[AnimeUNSW] Gunpla Q&A

[PenPen-kun]

just a tip for people who use enamel paints:

be sure you stir the paint well before u use it lol. I've seen a few people recently painting before the enamel mixture was stirred through. and be sure to stir the paint everytime you use it lol... *it's like painting a house... yah gotta stir the paint really well before u start painting xD*

yup because it is actually oil based. if you are lazy, one of those whiteouts that you shake should have a small ball bearing inside, or actually anything heavy and metallic like a screw or a nut would do. wash it clean, drop one inside so you can shake it before opening it just like how you shake whiteouts. that is if it comes in a small tin or bottle or something. the oil the enamel paint is suspended in prevents the metal from rusting too so you need not worry about that or the thing reacting with your paint.

ps. you do need to wash the screw or nut clean because they are coated in anti-rust chemicals that will cause your paint to spoil. that is why i use old whiteout ball bearings instead, no fuss no muss. it just takes a while collecting them unless you are going to crack open 10 whiteouts just for the ball bearings.

[Aoi]

Wow, the information on painting is very helpful, I'll be sure to refer to these when painting one of my kits (which should be arriving soon =o)

I'm also planning on getting a MG kit to paint/build, which one(s) would be good to start off with? I'm looking for something that's not too expensive or too complicated to build or detail. So far I'm trying to decide between the following

- Crossbone Gundam X-1 Full Cloth
- GN-X
- Sword Impulse
- Turn A
- Wing Gundam ver. Ka/Wing Zero Custom

Any other suggestions would be most welcome ^^

[rhyan@hobbyco]

^ Out of your list I would recommend the MG Crossbone X1 Full Cloth or the Wing Gundam Ver.Ka  both are very nice models, perfectly proportioned and details quite nicely...lotsa decals! I've built both and they aren't too complex, stay away from the MG Shinaju its not that its a bad model, infact its pretty awesome! its just soooooo darn fidly! Edjz can vouch for that lol

Other suggestions are Blue Frame Rev2,Zeta Ver 2.0 or EX-S

[Aoi]

Thanks for the recommendations, Rhyan! I'll probably go for the Crossbone X-1 first, the price is quite reasonable considering the sheer number of weapons that it has o_O. And it gets major bonus points for being a pirate-themed Gundam. Wing Gundam ver. Ka will be next when I'm confident about applying all those decals (especially the ones on the shield and buster rifle).

As for Blue Frame rev.2, as much as I like the design, I'd prefer the Red Frame Kai simply because of the katanas, lol. I'm also considering getting the Ex-S later on because it looks so big, bulky and... intimidating, but poseability is a bit of an issue with all that armour. Although I suppose that the whole point of the Ex-S is just to stand there and look impressive =o

[red_winter91]

I heard Wing Gundam Ver.Ka.
Damn, I want that. Posing next to my Wing Zero Custom would make my set complete.

[Mithril]

I heard Wing Gundam Ver.Ka.
Damn, I want that. Posing next to my Wing Zero Custom would make my set complete.

I want Wing Gundam ver. ka as well, so hard to find.
Anyway please keep general chat in here at a minimum. its a Q & A thread so I want to keep it as close to just Q & A as possible so its easier to look up. thx.

[Mak0]

Not specifically gundam, but does anyone know where to get a decent airbrush regulator w/ moisture trap & pressure gauge? Was taking a look at some screenies of newer compressors and noticed that my old clunker doesnt have a way to tweak the pressure coming out + the air coming out seems a little bursty.

edit:

To clarify it's the thing that goes inbetween the hose and the compressor

[EdJZ]

I got that same compressor, and the hose that comes with it is really bad. When you get an airbrush you get a really good one.

I got an Aztek airbrush and got a good bikepump quality hose

[PenPen-kun]

correct me if i am wrong but why not try hardware stores for pressure gauges for air compressor. and try keeping a straight hose or make sure your hose is not too curly with small radii, it increases in-hose turbulence which does cause your flow to be uneven. or get a bigger and more powerful air compressor, in general the bigger the better as long as it is within reason, don't go buy a 10MW air compressors. the one i have at home is a 2.2 kw air compressor with over 300L per minute airflow, its way too powerful to use for airbrushing imo, i use it for my air tools when i service the family car. though rhyan might tell me otherwise, i dunno. i've been wondering if it is a good idea to get an air brush if my air compressor is this big.

so yeah, Rhyan, do i need a smaller one? because 300L per minute would mean my paint will be gone in a single burst won't it?

[Mak0]

@PenPen: That sparmax compressor used for airbrushing w/ the regulator has a range of 12-16 Lpm, Using a 300 Lpm compressor seems like it'd damage something since you'd need a beasty regulator to halt the excess 280 Litres/min of air and an adaptor to convert from different hose widths.

@Rhyan: any word on when the new airbrushes are coming in?

[PenPen-kun]

lol, its exactly what i am afraid of, the smallest one i have is 180Lpm air compressor. :/

speaking of which, any recommendations on airbrushes?

[rhyan@hobbyco]

Technicaly you can use those big compressors as long as you are able to control the pressure and its important to have a moisture trap! If you get any water in your hose it will screw up your paint job grrrrrr! I tend to airbrush at around the 25-35 psi range, hard to explain but I airbrush by feel, its something you develop if you start airbushing, you will know if the paint ain't thinned right or if the pressure is off that's why I'm always tweakin pressures esp if I'm using different types of paint, get my drift?  So yeah you can use the bigger compressors providing you get the right fittings as well as what I mentioned above.Another advantage with hobby compressors is that they are whisper quiet, I tend to work late at night so those big compressors are uber loud! My compressor is not much more audible than an aquarium pump. Last but not least try to go for a compressor with a holding tank and has a built in pressure cutoff so simply dial in ur required pressure and it will maintain it for you.

Actually been speaking to one of our suppliers told him what I'm up to with you guys he is sending me an airbrush/compressor combo for evaluation,seen the specs and looks good on paper as well as the price looks promising! I know you uni guys are always on a shoe string budget.If this rig is good and it passes my usual torture test.I will get it in and work out a good price for all of you guys...I know some of you guys have been itching to buy one,esp Tom lol hang tight this might be worth the wait.

[YaminoSeigi]

Just one quick question, what is the difference between Plastic kits and resin kits?

since i saw resin Kit are Much more expensive compared to the plastic counterpart

[Noless]

well other then the obvious bit of it being a different material, resin kits are molded differently, and tend to allow more detail because the liquid plastic isnt as runny as the liquid resin during the casting process,

also working with resin is a hell of a lot harder, you need better glues then for plastic and there tend to be more defects, usually bubbles or slight warpage, so there would be lots of priming sanding, puttying gaps and then priming again and sanding again(then repeat until the surface is nice)

also resin isnt moulded in colour so unless you like primer coloured models youre gonna need to paint

actual construction of resin kits is harder too since you usually need to pin every joint

the price difference comes from that fact that the resin molds wear faster, so not as many kits can be made, so normally they are in a much more limited supply then plastic kits

[æther]

oh yea guys a link i found a while ago, on custom made gundams. Highly recommend u guys to check it out
http://f7.aaa.livedoor.jp/~mesarion/gallery2/gallery.htm