Daban MG The O - Review

Happy holidays plamo nerds! Today I'm sharing another review for a kit many of you are eager to know more about - Daban's MG The O!

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Commission Finished - MG Zaku Cannon

Good day fellow otakus! The holidays are upon us, and I'm sure you're all busy with your last minute shopping. I've been extra busy myself, preparing for my new job and working on my remaining commission projects for the year. Here's how the Zaku Cannon turned out.

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Otaku On A (Tighter) Budget

I'm resigning from my current job by the end of the year. It's been great working there, and I'm truly thankful for the opportunities I was given during my tenure. My new job will be in Manila, which means my family and I will probably have to relocate. It entails bigger responsibilities and longer work hours, which translates to less time spent with the family and for myself. Blog posts may become farther apart for the first couple of months, but I'm sure everything will normalize eventually. I'll be giving up a lot of plamo time to take on this new challenge. On the other hand, I can start making some serious plans towards buying/building my own house, and start saving up for my son's education - you know, real-life stuff. To do that, I'll be tightening the already tight budget I have for the hobby.

I wrote about time management a few months ago - how a family guy should only work on his plamo projects beyond his established SFH. This time, I'd like to go into the financial side of things.

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Commission Finished - SD Neo Zeong

I finally finished this monster of an SD! This was one of the more challenging builds I've done because of the number of techniques that were employed - seam fixing, shading, reverse wash, panel wash, hand painting and so on - just for a basic paint job.

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Commission WIP - MG Zaku Cannon

A pleasant day to you all my fellow plamo otakus! Here's a quick update on one of my ongoing builds.

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DIY Pipe Sander

Greetings and salutations fellow otakus! I'm currently working on an MG Zaku Cannon. It's a great kit to build and I'm about 95% done with the snap-fit, with only one thing left to do before paint: Build the pipes. Everyone who's ever built a Zaku variant has had to deal with these things - Tiny fiddly little tubes from hell that are cursed with two nubs each and extra mold lines if you're unlucky. Try to sand them off by hand and you're likely to end up erasing your fingerprints in the process. Good thing I caught an episode of Plamo Tsukurou where the featured kit was a pipe laden MG Gouf. The builder demonstrated an ingenious way of getting at those nubs, and I'll be sharing my own adaptation of the technique.


Here's what you'll need:

1. A motorized eraser (purchased from Daiso at Php88.00)
2. Hobby knife
3. Sand paper in increasing grits
4. Double sided foam tape

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Experimenting With Adhering Liquid

Hello plamo otakus! I found something interesting at a local bookstore called Adhering Liquid. The label says its a "Premium Grade Lacquer Thinner" intended for Silk Screen printing. The stuff smells a lot like Mr. Color thinner, and is about the same consistency and clarity. My brain was telling me that if this stuff was mild enough for textile, then it may not be as harsh as industrial lacquer thinner, so it might be a viable alternative for hobby grade lacquer thinner. At less than a dollar for the 120ml bottle, I just had to give it a try.

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Disassembly

It's happened before. You're building a kit, happy to hear that pleasant clicking sound as the pieces snap together. There are no unsightly gaps, and you marvel at the ingenuity of the design - how precisely the individual pieces were molded. Glancing back at the instruction manual, something catches your attention - a lone polycap sitting ominously on the cutting mat. You are puzzled for but a moment...time itself stops...and then it hits you...

That polycap was supposed to go into the part you just put together.

Hastily, you grab the assembly and turn it around in your fingers - prying...searching...hoping for a small space where your fingernail might fit...a tiny glimmer of redemption. But there is none. Your fate was sealed the moment those pieces clicked together.


Or was it?



Rest easy my friend, for not all is lost! Today I'll be sharing how you can disassemble even the tightest fitting parts, with minimal stress or damage to the plastic - and all you need is your trusty hobby knife.

