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Thanks! At $10 a pop, those are very reasonably priced. Will definitely check them out soon.

who knew working thru all 3 usuable days for xmas was so great?? i hate the holiday festivities so im very lucky this year that im working on 24->26. i can enjoy my Southpark xmas eps and music to their best and not worry about stupid usual holiday required meetings/festivies or requirements.

Oh! Before I forget, you may want to invest in a few tools of the trade if you don't already have them. Here's my recommendations on that front:

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Tamiya Basic Tool Set (TAM74016). Should be between $15-$20. Includes everything you need tool-wise to put together even the MG Shining Gundam I linked earlier. The fatal flaw here is that the nippers it comes with have a spring design that fails due to metal fatigue eventually (~1 year or more). I've gone through three before biting the bullet and spending a bunch of money on an actually decent pair of nippers, but for the price of one lifetime nipper you can get three or more of these full tool kits. Since you're only starting out, super highly recommended. Heck, even though I use a different pair of nippers, I still use every single other tool from this kit!!

Now, if you already have flat-sided nippers, then they probably work fine. The important part with nippers is that they're perfectly flat on one side (so you can get right up to the part), and that you cut parts out in a two-step process. Step 1, you cut as close to the tree and as far away from the part as possible. Once the part is freed, then you use the nippers again to trim the nubs. Some more advanced kits require a third step (due to a thing called 'under-gating') but none of the ones I linked use that.

Almost all the kits I linked don't require detailing so there's no need to worry about getting Gundam markers or paint or anything like that just yet. The HGUC RX-78-2 benefits greatly from having its head and the sensor on the rifle panel-lined with a thin marker (to make the 'vents' look grey/black instead of white), and the MG Shining Gundam can really use a lot of panel line work and gold paint, but that's really it. Honestly since you're just getting back into it, don't worry about details until you actually want to. Then you can start doing things like investing in paints or an expensive pair of modeling nippers.

lol, i had a small tool set of small 5" pliers for use in smaller wiring work. i used to try the nail clipper but the cuts were horrible so i simply took the only flat sided cutting pliers from that set to use on my kits.

i did find the gundam markers were useful for panel lining mostly the grey (lighter colors) and black for darker colours.

This post has been edited by 207 on Dec 12 2018, 10:07 PM

Thanks for the advice. Could you tell me what tools I'll be expected to use, and what percentage of the time? I have some nippers and tweezers from my metal model hobby. Besides that, I also have a set of screwdrivers. For a knife, I have a multitool. Am I missing anything else?

Also... I suddenly had the sensation that if models were drugs, this is a gateway drug...

It's a gateway drug until you suffer from extreme procrastination. When you are in the fever, then you are screwed. I use an exacto knife, flat cutting pliers, some sand paper and hand paint + related supplies. Granted the results dont look as great as they could be, im happy with the results. Thats likely the most basic you can get though i do prefer to paint instead of using most of the decals. I do make some exceptions for small eye decals but that's about it.

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This post has been edited by 207 on Dec 13 2018, 09:38 PM

For my kits, the only tools I use commonly are my nippers, a pair of tweezers (for decals), a metal file (for the off nub that just won't clean up properly), and screwdrivers (for older kits with screws). I also use fine-point Gundam markers for detailing, a metallic silver Gundam marker for doing silver details, a metallic gold Gundam marker for gold details, a green Sharpie highlighter for converting clear plastic to green, and various other color Gundam markers just in case.

Haven't gotten into serious painting or top-coating yet. It's on the to-do list. As for it being a gateway drug, well...what 207 said. They're super fun. But if you start getting busy with other stuff they tend to be the first thing that goes by the wayside. However that doesn't stop you from looking at cool kits and ordering them anyway...so you end up with this huge backlog.

Which I'm only now working through. Just finished my seventh kit yesterday, starting on the eighth today. Only have...20 left to go?

I'm still a sucker for a nice kit but I do have some restraint, my back log is only 5 kits but there aren't really any particular kits I really want. There was 1 Martian mobilesuit (gundam age series) that never got an official kit. I'm sure I can think of a few more kits I like but I keep the boxes and store the built kits in a glass door wall unit. It's pretty full at even with 4 kits unbuilt though a bit of rearranging could clear some space.

The kits are still fun as hell and the biggest block I have to actually build a kit is to paint the pieces. I like to get all the parts with color a done at 1 time, same as color b and c so all I need to do left is take 1-2 hrs to put the actual pieces together.

