DIY Decals WIP 1

I'm in the middle of building the MG 7-sword, and I realized that the decals that came with the kit are a bit lacking. You've probably noticed that I like having lots of decals on my models, and the 7 sword should be no exception. The problem is, I couldn't find any waterslide decals for this model at the local hobby stores, and the last time I ordered from SamuelDecal it took over a month to get here (not samuel's fault BTW - the crappy local mailing system of the Philippines is to blame) So what is an otaku to do? Make his own decals of course!

"Banagher Links, launching!"

This project went smoothly, and I was able to finish in about 5 weeks time from initial snap-build to final top coat. The build is fairly straightforward - with very few panel lines and rivets added to break up blank armor panels. I went with my planned color scheme although the blues and greys ended up on different parts. The shading is a bit more subdued than I intended ( I didn't expect mr.hobby white to have such good coverage LOL). Tamiya panel line enamel was used for panel lines, and lots of decals give it that "ver.Ka" feel.

for more pics and info click on the Read More link..

Knockoff your socks off...

(shelves at a knockoff store)

I was having a discussion recently with a fellow gunpla otaku and I felt like I had to clear the air and set things straight regarding my stand on knockoff models. I do not promote bootleg kits, nor am I encouraging anyone to buy them. The quality is always poorer than the original. I do not deny purchasing and building knockoffs, but that doesn’t mean you should…You do not see a guy jump off of a bridge on TV and decide you can do the same because you like jumping..or bridges…that’s  just plain stupid. My advice would go like this: before you get into this hobby, decide what kind of collector / builder you want to be. Are you a purist? Someone who likes to have the branded stuff because you don’t like worrying about quality? Do you like the prestige of an all-original collection? Do you hate the idea of a replica? In that case, go Bandai…That is, if you can afford it. How often do you intend to buy kits? How fast do you build? Do you like to paint or modify, or do you just put a kit together as fast as you can, shelve it and move to the next one? Do you intend to compete? Are your kits for your eyes only? All these things come into play when getting into a hobby like this, or any hobby that involves stuff getting displayed in some manner...

Omedetou Gozaimasu Kampfer!

After waiting for what seemed like a universal century...the results are in - and the Kampfer Desolator made 3rd place!

Click on Read More to see the complete list of winners and their entries:

To Hell and Back

It's been a while since my last post, but I'm back from my gunpla hiatus - a little later than expected, thanks to my brothers lending me their copy of Diablo 3.

I finished the game up to Hell difficulty, grinding a Wizard up to Paragon level 5...after that it felt pointless to finish Inferno. I tried teaming up with a buddy for some multiplayer farming, but it just got to the point where I was asking myself: where are the returns? I log out after a couple of hours of straight grinding, and I would feel empty - as if i'd lost those precious hours to oblivion, without anything to show for it. I wasn't always like this when it came to online gaming - i could farm for hours on end, and it gave me a sense of achievement to have my toon dressed in the best gear. Now it just feels silly.  I guess I just outgrew online gaming altogether. Gunpla is my poison now, and there is no going back!***

(***Except for Magic:the gathering - that game has the gravitational pull of a black hole. It will suck me back in the moment I smell a freshly opened booster pack.)

Click on the "Read More" link to see what else I've been up to!

Kampfer Desolator Cost Analysis

In the aftermath of the Kampfer Desolator project, I shared the final pictures on a number of gunpla forums and social sites- and I've received an overwhelming amount of positive feedback for the model. One of the modelers even went as far as to donate a generous amount to my gunpla budget! I have a donate gadget on my blog, but never in my wildest dreams did I think anyone would use it! To the person who donated (whose name I'd rather not divulge in case he gets spammed by donation requests), I want to thank you for your generosity. Rest assured that all donations coursed through this blog will be spent on gunpla materials only.

