tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-458276833788863092012-01-26T17:45:18.354-08:00Your source for Gunpla techniques and informed Halo news.Major Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11755428530206687886noreply@blogger.comBlogger591100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-45827683378886309.post-6196930853084605022012-01-10T09:55:00.000-08:002012-01-10T09:55:50.797-08:00

As most of the Gundam Building 101 series goes, I will make this a simple, approachable tutorial. There are certainly more advanced techniques to do, and different ways to approach this, but this is the method I've found to be the easiest. Adding plastic styrene sheets (plamo plates) can put depth and highlights in otherwise boring or flat areas of your model. Choosing the right shapes is

Major Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11755428530206687886noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-45827683378886309.post-27979332121845453942011-12-30T01:14:00.001-08:002011-12-30T01:22:38.051-08:00

So after months of learning and fun and some stressing out, I have finished this bad boy for the end of my 2011.  I learned lots of techniques for weathering on this, and while it's not as 'realistic' in some areas as I would have liked, the overall feeling of this model is what I was wishing to achieve.  I appreciate everyone's feedback on this kit, the comments are always worthwhile.  This

Major Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11755428530206687886noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-45827683378886309.post-10803562065993742082011-10-24T21:20:00.000-07:002011-10-24T21:20:11.108-07:00

Weathering is a fun process that (in my opinion) is much more time consuming than a standard paintjob. The results, however, make it worth it if you are going for a grunge look. I'll go over what I think to be a decent weathering technique - I've taken inspiration from various sources, but I'd like to thank zLuca for inspiring me to even try weathering in the first place. His amazing

Major Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11755428530206687886noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-45827683378886309.post-143488217739285022011-10-19T00:35:00.000-07:002011-10-19T01:03:41.689-07:00

If you're looking to weather a piece, or just create a cool effect on different panels of a wall, an oil wash is an easy way to get this effect with minimum effort.  This very well may be my shortest tutorial.  I wrote it separate simply because I heard many people talk about it, and didn't see much on it in the way of gundam modeling.  The basic concept of this is to apply a thin layer of oil

Major Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11755428530206687886noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-45827683378886309.post-72451419089111833572011-09-26T14:11:00.000-07:002011-09-26T14:12:19.638-07:00

Finally I'm going to start this. Instead of an afterthought of a project like I had originally intended, this will be a full project. I am going to attempt minor weathering with the salt painting technique and some pigments.  I painted a little today to see how the colors I was planning on using were going to look. I say awesome. I've preshaded using Tamiya's medium blue and added white

Major Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11755428530206687886noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-45827683378886309.post-70905217568895421292011-09-01T00:49:00.000-07:002011-09-20T21:37:25.139-07:00

I've finished the 1/24 Hi-Nu Bust (SMS version), my first bust ever. I started it on May 7, and took about 4 months to finish. I took ~1 month off to move and play video games though, but I've put ~100 hours into this bad boy, and I could be way off with my estimate too. The hardest parts were a broken vfin and loose wiring that had to be re-wired. Decals are 80% from samuel decal, the rest

Major Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11755428530206687886noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-45827683378886309.post-77438669071151351152011-08-29T10:50:00.000-07:002011-08-29T11:06:28.259-07:00

Almost completed with everything - gluing is going well. Just thought I'd document the LED wiring for those who haven't done it before (I haven't) and want to see what goes into it. It's relatively easy, just some minor preparation and forethought goes into the process before final assembly to ensure all the wires are long enough and hidden. With a little bit of epoxy glue, I've adhered them

Major Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11755428530206687886noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-45827683378886309.post-76018390982252654452011-08-22T00:17:00.000-07:002011-08-22T00:18:31.645-07:00

I have now added a flat finish, two pieces need white patch-up paint tomorrow, but I believe everything else is in final order. Should be finished here soon. Astronaut was added to add some scale to the kit. Should look pretty neat with the final presentation I'm hoping. Pics here: ^^The friggin wiring was so small (22 gauge I believe), that when I pulled on it, it came undone. One

Major Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11755428530206687886noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-45827683378886309.post-33577699262217824052011-08-09T11:06:00.000-07:002011-08-09T11:09:15.649-07:00

Eensy update, got lots done though. Most parts painted and given a nice glossy shine with Future. Panel lining has begun, and I pre-fit everything to make sure everything will fit well. I'm thinking so. Things left: Minor painting for parts, decals, flat coat, final gluing and assembly. Yay!

