Thread 11612428

>"If you're new, you're gonna fuck up. Don't worry! If you're experienced, don't make the new people worry!"

***READ THE GUIDE***

Discord
https://discord.gg/W973BmwERB

The guide:
Part 1 (Quick Start)
https://docs.google.com/document/d/e/2PACX-1vSBDfE8Iz-a86DZJCR5MHRW6tjkQX-y4-ZpUc_vHjRfx_i2FB0zR1usdrgUJ4wNTs1iDFZmTQHF66X_/pub

Part 2 (Deeper Dive)
https://docs.google.com/document/d/e/2PACX-1vQJG2SZo1O1PjExPrdU_-GnkrYTGiGLCgBcKaL4peEWxOGB4CNbpGaJBV1oF61eNE1lEhbQHYEAXLrw/pub

And a handy guide to other types of plamo: http://www.mediafire.com/view/1vf1aw7v91pz5pa/Airfix%20Model%20World%20Specia%20(Scale%20Modelling%20Step-By-Step).pdf
http://www.scalemodelguide.com

Some line art:
https://imgur.com/user/Gundaml1neart/posts


Previous thread: >>11585170

== BIOMECHA GROUPBUILD ==

Build a mecha/cyborg with a visibly biological component integrated into the machine. This can include:
>Mecha that naturally have some sort of organic component to them (Evangelions, Aura Battlers, etc)
>Mecha that have organic elements attached/fused to them, willingly or otherwise
>Cyborgs, androids, and human with mechanical attachments/enhancements (Robocop, Kamen Rider, mecha musume, etc)

Send your entries to gunplaplamo@gmail.com with at least 5 photos of your finished build along with any WIP photos and a description of your entry.
START - 8/12/25
END - 11/30/25

Thank goodness for sports memorabilia fetishism that created a market of convenient diorama display cases.

more bangdoll progress
the arms are among the worst experiences I¿ve ever had, the entire assembly screams WHY

why the everloving fuck you'd complicate and risk the integrity of the connectors this much? Nagano's autism is one thing but beauty in a mech is worth shit when you can barely put it together and everything falls off by blinking at it

>>11612859
this took you quite the time, huh. what kit is this? does it have a lot of runners?

>>11612913
Its the 1/100 Bangdoll of the IMS line by Volks.

It is a infamous kit due to being the first, let's say, affordable plamo of the Five Star Stories mechas, which were exclusively resin kits by that point. It is like 15 years old since its release I think?

Being a plastic model it was easier to purchase and build than a resin one at the time, but it also suffers from being the first release and its bad fame is associated to plenty of issues related to things than range from flash remnants in the parts, fitting issues, large seamlines and overall fragility, especially during the assembly process, for which yes, glue/cement is a must, no other way around it.

As I have been building it I can attest to those issues. I'm basically doing a straight out of the box build, just using metallic black for the inner frame parts and flat topcoat for the light blue ones, but holy shit dude, the closer I get to completing it, the more fragile it feels.

The joints of the shoulders and arms connectors are really bad compared to shit like Bandai's or Koto's, in the sense in which they favored aesthetics first over practicality. The moment I manipulate them the parts are prone to fall off.

I'm still not sure I want to also use cement there because the problem is that they are composed by a series of parts that fit into each other like a tetris game and out of that mess comes the one with the polycap that houses the should balljoint, so even gluing them might end up making the whole thing brittle and prone to breaking.

Despite all those faults and issues, it remains a relatively popular kit because the design of this particular mecha is something else, even among the more modern Volks releases

>>11612934
funny stuff, this month Volks will release this thing, the second oneof their VSMS line, especifically made for Nagano's gothic style mechs

this and >>11612934 are supposed to be the same mecha, you decide which version you prefer

>>11612939
I wonder how the DBB energy parts are supposed to work with it being articulated

Anyone get the star model varguil with gundam head and psycho plate bootleg? Do the colors match the bandai one? The one photo i could find has the psychopath in purple instead of navy blue.

