S Gundam Update: Arms Done

Finished the S Gundam arms tonight. This was the first time I tried using masking tape to do multiple colors on the shoulders. (Click on the Photos for more details). First I painted the whole piece in normal red, then applied various strips of masking tape, then painted the whole piece again in a different mix of red. Once dried, removing the tape leaves the the design, I'm really happy how it turned out.

Here's more detail on the left. One small bit of the Gundam System decal didn't stick, but I'll live with it. Fixing that one spot could potential ruin everything else.

Here's the arms together.

Here's the right arm. You can see the striping design better here.

Left again with the wing binder attached. You can see the metallic grey on the wing binder joint. I used the metallic grey for the venting in the shoulder too.

The PIII decal needed to go on the shoulder in my opinion. I love the Pegasus III. I'm still not entirely certain if its just the Nehl Argama or not, but its still one of my most favorite Assault Carriers in the Gundam Universe. I wish I could find a model of it, but I have the Albion to build so that'll have to do for now.

I'm going to take a look at the instruction book tonight to figure out what section I'll work on next. I suppose I could just go in order, but that would be the legs, and I might want to do the whole upper body first. I'll keep you guys posted.

Until next time -

Jaa~

Sorry for the Delay in Updates.....

I've been battling it out at my work this week, starting my new position and whatnot. I'll update soon!

- Jaa

S Gundam Update

A few updates tonight.:

First, finished the wing stabilizers. I think they turned out pretty good. I used Wave System's decals for the striping on the mounts. I had to mix Light Ghost Grey, Engine Grey and just a drop or two of Flat Black to get the Light Grey of the mounts.

I also finished the inner shoulder armor frames. Unfortunately, I had cancel my plans to do the shoulder armor split. I have a small hack saw which would work, but quite frankly, I just don't want to risk it. I'll make my own modifications, including an idea I had for the INCOM unit in the head.

I like to use a Gold Gundam marker for the detailing. I also use a Chrome Silver Sharpie brand marker. The gold and silver work great for hydraulics.

I also finished the shoulder lift bars. The fin blade stabilizer that sticks out of the shoulder frame is Light Grey like the mount.

Finally, I have to say, I've fallen in love with a new brand of paint. I made it known last post that I use Testors Acrylic paints, but I came across Tamiya Paint this weekend, and picked up a Metallic Grey for various parts on the Gundam. I love it. It looks fantastic, goes on perfectly smooth and still is Acrylic so it washes out with water. I may have to switch over all my paint to Tamiya after this.

More to come this week. I'm hoping on finishing both arms/shoulders in full.

Jaa~

Trying something new..

Hey gang,

So I've decided, as I'm becoming more and more excited and obsessive about my MG S Gundam project, that I'm going to, starting tonight, document and post full updates on my progression and progress!

This way, you can see just how I go about painting, and assembling a kit step by step.

I don't plan on having every single moment documented, but once or twice a week show where I am.

Also, any modifications, or steps taken 'out of the norm' will be fully explained so that you don't see a plain piece in one picture, and a completely changed final result with no discription.

So until tonight (and believe me, getting through the rest of this day is going to be a pain!)

Jaa~

The Problem with My Brain...

Well, I'm all set to start working on the MG S Gundam. Still have no idea where he'll go when he's done but I'll deal with that when I get there (how odd that I refer to a MS as a 'he').

Anyway, I want to use Erix93's color scheme shown here. You can check out Eric and his friends site here. They do amazing work. I love Eric's S Gundam design.

The problem with my brain though, is I start looking at all the modifications Eric made to the kit and realize I don't think I could possibly do that. Some of them I could pull off. Some not at all. I like how the shoulder armor seperates and I emailed Eric to see if there is any change in how it would mount to the should joint of the kit or not.

But from looking at Eric's modifications, I went to look at other items that can be used, products to be bought and soon found myself in a whirlwind of items I, for some reason, seem convinced I need.

The truth of the matter is, I'll never be able to produce something like this. Whether its lack of time, lack of patience, lack of materials or lack of money, its far beyond my reach.

So I need to remember that the whole idea is to have fun while you build the kit and enjoy your own skills as they progress, right?

I'm still going to try that whole armor seperation thing on the shoulders though!

I'll keep you guys posted.

-jaa-

Max Capacity!!