Major Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11755428530206687886noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-45827683378886309.post-16139509431944058812011-07-10T23:40:00.000-07:002011-07-10T23:41:35.047-07:00

Details, details, details.... LOTS of handpainting, this is sort of the highlight of it, but I've had to handpaint a lot of silver details in.Once I finish with these last few phases of painting, it's onto clearcoating and decals.

Major Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11755428530206687886noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-45827683378886309.post-39619046100945143492011-06-23T11:13:00.000-07:002011-06-23T11:16:11.713-07:00

1/100 NG Nightingale (SMS Version)Manufacturer: SMSCast Quality: 10/10. All quality pieces, no weak spots from what I could tell, details well preserved. The kit is VERY large for being a 1/100 scale kit. The shoulder pieces are the size of a 1/100 model on it's own! Some shallow panel lines in the cast, but they can be easily fixed with a scribing tool. The box is HEAVY and VERY big -

Major Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11755428530206687886noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-45827683378886309.post-459608623952192492011-06-01T22:06:00.000-07:002011-06-01T22:23:41.084-07:00

During my work in progress, I combined a few of the different brands of paint to compare against the Plamo Color paint line. I've used 4 different white paints so you (and I) can see the difference between paints. I'll let the pics speak for themselves.My experience with the Plamo Color primer has been wonderful - I prefer it over the other 2 - Mr. Resin Surfacer comes out very light, and the

Major Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11755428530206687886noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-45827683378886309.post-79986831033911546502011-05-07T12:36:00.000-07:002011-05-07T12:38:16.548-07:00

Update time.I recently was asked by Plamo Color if I would be interested in using his paints for this build. I admit, I was curious to see how his paints fared, and it was great that he was a model builder FIRST, and a paint guy second. I was also cool with this because he told me he was merely providing the paint, and he wanted me to be honest in my review. So I will be. I'm going to be

Major Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11755428530206687886noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-45827683378886309.post-60489754823866723262011-04-28T14:54:00.000-07:002011-04-28T14:56:18.656-07:00

Onto my next project!!!Cleaned and pre-fit and pinned most stuff.The person I bought this from sold it because he didn't want it (bought it second hand), but a couple pieces were damaged either from his handling or the shipping process.And here's the broken v-fin. If you have any ideas on how to fix this, please let me know!!!! I have a couple ideas, but I'm interested to see what the pros here

Major Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11755428530206687886noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-45827683378886309.post-37110546220690986592011-04-25T09:40:00.000-07:002011-04-25T09:45:52.588-07:00

Well I've finally finished - took around 3 months from start to finish, with quite a few breaks.Paints used:Purple: Tamiya acrylics custom mixBlack: Testor's Model Master enamel semi-gloss black (sometimes gloss)White: Tamiya acrylicsMetallics: Mr. Metal Color Copper, Mr. Super Metal Chrome SilverComments on the build: Lots of fun to build, lots of details. Totally top heavy and had to require

Major Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11755428530206687886noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-45827683378886309.post-56044636776701934932011-04-11T15:06:00.000-07:002011-04-11T15:12:53.958-07:00

Got some more work done. I'm way behind schedule, but I'm ramping up for the finish. Traveling twice a week 2-3 days doesn't really help either. I'm going to start semi-rushing through this process (without sacrificing quality). Finally got my metallic paints in though ;)^^I've since corrected the minor error and painted a bit more... Just too lazy to take a pic.Did some panel lining with

Major Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11755428530206687886noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-45827683378886309.post-66464365441755614822011-04-11T14:51:00.000-07:002011-04-11T15:16:29.739-07:00

Some models have raised parts that usually are different colors - on gunpla these usually appear on the chest and sleeves. It would be tedious and hard to either mask or hand paint these details with little margin for error. Thankfully, using the natural properties of the different types of paint and thinners available, we can create a natural reverse wash that makes crisp lines and a great

Major Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11755428530206687886noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-45827683378886309.post-28522312611352254432011-03-24T10:13:00.000-07:002011-03-24T10:18:05.862-07:00

Manufacturer: G-System-BestCast Quality: 10/10 as usual from GSBThis enormous kit is very well casted and all of the parts fit very neatly together. Resin quality is superb. Simply glowing over this kit.This kit is still in my queue.