Do people who paint feel obligated to paint every kit they buy? Like, when you see a well-molded, nicely color-separated kit, do you still feel the urge to paint it just to set yourself apart from snap-fit builders?

>>11613062
I've never seen a model kit that looks good without paint.

>>11613077

Any MGs from this current decade

>>11613078
The bare plastic finish still looks bad and topcoat only does so much to improve that.

>>11613062
>feel obligated to paint every kit they buy
They don't look very good all grey.

>>11613098
So you do look down on people who aren't autistic about painting

>>11613106
I don't, other people are free to do with their kits whatever they want, I just personally don't like unpainted kits.

>>11613062
>do you still feel the urge to paint it just to set yourself apart from snap-fit builders
Only "snap-fit builders" think that people who paint somehow care about them one way or another. They are sadly mistaken.

>>11613062
I don't paint but I do want Katejina to step on me

>>11613116
You're literally maidenless.

>>11613126
She's canonically mentally ill

>>11613131
So am I, but maybe if she keeps stomping on me she'll get better

anything wrong with weathering on bare plastic and then using flat topcoat vs flat topcoat - weathering - flat topcoat?
and can i topcoat outside with a can when it's cold but low humidity?

>>11613062
More color separation just means it makes my life easier when painting. I paint because I enjoy it, if I couldn't paint my models I wouldn't be in this hobby.

>>11613148
What are your thoughts on snapfitters who topcoat and do minimal detail work?

>>11613149
Doesn't bother me, it's their choice as far as what they want to do with their models.

>>11613148
>I paint because I enjoy it, if I couldn't paint my models I wouldn't be in this hobby.
This is also why I'm considering getting out of the hobby, the selection of paints in the EU is just too limited unless I want to settle for water based paints

>>11613155
Yeah I mostly use water based acrylics and recently started adding in alcohol acrylics like Aqueous and even those can be a pain to find here. I want to eventually switch over to lacquers but then I regularly see people complaining about how they can't get stuff like Gaianotes or Jumpwind because we only get shipments a few times a year.

>>11613160
Not having access to brands like gaia is genuinely crippling for gunpla, to the point I'd advise those people to give up on the idea of painting, or consider getting into miniatures instead.

>>11613161
What about the chinese paints on ali

>>11613182
Unfortunately no longer price efficient since they've skyrocketed from 2-3 euro a bottle to 7-8, and 1-2 month shipping times means you always have to do big bulk orders in advance of projects

>>11613062
I usually just paint for color correction. That said I bought a HG Shining Gundam for the effect parts so I might give it a Shading Gundam paint job.

>>11612934
my god that's beautiful

>>11613155
As a non painter, what makes water based paint so much worse than lacquer?

>>11612934
Unless you've got an ethical objection to bootlegs, for most of the early IMS kits it's probably easier to buy a high quality resin recast for the same price and build that than to fuck around with the plastic kits. It's not like you're missing out on much of any real articulation.

Saw floating about on Jap twitter images of that Rozen Zulu Ep 7 version reprint, any idea if yall know if thats going to make it over here or is it over?

>>11613266
You realize every country gets more reprints than japan? There’s so many jp social media complaining about overseas shops shelf warming. Even the no JP PB shops are full of shelf warming p b kits from people who cancelled their orders

>>11613201
For model kits with overlapping parts, easier for the paint to chip off or rub off. Think of inserting an arm into shoulder armor and the lower part rubs against the chest by accident. It used to be pretty bad but companies have been making their non lacquer paints stronger.

>>11613333
lol
lmao

>>11613339
What about "aqueous" paints like mr hobby or tamiya acrylics?

>>11613360
those are alcohol based.

>Paint kit
>Paint joints
>Now there's always a risk to chip the paint when posing

Paintfags live such a cuckedd existence

>>11613823
Yeah, but what are they like to use compared to lacquer paints?

>>11613142
please advise sirs
i was thinking to just put glossy topcoat on the decals and leave the rest bare, do weatherint and then full matte coat. will be using tamiya weathering and pigments

For all their flaws, I still love these HMM kits. The abs on this one was rough, but the final product is great. Got three more to do in future.