*Edit: Click on the pictures for a much clearer picture!*

Okay, its crunch time...literally. Here's a picture of my main Gundam Shelf.

Yikes, right? I'm "packed to the rafters" as they say and really, before I begin the S Gundam, I need to figure something out for more space.

I took some closer shots so you guys can see what I'm working with.

Here's the left side of the shelf. My Powered GM MG Conversion kit, the PG Mk. II, and MG GPo1 are the most easily viewed. They're all painted kits. The Mk.II and Gp01 are hand painted, the Powered GM marks my first Air Brushing attempt (and resin conversion as well!) Around them are the GFF FA Gundam and Gundam 05, MiA Gundam Hazel, Zaku II Ultimate Op. Stand Art, and various Robust Silhouettes. I think the HCM Pro Death Scythe was jut cut off in the shot.

Here's the right side of the shelf. My PG RX-78-1, MG Alex, and MG Zaku II F2 can be seen. My MG Blue Destiny Conversion is just cut off, but you can see its 100mm Machine Gun behind the Zaku II. Then we have the GFF Nu Gundam and F90-2 along with the Ultimate Op Stand Art Gundam Mk.II Titans. You can just see the wing of the HCM Pro Wing Gundam as well.

And here's the master piece. The GP04 Bust that I waited for more than a month arrived and look at what an Amazing job GundamPro Shop did (Ebay seller GundamProShop) - I don't have the lights on, as I want to conserve the batter for as long as possible. You can also see the MG X1 behind it, both are actually dead center on my shelf.

Here's my TV. My MG Gp02 and 1/144 Resin FA Gundam Mk.II as well as my DX V2 Assault were moved to the TV as clearly, there is no room on the main shelf. How is the GP02 actually holding it's shield you ask? It's permanently plastered to the display stand. I grew tired of it falling all the time. This works great though! The FA Gundam Mk.II is mounted on it's display stand in a similar fashion to the V2...a copper pipe running strait between the legs and attached into the base. He's very very fragile (I think it was a re-cast resin kit...actually, I'm sure of it) so this way, he won't fall ever again!

Here's my Ultimate Operation Shelf. Q did a post today on various "Gashapon" collectibles in Japan, and Ultimate Operation is by far my favorite. The GP01, FA Gundam, Aile Strike and Dom Tropen can be seen, but the shelf actually goes down about four more cubes on each side. On top is my 1/100 Leopard Destroy (He's been through a lot...lost most of its weapons in moving) and 1/100 Burning/God Gundam from G Gundam. Its actually a toy, but it was a present so I keep it on display. I'm not a huge fan of G Gundam, but the Burning Gundam is pretty cool. It's fun to use in Dynasty Warriors Gundam for Xbox 360.

Finally, here's the "collective shot" of the shelf again. I added my Ez8 High Mobility Custom MG Conversion (of my own design..it was pretty tough) and you can see it on the far right side next to the Zaku II.

I gotta figure something out guys! I need a new shelf or something because I have the MG S Gundam, MG Aile Strike, and MG Z plus to add, plus a kit of the Mobile Assault Carrier Albion from 0083, and a 1/144 GM Cold Climate as well!



Until next time -

Jaa~

Robot Damashii Line

I'm going to post on this, even though I just left a comment on Ngee's blog as well.

I have to say, I'm a bit disappointed in the Robot Damashii line. You can see the Robot Damashii Diary here. Don't get me wrong, they look amazing and I would love to add a few to my collection. But If Katoki-san is really as involved as the line claims, then I think its time the Gundam line branches off from OO Gundam.

I know the series is a big money maker right now, but I'm sure fans of the older series would agree that it would be nice to see some other timelines. UC, AW AC, CE are all left untouched so far.

The V2 Gundam from Victory Gundam would be a great addition, seems the V Gundam line hasn't really been explored by any of the current action figure lines (Robot Damashii, GFF, HCM Pro, etc).

I suppose this is a ranting post, but I want to get on board with the Robot Damashii line, and so far, I don't have a reason too.

Hopefully they have more in store for the development as the line gets older.

The Force is Strong With This One...

In my 26 years, I've managed to narrow my interests down to a quartet of specific mythos:

The first, of course, is Mobile Suit Gundam, this is truly untouchable in terms of the four powerhouses.