Major Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11755428530206687886noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-45827683378886309.post-83521095786786399622011-03-24T10:07:00.001-07:002011-03-24T10:12:37.480-07:00

Hello wonderful blog viewers. I've decided to begin a new series called "Kit Review". A very straightforward name for a straightforward series. One thing that bugs me is the lack of detailed photos of what a kit actually looks like when you get it from the manufacturer. I want to know everything - the good AND the bad. So I've begun the process of detailing all of my kits that I have - which

Major Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11755428530206687886noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-45827683378886309.post-75688905176911404892011-03-24T10:05:00.001-07:002011-03-24T10:20:15.670-07:00

I know I have not updated in awhile - I have been encountering some significant set backs in the painting department. Moreso than usual because I've been trying some different techniques.I have the philosophy: nothing ventured, nothing gained. Well that philosophy has cost me some time, but I don't really regret it, it was worth the time invested.I tried doing a reverse wash on the wrist and

Major Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11755428530206687886noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-45827683378886309.post-60439317728305696622011-03-24T10:05:00.000-07:002011-03-24T10:06:54.706-07:00

Manufacturer: SMSCast quality is 10/10. Very minor defects. I found 1 minor bubble that can be fixed, and it was inside of the flash, so there was no apparent bubble when it was cast. I don't fault it. Resin is fantastic and all fits very tightly together.This kit is currently being built.

Major Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11755428530206687886noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-45827683378886309.post-88619944591829951982011-03-24T09:55:00.000-07:002011-03-24T10:05:09.481-07:00

Manufacturer: Super G recast of the VP version Cast Quality: 9/10 as usual from SuperG. There are more errors with this kit, but I have only found 4-5 errors with the 150+ parts that are in this package. All of them are easily fixable. See below for pics.^^ Even comes with clear resin. Very nice for $59 IMO^^Great detailed casting here^^Casting Error^^Weird casting error. Looks like it was

Major Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11755428530206687886noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-45827683378886309.post-2319846228455568852011-03-23T17:17:00.000-07:002011-03-23T17:19:38.771-07:00

Manufacturer: Super G recast of the GMG versionCast Quality: 9/10 as usual from Super G. 1 minor error I've found so far with the gun, but it is an interesting error... See the pics for an explanation. All other details duplicated in great detail.^^ Even comes with the green plastic "Dot". Great touch.^^Okay, now here's the weird part. Look at the pic just before this one with the 5 parts and

Major Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11755428530206687886noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-45827683378886309.post-12680596045848455482011-03-23T17:13:00.000-07:002011-03-24T09:57:42.687-07:00

Manufacturer: Super G recast of the VP version. Bought via gunplasg.comCast quality of the actual conversion kit - 9/10. Only error I can find with the casting is on the binders, but it's easily fixable with some sanding. Very good quality resin used.And the internal frame (came with photocopied Bandai kit instructions and circled the parts)Note: Frame is similar to the VP ZZ extra fit

Major Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11755428530206687886noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-45827683378886309.post-80435160851905525452011-03-23T17:11:00.000-07:002011-03-23T17:13:28.796-07:00

Manufacturer: G-System-Best (SMS version)Cast quality - 10/10. Great resin quality, pieces are fantastically cast, and the molding nubs (I forgot their proper term) were very easy to clean. Comes with all metal parts and decals.This kit is still in my queue :)

Major Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11755428530206687886noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-45827683378886309.post-53322389167463178202011-03-23T17:10:00.000-07:002011-03-23T17:11:42.187-07:00

Manufacturer: Revision by SMSCast quality - 10/10. Fantastic cast quality, smooth, high quality resin. Buy SMS if you can. Kit is still in my Queue :)

Major Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11755428530206687886noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-45827683378886309.post-75940071054717444282011-03-23T17:07:00.000-07:002011-03-23T17:09:13.881-07:00

Manufacturer: e2046Cast Quality - 9/10. Actual resin quality is sub-par with more quality places (feels more brittle), but the casting detail is excellent. No visible holes, seams or defects.I sold this kit.

