Macross Valkyrie, Pt. 2

In today's post, we'll continue progress on the Macross Valkyrie from last post. 

We have completed the preliminary work, and will start on the white basecoat in the next post. For the Gerwalk mode, I will use the decal's to make Roy Fokker's signature Skull squadron paint scheme, and I may do the same for the fighter mode, depending if I have another set of the same decals laying around... Well see. 

Another fighter I had lying around will be an even funner project than the Gerwalk mode and Roy Fokker's Valkyrie combined as the me from a good eight years ago, when I was just starting out in modeling, decided to spray paint it (Very thickly!) and use a two color camo using Silly Putty as a mask. The silly putty stuck a little too well, and that's how we got here.  Most of this Silly Putty is still on the model, only harder than it once was. Not a big problem, as I've got plenty of spare time on my hands. 

That's all for now, if you want to keep up with this project as it progresses progressively, hit that subscribe button on the upper right of the page to stay up to date. It'd help me out alot. 

Stay safe out there. 

Shown above: The two legs to the Gerwalk, both puttied, sanded, primed, then sanded. 

Shown above: The torso for the Gerwalk. The torso was in two man peices that can together with a big seem line down the middle down the nose. It is primed and ready for the white base coat in the next post. 

Macross Valkyrie, Pt. 1

G'day folks, last post I mentioned that I would start a work in progress (WIP) series of posts, this will be the first one. I will be documenting the build process of one of the older Robotech 1/170 plastic models. 

The first step to take with a model like this is to assemble the model so that you can start on the next process, filling the mold lines. Because this is an old kit dating back to the mid '80s, this process will be delightfully tedious. Here is a before and after image, showing both the unglued and the filled and glued leg together. 

This process requires you to first put down a layer of putty on the offending area. In this case I am using Squadron's White Putty. It is cheap, and fairly decent for what it's worth. 

After waiting for this layer of paint to dry, the next part in the process is to file down the putty so that it is flush with the surface of the model. After this, I tippically rub the part with a damp cloth to remove any debris, then I spray it with a thin layer of grey spray primer. 

This layer will give you a good impression of what the model will look like with other layers of paint on it. 

If the surface looks uneven, file off the primer from the area, and then put another layer of putty down. 

I repeated this process for the rest of the kit, and it is ready for the first coats of paint. 

The fun will really start with the next post! 

The images above show the before and after on filing the fueselage. A major improvement! 

The next step will be to wash the model with water to remove any mold release agents still left on the model from it's original casting. 

Thanks for looking, and if you want to see this project come to fruition and help me out, hit that subscribe button to the right of this post. 

We'll see you in the next one, in the mean time, stay safe out there. We'll see you soon.

Something that got a kick out of me...

Two posts within a week!? A miracle!! Was doing my usual perusing through Ebay and I noticed an listing of a Battletech model kit. 

Upon clicking through the pictures,  I noticed something that really got a kick out of me. 

I first noticed that in the manual they had used the lineart for the original Macross/Robotech VF1 Valkyrie Gerwalk mode and variable fighter mode (The Battletech equivalent to the original unseen Stinger, and Stinger Land-air-'Mech.) in the instructions, and even went as far as to include one of the Zentraedi Battlepods on the front cover of the instruction manual. 

To further this, I remembered that I had some of the older Robotech model kits that Revell used to make back in '84 and the early '80s so I decided to compare the actual models to those seen in the pictures. 

To my suprise, both the runners, plastic model, and decals were the exact same as seen as the pictures below. I'd even be willing to bet that the runners from the Battletech plastic model series even had the very same Japanese Katakana(?) printed on them. 

Anyways, just goes to show how spread out the rights to Shoji Kowamori's original designs were. 

If you are not aware of Battletech and the infamous unseen fiasco fought between Fasa Corporation and Harmony Gold, (The bastards!) the owners of Macross/Robotech, check out this link over at Sarna.net if you've got the time; it is an interesting read and it'll walk you through the whole shabang. 

http://www.sarna.net/wiki/Unseen

In the next post I'll be building one of the original Robotech model kits, so make sure to stick around for that. Building a kit of this age will be interesting to say the least. 

As always, thanks for looking and I ask that you please hit that email subscribe button at the top right of the screen, it'd help me out alot. Stay safe out their, and I'll see you in the next one. 

"Here, Let's try for a two-fer!"

G'day folks, picked up the HG:IBO Barbatos, and I thought I'd throw it up for review. Overall, it is a great kit, with posability being it's greatest asset out of the box due to it's full inner frame. Essentially any pose that you can think of, you can display it in. I'm not that creative when it comes to posing my kits so for this review it'll be shown standing for the most part. 

Allthough this kit has great posability, the color separation is lack-luster, even for your average high grade. Stickers make up the majority of the color separation, aside from the standard Gundam colors; blue red and yellow. Some of the smaller yellow details that should be there are stickers as well. These yellow stickers being placed on the shoulder armor and other smaller, less noticeable bits. 