>>11614271
You need matte or satin surface for the weathering to stick to. You will have a bad time applying pigments to a gloss coat.

>>11612428 (OP)
Hello, I just finished watching Zeta Gundam and really liked Four Murasame. How likely is it that they make a new Psyco Gundam kit?

>>11612859
>you have to glue each blade in the shoulder armor individually
>repeat x12
>they are barely held together by tiny pegs that will totally no break or simply fall off when attaching them to the arms/body/both/anyttime you touch this thing due to the almost nonexistent contact area with the actual armor

>>11614734
Well, they did just make a Psycho Mkii, so I wouldn't call it impossible. They could probably use a lot of the same parts on the inside, honestly. I'm with you, though; I'd fucking love and upgraded Psycho Mki

how come every SD kit I've purchased smells like laundry detergent (I've purchased two but it's strange that it's happened twice)

>>11614812
metal pins are a thing

>>11614895
Which SDs? Some of bandai's are made in china, check the box.

>put waterslide in water
>try to put it on the piece
>doesn't work
>wtf
>it's a sticker, not a waterslide
fuck this shit, he'll be naked

>>11615452
Waterslides have a blue backing, stickers have green.

>>11615455
looks more aquamarine to me

>>11614817
Yippee!

Hey, I need some guidance. I’ve been thinking about getting into airbrushing, but honestly, I’m scared I’ll mess things up badly. I have zero airbrushing experience, but when I was in Japan about a year ago, I bought a bunch of lacquer paints, painting tools, and an airbrush. It was kind of an impulse buy since where I live, paint imports are restricted and supplies like that are hard to find.

Now I’m wondering, should I invest more money to get the rest of the gear I need to start (like an air compressor, and probably a dehumidifier since it’s tropical and humid here)? It feels like a bit of a hassle. Or should I just call it quits and try to sell the airbrush?

No one in my local Gunpla circle airbrushes; they all use spray cans. So if I go ahead, I’ll have to figure things out entirely on my own through trial and error. Is airbrushing hard to learn? Like, can someone reasonably figure it out after a few tries, or do you really need hands-on guidance from someone experienced?

Would really appreciate your input here.

>>11615716
>like an air compressor, and probably a dehumidifier
What you need the most is a spray booth and the space to put it and a window or an air duct to connect it to. If you can't get that, the whole thing is probably a non-starter.

>can someone reasonably figure it out after a few tries
Yes, it's not rocket science, as any craft it takes some fine motor control and some time to practice to get the muscle memory going (if you only airbrush once a year, you will probably never get good at it). Which means you want your setup to be ready to go in minutes and then to only take minutes to clean. If you need to put everything together for an hour every time you want to airbrush and then take everything apart for another hour, it's probably not going to work.

>>11615716
>hands-on guidance from someone experienced
sounds homoerotic ngl

plamo is a hobby for shut-ins who never leave their rooms, everything is designed for you to learn on your own and from youtube videos

>>11613161
Gaia is expensive as fuck though

Which is the best 3rd party kit?

>>11615716
Airbrushing is genuinely super easy to start, I'm close to being an actual retard and I can do it. Mr Hobby stuff thins pretty well so you'll get a decent bit out of paint from every bottle. If you're just doing simple stuff like making a part a different colour it's pretty much just point and shoot with your primer and then desired colour. Get yourself a cheap kit, pick out some colours for it, and just get in there and paint it. You'll learn in no time.

>>11615937
>Airbrushing is genuinely super easy to start, I'm close to being an actual retard and I can do it.
Now I feel extra bad for having so much trouble with it, I always get either clogging or super watery paint spray, nothing in between
And that's with lacquers

>>11615817
>sounds homoerotic
Can you not say stuff like this next time?

>>11615914
Comes down to personal taste. Im a fan of SNAA kits

months ago
>see the Police Zaku
>Hype
now
>it's in store
>watch a review first
>lose all interest.

>>11616202
Just dont watch reviews next time you dingus

>>11614812
well that took some time but this thing is getting progress

>>11613131
Yes, and?