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Commission WIP - SD Neo Zeong

I'm not a fan of mobile armors, particularly those with arms OR legs (it's never both). I can get behind a Valkyrie's Gerwalk mode, because it can still go full mecha or full fighter jet - but designs like the Big Zam are just downright ridiculous to me. It's as if Zeon stole a bunch of Robeast blueprints from the Bozanian empire or something. I just couldn't bring myself to like them. The Neo Zeong however, could be the sole exception. After all, it does have a Sinanju inside it.

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Weathering - Drybrushing

Good day fellow otakus! Today I'll be sharing about Drybrushing - a simple yet highly effective detailing and weathering technique that can bring out the dormant details on your model.
Here's what you'll need:

1. paint and appropriate thinner
2. old but clean flat tip paintbrush
3. paint mixing dish
4. paper towels

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Back to Basics 2: Getting Rid of Nubs

Nubs - those unsightly bits of protruding plastic on a part that has been liberated from it's sprue - are an inevitability. The best a manufacturer can do is to undergate (to design a sprue in such a way that the gates will have minimum effect on a kit's appearance once assembled), but even then they still need to be cleaned off. Luckily this isn't difficult to do in most cases. Here's what you'll need:

1. Hobby Knife
2. Waterproof sandpaper in increasing grits (ex. 600 grit, 800 grit, 1000 grit, 1200 grit...)
3. Wash basin with water
4. Old soft-bristle toothbrush
5. Nail buffer (optional)
6. Paper towels


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Experimenting with Nail Polish

Greetings fellow otakus! Despite my busy building schedule, I'm always on the lookout for budget friendly plamo ideas. I recently stumbled upon this concept of using nail polish as paint. A quick googling revealed that the car modeling community has been doing it for a while, and they've been getting really nice results. Some gunpla builders like Ghost of Zeon have also been putting it to good use. This got me super excited, because nail polish is a lot cheaper than hobby grade paints. Instead of asking a billion questions, I decided I'd give it a try myself.

For the experiment, I bought 1 bottle of nail polish (<$1), a bottle of acetone (<$1) and a small bottle of Mr. Color lacquer thinner ($2.50).  I got the lacquer thinner because according to many guides, nail polish is actually a lacquer. I prepared a couple of extra parts, one of which was primed with Mr. Surfacer 1200, and a few plastic spoons.


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Commission Finished - MG Kampfer

Good day plamo otakus! I was able to get some work done on my commission projects over the weekend - surface prep on an SD Zeong, a bit of snap building on an MG Zaku Cannon, and best of all, I completed the MG Kampfer!

Click on the Read More link for the rest of this post...(PIC HEAVY)

Back to Basics 1: Cutting Parts from the Sprue

Hello fellow otakus! As promised, I'm doing a "Back to Basics" series, which will feature some rudimentary plamo techniques along with some tips and tricks I picked up along the way. I know there are a ton of these tutorials online, and my methods might not even be the optimal approach, so if you have any suggestions feel free to contribute in the comments section below.

Let's start off with the most basic of the basic - how to properly remove a part from the sprue.

You'll need:
1. A kit
2. Side cutters



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Adding Detail - Dry Transfer Decals

Hello fellow otakus! Here's a quick guide on how to use those dry transfer decals that come with many MG kits.

You'll need the following:
1. hobby knife
2. cutting mat
3. masking tape
4. round-tipped object (like a ball point pen's cap)

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Basics or Bust: Reflections on Custom Building

Not too long ago I joined my first live event, and had my ass handed to me. It felt bad, of course, for someone to tell you your work isn't going to cut it because it lacked the basics. It sank in after a while, and then I felt ashamed. Not of my entry, but of myself - that I had the audacity to submit something I knew wasn't optimal. I went there expecting to fail, and so I did, miserably. I knew I was going to fail, because I was aware of the flaws on my entry. Why didn't I fix them? Why did I not do it properly? Why did I think the errors I could notice myself might be overlooked by the judges? I took some time to reflect on my actions, and I decided it would be good to share my findings with the community.






