My Gundam is ready to fight!

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.

Scalpal - it’s for scraping off some nubs or cutting various things.
Line Engraver - just to widen lines. I found this tool to be useless after my first use.
Tamiya Extra Thin Cement - this is for fusing together two pieces to remove seam lines.
Tamiya Finish Abrasives - this is sand paper for wet sanding. Wet sanding is used for removing nubs and giving it a nice finished polished look.
Gundam Markers - Originally, I wanted to use this for panel lining, but I bought the wrong set. This is used for coloring Gundams.

Oh I also forgot to mention my HG Aile Gundam Strike

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.

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.

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.

Let me tell you what these things do. The Tamiya Snippers are for cutting out the Gundam pieces out of the frame. The frame is known as the runner, so keep that in mind. I will be using the word runner instead of frame. Why did I buy Tamiya Snippers versus using regular snippers or nail clippers or etc…? Because Tamiya Snippers have a flat blade, so they give an ideal cut.

Now, on to the Mr. Hobby Flat Spray. The flat spray is used in the final stages of building the Gundam. Flat, also known as Matte, gives it a non-glossy surface. Some people like their Gundam glossy, and some don’t. In my opinion, the Gundam looks better and more realistic when it has a flat look.

What else? Hmm.. Oh yes, I have been learning and working on a lot of Gundam Models stuff. I will post beginner tutorials and my progress for my Gundams. I Hope you guys love the site still :).

What anime would you guys like to watch online? Post it in comments.