Major Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11755428530206687886noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-45827683378886309.post-26750604088780881502011-03-23T17:05:00.000-07:002011-03-23T17:07:28.417-07:00

Manufacturer: G-System-Best.comCast quality - 10/10. No visible defects, no warping, pieces fit together, great resin quality.Completed Kit: 1/100 PMX-003 The-O

Major Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11755428530206687886noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-45827683378886309.post-64452940627960785322011-03-23T17:03:00.000-07:002011-03-23T17:05:04.509-07:00

Manufacturer: SAGE via Tatsu HobbyCast Quality - 6/10. Lots of parts were cast well. Some warping, and very VERY bad seams on some parts. Almost a 5/10 because of the errors.Completed Kit: 1/144 MSZ-007

Major Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11755428530206687886noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-45827683378886309.post-14416002120496195152011-03-23T16:59:00.000-07:002011-03-23T17:02:42.083-07:00

Manufacturer: SAGE via Tatsu HobbyCast Quality - 6/10. Some parts very badly cast, others have been mis-casted (where there are seam lines). Cheap kit, great for beginners.Completed kit here: 1/220 Jaguar II Zwei

Major Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11755428530206687886noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-45827683378886309.post-63663123921828349912011-03-23T16:54:00.000-07:002011-03-23T16:59:37.465-07:00

Cast Quality - 7/10. Small holes in some parts. Fairly good detail.

Major Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11755428530206687886noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-45827683378886309.post-59703518602627360592011-03-08T09:58:00.000-08:002011-04-11T15:16:40.544-07:00

Using Kosutte Ginsan or MGM Hobby Powder (same thing, different name) - aka Metallic Powders.I usually use this technique on parts I want to be shiny chrome (i.e. thrusters and the like). The process is quite simple really.Materials you'll need:- Model part- Gloss Black paint- Kosutte Powder- Gloves- Q-Tip- Paper Towels- CLEAN WORKSPACETip: The powder I'm using is purchased from gunplasg.com

Major Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11755428530206687886noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-45827683378886309.post-37978405281275658942011-02-23T10:41:00.000-08:002011-04-11T15:16:02.473-07:00

For one reason or another, you've decided: I want to make a resin kit. Either it's a model that you want that Bandai hasn't made yet, or the proportions of the resin model appeal to you. Or maybe you just want to try something different. Resin for me was very intimidating and it seemed like only advanced modelers were making resin kits.While there is more skill needed, the same basic

Major Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11755428530206687886noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-45827683378886309.post-84442246513415752292011-02-16T22:06:00.000-08:002011-02-16T22:10:54.868-08:00

Settled on a good color, after mixing purples and whites. Settled on about a 2.5:1 ratio of white to purple.And my first experiment doing a reverse wash. I painted the piece white with Tamiya Lacquer spray cans, then followed with my purple in Tamiya acrylics, then cleaned up with a q-tip dipped in acrylic thinner. Doesn't come off as easy as you would think, but it just takes some extra TLC

Major Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11755428530206687886noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-45827683378886309.post-77551756589765097682011-02-09T14:49:00.000-08:002011-02-09T14:52:46.099-08:00

So I took a small hiatus on Gunpla for awhile - my dog bit my thumb pretty bad (she was in a dog fight and I got in the middle) - it was an accident, but still. Super lame. My thumb is at about 90% strength now, so I started back up.I decided to start this guy - an Xmas present from my wife - and there is a lot of work still to do. I have added multiple joints, and I'm probably going to add a

