X marks the Gundam Spot

YouTube
• Gundam Info - for Gunpla release promos and Anime series streaming
• HobbyLink TV - the YT channel of Hobby Link Japan featuring new Gunpla
• Prime92 - the prime go-to channel for Gunpla reviews (pun intended)
• Mecha Gaikotsu - another YT Gunpla reviewer (if you don’t mind the annoying voice)

OVERPRICED!!!

2022-06-21T15:49:00.001+08:00

If you are a snowflake, don’t bother reading this. But you probably don’t think you’re a snowflake, so you’ll probably read it anyway. If you are offended by anything in this article, be it known that only snowflakes are offended by what is written here.

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Overpriced. Probably the most overused word in the Gunpla Buy and Sell community these days, but, a lot of people, buyers and sellers alike don't even know what overpriced kits are if it smacked them on the face.

Saturday. Or, any day actually. You go to the mall and just couldn’t resist going to the toy section, either Toy Kingdom, ToyTown or Toys’R’Us (or whatever toy or hobby store you go to where you are at) and check out the Gunpla kits on stock. You figured, they probably have it on sale, but, even so, they’re still a bit more expensive than online seller prices, thinking that the non-sale price is overpriced. So you take pictures, for record-keeping purposes.

And you wonder why that is. You then go online, post the prices, and you get a slew of uneducated and misinformed opinions, the most common of which is mall store prices are overpriced, that they rather buy from online sellers, and some even scream those kits are cheaper in Japan.

Well, they’re not overpriced. See, applying a little common sense as to why they are more expensive at malls (the proper terminology), you should have realized the difference right away, but, for some strange reason you do not. We were all given the same information, we all have equal access to it, yet, some, if not a lot of people, make incorrect conclusions and assumptions leading to misinformed opinions.

So, what’s the difference between overpriced and more expensive? We have to base it on the Yen price. Let’s take the RG Sazabi for example, which is tagged at ¥4860 (box price). I got mine at PhP2350, which is 0.48 of the Yen price. This is close to the PhP-Yen conversion rate at the time. At mall stores, this is priced at PhP3150-3250 (or more), which is roughly 0.65~ of the Yen price (and it could be higher). This is more expensive, rather than overpriced, because mall stores have higher overhead. Hobby Search (Japan) sells this at Yen 4050 sale price, but, factoring in the shipping, just for one kit, it will still be more expensive.

The highest factor a mall store has priced a kit is at 0.85 Yen, and these are often limited items. Now, if you encounter an online seller that sells a regular item at 0.85-1.0Yen:1.0PhP, or more, higher than the list price of a mall store, that is overpriced.

Comparative Pricing and Overpricing

First things first. Why is it more expensive at mall stores?

Short answer: Overhead.

Oh, you don’t know what that is? This is the age of the internet. As I have mentioned, we all have access to the same information. But for the sake of discussion, let’s just pretend you’re too lazy, or ignorant, or both, to do research.

Well, it’s like this: Overhead is what is known in business as the money a business person or a company has to put up every month and every year to keep the business running. All businesses have overheads, some more than others. There are two main types of businesses: single proprietorship and corporation. Your favorite online seller supplying you with your addic--, I mean, hobby, also has overhead, but it’s not as huge as a corporation’s overhead.

So, even though this has been discussed quite a few times, but, you were probably watching hentai, let’s dissect what a corporation, in this case, a mall store, has to pay for just to get to you the things you don’t even want to get from them because you’re too much of a cheapskate to understand why they have more expensive Gunpla prices.

Mall Store Space Rental - This is rather obvious. Mall stores rent space to display what they sell. Mall store rental space is not cheap, as a 20sqm space can already go upwards of 30K rental a month (and that’s a conservative estimate).
Warehouse Space Rental - Oh, did you think it’s just the mall space they are renting? Each mall store have their own warehouse space at the back of the store for additional stocks and inventory. In some cases, rental for those are separate. Since TK and TRU are officially licensed stores, part of their pricing is that licensing. They can only get their stocks from the main official distributor (we all know who that is). That distributor pays warehouse fees.
Employee Salaries - Wait, did you think those people assisting you at the malls are working there for free? The official distributor also has employees to pay for.
Customs Levy and Taxes - Did you think they just magically appear on store shelves, with Bandai teleporting these kits? All of these items pass through customs, and if you ever had anything pass through customs, it’s sometimes like threading a 2-inch rope through a sewing needle.
Marketing, Advertising, Promotions and Events - How else would you know if the kit you were drooling for is already available, or if it’s on sale? Well, they advertise, create events and promotions. These events cost money, to be able to sell more kits, so they can pay for items 1 through 4. They also have to pay for that event space, and the prizes they give away for free are not really free, but, is covered by the sales they generate on that event and afterward.
Country Distributor License - I forgot to mention this. Bankee is the licensed distributor of Bandai products, and they are the one that distribute these products to the mall stores. That operation is in no chance free of charge.

Now, there are silly comments, like “those kits are cheaper with online sellers.” Well, duh, online sellers do not have that big an overhead. Most online sellers sell you stuff on pre-order, and, sometimes, what they have on stock, which is usually left when flakers flake on their pre-order, leaving some of the small-time sellers hanging with a huge bill. They can afford to lower the price of what they sell because they have less overhead. Still they do have to go through customs, and if you’re any of the cheapskate flakers they have encountered, just stop ordering things you’re not going to get later because you didn’t have the money to get it the first place.

Another one, talking about the price of one, single, solitary kit is “It’s cheaper in Japan.”

Yeah.Yeah. If you live in Japan. This is probably one of the dumbest comments one could make just so one could say something (as in, memasabi lang). Since it’s technically cheaper in Japan, well, why don’t you fly there to get that one, single, solitary kit and come back here to the Philippines. You’ll end up paying a whole lot more than the yen price of that MG Gundam Wing verTV, but hey, you got to go to Japan just to get that one, single, solitary kit. Of course, you can also go to Japan and get a whole lot of kits so your trip there won’t be a waste, but, you’ll still end up paying for customs levy and taxes (like what online sellers and mall stores do) when you arrive at customs. You’ll still end up paying for more, since customs officials won’t really believe you bought a shit ton of kits for your personal tower of power backlog. They will charge you commercial sale taxes (not to mention the other thing they call ‘tax’).

Now, people who usually scream an item being overpriced are those who

want things they can't afford.
can afford things but want something else.
can afford things, but still prefer things cheap (quality notwithstanding), aka "cheapskates."

And there’s that dreaded “P.” As in P-Bandai. The MG Barbatos has been announced, and everyone who has P-allergy won’t be late to the screaming party, that Bandai is definitely going to milk this one for all its worth, releasing the next kit variants as P-Bandai till kingdom come. So we’re sure to have P-Bandai 6th Form, or P-Bandai Add-ons from Form 1 to 6 (update, this one came true, the other two aren’t too far behind), a P-Bandai Barbatos Lupus, and P-Bandai Barbatos Lupus Rex.

Called it! And it's a P-Bandai nonetheless (I got this set at Shopee at base PO price)...

Now, here’s the thing: It’s usually people who have no plans getting a P-Bandai (or people who have no budget for it aka #CheapskatePolycaps) who complain and rant about P-Bandai and Bandai kits in general being more expensive and milking the kit lines.

Well, since you’re a cheapskate, opting to wait for the bootleg instead, Bandai wouldn’t have the need to milk kit lines, especially if you’re too much in denial to acknowledge that Bandai is losing profits to bootlegs. Bandai is now reprinting more and more older kits as re-issues, and releasing more P-Bandai variants because it needs to maximize the RnD and production costs from that line. Developing a kit is not a cheap undertaking. And even though they are actively fighting bootlegs, Bandai is still losing the fight because bootleggers are now pre-empting their releases with “bett--,” I mean more detailed kits with plenty of add-ons because bootleggers know bootleg lovers love more details and add-ons rather than actual quality kits. Bandai isn’t losing the fight because there are more bootleggers, it’s losing the fight because you opt to wait for the bootlegs.

A 20-year old kit with a rare Blue Logo*

See what happened there? No?

Well, that’s called denial.

Whereas Bandai employs top artisans and engineers and use top quality equipment and materials, who knows where bootleggers get their employees and materials from? (And just in case you are too ignorant, that was sarcasm). Bandai produces kits from ground up, whereas bootleggers will just mostly copy existing kits, if not copy existing designs.

Do you think Katoki and Kawaguchi work for peanuts?

The Whys and Wherefores

Bandai doesn’t owe us anything. They produce what they produce under their own production schedule. We get what they have in their production line, not what we want them to produce. Sure, we’re consumers, we deserve to get what we want, and Bandai knows that, enough to surprise us with kits people want every now and then, but, to scream “I’ll just wait for or get the bootleg version because Bandai is an evil corporation out to get my money” is just as dumb as it sounds.

Bandai is not a charity institution. It’s a business that needs to make profit in order to continue producing kits.

But wait, even certain bootlegs have gone P-Bootleg because scalpers held back old raided stock and gouged the prices later on, to the point that some bootlegs are even more expensive than a P-Bandai, because a rare bootleg is, well, rare. The funny thing is, idiots were buying it, and it’s basically the same idiots complaining about Bandai being too expensive.

Incidentally, we got this as soon as the HiRM God Gundam was announced.

This is NOT the MG Barbatos

The bootleg issue have become so bad, that Kawaguchi himself have started making personal appearances as a judge in GBWC. It’s become so bad that an idiot posted a bootleg on his (Kawaguchi’s) wall. It’s become so bad, we’re now required to show the receipt and the boxes (and recently, the Bankee Sticker), because there were idiots who claimed online that they joined and won(?) with bootlegs.

All because a lot of people are just too lazy, or too ignorant.

To begin with, this hobby is expensive. I’m not saying you don’t have a right to have a hobby, but again, this hobby is frakking expensive. If you’re barely making ends meet, stop being a self-entitled prick and prioritize your needs instead of screaming all over the forums how expensive a kit you will never be able to get is.

Because this hobby is just frakking expensive!

Now, presented with these options, what would you choose?

Decisions decisions...

Gunpla Painting with Bosny

2021-10-23T11:28:00.005+08:00

This is another article converted from a Facebook Note post.

You’re getting tired of simple snap builds and fussing over those nasty stickers, and you want to try your hands in painting kits so you can show off your kits in a better, ugh, light. You can always try hand brushing, which is simpler, but, not really a simple skill to learn because it will test your patience, dexterity and ability to focus. Handbrushing is very much a specialized skill that you will have to learn eventually especially when detailing kits.

Though there are people who could jump right into airbrushing, it’s a bit tedious a process involving mixing and cleaning and a whole lot of maintenance (but, eventually, if you’re really up to it, you’ll get there).

So, the alternative is using spray cans. Though there are hobby grade paint in cans, like Tamiya, Mr Color and recently, Vallejo, they are a bit on the expensive side.

What is a poor guy on a limited budget to do?

The answer is of course, Bosny Spray cans. There are other industrial type cans available but, let’s concentrate on Bosny since it’s mostly-widely-more available and thus easier to access, especially in Asia. (As an aside, check your local hardware for equivalent brands). The main difference between hobby-grade cans and industrial cans might not just be the formulation, but also that the hobby-grade has a finer nozzle.

Now, the stuff here can and might also be applicable to airbrush painting, as they are of course using similar concepts, using pressurized air to atomize paint, to put paint on your kits.

In a previous article, I wrote about Hobby Paint and Solvent types. Bosny is not a hobby paint. It’s an industrial paint that’s designed mainly for retouching paint on vehicles. In some cases, it’s used to paint decal-like designs. It’s also used by graffiti artists. What’s more, Bosny is listed as Acrylic-Lacquer-Epoxy, which is something that confounded a few people since they didn’t think lacquer and acrylic on the same phrase, let alone, in the same can, was possible (but that’s a different story).

Update: Bosny has reformulated its paints, dropping the epoxy component altogether. Bosny paints are now 100% acrylic with lacquer component.

Being an industrial paint and also being cans, a lot of people get the misconception that it cannot be used on Gunpla. “Bosny Paint is too thick” is the most common sentiment. Well, to be honest, any paint, whether it’s hobby grade or industrial grade can be used on Gunpla, it’s just that people expect to have the same, exact results when using one or the other. There were people who joked (and some who seriously asked) about using Boysen paints on Gunpla. Seriously, if it was properly thinned, and depending on the paint type, you probably could. All types of paint, after all, are made with the same chemicals, but of different proportions and additives. Maybe I’ll try and , and depending on the paint type, you probably could. All types of paint, after all, are made with the same chemicals, but of different proportions and additives. Maybe I’ll try and experiment with Boysen paints* one of these days.

Now, quite recently, since there will always be new people getting into the hobby (their means of getting into the hobby notwithstanding), we’ll normally see people asking the same questions asked and airing the same sentiments aired before. Let’s tackle them all (this will be updated as needed).

Bosny paints are too thick. Well duh! It’s an industrial type of paint. It tends to really be thick because it’s designed to cover large-area objects, like cars and car parts. But, is the paint really that thick?
Yes, and no. There are certain Bosny variants, like the designated Metallics (metallic Red, metallic Black), that are really thick no matter what you do. I steered clear of those variants after using them once. But, from primer to candy tone, you can control how thick the paint is by fighting your instinct to spray wildly and impatiently, which leads us to,
Bosny has no spray control. Again, yes and no. Bosny only has one setting when it’s new: male adolescent in puberty. Depressing the nozzle will tend to spray out everything it can because of its initial pressure. But that’s where you, the intrepid modeler cum painter cum in (puns intended).
With Bosny cans, you become the spray control by learning how to control your finger as you depress the nozzle. You have to practice a very fine motor control of applying enough pressure on the nozzle at a relatively very short amount of time, like, less than a second. Instead of spraying continually like you could with an AB, you have to spray in short, quick bursts, and oftentimes adding a slight movement while rotating the part to cover larger areas or parts evenly.
As it expels air, it loses pressure. Halfway through, you’ll find that there isn’t enough spray pressure anymore, the paint starts to spurt, and you have to adjust how you spray as well. Recently, I discovered that I have to get a fresh can when it feels half as heavy, because the pressure would probably also be just half as strong, as the amount of paint in the can is more or less directly proportional to the air pressure left. I can still use the can after its halfway point, but it’s touch and go the rest of the way. The paint is still viable, but, without enough pressure, it won’t give consistent and favorable results, so the only option at this point is to decant, thin, and apply it with an airbrush.
The spray coat is uneven. It’s because you don’t know how to use it. It’s either you’ve depressed the nozzle too long, or, you didn’t rotate the part, or you didn’t move the can during the short spray burst. To add, some practices, like painting on runners and painting assembled kits can also contribute to the issue, especially when you’re just starting to paint with cans.
There is paint clumping in some areas. Ah, yes. The dreaded overspray and pooling. The bane of all modelers and humankind in general. This happens when you spray too close and too long, and when you paint an assembled kit, instead of doing it properly, painting parts and/or sections individually.
This also happens with an AB that’s improperly set up, or paint that is improperly thinned. Whereas previously, the spray distance is about 6 inches (15cm), I found out that 12 inches (30cm) or more is ideal. This allows the paint particles to partially dry midway, level quickly as it lands, and become fully dry a few seconds after.
The surface is curly. Some people call this the orange peel, which is actually incorrect, since it should be orange skin, describing the texture of an orange’s skin (orange peels however is an actual thing used as an ingredient in cooking and baking), but for the sake of convention, let’s stick to the term. This also happens with ABs and results from several factors:
1. the underlying paint coat is still moist when you laid down the successive coat, and the upper coat dries/cures faster that the previous one/s. Solution: Wait for the previous coat to fully dry, or better yet, fully cure, before laying down the next coat. Ideally, the time between coats should be at least an hour or so, longer during cold weather. I can work quickly with 30 minutes between coats, but that’s stretching it.
2. the surface is not sanded and primed. A lot of lazy people skip sanding and priming because they simply do not have the time, opting for uneven painted surfaces and expecting everyone would be okay with it (Gunpla is freedom). Well, I guess that’s okay, for some, but, if if you post it, don’t expect everyone would be okay, let alone impressed with it, especially seasoned modelers and painters who don’t do things half-assed and half-baked.
3. you painted during a storm, or during fluctuating humidity. Although this is a very tricky proposition, I’ve painted kits during bad weather and got good results because I know when to lay down paint. It’s a bit hard to explain, but I noticed that I kinda sense when the weather changes. The air becomes humid and heavy and it’s extreme cold and hot in front of and away from a fan respectively. Bad weather is not an ideal time to paint, but, if you must, the best time to paint is when it actually starts to cool, an hour or so after it has started raining. It won’t be a good time to do candy tones or top coat, but priming and base coats should be fine.
4. the previous coat is uneven, or you tried to do a full coverage in one go. Though it is possible to accomplish that, conditions must be ideal (humidity, temperature). You must mist in thin coats, and let the coat cure for an hour or so before the next coat.
Bosny is just a bad paint medium. Okay. Okay! I’m kind of an unofficial Bosny ambassador ever since I started painting Gunpla, or anything for that matter, and quite recently kind of become a semi-official one after Bosny Philippines gave me a whole bunch of cans and stuff after they’ve seen my blog and FB page. Bosny is only a bad medium if you’re bad at it. I repeat, gave me a whole bunch of cans and stuff after they’ve seen my blog and FB page. Bosny is only a bad medium if you’re bad at it. I repeat, Bosny is only a bad medium if you are bad at it. When I started using Bosny, I’ve committed all the errors you can think of, from overspray, to uneven paint and even orange peels, because I didn’t know what I was doing. But, after a while, I got to understand how the medium works and how to make it work on any Gunpla scale.
Airbrush is better. Well, duh! But, apropos (my favorite uncommon word), it’s more like an airbrush is a better tool. I’ve written about this before because there are hardcore AB modelers that seem to interpret my use of Bosny as something being better when I said “I can achieve close to AB results with Bosny.” Context notwithstanding, there is nothing in what I said that even comes close to saying Bosny is better.
The thing is, an AB, like Bosny, is a tool. If you don’t know how to use a tool, it won’t give good results. So ultimately, it’s still on you. I’ve seen a few projects done with Bosny that are comparable to those done with AB. And seriously, there are those done with AB that do not look that they were done with AB.
Also, if you are going to use an AB and your color scheme is rather common and mediocre that it looks like someone else’s work, you can’t really diss someone else’s work that looks way better than your mediocre AB-painted kit. In fact, it’s really harder to achieve good results with Bosny because of all the factors I mentioned, and it takes a lot more skill and patience to get good results. If you’re using an AB, and your results are mediocre at best, what’s your excuse?