The other three, Lord of the Rings, Star Wars and Monster Hunter tend to be in a continual battle royale for the number two spot.

Right now, that number two spot is Star Wars. And unfortunately for my resin FA Gundam Mk.II, Star Wars: The Force Unleashed hit the shelves in the US yesterday..I picked up a copy on my way home from work (I had been playing the demo on Xbox Live for about 3 weeks now)

Let me paint you a quick picture of Force Unleashed.

You're a Sith (Vader's Apprentice) -

Vader sends you on missions that are top secret. He doesn't want the Emperor to know about you so you need to wipe out Imperials and Rebels.

A Stormtrooper draws near....

You can either:

• Deflect his blaster shot with your lightsaber and kill him.
• Use the force to push (read: blast) him into a huge steel door
• Use the force to lift him, then hurl him into
• a door - a pit - lava - other Stormtroopers - anything else you can see
• Use the force to lift him, shock him with lightning then
• drop him dead on the ground - or see above options
• Use the force to lift him off the ground, chuck your lightsaber at him - then see all above option
• Use your lightsaber to kill him with various awesome moves and combos (
• Or any of the above options combined, plus an infinite number of other options.

You can also unlock different uniforms, and various lightsaber crystals that affect the strength and color of your blade.

This game is awesome, truly awesome. It will be hard for me to balance playing the game and working on the plethora of models I need to fix up before starting on the S Gundam, but there are worse problems in life to try and figure out!

Till next time -

Ja Matta~

Crossbone Gundam Follow up

Being anal-retentive, I've been looking at the pictures of My Crossbone Gundam from the last post and cringing ever so often.

So I wanted to note a couple of things:

The face looks horrible, I know. The Head was one of the most complex units I've ever put together. For one thing, the face vents, which to me, make the Gundam, were very hard to work with. The top slot was molded into the upper half of the face plate, which is fine - but with the design of the Crossbone, the upper half slides up to allow excess heat to escape - this doesn't work so well with a small scale model though and the lower face vent is molded into the separation between the upper and lower halves of the plate, which doesn't look right, as you can see.

The head has the detail of a 1/60 perfect grade, but at a 1/100 scale and I had a hard time with the grey under section of the eyes.

I also accidentally threw out the chin piece, which had me nearly pulling my hair out this weekend. I used the chin piece of my old MG Gundam Mk II, so it looks a bit too big. Luckily it fit though.

The head really just fell apart on this kit. The V Fin and Skull & Crossbones were easy, but everything else just was more difficult than I had expected.

Also, the inside of the Beam Sabers (in the upper chest) does not appear white like it does in the photos. I believe this is the flash from the camera reflecting on the paint in there.

I'll stop because I'll end up tearing my work apart on this. He looks a lot better without a super-zoomed in photo, trust me, and I do like how he turned out, but these pictures sort of highlight my mistakes. Bleh.

Until next time -

Jaa ~

Crossbone Gundam X1 Ver Ka Kit Review

Well, I finished my X1 today, so I thought I’d do a kit review.

The Master Grade Crossbone Gundam X1, Ver. Ka represents the pinnacle of Bandai’s Gunpla kits, with the exception of the newer 0079 kits being released.

The X1 uses very simple, yet tremendously sturdy designs for all of its inner frame, allowing you to a multitude of poses.

Here’s a shot of the inner leg frame under construction

Compared to the older kits, Bandai chose less inter connected parts, but modified the joints, allowing for more posability as well as tremendous support for the kit’s balance.

The new ball joints work very well to allow balance in the legs.

Here’s the completed lower half of the X1. (sorry for the inverted pic, Blogger isn't cooperating tonight)

The armor panels attach to the outer frame perfectly, allowing move

ment in the thigh, ankle and foot.

The X1 also comes with the core block system, one of my favorite concepts in the Gundam Universe. I actually build the core fighter first, which was nice as I could display it in my collection as it can completely stand along as its own model, much like all the other kits that have core fighters.

I botched a few things though. I didn’t start air-brushing until I got to the X thrusters, so the body of the jet looks a little less smooth. You’ll notice too that I switched out the yellow for gold. I do this for all of my kits. I don’t really care for the whole “school bus yellow” idea on a war machine, and gold seems to add a bit more realism to the kit. I’m regretting not painting those red “v” decals on the thrusters. I used the stickers and they didn’t line up well, so the look a little off.

