The Gundams A Go-Go Thread

[Real G]

Jul 10, 2023 13:34:04 GMT -5 stikpusher said:

Nice looking Gundams, but I really like that Blockade Runner! I do wish that Bandai would do a larger one than their palm size kit.

Yeah, but it looks like Bandai has cooled on the Star Wars kits for now.  A 12" Blockade Runner would have been exquisite.  I have heard rumors that Round 2 are going to make a 1/48 TIE Bomber, but I would have been happy if Bandai had done one in 1/72.

The one bugaboo I absolutely HATE about Bandai is their continued use of stickers for their kits.  Hate-hate-hate them.  For the Blockade Runner, I used aftermarket waterslide decals that performed beautifully, conforming to all the fine detail on the kit.  The decal was on a continuous carrier film, so each one had to be painstakingly trimmed out.  It was nerve-wracking work, but the end results were most satisfying.



I was afraid the decals would not perform well, as I noticed the sheet was offset litho printed (you can see colored dots under extreme magnification), usually an indication of thick, low quality decals, but these performed like a champ.

[stikpusher]

I used the stickers on my 1/144 X-Wing and was pleasantly surprised on how they worked out. They are pretty thin, conform well, and have great adhesion. I did also paint some markings myself, but the stickers were not as bad as I had feared.

[Real G]

So here is the kit gun at the top of the photo, along with a pair of smaller scale 1/144 guns.  I am really not a fan of the three claw-like thingies on the barrel, as well as the general shape of the Gundam Mk.V's gun.  So I am looking at some other potential designs for a replacement.  The tape represents the overall length of the smaller weapons scaled up to 1/100.



The Xeku Eins is a contemporary Earth Federation mobile suit from the Gundam Sentinel story.  The Zaku III Kai is a Neo Zeon design from Double Zeta Gundam, which from a timeline perspective, is from the same era as Sentinel.  The Xeku Eins gun has a really long rear section which might impair cradling it in the arms, while the Zaku III's gun is about an inch shorter than the Gundam Mk.V's gun.  Decisions, decisions.

I am starting to think about taking the Gundam's gun and lopping off the barrel assembly, then making a new barrel based on the Zaku III's gun.  Or modding the Xeku Eins' gun to have a shorter back end, and fit it with an energy pack.  The Xeku Eins has a power cable that connects the gun to an enormous tank on its shoulder, which the Gundam Mk.V lacks.

What do you guys think?  Big blaster?  Or smaller pew-pew?

But right now, that's the least of my worries.  I have to get on with readying the Gundam for paint.

[mz3]

Mmmmm, Zakus

[406 Silverado]

I like the middle one myself as it looks like a suppressive fire weapon. I was always the guy stuck with an M60 in my hands (aka "the pig") and was a decent shot with it. Just something about that Xeku that looks just as intimidating.

[Real G]

Jul 12, 2023 9:42:06 GMT -5 406 Silverado said:

I like the middle one myself as it looks like a suppressive fire weapon. I was always the guy stuck with an M60 in my hands (aka "the pig") and was a decent shot with it. Just something about that Xeku that looks just as intimidating.

Yeah, I like big blasters too.  I'd better make a cardboard mock-up to see if the Gundam's arm can properly hold it.  The modern 1/100 Gunpla kits all have slots and tabs for the hands and gun grips, to help keep the gun in place.  As such, no off-center holding of the gun will be possible.

BTW, this is where the big blaster gun came from:

www.bigbadtoystore.com/Product/VariationDetails/89325

[brandonk]

This is really pretty cool. This is also a subject I intentionally tell myself I don't like. Why, so I won't suddenly find myself buying 100 new kits for the stash. I don't need more stuff. I'll just keep telling myself I don't like them and hope it works. LOL

[Real G]

Jul 14, 2023 15:57:17 GMT -5 brandonk said:

This is really pretty cool. This is also a subject I intentionally tell myself I don't like. Why, so I won't suddenly find myself buying 100 new kits for the stash. I don't need more stuff. I'll just keep telling myself I don't like them and hope it works. LOL

Yeah, don’t do it! I got sucked in by buying just one little $3.25 kit as a joke. It sucked me into Gundam as well as the Japanese robot anime genre. If I hadn’t gone shopping on that fateful day in 1983, I might still be just building planes and tanks.

[Real G]

A PSA for KPS:

When Bandai announced they were moving away from using poly caps, those polyethylene grommet thingies that allow our robot models to be posed in so many cool ways, I was really concerned.  They claimed they were using a new styrene mix called KPS, which unlike conventional styrene mixes, the rubber additive molecularly bonds with the styrene to provide a more durable material.  (Yeah, I went to an industrial plastics website to look this material up.)

