Bk on Gunpla

[WTS]Gunpla Collection.

2011-06-29T03:26:00.003+08:00

Dear beloved readers,

As you've notice there isn't any updates since 4th April 2009. I'm done with gunpla, so to speak. I'm always busy with work and other commitments.

Some of you whom purchased from me. I'm looking forward to you buying my gunpla collections again. ;) Hehe.

Please visit the link below for the post.

[http://forum.lowyat.net/index.php?showtopic=1937116]

Blessings ya'll.

With love,

Bernard Kam.

19.) HG Gundam 00 - Part 2

2009-04-04T21:54:00.006+08:00

The swords were dried after a while but i applied too much marker to the supposedly half transparent blue piece and it's not transparent anymore. >< But anyways, it'll be easier to paint it by applying a couple of thin layers with airbrush.

Here's a complete build of my 00 Gundam. Only painted minor parts here and there with markers, minimum panel linings and some random decals. Wanted to finish it by that night so didn't nitpick to sand nubs and clean the excessive painted areas.

Might get the HG 0-raiser though, 00 doesn't look ''complete'' without it. X D Well, if only i have more display space for my gundams, i would actually collect the whole set of gundams from 00 series and others. Sighs. Now they're all cramped in tight spaces.

Anyway, i'm considering of getting an airbrush. I've tried spray-canning, they're expensive and wasteful if you were to spray small areas. So maybe it's time i venture into airbrushing. But there's a lot of things to consider before getting an airbrush though, eg. where to place it and such. You probably won't want to do it indoor else your house will smell. So probably rain check on it now till i secure a spot i could use in the house for airbrushing. Hmmm....

On the right is the compressor with tank that i'm planning to get. As for the airbrush, i prefer to get a detachable cup though. I could mix the colors by detaching it from the airbrush and i could eye exact how much i need to mix or how much is left.

AS-186
Compressor With Tank
Price: RM450
Spec:
Oil-Less Compressor
Motor : 1/5 HP
Noise: < 50db
Air Tank: 3.5L
Airflow: 23L/min
Max. Pressure: 100 psi
Auto Stop: 30 psi start, 60 psi stop
With pressure gauge
Moisture trap
Pressure adjustable
With Hose

Compressor Link.

Airbrush Link.

Gunpla aside, i went Kinokuniya in KLCC in the afternoon to get a couple of books. One of which is Resident Evil 5 Complete Guidebook, by Prima Games. They had a collector edition of the guidebook that comes in hardcover, have some art concepts and a 12-month calendar(from March 09). I always have a thing about collecting guidebooks even though i don't use them while i play and most times, i buy them after i completed the games for well..more thorough explores within the games. Plus, i've been collecting most of Resident Evil guidebooks(Re2, Re:Remake, Re4) so i don't see why i should let the collector's edition slipped by.

The guidebook itself is in black, with the '5' in the middle of it. It's like Adolf Hitler's novel if you read it. Black book and his name in the front.

The illustrations in the guide is very detailed. It's like i'm browsing through an art book with a lot of text. X D

But anyways, i'll be away and held up by an upcoming project that will probably last a month or two. So don't be expecting any new updates on my gunplas soon. Till then, thanks for staying with me and see you soon. X D

18.) HG Gundam 00

2009-03-28T01:55:00.007+08:00

Pilot by Setsuna F. Seiei, the twin drive 00 gundam is an advanced mobile suit with the combinations of the GN-Drives of Exia(first season) and the 0 gundam from the anime series, Mobile Suit Gundam 00 (機動戦士ガンダム00).

The first season of the series was officially released in June 2007. The 2nd season was officially released in October 2008, it's currently (28/3/09) on it's final episode, the Revival.

I was introduced to Mobile Suit Gundam 00 in late 2007 when i bought some animes from a friend. I've always wanted to get Exia but Bandai has not release a MG Exia kit and so i decided to just wait for it. I did check out the non grade 1/100 kits of the Exia, just didn't attract me then. Instead i bought a BB gundam Exia which i screw up the legs with too much primer(i also sprayed in windy conditions so that's probably the problem) and i couldn't remove it.

Exia was upgraded to 00 gundam by combining with 0 gundam in 2nd season and there's many kits in the market, including the 00raiser. However, they're all in HG00 and NG 1/100 kits which in my opinion, i feel that the NG 1/100 are a bit pricy. If i remember correctly, the NG 1/100 00 Gundam kit is priced at RM130-150 and the full 00-raiser kit is priced at RM180-RM220. Having not bought any NG kits and the price a bit pricy, i got the HG kit along with Mr. Bushido's Ahead instead.

Had some free time and decided to assemble the 00 gundam. I spent 2 nights, probably less than 10 hours to completely assemble the 00 gundam, in my standards. X D

Can tell which part is painted? X D

I'm impressed that yellow tunnel(don't know what it's called) of the chest piece comes separated from the big blue piece. Always appreciates it when there's less painting.

The piece on the left is the red piece on the forehead of 00 gundam. It came transparent and the option of using a foil sticker which i hated(they look ugly) so i just painted it red and it looks great. The V-fins came in white though, pretty standard among HG kits. The cheeks of the gundam came white though and does not have foil stickers for it. I painted it grey to mimic the one illustrated in the manuals.

I tried to get a metallic green marker when i bought 00 gundam but couldn't find one. The shops were already closing so had to go with red. Had some random decals from previous models and decided to use them a little. X D

The feet piece comes mostly in white so had to paint a quite number of areas grey. The top, the side bottom and some partial hidden spots near the red. It's obvious that it's painted cause it's messy. X D

00 gundam, finished assembling without the swords and the twin drive. I had random decals for 00 gundam though find it a little weird when the decals at both legs aren't the same.

Well, the size of 00 gundam is smaller than the GP01 though. The whole gundam is a little slimmer and smaller. A very feminine looking gundam if you ask me, sexy. X D

I noticed that the joint part of the open hand is longer and it makes 00 to have a slightly longer left arm. Hmmm.....

Finally, a completed 00 gundam with its twin drive. The two swords were not completed at this point, the paints were not dry yet.

A close up pic of 00 Gundam.

17.) New buys preview

2009-03-25T22:32:00.012+08:00

It's been close to two months since i bought the HGUC Ex-S and Nu Gundam, still i couldn't find the time to start with them yet. Well, it's either i'm swamped with work or i'll be sitting in front of my ps3 with some awesome titles. But anyways, i found myself a bit of time today and decided to open their boxes.