Here’s the upper body before assembly. Again, the arms (while not pictured here well) use the same, simple, yet study inner frame design, which works great. I mixed the blue coloring myself, and I think it turned out pretty dang well. The cockpit is open here, but without the core fighter, there’s nothing inside.

The X1 uses the Zambuster Beam Rifle. The Zambuster separates into the Beam Zamber Sword and Buster Gun. I had a hard time painting the grey trim, and the heat dagger handles actually tuck into the back of the calf unit, so I had to make sure the paint wasn’t too thick which is tough for white!

So here is the final product. I have the X1 tearing off the beam cloak. The cloak that comes with the kit is pretty terrible, but I did manage to burn some “beam holes” into it. I just didn’t like how it looked attached so I thought this works well.

The whole thing is painted. I use black spray primer, then sand and air brush section individually. The kit is amazing, but I do have one gripe (besides the beam cloak), some of the parts are attached to the trays in awkward areas. For example, the thumb pieces, are attached at the base and tip, its pretty tough to sand the flash point down on a tiny little thumb. Other than that, this has been a blast!

But now I’m running into some trouble. Here’s the X1 among my collection…

As you can see…I’m at full capacity! (I even moved some Robust Silhouette figures and my DX V2 Assault Buster Gundam to the top of my TV~!)

My next project is the S Gundam, but before that, I have a bunch of repairs to do, including my resin 1/144 Full Armor Mk.II – but before that….I gotta find some space!

Until next time guys,

Jaa matta~

New Banner

Hey All -

Well, I guess I took more time off than I thought. But I'm working on a projects and will be back in full swing this week.

First off is the new banner! I'm working on creating a few banners for a banner exchange, and this was a bit of a test bed.

Its my Perfect Grade RX-78-1. One of my most favorite units in all the series and one of my best paint jobs done by hand ever (with the exception of my PG Mk.II).

I'll post more this week, and maybe work a bit on those eyes on the banner. I wanted them to be gleaming, but that'll take some tweeking.

Until next time -

Jaa~

I'm doing something Crazy

Okay, I'm doing something kinda crazy here, because I'm totally broke, but just made 100 bucks and can make up the rest pretty easily.


I'm ordering the 1/35 RX-78-2 Bust from G Systems. I'm opting for the completed kit because well...c'mon, look at it (Just click on the title of this post).


If they don't have it in stock, I'm ordering the S Gundam.


This thing will end up being the center piece of my collection. I honestly don't have a RX-78-2 Model (my Perfect Grade was changed to the RX-78-1) and what better way to honor the Gundam?


Uh, I can't believe I'm doing this, my fiancee would freak! But what she doesn't know (until its staring her in the face) won't hurt her!


I'll keep you guys posted. The price for the completed kit is $195 USD (sans shipping fees, which I'm sure will jack up the price a lot).


Oh, and I'm back in town.


Oh, and this way, I don't have another model to get in the way of the X1!

Korewa Gundam!: An explanation

Through the years, I've grown older, maybe a bit more grey around the edges...you know the drill.

From the start of my memories, I've had a lot of different interests. At an early age, I was all about Legos. Who wasn't? They were, for all intensive purposes, the best toy ever (and still are!)

After a while, and a little more TV, I was introduced to the staple American 80's cartoons. Thunder Cats, Voltron, GI Joe, etc... They became my new interests one after another. I had, after all, every single TMNT Toy produced (Even the coveted Splinter!).

But I would eventually lose interest...one after another. Near the end of Middle-School however, I was introduced to something that, until then had been entirely unknown to me:

Mobile Suit Gundam.

From that moment on, my life legitimately changed. Not in some obtuse, obvious way, but in the way my interests became focused. For the next 15 years, the Mobile Suit Gundam Universe became a consistency in my life when all else was changing.

This blog (if you want to call it that) is going to be my homage to this magnificent piece of Japanese culture. I owe Gundam a lot, it prompted me to learn Japanese, study Japan's history, and even obtain a major in Asian Studies. Hopefully, if this can introduce Gundam to even one person, I'll be satisfied.

There will be Model Kit reviews, book reviews, video game reviews and anything else Gundam that I can share with the readers.

Cheers to you, Kido Senshi Gundam -