Thin as sleeves, thick as thieves.

Now, to summarize these are the factors that affect how Bosny paints (and hobby paints in general) behave:

Spray pressure. Bosny only has one setting. Fresh, new cans have very strong pressure and this goes down quite significantly as the air gets expended over time. With AB, consistent pressure can be set on the compressor, and spray strength/volume can be adjusted on the airbrush. Mini compressors mostly have a single setting, around 17 to 20 psi, but there are mini compressors with pressure knobs. With Bosny, the only way to get actual spray pressure control is to shorten the spray burst.

Humidity. Contrary to popular belief, it’s not heat or the temperature alone that can affect paint during spraying, but rather, the overall relative humidity. Humidity is the amount of moisture in the air. High or fluctuating humidity can cause havoc on paint as it lands on the part you are painting since moist air can get caught with your spray bursts. Do you know why cold glasses sweat? That’s moisture condensing on the surface of the glass. Now, during a thunderstorm, everything solid gets cooler, but, the air can remain warm. When moisture gets caught on your spray burst and lands on the part, well, you get the idea. This, along with a cold part, causes topcoats to frost.
This also happens during a cool sunny day with relatively high humidity. With AB, this is minimized by the use of moisture traps. Since AB spray mists have smaller particles, and the pressure burst can be controlled, you can spray the part as close as you can without over-spraying.
Warming the Can may seem to help at times, but it really doesn't. As humidity fluctuates, it would have already fluctuated after you've warmed the can.

Curing times. Let’s face it. No paint or paint tool can ever get a complete layer coverage in one go. That’s why we paint in successive coats. Bosny has a quick-dry formulation, but, it still has a relatively long curing time just like most paints. When you do successive coats, with the previous coat still curing, the overlaying coat can dry and cure quicker when the humidity changes. So, it’s best to allow all a safe curing time between coats. For Bosny, an hour or so, or longer is ideal.

Spray distance. During the course of using Bosny, a distance of 12 inches is about right to properly mist the paint. Too close, and the paint will be too moist that it will cause over spray. Too far, and the paint would end up like small particles of dust over your part.

Sanding and Priming. Two important steps you should never skip. When you decide to paint your kits, don’t do it half-assed. You need to commit to the endeavor. The primary purpose of sanding is to level and smooth the surface of the parts you are going to paint. While de-nubbing parts, you introduce micro scratches and cracks on the plastic, without realizing it. Though most parts do have a little flexibility, applying pressure on certain parts leave very minute cracks on the surface that are not visible until you apply primer and paint. What’s more, nubs will always have an uneven surface, no matter what tool you use. Not even god hand can cut that clean. You’ll still have to sand that nub mark away because it will show under the paint. Sanding also removes that built-in shiny surface coating that exacerbates the plastic texture underneath. So, if you see swirls and curls after you paint, well...
Priming, on the other hand gives a smooth surface for your paint to latch on. Primers are formulated differently, as such, they will latch on to most plastics. Certain paints don’t latch properly on plastic, even sanded ones, hence, priming.

Addendum: Using hair dryers to dry paint on plastic is a bad idea.

Check these links for more information:

https://www.edinformatics.com/math_science/what-is-humidity.html

https://www.facebook.com/GunplaBosny/

https://www.facebook.com/groups/BosnyGunpla/

*I made that statement as a half-serious joke, which is something I would probably test one of these days, but apparently, based on feedback (or rumors) from certain modelers, there is a brand of local hobby paint that is actually just thinned house paint (hence the inconsistent results).

Modeling Tools 101

2021-10-01T21:29:00.003+08:00

We were all snapbuilders once, but, we are beginners only once.

Year in and year out, this hobby of ours get a lot more people who are getting into the hobby than people getting out of it, as such, the same questions we asked back when we are newbies are now being asked by the younglings, or at least, not so younglings, who are first getting their feet wet into Gunpla, or scale modeling in general. Truth of the matter is, there is no age limit or requirement for this hobby, so it’s quite amusing when certain young ones chide older modelers about their age. You can’t teach old dogs new tricks, but old dogs do have hobbies. Some people have started young and have grown into the hobby, others start way later.

I remember the first time I got myself a Gunpla; it was an HG Wing Gundam. That time, all I had as a tool was that flimsy, black metal cutter that was part of a Tamiya 4x4 tool set. I got it when I was collecting Tamiya 4WD racers. That cutter was made of soft metal, it was dull after its first year of use with nothing more than cutting runners of Tamiya 4WD kits, but I didn’t really care back then. When I used it for my first Gunpla, or to say more aptly, my first 4 HG Wing kits, it was a good enough tool.

I still had and used that tool when restarted collecting in 2007 when I got hooked with 00 and got me the fab four. But, it was not until I started doing modifications and customs did I find my tools, or lack thereof, uh, lacking.

So, I started doing research. Tamiya had a couple of high-end cutters, but, at the time, it felt too expensive for me. After a little digging and happenstance, I found a nifty and cheap side cutter in the form of a generic tool: The Alexan Side Cutter.

Not godhand, but good enough.

It was made of sturdy stuff that it could cut through most anything, even thin-gauge wires, so, using it to cut through 3-mm thick gates and beams was almost too easy. It took a long while to get dull, and it does get dull over time, so I decided to get a couple more as back-up.

But I started to make a lot more complex custom builds, and I felt I need better tools. I then got me the Tamiya round head and the Tamiya slim head, at different times. I lost those two cutters along with several other tools, including my two Tamiya pin vises, drill bits and (sigh) my iPad when I left and lost my backpack in the back of a cab while going home with groceries. I didn’t forget the groceries, but I forgot my backpack with all my stuff.

Anyway, to make a long story short, I had to reinvest on new tools a few times, either because they got lost, or, they got too worn down to use effectively. Nowadays, I often have two of everything, just for flexibility, and if I lose or misplace one.

Now, seeing that the same questions pop up here and there, then and again, here are the needed tools based on level:

Level 1: Basic (Snapbuilding)

Side Cutters - Branded cutters range from affordable (Mineshima, Tamiya, Wave) to expensive (Meng, godhand, Platz). There are <unbranded> side cutters that are entry level cheap, like the trusty Alexan Side Cutter.
Modeling/Art Knife - X-Acto comes to mind, which is actually more about the blades itself than the shaft. There are cheap blades and shafts, but, it’s best to invest on metal shafts for their durability. The drawback, though is that if you do use a knife to cut away stupid, stubborn nubs, you can potentially damage the surface of the plastic you’re cutting. So use this tool selectively, sparingly and carefully.
Utility Knife / Plastic Cutter - You wouldn’t want to waste your art knife blade’s sharpness cutting thick sheets of plastic, so, you use a utility knife (retractable, with snap-off blades) instead.
Tweezers - for laying down those nasty, ugly stickers and dry-transfers you just have to use to put detail on your work, especially in older kits, and later on, when you decide to up your game with water slide decals.
Plastic Tubs - I’ve seen a lot of people lament about the dreaded black hole when they cut rather smallish parts from runners, and like a live fish, flies off in to the vast nothingness of space, or at least your room. When this happens, that part is damn nearly impossible to find. Having reusable, microwaveable tubs is a handy solution; simply aim the part you are cutting down into the tub, and it will catch said part. It’s also worthwhile to line the bottom of the tub with a few sheets of tissue or toilet paper to prevent those parts from bouncing off (it can happen).

Aside from those tubs, you can use ice cream containers as well.

Level 2: Intermediate (Snapbuilding)

You’ll need everything in L1 plus:

Sandpaper / Sanding Blocks / Sanding Sticks - of various grits. I find that having 600, 800, 1000, 1200, 1500 and 2000 grit and up are the best combination if you plan to go beyond simple nub cleanup, because a cutter or a knife, no matter how sharp, just won’t cut it (pun intended) when it comes to nub removal. You can make your own sanding blocks and sticks by attaching a sheet of sandpaper onto a firm foam block or popsicle sticks respectively, if buying expensive, pre-made ones does not appeal to you.
Files - for nasty, bumpy nubs that would take a long time to sand, having micro or diamond files is handy. You’ll need this to make quick work of stubborn nubs, and flattening cemented edges of seams, modified parts and scratchbuilds.
Pens and Markers - If you’re like me you’ll outgrow these implements rather quick. I used to detail panel lines and small parts with pens and markers (I have even used a 0.1 technical pen), and for the very basic builder, these are the <go to> tools.

Level 3A: Advanced (Customs/Modifications/Scratchbuilding)

You’ll need everything from L1 and L2 plus:

Pin-Vise - one of the more important tools you’ll need if to plan to get more than your feet wet. The <best> pin-vise around is the Tamiya Fine Pin-Vise D, which has a pair of reversible bit holders and can accommodate bits from 0.1mm to 3.2mm, but there are other branded as well as cheap generic ones.
Clamps and Vises - You’ll need these if you have to secure sections or parts you’ve cemented or <sandwiched> together. In most cases, double-clips of various sizes would suffice.
Saws - Yup. You heard it right. Saws. You’ll need a hobby saw for general cutting, especially thick plastics. You’ll also need thin etching saws (some of which also double as scribing tools) when you need to make precise cuts, say like cutting a whole MG Sinanju and Sinanju Stein in half and slap them back together with a mirror in between them.

It’s the next best thing to a *lazer* sword.

Mirror, Mirror...

Scribing Tools - You can easily use dull/blunted and chipped knife blades and retrofit them as scribers, or you can sharpen those micro-screwdrivers and turn them into makeshift chisels (see photo above). But, if you have reached this point, you’ll realize that those might not be enough, so, invest on better tools, like actual modeling chisels. At this point, you probably also have a job that pays well enough for tools.
Router / Mini Drill - This tool is very handy when you need to cut something quick, or when sculpting something into shape. With various bits and heads you can also mount a polishing head for a quick polishing job.
Materials - When doing customs, you’ll need more than just tools. You’ll be needing a lot more of these materials the more wet you get. PlaPlates (is a brand of PolyStyrene sheets made by Tamiya) and is the base term of pla-plating, which means cutting pieces of PS sheets and arranging them in a nice layout to enhance your Gunpla’s overall look.
There are other brands of PS Sheets, like Evergreen and also some generic ones, but, everyone seems to call them Plaplates regardless. It’s like Xerox is to photocopying, or Colgate is to toothpaste.
Aside from Plaplates, you’ll also need beams of various thickness or diameter, especially when you start to scratchbuild a lot more than just a small part. You’ll probably need putty for some of the things you can’t do with plaplates, especially rounded and curved parts.
Adhesives - when you do modifications and scratchbuilding, you’ll need something to stick things together. Whereas the first instinct of most is superglue (aka, cyanoacrylate, or resin glue, which you should have nevertheless), the best adhesive for the job is plastic cement. You should have both regular and extra thin cement for various purposes.

Level 3B: Advanced (Painting)

Paints - Obviously. There are Hobby Grade paints, such as Tamiya, Mr Color Citadel, Vallejo and quite recently, Armored Komodo (which is now available in North America). You can experiment on other paint brands, but these are so far tried and tested to work best on Gunpla. Personally, I use Vallejo paints mostly for detailing because it’s designed for handbrushing detail. I have started using Armored Komodo quite recently.
Various Brushes - for handpainting, you’ll need plenty of various-sized brushes for detailing mostly.
Airbrush - ah, yes. The airbrush. I have a couple of them buggers, and a compressor to boot, but I’ve been using a handheld mini-compressor AB for minor spray work to complement,
Spray Cans - rattlecans, as others call it. Personally, aside from handbrushing detail, I mostly use Bosny cans as my go to paint choice (see photo above). They are basically affordable, easily accessible and convenient for people like me.
Masking Tapes - When you start painting, you’ll need to shield those pegs and joints so they don’t get painted on, which results in getting them stuck together during dry fit, and later on, breaking. Joints most especially need to be masked properly, but I do a shortcut by priming painting joint frame parts already assembled. Masking also allows you to put paint details via layer masks, like decal-type details and camouflage patterns.
Miscellaneous - Alligator clips, painting sticks, painting stands, buckets, tubs (for parts and clippings), metal rulers, compass, triangle, protractor, magnets, etc. All the things you will eventually think of needing later.

The Mystery of Scale: Part Three

2021-07-30T15:47:00.006+08:00

Just today, I found this on my Facebook feed.

Source: Isaiah Takahasi

It's an impressive composite water scene of an RX 78-2 towering over what seems to be a Catalina-type sailboat yacht, but something seems off.

Yup, the scale is all wrong. The RX is too big compared to the size of the Catalina, which is about 10m from the base to the tip of the sail, and considering foreshortening, the RX is still rather huge since it's only 18m in 1:1 scale.

But, using the known average height of the Catalina which is around 10m, we can interpolate the height of that RX in the photo/image (proportionate to the GTO kit) to be around 50m, just as tall as the first version of Gojira.

Source: Google Search

So, it really is off scale, almost 3 times its actual height. At that height, the scale of the RX against its 1/1 counterpart is 2.78/1. Rule of thumb: The higher the value of the denominator, the smaller the scale height would be, hence why 1/144 scale of a certain object at 1/1 is smaller than its 1/100 scale counterpart)

Now Someone commented that the boat is 1/144 and that the RX is 1/48. We don't really mix scales when doing dioramas, and I know what the person meant, but sure, let's bite.

Using 1:1 height reference, the scale of the RX would be 1/36, and not 1/48. How did I get that number? Again, by using fractions, ratios and proportions which we learned in grade school and high school. Let's assign xb as the unknown scale we're trying to figure out, knowing the 1:1 height of the RX at 1800cm, the 1:1 height of the boat at 10m, and its estimated height of the RX in the image at 5000cm (1m=100cm), we get

Or, for the mathematically-challenged, here's a visual (which still requires Math to figure out, unfortunately). At 1/144, the height of the boat would be at 7cm (1000/144=6.94444~), the height of the RX would be 12.5cm (1800/144). At 1/100, the boat and the RX are 10cm and 18cm respectively. At 1/48 (Mega-Size), the height of the RX would be 37.5 cm. At 1/60 (Perfect Grade) the height would be 30cm.

Here's where it goes nutty: If we use the 50m height as 1/1, the 1/48 height would be 104cm, while the 1/36 would be a whopping 139cm, almost a meter and a half, which is about the average height of a tall adolescent, or a small adult. I was overthinking this, but, if we interpolate the 1/36 and 1/48 heights into 1:1 relative to the height of the boat of 10m, then we get 50m and 37.5m respectively.

(Sidenote: I did get a little bit confused here earlier because of the 18m and 50m heights, since I thought I made a computation error to get 1/36. As it turns out, the 1/100 scale of 50m and 1/36 scale of 18m are both 50cm).

Now, here's how it should look like when everything is on the same scale.

Where's that rampaging T-Rex when you need it?

So, again, to determine the height of an object based on scale, you need to know one other value: the height of another object you can compare it to. Research comes into play in this case, since the only object I can compare the RX with is the Catalina. Even if you don't know anything about boats, you can simply do a keyword search for sailboat dimensions, which is exactly what I did.

In closing, I'd like to share with you this very nice image that depict the heights of different robots and super robots in relation to one another.

Source: All-over the Internet, but, where the heck is Gurren Lagann?

Why Gundams do not Rust

2021-07-28T16:59:00.005+08:00

Disclaimer: I've seen impressive weathering done on Gunpla. I've also seen overly or improperly done weathering that looks as if they were dunk in a vat of oil or greasetrap gunk, or were haplessly lathered in marker inks, without any direction or logic. This article does not intend to hamper one's preference, standard or style, but rather simply explains the subtle logical reasons why Gundams or most Mobile Suits (MS), especially those that operate in space, do not rust. Such is the case, there are people who scream Gunpra iz Fleedom at people who actually know a thing or two about modeling and weathering when they make a polite comment* about how their weathering looks more like a cat puked it out, I won't show those, ugh, dirty socks.

First, let me start with a couple of things I posted a while back in several of the Facebook groups I was in.

I've never liked the RX78-2, or, overly weathered kits. Gundams do not rust after all. But, this one is impressive. The modeler's name is M Live, and no surprise there, he's Japanese. It's dirty to the point of being haplessly lathered with dirt, but it somehow looks nice. In the discussion, someone commented that it was probably the pose that did it, and I would tend to agree.

Impressive Weathering by M Live

At the other end of the spectrum, there's minimalist weathering done by Zaku in a Box, which is what an MS would look like after a few days of deployment.

Minimalist Weathering by Zaku in a Box

I'd also have to include this magnificent Turn X done by Naoki The Turn X is one of my favorite MS designs as well. This is one of the best examples I can give when it comes to weathering done right. It's not overly weathered, has dirt in all the right places and does not look like someone dropped it in a vat of oil and viola! Instant weathering.

Turn X by Naoki

Now that that is out of the way, let's address the reason/s why Gundams do not rust.

One word: Gundarium.

