Quick Question 2010

[kasmichan]

if you have enough money go for the SF FBM..00 doesn't have some MG yet aside from Exia and GN-X so if you have low income go for those..

if you have much money to spend go for the Hi-Nu or Ex-S..

but like genji said..choose the kit for your skill level..not because it's MG doesn't mean you don't need modifications..paint jobs and other adjustments are still required so that you can get the design you like..from trimming to simple paint application are required to any gundam grade..believe me..starting from a 1:144 kit is the best for skill enhancing though I started with SRW kits and not Gundams..hehe

[Gane]

Ditto to Kasmichan... it all depends on your spending power and skill level...

Why? If the model is not your skill level, you could be throwing your money off the window and end up cursing the Gundam lords...

The Good side for large armaments and gimmicks is that depending on the production date of the Gundam, you can get a great kit for a lower price. And who doesn't want to have huge weapons to destroy the enemies to smithereens?


The Downside?
- If you "play" with your Gundam or pose them in all possible way a lot, you will eventually damage the polycaps which are not perpetually tight...
- If you're not up to it, the amount of plastic can be daunting to build and you could loose interest halfway. This happens a lot to modelers, so beware...
- Needs big space for their size alone... and get ready to see falling Gundams from the shelves because you didn't notice the whachamacallit of this Gundam hit the doohickey of the other Gundam.
- Although Bandai makes one of the best manuals around, it's still tedious to follow with 200-400 parts around...


Check out Dalong's rates for those kits for reference... go to dalong.net and check them individually...


In the end you will have to do the whole thing yourself, so it's best to know your skill level before delving into deeper waters of the Gundam model kit world...

And enjoy building and don't treat it as a chore that you have to finish... it should always be a fun build...

[kasmichan]

Gane
I must agree since when I'm still collecting gundams before..I found out that they're like sardines in a can in my cabinet...

For new collectors and Modelers..I would suggest getting the RG RX-78..it's the best practising model this time around though it's a bit pricey..the parts are numerous but I found it fun to build..very easy since it's inner frame is already built in its sprues..the only downside is that there are tons if safety measures needed for the inner frame since there are tons of tiny pieces that are easy to break..

but for a modeler that don't have much money to spend..I suggest the 00 kits first since it's sturdy and it's the only gundam that you'll see in the malls today..

I would like to suggest the old models like the 1:144 Wing and G Gundam series since they are the easiest gundams to build but they are rare nowadays..

but if you're new to modeling but have faith in your skills already..go for the Super Robot Wars Kits or MG..I know base on experience that Kotobukiya will definetely put your skills and patience to its limits...

[moonie7]

buying my first PG.. what do you recommend, 00 or Astray Red?

oh and how does GT pre order work? do i have to pay immediately? or its just like reserving an item?

[kasmichan]

moonie7
GT preorders are the same as other stores..you select your item then put a downpament for it..I dunno how much is required for a certain item..try going to GT every saturay afternoon..sir malvs is there so you may ask him regarding an item you wanna order..

Regarding PG..which one do you like more? 00 or Red Frame? when if comes down to price, the Astray wins since 00 will kill you wallet for a wooping amount..but if you wanna try first, try the wing zero custom or the RX-78 since they both cost pretty cheap..but if your up for it go with the 00 Riser though you may get disappointed that it still carries the clear white parts from the smaller scales and you still need to paint them..

I for one will go with the Strike since I found it pretty mobile since it has the sky grasper kit separately for the Aile CAS..or for a much cheaper I'll choose Strike Rouge..

[moonie7]

thanks, its red frame or strike then..

but a PG might have to wait, i need to practice first how to paint, so that's another question.

how much would a spray paint cost? any recommendation on brands and newbie friendly stuffs, and site for tutorials? am i even right in posting painting/modding questions here?

oh, what GT store are you referring to?