HGUC 1/144 Ex-S Gundam

It has quite a number of runners for a 1/144 scale, much like it's MG counterpart which has the most runners and parts in MG lines.

MG & HGUC Nu Gundam

I bought the MG last year and has yet to assemble it. Though i've already fully coated the pieces in monotone grey, with the intentions to make a 'prototype' model. Though i think i screwed up cause i've used a much darker grey than the usual prototype model in hobby japan mag. Anyway, for my love for MG Hi Nu, couldn't resist from buying the 2009's released of the HGUC counterpart.

Like MG Hi Nu, HGUC Nu's pieces come metallic coated. Very nice! On right, comparison of the manuals for Nu Gundam.

On left, the magic marker that erase marker color inks.

I picked up a gunpla mag by random and it has a FG gundam in it. Nice! X D

It has only a piece of runner. Though the magazine featured 4 assembling techniques for the gunpla, from easiest to the hardest. X D

There's no joints unless you modify them. ><" Super tough work.

A clean finished look on Gundam Rasiel. It also has an extra unit that is similar to 00raiser. You can get it for free if you get the feb issue of Dengeki Hobby.

I took the opportunity to increase my collection of gunplas earlier today.

My stack of unassembled gunplas. Pfff...

15.) HGUC RX-78GP01FB Part 1

2009-02-05T21:52:00.000+08:00

RX-78GP01Fb Gundam Full Vernian "Zephyranthes" is from the OVA series, Mobile Suit Gundam 0083: Stardust Memory. The RX-78GP01 was said to be designed to be operate both on earth and in space. After suffering heavy damage while en route to Von Braun, the Gundam was retooled into the RX-78GP01FB Gundam Full Vernian "Zephyranthes" at the Anaheim Electronics facility on the moon. The unit differs from regular unit in a couple of ways. First, it has a set of Universal Boost Pods mounted behind the shoulder for better maneuverability. Secondly, the FF-XII's wings were removed and replaced with additional fuel units.

I like GP01's box art a lot. I have no knowledge on GP01 but the box art catches my attention and i bought it. X D

HGUC: 1/144 kits based on models seen in Universal Century productions, the first of which were released in May 1999. The HGUC line represented the chance to release many upgraded designs for the first time in kit form with modern injection moulding technology. These are of good quality, and new designs plus model improvements continue to be introduced into this line even today. This grade is largely considered to be the rightful heir of the original HG line. Until now, all unit from the HGUC series are mobile suits before U.C.0093 and over 50% of the units are from the One Year War.

RX-78GP01FB was released in January 2001.

There's a total of 5 major runners, 3 mini ones. Unlike Gadessa which comes with a stand, GP01 actually has more, more parts than Gadessa. More parts and a lot a lot of parts to be painted as well.

HG kits comes with lesser parts than the MG kits and requires a lot of painting to do. Not necessary but it's a plus if done. Notice how different the chest piece(right pic) is from the manual? I'm not sure if it's the same for the MG kit for GP01, but i believe most kits, even MG kits' chest piece require custom painting. ><" Other than the sizes of it, i don't think there's any differences.

Like i mention above, require more painting. I believe a MG kit would come with a separate "V".

I'm not surprised to find foil stickers for the shield. MG kits would come in separate parts. X D

I've already spent 7 hours for GP01 and i've only completed both legs, both arms with shoulders and the upper part of the body. First, it has more, MORE parts than Gadessa. Secondly, there's a lot of inking and painting to do, more than compared to Gadessa.

Please be waited for GP01 Part 2.

16.) HGUC RX-78GP01FB Part 2: Complete!

2009-02-05T00:14:00.012+08:00

I've finally completed my HG RX-78 GP01FB after 13 hours. No, i don't sit around and do it straight for 13 hours. But it took me a total of 13 hours to put it together. Though i haven't complete the plane? and the shield. I hated the foil stickers, so i'm waiting for a clear afternoon to spray it blue. X D

The arms of GP01FB, fully inked and I painted the grey area and phew..i didn't screw up the white areas.

I tried this method which people apply it for airbrushing. Though it doesn't really work on markers...or maybe i'm doing it wrong.. I couldn't paint the mini thrusters on the shoulders though. So i left them as it is..How would you paint it though? Please let me a message if you know.

I did what i could with what i have. I don't have green so i painted the supposed-green-areas yellow. X D I couldn't paint the mini thrusters on the chest(couldn't reach inside with the marker) so i only painted the tip of them. Now i wonder, how do you guys normally do that?

Like i mentioned before, how nice it'll be if Bandai have Koto kits' pre-painted face. I really hate foil stickers. X D Dry and wet decays are great, but foil stickers, nope.

Here's a couple of standard poses of the GP01FB. More action poses to be updated soon.

I painted the little grey area slowly and carefully so i wouldn't screw up the white area..fortunately, i didn't....

This is as close as i could get as the manual...which took a bit of work...

I painted the thrusters with red. I believe i wasted a lot of the marker on them....

Both HG Gadessa and HGUC RX-78GP01FB meant a lot to me because they're both my first High Grade 1/144 kits. They are also my first two kits to be using gundam markers for painting. I've tried to paint it as much as i could to make it look almost, almost the same as the model in the manual. I succeeded in some parts, and failed in some too. I have not used markers painting for my MG kits so it was really refreshing. In my opinion, HG kits are very worthy for newbie gunpla modelers(especially me), cause it serves as a learning kit for other more complicated kits, be it a MG or PG. Though my first ever kit 8 years ago was a PG Mk-II.*Faint* It's always better to mess up your HG kit than your MG kits. If only someone would had told me to start with HG kits, i would had, had lesser errors while assembling my MG kits. Some which caused me a lot of pain, cause i broke the wing mechanism on my Strike Freedom FBM and i didn't ink and apply decals for the 3 of my MG kits that i assembled in 2008, which is a big big error and painful experience if you were to do all those once it's all completed. Sighs. I still have yet to ink and apply decals on my FAZZ, Ex-S and Strike Freedom. Sighs.

I bought two new HGUC kits today. Stay tune with me to find out which two kits i bought. X D

P.S. If you're a gunpla modeler like me, and if you don't mind and have that few minutes of free time. Please contact me, leave a comment or whichever ways suit you. So we could exchange techniques on gunpla building(more like teaching me). X D Thanks all.