On that note, allow me to share my thoughts on the rudiments of this hobby, along with a cost analysis I wrote up for this build. The objective of which is to illustrate how a project like this one might cost in terms of time and money. I know most of you can do the math on your own, but in the essence of the blog's title I think it would be fitting. I intend to do a cost summary for all succeeding projects I undertake.

Let's crunch some numbers!

Kampfer Desolator Cost Analysis

MG Kampfer Desolator

After over 3 months of mutilating plastic and inhaling cement and paint vapors, I am proud to present to you - the Kampfer Desolator!

View the album to see the rest of the pics!:

MG Kampfer WIP 6

This is WIP 6 for the MG Kampfer Desolator. You can find previous WIPs here:

WIP1
WIP2
WIP3
WIP4
WIP5

Just a quick update, and possibly 2nd to the last WIP for this project. I've finished building and painting the backpack and the weapon, and have started in on the mini-diorama.
 

MG Kampfer WIP 5

This is WIP 5 for the MG Kampfer "Desolator". You can see the previous WIPs here:

WIP1
WIP2
WIP3
WIP4

(Warning: Pic heavy!)
Just a quick update on the build - I've wired everything, added the canisters and other metal bits.

MG Kampfer WIP 4

This is WIP 4 for the MG Kampfer. You can find previous WIPs of this build here:

wip1
wip2
wip3



(warning: pic heavy)

I made major progress in the past couple of weeks. The final modifications for the main mecha are now in place: I've painted, sealed and panel lined about 80% of the kit, I'm about 50% done with the decals, and around 70% done with the wiring.

Here are the final mods prior to painting (missing the backpack and main weapon. Both arms and shoulders will look the same)

Alternative Aftermarket Parts

I've been reading a lot on scratch-building and customization lately and I came upon these articles. I just want to share what happens when an Otaku is NOT on a budget, and has a passion for building stuff.

This guy built his very own Warmachine suit, complete with opening face plate and rotating mini-gun...
http://www.popsci.com/diy/article/2010-05/you-built-what-real-iron-man

And this guy thought it would be cool to build his very own Tumbler...
http://jalopnik.com/399892/man-builds-batman-tumbler-replica-single+handedly

Hats off to these guys for their dedication and perseverance!

I wish I had the resources those guys had, but as the title of this blog implies, I am short on funds but full of imagination, so I'm always on the lookout for cheaper ways to acquire or build the parts that I need. Thrift stores (japan home, saizen etc.) and electronics shops (deeco) are a mecha builder's mecca (pun intended) - hiding parts for customization that would otherwise cost an appendage to obtain.
A number of items i've found at these stores are as follows:

MG Kampfer WIP 3

This is WIP 3 for the MG Kampfer. You can find WIPs 1 and 2 here:

WIP 1

WIP 2

This build is taking FOREVER...and I'm loving it! In the past weeks i've been putting the panel scriber, pla plate and putty to good use. I think I've just about worn out the 1st blade of the scriber..It did come with 2 spare ones but I hope Lil's carries extra blades for cheap. Anyway it's a great tool for adding panel lines and cutting pla plate and I'm glad I have it in my arsenal. Less talk, more pics!

(sorry for the terrible quality of pics)

scribed the lower half (most of the lines were patterned off of the G-System Kampfer)

  

Some pla plating and scratch building...

 

Opened up the foot armor, and I built a waist spacer to improve the proportions of the body, which looks kinda stumpy on it's own.

Overall design, showing approximate height when the spacer is added...

I was also thinking of doubling up the shoulder armor to make the shoulder canisters look shorter and to blend it in with the rest of the design. I'm still 50/50 on this mod...maybe when the waist spacer is done I'll figure it out.

 

That's all for now. I still have a lot more pre paint work to do for this model, which is fine given how bad the weather has been lately. I thought I might be able to use this as an entry to GBWC in October, but alas, the new rules require entry kits to be purchased at sponsor stores only. Anyway I started this project for myself and I'm happy it will stay that way. No pressure means I can take my time and go crazy with this build.

Later gunplars!