So I'm getting back into gunpla and already the costs are mounting.  I have nippers, sandpaper of various grits(400 to 2000), files, a hobby knife, some panel lining markers and matte top coat. I'm looking at getting paints and brushes, but I'm not sure if I should go with enamels or acrylics, I know the enamels will probably give better results but is a gas mask really necessary for working with them? I have some old kits to practice on before I start doing some of the nice modern kits. Also any recommendations on brushes? I also have a HGUC Hi-Nu on the way, is that a decent kit?
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Aug 31, 2014 16:29
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TaurusOxford posted:It is a decent kit, but the flaw with it is that 4 of the fin funnels are integrated into the backpack and can't be deployed like they normally should be. http://www.dalong.net/review/hg/h95/h95_i.htm Yeah, I knew about that but I'm unlikely to take more than two them off anyway so I'm not too miffed about it. I'm trying to stick to 1/144 stuff because MGs add up drat quick cost wise and I figure that will mean some sacrifices.
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Aug 31, 2014 17:00
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geeksauce posted:After twelve or more years of not building any models, I just ordered the MG OVA Sinanju and the RG Justice. I have no experience with either of these grades (Only HG from Wing and EW), but I've heard the Sinanju is a fun build. How good do you guys think the Justice will be as a refresher? RGs are basically mini-MGs and are incredibly complex and fiddly, you might want to do the MG first, it'll probably be easier with the larger part size.
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Sep 1, 2014 01:26
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geeksauce posted:That was my thought process exactly. Thanks for the advice. Though, I couldn't help grabbing the Sinanju. It was just too beautiful to resist. What are some fun MGs for beginners that I can pick up later down the road? RX-78-2 Ver. 3.0? The Ver. 3.0 is really complex, sort of a engineering showcase for the designers at Bandai. The Gundam X is pretty simple and really nice looking and I've also heard good things about the new Wing Gundam MGs like the heavyarms.
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Sep 1, 2014 03:28
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So some more questions on paints: How are the Testors Model Master enamel paints? They seem to be available locally and they have a ton of colors, I expect I'll need to mix paints to get the right colors but more colors makes that easier. I've also seen Vallejo paint sets on amazon but they look super pricey and I'm not sure if all those colors would be overkill for painting gunpla or not. Is it possible to brush on Future and have it look ok? Once it is set can you use enamels over it or will that destroy it? I wanted to avoid an airbrush setup because of the cost and noise but I'm wondering if going down the hand brush route might end up being a bad choice because of enamel paints and having to brush on topcoat.
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Sep 1, 2014 18:46
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Tenzarin posted:What cement do you guys recommend using to use on seams to be able to sand them down? Tamiya extra thin or Testors cement with the brush are both good, they melt the plastics together so you just need to shave off a bead of plastic along the seam and sand it flat once the glue has set. Just make sure the parts are already fit together well and are fairly flush, you can make slight adjustments to the pins in the part if they are not but this is rarely an issue. If you have big gaps you're looking at putty or something but you probably won't run into that on modern Bandai kits. EFBx2 
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Sep 2, 2014 23:28
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Tenzarin posted:Thanks for the responses. Also on this HG there seems to be some things unpainted such as a the beam saber and gears on the foot. What would be the easiest way to paint these short of using an airbrush? Try a ratio of one part thinner to four parts paint. Also don't wet the brush too much, I like to just start with enough paint to cover the bottom of my mixing bottle or cup and I only dip the end of the brush in. If the brush is sopping wet you will find it hard to control the paint, especially when painting small areas like the ones you're talking about. You might also want to mask around the areas you are going to paint, you can use some blue painters masking tape and a hobby knife to get the shape right.
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Sep 3, 2014 01:17
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madpanda posted:I've started using gundam markers in lieu of fighting with tiny mono color stickers, sometimes not so tiny when I can tell that they are just going to come off, fist wrappers etc. I notice, and this is probably due to my technique, that there is a decent amount of pooling on bigger pieces. How can I avoid that ? They come out decent enough if uneven. Popehoist is right, get a small brush and some paints. But until then try painting the part from below, that will minimize the amount of paint that comes out. Also use multiple light coats, etc.
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Sep 6, 2014 14:18
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Tenzarin posted:Any tips for using plastic cement? Should I be just holding pieces together and go down the seam line or open them alittle and cement in the seam line. Planning on practicing on some cut up runners first before trying actual parts. I also shaved pegs and bored some of the holes inside parts for easy disassembly, do I need to cement those as well? You want to put the cement on any surfaces that will come in contact with each other and then hold the surfaces against each other for a minute or so. After that leave the part for a while to let the weld cure, then you clean up the surface with a hobby knife/sandpaper/files.
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Sep 7, 2014 02:20
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So I decided to buy a pair of the $30 Tamiya nippers and I'm really wowed by them. I was using a $10 pair of Xuron flush cutters before and I always had to do a fair bit of clean up on nubs, usually filing them down then going over the area with sandpaper. The Tamiya ones cut so cleanly that in some cases I haven't even been able to feel a nub or imperfection left over afterwards. On most nubs all I need to do is a few passes with some 400 grit sandpaper and a couple passes with some 1000 grit stuff to make sure everything is nice and smooth. They also cut so cleanly through sprues that parts almost never go flying off into the carpet.