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Commission WIP - MG Kampfer

Good day plamo fanatics! It's going to be a hectic week once again, thanks to a ton of commission projects I've got lined up. Next on my itinerary is an MG Kampfer. Here's where I am at the moment...

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G No Reconguista and Gundam Build Fighters Try - First Impressions

It's been an eventful week in the world of Gundam - with the conclusion of the Philippine leg of the GBWC, both new anime series: G no Reconguista and Gundam Build Fighters Try came out. If you haven't seen them yet, you can watch them here:

G no Reconguista
GBF Try

Here's my two centavos on the first few episodes...

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Adding Detail - Masking

Hello plamo nerds! Here's a simple guide on how to do some basic masking that will help bring out the details on your model.

Here's what you'll need:
1. Masking Tape (Tamiya or Style-X, or any hobby-grade masking tape)
2. Hobby knife
3. Cutting mat
4. Tweezers

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GBWC 2014 - Philippines

Hello Plamo fans! Just got back from an extended weekend, the highlight of which was the Gunpla Builders World Cup held at Robinsons Magnolia! Unfortunately I was not able to go myself, but my bro-in-law was able to drop by the event and snap some pics.

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Commission Finished - MG GM Sniper

Hello fellow otakus! Here is the finished MG GM Sniper. I'm going to be sad to see him go, but I hope the owner appreciates it as much as I enjoyed building it!

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Commission WIP 2 - MG GM Sniper

Hello fellow otakus, here's an update on my current commission project - a recolor of the old school MG GM Sniper! The last step in my painting itinerary was to mask off a few parts so I could highlight some details.

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Commission WIP - MG GM Sniper

Hello fellow otakus! I'm currently working on a client's MG GM Sniper. Here's how the build is going so far.

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HG Daban Delta Kai - Review

Hello plamo builders! Today I'll be reviewing one of Daban's recent releases - the HG Delta Kai! I've built the MG Delta Plus before, and I'm a big fan of Hyaku Shiki descendants. Let's see how this guy measures up.

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Meijin Modeler - Gavin Manners

Greetings fellow plamo fanatics, and welcome to the 2nd dose of Meijin Modeler! I was able to contact and interview the man behind one of my all-time favorite Sazabis, and winner of the 2012 Mecha competition (modified category) over at the Mecha Lounge - the one and only Gavin Manners!

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Otaku On A Schedule: A Plamo Addict's Road to Recovery

Plamo, like any other hobby, consumes both time and money. For most modelers, myself included, the desire to construct, paint and admire our own handiwork is what drives us to spend hard-earned cash and precious time on kits that we just have to have.

(pic is not mine, only borrowed from the internet, credits to the owner)

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Commission Finished - MG Wing Proto Zero

Good day plamo fanatics! I just finished sealing the Wing Proto Zero, the first of four commission projects I took on last month. The customer ordered a straight build and paint with some light shading. Here's how he turned out...

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Commission WIP - Wing Proto Zero

Greetings and salutations plamo enthusiasts! I recently took on some commission jobs, the first of which is the MG Wing Proto Zero. Here's where I'm at so far...

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Mechapinoy's Formula 1/144 2014

Hello plamotakus, I hope you all had a great weekend! Mine was definitely interesting, with my first ever attempt at a live plamo competition. Here's how the event panned out...

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New Series - Gundam: G no Reconguista

Hello plamo fans! So there's a new Gundam series coming out and if you haven't heard about it by now, you must have been stuck in cryostasis or something. It's called "Gundam: G no Reconguista" - and after seeing some of the promo videos and screenshots, I have to say I'm really excited for this one!

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Meijin Modeler - Seth Tuna

Hello plamo fans, today I'll be sharing the first of many in a new series I'm calling "Meijin Modeler"!

In each episode, I'll be featuring the work of one I consider to be a master of the craft, and if possible, a quick interview with the builder himself.

Our featured Meijin Modeler for today is the awesome Seth Tuna!