Gundarium is the fictional metal alloy most Gundams or MS are made of. It's also called Luna Titanium (UC) mainly because it's sourced from the Moon, and Gundanium (Gundam Wing). As it is, Gundarium or Gundanium are alloys of Titanium. In Gundam SEED, the metals used Gundam and MS are also probably made with some form of Titanium alloys but are augmented by an electrostatic system (Phase-Shift Armor) which gives it added strength and durability against physical and projectile damage. In IBO, Gundams are made with nano-laminate armor, but who's to say that the metal component isn't a Titanium alloy of some sort either? I also have to mention 00 Mobile Suits which are made of e-Carbon, which as per lore is an artificial allotrope of Carbon (Carbon nanotubes), which is described as a materials with virtually no weakness and is corrosion resistant, so it's safe to say that it doesn't rust.

Titanium (Ti) is the 22nd element in the periodic table, with the same Atomic number. Produced in the heart of Supernovas, it's very ductile in its pure form, but when alloyed with other metals, becomes one of the strongest and hardest metal alloys on Earth, which is very resistant to corrosion. In fact when it oxidizes, the surface oxidation itself becomes its protection against further corrosion, as such it does not really corrode unlike cast iron metal or non-alloy steel which start to rust only after a few days exposed to the elements. Further, Titanium Dioxide, or titania, one of its naturally-occurring oxide forms, is used as a white pigment in paints.

Exposed to the elements, Titanium and its alloy forms would be very resistant to rusting, even after exposed for a very long time. If it does rust, it's most probably alloyed with iron, and only iron corrodes red.

Now, the other reason why Gundams don't rust in space should be rather obvious: the lack of oxygen in space. Granted that space colonies would have water and oxygen, these colonies would also be made of rust- and corrosion-resistant alloys which would mostly likely be Titanium. So, if one depicts a rusted MS in space, that would probably one which is not made of Gundarium or other Titanium alloys and have not been maintained properly. If the scene is a derelict, then it would probably be possible, but, it goes back to the point that, if it is a derelict, then it would be exposed to space, space is a vacuum, and in the vacuum of space, there is no oxygen or water (water freezes in space). No oxygen, no oxidation, no corrosion, no rust.

On the ground, it goes back to the same logic: how did that still-operating MS gets so rusty? In a continuous operation, the logical weathering would be scratched paint, projectile or beam weapon damage, dirt and dust on the edges and nooks and crannies.

But rust?

This is probably the only most realistic scene ever in the Gundam Universe.

Leiutenant Shiro Peeping Tom reporting for duty...

Ooops. Wrong scene.

Giant Robots ain't no match to the might of the miniscule dust and dirt...

We go back to that point of what Gundams and most MS are made of: Gundarium, which is an alloy of Titanium, which is corrosion-resistant, which if ever corrodes, has white corrosion.

Now, when the 00 was left on the field, flowers started to bloom and cover it, but it did not rust (as was depicted in the anime), since it is after all, made of carbon.

Source

Edit: Incidentally, I just recently came across this very impressive digital art by Aldiaz Nasher Arighi that depicts the RX 78-2 as a derelict in a forest scene, heavily battle-damaged and has started to rust in places.

Source

So, Gundams, in general, do not rust. Weathering, on the other hand, has logic to it:

Less is more.
Outside more than Inside.
Lower more than Upper.
Edges more than Flats.
Corners more than Curves.

Too much of it, your masterpiece can look like a masterpiece of shit, which is probably okay if it is depicted as a derelict and is no longer in service. But, if you're lazy, as such you opt skip sanding, priming and painting altogether and decide to weather bare plastic, there's a natural weathering technique I can share with you.

Effortless Weathering, for the Lazy amongst us...

The Mystery of Scale Par Deux: Understanding Scale and Height

2021-07-26T14:02:00.013+08:00

Scale is the proportions of an object based on two sets of dimensions, or the measurement of an object relative to two points of reference. Objects such as model kits, will have different measurements relative to its scale.

I had a not-so-unusual request from a friend to help him figure out the scale height of the recently released (July 2021) 1/32 Tyrannosaurus Rex Imaginary Skeleton kit from Bandai.

Oh Bandai. Another kit we don't really need, but would most likely get anyway, just because...

According to HLJ's release page, the assembled kit is about 35cm in length (13.78in for the metric-challenged), but says nothing about the assembled height (and in hindsight, wasn't really relevant). So I had to be creative and do what an intrepid researcher must do first when the information presented is incomplete: Google. (Sidenote: is anyone still using Yahoo, or other search engines?)

First thing I checked is the 1:1 height of a T-Rex.

Google is your Friend...

On average, a T-Rex would be around 5m in height, so I'll use that as a base reference for the 1:1 scale height. Using a simple equation we learned in high school (employing fractions, ratios and proportions),

Math 101: scale is just ratio and proportions

the height of our reference T-Rex at 1/32 scale is around 15cm, which is roughly the height of 1/144 kits on average, with a few exceptions, like huge MS designs like the Sazabi (23m), Nu (22m), Sinanju (22.6m) and Unicorn (21.7m D-mode), all of which are above average Gundam head heights of 18m at 1:1. (Another sidenote: there are MS that have two height values, the head height, which is measured from foot to the tip of the head, sans the v-fin or horns, and the overall height which often also include the additional height from the backpack and shoulder attachments).

Relative heights based on scale (Sazabi overall height, 25.6m)

As I understand it, most kits or figures that come in HG-sized boxes will basically have the close to the same height when assembled, most probably so that it uses the same amount of material when molded to place it at that price point, so I guess this won't be any different. For its scale, the T-Rex does look like it'll be around the height of an average 1/144 kit.

Now, to understand this a bit further, the T-Rex, despite its 5m towering height over humans, is relatively small compared to a Gundam (18m) or a Sazabi (25.6m). The T-Rex would be around the size of the Sazabi's foot.

The T-Rex is puny compared to the Mighty Sazabi

On the other hand, the T-Rex would smash them 1/144, 1/100 kits and 1/60 kits without batting an eyelash,

Source: https://twitter.com/mikkkori/status/1418042019927056391

Or have your oh-so-precious-holy-grail kits for lunch.

https://www.reddit.com/r/Gunpla/comments/7ycjsx/cat_vs_unicorn/

Ooops. Wrong visuals. Here's, uh, the same T-Rex if it were 1:1 and we're comparing the relative heights of the scaled kits. See how those things in your hands seem relatively huge, but is relatively tiny compared to a rampaging monstrosity of an imaginary skeleton.

Huge and small is really just a matter of perspective.

Now, if you're curious if the length of the kit given by HLJ at 35cm would be proportionate to the 1:1 length of the T-Rex (12.3m or 1230cm), we still use the Magic Math Formula we used previously,

35 ≠ 38.4375, but that's darn close

Considering these are all estimates to begin with, that's rather a close value. Given my history of having a lot of difficulties with college Math (Calculus is a bitch, and I haven't really used it, lest I become a rocket scientist), I still love math.

Don't you?

A few days later, Fire Ants held residence at the Derek Zoolander's
Center for Kids Who Can't Read Good and Wanna Learn to Do Other Stuff Good too...

Lastly, here's the best thing to use for scale comparison in any occasion.

Source

The Mystery of Scale

2021-06-26T11:53:00.004+08:00

Ah yes, scale. The simple, yet, most elusive and mysterious concept that still boggles a lot of Gunplars. I found myself once again repetitively posting this over and over again, since there are people who just can’t wrap their brains around what scale is in terms of Gunpla and scale modeling in general.

Simply, scale can be understood by knowing what 1:1, 1/1, or One is to One scale is, which is the ACTUAL height of an object.

Let XHeight (or simply X), be the actual (1:1) height of a mobile suit. XScaleHeight is the height value you want to find out at that scale, and XScale is the scale value. Let say X=18m, the AVERAGE height of mobile suits. Now an average value is when you take several values, say, different heights of different mobile suits at 1:1, add them all up, and divide the total with the number of mobile suit samples. To simplify further, let's just take the RX 78-2's height at 18m (approximate).

Using a SIMPLE conversion, which is not something I invented, but actual mathematical conversion factors (fractions) we learned in high school:

Too many Xes here, doncha tink?

X:1 = 18m or 1800cm
X:100 = 18cm (divide 18m, or 1800cm by 100)

X:60 = 30cm (1800/60)

X:144 = 12.5cm (1800/144)

Now, I used metric, because it's easier to convert factors of 10 (which one can do without using a calculator) compared to imperial units. As such, 10mm=1cm, 10cm=1decimeter (dm, or decim), 10decimeter=1m, 10m=1decameter (Dm, or decam), 10Dm=1hectometer (hm, 100m), 10hm=1km.

You can use these factors to determine the relative scale heights, as well as widths, depths and lengths of ANYTHING that can be measured. As such, if you want to make a scale model replica of a building as part of diorama, you must know or determine the actual height of the building. That value is its 1:1 scale height.

Scale is also <reversible>, meaning you can start on any size or height, say what scale it is, and factor up or down as the case may be. Scale is also a fraction, as such, it's written as 1/100, et al on boxes.

Let's have, for example, the HCM pro Destroy Gundam, which has a 1/200 height of approximately 20cm. Without looking up the height online, I can determine its 1:1, 1:60, 1/100, 1:144 scale height just using the conversion factors above. I'll convert it to 1:1 first, to make it easier to convert to other scales.

X/200 = 20, which make its 1:1 height at 4000cm, or 40m.
1:100 would be 40cm
1:60 would be approximately 67cm
1:144 would be approximately 28cm

Now, the HG 1/144 Neo Zeong has a 1/144 scale height of roughly 40cm. You can imagine how huge the 1/100 scale would be at 60cm or ~2ft.

A Guide to Hobby Paint Types and Solvents

2021-04-21T12:21:00.004+08:00

Palate, Pilate, Pallete

So, you’ve decided to finally get your hands dirty and paint a Gunpla kit. Now, you wonder what paint to use, and if you screw up, what solvent to use to strip the paint. Here’s a quick guide on Paint Solvents (which ultimately, determine the paint type) and their effect on plastic in general.

Paint types - Paints are categorized mainly under three types, and they are called as such because of the additive* in the paint.

Acrylic - Acrylic paints are acrylic-resin pigment-type paints suspended in a polymer solution and is usually water-soluble. These paints become water-resistant when dry and are highly durable. Some Acrylic paints are alcohol-based. Depending on their formulation, water-based acrylics can be thinned with alcohol and vice-versa.
Lacquer - The term lacquer originated from the lac insect with secretes resinous shellac, which were used in olden times to coat wood to protect them from the elements. Lacquer can also be drawn from the resinous sap of some trees. Lacquer paints are made by mixing pigments with lacquer, and is mostly alcohol-based.
Enamel - Enamel paints are oil-based paints that usually dries with a certain gloss.

Base types - the base of a paint is the solvent use to suspend or dissolve it, as such, the base of a paint is also its thinner, or reducer. As such, there’s no such thing as acrylic-base paint.

Water-based - Acrylics paints are mostly water-based, hence can be thinned or diluted with plain tap water, although distilled or filtered water works best, since those do not have particulates that paint tend to clump onto, which is what happens when paint clumps onto your brush.
Alcohol-based - Some acrylics and lacquers are alcohol-based (or ketone-based), mostly plant distillates (ethyl). These types dry slightly faster than water-based paints, and often also water-soluble.
Oil-based - Enamel bases are often oil or mineral spirits or combinations of it. Among these are turpentine, safflower and other plant-oils.

Solvents/Thinners/Strippers

Water - The Universal Solvent. Some, if not most acrylic paints, especially the ones designed for hand painting, are actually water-based and can be diluted or thinned with plain tap water, but ideally, distilled or filtered water is better since tap water contain micro-particles that causes paint to clump, especially when hand-painted. It can’t strip paints, even water-based acrylics, and is very safe on all types of plastics.
Denatured Alcohol - Used mainly in cosmetics and perfumery, Denatured Alcohol is general purpose and can be used for both thinning Acrylic paints for airbrushing or stripping most types of paint. Not to be confused with 70% rubbing alcohol (isopropyl, which is petroleum-based, or ethyl, which is plant-based), though certain paints can be thinned and stripped-off with rubbing alcohol. Alcohols are safe on all types of plastics. Denatured alcohol can be used for soak-stripping. Denatured alcohol is mostly ethanol (or ethyl alcohol at high concentration) with impurities mixed in to make it unfit for human consumption.
There’s also denatured-alcohol available in hardware stores, but these are weaker and does not strip as well as the medical grade, which is 95-99% pure.
99% Isopropyl Alcohol. Used mainly in laboratories and hospitals for general disinfection, this alcohol is rather strong and can strip off most paint types, and also safe for soak-stripping.
Acrylic Thinners - These type of thinners are alcohol-based (combined with other ketones) and can be used to thin and strip paint. Even though it’s alcohol-based, the other chemicals in certain acrylic thinners react to and can damage ABS plastics, making them brittle over time, so it’s not advisable to soak plastic parts for when stripping paint.
You can make your own acrylic thinner using alcohol and 3 other chemicals.
Lacquer Thinners - Lacquer thinners are usually made with ketones, like acetone, toluene and methanol (alcohol) and have close analog or compatibility with acrylic thinners which are also mostly made with alcohol.
Enamel Thinners - Made with oil and mineral spirits, like turpentine (used on oil-canvas paintings). Enamel thinners are generally safe for most plastics, though like acrylic thinners, is not recommended for soak stripping.
Paint Thinners - Hardware store paint thinners are used to thin industrial-type enamel paint (the ones used for painting houses and buildings). I have seen some people claiming to use these regular paint thinners to thin hobby-grade paints, but, it’s best you test it out yourself (will update if I ever do test this myself).
Bleach. Bleach can be used for general cleaning (removing yellow stains on plastic) and stripping off chrome/gold plating, but not for thinning.
Dot4 Brake Fluid. The strongest of all solvents on this list, brake fluid is not used for thinning, but it can strip off all types of paint from plastics completely, even chrome or gold plating. It can be washed with water, but, the main drawback is it’s highly toxic. Using gloves is recommended, and utmost care must be employed in handling and disposing it. As an advantage, Brake Fluid is reusable, and can be filtered through regular coffee filters. There are some brands of Dot3 brake fluid that can also strip off paint, and it’s not the same across the board.
Acetone. Acetone can be used to strip off superglue remnants, but, is very harmful to plastics, especially polystyrene. Avoid at all costs.
Hobby-Grade Paint Strippers. There have been at least a couple of hobby-grade paint thinners which supposedly can strip paint clean off parts without damaging the plastic. Though their formulation are being kept secret, these strippers are most probably made with denatured alcohol (or a form of high-percentage alcohol) and plastic safe-ketones.

Paint Coats and Layering

You can combine (as opposed to mix) paint types as you work with them in layers. Here’s a quick layering guide, courtesy of OtakuRevolution.

Simply put, whereas there are lacquer topcoats that can be safely used over acrylics and enamels so as long as they are spray paints or applied with an AB, there are certain lacquer topcoats with strong solvents that can eat through or affect acrylics and enamels especially when handbrushed. It’s best to test the paints and thinners you have on scraps.

*There's no such thing as acrylic-based (or acrylic base) paint. Acrylic is not a base, acrylics are pigments (polymer pigments to be exact), and the base (or vehicle) of acrylic paints is either alcohol or water. I know this, not because I have decades of experience in Gunpla, but, I did research, aside from having basic knowledge in chemistry and art in highschool and college.

Just because there are people selling paints used the term, it doesn't mean they are right. It is also highly possible that when someone said <acrylic base>, they actually meant that the first paint layer is acrylic paint.

Intellectual Property, Copyright and Infingement

2021-04-07T13:11:00.028+08:00

"We do not own the images/video clips/soundtrack used. No infringement intended."

"CTTO: Credit to the owner."

I've seen these phrases quite often, mostly in Youtube videos by content creators* who, in their quest for producing their content, forget the root word of the word creator* which is quite ironic if you really think about it. Are they actually content creators if they are using content that they do not own? Of course, some bozo will just drop a hapless joke about the matter, for example, "even god copied Eve from Adam."

Just to disambiguate the above paragraph, content creation may not always be all about producing all original content. Of course, not everyone can really create all forms of content on their own, but, if one has to use content that is not theirs, one should take note about something a lot of people commit without knowing they are committing it.

Infringement. Specifically, copyright infringement, which is also something a lot of people take for granted until it happens to them. So, how do you know if you are infringing on someone else's (intellectual) property? Also, CTTO is a lazy and irresponsible attribution, and most often done by those who got caught infringing and as an attempt to save face, but a tad little too late. It's also done by people who don't want to bother with source tracing.

The short of it, if you don't have permission to use it, but use it anyway, you're already infringing. Putting a "no infringement intended" disclaimer does not negate the fact that you have used a certain material without permission.

The long of it is more complicated, as copyright and intellectual property remains an alien concept to certain people who do not accept it, mainly because they believe that if its out there, it's free game.

It's not. Whereas there are materials in the public domain that people can use freely without guilt (heck, there are those who do not really feel any guilt at all, but, that's a different matter), there are a lot of materials that are under certain copyright protocols for use.

Even Google has revised its search result parameters when one is searching for certain images. For example, when you Google "Gundam," then click on Images, once you click on a hit, it will preview the image on a side tab, now with a warning:

"Images may be subject to copyright" is not a suggestion

A lot of people ignore that statement, and only a few even bother clicking the Learn More link beside it, thinking, "oh well, I'm not gonna use it for profit, so, why bother?"

But, profit is not the start and end of it, so, let's see what those people missed (just in case you didn't bother clicking the link).

Fair use, yet another concept people misinterpret next to royalty-free. I shant discuss these two in length, but the gist of the matter is that these two terms, like "Gunpla is Freedom," do not mean what you think it means, so though I'll put a simple explanation, it's better to read up on them on your own.

Copyright is by virtue of creation. Seems vague, yes, but, the Truth points to itself**. This simply means that anything one creates is theirs at the moment it was made, provided of course it is covered on the list above.

If you use an image, video or audio clip you own, or produced yourself, you're all set. You do not have anything to worry about so as long as that image, video or audio clip do not have proprietary material in it. As such, you can post a selfie so as long as the selfie does not include anything in the background that can bite you on the ass later on. (Addendum: If you use a photo or an image of a person, and you took that photo without permission, or secured permission then after, aka, model release, then you may be liable with infringement).