14.) HG Gadessa

2009-02-02T16:38:00.032+08:00

High Grade Gundam 00

1/144 scale model kits are based on the units in Mobile Suit Gundam 00, currently about 30 units have been announced to be released in this series. HG Gundam 00 models have more advanced skills which has been previously applied on recent models in High Grade Universal Century.

GNZ-003 Gadessa

The Gadessa is a new mobile suit created by the Innovators and is piloted by Revive Revival and later by Healing Care. The unit first appears in Episode 8 of season 2 being piloted by Revive Revival while joining the A-Laws. It is used for the first time on Episode 9 where it uses its GN Mega Launcher to change the flight angle of CBS-74 Ptolemaios 2 and direct them towards an A-Laws squadron while flying towards space. When ambushing Celestial Being at their asteroid base at Lagrange 3, it uses its GN Mega Launcher in order to penetrate the Ptolemaios 2's GN shield but was later destroyed by the Trans-Am'ed 00 Raiser. Revive revival was able to escape via a rear mounted escape pod containing the Gadessa's GN-T drive.

A second version of the Gadessa with slightly lighter color is seen and piloted by Healing Care in Episode 13 where it manages to wipe out several ships of the Katharon fleet. It later battles against 00 Raiser but lost its GN-Mega Launcher and was later damaged after getting distracted by Nena Trinity.

History of getting it

I went Times Square initially to get MG Sinanju but got a couple of HG model kits instead. I didn't get Sinanju because i don't have the time to complete it and even if i did, i would probably complete it in a stretch of a couple of weeks, considering i work long hours during weekdays and only free during the weekends.

After much considerations, i got a HG Gadessa and HGUC GP01FB. This would be my first HG model kit since the ones i had when i was a little kid. I'm not keen on getting any 1/144 model kits because they're smaller in size than the 1/100 master grade kits, they also have lesser details, have lesser parts and uses a lot of foil stickers to replace the smaller detailed parts that MG has.

Even though i'm not keen on getting 1/144 high grade model kits, but Gadessa was only released in 1/144 scale so i thought why not give it a try. I got it along with a HGUC GP01FB, for RM130.

Upon opening the box, i was greeted with 4 pieces of runners(excluding the small one and stand) and the 1/144 includes a stand. I thought it was a really good deal and finally understood why it had a stand once i completed it.

Gadessa didn't have a lot of foil stickers but i still think it would be nicer that i use Exia's red marker to replace to the foil stickers.

If only Bandai has pre-painted parts from Kotobukiya kits.

The only problem i have with the GN mega launcher is that i couldn't close it completely. No matter how i close it, it'll open up like the first picture on the left. Though it took me a while to paint the inner parts of the launcher and it still need some touch ups.

Gadessa was completed after 10 hours. I don't know the average time needed to assemble a 1/144 scale kit but i start from scratch in front of a TV and i believe i've watched a couple of movies and a football match(MU WON!PHEW!) while assembling my kit. X D Yes, i take assembling quite....seriously and leisurely entertained as well.

Below are some poses of Gadessa.

Gadessa is back heavy with the GN Mega Launcher on its back. Taa-Daa~ That's why Bandai includes a stand in the kit. Very thoughtful of you, Bandai.

Gadessa without escape pod and with.

The 2 ''fins'' is actually foil stickers.

Left Pic: I painted the GN Vulcans with Exia's grey. X D
Right Pic: Gadessa's GN Cutters.

Right Pic: Gadessa's side arms, GN Beam Saber, though it's not pre-painted to the original colors and i don't have the tools to paint it. I leave the piece as it is with some inking. The piece is supposed to be grey, the beam in green.

The feet can be ''transformed'' for in the air and on the land feet. Though having it's Mega Launcher behind it, it can't stand without the aid of the stand.

More Gadessa poses.

The height of a Revoltech with Gadessa on its stand.

It still can't help for Gadessa to feel Rei's cute butt. X D Even though its pilot is a female. Who can blame them, Rei is hot!

A slap from Rei, pretty much as expected.

Gadessa seems to be asking for more. X D

Rei's kick!!

A very very bad move!

MG Hi-Nu and HG Gadessa. Right Pic: Gadessa on foot.

MG Sazabi and HG Gadessa. As you can see, Sazabi's shield is already taller than a 1/144. Sazabi is a MONSTER!!!!!!(Still very tempted to get Sinanju....)

Talk about monstrous! MG Ex-S and HG Gadessa.

The experience with my first HG has been great, considering the lesser parts, lesser details but a lot painting to do. I did the minimum touch up with markers and inking, it still looks impressive on the stand. Will be looking forward to check out Gadessa from more experienced gunpla modelers. Will also be looking forward to buy Garazzo(Match 09 release) and 00 gundam.

Please be on the look out for my next major update: Completion of HGUC GP01FB, probably by next weekend if i'm free.

Till then, thanks for visiting!

11.) Revoltech Rei Ayanami

2009-01-21T02:36:00.000+08:00

Rei Ayanami is my first action figure from revoltech. I first came to know it when i was simply browsing from gundam model kits at Sun Comic at Cineleisure PJ. Revoltech is an action figure line from the Japanese company Kaiyodo. Their main selling point is the 'Revolver' joint, which all of the figures utilize. This gives the figures a high degree of articulation, allowing for many dynamic and varied poses.

Since Revoltech began in mid-2006 with the release of the first three figures, there have been two new figures released each month in the numbered mainline series, also known as the "Yamaguchi Series" (named after the figures' sculptor, Katsuhisa Yamaguchi). As of early November 2008, the Yamaguchi series is believed to end with figures 064 and 065. The Revoltech license will resume in May 2009 with "Revoltech 3.0 REBOOT", with Yamaguchi's continued involvement.

So far, only mecha/characters from anime, manga and videogames have been covered. Though, majority of revoltech action figures comes from mecha.

Revoltech now has many sublines since the first line of 2G/2nd generation revoltech was released in Jan 2007. Though there's only a total of 5 action figures that falls under 2G revoltech, which includes Saber, Alter Saber, Yotsuba Koiwai, Danboard, Yotsuba Koiwai summer vacation set.

There have also been some limited edition, unnumbered figures based on repaints of main-line Revoltech figures.