Major Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11755428530206687886noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-45827683378886309.post-1940344971097850812010-12-16T09:22:00.000-08:002010-12-16T09:28:08.134-08:00

After about 2 and a half months of work, I have finally finished this kit! This is my first large resin kit I've ever done, and it really is quite tall at 12 inches (and HEAVY!).I tried to go with a desert camo feel with some minor, minor pre-shading. Most of the pre-shading has all but vanished because I wanted to get the shade just to my liking. I posed him in a semi-aggressive pose, but it

Major Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11755428530206687886noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-45827683378886309.post-5219123010881366332010-12-06T09:44:00.000-08:002010-12-06T09:51:19.868-08:00

I've been putting a lot of work into this guy, with very little updates here.I've finished almost all of the airbrush painting, and I've gloss coated everything, then panel lined and put a few decals. I'm waiting for some of the Samueldecal decals to come in the mail so I can finish this bad boy up.Some WIP pics:Side viewYou can really see the 'burnt metal' color. It looks great. After Panel

Major Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11755428530206687886noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-45827683378886309.post-26147361049174162902010-11-18T09:06:00.000-08:002010-11-18T09:08:44.182-08:00

So I helped a friend build his first model over the past few weeks. He really liked the look of the 1/10 Rockman so we built it and painted it. I assisted with many things, but he did almost everything by himself. I helped out when things went wrong and gave him general guidance for how to make a plamo model. Overall a fun little model. No internal frame, and a nice, easy build. Total build

Major Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11755428530206687886noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-45827683378886309.post-10645598444748308582010-10-27T17:14:00.000-07:002011-04-11T15:15:44.975-07:00

Preshading is a relatively simple concept that can yield amazing results with enough patience and practice with an airbrush.The term itself is precisely what you will be doing here - shading before you actually paint in the real color you want the piece/model to be.Tools you'll need: - Model - Airbrush/Compressor - Primer of choice - Paint in Color(s) of choice - White paint - Gloves (recommended

Major Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11755428530206687886noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-45827683378886309.post-39191853142157245912010-10-27T10:18:00.000-07:002010-10-27T10:27:37.398-07:00

Began pinning a bunch of parts togetherAdded a joint to the neck piece (the piece is upside down here)An exploded view of the larger parts of the footBecause of how lighting can greatly affect how the colors look, I'll just put up a bunch of pictures of how the desert yellow is coming along. You can judge for yourself if you like it or not. I personally think it looks awesome - like blasted

Major Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11755428530206687886noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-45827683378886309.post-20326970051786357302010-09-30T15:22:00.000-07:002010-09-30T15:29:49.882-07:00

So I got this kit from g-system-best.com. Not a bad price (cheaper than the MG haha), and I am amazed at the casting quality. I have to do almost no cleanup - just removal of the molding nubs.This kit is pretty big for 1/100 scale.I finished cleaning up the nubs and ran it through some degreaser. And began priming everything.Now I'm just working on pinning and adding joints. The resin is very

Major Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11755428530206687886noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-45827683378886309.post-21808657287421744412010-09-15T14:09:00.000-07:002010-09-15T14:12:51.692-07:00

So I had a goal: finish my latest model before the launch of Halo: Reach. A fun goal that my wife actually helped me achieve. All was going well. Until I had the final photo shoot. These are the last known pictures of the final configuration of the model... You'll see why.1/144 MSZ-007 Mass Produced Suit by Studio Reckless (recast kit)So I had fun building this kit - though there was a lot of

Major Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11755428530206687886noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-45827683378886309.post-64102071355773179472010-09-07T15:51:00.000-07:002011-04-11T15:14:38.882-07:00

Beginner's Putty filling tutorialThis is made mainly for those who are new to the resin world. Not amazing by any means, but I feel it's useful, and something I wish I had seen when I was getting into resin.Materials needed:Resin piecePutty (Any sandable kind will do, but I've heard Mori Mori is good stuff too)Sand paperGloves (recommended)So this is a particularly bad molding that I decided to