If you use an image, video or audio clip you found while searching, and you like it so much you just have to use it, you will have to do one or two of these things, laziness notwithstanding, to see if:

the material is in the Public Domain
it's covered under Fair Use
it's covered under Creative Commons License
it requires attribution

The last part is the one I'm most particular about. I've seen a lot of people post images without regard of the images' source. Whereas this isn't really so much of an issue with memes or public domain images, it becomes a very sensitive issue when it comes to copyrighted work. Posting an image of a Gundam or Gunpla kit you want to purchase on your Facebook profile page is okay since the intent of use does not infringe, but, to claim that an image is yours, or ignore to attribute it, for example, a photo or illustration of a Gundam or Gunpla kit, whether for monetization or education purposes, then you are infringing on that person's copyright.

There are people who do not mind their work being shared, that's the point of sharing it after all, but it's an entirely different matter altogether when one misrepresents that image as theirs. This is what is known in the Interweb as photo-grabbing. Photo-grabbing is either infringement and/or plagiarism, as the case may be. It becomes worse when one alters the image, removing any detail that pertains to the image's ownership. That makes it an act of infringement (use without permission) and plagiarism, since the image has been altered to remove any indication of ownership.

Before the advent of the Internet and Social media, before the introduction of digital cameras and camphones, it's relatively easy to claim that a photo or image is yours since there is no massively-global way to verify it. This happens not only with images or photos, but music as well, but it's easier to check if a certain piece of music was plagiarized since there are a lot more people listening to a lot of different types of music (as with the case of Orange and Lemons' Pinoy Ako ripping off The Care's Chandelier). The Internet however, is a double-edged sword: it has made both verification and plagiarism rather easy, but, it has propagated the latter quite a lot more often, maybe because most people are inherently ignorant or just don't care about copyright.

Edit: Attributing copyrighted works is okay in most cases when you're just sharing the work concerned, but, when you plaster your product on top of a photo you do not own or have permission to use, especially in the context of commercial use, you are still very much infringing on that image's copyright, since your product has no connection whatsoever with the photo you do not have permission for. Common Sense is never common, as it were, so is Common Human Decency as the case may be.

It's very much the same with music or any creative work. Just to prove the point, I posted a video on Youtube recently and I used one of my own songs as soundtrack. I tried turning on its monetization, but I couldn't, saying that the track is licensed somewhere. I verified it later on with our distributor that they have the sole license to assign the monetization, but I do not have to worry since it's done to centralize the process.

There are certain artists, mainly independent songwriters, bands and musicians who don't mind their material being ~~pirated~~ shared (as opposed to plagiarized or infringed), mainly because it gives them mileage. That is more the exception than the rule, and in most cases, changes as soon as they start making mainstream money.

As a very-related aside, you can claim that the marinated chicken you are peddling tastes like Jollibee, but, you shouldn't use the Jollibee brand anywhere, on your post, and especially your packaging. Doing so infringes on Jollibee's trademark.

Blatant misappropriation of branding / trademark infringement

The long and short of it, do not use an image, video or audio if you do not own it, but, if you really, really just have to, make sure you credit the source material and/or ask for permission from the author or owner. Additionally, most anything pinned on Pinterest has been very difficult to source-trace the ownership because of those people's habit of pinning things they like but do not own and do not bother to attribute. It has become difficult to source-trace certain images in Google as well since it mostly points back to Pinterest.

Lastly, here's another very good example of blatant copyright infringement,

... the image of which is the cover image of Falldog's Gunpla blog, Layman's Gunpla Guide, which a lot of people refer to (as do I). No permission, no attribution, and the original text was removed in lieu of their covid warning.

This is the proper way of attributing copyrighted images or material.

Source

** Ambassador Kosh, Babylon 5

References and Additional Sources:

https://fairuse.stanford.edu/overview/public-domain/welcome/

http://www.dmlp.org/legal-guide/fair-use

https://creativecommons.org/licenses/

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/attribution

https://www.wipo.int/treaties/en/ip/berne/

https://www.rightsdirect.com/international-copyright-basics/

https://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/copyright-fair-use-and-how-it-works-for-online-images/

https://www.vontweb.com/blog/how-to-use-internet-images-legally/

https://www.rivaliq.com/blog/guide-copyright-fair-use-laws-online-images/

https://whatiscopyright.org/what-are-the-copyright-rules-on-images-found-on-the-internet/

http://bryantonpost.blogspot.com/2005/10/orange-and-lemons-pinoy-ako-rip-off.html

The Stages of Gunpla Building

2021-04-02T12:24:00.002+08:00

This is another FB Notes Article, published 2017, converted to a blog post.

Stage 1. The “Curiosity” Stage

You watch a Gundam episode, doesn’t matter which one, you get curious enough to watch a few more. After which, your search online reveals that the anime actually extends beyond the screen, that there are  actually toys and kits that are being sold related to the anime. So  you go to a toy store and look for that specific MS you saw. You  settle for one you like just as well, if you don’t find what you are looking for.
You have friends, schoolmates or co-workers who are  into the hobby, and they poison you with it. It’s either you hunt for it on your own, or, you get one on impulse while your friends are  browsing the nearest toy store, often intentionally, to get you to buy one.
You find one at home, hidden among boxes, probably one bought before by a family member.
Regardless, you build one, even without the right tools, often using a scissor, or even snapping parts off by hand, if not using a wire cutter, and assemble your very first kit. If you happen to have early guidance or be smart enough to look up tools online, you’ll get a side  cutter for your very first tool.
For some, it ends here. For others, there are of course other stages. This may include those who frequently ask “which one should I buy first?” and “is this kit rare?” 
Just look at that CROTCH!
Stage 2.  The “Building” Stage
This is where a lot of people get stuck. They buy and snap build one kit after another, satisfied with simply building kits as they are, not minding the sloppy stickers that peel off after a while, or that there are ugly *numb* marks still.  Some even try top-coating their kits, apply decals, or even use markers for details.
In this stage, all the tool you’ll ever need is a good pair of side cutters, but, you’ll realize later on that you’ll need a nice hobby knife and some sand paper  as well.   Also, In this stage, all the tool you’ll ever need is a good pair of side cutters, but, you’ll realize later on that you’ll need a nice hobby knife and some sand paper  as well.  Also, red becomes both a favorite and despised color of certain builders when parts of their anatomy meet with the business edge of anything sharp, and you’ll often see people ask “has this happened you?” 
Stage 3.  The “Modeling” Stage
Once one starts to delve deeper into it, one realizes the need for  other tools, like brushes, knives, paints, cutters, rulers, templates, et al. First, most learn to paint, then detail by Once one starts to delve deeper into it, one realizes the need for other tools, like brushes, knives, paints, cutters, rulers, templates, et al. First, most learn to paint, then detail by scribing, then by PS plating. Some stop there, satisfied with detail and paint work, but others realize there’s more to it, and start learning how to modify  parts, and even build ones from scratch. One starts to experiment on  modifications and painting techniques, testing the limit of the kit one is building, in turn testing oneself as well.
Stage 4.  The “Crafting” Stage
Most stay in the modeling stage, but some go beyond it by building  entire things from scratch, whether it be aesthetic or mechanical. This is a stage very few struggle to reach, though some reach it quite naturally.  One starts to develop his own building techniques, or adapt previous techniques and improve them. In this stage, one will always try to build the same thing differently, gauging which method is easier, quicker and would make the part lighter.
Stage 5.  The “Burnout” Stage
A lot of people undergo and often stay on this stage, mostly those who are into the hobby (stage 1-2, and sometimes, stage 3), who get frustrated with their builds that they stop building altogether because they are frustrated. They sometimes return, often remaining at stage two, sometimes jumping to stage 3, but could never quite maintain the same drive as they have before they burnt out. 
What to do, what to do?
Stage 6.  The “WIP” Stage
This follows right after the burnout stage (or, after the curiosity stage), when one actually starts something, calls it a WIP, then stops. This may include those who frequently ask “which one should I buy/build next?”
Stage 7.  The “Hoarding” Stage
This is when one starts to showcase boxes upon boxes of unbuilt kits instead of built ones because one simply has no time. The term backlog comes to mind.
You shall be the pinnacle of my Tower of Power!
Stage 8.  The “Masterpiece” Stage
When one builds a masterpiece and can’t quite outdo it with a new build.
Stage 9.  The “Denial” Stage 
When one has to let go of certain kits, worse, ALL kits, because one has priorities. This may also happen when a kit one wants to get (often a P-Bandai), is out of one's price range. Sour grapes are often the ones one can't reach.
Gumpra is FLEEDOM!
Stage 10.  The “Prodigal Child” Stage
When one returns to the hobby, because the allure of Gunpla and mangling plastic, not to mention, new kits and models, is just too much for anyone to bear.
 
 Stage ZERO.  The “Rant/Reklamo” Stage
(Special Request) When one who hasn’t really built anything, at all, keeps ranting about P-Bandai, not having enough money for Gunpla, keeps complaining that mall store kits are overpriced, screams at Bandai for being too expensive and raiding another bootlegger, or, generally just complaining about people who do build and have enough money for Gunpla.

Builders and Modelers

2021-03-11T17:29:00.003+08:00

Are you a Builder or a Modeler? Image Source

This is another one of those Facebook notes I've forgotten having written, because FB dropped its Notes section, but came up in my FB notifications after someone liked a comment wherein this article came about.

-----------

This was inspired from a response to a comment from Raeon Co, a fellow Gunpla hobbyist, in one of the discussions we have somewhere in the nether regions of cyberspace, about the difference between a builder and a modeler.

As per the definitions from Collins Dictionary:

Builder, noun. Plural form, builders.
-A builder is a person whose job is to build or repair houses and other buildings.
Modeler, noun. Plural form, modelers. Spelling form, modellers.
-A modeler is someone who makes shapes or figures out of substances such as wood or clay.
-A modeler is someone who makes theoretical descriptions of systems or processes in order to understand them and be able to predict how they will develop.

Now, as you can see, neither of the definitions indicate anything about our favorite hobby, but let’s appropriate both since they are applicable in context.

Both can be used as blanket terms when describing what we do when we mangle and dunk Gunpla in paint, but, what's wrong is to trying to distinguish what the other does in deference to the other, or making one term look superior to the other. That's why sometimes, I include both terms, modelers/builders in the same sentence/paragraph when I comment.

Technically (and I mean technically), we are all builders, regardless if we build the simplest SDs, or the most complex PGs, or build things from scratch whether in part or in full.

Technically, on the other hand we're also all modelers, because we build scale models*. Now some of the <elite> in scale modeling scoff at Gunpla builders just because, but that's besides the point.

What we're really talking about here is skill levels; there's beginner, novice, intermediate, and expert. But, here's what's going to bake your noodle: We are all beginner's just ONCE.

Why is that, you ask?

Once you buy your first kit, and build it, you build it as a beginner. Gunpla is a simple enough thing to build, with pictogram, and now even English instructions. So, that shouldn’t be too much of a stretch now, would it? Yet, we can see those who have built things before asking about issues they have to watch out for about a new kit they want to purchase as if knowing those issues will change anything, like, maybe it’s more difficult to build. Whereas it’s a valid concern when you’re a beginner, it’s rather a silly one if you’re on your 10th kit.

All kits, regardless of grade or scale, are basic builds, with basic instructions. They all have the same level of difficulty. What varies among kit scales and grades is the complexity of the build: the higher the grade, the more complex the build.

Anyway, after that first kit is built, you are no longer a beginner, but a novice, or a newbie, to disambiguate from NOOB, which is coined by expert gamers as an insult to novice ones who suck, mainly because they are newbies (though I believe, newbie was also an insult back then, but wasn’t insulting enough that a new word has to be coined. Now certain people are starting to adapt the term noob to describe themselves out of ignorance).

You will stay a novice on your second, third, hundredth snapbuilt kit, if you don't do anything else but snapbuild, but, sure, you can call yourself an expert snapbuilder for snapbuilding hundreds of kits, nubmarks and all.

Now, if at your second to hundredth kit, you started minding the nubmarks, panel lining and/or topcoating, doing minor mods and fixes, do minor kitbashes, to make your objet d’art a little more interesting for you, if not for others, then you're in the intermediate level. Some people start to paint at this level as well, but nothing too fancy or extravagant.

The expert level is tricky to know if you have achieved it, because you probably already are, but not know it, or think you are, but others don't think it, maybe because those others are better-skilled than you are and can see you have a long way to go, or, on the other hand, you have gained enemies that think your skills are worth squat. Truth of the matter is, the expert level becomes very flexible and arbitrary: as you become an expert at modifications, fixing, painting, kit-bashing, and finally, scratchbuilding, in varying degrees, you find yourself needing, because there are others who are better at it.

If you are a true, mature, emotionally-balanced builder/modeler you’ll realize that there are certain things you can do, and cannot do. You can fix, modify, or build some things but not others, hence your expertise is varied but/or still evolving. If you can do something other experts can do (or more), you're an expert.

But, if someone calls you master (as I have been numerous times), or tags you as an expert, you need to have an honest discussion with your ego not to let it go to your head, which is where praises usually go straight away.

Those are different skill sets as well. One can be an expert of one or two skills, but not another. One can do a great paint job, regardless of medium, but, suck at modifications, like scribing or extensions, articulation mods, and vice versa.

So, it's all about the skills. We're all builders and modelers. We are builders because we build scale models (of giant robots), whether it’s a simple snap-build to a hefty scratch-build.

*We are modelers because we style those models to our liking, regardless if we simply determine and tinker a kit’s poseability for the most dynamic, back-breaking and crotch-splitting pose, or when we sculpt kits in part or as a whole.

Truth of the matter is, even experts who are honest with themselves at what they can or cannot do at their levels still continue to learn, especially basic skills that elude them.

Like nub removal.

So, what made you think you're an expert? A million likes, perhaps?

The Million Likes Syndrome

2021-03-11T17:19:00.002+08:00

(Previously titled "A Long Rant about Plastics and Modeling")

This rant was actually brought on after “reconnecting” with Kenny Lim when I read one of his posts on FB. Kenny is one of the Master Modelers I know, having met him personally when he and the Poison Monkeys visited the Philippines a few years back, since I started doing nasty stuff to Gunpla. I regard Kenny as one of my “teachers,” having followed his builds over the years. His post was about something else entirely, but, still rather connected since it was also about Gunpla, and “modelers” as it were. Kenny is a VERY NICE GUY. Compared to my acerbic (ascorbic, acidic) personality, he’s a kitten. But, as we all know, even kittens have claws. It’s very rare for him to post reactively, and when he does, you can be sure it’s warranted. He and I had a short chat yesterday, and this long entry, something I have been putting off, is the result of that.

As I continue to labor over my musings over the things that need to be done in the projects I'm currently working on, I set aside a few minutes to ponder the nature and realities of what has been my go-to activity to de-stress myself from real-life work and concerns, whether I have the time for it or otherwise. I've been at it for several years now; tinkering with plastics, building and destroying and building again, inhaling plastic dust and paint fumes.

It was on and off, years earlier, "collecting" and snap building, and giving up when small versions of me mistook my 1/144 Wing series Gunpla for dolls and toy soldiers. I’ve actually never considered getting into it again; I like watching anime, but, collecting was never really my thing. I’ve had trading cards and comics before, and once I’ve lost interest, it seldom does recur.

But, I've restarted collecting Gunpla in 2007, I believe, when I got a regular gig that paid quite nicely (not my desired salary, but, close), and I was making enough and then some (I still have freelance gigs) to afford getting the real stuff (I was already aware of bootlegs circulating, having made trips to the magical place called Divisoria where everything is relatively cheap[er], but, even then, I was a stickler for quality). But, what really sparked my come back was after watching the Gundam 00 series, given to me by one of my co-designers at work.

I ignored the darned thing for several months, but when I did start watching it, the Exia gave me that chill I thought I lost after my 1/144 Wing Fab Five got swept away in a major flood, back when I was still a merman in the outskirts of Malabon. A week later, I found myself browsing the kits at GreatToysOnline, back then when they had a branch at Goldcrest, which is now the New Glorietta at Makati. I saw the NG 1/100 Exia and I was immediately enamored with it. I built it just under 2 hours as soon as I got home and got enough food in me, using nothing but an old basic Tamiya side-cutter which I have had since my 4WD racing days.

The kit was simple enough, hence why I built it quite quickly, not minding the nubs, seams and other taboos which plague everyone in the Gunplaverse. The week later, even with the next payday a few days away, I bought the Dynames. The week after that, the Kyrios. It took me a couple or so weeks before I realized I'm hooked, and bought the Virtue. My first MG as it were, was the Zeta Plus A1, followed by the Wing verKa. As soon as it was out, I got the NG 00, which was disappointing, to say at least, compared to its predecessor the Exia.

Then, I quit that job (which gave me nice abs and lean figure since I had to walk a couple of kilometers or so everyday) and went back to freelancing, and with no steady income stream, I had to hold back on purchasing any new kits, since honestly, it's quite impractical (and why some people say they buy bootlegs). I NEVER found bootlegs as practical; to me, it's nothing but a waste of my hard-earned money, to which, was exacerbated since I was not getting regular projects at the time.

Until now, I'm still basically doing freelance work, and, my teaching and resource-speaking gigs, as well as some photography work allows me some leeway to get the kits I want (even MBs and PGs). I’m not so much into gadgets, I recently got an iPhone to replace my 10 year old SE W810i, only because I needed it for actual work, so I can basically divert funds as needed. Nowadays, when I get a kit, I don't build them right away, except if it were something rather impressive-looking, like the Nu and Sazabi verKa. It takes me longer to build them now, sometimes even days at a time, since I can only devote a few hours of tinkering with a new kit, regardless of complexity.

