Cleaning before painting isn't as necessary these days as it used to be, but I still find it's better to do so just to head off any problems. Andy's Hobby Headquarters is a store in Phoenix, AZ where Andy builds, reviews, and sometimes paints model kits in his store. He doesn't even always bother to prime the models. Personally, I always wash the parts.
Steam
Leo #2 has been painted in (kinda) MO-V colors. #3 will be in OZ blue-gray and get a flight pack. Kinda wish I had alternate boosters to make a knockoff Tallgeese with this shield and dobergun I have handy...
Also I have reconsidered painting my Heracross and Titans girls as Metabee and Rokusho, mainly because I don't think I have the patience for dealing with Metabee's yellows.
Twitch | Blizzard: Ianator#1479 | 3DS: Ianator - 1779 2336 5317 | FFXIV: Iana Ateliere (NA Sarg)
Backlog Challenge List
https://www.usagundamstore.com/products/zero-gravity-1-100-judge-moon-light-ver-model-kit
Everything else is close to Bandai quality, but not quite there. I remember having some weird issues assembling it where a section wouldn't go together quite right, I'd tear down and rebuild it 3 or 4 times and suddenly it worked perfectly. Plastic quality is good, color separation is insane.
https://www.usagundamstore.com/products/zero-gravity-1-100-judge-mecha-robot-model-kit?variant=38050760818885
But I need to draw some arbitrary lines, and that’s one of them.
Steam