Master grade MS-06J Zaku II

[mz3]

My next project, hopefully it doesn't take as long as the Gundam did.



MS-06J Zaku II

J is ground unit! That means I'm going to town on this one. Streaks, rust, dust, maybe a small vignette with a building. Just a straight green paint job. It's a grunt/cannon fodder unit, so damage, worn paint, missing parts, everything is on the table for this one

[406 Silverado]

I'll be watching for some good progress on this one bud. Looking forward to what you're going to do with all the weathering and damage effects. Tuned in......

[chromdome35]

SWEET! Can't wait to see how you do this one.

[Real G]

Is that the 2.0 Zaku?  If so, I consider it one of the best Master Grade kits ever.  Newer kits with better fit and more advanced features have nothing on this kit, which got everything right.  I also have the 2.0 MS-06J, so I will be keenly watching how you weather yours!

[deafpanzer]

Too cool! I always liked the look of those and I am positive that my son has a kit of that one too!

[mz3]

Jul 17, 2023 12:54:41 GMT -5 Real G said:

Is that the 2.0 Zaku?  If so, I consider it one of the best Master Grade kits ever.  Newer kits with better fit and more advanced features have nothing on this kit, which got everything right.  I also have the 2.0 MS-06J, so I will be keenly watching how you weather yours!

Yeap, 2.0. I built this exact kit when they first came out, but lost it somewhere along the way. When I had a chance to buy one on sale a few months ago I didn't even hesitate for a second. I love this kit!

I'm currently deciding on what damage I want to try to produce on it. I don't want major damage, but I would like a battle hardened/survived look.

I've also been looking at buildings. The only things I can find are HO scale railroad items. There are listings all over that say 1/100, but they turn out to be HO or N. I think HO is 1/85 or something around there and N is like 1/150. I'll keep looking and if anyone has some insight I would really appreciate it!

[chromdome35]

HO is 1/85

If you are so inclined, you could fairly easily (nothing is ever easy) construct a service bay dio using sheet styrene and structural styrene.

[Real G]

Or eschew the urban setting and go SE Asian jungle, ala 08th MS Team.  

[mz3]

Nah, I want a building that's been wrecked. Rubble at the base, like the box art.

[mz3]

Moving faster on this one...

Started base damage with a soldering iron with a blade tip...










Some of them may be filled back in, I didn't really have a plan going in. I'll hit most of them with sandpaper then a file and/or exacto blade.

Having built this kit before I know where the parts have to be adjusted for painting...



The parts on the elbow need sanding otherwise they rub and chip the paint. Found that the hard way years ago.



Yoga?

[tcoat]

[stikpusher]

Love that battle damage!

[deafpanzer]

Jul 18, 2023 17:14:42 GMT -5 mz3 said:

Yoga?

I had absolutely no idea that it can be dangerous doing the yoga thing! Love the battle damages and I have to show my son cause he will probably want to do the same.

[mz3]

ENOUGH RIVETS!!!!

TIME TO ZAKU!!!!




So, obviously, I stripped it down. There are not as many parts as the FA-78-1 I finished before, thank science!






Give them a bath and get going on the fun stuff!

[Real G]

Mz3, is...is that a Kamen Rider "Henshin" pose?  

Will you be painting the inner frame assembled like that?  Or will you be taking it apart?

[deafpanzer]

Gosh, I'd appreciate if you can stop posting naked robots because we have kids here!!! On serious note I had no idea it can be striped down so it can be painted with ease.

[chromdome35]

I can't wait to see your paint job on this, its going to be sweeeeeeeeeeeeet!

[mz3]

Sorry...



G, I think I'm just going to paint the exposed areas of the frame. There are 2 other projects I want to start soon and getting this one done quicker will help. And yes😁

[deafpanzer]

LOL! Thanks for the chuckle!

[Real G]

Oh that's nothing!  The Turn A Gundam has a really alarming NSFW "feature".  Once you take a look at the cockpit, you can no longer unsee it.     To enhance the "effect", the thing folds down perpendicular to the body, wings come out, and it "fires" from the mobile suit.  And pay no attention to the cow in the upper body cubbyhole.  I'm not being sarcastic or leaning into hyperbole folks, it's all true.  Unfortunately.  Oh Syd Mead, artist and master futurist visionary, why?  Why Syd, why?  Those Nippon Sunrise guys slipped something into your sake, didn't they?  They made all kinds of promises, then forced you sign the contract, didn't they?

OK Hate Mode switched off now.

Zaku On, Mz3!  What color are you going to paint it?  Standard green, or something else?

[mz3]

Green, heavily worn, maybe a replacement part here and there. I'm thinking a dessert yellow panel on one of the arms, probably left arm so it's not covered by the shield. Definitely putting my armor skills back to use. I used to love building Shermans. So faded paint is a must.

[Real G]

YES! Desert yellows always look good on a Zaku! The armor community has most certainly contributed to mecha weathering, so much so that I feel I’m falling behind.

[mz3]

I tend to feel like alot of people use armor techniques a little too heavy on most mechs. Atleast in 1/100 scale. They don't take the actual scale into account. Or, in the case of a company promoting their product, go overboard with those products. On the FA-78-1 I just finished, there were several times I thought I went too far and toned it down. I took off all the silver chips because they looked overdone to me.

It's just a nitpick I have.

My idea for this one is to make it look really battered and worn down. Maybe on it's second or third pilot. Fighting in cities for months on end. At the end of it's service life. Without going overboard. Hopefully 😅

[mz3]

So the Zaku got put on temporary hold because inspiration hit me like a ton of bricks on another kit. I went like crazy on it.




It's already painted and I've started the weathering on it. I wanted to paint both at the same time, but this kit took 97 of my 110 paint sticks😳 I might make a thread on it.

But the Zaku will start up again today or tomorrow.

[chromdome35]

Aug 22, 2023 13:18:57 GMT -5 mz3 said:

This kit took 97 of my 110 paint sticks😳 I might make a thread on it.

Thats a clean-looking build, it's kind of cute in a big destructive mech kinda way.

What are paint sticks and what kind are you using?

[mz3]

They are just sticks with gator clips on the end.


I get them from Hobby Lobby.

It's not going to be clean for long.

[Real G]

Aug 22, 2023 14:30:28 GMT -5 mz3 said:

They are just sticks with gator clips on the end.


I get them from Hobby Lobby.

It's not going to be clean for long.





Oh I LOVE those!  A friend gave me a bunch a long time ago, but I put them away and forgot I had them.  But once I started using them, I could no longer imagine life without them!

[deafpanzer]

Aug 22, 2023 13:18:57 GMT -5 mz3 said:

So the Zaku got put on temporary hold because inspiration hit me like a ton of bricks on another kit. I went like crazy on it.




It's already painted and I've started the weathering on it. I wanted to paint both at the same time, but this kit took 97 of my 110 paint sticks😳 I might make a thread on it.

But the Zaku will start up again today or tomorrow.

I really like her too!!! Thanks for the tip about the sticks with pins... never knew that Hobby Lobby sells those!

[mz3]

They're kinda crappy, but they do the job. Sometimes the clips fall off, you just need to squeeze the metal back in place at the base of the clip.

[406 Silverado]

This is looking good so far MZ. I'm learning a whole new genre of modeling following along with good threads like this one.