>>11613126
For me, I want to take care of Katejina from the finale of Victory.

>>11617320
She doesn't deserve that but I think you know this already

>>11616202
But the police zaku is very moe.

>finally get a Nobell Gundam
>too sick to build it
Feels bad man

Which Ork looted the Neo Zeong?

>>11617894
hope it feels good to build when you're all better

>>11617921
It's got that dirty gritty Makoto Kobayashi vibe, I love it.

>>11617533
Why does he look like he got a ghetto bbl?

Hey anons, can I get some feedback on this? Too much purple? Needs another color to mix it up a bit? Thanks, because I'm conflicted. It definitely needs a bit of cleanup

You build Chinese kits? Okay SNAApshitter.

>>11618209
Funny thing is, Chinese kits are prime material for seam welding, panel scribing, painting and even PLA modding.
Or at least chink girlpla kits are.

>>11618296
>Funny thing is,
but are they also cute?

>>11618302
yes but not as cute as you anon uwu

>>11618302
Thank you for reminding me I have to build the Onmyoji cute and funny sisters.

>>11618296
Yeah, I agree actually. They're pretty fun for what they are.

>>11618296
>Chinese kits are prime material for seam welding, panel scribing, painting and even PLA modding.
What stops one from doing the same to the Japanese kits?

>>11617146
that is a big horn

>>11618480
those tail stabilizers are a cool concept, but the execution is very flawed due to how poorly the metal rods fit into the parts

>>11618479
No that anon, I still don't have the guts to do stuff like scribing and outright mods on legit kits because they're more expensive so I'm iffy on fucking up with them.

>>11618479
For some it's the price.
Personally, for me it's the "flaws." The more noticeable a flaw is when the kit is assembled the more compelled I am to fix it even if I have to learn something new. And once I start making changes to a kit to fix something, then I'm also a lot more open to modding it.
That said I avoid bootlegs and stick to original designs.

>>11618505
Doesn't have to be a flaw, just some extra detail or maybe you want some obscure variant that never got a kit.

So I finally got this guy and there’s no Digimon thread, so I guess I’m going to gush about it here.

It’s my first humanoid Amplified figure, and though I’ve been impressed with the presence of Machinedramon and Metalgreymon, but I wasn’t too thrilled with some of the aesthetic choices made with Wargreymon, Beelzemon, Paildramon, etc.. This release feels like a very straightforward representation of the character with a few greebles here and there. The real treat is the pretty obvious DLC factor: there are very clear choices in the build that telegraph a MagnaGarurumon release that can combine to form Susanoomon, but none of these choices detract from this kit’s articulation. I know that stickers won’t last forever and I’ll probably get around to painting some of those emerald steels at some point, but I also love the gel stickers they’ve included to really make some of those embedded gemstones pop.

>>11619073
Susanoomon and MagnaGarurumon are both slated for their own kits, so I doubt they'll actually combine.

>>11619073
>>11619090
>magnagarurumon will be pbandai
you just know it

>>11619090
Shows how out of the loop I am! I’m a bit surprised to hear Susanoomon is slated as his own kit, but I think maybe these unused connection points are for Susanoomon’s weapon? I also see that the lower legs and forearms are detachable to mimick their (re)placement on Susanoomon, so maybe it’s just very clever parts reuse in anticipation for that kit.

>>11618593
You're correct, but for a relative beginner like me small flaws are a good motivator to learn new skills.

>>11618169
>Too much purple?
It doesn't look purple at all to the point where I'm not really sure what you're asking about. (Did you mix a little bit of it into the grey?)

>>11618482
and it is done

>>11619244
it will be a while before I dare to tackle another FSS kit but despite all its faults, difficult and my own poor skills, the result looks good, the Bangdoll is quite the standout among mechas

i've been weathering with tamiya weathering master. it gives me some good options to apply layers of dirt, which is nice but it's still just that, dirt. how do i turn this into a properly weathered look? was thinking of adding rust lines and paint chipping. anything else?