Revoltech lastest subline, "Fräulein". Which means "little miss" or "young lady" in German, is a human female-themed line which was first introduced on 01/01/08. And the first fraulein action figure is Rei Ayanami from Neon Genesis Evangelion series.

Rei Ayanami (綾波レイ Ayanami Rei) is a fictional character from the Neon Genesis Evangelion franchise. She is the First Child (First Children in the Japanese version) and pilot of the Evangelion Unit 00.

When i bought Rei late in 2008, i only had a brief out-of-the-box moment with her cause i neither have the place to display her nor the time to really play around with her and take pictures of her. I've taken a brief hour or so, taking some photos of Rei.

Rei was my first revoltech that i've taken out of the box for posing and photographing. I'm impressed with the ''revolver'' joints as i could easily pose her in various poses. My only problem with her is that her arms comes off too easily when i'm posing her. I believe this is a known problem for all revoltech lines that the limbs fall off easily. For Rei, i only have problem with one of the arm, unlike my Alter Saber, which i get to her soon, her upper body falls off from the lower body easily. Though that allow me to easily swap her bodies with the standard Saber or perhaps other fraulein action figures, but that still beats me for it's loose body joint. I'm deeply disappointed with it! The other issue i have with Rei is that i can't pose her properly to lie down on her belly and her poses look weird. X D I have yet to pose her with her weapon yet. So more photos will be updated soon.

Please stay tune with me for my other revoltech action figures in the future, a Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann, Alter Saber, Optimus Prime, Ultra Magnus and Laevatien. And of course, my latest action figure, Figma Saber.

Till then, thanks for visiting.

Gong Xi Fat Chai to all.

13.) Revoltech Rei Ayanami Part 2

2009-01-20T07:41:00.013+08:00

I took Rei for a 2nd shoot and tried various dynamic poses, some was fine, some aren't. I also made some minor adjustments to the camera, so the quality is more fine than the 1st shoot. It's also slightly less blurry cause i shot her with the help of a tripod. Most shots were made on a tripod, just some shots aren't.

Rei is just simply, awesome!

12.) Mage Knight Bloody Amara

2009-01-19T19:22:00.014+08:00

Mage Knight is a miniatures war game using collectible figures, created by WizKids, Inc. Both WizKids was formed by noted game designer and publisher Jordan Weisman, who designed Mage Knight along with Kevin Barrett. A synthesis of classic miniatures games (of which Warhammer Fantasy Battles is possibly the best-known example) and of collectible card games (which began with the introduction of Magic: The Gathering in 1993), Mage Knight was an immediate success when it was introduced in 2000.

On June 30, 2005 Wizkids announced the Nexus expansion would be the last in the current series and that after November 2005 all tournament support would cease. Neither Wizkids or Topps gave any official reason for the cancellation, though drops in sales and player base have been mentioned as possible causes.

Mage Knight and Magic The Gathering at the same time. I kept the miniatures in a box was accidently undiscovered it hidden into my cupboard. Knowing it was a game that was stop production in 2005, i went on ebay to purchase quite a numbers of limited/rare and some common Mage Knights from US in 2007. They're mostly 2nd hand miniatures that are unwanted by players and they're selling it . Though most of them sells the common ones in huge numbers, one of the seller i bought from was selling his entire set of 100++ characters, with 4 limited rare ones that i wanted. Though, i gave most of the common ones to my girlfriend's little brother. I tried to teach him how to play the game, obviously he doesn't share an old interest of mine. Though i believe it's impossible to buy Mage Knight off retails now. None of them are selling it, from what i know. There's a hobby shop in Bangsar ShoppingI was introduced to Mage Knight back in year 2001 when a group of my classmates were playing games during breaks. It caught my attention cause the miniatures are beautifully designed. Though those days it was expensive, a booster pack would cost around RM50-RM60 if i remembered it correctly and a starter pack would cost up to RM100. Though a small game could consists a minimum of 2-3 characters depending on how many points we are playing, and how many strong characters you're summoning. Stronger characters need more points to be casted. I bought a couple of the miniatures from a classmate and started playing with them since. Eventually it became one of the regular thing i did for a year or more. Thus, i started to buy booster packs and a lot of expansion packs. The buying eventually stops when i left my highschool for another highschool in year 2003. I still played once a while in hobby shops but eventually, i've quit the game. I can't be certain of the actual dates cause i was playing both Complex used to sell it a couple of years ago or might still be selling it, he still had some booster and a starter pack and some individual miniatures here and there. Though his price are up the roof. He was selling a Mystic Draconum for RM150, it's a rare of course. I bought it from US for RM15-RM20, it actually came bundled with a lot of common characters. X D

Bloody Amara is a very rare and powerful character. He is a great necromant sorceress who can give a really good fight. He is difficult to beat of his magic blast and life drain! His defense are high(18-17) and with toughness for the first four clicks, every damage is minus by one click. At his last four clicks before he dies, he gains invulnerability. Ranged attack agaisnt him gets -2 the original damage and he gets +2 defense to his already high defense stats(15-13). His movements are not limited by your action points in every turn, so you could attack or move him every round without using one of the action points. Like i said, it has a magic blast, on every success roll of attack, you can roll the dice and the target take damage based on the dice roll, if it rolls six, then it's pretty much good bye for the target. Although it based on your luck, but i've successfully wiped out targets with ease. On top of that, on his first six clicks, he gets +1 healing when he deals damage to a target. With the range of 12 inches, 2 damage for range and 3 damage for close range, Bloody Amara is a really tough opponent to kill. With an optional Necromancer or Grave Digger to revive Bloody Amara when he dies from a combat, and other healers to heal him, one needs a really tough and strategic play to kill it. During my days of playing with Bloody Amara, it was not killed at all, and at the same time, i've not win against opponents that cast Blood Amara. Only one rare character can be casted for both sides during a game.

Although Mage Knight is an "ancient" game that no one plays now. But no harm in sharing on the beautiful miniatures. X D

This is a picture of his stats.

More Mage Knight miniatures to come in the future.

10.) Modeling goods supply

2009-01-18T18:38:00.009+08:00

I've recently bumped into a seller that sells tons of modeling goods with pretty decent prices.

Below are some of the stuffs he brought in recently.

Please check his Lowyat Forum post here or you could visit his mini online site here for his goods, the prices are also included in his site.