My backlog limit is 4 kits that I could have, any more than 4 don't give me to clear some backlog.

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This post has been edited by 207 on Dec 14 2018, 10:25 PM

Hilariously enough I'm building MG AGE-1 as we speak! I wish the Legilis had gotten an MG, that would've been amazing. Speaking of AGE-1, though, I'm definitely adding that to the list of "if you want a great starting MG, get this." I bought it for $35, which is about what it retails for in Japan and is only $5~$10 more expensive than MG Shining Gundam is. Unlike Shining it doesn't require nearly as much detail work--since it's literally 10 years newer--but it doesn't have any of the advanced techniques required to construct the more complex kits, yet remains super poseable with excellent exterior details. So super simple I very nearly finished building it in less than 8 hours, making it the fastest MG build I've yet done.

I'll be doing MG AGE-2 after that for sure.

what i really want but they never gave an official kit is this one ie the pic at the bottom. some sort of demi-god actually built their own one from scratch. some other nice enemy MS were in AGE series but didnt get my attention enough for a kit though the AGE 2 blackhound is friggin awesome (though strike Noir looks just a bit better)

frustratingly enough, i liked both the Darkhound and Strike Noir alot but settled for the strike noir. the AGE 2 normal version is very nice, better than age 1 or 3 IMO.

the 4 kits are 144 scale but im debating between the OVA deathscythe hell custom, Strike Noir, AMX-101 green Bawoo and a 144 Kotobukiya Berkut 47E from muv luv series. i dont know which one i'll do first atm but i can put some work in on the kits now seeing as that blasted Nintendo 3ds game series is done taking up some of my free time.

up to july/august 2018 the damn pokemon gen7 games finally managed to alienate me from the series. i liked gen 6 pokemon games but gen7 did some stupid ass backwards bullshit in their process to extract every shitty dollar from their fans. the gen7 games really didnt keep my attention and ended up as a big meh in the end. at the very least now i can actually spend some free time reading books or dealing with that MS backlog and not have to turn the DS on.

edit: well i chose the strike Noir and just completed the feet as they require no paint, lol i remembered my trick to cover up the cut nubs from the parts if they didnt clean up well when sanded. put grey or black Gundam marker on the area and then wipe it off and they are hardly noticeable.

@UMU: i dont know how many kits you plan on getting but here's a good tip, keep the spare parts (if you want to) but always keep the spare plastic joint pieces ie PC A, PC B etc for they always provide 1-2 extra that arent used in the kit as you need 4 of PC A but they give you 6 of them. if you ever damage or lose a PC joint from another kit then you can raid your older kits that have that spare piece. they might not always be named the same numbers but they're the same none the less. they wont provide a spare "neck" joint but the arms, legs and usually have 1-2 spares depending on the kit.

Edit 18 dec: i did some most of the painting for the parts of the Strike Noir but some matting coats and other color highlights (and panel lines) remain. i mostly need to deal with the head, gun, backpack torso and the hands. thankfully the strike Noir doesnt have the most complicated paint job so i have most of the parts put together or nearly ready to put together.

i started building the strike noir dec 15 with my spare time after getting home from work and also during my days off. with any luck i should be done my wednesday and most likely done by friday the latest.

dec 18: only the head and torso to complete on strike noir, and the only thing holding me back is that i forgot to paint the 2 thrusters on the back plate the first time i went and painted it. i painted only 1 of them and the paints i use are gloss red and it takes a while to dry before i can apply the matting coat paint. the backpack was honestly the hardest part to put together, a few tiny pieces to cut and clear the nubs and just the general manner that i need to put certain pieces together. though im glad i got it done eventually.

December 20 (1AM) yikes that was a rather stressful last hour on the Strike Noir but i finally got it done. had to put together the torso but the head was rather stressful as building it and attaching it and even changing out the hands (rather tight fit but proper) were the last thing i had to do. there's no natural light so im not gonna take too many pics but here's a pic of the completed Gundam.

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This post has been edited by 207 on Dec 19 2018, 10:22 PM

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Where did all the funny people go?

They all went to a psychiatrist and are alright now.

If the funny people go to psychiatrists, then where do the psychos go?