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Hobbiworkz CMP20T Compressor - Review

Hello plamo fans! Let's beat the monday blues by kicking off this week with a review of the Hobbiworkz CMP20T airbrush compressor!

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1st Gundam Model Building Workshop

Good day plamo fanatics! I am proud to announce that the 1st ever Gundam Building Workshop hosted by Otaku On A Budget was a success!

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Featured Seller - Hobbiworkz

Hello plamo fans, it's been a busy week, but we're not done yet! Today I'll be featuring another budget friendly store that will help you take your painting to the next level - Hobbiworkz!

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Zuran Gaming Center - Reboot!

Greetings plamo nerds! I've got some exciting news, particularly for those of you living near Santa Rosa, Laguna (PH)! After some serious brainstorming and collaboration, plamo hobbyists within the area now have a place to hang out, share WIPs and ideas, and have easy access to kits and supplies. Welcome to the rebooted Zuran Gaming Center!

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Renegade Freedom, clear to launch!

After a ton of other projects, I finally found the time to get back to this one. Presenting my latest completed build: Renegade Freedom!

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Adding Detail - Photo Etched Parts

Hello plamo fans! I recently received this awesome metal detail sheet from Neo System Hobby. Doing a bit of research, I believe the correct term for them is photo-etched details, more commonly used for military scale models like tanks.  I've been getting a lot of inquiries on how it is used, so I thought I'd do a quick tutorial.

Here's what you'll need:

1. Photo etch detail sheet
2. Hobby knife
3. Pointy tweezers
4. Super glue
5. Toothpick
6. Pin vise with drill bits (optional)

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STK Command Wolf - Review

Greetings and salutations my fellow plamo nerds! Today I'll be reviewing a rather old release, but something entirely new to me - a Zoid! The STK reporoduction of the HMM Command Wolf to be exact.

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Featured Seller - Tamago's Cases and Bases

You've just built your dream kit - it took you forever to locate, cost you a small fortune to acquire, and you've spent so much time building it, it's practically priceless to you. Don't let your masterpiece collect dust on the shelf...give it the protection it deserves by housing it in one of these!

Allow me to introduce you all to Tamago's Cases and Bases - your top choice for custom made display paraphernalia!

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Superbuilds II

Good day plamo fanatics, and welcome to another edition of Superbuilds! Today I'll be featuring some super clean builds that will make anyone question their abilities as a modeler. What are you waiting for? Plamo paradise awaits!

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MG Daban Buster - Review

Good day Otakus! Let's kick of the week with a review of Daban's latest release - the MG Buster!

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DIY Painting Bases

Hello Otaku cheapskates! What do you do if your WIP is ready for paint but it's raining like there's no tomorrow? Build a cheap but durable painting base!

Here's what you'll need:
1. Lots of corrugated cardboard boxes, the kind you get your groceries or appliances in.
2. Cutter
3. Marker
4. White glue (elmers or regular paste will do)

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Working with Pla Plate: Making Copies

Now that we've established how to design and make your own shapes out of pla plate, we can move on to the not-so-fun part of customization: making copies. This mind and finger numbing task of having to replicate a ton of mods can lead to loss of interest in a project. Here's a guide on how to quickly copy your custom shape so you don't get burned out.

What you will need:

1. Pla plate
2. Masking tape
3. Compass needle
4. Hobby knife
5. Scriber (if you're using thick pla plate)
6. Your custom shape

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GOGO MG Kampfer Kai - Review

Good day Plamo fans! Today I'll be reviewing the latest product from GoGo Model - the MG Kampfer Kai!

Click on the Read More link for the rest of this post.

Featured Seller - Zeropoint Gundam

Hello Otakus! Looks like it's shaping up to be a busy week! Today I'll be featuring another wallet friendly online store - Zeropoint Gundam!

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Featured Seller - Neo System Hobby

Good day Otakus! Let's kick off the week by checking out a new budget friendly shop -
Neo System Hobby! 

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