Below is a basic compressor that you could purchase from him for RM350.

AS-18
Basic Compressor
Price: RM 350

Spec:
Oil-Less Compressor
Motor : 1/5 HP
Noise: < 50db
Max. Pressure: 100 psi
With pressure gauge
Moisture trap
Pressure adjustable
With Hose

If you wish to buy anything from them, please make your purchase with them before 1st of Feb 09. Well, they take in orders from time to time, just the next batch is on 1st of Feb.

9.) New toys update

2009-01-11T00:24:00.008+08:00

It's been a while since i got a gundam model kit. Well, considering i'm always caught up with my work, so it's pointless to buy new model kits unless i really like them. Yet my grey-coated/prototype-coated MG Nu have yet to be fully assembled. I would continue on it during CNY, cause then i'll be having a week break. Though i already pre order for MG Sinanju Ver. Ka, but the guy hasn't contacted me yet. So i'll just wait till he does or i'll just get it from someone else. Although i have not bought any model kits, but i've been buying on a number of revoltech action figures, total of six. They're all still in their boxes, there's two i have yet to open them up. Didn't have the place to display them yet.

Other than collecting action figures, i've been spending a lot of time on animes. I'm not much of a big otaku, so i've been watching what my buddies recommend me. Speaking of animes, if you haven't watch Heroic Age and Code Geass, then you probably should go. If i'm not mistaken there's only 2 distributors for Heroic Age, Lambaian Filem and Animedia. Though Animedia is about RM10-RM15 more the LF, you should really go for Animedia, it has better subtitles and lesser spelling errors. Though there's two scenes without subtitles, only a few lines. Those two scenes can be watch on youtube though. X D There's quite a lot of distributors out there for Code Geass, some has season 1, some has season 2, some has both. But i strongly recommend Hong Feng. The video quality of the anime is superb. Subtitles aren't perfect, but they're great nevertheless. I normally get my animes from Sun Comic, they have huge range of varieties and from different distributors under one roof. Members get approximately 10% off on each item(they depend on distributors too). Distributors you should get, Hong Feng, Technogram, Animedia, VSCape. Those are the slightly pricey ones, ranging from RM40-RM60. For the affordable ones, there's Lambaian Filem and Impian Seni, ranging from RM20-RM30.

My most recent purchase on revoltechs are Alter Saber from Fate Stay Night and Laevatein from Full Metal Panic. Laevatein is the best revoltech figure i have and my most favourite. It's probably the best looking one out there too. If you wish to find out more about Laevatein, please visit here to read more. It's a mini review by guru, Danny Choo. I have yet to take it out of the box and photograph it. ><" Though if you're interested to get a Laevatein now. The only store i know at this moment has it is Famitoys in Subang Jaya. Their website is here. When i decided to buy Laevatein in Nov 08, no one is Malaysia has stock because it was sold out when it launched in August 08. So i bought mine from Hong Kong. I recently find out that Famitoys brought in Laevatein on their 31st Dec updates. So my best bet for you to get it immediately is there. Or you could feel free to check out other retailers or online sellers as well.

7.) Clear coating

2008-10-26T18:52:00.015+08:00

I've finally managed to find a bright and sunny afternoon for top coating.

If you planned to top coat your gunplas, be sure to get a face mask if you didn't already have. Cause the fuse is gonna..well..kill your nose? Well. The trick of using a top coat is to spray as much as you can and run away. I was surprise i was able to give all 3 gunplas 2 layers of top coat each and i believe the can has enough for a SD, probably another MG? So we'll find out when i use it again.

The slightly brighter images are the ones i took earlier without flat clear.

Images of the funnel system, middle pic is the one not top coated.

My gunplas posing on my piano after top coating.

I didn't top coat the rifle of Mk-II. So you can clearly see the different on the cannon and the rifle. The rifle has brighter black and the reflective shinny blue.(In case you wonder, rifle is the bottom gun, cannon, the big fat one.)

Here a few of the comparison of top coated and not. Notice the top coat ones are no longer shinny. =)

Hi-V finally gets its final coat after weeks.

It's a bit tricky to see the difference of the top coated and not with the Hi-V. It could be the lightning in the images but you'll clear see the difference when it's on display.

Left: Top coated.

That's all the updates for now. Nu has yet to be assembled cause i'm busy with work. And will be busy in coming weeks as Fallout3 will be releasing within two days. =p It's one of my most favourite and most anticipated game since GTA4 and MGS4. *drools*

I have yet to fix the inking and apply decals for Strike Freedom, FAZZ and my big assssssssss Ex-S.

Next target for gundams? Probably Force Impulse Gundam while waiting for Bandai to release MG Gundam 00 Exia. I'm still not moved by its current non-grade gundams for Gundam 00.

05.) Random moments of MG Sazabi & Hi-V

2008-10-14T19:56:00.000+08:00

Totally random moments of Sazabi & Hi-V.

6.) MG Hi-V Gundam

2008-10-13T19:16:00.026+08:00

I've just noticed that top half of the images are slightly darker than the bottom ones, cause i didn't brighten them up, i forgot.

Anyways, took me roughly 3 days to complete this gunpla, in a stretch of a week. I started assembling the gunpla a previous Saturday where i completed most of the gundam, expect the fins funnel and his weapons. It stretched to the next Saturday because i had to go work and normally comes home late and tired. I didn't want to rush it so yeah. It took roughly around 3 days.

How i get to know Hi-V? I was browsing at the hobby shop in cineleisure one afternoon and saw it on their shelf. They assembled it and put it on display. Then later i learn that it's an upgraded version of V Gundam which featured in Char's Counterattack anime. Though i didn't watch the anime, but according to my gundam and anime guru, Joe. He said V(Nu) is the most powerful gundam in all anime series. And it's bittersweet rival, is the legendary Sazabi which not never defeated throughout the entire anime, only at the very end of the series. I was told Sazabi is also one of the most terrific and powerful enemy among all gundam series. Though, only those who watch all anime can confirm that, so i let them to judge. When Nu upgraded to Hi-Nu, so did Sazabi. It upgraded to a gigantic gundam, call Nightingale. Though it was never produced into a gunpla.