Black stickers are used on the back of the legs behind the knee simulate the look of the jump jets, but they don't look the best either considering that they have to be folded to match the general contour of the model. However, this problem can be fixed with some minimal masking and paint work. For the dark metallic, I used Testor's magnesium buffing metalizer. I think this greatly improved the look of the model. 

Metallic red stickers are used on the shin and shoulder armor; they look okay, but I chose to paint them in. 

Alltogether, the HG Barbatos is a very solid kit, and the $10 price point can't be beat for a hg of it's overall quality. The only thing that I wish that they would have done was spend more time and budget on the color separation, as it is seriously dissapointing. 

My apologies for the terrible final picture, I'll take better ones once I've gotten my completed models portfolio on the blog completed. More on that at a later date further down the line. 

Finally got around to painting my "3D printed" Victor that I had posted a few months back from one of my favorite video games to date, Mechwarrior Online, of the Mechwarrior/Battletech franchise that got me into giant stompy robots in the first place. 

It's painted in the canon paint scheme of House Kurita's First Sword of Light.

 HONOR THE DRAGON! 

As always if you like what I do around here, make sure to subscribe to my mailing list to the right of this post. 

Thanks for reading, and I'll be back with another, real soon. 

MSG:Ecole Du Ciel

Mobile Suit Gundam: Ecole Du Ciel manga first look 

Ecole Du Ciel is a manga series written and drawn by Haruhiko Mikimoto, with mecha designs based off of concepts by Yoshinori Sayama, originally published in 2002. 

The plot of Ecole Du Ciel takes place in 0085, roughly six years after the events of the original 0079 anime that detailed the "one year war", and two years before the events of Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam. The story takes place at the Ecole Du Ciel training academy, which is comparable to a modern day military academy. It centers around a young cadet who is known for her rather lackluster skills at piloting a mobile suit, and has past ties to the Principality of Zeon, named Asuna Elmarit. 

Here is one of the Mobile Suit designs that we have seen so far, the TGM-79(C), the Training variation of the standard GM-79 Mobile Suit. 

I like the design, and it's one of the more unique mobile suit designs I've seen in a while. 

If you haven't read this title yet, having only read the first chapter myself I would recommend it as it shows potential. 

That's all for now, ya'll stay safe out there, I'll be back with another post, real soon. If you like what I post, be sure and tell me by subscribing to my mailing list to the right of the screen, so you'll get the content that I post delivered to your inbox. 

Giant Samurai Robots!

G'day folks 

Finished work on my RG Astray Red Frame earlier this week, oh is she a beautiful kit to put together. In terms of both detail and posability, the kit is above the average, my only complaint would be with the Gerbera Straight Katana in general. The Yellow-Gold bits don't look the best and one could consider them plain ugly. It is the same type of "gold" platic that is seen on the inner frame of the RG Strike Freedom Gundam. I probably will paint them with a coat or two of the krylon gold Plate I have laying around to make them look better. 

Another thing I noticed were the nub marks on the Katana's blade in general. While they can be removed without too much of a hassle, you can still see where they were clear as day in the right lighting conditions as the blade is prepainted in this georgeos chrome plate. It would have been nice if they had bothered to remove the blade from the sprue before they painted it, but it can't be helped I suppose. 

I ended up dry brushing Vallejo's Matte Earth, German Grey, and Nuetral Grey onto the edges of the model and then putting two layers of dull coat onto the mecha. It gives it the look of being fully painted, with minimal effort (And Time!) put into it.  

My apologies for the photos, I do intend to build a light box. (Soon.) 

After obstaining from the internet to avoid spoilers, I got to see the new Star Wars film, The Force Awakens! There wasn't anything to huge I could pick at like I was hoping lol. There were a few minor plot holes that I picked up on so the movie isn't perfect by any means, but they aren't so gawling that they keep you from enjoying the movie. I'll probably list the ones that I noticed later so as to not spoil anything for those who haven't seen it yet and are planning to. 

Real Grades A Plenty!

G'day folks... Has been a while hasn't it? 

My apologies for the lack of post lately, just have been caught up in the average everyday dealings of real life. 

Went to the hobby shop today and got some new Gundam loot... The new RG Astray Red Frame and the RG Gundam MKII Titans version. 

The Real Grade Astray is the latest, of this post, in the RG lineup, and so far, the build has represented just how far these kits have come.... it it is truly the pinnacle of how far Bandai has come with the modeling techniques they use. 

An interesting gimmick that I have never seen before in all of the RG kits I have built is located in the waste unit. The mount for the upper torso section swings upwards to allow greater mobility. 

One thing that I was dissapointed with immediatly upon opening the box was the detail on the extra sets of hands they give you... It is seriously dissapointing. You could expect this amount of detail in the average High Grade release. I justed expected something more. 

One excellent detail that I think particularly stands out on the MKII is the fact that they give you actual nylon tubing to use for the thrusters, it is a detail that will really pop once the kit is built. 

These two kits will be straight-bullt in the months to come, I feel that real grades don't need paint to be a display quality piece. I will however be dullcoating them as well as weathering them. 

More to come soon. 

Have a good one.