Major Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11755428530206687886noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-45827683378886309.post-41877675821351058162010-09-07T15:46:00.000-07:002011-04-11T15:15:33.771-07:00

A quick semi how-to for thrusters:I purchased some thrusters from eBay (make sure you measure how big yours are according to the largest diameter at the bottom in millimeters (mm)). Kind of expensive I guess at $10.50 for 4, but that's the nature of gunpla itself haha.Figure out where you want to put the thruster. Usually there is already a place for you to put the hole in, or you'll have to

Major Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11755428530206687886noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-45827683378886309.post-64949539901821492522010-09-07T15:26:00.000-07:002010-09-07T15:56:11.270-07:00

So it's been awhile since my last post, but I've been busy!Summarized events of Gunpla activity for the summer:1. Bought and received 1/100 Kshatriya resin kit.2. Upon cleaning parts, realized I had to recast an entire piece3. Sold Kshatriya (haha)4. Bought 1/144 MSZ-007 Gundam resin kit.And so it begins.Here is a new WIP for you all. Nothing new or crazy major happening with it. Frankly the

Major Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11755428530206687886noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-45827683378886309.post-53359775596552572742010-07-06T11:44:00.000-07:002010-07-06T11:47:59.648-07:00

So I finally finished my first resin kit. I made a ton of mistakes, but in the end was worth it. I went into it knowing I was going to make mistakes, so it was primarily to learn and make my next model a little better. I experimented with magnets as well (the shoulders are magnetized as opposed to glued)I dry brushed at the end with black, rust and yellow, but as you can tell in the pics, I

Major Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11755428530206687886noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-45827683378886309.post-12993854529227900482010-06-30T16:39:00.000-07:002010-06-30T17:02:29.587-07:00

So it's been awhile since I've updated, but I began working on my first resin kit. FYI: Banshee is put on indefinite hold due to some major breakage (the cat and dog knocked it over, then trampled over it). When I feel good about it again, I'll start it back up.I originally was going to start on the 1/100 Kshatriya, but just couldn't bring myself to make that my first kit. I need to get my

Major Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11755428530206687886noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-45827683378886309.post-42827231668712227212010-05-24T15:59:00.000-07:002010-05-24T16:02:51.990-07:00

So I got the Master G44 (renamed as a G444 'Deluxe' set), and here's a review I put up, and will try to update as I become more comfortable with the AB. I got this mainly because I wanted a gravity feed AB but fine control for a decent price, before spending a fortune (i.e. Iwata).This is my first gravity feed AB (previously owned two bottom feed), and I am VERY satisfied. The small nozzle (

Major Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11755428530206687886noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-45827683378886309.post-24700076343750273722010-05-18T09:50:00.000-07:002010-05-24T15:59:11.271-07:00

So for the people who are following my blog - you'll notice I haven't posted since April.I got married (awesomeness), and am now moving my wife into what is now OUR place. It's awesome life stuff for me, but bad for the Gundam blog. Updates will come as soon as I have a place to work again :)Edit: Images are back up! Woohoo for Microsoft Skydrive!

Major Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11755428530206687886noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-45827683378886309.post-59067145308592749502010-04-19T00:55:00.000-07:002010-05-24T15:02:06.025-07:00

Some good progress:Painted some of the underframe todayHad to airbrush fluorescent red on to make it look consistent.... painful taping was needed though.Gundam markered the black on for a consistent finish.Gotta love the fluorescent Red paint. Adds excellent detail. Some problems I'm running into: the gold paint flakes off, so I get some shiny speckles on the blue paint. It's not too

Major Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11755428530206687886noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-45827683378886309.post-11905292814953420332010-04-15T02:14:00.000-07:002010-05-24T15:05:40.177-07:00

Progress has been good so far - just lots and lots of sanding and painting.The pink Psycho Frame piece it seems are made of some sort of smoother plastic that is more difficult to paint than the regular plastic pieces.As an example, here you can see how tough it is for the primer to stick to the piece:And after one coat of gold (acrylic paint mind you), there is lots left to be desired with pink

Major Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11755428530206687886noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-45827683378886309.post-81471232253782508992010-04-07T22:35:00.000-07:002010-05-24T15:07:45.589-07:00

Got these from the ebay user: globaltoy. They are pretty nice preformed water decals - I put them next to the ones I got from Neograde. And it was reasonable shipping time for these (~2 weeks).Not going to go too crazy with the decals, but I want the options.

