Templar snags 1st place in Level Up contest!

GundamUK's Level Up contest concluded last February 1st, and to be honest I wasn't holding my breath. The Templar was up against some seriously mean builds - all the entries had a tremendous amount of work put into them, and I knew my chances were slim at best...But somehow, he was able to steal the top spot!

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From Gunpla to Plamo

After a recent discussion on facebook with some celebrities in the local gunpla scene, and reading a fellow blogger's post that hit home all too well it almost seemed like it was written in response to a comment I made in a facebook group  - I've come to realize that there is simply no way to justify a bootleg - just as there is no way to justify a downloaded movie or series episode, a copied .mp3, or a jailbroken phone loaded with cracked apps.

More after the jump...

DIY Screw Heads

I'm in between projects at the moment, so it's a good time to post a simple tutorial on one of the tricks I came up with while building the RG freedom. Although you can purchase actual micro screws from stores that specialize in metal detail-up parts, they can be pretty hard to find and are also quite expensive. Here's a quick guide on how to make plastic micro screw heads for detailing up your kit.

What you'll need to make your own:
1. A mini hobby saw. (I got a set by Trumpeter for about $5)
2. Masking tape.
3. Scrap plastic sheet.
4. Plastic rod. (Diameter of your choice, this will be the diameter of the screw head)

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Tallgeese Templar v1.0

After only 4 weeks...I present to you all, the Tallgeese Templar 1.0!

You read it right folks...this build took a mere 4 weeks from snapfit to photoshoot! A personal record for me, because I usually take a couple of months to finish a model.

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MG Tallgeese WIP 3

This is WIP 3 of the MG Tallgeese. Previous WIPs can be found here:

WIP 1
WIP 2

(WARNING: PIC HEAVY)

I've only got a few more days to finish this guy in time for the Level Up competition. The pressure is on, but I have to remember that a properly finished kit is better than a half-baked entry. Here's where I am, 4 days from the deadline:

The internal frame was painted a custom mix of mr. hobby gloss black and gold. I used a similar mix for the Freedom and I really liked the results, so I made a new batch with a higher ratio of gold. I then applied tamiya panel wash black, and then dry brushed with enamel silver...

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MG Tallgeese WIP 2

This is WIP 2 of the MG Tallgeese. WIP 1 can be found here:
WIP1

(WARNING: PIC HEAVY)
This build is going pretty smoothly and I think I might make it to the competition deadline if I get all modifications done within the week. Here is my progress as of yesterday.I decided to plate up the whole shoulder...

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MG Tallgeese WIP 1

This is WIP 1 of the MG Tallgeese.

I recently received this Daban kit as a Christmas present from my wife - and since I was in no rush to finish up the RG Freedom diorama I thought I'd kick off the new year with this build. I decided to submit it as an entry to GundamUK's ongoing Level Up competition. I really like the theme of this event, as it encourages the builder to up their skills and try something new.

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There and back again...

The company thought it would be a good idea for me to do some on-site support at our world HQ for a migration project we had lined up, so they sent me over to Florida for an entire month. This was my first trip to the US, so it was pretty exciting.

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RG Freedom WIP 5

This is WIP 5 for the RG Freedom. Here are the links to the first 4, in case you missed them:

WIP1
WIP2
WIP3
WIP4

I had to go on a business trip for the entire month of October, so there was no way I could really make it to this year's GBWC. Here's how far I got before the trip:

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RG Freedom WIP 4

This is WIP 4 for the RG Freedom. Here are the links to the first 3, in case you missed them:

WIP1
WIP2
WIP3

I decided to add the shoulder parts, and have added more plates here and there.

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RG Freedom WIP 3

This is WIP 3 of the RG Freedom. If you missed the previous ones, here are the links:

WIP1
WIP2

In my last post I had intended to add waist hydraulics only to the right side, since there wouldn't be any room left in the opposite side when the body was fully bent sideways...I was never happy about that idea...it felt like I was cheating myself into thinking I pulled off a legit waist hydraulic mod. So I decided to rethink my approach, and came up with this:

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RG Freedom WIP 2

WIP 1 is here: WIP 1

Made some progress over the long weekend. The feet are getting close to how I want them to look. I made some flat screw heads, and added a tiny peg to the foot hydraulics so they can be removed for painting later on.

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