When I got the PG Unicorn, which is, I can say, a MONSTER build, I really thought I would be able to finish it in a couple of days. I was able to build the head, torso and waist in 2 days, but have stopped there. That was a year ago. So, what's wrong, you ask? It's something I ask myself, only to realize that there's really nothing wrong at all. My "passion" comes in stages and waves, similar to how it is when I write songs. There are times, when I can write a song in a day, and times when years have gone, and the song still hasn't so much of any lyrics, that I hum gibberish just to remember the melody. The PG Unicorn will be finished, and will become the PG Chimera 2.0.

(Update-01 September 2017: I’ve finished the PG Unicorn a few months ago, and it’s missing its left front side skirt. I’ve stopped looking for since then. I’m planning to just scratch-build a custom pair of skirts for it).

As of the moment, the Hellraiser takes precedence, and after that, the Goliath. But, this is really nothing more but a long prelude to what I really want to say, especially to you new people in the hobby. Whereas I'll say it's just a hobby, something we pass time with, the skills we develop (or in my case, discover) is nothing to sneeze at. But, that is if we use those skills to GROW. If we keep doing the same things over and over, without any variations, without experimentation, our skills will stagnate. Whether it's snap-building and de-nubbing (the two BASIC skillsets), painting, modifying or scratch-building, (the two BASIC skillsets), painting, modifying or scratch-building, the learning NEVER stops. Just because something you've built earned you several thousand <likes> doesn't mean you've actually built a masterpiece.

Nowadays, posting a horrendously-painted and and nub-infested™©® snap-build can earn as many likes as your masterpiece, so using those likes as a reference for achievement is really nothing to be proud of. In fact, a lot of new "builders" don't even know how to denub and sand properly, and panic too much when a part breaks or worse gets lost in the wilderness. Building and modeling has stages. I understand that most people just want to snap-build and display kits, but, again, snap-building is a BASIC skill, everyone knows how to do it (or in some case, should know how to do it), and is not so much an accomplishment to be proud of. I’ve seen a lot of people even include their girlfriends (?) or girls in their posts to earn likes, but ultimately, snap-build can earn as many likes as your masterpiece, so using those likes as a reference for achievement is really nothing to be proud of.

In fact, a lot of new "builders" don't even know how to denub and sand properly, and panic too much when a part breaks or worse gets lost in the wilderness. Building and modeling has stages. I understand that most people just want to snap-build and display kits, but, again, snap-building is a BASIC skill, everyone knows how to do it (or in some case, should know how to do it), and is not so much an accomplishment to be proud of. I’ve seen a lot of people even include their girlfriends (?) or girls in their posts to earn likes, but ultimately, no one learns anything by getting a million likes.

Moreso, one is only as good as one’s “pièce de résistance.” Expounding on that, one can really only have ONE masterpiece, with a new one overthrowing the previous, or not at all, as the case may be.

Pride. That's something I've been working on to take out of my vocabulary. I've successfully stopped using <hate> in that context, mentioning it simply as a word I have to mention as an emotion I no longer have, replacing it with dislike, or unlikable, but pride is something else. Whereas people post stuff online to show, to get reactions, to get attention, I've actually been posting my work mostly to teach. There's still a little bit of "pride" in that effort, but, it's not the same pride as, say, being proud that PacMan is a Pinoy boxer. It’s more like, being able to do the things no one else can, or no one else will, and when other people start doing the same thing, I just do something else that hasn’t been done before.

Incidentally, when I started doing modifications, it was because of an Exia. , but pride is something else. Whereas people post stuff online to show, to get reactions, to get attention, I've actually been posting my work mostly to teach. There's still a little bit of "pride" in that effort, but, it's not the same pride as, say, being proud that PacMan is a Pinoy boxer. It’s more like, being able to do the things no one else can, or no one else will, and when other people start doing the same thing, I just do something else that hasn’t been done before.

Incidentally, when I started doing modifications, it was because of an Exia. Erix93, one of the very few I consider a master modeler, inspired me to do modifications when I saw his modified NG Exia. I was already "painting" back then, which was more fumbling with Bosny spray cans (something I picked up from (something I picked up from DC23/Don Suratos), but didn't dare cut my precious kits with anything else but a side cutter. Looking at Erix93's WIP, something in my head lit up and screamed "I can do that shit too!"

As such, I realized that my years of destroying stuff when I was a kid, dissecting them to see how they work, were all leading to building stuff later on (else, why would have I taken Engineering, right?). My very first attempt was a custom, using the NG 00 as a base. I planned to do something radical, something entirely different, a Gundam like nothing else. I bought tools, putty, masking tape, pla-plates and a few other things I thought I would need, and thus began my adventure in mangling plastic.

And mangle it I did. It was a failure. I can't seem to get the putty to work for me the way I want it to (and I’ve tested several), so I abandoned the project altogether, and left the 00 parts in limbo. That failure didn't deter me, though. I took it as something to learn from, what to do and not do in terms of knowing what plastic is in general. It might sound like overthinking, and it is, but, whereas Erix93 used putty and was good at it, I found the material's incompatibility with plastic an issue I don't want to deal with. I know I can use putty well enough, but, it being messy and incompatible was a prospect not worth pursuing.

So, I decided to do mods with my favorite go-to material: Polystyrene Sheets (or, for those unfamiliar, Tamiya Pla-plates, and in my case, WHIPS). It was an almost unimaginable concept. At that time (or probably even now), I haven't seen anyone using PS sheets exclusively, even on curved/spherical parts, so, it might be something I can exploit. With PS sheets and cement, I was able to build parts that normally can only be built with putty. Forming PS sheets is not a picnic, and is a very resistant material without heat. But, I was determined to push it to its limit and literally, bend it to my will.

And so I have. I've bent PS sheets and formed it to something else, something I didn't realize myself could be done until I was actually doing it. But, it can only bend so much, and without heat, can only curve so much. So, what do I do now? Much like how putty is formed over parts, then sand-sculpted, PS sheets can be cemented, or "sandwiched" together and sculpted into a fine piece of p-art (pun-intended), to the point that it actually looks it was molded or cast. PS Sheets were like “putty in my hands,” as one of my followers dropped in a comment (or was it someone else who mentioned it in a long gone chat session).

The versatility of PS sheets is a such, it can be heat-formed as well, but, I haven't gotten to that point yet. Maybe with the Goliath (which is a 1/60 Strike Freedom Conversion to a 1/144 Destroy Gundam for Gary Berba).

Now, having said all this, what does it have to do with you? Well, I have a few things for you to consider:

1) Do research, and learn how to do research. Facebook groups do have helpful members, but use the internet to its full potential. Look for builds other than Gunpla, like scale modeling, or even documentaries on industrial processes. Facebook is NOT the only source of information. Veteran modelers do veteran builds because they learn not just from a single source, but multiple sources of varied genres. Also, as I do this quite frequently when the query warrants it, “google it” is a valid answer.

2) Before asking questions, READ the entire entry. NO matter how long it is. If something is unclear to you, ask COMPLETE, SPECIFIC, CONCISE and ARTICULATED questions. Asking “how did you do that?” is rather an open-ended question, and if the source was a tutorial, the answer is most likely IN the tutorial. People nowadays tend to lean towards spoonfeeding, that they no longer bother to read, let alone, let alone comprehend what’s already been said or shown.

3) Learn from the Good and the Bad. I’m talking generally about good builds and bad ones, good people and bad people, hecklers and trolls, Master Modelers and (ugh) Wannabes (those, of whom I mentioned earlier, who are more after likes than actual learning, I’m sure you’re not one of those, but, who knows? Denial is not a river). Find what is useful and ponder on what is not; you might be able to turn it around and make it useful.

4) Learn to LOOK rather than just see. This is sometimes because of detail blindness, which everyone experience from time to time (even myself), but, there are times when people just don’t bother LOOKING deeper into what they see (this is the visual equivalent of comprehension).

5) “Gunpla is freedom” does not mean what you think it means.

6) Snapbuilding is not a skill to be proud of. It’s a BASIC skill. So is removing nub marks (and NOT numb marks, which seem to be a common mistake by Filipinos).

7) A topcoated kit IS NOT a “painted” kit. In fact, I personally avoid topcoating altogether since modern kits especially do not need extra protection. They have one built-in. That shiny surface gloss isn’t there just for show, it’s actually a surface coating that protects plastic. So as long as you keep your kits away from direct sunlight, heat, and extreme humidity, it will be fine. Also, certain topcoats may turn your kits yellow, or worse, make it brittle over time.

8) A kit-bash IS NOT the same as a scratch-build. Kit-bashing is a type of modification. Scratch-building (as the term implies) is something else altogether. Whereas kit-bashing uses the parts as is (with minor modifications), scratch-building can also be using an existing part for its connectivity, and building OVER it to create something new or different.

9) “I can’t do that,” “I don’t have that skill,” “I’m just a snap builder” is something you should acknowledge, but NEVER use as a defense.

10) “Spray can paints are too thick.” If you’ve done enough research, you’ll find out that some spray-can-painted kits have been mistaken for airbrushed ones (and vise-versa). Knowing how to use a tool is more important than having a better tool.

11) “I need expensive tools.” Yes, and no. Learn which tools have alternatives (do research). There are tools that can do what its expensive counterpart can, and sometimes, even better, without having the hefty price tag, but even more durable to boot. Having a godhand cutter doesn’t give you a “god hand.”

12) Learn from the Wisdom of those before you. Give credit where credit is due.

13) Failure is nature’s way of telling you to try again. If it fails again, try something else.

14) Experiment. Sometimes, testing materials or techniques yourself is quicker and more beneficial than asking what works. You’ll learn something in the process as well as maybe discovering a new technique in the process.

Update 18 May 2020: This article is now translated into Spanish, courtesy of Emmanuelle Acevedo of of Gundam & Models Columbia - Fanpage. Seems like my words have gone international and tri-lingual.

Update 11 March 2021: Reformatted for the MXGS blog.

Tricky Terminologies in Branding

2021-03-04T06:57:00.005+08:00

I’ll state this as plainly as I can. This article does not talk about choice, nor aim to curtail your right to buy products made from stolen intellectual property. It’s about Gunpla, its branding, and why bootlegs are not 3rd party Gunpla.

The Bandai vs bootlegs debacle has been going on ever since the first bootleg came out, I have a few posts here regarding it, and has continued to drag on with the emergence of social media. The issue won’t die because every year there are new people getting into the hobby, poisoned by friends, co-workers, enemies or family, or at least every time there’s a new Gundam series being aired. There will always be a kit line that follows (or even precedes) it, and you can be sure bootlegs won’t be far behind. It’s become so bad that, a lot of people, who feel entitled to have a hobby despite their means, will openly scream that they’ll just wait for the bootlegs, because buying Bandai is so expensive. They rather buy 10K worth of bootlegs instead 10K worth of Bandai kits. They also claim that the brand doesn’t matter, which is where things become complicated for them because bootlegs are not brands.

The Nitty and the Gritty

Let’s get a few things out of the way first.

The term bootleg came from the practice of smuggling illegal booze (moonshine) in people’s boot legs, hence the term. It was later on appropriated by the music industry to connote selling and distributing music that was illegally recorded and reproduced. It has since then become the blanket term for the sale and distribution of anything that is produced without license from the parent company of the IP being produced, as such, fake accessories and apparels are also bootlegs. Regardless if the accessories are using the IP brand as a deliberate fake, or a distorted version of it (SHARP calculators had once a fake/bootleg version which spelled SHRAP), those in and by itself are bootlegs.

Bandai owns the Gunpla™ or Gunpla® franchise, and along with its sister/daughter company Sunrise, the Gundam© trademark. When Bandai sued TT-Hongli and subsequently won, those bootleggers (and others that came after them) thought, “okay, we won’t use the Gundam trademark anymore, and we’ll just come back from the ashes with a new 'brand' and replace the term Gundam with fighter.” That alone should have been enough for anyone to figure out that what TTH is doing is illegal.

Two Guesses what that ® symbol at the end means

I’ve read a lot of comments claiming that they understand copyright, and that if a bootlegger comes up with a kit that Bandai hasn’t produced yet, it’s an original design and is not a bootleg.

Oh, but it is a bootleg. This is one of the biggest misconceptions in this issue. So as long as the design came from Sunrise and/or Bandai, it’s an infringement of both copyright and trademarks owned by Sunrise and Bandai, and therefore are technically bootlegs. Even resin kits, like G-Systems, and plastic kits, like Mechanicore, who do their own rendering of familiar designs, from scratch, are unfortunately, bootlegs.

In branding, it’s a little bit more complicated than dropping a trademarked name. Let’s take Coca-Cola, for example.

Part of Coca-Cola’s trademarks are the tradenames Coca-Cola and Coke, as well as the trademark shape of the Coke bottle. You won’t see any other softdrink brand using the same names and the same bottle shape, because you can rest assured that Coca-Cola’s IP and legal department would come down hard on whoever does that.

That act of copying any recognizable identity of a popular brand without permission, for profit, is infringement. If the infringer mass produces products based on the look of that IP, in part or in full regardless of intent, that act is bootlegging.

In the case of Gundams and Gunpla for that matter, both terms are owned by Bandai and Sunrise retroactively to apply to the anime series, or as the case may be, film and graphic novel/comics series, as well as any kit line produced thereof (edit: this also includes accessories, like shirts, mugs, keychains, et al). Gundams have a trademark look that is mainly distinguishable on the head: those distinctive V-Fins, with or without the gems and the goatee, which are often red. Further, there is this tidbit about Intellectual Property that a lot of people are confused with; copyright is by virtue of creation. So, the design of any single Mobile Suit is automatically a copyright of Sunrise and Bandai at the moment of conception. Of course, the artist who designed a particular MS would either have a shared copyright with Sunrise/Bandai, or, an exclusivity clause, meaning, any design an artist renders while in their employ belongs to Sunrise and Bandai.

It sounds ominous and unfair, I know. I had the same sentiment back when I was a budding artist, unwilling to share my work with anyone, but, as I matured as an artist and a Designer, learning about the legalities of intellectual property, those artists in Japan are being well-compensated for their work. But, more on that later.

So, in terms of branding, copyright and intellectual property are not really as simple as the main terminologies and the look that was created, but the overall terminologies used within a creative production. Let’s take the Gundam SEED series for example.

In Gundam SEED, we have 5 main Mobile Suit designs. Now, the term Mobile Suit (and herewith, Mobile Armor) in itself is unique within the Gundamverse, which indicates a huge, human piloted mechanical robot, and is thus a copyrighted term. In Gundam SEED, the main Mobile Suit, or the Protagonist Mobile Suit, for simplicity, is called the Strike. The word strike alone isn’t a Sunrise/Bandai copyright, meaning, if you have an idea for a mecha design (take note, I didn’t use mobile suit), you can name it Strike all you want, and Bandai won’t come after you, even if you make gazillions out of it, so as long as the look of the mecha you’re designing doesn’t look like a Gundam.

Are you following so far? Good.

We now have,

The series name, a) Mobile Suit Gundam SEED, and the main Mobile Suit, Gundam Strike, but, we’re not done yet. Gundam Strike is still the Strike’s generic callsign. We still have its mechanical and technical designation, GAT-X 105. Now, this mechanical designation is probably an abbreviation of something, but that’s not really important at the moment.
Next, we now have a Mobile Suit design called b) GAT-X 105 Strike Gundam (or any other iteration), which appears in Mobile Suit Gundam SEED.
All that’s left is c) the design of the MS itself.

GAT-X 105 Mobile Suit Strike Gundam

Now, the Strike Gundam can appear and have appeared with slightly different markings and detailing, but, it’s still the Strike. As such, the designation itself can be amended. The one on the left is the original base design of the Strike, the one on the right (front and back) is the one in Gundam Evolve, which is rather close to if not exactly the same as the PG version. So, we can simply put it as GAT-X 105EVO Mobile Suit Strike Gundam Evolve, but, it’s still very much the Gundam SEED Strike even if we drop the EVO tag.

There we have it. A complete brand study. Well, it’s not really that complete yet. With the release of the SEED anime series, kits of the 5 main MS designs (Strike, Aegis, Blitz, Buster and Duel), plus, other MS designs were also released. For simplicity, let’s stick with the Gundam Strike, and I’ll choose the Strike RM kit as an example.

Gundam Strike RM Manual Cover

Based on what i mentioned previously, we have

a) Mobile Suit Gundam SEED, the name of the series.
b) GAT-X 105 Strike Gundam, the designation of the MS design
c) The design of the MS itself.

So, if any which one of those information is copied, it’s an infringement of Bandai’s copyright and trademark. Now, I keep repeating that on purpose, because a lot of people still can’t wrap their heads around those two terminologies. Copyright and Trademark, though related, aren’t really mutually exclusive. Copyright applies to any written, drawn, recorded form of ideas, either in analog or digital. The Anime Series Mobile Suit Gundam is a copyright of Sotsu • Sunrise. Trademark applies to any visual, audio, formula, design, schematics that a company applies for exclusive use, or for licensing to third parties*.

So, any kit you see that has one or all of the information above, but, does not carry the Bandai branding, is a bootleg. A bootleg is not a brand, that’s why it’s called a bootleg, which is in other terms, a fake. It’s straightforward in Bandai’s case.

But, bootleggers are becoming creative, and when I say creative, they are being devious, exploiting loopholes that make it seem they’ll get away with infringement. It’s worthwhile to repeat that this is the reason why most bootlegs now have fighter instead of Gundam on the plagiarized boxes. Dragon Momoko in turn started designing their own packaging design and boxes, thinking that it lessened if not eliminated the infringement that they have committed. DM’s biggest mistake was claiming copyright over the designs by slapping the © mark on their boxes. Compound that with their penchant for pre-empting Bandai releases, Bandai came down hard on them, harder, compared to what happened to TTH, with the Bandai vs DM court case publicized over social media. It was clear that DM didn’t understand Intellectual Property, or, if they did, they just didn’t care, much like most of those who brandish the fact that they buy bootlegs, and criminalize the evil, monopolistic Bandai empire who never listens to them (just in case some idiot tries to misquote me, I am being sarcastic).