[kasmichan]

moonie7
there's a thread on this same page..the one above this page..those 2 separate ones..there are painting tips there just look in it^^..regarding spray paints..well the one I can only recommend that I'm using now is the Tamiya Dual-Action Airbrush..it may cost you a bit (around 10k including the air compressor) but the outcome is nice..I used single-action Airbrush before and I kinda mess-up with a lot of details...Start practicing used brushes so you can train your hands to be steady since airbrushing needs steady hands in order to paint little edges of some kits...oh and I recommend also watching a vid in youtube on making "sword-calamity gundam" there's a point-to-point way there on how to build a 1:144 scale but that's for pros..but you can get tons of tips there that you can use in building gunpla and alot more..

it's GT Greenhills the nearest branch here in cainta..I don't know what time he's in in other branches..

[moonie7]

ooh cainta, i study there at brickroad XD

nice, GT greenhills is the only one i go to.. (maybe i should learn how to drive first. LOL)

thanks a lot!

[kasmichan]

brickroad...haven't been there I guess..hahahaha XD..if you prefer your own vehicle then it's up to you...hehehe glad to help..^^

[Gane]

Aug 7, 2010 6:43:17 GMT 8 moonie7 said:

thanks, its red frame or strike then..

but a PG might have to wait, i need to practice first how to paint, so that's another question.

how much would a spray paint cost? any recommendation on brands and newbie friendly stuffs, and site for tutorials? am i even right in posting painting/modding questions here?

oh, what GT store are you referring to?

To add to the details Kasmichan already mentioned, here's some I dug up my memory...

GT (Great Toys) requires a P500 down payment for any pre-order, a sales lady told me this although since a PG is a lot more expensive you may want to check them out by calling their their stores. I don't really use this because I just wait and get the extra supply (because Sir Malvs sometimes get 2 or more stocks an item depending on popularity), but when you think the item will have a 50/50 chances of coming locally then a pre-order would be advantageous.

Most PG kits don't require painting externally (but for accuracy this is important) that will need the use of a spray paint or an airbrush. I realized this with my PG Zaku which I already sold, if you wnt to show off the inner mechanics then you will need brush on paints...

Just remember that a PG kit has more than 3X the amount of small to tiny parts than a MG kit. You will need a mat to work on and probably a safety cloth under you to catch those wayward parts flying off the sprue cutter (nipper) believe me losing and looking for a tiny piece of plastic is hell.

Spray paints and other painting techniques have their own thread in the Gundam Section so you may want to check that out. It includes some ideas for using hardware spray paints (Bosny and RJ) because their cheaper, Tamiya and Mr. Hobby brands as well.

For a good spray painting guide you can check Scale Auto Enthusiast for the best technique and guide.

For airbrush, a single action airbrush works like a spray paint only more expensive, but you can mix the color you want while a double action airbrush can do miracles with enough dexterity with the pricepoint as it's only downside. You can find cheap double actions but I have yet to get me one and although some reviews give it a go, it's still a risk on the buyer.

For a newbie I will recommend spray paint on a plastic toy.

Before painting any red plastic without priming, make sure that you check the material if the paint will make the plastic bleed... believe me you don't want this aggravation and frustration...

[zero]

do you guys know where I can buy spare revoltech joints?

[kasmichan]

zero
I remembered sir malvs telling me before that he has some spare joints..though ask him through inquiry..I can't tell it 100%..

[poring]

what paint should I use if I want to repaint a figma? Are Tamiya paints safe for the figma material?

[kasmichan]

poring
figma's material is way too different from gundams..it's a special glossy type material..I've already tried it and scratches are left in the body...

[spardaman]

Hi! I really like building HG 1/144 kits as opposed to MG ones (due to budget and display space problems) and I'm wondering how to clean up those ugly cut-out marks from the pieces without using paints. My hands are quite...shaky and I tried painting one model (TT Hongli) for practice and the results were...ugh.

Any tips?

And I'm also thinking of buying my first Kotobukiya kit, Dygenguard, because of its massive sword. How do you rate the degree of difficulty of building Kotobukiya kits vs. Bandai's HG 1/144 kits?