Submitted By : Alvin
Hi guys! I’m new to the Gundam Modelling though I watched a lot of the anime (Gundam Wing, Gundam Seed, Gundam Seed Destiny, Gundam 00 S1 & S2). I was exposed to Gundam through the anime way back 1998(?) when Gundam Wing was shown in my country. Back then, I didn’t knew that there were Gundam models until one of my uncles gave me one as a Christmas gift. The model was a Wing Gundam, I’m not sure of the grade though since its been years. So now, I’m planning to take this hobby seriously.
Anyways, this is my First Model the “Strike Freedom Full Burst Mode” which I bought only this 15th of Jan 2011. This one is just straight out of the box build meaning “no panel line, no paint, just few decals and foil stickers”.
I realized a lot when I was watching the Gunpla TV episodes where I should have done things like panel lining the model, doing some minor paint job and more things.
What tools should I have for starters, except for side cutters(the only tool I have)?
To staff of Gunpla TV, Great job so far hoping for more episodes!!!
**Sorry for the quality of the pics, just used phone camera
Hey Alvin!
Nice work! It really looks great!
I have to say, I’ve built my first Gundam a little bit more than a month ago, so I’m quite a beginner too. But, I’ve found some tools to be quite useful.
First, you should ABSOLUTELY get yourself a hobby knife. I use it all the time. It is very useful to remove the excess plastic when you cut a piece from the gates. Also, if you want to start putting on some decals, you should get yourself a pair of straight or curved tweezers. They are not extremely necessary, but they can help a lot placing small decals.
Also, you can stock up on toothpicks and cotton swabs, because… well they are just cheap and very useful for all sort of things
Next, you can get yourself a small black and grey Gundam marker, for panel lining. Why both? Well, I usually use the grey one for white parts and the black one for darker ones. You can use the black one everywhere if you want to, but sometimes it just doesn’t look as good as grey when applied on white. Also, this is where the cotton swabs will become useful, because you can use them to erase the mistakes you did when panel lining.
Lastly, this is totally optional, but you might want to get a cutting mat so you don’t destroy the table you are using, ha ha XD
That’s basically it! I don’t think you should start painting right away, but! If you feel comfortable enough and are ready to get to the next step, do it! Just be careful not to destroy your kit XD
Anyway, have fun!