There are also apparently problems with Bandai's no-polycap ABS joints splitting when being painted or something like that.  So that was the reason Bandai abandoned ABS and went for KPS.  Frankly, I feel it was just a way to cut costs.  I think the Gundam: Origins kits used KPS, but I am not 100% sure.  Bandai might have just used regular styrene, as these kits are notorious for going floppy.  Seeing this made me really suspicious of KPS and Bandai's "Operation: Cheapo-Cheapo" thinking.

The Gundam Mk.V was the first kit I have worked on using this KPS plastic, and while I was initially skeptical of its durability, I have to admit as a load-bearing joint material, it seems to work.  The plastic does feel weird, kind of flexible yet pretty strong.  It definitely sands weirdly, and scars easily during nub removal.

Yeah...  It scars easily.      When I began disassembling the parts for painting, I created a mess of damage when I used my fingernails to pry the parts open.  I now have to repair horrible dents and gouges in highly visible areas of the model.  GAAAH.

While I try to calm down and let the patches of hair pulled out of my scalp heal, I have switched to working on another kit.





This is Kotobukiya's 1/144 Super ZZ Gundam, a kit that hails from the heyday of Japanese robot resin garage kits in the 1990s.  Penned by Makoto Kobayashi, who also was responsible for the (very different) ZZ Gundam that appeared on TV, it exhibits all the traits of the legendary mecha designer: tiny head, huge shoulders and feet, and a honking big gun.  The kit is gorgeous, but assembly is entirely DIY - no pins, tabs, or many alignment guides; it's all on the builder.





I think my mommy bought this kit for me when she was in Japan back when it came out in the early 1990s, and it has sat for decades after an initial clean-up of the resin parts. I was too afraid of building such a cool, expensive kit, and didn't quite know how I'd tackle jointing the heavy legs and feet. The arms have more joints than a human (another Makoto Kobayashi trait), which meant that I'd have to devise a way to pin the parts together to get the arms in a correct position to hold that enormous gun. And the gun sits on a ridiculous little multi-jointed "smart gun" arm, the only parts of the kit that looked poor. I'm gonna need to make a new one.







So anyway, I screwed down the courage to dive headlong into the kit and get stuff done.







I still need to make that smart gun arm as well as mounting points for the multitude of PE fins.  They are gorgeous and add fine detail, but I don't want them flaking off every time the wind blows.

Updates soon!

[Leon]

That is looking good!

[406 Silverado]

Gonna hit the sack for tonight but I'm coming back to this one first thing in the morning to read through this before commenting.

[406 Silverado]

Really getting an education in Bandai kits with these different plastics that you're talking about Neal. Sounds like they are trying to resolve an ongoing issue with the quality of them but haven't quite got it all figured out yet.
How you can take a "box o' parts" like that and come up with the construction that you did with it is a feat all in itself. The built up Gundam looks great though.

[Real G]

Bandai has something like dinosaur brain.  They are innovative, yet are slow to address problems.  Or maybe they intentionally ignore them to save money.

They used vinyl (PVC) for flexible parts for decades, even though consumers complained about the material attacking styrene and getting gummy after being painted.  Some newer kits have synthetic rubber parts, but the material is rather stiff.

The polystyrene plastic they use is susceptible to splitting and cracking when enamel washes are applied.  I have not had this problem with any other manufacturer's kits.  This is a Bandai-only problem, which is down to the styrene mix they use.  I suspect cost is the driving factor behind this. 

They continue to provide stickers instead of waterslide decals for most of their kits.  Good for kid's activity books and lunch boxes, but lousy for models.  They claim it is easier to apply, you know, for the kids.  But any experienced modeler will know that is a lie.  Stickers grab once, quickly, and usually not in the right position, then stick for good.

Of course they do get a lot of things right, like the Gundam Mk.V, soft KPS plastic notwithstanding.  Other than that little problem, it is a great kit.  Being a Pee Bandai on-line exclusive kit, it has waterslide decals, unlike their standard mass-market kits with the sucky stickers.

Okay, Rant Mode is now switched off.

[Real G]

Last night I worked a bit on the Super ZZ, adding some mounting pins for the foot armor and modding the "fundoshi" armor plate hinge.  I replaced the kit-supplied metal coil spring hoses with Kynar wire, as it is more flexible and takes paint better.







These mods are typical for this kit, all DIY.

[stikpusher]

Very nice touch replacing the hoses! Where do you find lunar wire? It looks like guitar string, but much more flexible.

[Real G]

Stik,

Kynar wire is used in hobby electronics.  The wire is made up of a copper core with nickel plating (I think), which is covered by a plastic insulation material that is not PVC.  It comes in various gauges (I think I use 30 gauge AWG) and colors.  Radio Shack used to sell the stuff in packs, with one each in white, blue, red and yellow.  I recently bought black Kynar wire in big bamboocha spools on Ebay.