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Sep 8, 2014 17:11
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Kurui Reiten posted:Could you provide the nipper's model number? Always in the market for a really nice pair of nippers to make nub management easier. They are the Tamiya 74035 Sharp Pointed Side Cutters.
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Sep 8, 2014 17:38
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Literally The Worst posted:I opened up my first MG a little bit ago. One of Us. One of Us! ONE OF US! On a side note: I'm looking at 18 runners of MG Qubeley, it's looking like a pretty fun kit and I've always liked the unorthodox design of it but I'm wondering how much of a pain it would be to get a nice gloss coat on it via brushes. It seems to scream for gloss or at least semi-gloss with all the large curved surfaces.
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Sep 8, 2014 17:44
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I was planning on using matte enamel paints and then going over with future->acrylic wash->future x2 for the glossy look, would that work ok? I guess I could just do it all matte but it seems like a MS that would look good in gloss.
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Sep 8, 2014 18:50
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BlitzBlast posted:Though lord knows I'm never doing that. You keep telling yourself that. 
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Sep 8, 2014 23:38
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Literally The Worst posted:Also my fingers are really goddamn sore from pushing robots together and I just got the slip saying my HGUC Zaku and Z'gok are at the main office waiting for me and I'm trying really hard not to order the Unicorn Full Armor MG right now. Welcome to Gunpla.
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Sep 9, 2014 17:45
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Since painting my MG Qubeley by hand is apparently impossible I decided that I'm gonna get an airbrush setup and paints for xmas this year. I'm trying to decide on an airbrush and I have settled on this so far. I figure that plus a hood and some acrylic paints would make a good setup? Any opinions from airbrush users out there?
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Sep 10, 2014 20:25
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Suzaku posted:That is the thing I started with when I started airbrushing, and it is a really great way to go. I used it for a few years before upgrading. A hood isn't strictly necessary with acrylics, but it's a really good idea so you should do it. And if you ever spray something other than acrylics, you will definitely want to have it. Plus a mask, if you're working with lacquers. Part of my reasoning for getting an airbrush is that I can get a smooth finish with acrylics and that acrylics don't have all the nasty fumes that lacquers do. The hood is mostly so that vaporized paint does not float around and get on everything. I'll probably just get some paper masks to filter out the major stuff. I can just clean the acrylics out of the airbrush with water, right? I was going to use an acrylic thinner for thinning the paints themselves since I've heard that it gives a slightly smoother finish.
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Sep 10, 2014 20:56
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BlitzBlast posted:For most acrylics you can thin them just fine with water. Distill it if you want to be fancy. Don't the Tamiya acrylics smell horrific? Like "get a gasmask or prepare to hurl." level stench? 
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Sep 10, 2014 22:00
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mr. stefan posted:The ones I've used didn't smell all that bad, just a sort of vague sick-sweet smell. Mecha Gojira posted:Yeah, it's the lacquers that have awful odors if I remember correctly. I always found the sweet smell of the acrylics mildly pleasant, actually. But I'm a weirdo. Oh good. Thanks for the advice guys. 
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Sep 10, 2014 22:23
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BlitzBlast posted:If you're spraying anything at all, do it in a well-ventilated area. What do you do during winter? Just build stuff instead of painting? I'm planning to paint in my basement, but it has a door to the outside and one of those little basement windows on the other side so the ventilation ought to be decent if I open those up. Plus I was going to wear a mask anyway.
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Sep 11, 2014 01:51
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Ethiser posted:Gundam Guy has pictures of the kits for the main suits for season two of Build Fighters and I want all of them. So far in my modeling career I've built the R35 Gouf and recently ordered the Gyan and the backpack that makes it like the one from Build Fighters. The designs of the show are just so good. I can't resist. They are not really harder per se, they just have a lot of very small parts. The small parts can make stuff like nub removal more difficult and the tight fit of the parts can make painting a pain.
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Sep 11, 2014 04:23
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Gammatron 64 posted:Yeah, me too. Some of them even have nubs visibly coming off about a milimeter because I just got them with nippers rather than sanding or using an xacto. My Char's Zaku as a bunch of these on his tubes. gently caress those little tube sections. I swear I sand off more of my finger tips than plastic cleaning those up.
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Sep 11, 2014 18:32
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If you want to really get those sanded areas looking nearly the same as the unsanded ones you can try wet sanding with 2000 grit sandpaper.
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Sep 11, 2014 20:25
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Also look at the shape of your nubs and try to always cut from and angle that will minimize the amount of plastic you are cutting through, if you have a rectangular nub like this: [] You want to cut inwards from the sides, not from the top and bottom, this minimizes compression of the plastic in the middle and therefore minimizes stress marks.