*Third Party

This terminology is the most confusing yet, confounding a lot of people who keep using the term to connote any bootleg kit. In Gunpla manufacturing (or any kind of manufacturing for that matter), Third Party is a legalese term.

Bandai produces plastic kits (Second Party) to sell to consumers (First Party). As such, they require machinery, equipment and materials. They source out suppliers for computers, machines, and plastic beads, and often, they will have more than one supplier at any given time for any given requirement. Those suppliers are Third Party. They are not in any way directly connected to Bandai, but, they have a business-to-business arrangement. Now, as any evolving company would do, they need consistent stock of supplies, so at one point or another, Bandai probably would either buy that company who supplies certain materials to them, they have more control over inventory, or, create a new company, eliminating the need for a third party. Bandai, as we know, fabricate most everything in-house, even the printing and packaging, so the scenario isn’t really far off.

In terms of actual kits being produced, Bandai does not have any third-party affiliates**. A lot of people have been speculating that DM was a Bandai third-party affiliate, because of how close the detail was with Bandai. Master Katsumi Kawaguchi has categorically denied it outright, after an idiot posted a bootleg on his [Kawaguchi’s] wall. Kawaguchi continued to say that Bandai will never resort to giving licensing to third parties when it comes to their kit line, mainly because Bandai has strict quality control.

These same people even rant over DM’s later releases, with add-on details that weren’t on the Bandai kits, as well, as releasing kits Bandai has yet to develop, giving them more ammo to shoot at Bandai’s nefarious schemes, including the much-despised P-Bandai line which a lot of people have developed allergies from.

Add-on parts have been mentioned as 3rd party. Yes, and no. The proper terminology for add-on parts are after-market parts, much like how one buys after-market parts for a car. This is very much a gray area, but, if you’re vying to compete in official Bandai competitions, this is now very much an issue when it comes to your entry. That is why Bandai has been releasing their own after-market add-on parts as well. The same applies especially when you do kit bash.

Now, that doesn’t really mean **Bandai has not had any other companies produce kits for them. If the information is accurate (citation required), Volks, and another company I can’t remember (maybe CVphased), were said to have been licensed to produce C3 event limited 1/144 Messala garage resin kit and a couple of others. But, since these are resin kits, mentioning it is beside the point.

Resin kits are not Gunpla

Bandai also has production units outside Japan, but for certain specific parts, like the frames for the Metal Build, GFF-MC and HiRM lines are produced in China as well as some of the LED components.

Also, a lot of newbies do not know the difference between Bandai and bootlegs. Whereas it would probably be a little more challenging when built, asking if a kit is Bandai or bootleg, while looking at the box, is a little bit ignorant. If only people start using their common sense, and Google, they’ll know how to distinguish a kit based on its box with these.

If it walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck...

Of course, there are bootlegs now that don’t even have box art, just huge Kanji/Chinese characters or symbols on plain white/black boxes, just so they can avoid, uh, detection by the IP police.

Update: Bootleggers are now using nondescript boxes to package bootlegs, to deter further scrutiny and make it difficult to spot.

Can you guess what's in the box?

In closing, I don’t give a rat’s ass if you buy bootlegs, it’s your money to waste. Heck, if you buy bootlegs because you’re poor, maybe you should rethink your life decisions and live within your means. Prioritize your necessities instead of entitling yourself to a hobby you can’t possibly maintain, because you are poor.

Regardless, do educate yourself, especially when it comes to Intellectual Property, Copyright and Trademark laws, so you can make informed opinions and better yet, informed decisions. You can keep using the term 3rd party to soften your guilt about buying bootlegs, but, hey, , especially when it comes to Intellectual Property, Copyright and Trademark laws, so you can make informed opinions and better yet, informed decisions. You can keep using the term 3rd party to soften your guilt about buying bootlegs, but, hey, bootlegs are not 3rd party, they’re not even brands, that’s why they’re called bootlegs. Just in case you think this article is curtailing your right to choose the Gunpla brand you want to purchase, or, that it’s good that Bandai has competition in this brand war, well, you only need remember one thing: there is no Gunpla brand war, because there’s only one Gunpla brand. All the rest are bootlegs. If you choose to promote and defend bootlegs, you are well within your right, but, you are defending something illegal and criminal. Also, do not expect people to respect your decision to support a wrong thing. There is nothing respectable about bootlegs, both the production and purchase of it.

See the irony there?

Addendum: Not to be outdone and out-shined in defending its IP, Kotobukiya just had its wannabe lookalike “competitor” Petty Armor shut down, in record time. Hasbro has also started going after bootlegs of its IP.

Move it, Bandai! Kotobukiya is hot on your heels.

Gunpla™ and Modeling Terminologies

2021-02-06T13:28:00.011+08:00

About Kits and Building

Kit: That would be what you are building, what will drain your wallet, what will make your Mom/GF/BF/Wife/Husband angry at you (depending on the situation) and will ultimately make you happy.
Kit Variant: A recolor or "special" edition of a pre-released kit.
P-Bandai: Limited edition kit variants which can only be purchased online through Bandai Hobby Shop, but also through online sellers.
Builder: That would be you, the builder of kits.
Part: The actual part of the kit used in the build, indicated on the Runner.
Runners: The grid of plastic that holds the Parts of the kit.
Trees: Same as Runners
Sprue: The leftover channel where plastic is injected and expelled (also, Riser).
Nubs: The small leftover “lumps” when the Part is cut from the Runner/Gate. Nubs can be thin or thick depending on the Gates it’s connected to.
Nubmarks: A mark left after cleaning the Nubs.
Gates: The point where the Runner meets the Part of the kit (the entry point of the plastic into the part. In Bandai kits, this is marked with a small arrow, which indicates where one should cut first.
Undergate: Gates located under the Part instead of on the side or detail surface.
PlaMo: Stands for Plastic Models and refers to plastic model kits for different genres.
GunPla®: Stands for Gundam™ Plastic and refers specifically to Gundam Plastic model kits.
Resin Kit: A kit made of Resin.
Resin Conversion: A type of Resin Kit that uses Resin pieces to convert an existing unit to either an upgraded one or a completely different unit.
OOTB: Stands for Out Of The Box. Building a kit as is with no modifications.
OOBB: Stands for Out of Box Build. Same as OOTB.
Straight Build: Same as OOTB.
Kitbash: Combining parts from different kits to make one unique kit.
Mods/Modifications: Altering a part for fitting or to change it into something else.
Scratchbuild: Completely building a part for a kit (or building a whole MS) from scratch using various materials.
Clamshell: Describes two, often mirror parts that are connected together to make a single part, i.e. shoulder sections. A clamshell can be separate parts or two parts of a single mold.
Flash Line: Excess plastic excreting from the adjoining edges of a clamshell mold.
Seam/Seam Line: The gap between two adjoining parts.
Polycaps: Intermediary parts that are made with polyethylene (PE) plastic. These are semi-flexible and are usually used to connect joint sections.
Decals: Add-on details that are either paper, foil or clear plastic sticker, dry-rub, or water slide decals. Most kits come with sticker decals, but some come with dry-rub and/or water slides.
WIP: Stands for Work In Progress. This would be what a Builder is currently working on.

Kit Types Based on Grade/Scale

SD - Super Deformed.
SG - 1/200 Speed Grade. These kits are molded in white plastic and comes pre-painted and decaled (limited articulation and poseability).
EG - Entry Grade. These kits are molded in 3 colors with no polycaps.
FG - 1/144 Stands for First Grade molded in a single color with no polycaps (no articulated elbows and knees, limited poseability).
HG - 1/144 Stands for High Grade (Improved articulation and detail).
RG - 1/144 Stands for Real Grade (full-frame, small scale, detail and parts separation).
NG - 1/100 Stands for No Grade (user appended, technically, non-UC HGs in 1/100 scale).
FM - 1/100 Stands for Full Mechanics. Detailed and framed kits that began with the 1/100 Iron-Blooded Orphans series.
RE/100 - 1/100 Stands for Reborn. These are 1/100, non-framed, fully-detailed kits from the UC line.
MG - 1/100 Stands for Master Grade. Most modern MGs have full inner frames separate from the armor, while some older MGs only have torso core frames.
HiRM - 1/100 High Resolution Model. This is a hybrid kit that comes in pre-assembled Die cast Metal and plastic composite frame and armor parts in runners.
MB - 1/100 Stands for Metal Build, a line of metal and plastic (PVC) composite figures. Some MB kits have extra pre-cut parts for assembly.
GFF-MC - 1/100 Stands for Gundam Fix Figuration Metal Composite, a line of of metal and plastic (PVC) composite figures which are similar if not the same as and precursors of MBs.
PG - 1/60 Stands for Perfect Grade (full articulation and parts separation).
MS - 1/60 Stands for Metal Structure figure.
verKa - a series of kits designed from ground up, including engineering of the kits to the creatives for packaging and manual design by Hajime Katoki. They are packaged in signature white boxes

Plastic Types

PVC: Stands for polyvinyl chloride. A type of plastic used in certain Gunpla kits and figures.
PE: Stands for polyethylene. A type of plastic used in polycaps.
PS: Stands for polystyrene. A type of plastic used in Gunpla kits. Used mostly in armor pieces. Some HG are all PS.
PP - Stands for polypropylene. A type of plastic used in Gunpla kits similar to PE but stiffer and denser, used in combination with ABS in manipulators and joints (in RGs, PGs and v3.0 manipulators).
ABS: Stands for acrylonitrile butadiene styrene. A type of plastic used in GunPla kits. Used mostly in MG/PG frames and in some HG pseudo frames, ABS is a tough but flexible plastic. Sensitivity to cement varies depending on the color of the ABS, with black being the toughest, and red the most receptive to cement.
Resin: A type of material used on some non-plastic kits.
TPE: Stands for Thermoplastic Elastomer. This is the rubbery plastic in some older MGs (like the rubber hands and feet of G-Gundam kits) and the wing tips of the PG Wing Zero Custom.

Painting

Airbrush: A paint application tool.
AB: Stands for Airbrush
Hand Paint: Applying paint by hand with brushes.
Hand Brush: Same as Hand Paint.
Spraycan: Canned pressurized paint with a nozzle that serves as the applicator.
Rattlecan: Another term for Spraycans.
Decant: The process of expelling air, then the paint, from rattlecans for later use in AB.
Primer: A chemical used to prepare a surface to be painted. Not to be confused as a type of Paint. Primer is (slightly) chemically different to regular paint. Can also mean the application of a coat of Primer (prime).
Paint: A chemical used on surfaces to give it color.
Acrylic: A type of Paint. Weakest of the three main Paint types. Most acrylics are water-based and can be thinned by plain water, but, becomes water-resistant when dry/cured.
Enamel: A type of Paint. Middle ground when it comes to Paint types. Enamels can be thinned by enamel thinners.
Lacquer: A Type of Paint or Thinner. Strongest among the three Paint types. Lacquer is basically varnish mixed with colors. Lacquer can be combined with Acrylic bases, and can be thinned or stripped with alcohol.
Thinner: A chemical used for Thinning or Reducing paint.
Thinning: Adding Thinner to Paint to make it more fluid/less viscous.
Retarder: A chemical added to Paint to slow down its drying time, giving it a chance to settle down and self-level. Usually used on Acrylics and replaces Thinner.
Top Coat: A clear, colorless type of Paint used to seal and protect Paint layers.
Flat: A type of Paint or Top Coat or finish that is not shiny or glossy.
Matte/Satin: A finish midway between flat and glossy.
Gloss: A type of Paint or Top Coat or paint finish that is shiny or glossy.
Semi-Gloss: Same or similar to Matte.
Future: A type of glossy floor coat used as acrylic top coat that can be applied by Hand Brushing or with an AB.
Base/Buffer Coat: The first Layer of paint. Applied after Primer if Primer is used. Used to set the tone of the Color Coat. Can be skipped by using the corresponding Primer color.
Color Coat: The coat of paint that the will be the surface’s final color.
Candy Tone: A technique of using a clear paint over a metallic buffer.
Pooling: Paint collecting in a certain spot mostly on the edges and panel details, usually from a very thick coat of paint, or from Runs.
Runs: Paint that is flowing on the surface, usually due a thick coat of paint and pulled by gravity and collects in Pools.
Brushstroke: The direction a paint brush is going. Can also mean the same as Brush marks.
Brush marks: Fine lines left by brushes after every stroke.
Autolevel: A Paint property where the Paint makes itself smooth and level on its own as it dries.
Leveler: A chemical added to paint to make paint level and smooth as it dries.
Retarder: a chemical additive that delays the drying of paint to allow it to settle and level properly.
Overspray: Excess paint that accumulates (in details, edges and panel lines) because of too close a spray distance or too much pressure.
Misting: a technique employed in AB and spraycan painting where parts are coated with paint mist over a significant distance. Paint build up is slow, but more even, requiring more than just the usual number of coats compared to the closer distance. Ideal for spraycan painting.
Masking: The process of covering certain sections of parts with masking tape or masking solution to shield a previous layer of paint from a new layer of a different color, to create color separation.
Orange Peel: The results when spraying too much paint or laying down one coat after the other and not allowing the previous coat to fully dry. It can also be caused by uneven or unprimed surfaces This very much looks like how orange skin looks like, with pits and bumps.
Bottom-feed: A type of AB where the paint container is at the bottom.
Siphon-feed: Same as Bottom-Feed.
Gravity-feed: A type of AB where the paint container is at the top.
Side-feed: A type of AB where the paint container is at the side.
Dual-action: A type of AB trigger where two actions are done to start spraying. First, pressing down on the trigger starts the air flow, while pulling it back on trigger sprays the paint.
Single-Action: A type of AB trigger where pressing down on the trigger will release both air and paint.
Internal Mix: A type of AB where the mixing of paint and air in done internally.
External Mix: A type of AB where the mixing of paint and air in done externally as air is expelled.
Comp: Short for Compressor, a machine that provides air for ABs.
PSI: Stands for Pounds per Square Inch. the amount of pressure released by a Compressor.
Working Pressure: The PSI a Compressor is set to while it is being used.

Tools and Materials

Side Cutter/Nipper: A tool used to remove Parts from Runners.
Hobby Knife: A multipurpose pointed straight edge blade mounted on a shaft.
Markers: Pens used for Panel Lining and Detailing.
Sandpaper: Abrasive sheets of various grits used to smooth rough surfaces and remove scratches.
Sanding board: A tool that looks like a manicurist’s emery board used for sanding.
Sanding sticks: Same as/similar to Sanding boards.
Grit: A unit of measure of how rough sandpaper is. The lower the grit, the rougher the sandpaper.
Putty: Used in making repairs and filling.
Scribing Tool: A tool use for Scribing panel lines. There are specific scribing tools and chisels, but one can use blunted knife blades and compass needle points for scribing.
Cement: A type of adhesive used in GunPla building.
CA Glue/Superglue: CA stands for Cyano Acrylate, which is a resin-based glue.
Dremel/Router: A multipurpose electric hand tool used for cutting, carving, sanding, grinding, and buffing.
Pin-Vise: A hand tool used to hold micro drill bits and pins.
Plaplates/Polystyrene Sheets: Sheets of plastic with varying thickness used in Scratchbuilding. “Plaplates” is a brand specific to Tamiya.
HIPS: Stands for High Impact PolyStyrene. Same as/similar to Plaplates.

Detailing

Decals: Detail markings on kits.
Waterslide: A type of Decals that needs water to apply and adhere.
Rub-On: A type of Decal that is rubbed-on the surface to apply.
Sticker: Decals with adhesives
Dry Transfer: Same as Rub-On.
Panel Line: Lines and groves on the surface and lines where angles meet.
Panel Lining: Filling in Panel Lines with color.

Techniques

Progressive Sanding: Technique used to remove nubs or make surfaces smooth with sandpaper by increasing sandpaper grit gradually starting from coarse to fine.
Buffing: Process of rubbing cured paint (or even bare plastic) to make it smooth and shiny.
Rubbing: Same as Buffing
Pre-shade: A type of shading technique where shading is added before the Color Coat is applied.
Post-shade: A type of shading technique where shading is added after the Color Coat is applied.
Wash: An advanced painting technique. Can also be a very thinned mixture of paint and thinner used for various Washing purposes.
Panel Line Wash: A type of Wash technique used to paint Panel Lines.
Spot Wash: A type of Wash technique used in Weathering.
Reverse Wash: An painting technique similar to a Wash but in reverse.
Mod: Short for Modifications.
Weathering: Applying details and shades to a kit to give it a more realistic look.
Scribing: Adding Panel Lines to the surfaces of a kit.
Drybrushing: A Painting/Weathering technique.
Battle Damage: Adding details on a kit to simulate the look of going through a battle.
Plaplating/PS Plating: Armor detailing with pieces of shaped plaplates or HIPS.

Slangs

Hiatus: Means to take a break from a certain activity or from work. In GunPla Terms, “Pinipilit umiwas sa tukso” (avoiding all temptation).
PNP: Stands for “P**A, nalaglag/nawawala part/polycap!” In English: “Sonnavab***ch/F**K, I lost a part/polycap!”
Blackhole: When a part one is working on slips or flies from one's grip into the unknown, comes right after PNP.
Dibs: English slang. Usually means “Akin na yan, ako ang unang nakakita” (It's mine, I saw it first). Muttered when someone offers a kit/set for sale that's too good to pass up.
Haul: items purchased (Having All U Like) often in bulk.
Backlog: Stash of unbuilt kits

Timelines

UC - Universal Century, starts from UC0068 (origins) to UC 0223 (G-Savior)
FC - Future Century (G-Gundam)
AC -After Colony (Gundam Wing)
EW - Endless Waltz (Gundam Wing)
MC - Mars Colony (Frozen Teardrop)
AW - After War (Gundam X)
CC - Correct Century (Turn X)
CE - Cosmic Era (SEED/Destiny/Astray)
AD - Anno Domini (Gundam 00)
AG - Advance Generation (AGE)
RC - Regild Century (Reconguista)
PD - Post Disaster (Iron Blooded Orphans)
BF/BD - Build Fighters / Build Divers. A set of overlapping series that tell stories about Gunpla building and competitions.