The wire is great for detailing jobs, as it is easy to bend, and the plastic insulation holds nicely with CA glue.  I like to coil it up to make hoses, like for the Super ZZ, and pulled out a bit it makes for nice headphone wiring.  Or for a land line telephone with a corded handset!  

www.amazon.com/TEBFU-CABLE-Gauge-Electronic-Colors/dp/B09FJZ43DH/ref=sr_1_3_sspa?adgrpid=1342504259593691&hvadid=83906586979483&hvbmt=be&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=46243&hvnetw=o&hvqmt=e&hvtargid=kwd-83906854694115%3Aloc-190&hydadcr=8433_10836508&keywords=30+awg+kynar+wire&qid=1690318442&sr=8-3-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGY&psc=1

If modelers have not seen or tried this wire, they definitely should get some for the detailing toolbox!

[mz3]

I found a list of kits Bandai has used kps on. I've built several of them. The list is larger then I thought it would be. I haven't had any problems with any of them. Is there something different about the mk V kit?

[Real G]

Jul 26, 2023 13:06:58 GMT -5 mz3 said:

I found a list of kits Bandai has used kps on. I've built several of them. The list is larger then I thought it would be. I haven't had any problems with any of them. Is there something different about the mk V kit?

No, I just have big claws for hands.  

Forewarned is forearmed, and so from now on, I will over-drill the sockets for a loose fit when test fitting.  I have this cheapo-cheapo drill set that is in increments of 0.01 mm, so for the 2mm sockets I have used the 2.01mm drill.  So from now on, it'll be the 2.02 mm drill.  I also need to find a better quality set, as the drills were quite dull when new.

[Real G]

I have to keep pushing forward, so I had a look at the kit PE last night.



The are made of stainless steel!  AAAAARGH.  That makes trimming/sanding the nubs a chore.  On the upside, they are very strong and durable.  As you can see some bending is taking place, like on the rectangular "fusion grids" that go over the chest vents.  I am leaving some of the PE runners on to provide some form of mounting tab, since the kit lacks any.



I test fit the kit-provided brass wire for the head antennae.  Some little plastic bits were added to liven the main ones up.

[mz3]

No, I just have big claws for hands.  

You should get those filed down.

[Real G]

Well, I did trim my fingernails last night.

I am very close to hanging all the loose stuff on the Super ZZ.  It's looking quite menacing.



I still have to pin some big armor blocks to the feet and figure out how to mount the spare energy packs to the hips.  The e-packs are one-shot deals, so I should pack as many on as possible!  The kit provides seven packs, but don't think I'll stuff the pair under the knees.  That would just be weird.    The Japanese have this thing for overly powerful doomsday guns, the Space Battleship Yamato being possibly the most well known.

I also have to make a new smart gun arm, as the kit parts are awful.  It's an important piece, as it will determine the pose of that monster gun.



That's the GFF RX-78-2 Gundam in front of the Super ZZ.  Both are 1/144 scale.

[chromdome35]

That is totally BADASS!

I have always preferred the more "military" Gundam styles, and this one pushes all the right buttons.

Can't wait for the rest!

[Real G]

Jul 28, 2023 18:32:06 GMT -5 chromdome35 said:

That is totally BADASS!

I have always preferred the more "military" Gundam styles, and this one pushes all the right buttons.

Can't wait for the rest!

And they are a-plenty:



















The first and last ones are in my closet. The Buran (the big green crabby thing) is crazy-big, like the Super ZZ.  I definitely want to get these guys built!

[stikpusher]

Yup! I’ll second the badass description! Now it just needs some detail work to look absolutely killer… 😏

[keavdog]

Paint that B%^ch!

[deafpanzer]

WOW! So many amazing details especially the blaster. I have so much to learn about those kits... looking forward to more updates here!

[Real G]

I got some black primer on last night.  I blew almost an entire can of Mr. Surfacer 1500!  It looks even more menacing now.  







I need to make a new smart gun arm so I can fix the pose of the arms.   The ammo packs need to be cleaned up and have some details replaced.  I still need to figure out how they will mount to the gun and hips.

I'll also need to go over every inch of the model to spot stuff that needs to get fixed.

[Leon]

That sure does look menacing in black!

[stikpusher]

Now that it’s in black, it kinda reminds me of the Queen in Aliens… very menacing looking!

[406 Silverado]

Man that almost looks like something out of the "Alien" movies. lol. Good and detailed build up and this one is definitely coming together nicely Neal.

I do like that Goblin Gundam......complete with Zimmerit. NICE!!