I got Hi-V Gundam for an unreasonable cheap/reduced price. Originally or should i put it, most places that i've visited are selling it for RM235-RM250, but i got it for RM135. Earlier a colleague mentioned to me that gundams will be having a price cut so i thought that should be it. However, i visited another hobby toy recently and they're still selling it at RM235, the minimum. So i'm guessing the boss tagged the wrong price for Hi-V. Or maybe it's the correct price. I have yet to return to the shop where i bought it. So i don't actually have the confirmation of the price at the moment.

The colors on the runners are great, so i scrap the idea of first coating everything. So sticking to the flat clear top coat once assembled. I'm all in all satisfied with Hi-Vu except there's decal on the shield is actually a wet-transfer decal, which is not as good looking as the dry-transfer ones. That is my most disappointed bit of Hi-V. Putting Hi-V together is pretty straight forward, there's no complications like the Ex-S and the mechanism like Strike Freedom's wings. Though Hi-V have quite a number of pieces though. There's a total of 41 pieces in one leg, from 'toe' up to thigh. Hi-V can pose better than my Strike Freedom without the stand. Strike Freedom's wings are definitely heavier and so, it can only pose on the stand, which is pretty limited. Hi-V can pose without the stand but it requires carefully balancing on its legs or else it will topple back, the simple wings actually carry some weight. It's also a disappointment that Bandai remove the die cast pieces from the original Nu gunpla which stabilize the gundam from toppling backwards. Hi-V looks great with or without the fins, as for Strike Freedom, it looks slightly plain without the wings, especially with its feminine legs. LOL. The shield is pretty interesting though, it's placed on the gundam in the sense that it's in a fixed position. You can't rotate the shield like Mk-II.

I have yet to give it the top coat as it was raining the next day and so it has to wait till the following weekend. Once i'm done with the top coat, i will take more images of the comparison of Strike Freedom and Hi-V.

I currently have a number of on-hold gunpla projects though. 1. I need to carefully clean the excessive thick inking of the Strike Freedom and apply decals. 2. I need to carefully half-disassemble the Ex-S so i could ink it easier. 3. I need to fix the wrong coat i applied on the FAZZ, do inking and apply decals. 4. I need to assemble the already primed and monotone grey coated Nu Gundam. Though the most difficult task would be inking and applying decals on the Ex-S.

DO take note, never ink your gundams after you assemble. It's a lot easier to ink it while assembling or before assembling so you could reach more difficult and smaller pieces and they're easier to be 'clean' off.

Will post more photos once i'm done with either one of my projects.

Meanwhile, enjoy some of the images i took while assembling the Hi-V.

04.) MG Mk-II Titans

2008-10-12T19:49:00.000+08:00

[HISTORY LESSON of me getting to know Gundams]

I first come to know about Mk-II was around 7-8 years ago when i was 15-16 years old, couldn't remember exact but was around there. When i learn about Mk-II, i wasn't really into gundams yet. I was merely browsing a toyshop in sgwang, those days, it was the only shop in sgwang selling gundams. I was browsing around the shop and the tauke recommended that i should get the PG Mk-II. Knowing nothing about gundams and whatever is PG was, the tauke never give some pointers or bother explaining much about it though. Plus, those times, google wasn't that popular yet. But anyways, i could still remember his words that the PG Mk-II is the best gundam model around, it's big and full of details and bla bla bla. After a few days of consideration, i decided to buy it, even though that time it was priced at RM500+, couldn't remember exact price. Upon spending a whole fortune to get the PG gundam, i have no idea what i'm getting myself into. Damn right i was.

Upon opening the box once i got home, i see shit loads of runners and hell, i didn't even know what's going on. Well, to be honest i did have some experience buying HG gundams when i was younger. I love LEGO and i love gundams too. But all i have been building was HG models, and not PG. Nevertheless, i made my first PG gundam, not having the proper cutter and shit, no inking and etc. Without doubt, the gundam isn't as nice as the tauke said. Well, it was BIG and damn freaking detailed, but without the tools, the nubs were still on the gundams and somehow or rather, the gundam is top heavy, it could hardly pose and always bends over and drops either front or back. That's how it got the backpack broken cause it dropped back to the front. That time, i was really frustrated with it considering i spent almost an entire week to build it, almost 2 nights to build just a leg. Well, the details in PG are freaking incredible, but i didn't know jack shit of how to appreciate it that time. So frustrated with the gundam, i shelved it aside till few years back that i eventually kept it in a box, out of my sight. Speaking of the tauke, he knows me so well that he refused to refund my Rm200 deposit for a PG Eva-01. I paid my deposit and waited, waited and waited for weeks and it hasn't arrive, so i asked back for my deposit. He said whatever it's paid, can't be refunded. BUT in the first place, he said if he couldn't get it, he will refund it. Well. Consider having a bad built of PG and Rm200 conned by the tauke, i hated gundam ever since and never spoke of gundams.

Well, that was 7-8 years ago, the tauke is still at Sgwang, i recognize him(how could i forget that bastard). But i never enter his shop since then. If i get a chance, i would still burn his shop, for once..only once. I shall not name his shop but it's somewhat, pretty, damn near to the sing k place. LOL.

Well, i wasn't into gundams for the past 8 years till i recently bought some gundams anime from a friend and got hooked ever since. I was watching Gundam 00 then and really wanted to get a gundam Exia but only to find that those in the market are non grades ones, which i don't really like. So in the end, after Joe recommended me dalong.net, i've been surfing for gundams quite often and finally got myself a FAZZ, it was around Rm200, my initial thought it was a bit too pricey for my first MG gundam but to hell with it. I didn't wanna repeat my mistake i did 8 years ago, so i did many, plenty of research before i actually started to build it. Though my first major mistake was i should have just build for fun rather than do it perfectly. I begun assembling by carefully nipping of the runners and carefully sand the nubs away, which took my a whole night just to build half an arm. Then later, my friend Alex and Kabil told me, i should just build for fun and so i listened and just assembled it. Out of all the research i've done, the best was still Danny Choo's tutorial and i tried to followed him as much as i could. One thing i followed 100% was the runner spraying before assembling, i really find that it improves the quality of the texture. However i screwed up when i attempt for my first top coat on my FAZZ. I guess i sprayed too much on the gundam that it made it white. So the grey and blue parts are 'affected' by heavy white. I have yet to fix the problem yet, but i bought some markers to deal with it.