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Sep 11, 2014 21:30
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S-Alpha posted:Oh man, I wasn't particularly pleased with the Tamiya silver leaf I used on my test paint of my current project, so I went around looking for other options and I came across this: It's sort of hideously expensive for spray cans. I mean $40 a pop and $130 for the set? It better drat well be flawless looking.
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Sep 16, 2014 17:25
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peeNamaste posted:Just finished this bad boy right here. Nice weathering work there!
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Sep 18, 2014 06:20
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BlitzBlast posted:Though if you mean online vendors in general and not just importing, Amazon is really great. If you're in America. Speaking of Amazon I just ordered an MG Turn X and MG Astray Red Frame along with some supplies and action bases. Anyone who wants the Red Frame at a nice price should buy it from Amazon now, it's on sale for only $47. 
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Sep 21, 2014 17:53
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BlitzBlast posted:I just can't believe this year's big December release is an RG. If they really want to mess with us they will announce, I dunno, RG/MG Kshatriya or something like that.
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Sep 22, 2014 17:25
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TARDISman posted:The Qan(T) is something like 45 bucks on Amazon pretty frequently, the only real downside being it's the 00 Qan(T) and only has a swordgun and the funnels. I think the 00 Raiser is usually in the 60-70 range since it comes with the 0 Raiser and three fairly large swordguns. Also, the 00 Raiser is more stable for posing, but good luck with the huge back parts, get a action base if you want to use the Raiser on the 00. The Raiser also comes with really nice effect parts and I think the big sword on it looks waaay better than the funnel sword, though that is subjective.
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Sep 23, 2014 05:59
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BlitzBlast posted:Oh huh, I totally forgot Bandai had an expo this time of year. Jesus is there anything else they could announce? Fixed for true insanity.
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Sep 23, 2014 19:28
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Vahtooch posted:I do really love how with each successive Astray the design process seems to be "Let's give it another sword. No wait, two. No wait... LETS MAKE IT SUPER POINTY!" It makes me so happy. I really need to pick up one of the Red Frame MG's, either the Sengoku or the one where the backpack turns into a huge bow thing. I'd go with the Sengoku for the utterly ridiculous Oni Shield of Doom and general samurai styling. But I lucked out and got one for $45 on amazon so I'm biased. 
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Sep 24, 2014 09:33
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signalnoise posted:Where do people get display printouts and poo poo for things like this http://www.amazon.com/Bandai-Hobby-HGBC-Build-Custom/dp/B00F04QR8K/ or the little stands that go in the bigger bases like museum info plates? My handwriting sucks That base comes with the little card that goes inside. The Action Base 3 just uses standard size post cards so you just buy/make one and stick it in. The little display thing that comes with the Action Base 1 is a do it yourself type of deal, you would have to make a label on your computer and print it on sticky labels or card stock and tape it on.
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Sep 24, 2014 13:04
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Ahahaha, holy poo poo, that thing it's going to be gloriously unstable, dear lord can you imagine the weight issues? Also the GyaGya is looking sharp, it reminds me of some stuff from Five Star Stories.
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Sep 26, 2014 05:35
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Also Bandai likes to reuse RG inner frames as many times as they can get away with and this can lead to wonky proportions and scale being off. Just something to be aware of if you care about that kind of thing. And oh man, that PG is looking hilarious, can you imagine having to fix it after it takes a dive into the floor with all the wiring for 30 loving LEDs? 
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Sep 26, 2014 07:22
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TaurusOxford posted:Given Unicorn's size and the fact that Bandai hasn't used wired LEDs for ages now, they can probably just put a bunch of MG LEDs in the frame for the lighting effect. I figured that with the LEDs lighting up in sequence there would need to be wiring to make that work? Unless each one has a wireless transmitter I guess.
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Sep 26, 2014 07:39
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Neddy Seagoon posted:That's not insane enough. 1/1 scale Nightingale World Tour. Ok, for something more plausible: RG Nu Gundam and Sazabi.
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Sep 26, 2014 10:30
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. For when the Neo Zeong just doesn't take up enough space in your home.
Literally The Worst posted:Hey nerds make a decision for me: HG Unicorn Full Armor Destroy Mode, for the Zeong fight scene, or MG Turn A because it has a mustache? I'll do both eventually, which should I do first. MG Turn A. That way the Neo Zeong can be the underdog by a hilarious margin.
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Sep 27, 2014 21:35
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everythingWasBees posted:I might be wrong, but I thought the HG Turn A has the same lining and stuff, but better proportions. No cow though. What's wrong with the MGs proportions? Also, the MG has better poseability and detail, along with the accessories being better. Oh, and if he ever gets the MG Turn X he can pose them together without the proportions looking way off.
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Sep 27, 2014 22:39
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BlitzBlast posted:Nope! Huh, I'd been told that the HG can't put it's arms straight up due to the shoulder armor construction while the MG can.
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Sep 27, 2014 22:49
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Bimmi posted:I do think the HG looks a little better than the MG, actually. Not too often that happens. I like the proportions and detail on the MG better but I think the colors on the HG look better.
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Sep 28, 2014 01:40
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