Here are some pictures of my Finished Gundam Wing Zero. As I noted earlier, I have two. One for messing around with and testing techniques and the other one is taken seriously. By the way, this is just a test fit. The only thing I did to it was cut off the nubs and used a scalpal to scrape of the nubs even more.

My Gundam is ready to fight!

“Nubs” are those little bumps left over from the runner.

For those who don’t know what a runner is, a runner is the frame that holds all the parts that you have to snip out from. I really have no clue why it is called a runner, but who cares!

Back to the point. Everyone has their own technique. Some people like to use the wet sanding method, and some people like to do dry sanding method. If you want my recommendation, I would say go with the wet sanding.

Here are some of the reasons why I recommend wet sanding.

• You don’t need a mask, because the water will hold all of the plastic.
• You don’t have to worry about roughing up the areas that you aren’t trying to sand.

Now, you can’t just use normal paper to wet sand. You need to buy it online or at your local hobby store. I, myself, use Tamiya Finish Abrasives. When buying sand paper, there are different grits to choose from. For example, 1000, 600, 400, etc.. 400 is used for bringing that nub down. 1000 is usually used for polishing. The higher the number, the finer the sanding. This is what I normally do, I use 400 to get that nub down, then 600 to clean it up a bit and 1000 to polish it, so it looks sexy. If you do decide to buy from Tamiya and you want follow my method, I would suggest buying the assortment pack. The pack consists of two 1000 sheets, one 600 sheet, and two 400 sheets.

Some people like their monitors Glossy, and some people like thier monitors to be matte. This applies to Gundam models as well. Some people like their Gundams to have a glossy look, and some like thier Gundams to have a flat (matte) look. I personally like the Gundams to have a flat look. To me, a glossy coat makes the Gundam feel real fake.

To the pictures! First we have a glossy Gundam (stock/default).

Next we have the flat look.

Yes, I know the Gundam is incomplete. If you look at the chest in the first picture, it is much shiner than the second picture.

Next comparision! Another glossy look.

Now, for the flat look. Since it was my first time spraying it, it coat wasn’t very even.

Now, let’s see them side by side.

Glossy is shinier and flat is not as shiny. I love the flat look! But that doesn’t mean you have to like it. I hope you liked the comparison.

So you want to start to buy Gundams eh? Instead of using the term “Gundam Models”, a more common term would be “Gunpla”.

A few things you should know when buying a Gundam.

• There are four different grades, First Grade (FG), High Grade (HG), Master Grade (MG), and Perfect Grade (PG).
• In my opinion, FG Gundams look like crap. So if you are going to buy one, buy a HG at the least. MG and PG are recommended, but they are much more expensive.

Differences between FG, HG, MG, and PG

FG is the least detailed. Some colors on the Gundam maybe absent, and the mobility of the Gundam is very limited.  For example, the arm would probably be once piece which would mean only the joint at the shoulder would be able to move. I don’t even know how much First Grades cost. My guess would be $10 or so.

HG is has more mobility. Their elbows can bend, wrists can twirl, and knees can bend. They look a bit better, but of course it would be missing some color still. The price for High Grade would be around $20-$30

MG is very close to perfect grade, but not as big. Master grade can pose in positions that FG and HG can’t because MG’s mobility is obviously superior. MG Gundams would probably cost around $50 and up.

PG would be the best out there. The have a cockpit for a little pilot, their eyes can glow, their fingers move, and much more. PG has all the small essentials that fans love. Unlike the lower grades, PG’s are a lot more expensive. They range from $120-$200, but it is worth the money, in my opinion. I know plenty of people who only buy PG Gundams.

One more thing, if you don’t already know, the pictures of the models on the box are all heavily detailed. This means that your Gundam will not look like that unless you do some work to it.

My current building procedure is very basic. It involves no painting, but flat coat and panel lining.

1. Snip all the parts out of the runner.
2. Sand down the “nubs”. Nubs are the little bumps left over from the runner.
3. Put the parts together to build the Gundam.
4. Use a Gundam Marker to line all the panel lines.
5. Give the Gundam a nice flat coat.

I will airbrush in the future,  and when I do, I will give you my new procedure. Until then, I will have to save money to get my air brush and air compressor.