Discord.

i had a slightly minor headache a few minutes ago. i started the Berkut 47 Kotobukiya kit, got the feet done but not the legs. they dont provide decals/stickers to give a general guide on where certain details go. i dont often use the larger stickers but they serve as a painting guide. i also dont have a certain shade of dark grey/blackish paint premixed so i will need to find a good one or mix it myself.

Kotobukiya general. While their plastic quality is fine recently, and they've certainly gotten better, they're still no Bandai.

They all go to poland to drink the first beer in the world made with vaginal lactic acid.

I can't believe I went through the trouble of buying and building some plamos from Muv-Luv Alternative Total Eclipse, getting a bunch of paint for them...and then never painting any of them. And that was, like, 4 years ago now, maybe?

Fucking A.

yeah, i didn some research on this particular model and the guns on the backpack dont always stay on too well though i do believe some clear paint on certain areas will be able to make them hold better. my 144 Portent Gundam had a joint on the waist or the back of the waist to hold the self repair units that was rather loose. i had a matt clear paint (that was absolute shit for a matting agent) that served well to add some thickness onto the mounting pegs. its a tab bit loose still but not as much as without the paint.

i already have a fair amount of paints in my collection so thats not the issue. i now need to decide which areas need some paint on them. thats my first headache for any kit to plan out the parts that need painting and add/subtract more pieces as i actually go ahead and build it.

i dont know if Kotobukiya kits have more parts on average than a 144 Bandai kit but its similar to a 100 Bandai kit. not sure how it stacks up to a MG, a PG or RG Bandai kit as i never tried to buy/build such a kit. even putting the feet together has a fair amount of pieces ie 10 pieces for just 1 complete foot. though the lower leg has less pieces in comparison to a Bandai kit.

This post has been edited by 207 on Dec 21 2018, 09:46 PM

雪だ！うちの砂漠に天から雪が降れた昨日わ ～ ☃ ☆

TL：Holy moly !! it snowed yesterday x3 ❄

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You guy you.

another fucking new year celebration is finally over (1hr ago) and i couldn't give a single fuck about it. im just glad this BS is over with and people can get back on with life again. i hardly noticed the year change over, sequestered myself and read a book thru the date change and enjoyed every single damn minute of it. i didnt see the NYC "ball drop". the only time i'll ever regret not seeing the fall drop is if the descent motors catastrophically fail and the ball does a real actual rapid free fall descent and smashed down on the tower base supports. NOW that would make for a very exciting ball drop

This post has been edited by 207 on Dec 31 2018, 10:12 PM

Happy new year, everyone!

LOL, im having a fun time trying to practice some Japanese numbers in the 5 digit range. i keep getting a bit tongue twisted with mixing the single digits with the san byaku, roku/hachi pyaku and has sen exceptions. the hyaku is easy but remembering the various exceptions is a bit tricky. the number 13360 is a bit of a tongue twister. i dont say this in a way to demean the Japanese language, its just that it twists up my tongue on more than a few occasions.

just trying to speak/think out the number is something i need to get used to though i can still mentally practice that at work.

how would you break down the number 378, 642 ? would you group the first 2 numbers into the 'man' category (ie san ju nana man) and continue on into the 'sen' and lower?

This post has been edited by 207 on Jan 1 2019, 03:27 PM

Ichiman-sanzen-sanbyaku-rokujuu? What's tongue-twisty about it?

Japanese--and many other languages--group things into bursts of tens. I've long posited that the "lol asians are good at math" nonsense actually comes from the fact that their language handles math a hell of a lot better than, say, English does.

In any event, Japanese stops offering single jumps at 'sen'. So you have ones, tens, hundreds, thousands... then when you switch to ten-thousands you gain multipliers until you get to hundred-million. So it looks like this:

1 ichi
10 juu
100 hyaku
1000 sen
10000 man
10 x 10000 juuman
100 x 10000 hyakuman
1000 x 10000 issenman
(10000 x 10000) oku

Since you can't say the same thing twice--that is, you can't do 10,000 x 10,000--they invent a new word to handle that multiplication. Then it repeats until you get into the stupidly-huge numbers.

378,642 would be broken down into (10 x 10000), 10000, 1000, 100, 10, 1. Thus it ends up being "sanjuu-nana-man, hassen, roppyaku, yonjuu-ni."

Hopefully that made sense. It can be really tricky if your native language doesn't handle math gracefully or math isn't your best subject (or both).

This post has been edited by Nomake Wan on Jan 2 2019, 06:45 PM