Major Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11755428530206687886noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-45827683378886309.post-52233567599955251202010-04-06T09:08:00.000-07:002010-05-24T15:10:26.361-07:00

Testing out the gold to see how it looks with the shield before I begin painting it. I think it's going to turn out great!Tested out some paints with the airbrush, got a good mixture of the blue and black.Began work on the shield as my first test subject before I went into it head first, after sanding (800 and 1500 grit) and priming (Tamiya fine primer):I think the result turned out fantastic.

Major Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11755428530206687886noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-45827683378886309.post-83927574330157311982010-04-05T00:49:00.000-07:002010-05-24T15:16:24.222-07:00

Worked on my Banshee over the past few days. Progress is coming along great.I finished cutting, sanding and cleaning all of the pieces, and began assembling the Unicorn in it's most basic state.The reason I put it together is to get an idea of how the pieces fit together, and take the separate sections apart and finish them one at a time in a given night (I don't have a ton of time to work on

Major Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11755428530206687886noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-45827683378886309.post-29615028198249159872010-03-31T09:28:00.000-07:002011-04-11T15:14:19.647-07:00

Welcome to another session of Major Williams' Gundam Building 101 series. I'll be showing you this time the steps needed to ensure that your paint will stick to the pieces you're going to be painting.Materials needed: - Testors Plastic-Prep (~$7.50) - Tweezers - Bowl and Dish soap - Q-tips - Pin Vise - Drill Bits - Potentially a drill - GlovesUsing my nub management guide, I cut out and sanded

Major Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11755428530206687886noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-45827683378886309.post-35078612274114852222010-03-29T16:09:00.000-07:002011-04-11T15:13:59.328-07:00

Guide to Gundam Making: Nub ManagementI'm calling this nub management because that's really what I'm going to be showing you how to do this entire time. I'll have pics here, and a brief description of what is going on underneath it. Make sure to pay attention to the lessons learned sections (bolded for convenience). Materials you will need: - Gundam model ($$$ whatever you decide) - Model

Major Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11755428530206687886noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-45827683378886309.post-87119370527253779142010-03-28T23:51:00.000-07:002010-05-24T16:06:11.024-07:00

So I finished my MG Sinanju! Took ~6 weeks, and it's my second serious model build since I started back up!List of paints used (mostly spray cans):Tamiya Spray cans: - TS-49 Bright Red - TS-38 Gun Metal - TS-48 Gunship Grey - AS-27 Gunship Gray 2 - TS-13 ClearTamiya Paints: - X-12 Gold LeafModel Master Enamel Paint: 1947 FS17038 Gloss Black Spray CanModel Master Metalizer Lacquer: 1451 Aluminum

Major Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11755428530206687886noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-45827683378886309.post-5747052873349630102010-03-25T16:51:00.000-07:002010-05-24T15:58:30.932-07:00

So my Banshee conversion kit came in the mail today!I ordered it from Tatsu Hobby, along with some other items - a clear base, and some SAGE Sinanju Decals and SAGE screws.Firstly, a review of Tatsu Hobby - I ordered this on a Friday, so I was expecting to not receive it for some time. But after I had seen that my order was still "Processing" on Wednesday (yesterday), I emailed support

Major Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11755428530206687886noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-45827683378886309.post-58105808180539983842010-03-25T11:14:00.000-07:002010-03-25T15:17:30.986-07:00

Hello and welcome to my blog!I started this to document some of the nuances of two of my hobbies - video game playing and the building of Gundam models - also called gunpla. I currently help run a website for Halo fans called Grunts R Us. It's mainly designed to provide updates for the average Halo fan. I'll be discussing some of the more refined points and challenges with the Halo Universe

Major Williamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11755428530206687886noreply@blogger.com2