Gaplant Dio Update and Bawoo Pre-Build

Sorry for the long hiatus to those who actually read this blog. These last few semesters are gonna be tough as I'm trying to get through graduating high school. A bunch of problems with me not passing certain courses. Hopefully I'll be able to settle everything by the end of June, so please anticipate more posts after that.

Gaplant WIP 3

Quick update on the Gaplant build. I've used Celluclay to make the groundwork and applied some fine sand to it for texture. Also Added a bunch of polystyrene tubes and random junk parts I have. Preparing for painting in the next few weeks.

Hobby Shops in Sapporo

While I was staying in Sapporo, I did go around looking for models. I obtained my HGUC GM and GM Command Space Type from Yodobashi Camera. The store is located right next to the main transit station "Sapporo Station". This station is a terminal for the subway and the train systems and is basically considered the centre of the city. Stupid me didn't take pictures of the inside of the store, so I will try to explain it to the best of my ability.

Next Project

My next project is going to hopefully be a diorama featuring the HGUC GM Command Space Type and the HGUC GM. It's going to be based on one of the scenes in the Gundam Senki 0081 OVA. With all the resupply cables still attached to the units after the ship was destroyed and the two half-destroyed mobile suits holding hands. For those who have never seen the OVA, it can be found here.

Dirfinge Paint Stripping

When I painted the frame of the kit many months ago, I failed to properly sand the legs. Needless to say, I got huge clearly visible seam lines after the airbrushing it. So now I ended up having to strip the paint off.

I'm Back

Just to confirm that I am still alive and have been working on some models. The Zaku III I completed and submitted earliar is still in the shop and I have not gotten it back yet. Seems something went wrong at the group hosting the contest so I think I'm going to go get it back sometime this week and take some better photos. I've made some prebuild for a few models, but for my next project I think I'm going to finish making the Dirfinge and have it in a diorama. Expect some more posts around this week. Anyways, to make up for the lack of posts you can look at these dioramas that I found in a store in Seattle's Japan Town.

Zaku III Finished

Finished the Zaku III and submitted it to the competition. I learned a lot of things during this build and I've improved since the last one. I didn't make the same mistakes as my last build, though I've made new ones. My sanding skills still need a lot of work as the puttied parts still be seen if you look close enough. None are visible in these photos though. The colour scheme was kind of messed up due to me rushing and painting this thing just a day before the deadline. I'll take a proper photoshoot once I get the model back from judging.

Zaku III WIP 4

 

Not really a big update as the Zaku is mostly finished except for the head. This will be my last WIP for the Zaku as I really need to rush to finish and paint the model.

Zaku III WIP 3

Almost finished the Zaku III, but the arms and head still need to be properly attached after what I did to them. Most of the lower body as been completed and are waiting to be painted. I have 17 days left to finish this project and submit it to the Vanpla Zaku Competition. Pictures of the finished project can be expected later on this month.

Zaku III WIP 2

Well, it's been around a month since my last post and I've managed to get some progress on this guy. All the seam lines have been or are in the finishing processes of being removed. I've stared re-sculpting some parts and am about 70% complete minus the paint. Recently, I purchased my first scriber so we'll see how much I can do with that. Hopefully, I won't make a disastrous mistake when scribing panel lines. I will now have to go into overdrive and finish this model quickly as I'm making this for a gunpla competition hosted by the mecha model club Vanpla. The due date is March and the theme is the zaku. You can see all our work and works in progress here: http://vanplaforum.com/index.php.

Zaku III WIP 1

It's been a while since my last post and I've been working on the Zaku III quite a bit. No real reason for not posting, just didn't think I had enough things to mention. Now I've built up a bunch of pictures and thought it was finally time to show them. This is what it currently looks like, notice the changes? The rifle is from Kotobuikya. I also replaced the hideous stock hands which I'll get pictures for in a later post.

Zaku III Prebuild

Since I most of my current projects can't really be worked on until after they get painted, I might as well work on something while I wait to get paint. This Zaku III is being made for a local Gunpla contest in my town. It's Zaku themed and I chose this simply because it was one of my favourite designs from Gundam ZZ.

New "Spray Booth"

I live in Vancouver and it gets pretty cold here and I found that whenever I spray painted, the paint would always crack from the cold temperature before I could get it inside my house. So I decided to create a booth that could keep my parts from getting cold and cracking.

Gundam X Divider WIP 1

One of my current projects. This model was given to me last year when I went with my best-friend to a new years party. He went to a different school and I only knew one person other than him. When we went to the host's house I found out the host really liked building gundam models. He wasn't much of a modeler though. I got this model by telling him it would "break" if he tried to make it since it was so old. :P Ironically enough, some of it's pegs broke when I was working on it a few minutes ago. ^_^; I'm planning on finishing this model and giving it back to him to inspire him to start making models more seriously.

Dirfinge Prebuild

This is the 1/60 Dirfinge by Kotobukiya. It's the first Koto kit I've thus far made and may be the only one I ever make. The model was pretty simple to build, this model is part of Kotobukiya's line of kits with full frames called frame arms. The frame is made up of abs plastic otherwise known as indestructible plastic. The frame isn't too solid since it uses polycaps for every joint, abs + pe = bad joints. The actual armour parts that make it actually look like the mecha it's portraying is connected through small plugs in the frame. Pros to this are the armor parts are separated into sub assemblies for easy painting. Cons are that the armour parts tend to fall off very frequently. I don't have many ideas on what to do with this kit due to the frame limiting my options. I'll most likely won't be doing mods on this and just focus on painting and weathering.

Doven Wolf prebuild

I usually modify my model kits by doing more than just adding thrusters. I usually try to re sculpt some areas to give it some originality. However since this is a vintage model, I will try to make it as true to the original in the show as possible. The engineering at the time this kit was made could never match the original in the show. I've made it out of the kit in order to see what flaws I want to correct and what I want to modify. The Doven Wolf as seen in the following pictures is currently held together with blue tack. This kit was made before gunpla become snap-built.

       

Doven Wolf acquired!

Just got an HLJ package with a model kit that I've been searching for a long time. Friend of mine has been searching for it for years. It's the Doven Wolf from Gundam ZZ, one of my favourite mobile suit designs. Too bad Bandai at the time didn't have it's advanced injection system they do now. The model could never match it's boxart, at least until I make it!