Miscellaneous

Shiny/Glossy Finish: A surface finish that reflects light. Ideal for showroom or just-out-of-the-factory concepts.
Matte Finish: A dull surface finish that reflects little light. Ideal for week/month-old effects and a precursor to weathered/battle-damaged effects.
Mirror-like Finish: A surface finish that reflects light and images, mostly achieved with chrome paints.

A Guide to Gunpla Scales and Grades

2021-01-27T06:59:00.003+08:00

Gunpla “grades" are scale and complexity indicators. You should be able to start building any grade without difficulty, as long as you follow the pictogram instructions. More recent Bandai kits also have English Instructions.

1/144 scale

High Grade (HG) which is a relatively simple build, often without any frame and mostly lack details. HGs are the cheapest among the grades, most abundant, available, and the HG line has the widest range of kit designs and variants. Most MS designs are released as HGs. Some HGs have rudimentary "pseudo" frames, like the Sazabi and K'shatriya. The HG series are appended by the anime series Universe, ie, HGUC, HG00, HGAC, etc. The HGIBO is the first line that feature internal frames.
Real Grade (RG) has an internal frame like modern MGs. RG frames are mostly pre-assembled in sections and the armor parts are heavily detailed. Only select MS designs (main protagonist and antagonist suits) are released as RGs.
Entry Grades (EG) and First Grades (FG) are 1/144 scale kits intended for younger builders for quick building, do not have polycaps, and lack articulation and detail. EGs are molded in 3 colors, while FGs are molded in white PS plastic. The new Entry Grade Gundam RX78-2, however, features better articulation.
1/200 Speed Grade. These are preformed and prepainted kits that come in a single runner.

1/100 scale

1/100 HG is just like the name implies. They are 1/100 scale High Grade kits released in the 90s. The only series released in this scale/grade are the Gundam Wing and Gundam X (afaik).
1/100 Non-Grades (NG) or simply 1/100 scale (the NG is user-appended) are similar to HGs. They don't have internal frames, and they often lack details. They are the cheapest among 1/100 scales, and MS kits released in NG/100 are from the non-UC series.
RE/100 (Reborn series) are "rebranded" 1/100 scale. They are similar to NGs that they do not have internal frames, but do have ample details. The kits released in this line so far are from the UC series.
1/100 IBO. These kits come with simple internal frames and detailed armor parts. The articulation is rudimentary, but still good compared to other regular 1/100 scale.
1/100 FM. Stands for Full Mechanics and replaces the 1/100 IBO full frame tag.
The Master Grade (MG) has an internal frame, often with intricate details and complex articulation mechanisms. Most modern MGs (2.0 and 3.0) have full inner frames, whereas older ones only have partial inner frames.
The Master Grade verKa. A distinct line of Master Grades designed, Engineered and Produced by Master Designer Hajime Katoki. The verKa line is also easily identifiable with its distinct white box.
Master Grade Extreme (MGEX) - The MGEX is marketed as a next-level Master Grade that goes beyond the detail of its predecessor. First in line is the MGEX Unicorn, which is marketed to have improved articulation, detail and houses an RGB LED lighting system along with a dedicated MS Cage. Next in line is the MGEX Strike Freedom.
GFF-MC and Metal Build. These are composite figures, with metal die-cast and PVC plastic parts. Though categorized as non-scale. these figures are based on 1/100 scale heights. Most are standalone figures, though some have swappable parts, like the MB Exia/R3. GFF-MC Stands for Gundam Fix Figuration Metal Composite. Up until recently, the GFF-MC line have all been UC MS, but the F91 is released as GFF-MC feat Metal Build, while the Wing Zero Custom is released as GFF-MC.
High Resolution Model (HiRM). This new line of metal composites is a hybrid figure/kit comes with a hybrid die-cast metal/plastic frame, and plastic armor parts still on runners, which gives collectors the chance to assemble the parts themselves. The first to be released in this line is the IBO Barbatos and P-Bandai Barbatos 6th Form. The Wing Zero and Red Frame Astray were each released a year after each other. The most recent release was the HiRM God Gundam, which were preceded by the Wing Endless Waltz and Astray Noir respectively.

1/60 scale and higher

1/60 kits are just scaled up HGs/NGs, with no inner frames. These kits lack detail and with minimal articulation. There are only a few kits released in this line (like the Exia, Strike Freedom, Shining/God Gundam, Freedom, et al), in very low circulation.
The Perfect Grade (PG) line has plenty of parts owing to its size. Earlier PGs have very complicated frame assemblies (up to the GPO1/FB), with modern ones having a <simpler> yet robust frame assembly (starting from the Strike). The latest in the PG line is the Perfect Strike Gundam, which basically the PG Strike with Launcher and Sword Striker packs.
The Perfect Grade Unleashed (PGU) - Is an upgraded PG, with a more complex frame and armor assembly as well as metal detail parts. The first in the line is the PGU RX 78-2.
1/35 Jumbo Grade is really more like a scaled up HG, no internal frame and limited in articulation and detail.
1/48 Mega Size. This line is simply scaled-up HGs, with very minimal articulation and detail. These are mostly display pieces.

SD Kits

SD or Super Deformed kits are Gunpla kits that are not based on any scale, but rather on deformed proportion as basis for cuteness, specifically having very large heads and comically anime eyes. They offer a very limited articulation and require much more attention for details and painting. To compensate for lack of detail, some SD kits have very large sticker pads included, while other SD kits have an extra gimmick not shown in their normal counterparts. One of the most common SD kits in Japan are based on the Plamo-Kyoshiro’s Musha Gundam line.

The most current iteration of SD kits is the SD Gundam EX-Standard (SDEX) which are based on the current Gundam models in SD size. They are cheaper to produce and have more articulation than the previous SD kits, though is more lacking in plastic production as some parts (especially in the limbs) are left hollow to compensate on its cheap cost.

Recently released is the SD Cross Silhouette series. These SD kits come with and can be assembled on a generic internal frame and allows builders to mix and match parts from different kits as well as set different proportions by using the Cross Silhouette frame.

Source: https://www.ohmygundam.com.my/blogs/blog/gundam-size-comparison

PG EXia: Fixing a Very Small Broken Part

2021-01-26T16:14:00.005+08:00

The PG Exia is one of my favorite snap builds, and was one of my most anticipated Gunpla purchases ever since it was announced. I did predict it was going to be released that year, and the moment I saw the announcement, I immediately got it on Pre-Order.

It's a clean, robust build, with a lot of improvements build-wise from its predecessor, the 00. Even without the ratchet joints that required screws, the PG Exia's joints are rather stable even with the amount of articulation and complexity of the frame build. The PG Exia is the third in Bandai's Gunpla Evolution Project, a series of highly-detailed kits which began the HGUC Zeta, then followed by the RG Unicorn.

But, like most kits, it is not without flaws, or at least, parts that are prone to breaking due to carelessness or heavy-handedness, both of which I am at one point or another. As per my original assessment when I was snap-building it, there are several sections and parts that, though engineered well in terns of fitting and assembly remains very much weak when compared with other parts in the kit. The front shin guard that is hinged at the base of the ankle, for example, is prone to breaking near the curved section if one isn't careful enough when doing open-hatch transformations. Suffice it to say, both shin guard broke at the same general location, which also makes this a molding issue, much like the other breaks I've had in other kits.


Open-Hatch gimmicks are cool, though this one is pretty useless

Even though it's a Perfect Grade, one would expect that Bandai would make parts less prone to breaking by making parts or sections thicker, especially the connective pegs which can break even during the initial build. Some pegs are just 1.0mm in diameter, too thin for comfort, even though these pegs are encapsulated covers within other parts. They can easily break because they are too thin.

I had one such peg break while I was disassembling the arm section for cleaning and mod-fitting. The peg breaking is a non-issue, since like I said, it's an encapsulated peg which inserted in a dual frame/armor section, so, it won't really matter if it's there or not. Being me, I pulled out the broken peg from the socket, it had enough root for me to pull lightly with a side cutter, and I cemented it back into place.

But, that's not the real reason for this post. For some reason, a part broke without me even realizing it was broken, until I was checking and disassembling the arm section. It's not even a crucial part, I was thinking of leaving it be, but I got that itch that won't go away (yeah, maybe it's allergies). The part is located behind the lower arm section (L7), and it was hardly noticeable since it was covered by the outer armor section, but, the more I look at it, the more it screamed at me to fix it. I tried ignoring it for several minutes, but the temptation is too strong.

The Sound of One Part Breaking...

So I gave in. I planned nothing more but simply attach a small piece of 1.0mm PS sheet to the broken section, then reinforced the front plate with a thinner sheet of PS, which should serve as extra detail, and did the same detail to the other side (and later on, to its mirror twin). It was late. I was sleepy, and I had class the next day, so I laid it down to rest, hoping to never think about it again.

This should have been enough, BRAIN!

Unfortunately, that's not how my brain works. As soon as I woke up, my brain, which has a mind of its own, started bugging me about that small fix that looked incomplete. I had to rebuild that section, lest it bugs me the rest of the day. So, I started doing cuts here and there, reassessed the shape and how I would eventually go about it. The thing about this fix is, it wasn't going to be simple. Unlike other parts, this one is a complex shape that actually hugs the frame section it is connected to, so I had to rebuild it in two stages. The first stage involved having to cut a little bit on the top and filling it down so I can cement a piece of 0.5mm PS sheet, then reshape it as its mirror-side

Pitter Patter Pieces Splatter.

Stage two involved cementing a yet smaller piece or 1.0mm shaped PS sheet, then reshaped to mirror the other side.

Now THAT is what I call Plastic Surgery!

Each part of the stages took about 15-20 minutes for the cement to cure enough for the next section to be attached. Since this is a very small part, each attachment tend to be very delicate. It's a good thing I waited overnight, the cement in the initial fix was solid enough that any additional sections was easier to place without the entire thing collapsing.

Elbow grease. Maybe literally.

There you go! With a few more dabs of cement and sanding, it should be barely noticeable as a fix. I won't need to put a peg anymore, as I have mentioned earlier, these pegs hardly support anything, since the main frame assembly are also pegged. But note that that lone peg on the right was the same peg I broke earlier.

Side Cutters: The Sharp Edge

2021-01-25T19:45:00.003+08:00

Side cutters. We also know them as nippers, which are not unlike cuticle nippers that manicurists use to nip cuticles and dead skin from your fingers (hence why they are called nippers). A lot of people, especially those new to the hobby often use these tools the only straightforward way they can: cut the part from the gate flush and straight right away.

Not a nipper...

Whereas that is true in come cases, like cutting parts at the gate or runner section, cutting the excess gate from the part requires a little bit more finesse, and that is where the nipping comes in. A lot of people expect a clean cut from a sharp cutter, which can be true in some cases, but, it’s actually best to nip the nub slowly, especially thick gates, regardless of the cutter you are using. Cut improperly, you’ll get either a stressed surface (whitening) or a pit, which is a small section that gets cut beyond the surface of the plastic you are cutting.

There’s also a distinct difference between side cutters and diagonal cutters. A side cutter is called as such because it has flat-sided cutting edges (teeth blade profile) that ideally cuts flush (or perpendicularly), whereas a diagonal cutter has triangular profile and cuts at an angle.

Most wire cutters are diagonal, especially those used to cut thick wires because the triangular profile adds strength to the blade, but there are some wire cutters that have a flat side, designed mainly to cut thin to medium diameter and stranded wires (as you will see in my examples).

I collect tools, and cutters are no exception. I have several in my tool box, all of which I have used in rotation.

A cutter for every occasion

Alexan Wire Cutter (PhP110/$2) - For me this is the most versatile and robust cutter in my collection. Since it’s designed for cutting thin and stranded wires, it can make short work of plastic runners. It can cut even the thickest and hardest runner quite easily, and can cut gates and nubs almost flush, especially when it’s new. I always have at least 2 of this at a time in rotation (currently, I have a 3rd on standby). It’s very durable and most economical considering its price point. This one is a good cutter for starters (especially students) but do not want invest on more expensive tools right away.
3Peaks (PhP150/$3) - This is one of the earliest cutters I’ve got. It can cut clean, but not necessarily flush, but is good enough as a general, all-around cutter. Its shape is similar to most side cutters.
MTC-22 Side Cutter (PhP250/$5) - I call this one the Mother of all Side Cutters, mainly because of its size. At 6” length, it dwarfs all of the side cutters I have. It’s mainly designed for cutting thin to medium diameter copper wires, it can cut the thickest of runners and gates, but because it has a very large cutting head, is not really ideal for cutting nubs away, especially the smaller parts contained in tighter and narrower runner grids. I got it on a whim, but I use it to cut thick sheets, beams and runners when I do modifications and scratch-builds.
Tamiya Side Cutter #1 (PhP950/$20) - This one can cut clean and is a good second all-around cutter.
Tamiya Side Cutter #35 (PhP1200/$24) - Slightly more expensive than the #1, this one has a slimmer head (close to Godhand Ultimate) which can fit into smaller nooks and crannies. It can cut clean, and very durable.
Godhand Craft Grip 120-S (PhP1400/$28) - Designed for smaller hands, the Craft Grip Series is made with thicker handles, but is nonetheless great as an all-purpose cutter. Its shape and blade is similar to the Tamiya #35, but has a thicker profile which makes it a lot more durable compared to its most expensive sibling, the Ultimate.

Now, I do have Nanye cutter (PhP400/$8), which even came with a pouch and a protective cover, but I’m so disappointed with it, I didn’t bother giving it a review (3Peaks was better and could cut cleaner, and it’s almost 10 years older). But, others seem to like it and even rave about it, so I guess you can go with that. But, for me, it’s not worth it for its price point, that I’d rather have 3 or 4 Alexan cutters and a 3Peaks cutter than a Nanye cutter. Alternatively, the Tamiya cutters are a better investment and more cost-effective than a Nanye.

Of course, there’s the overly-hyped Godhand Ultimate (PhP2300~/$46) which supposedly can cut so clean you can lick it, but, is so fragile, it can’t really serve as an all-around cutter, and at that price point, is not really an ideal investment. Godhand Ultimate’s greatest feature is also its greatest flaw: its sharpness is the reason why it’s fragile. But, I’ll probably get one just to have one, if I get the extra dough.

There are other cutters ranging from entry-level cheap to utterly expert-only expensive, of course, like Mineshima, Doyusha and Platz (medium range), as well as other non-name brand* models. Bandai, though late in the game has entered into the sidecutter market with its Bandai Spirits Entry-Level Cutter (P350/$7) and Buildup Nipper (PhP900/$18), the latter of which seems to be Bandai’s response to the Godhand series.

Bandai Spirits Build Up Nipper

Nevertheless, no matter what cutter you get, you will eventually end up doing more than just snap-building, as such, having a cutter that can cut clean is rather secondary. When you’ve come to that point that snapbuilding is no longer enough, you will have to file and/or clean nubs to prep the parts for painting. Personally, I don’t really bother doing a clean snap-build anymore, opting to keep a little bit of nub in most cases and removing nubs only when I decide to modify and/or paint, a practice that prevents the plastic from oxidizing any further beyond the nub.

(All prices indicated are estimates or average SRPs. This will be updated as necessary)

*Non-name brand simply means the brand is not well-known, or at least, not marketed as a Gunpla/Modeling cutter.

Customized Paint Stands

2021-01-24T10:22:00.003+08:00

Having acquired a lot more paints, among them, a few Armored Komodo paints, I find myself having the need to make another paint bottle stand, to organize the older and newer paints in larger bottles. I previously made one for my Vallejo paints, which is just enough for the ones I currently have on stock. I've seen nice prefab painting stations, but the cost is a bit prohibitive if not impractical for me, even before the lockdown.

A-10-SZHUN!

The new one will have larger receptacles which could fit bottle diameters of about 3.5cm. I have one Tamiya bottle that's about 3.8cm, but seeing that I won't be getting Tamiya paints anymore, I just stuck with the more conservative measurement.

Puzzle Pieces Paint a Pretty Picture

This is all made with 1.0mm sheets of White High Impact PolyStyrene. Just like previous one, which has smaller, 2.5cm receptacles, I opted to go with a 3.0cm height. The real pain with this project is cutting the slots on the slats. I've made a few mistakes along the way, marking and cutting at 3.5cm instead of 3.7cm (which you can clearly see in one of the smaller slats. So, instead of cutting right away, I simply marked the slot positions so I can make corrections as needed. I've made two long slats, and eight short ones. When assembled, it's already structurally-sound on it own even without cement since most of the slots fit snugly.

Step? No. Step? Yes!

The rest is just like pie, simply building around the assembly. First, the bottom sheet is cemented to secure the slats into place, then the sides, doubling down to reinforce the assembly for a solid structure. To make sure the slats stay in place, I trickled thin cement on contact points, which should be enough to melt the surfaces and weld together when the cement dries and cures.

When the dog bites, when the bee stings...

The good thing about this, I suppose, is I can simply make another one, or a couple, as the need arises. I'll also make another tool stand, but I need to get the cheaper blue HIPS sheets from Jolis in España. Another great thing about this is it's modular, and I can build a paint and tool station and mount these individual stands on top of each other for a more organized work station, clearing the clutter on the mat.

From Chaos...

...to Ordered Chaos.

SIN: Freehand Scribing

2021-01-21T14:01:00.000+08:00

I’ve been using dymo tapes, as well as making my own scribing templates using PS sheets, but they’ve become a tad too tedious to use, especially with a lot of parts involved. I’ve also used my old college metal drafting template, but that too was a bit limited.