After assembling FAZZ, i got myself Ex-S Gundam, which is a MASSIVE MONSTER. It heights the same as a PG and it's bigger size than most MG. Not only the size, the parts inside the gundam are more, more and more complicated than most MG gundams, though less complicated and still lesser parts than a PG. It was the most awesome MG gundam i have and i had the most fun and hell building it. It was challenging and it was rewarding. Though my regret is that i never spray the blue and it looks pretty plastic. LOL. Well, i think i made a mistake with the timeline of my purchase. I actually bought Ex-S before i finish assembling my FAZZ and bought a Strike Freedom Full Burst shortly after i bought the Ex-S. Ex-S was the last gundam i built among 3 of them. I didn't quite enjoy building Strike Freedom as it was really easy considering building a slightly fatter and more parts of a FAZZ. Though i screwed up the wings mechanism. SIGH. But all in all, Strike Freedom is a really nice looking gundam. Though couldn't be pose much as the wings are really heavy. It hardly stands without the stands. Well, same goes for FAZZ and Ex-S, they couldn't really pose much, especially Ex-S. Ex-S just looks mean and massive sitting there itself, so i'm damn satisfied with it. LOL.

A couple of weeks, or a few months later, i bought Sazabi, i didn't get the Metallic one cause i think it's overpriced so fuck it. I bought the standard one for RM280, was still damn freaking expensive, but was still cheaper than Ex-S. Sazabi is massive as well, so my initial thought i was expecting it to be no less as satisfying was when i was assembling the Ex-S. However it comes to my disappointment that Sazabi is actually made of a lot of big pieces, so the building process is fairly easy. But the end result is still awesome, Sazabi was the first gundam of mine that i actually do full runners spray to all colors, do inking and decals as i'm assembling it. So in the end, it's still damn freaking satisfying. Though it can't pose much, but standing there itself, it's awesome.

After completing Sazabi, i've actually decided not to buy anymore gundams as i've ran out of space. But well, guess everything isn't as we planned always. I accidentally stumbled upon a huge discounted Hi-Nu Gundam, which i wanted to get it earlier before Sazabi. So i got it immediately. Considering watching Gundam 00(the anime) recently, i decided to buy Virtue, it's a HG but with the size of a 1/100. So i think it's worth getting, but instead, i got myself a Mk-II and a Nu Gundam. I bought the Mk-II simply because i screwed up my first Mk-II, so i wanted to make a MG and see how well it is. So here is it, my Mk-II Titans, freshly completed this evening. Enjoy(and thanks for reading the long ass history.).

I skipped a lot on the decals but i also use a lot of extra decals on the models, where it look best.

Considered my first 4 MG were not that posable, so i find Mk-II damn amazing when it comes to posing. (If you're wondering why my Mk is 03 and the shield he has is 01. Well, they only gave 3 dry decals for ''03'', so i wanted something on the shield so i used "01". Just treat it as he stole it from 01. LOL) The shield looks better anyways.

More photos will be taken later once i've completed all my other gundams. My final verdict for Mk-II? Look at the above picture, thumbs up!

I also spent the evening(half way assembling Mk-II) to prime my Nu gundam and give it a grey monotone. It went pretty alright. Though i've used a slightly darker grey than the standard prototype models in Hobby Japan but it's still nice. Below is a couple of images i took of the grey Nu gundam, i only managed to assemble an arm and i've stopped because i noticed there's quite a number of pieces that need additional coat of grey so i'm putting a half till i buy another can of spray. It's actually my 3rd can of grey for Nu gundam now. I kind of forget if i primed all the runners for Nu gundam or i just primed the darker colors. But anyhow, coating another colors of them are more difficult and requires more coats(or maybe i sucks at spraying and wasting paints away).

03.) Basic tools for basic painting

2008-10-12T17:39:00.004+08:00

Ok, here's some basic tools for some basic painting, non airbrush-ish. X D Beginner's toys.

They're my tools for painting.

Disposable gloves is a must, you wouldn't want your fingers to be painted are we? I bought a can of Mr. Surfacer 500, it's used to priming. Though have yet to know what's the different of the numbers, 500, 1000 and 1500 for Mr. Surfacer. The Tamiya surface primer works good on gundam i guess, i've used it to prime my Nu Gundam, though having a bottle is just enough for less than..mm..7 runners. Tamiya acrylic paint is alright, though you can only swipe once at a time or else you gonna have a bad paint job. Mr. Hobby's sprays are the best, though they're difficult to get locally. Of all i know, only XL Shop bring them in, only selective varieties. I bought the Mr. Color 62(white) from City Square for Rm19 each. Tamiya sprays range from Rm25 - Rm27.

Apparently two cans of grey weren't enough for my Nu Gundam so i had to buy an extra bottle with another as back up. I wanted a "prototype'' Nu Gundam like those gunpla in Hobby Japan. So i primed the darker colors(like black and blue) with tamiya primer then give every runners a monotone grey. THOUGH, prototype supposed to have a lighter grey than what i got. Pfff..

Well. Considering spending a fortune on painting tools. I seriously agree that having an airbrush is more effective and cost-effective, for the long run. A bottle Mr. Hobby top coat, is probably just enough for a layer if not best of two layers of coat on a MG. However, if you get airbrush, and you mix the paint, will be a lot cheaper.

MG Sazabi was my first gunpla that i full first coat(runners-spray), ink and decals while i assemble it. It looks much more nicer than the FAZZ on the right, without inking and decaling. I have yet to fix the problem on FAZZ yet. Soon...soon..

The problem with FAZZ was, i used the wrong top coat on him. I bought several bottles of Tamiya top coat, thinking it'll be the same as Mr. Hobby top coat(the tamiya guy said so). So i used it on my FAZZ, for the first time, i do top coat. And the results? I got myself a WHITE gundam. Notice all the yellow, grey and blue pieces are 'infected' with heavy supposed-to-be-flat-clear-top-coat. Now i need to prime the FAZZ to fix the color issue..PFff...

MG FAZZ and Strike Freedom in my temporary book shelf. Have yet to complete the wings by that time cause had some freelance work to do. But it's..well..still not completed yet..i have yet to clean up the bad inking(it was my first attempt to ink on white and i didn't clean the ink, so it's thick and dark, ugly.) and apply decals.

Not so flat-clear after all......

Runners left over by MG Sazabi. I didn't count but it's probably no more than 20 pieces of runners. HG gunplas will have half of the runners on a MG.

