Posted in Builds

Sazabi painting.

I’ve begun the process of painting the Sazabi, as I like to do with many sci-fi kits I have started with a primer coat of UMP gloss black.

It won’t actually make too much difference what primer I use with the mecha colour paints, as they have such a good coverage that it actually goes over any primer very well with one coat.

Greens over different primers

I intend to do the inner frame in steel, then adding some detail work by brush. I have both dark and light steel for this, as well as some golds and grey.

I’ll be doing the armour panels in the traditional red, but I might well mix up the shades on different panels to the stock version.

Gloss black

Every time I prime a kit in the gloss black I want to leave it as it is. The gloss gives a nice shine, and a lovely deep shadowing. It really brings out the detail in the kit. It’s almost a shame the vast majority of the frame will be covered up!

Posted in Builds

Deeeecals!

I have received my first ever pack of upgrade decals.

The RG Sazabi I’m building came with stickers. Don’t get me wrong, stickers have their place, but it isn’t on a nice kit. If you’re snapping together a small, simple model then they are fine to add some detail and colour. But if you’re doing a full paint job on a complex model you want something that properly conforms to the surface and blends in at the edges. Thick stickers just don’t give the same quality finish.

Bandai do lots of kits. The Star Wars range they do is second to none. High detail, great fit of parts, good colours. And they supply BOTH stickers for the “quick job” modeller and waterslide decals for the more “professional “ finish. But gunpla kits? Nope. Stickers. Ohh, we will sell you some water slides. But by the time you’ve added shipping to the cost they are somewhat expensive.

I was pointed towards some decals and went to buy them but for whatever reason they were not for sale in the UK. So I found some others.

Never having bought them separate before I had no idea if they were any good or not. My main criteria was cost and if they would actually supply them to me! It turns out the ones I got are actually quite a good brand.

Now, looking at them next to the stickers, there are notable differences. The most apparent is the fact there are fewer on my new sheet. As you might have imagined, the highly shiny metallic stickers don’t have a waterslide equivalent so I have to decide if I’m going to use them or paint the detail. As I’m going to be painting some detail I will have a look and see where they are meant to go and how they will look.

Original stickers (left) and aftermarket decals
Posted in Blurb

Night off!

I took the day off from Modelmaking last night. It was too warm and stuffy.

So, I was over on my other hobby: Games. On the Team Inept channel playing some more Subnautica on the Xbox.

If you don’t know about Team Inept, there is a Facebook page Here.

I also meant to post this yesterday but for some reason it didn’t. I’ll try to give some notice next time! 🙂

Posted in Builds

Sazabi strip

After completing the build of the Bandai RG Sazabi, I’ve started taking it apart.

As I’d only built one other Real Grade gundam, I wasn’t too sure about the fit, how it should look, the colour, basically most of the build. So I have been assembling it as the instructions show to get a feel for it.

Now it’s all together I can see how the articulation works, the colour separation on the armour, how much of the inner frame is going to be visible, and everything now works perfectly in my mental picture of it. (Yeah, right)

So, time has come to strip him back down.

I’m basically dismembering him and taking the skin off. I hope this post doesn’t get me in trouble……

I started with pulling him apart into the component sections- arms, legs, waist, etc. Then I started the armour removal. I’ve done a leg so far.

A naked leg

I did film the process, and it will become a part of the build series. It’s also there so I can check how it goes back together……

When I’ve got it all apart down to the frame I’ll be priming and painting it, then it will be time to see if I remember how it goes together…..

Posted in Blurb

Show me your bits!

Don’t forget you can share your work with me, and I’ll show the world!

Post your pictures in the Facebook group and I’ll share them on my Thursday stream. The more pictures I have to show, the less talking I have to do- it’s win/win!

There isn’t a cut off time, just post whenever during the week and chances are I’ll find it. If not you can always shout at me in the chat on Thursday and I’ll track it down.

Posted in Builds

Building continues

I’ve had a good week at the bench.

The little SD Sinanju is almost complete, just the weapons and backpack to assemble. The same is also true for the big RG Sazabi.

The videos of the Sinanju are uploading, the head edition will be available later on today.

The Patreon exclusive Sazabi series. Is up to part 7, which is also to head, and also contains my first ever build of an ‘Action base’ so I can display it in a more interesting pose than “standing up”

Next up for both of them is going to be the backpacks. As ever, the SD is probably 4 bits, and the RG Sazabi will be many, many more.

I build the RG first so I can show how it’s going at the end of the SD video, remember the whole series is available to all of my ‘Gross Geeks’ and above Patreon tiers.

My 1:144 Astray nest to the Sazabi for scale. And the little SD Sinanju.
Posted in Blurb, Builds

Partworks

As you may know, I am currently subscribed to 2 partworks- the Deagostini X-Wing and the Hachette Terminator.

I’ve seen a lot of hate for partworks online over the last few years, but I quite like them. The chance to build a large kit is out of most people’s reach but paying as you go is more affordable. People also complain that you have to wait for the next issue instead of just motoring through to the end.

The cost of a partwork does seem to put people off. When you work out the total it can be daunting, several hundred pounds for a single model. But, the models are BIG. The R2 I recently completed is 1/2 scale. With working electronics for lights, sounds and movement. The best thing is that you don’t have to pay up front. It worked out to around £1.28 a day. Many people spend much more than that on a morning coffee and have nothing to show for it at the end of a year.

The “Waiting” is a different argument, and one that I find works for me rather than being a detriment. If I am building a ‘normal’ modelkit I usually only do one at a time: from opening the box, building, painting, weathering. With the weekly/monthly schedule I can do the parts that come along then put is all aside and carry on with my other project.

I look forward to sharing my partworks with you, I’ll leave you with some pictures of R2 and the modifications I made to him.

Posted in Builds

Sazabi!

The build of the Bandai Sazabi is progressing well, I have just released the 3rd video of the build to my patrons.

As I’m building him from the feet up, I have now done his feet and legs. Next is the waist unit, then the chest, arms and head. Then painting and weathering.

All of these videos will be exclusive to my Geeks tier and above, where you will also find other perks!

Take a look at http://Patreon.com/grossmodels to see if you’d like to help support my habit! (it’s thanks to my lovely patrons I have been able to start this site, as well as keeping me in paint and glue…)

A Sazabi leg next to my Red frame Astray. Same scale.