Surprisingly the MG Sazabi's red comes in two tones of red. A lighter(ugly) red and a better darker red. Nevertheless, i gave them a slight metallic red first coat.

I also gave first coat black to all the other colors in Sazabi. Giving the runners first coat will improve the look of the pieces. Not-so-light-reflective-pieces as a result of the first coat. It'll really look nicer.

The surfacer i initially bought for my Nu Gundam. I didn't use it cause i knew a bottle wasn't enough for that many runners so i bought Tamiya Primer(cause i couldn't get Mr. Hobby at that time).

Before first coat.

After first coat. I was surprised cause i didn't expect it to be shiny. But no worries, top coat will fix that problem.

MG yellow pieces, not so yellow-standard after all.

MG Mk-II Titans V2.0 getting ready for its first coat. Along with Nu Gundam's yellow runner.

Ex-S's leg, had first coat. The runners were Hi-Nu, no first coat. See how much it 'attracts light'. X D Though i didn't have a first coat on Hi-Nu cause the colors that came with it are superbly sweet.

Before first coat, originally is uh..dark gery color.

After first coat, becomes flat black. THOUGH, never spray under windy condition and TOO open area. It'll screw up the paint and you'll be spraying all over the places than the pieces. (i had to spray in an open place cause the regular place i spray, my neighbour was cooking at the back and i didn't want to poison them, so....)

MG Nu-Gundam having it's first coat of priming and monotone grey.

My mini painting station. Normally i'll just tape newspapers on the walls and on the floor.

After a brief moment of testing Mr. Hobby Flat-Clear top coat. Finally, i got a working top coat. Thanks Aunty Lenny from Endah Parade.

No top coat at all. See the difference? There's 3 types of top coats, semi gloss, gloss and flat clear. I've tried gloss, it's really nice. But i just prefer flat clear.

Same but not so same. wtf? Nvm. They're all top coats but Tamiya ones don't blend well with gundams. SO DON'T USE TAMIYA TOP COAT! Right is gloss with UV cut?? I'm gonna spray a gundam and put under sun and see if the UV really protects it. =p

Tamiya flat clear, Do not spray on decals and stickers. Hmm.. I had none on FAZZ.

Like i mentioned earlier, one can is merely enough for a MG, so if you really want to give your gunplas a top coat, get an airbrush. You'll save more on the paint and more environment friendly(no need to dispose of those irritating-not-environment-friendly empty cans).

[A little correction here, i was able to use the top coat on Mk-II, Sazabi and Hi Nu. I gave them an average 2 coats each.]

That's all for basic painting. If you have any questions at all, feel free to email me. I will help as much as i can.

2.) Basic tools of making gunpla

2008-10-12T16:42:00.000+08:00

Below are some basic tools for gunpla making. Basic, affordable and NEEDS for gunpla making. X D

The basic tools of making a gunpla. From left to right: The standard cutter, gundam markers for inking, tweezers, hobby blade, eraser, electronic pencil for inking, tape for decaling, eraser for cleaning the inking, Tamiya Extra Thin Cement to fix seams and last but not least, gundam markers set(it might not be all the colors you need for a certain gunpla, so test out the colors on the runners before using).

Some extra tools for gunpla making. Mr. Color sprays, Tamiya Colors, Mr. Hobby top coat, a small bottle of nail polish removal and a small bottle of paint for really small pieces(and normally the yellow pieces of MG are pretty crappy).

Not forgetting Mr. Mark Softener, used to soften the decals to it'll stick nicer to the models. MG Hi-V and Mk-II titans posing.

Don't forget to get it from your favorite toy shop.

1.) Basic introduction to gunpla

2008-10-12T16:05:00.002+08:00

What is gunpla? Nope, it's not a gun but another name for Gundam Models.

Question on gundam grades? It could be a bit complicated for really really new gundam modelers(i didn't know 8 years ago when i bought my PG). Let's start from the top grade:

The Perfect Grade (PG) - 1/60 scale, about 12-13 inches tall. PG has the most details and also the most parts in gunpla models. Depending on the gunpla you're getting, some could reach a hundred pieces in a leg piece. PG usually have LED in their eyes and they glow. PG comes in big boxes too, so you won't miss it. Prices range from minimum RM480 to RM1200, again depending which you're getting. PG are great to look at, they are huge and fully detailed, with some painting and top coating, it will look awesome! Though i find building PG a pain. Most of the inner frame parts are cover by the armors so you won't see them anyways. So i think it's a pain to spend so much on the inner frames but can't be displayed. Unless you want a 'naked' gundam.

The Master Grade (MG) - 1/100 scale, about 8 inches tall(though some MG stands at 12-13 inches and there's one MG, he's taller than PG). MG is the most popular grade among others, they are second most detailed in the grades and it has an inner frame as the PG as well. Though have a lot of details compared to the HG, but it has a number of foil stickers to replace the smaller pieces that you can find in a PG. A default MG model is great to look at but with some extra painting and detailing, it will look really sweet! MG are price from RM120 - RM500. Some of their boxes are small but some is as big as the PG. Building a nice MG is already a challenge, with carefully inking and decaling, with extra painting and top coating etc, well that if you want to do a really nice one. Some of us just assemble the gunpla as it is.

The High Grade (HG) - 1/144, about 6 inches tall. Some special edition of the HG heights of a 1/100 too. HG has lesser details than the PG and MG, and lesser parts of course. It does not have an inner frame. Usually it's just a couple of pieces, clipping them together. HG makes use a lot of the foil stickers to replace the lesser parts. They usually comes in a small box compare to the MG and PG. Though don't get me wrong, HG doesn't mean it''ll look awful. I've seen a HG once, that was painted so nice it looks 100 times nicer than an unpainted MG. The price is usually RM70 - RM120. Although HG kits are fairly easy to assemble, but it takes quite an afford to make it stand out. The parts are so much smaller that you'll spend a lot time to touch up.

The Non Grade (NG) - 1/60, 1/100. There are a numbers of non grade gundams out there, it has the height of a PG or a MG, but lesser details than them and has no inner frames. I have yet to assemble any NG yet, so i'll leave the rest for you guys to find out.

All in all, it doesn't which grade you get, but how much effort you put in it that will make a different. And of course, for a beginner like me, i couldn't afford an airbrush, so spray cans and markers are my tools. X D