So I started practicing scribing freehand, which significantly simplified my workflow, opting to use straight-edges as a last resort for long line and complex curved surfaces. I also sketch panel lines on paper first and practice on thick board, and later on, scrap parts.

The Basic Tools

For those who are just getting their feet wet, you can always make your own tools. You can achieve good results even with just these tools with enough practice, especially if you are using guides.

Pencils - for sketching and planning the scribe lines. When I make a mistake or am not satisfied with the result, I can simply erase and start over. Penciling over initial scribe lines also makes the panel lines more visible on white and yellow parts.
Blunted/Chipped X-Acto Blades - I never or rarely throw away used blades since I can still use most of them for scoring and cutting most PS sheets. But I can also use these blades as scribing chisels. I convert chipped blades into 0.1~0.5mm scribers, while unchipped ones can be converted into 0.05~0.1mm scribers.
Needle points - Certain Hobby knife sets, like DAFA, also include needle points, but you can basically use any sturdy needle point, like compass needles, or anything long enough for you to hold, or at least, mount on a knife shaft or pin vise. Needle points can be used to scribe initial lines, as well as put corner points where angled lines meet.
Precision Screw Driver (not shown) - Those micro screw drivers used in eyeglass and cellphone repair can be sharpened and converted into 1.0mm (or wider) chisels. I’ve even converted one of my old Tamiya flat screw drivers into 2.0mm chisel, and it worked well enough for scribing basic panel lines.


Tools of the Trade

The Simplified Workflow

After sanding most of the surfaces that needed it to make it ready for pencils, I penciled in the panel pattern, then, I lightly scored the plastic using a blunt X-Acto blade with a broken tip, gliding over the pencil marks very carefully to make sure the resulting scribe line is straight as needed. I try to achieve close symmetry, but a little bit of asymmetry does make things look a little bit more interesting.

After the initial scoring, I re-scored the line, still with the same blunt blade for a deeper line, then after, flipped the blade and used the broad side of the broken tip to create the |_| panel line. For wider lines, I used the same blunt blade as a chisel to carve out a wider area. In some cases, I also use scribing saws for cleaner lines (0.2mm).

Side calf armor section of the Stein

Any excesses or burrs that creep out of the resulting line can be quickly sanded off and refined further by running the chisel a few more times in the line again. A folded high-grit sandpaper should smooth off any ragged edges, and a used, soft-bristle toothbrush should remove the accumulated dust.

The Sinanju's Side Booster:,Intitial scribing and painted

The Corner Conundrum

Most who do panel-line scribing for the first time would often be hesitant to do these lines, and it’s understandable, because they don’t want to screw it up, in turn damaging the part. Gunpla is expensive, and although scratches and scribe line mistakes (crooked lines) are easily fixable, most people would rather not go through the dilemma. So, there is such a thing as being too careful, as hesitation can lead to small mistakes especially when dealing with corners (gaps, overshoots and small curves)

Hesitation Corners

You can avoid these hesitation corners by marking the planned corners with a needle point, much like how way points are plotted on a map.

Pencil the panel line on
Mark the corners very lightly with the needle point
Scribe the initial lines
Finalize and sand

You can deepen and vary the widths as needed later on.

Alin, alin, alin ang naiba? Isipin kung alin ang naiba...

Duplicating Details

I usually just eyeball mirror details, but, I also do cheat from time to time. Masking tape is always a good implement to have, and is rather simple and straightforward to use. When mirroring a panel line detail from one section to another, I tape over the scribed lines, pencil out the detail on tape, attach the tape to a piece of PS sheet (there’s a tongue-twisting pun there somewhere) then cut the sheet, which becomes a template for the mirror side. This is the same technique I use with PS plating, using precut sheets as templates.

Masking Tape Magic

Tool Upgrades

After a while, I realized that even if I could get good results with my makeshift tools, they are still a bit limited when it comes to the variety of widths I can achieve. Blunt and chipped blades also become a bit uneven over time, so I needed a tool upgrade.

There are several chisel options available, from the practically affordable (Wave HG Chisels) to the uber expensive (BMC), but they work the same way and will give you similar if not the same results. Ultimately, results will depend on you and how you use these tools.

I got a Wave HG set which includes four chisel bits (0.1, 0.2, 0.3 and 0.5mm) and a handle. Seeing that I’ll be using the 0.3 and 0.5mm bits, I opted to get additional 0.3 and 0.5mm bits, including 0.8 and 1.0mm, as well as extra handles to minimize having to replace bits while I work, which can also help avoid damaging the chisel bit.

The Wave HG Chisel set is a good starter set for scribing

With these tools, I can gradually widen the panel line width, which prevents the surrounding plastic from getting micro-cracks, which later leads to crooked-looking lines, much like how one gradually drills into certain materials, like ceramic tiles, with smaller to larger drill bits to avoid damaging the tile.

Wave HG Chisels are the most affordable high-end chisels

The Final Result

With some trial and error, I was able to refine the technique. Strangely enough, gliding the blunt blade to score the initial scribe line is more challenging on a flat surface than it is on a curved one. In some cases, especially with long lines on flat surfaces, I still use a straight edge to scribe the initial line.

Prefinal Scribe Lines

After proper sanding, priming and painting, these added details should look as if its part of the original kit.

Mirror, Mirror on the wall...

Here's a nifty step-by-step video of the process:

The Importance of Sanding and Priming

2021-01-19T12:38:00.003+08:00

Here's one of the main reasons why sanding is a necessary step before any paint job, aside from removing nubs. Though most surfaces look smooth, there will always be indentation on the surfaces caused by underlying support struts shrinking the plastic surface it’s supporting unevenly, forcing the surface it is connected to to become depressed. There are also plastic swirls, spots where plastic from opposite gates meet.

Left: light sanding shows surface imperfections. Right: fully sanded surface

Ignoring these depressions and imperfections would ruin an otherwise fine paint job, since paint, especially gloss finishes, would make these depressions more visible. That's why for most, skipping sanding is a no-no. In fact, most people, like myself, enjoy the Zen of Sanding, since it allows me to focus. A botched-up sanding job (like, oversanding, which can remove fine details that can be difficult to redo) could also ruin it.

Ugly paint swirls are caused by primer/paint reacting to the Gunpla's protective coating

Some modelers employ the use of putty, which they file and sand later on to flatten and/or smooth out the surface, but, since I don't use putty, I opt to directly file the surface over, then sand it smooth. Of course, this works for shallow depressions. For deeper depressions and/or pit damage (the hole created by force-pulling a nub with a dull or shallow cutter), I cement a shaped strip of polystyrene sheet, wait for a half a day or so, then file and sand smooth. Sanding prepares the surface you are working on for priming.

For resin kits, resin glue or superglue does the job. Some modelers make their own resin putty by combining superglue and talcum powder.

In some cases, light sanding with medium to high grit sandpapers would be enough, but, for majority of nub removals and heavy modifications, progressive sanding is a good practice.

Priming, on the other hand, provides a smooth surface for base paints to adhere to. Priming also allows you to spot problematic areas, like micro-scratches, either natural or introduced during sanding, and can become fillers for light scratches. Certain primers, like Bosny paints, adhere to most surfaces almost readily (whether they are sanded or not), some primers do require a well- sanded surface to adhere to.

It's Prime Time

Light priming is ideal for any paint job that requires multiple layering, like candy tones or gradient effects that will be later top-coated. A full coat of primer is best for single, or flat-color schemes, or for hand brushing.

Unnecessary and Incorrect Practices Certain People Keep Doing

2021-01-18T18:02:00.001+08:00

If you don’t know me yet, or how I write, here’s a bit of forewarning: I am sarcastic, direct to the point, and I do not sugar-coat what I say on top of the context of how I said it. Snowflakes despise me, mainly because of the truth behind the facts I lay down when I write, truth that certain people cannot accept, because they believe things can be said more nicely just because. But, there are a lot of people who get it, so instead of telling me to be nicer, won’t it be better for you to stop being so sensitive that every little thing offends you?

Yes, I often write things that offend the voluntarily overly sensitive and willfully ignorant, as the case may be, so, if you are offended, I'm pretty sure you'll scream GUMPRA IZ FLEEDOM!

Ah yes. You got you first Gunpla. You got tools along with it to build it. You look online for tips and warning signs, and find a few useful ones. You adapt those to your building practices, till they become routine. But, have you stopped to ask, are you doing the right thing? Well, let see.

Washing runners - Maybe it's a good idea nowadays because of the virus, but considering the fact that Bandai sanitizes its products before packaging it, and you can make doubly sure it is sanitized at your end by spraying or wiping the plastic with alcohol, this time-honored practice of washing runners before assembly is unnecessary, especially since you'll be handling the kit once you open it, often with grimy, oily, greasy hands, especially when you build and snack at the same time.

The non-existent manufacturing oils certain people claim they're washing off is now replaced with actual, existing oil from sweaty hands. (Side note: parts being washed is a carry-over practice by those who build resin kits, because resin kits have that nasty mold-release wax that paint won’t adhere to).

Your hands are not sweaty, you say? You don't have pasmers? Think again. Your palms secrete minute amounts of oily sweat all the time.

Labadami, labango...

Painting parts while still on runners - Okay. Convenience. This is the primary reason of most people who do this time-wasting endeavor, without realizing that this doubles the amount of overall work one has to do. Convenience should not be mistaken for efficiency, since this method is rather inefficient.

This may be okay on undergated parts, (and I still won’t recommend that for obvious reasons which apparently isn’t obvious to some), but, unless you plan to do a museum-style framed display, like the one shown below, painting while on runners is a whole lot of waste of time.

For one, once you cut those painted parts, you’ll have to cut those parts from the runners, then remove those nubs. You’ll be damaging the paint, guaranteed, while you painfully try remove just the nubs, after which you will have to retouch the paint, which will make the job look uneven. The result: a nub-infested painted fiesta of a build.*

What’s more, aside from getting an uneven coverage of paint, you’ll end up getting paint on those joints and connector pegs, sections that should never be painted. Some people do this method to save up on paint (especially expensive hobby paint cans), but actually end up wasting paint, because of the initial uneven coverage on some parts, and quite often overspray on others. You’ll also need to retouch those sections after nub removal, so, you’ll be painting that section again, and you've wasted a lot more paint in the process.

Then you’ll ask, why is it hard to assemble after painting? Well, if you cared to do a lot more research instead of following what seemed to you as a reasonable thing to do because others are doing it, there’s a reason why people mask those connective sections after they’ve removed it from the runner before they paint. Snap-building and dry-fitting before painting is also more efficient, as it allows you to troubleshoot the parts that connect permanently, as well as check for articulation issues that can affect the kit overall, allowing for minimal to no chance of paint being scratched during assembly and posing.

Not a Picasso, but, close enough.

Skipping Sanding and Priming - When you decide to paint, commit. Sanding and priming are necessary, important steps for a good, clean paint job. Not only is skipping these two important steps disastrous, it’s also disastrous (yes, I know what I did). Saying it is not important and can be skipped is the excuse lazy people commonly use, and, not having enough time, though forgivable at times because of circumstances, is still an excuse. As the Merovingian, one of my favorite characters in , once said "if we don't ever take time, how can we ever have time?" What’s worse is, there are people who skip this part and paint on runners as well, and they end up with a horribly-painted build.

Find time to sand. Sanding evens out the surface of the plastic, which may seem smooth to you and your bad eyesight, but, those uneven surfaces, all those bumps, pits, scratches and swirls will all rear and reveal their ugly little heads* when you paint over them. Sanding also promotes discipline, allowing you to focus and concentrate.

Sanding is its own rewards

Priming, on the other hand, provides the protection the plastic needs, from the elements, and the paint you are about to lay over. Priming also helps spot trouble areas your bad eyesight can’t see, even with ample lighting. Lastly, the main purpose of priming is to give paint an even substrate to latch on to. Very few people know or acknowledge this, but, different-colored plastics and plastic types have slightly different paint-adhering properties, couple that fact that different types of paint adhere differently, and the paint problems increase exponentially. Well, not really exponentially, but significantly. Don't be angry at me because I said skipping these important steps is laziness on your part (because it is), be angry at yourself because you are lazy.


It's Prime Time

Exposing kits/runners under the Sun - What does one do after the futile activity of washing the runners? Why, let it dry under the Sun, of course, especially when one is in a hurry. Certain people also dry painted parts under the Sun, thinking it will hasten the drying time.

Well, guess what? Most paints dry quickly, even some hobby-grade types, they are formulated that way so you lazy-ass modelers can paint more kits in a day, so you can waste more paint in the process. Now if you didn’t get that as sarcasm, no worries.

But, here’s the clincher: Exposing kits under the Sun, whatever your reason, will damage the plastic. Exposed long enough, the plastic will expand, unevenly, since they are molded parts after all, with uneven shapes and form. Why would that be an issue, you ask? Well, see, since molded parts have inherent shapes and form, exposing them in the Sun heats one side more than the others. That heated side will expand, while the other side remain cool for a few minutes, but, will eventually expand as well as it starts to heat up. Exposed long enough, it will result in warping.

So, if you did this useless activity, and later found the connective parts won’t line up, or won’t fit, well, now you can blame Bandai for releasing a bad product.

One more thing, and this is the less obvious: as soon as the plastic starts to heat, it also starts to degrade microscopically. The effect is not immediate, but, the damage has been done. Your kit’s plastic is now more susceptible to yellowing and becoming brittle, or will become brittle faster than if you just left it alone. If you leave it on display, exposed further to the elements, then you’ll find that the joints become loose rather quickly, or, parts begin to break with the lightest handling, or worse, the kit starts to crumble.

Now, because of the lockdown and quarantine, there are also people who expose the boxes with kits in it under the Sun, thinking it’ll disinfect the box.

Well, Well, it doesn’t. It’s rather obvious these people got their information from someone in Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram, instead of getting it from reliable sources, like the WHO? DaWHO is the WHO? Well, for the information-challenged, WHO stands for World Health Organization. It’s where you, the hapless, intrepid modeler, should first get information about COVID19 and other health-related concerns. It’s the most reliable resource for anyone. I repeat, it’s the most reliable resource for anyone.

It's getting hot in here, so take off all your clothes...

Posting nub-ridden painted works - *Lastly, this one made the list because we have standards. We uplift people with those standards and in turn uplift those standards. We know it’s your kit, it’s your work, but, calling a nub-infested, poorly-painted kit (with an airbrush for that matter) your style, does not uplift the standards that have been set by those before us. In fact, it’s an insult to those people, and those people behind us, the newbies who do not know any better, because they’re newbies, who think your style is the new standard.

Note: Though this isn’t necessarily a bad, useless thing, topcoating bare plastic is something I have stopped doing after doing it once, and personally generally don’t recommend. For one, it can potentially damage the plastic, since different topcoats have different formulation. As a newbie, I topcoated a built 1/100 Red Frame and a built MG F91 with a Krylon top coat (I forgot which one specifically), and they started to crumble and break not too long after, in the sections where plastic meet from opposite gates during molding. That’s another thing, if you have to topcoat a kit, don’t topcoat a built kit. Same rule applies as with painting: paint individual parts.

Based on other modelers, there are some hobby-grade topcoats that are safe, like Mr Hobby. Tamiya topcoats are also probably a safe bet.

Another thing is, that new kit factory-gloss you see is the kit’s built-in protection. Provided you don’t expose it to the elements, unpainted, un-topcoated kits will fare well enough, and you’ll see that it will only yellow on small sections that have been cut (and on microcracks and scratches). That’s proof that the built-in coating is doing its job. More so, I rarely cut nubs clean nowadays, opting to leave very small nubs, removing it only when I decide to modify or paint. But, I don’t display or even post those nub-infested kits and pretend they’re finished works. You can do your own research, or testing, if you simply want to topcoat regardless.

Also, if you wash parts after building, and disassembling, prior to painting, or, if you’ve left a kit on display for years gathering dust, that is reasonable.

Alternative Weathering technique is alternative...

What is Gunmetal?

2021-01-16T21:11:00.001+08:00

Gunmetal. When people talk about it, they are specifically talking about Gunmetal Grey, which is a favorite go-to color for frames when plain black or grey becomes too boring.

But what is Gunmetal? As the name implies, it’s a description how the metal a gun is made of looks like. Most earlier guns and weapons were made of cast iron, which where carbon black or dark grey, but has an inherent sheen when polished, hence, gunmetal. Nowadays, guns are made with various metals, alloys and composites, so, gunmetal is used as a blanket term for the inherent hues in these metals. Apple’s Space Grey is actually Gunmetal Grey.

Sources: Google Image Search and Apple Dot Com

Gunmetal Grey. Simply put, Gunmetal Grey, or gray, describes the tones of black and is not really just a single tone or color. As with the photo above, it can range from light to dark and in various metallic sheen, regardless of the finish, whether it’s matte or gloss. In fact, gunmetal grey is really nothing more but metallic grey, and the term is used to distinguish it from other metallic colors. If you do a search for metallic grey, you’ll get a few hits that look like gunmetal grey. Note: There’s really no such thing as shades of grey, since greys are all , since greys are all tones of black.

To illustrate, brands show Gunmetal as a gradient.

Various tones of Black and Gunmetal

The thing with black is, however, it doesn’t really look black with sheen, rather just dark grey. It’s the same case with Flat Black.

There are hobby paint brands that carry an specific Gunmetal. Tamiya has it in cans, bottles and jars. The one I use currently is Vallejo Gunmetal Grey.

Gunmetal Paint Brands

When these are unavailable, one can replicate, or apropos, simulate Gunmetal Grey using specific spray cans. To achieve the effect, all one has to do is layer Bosny White Pearl over Primer Gray or Flat Black. White Pearl is also a gloss top coat, but since I prefer flat finishes, a layer or two of Flat Clear will mute the gloss, but maintain the metallic sheen.

Left Spoon: Gunmetal Grey. Right Spoon: Gunmetal Black

To compare, here’s a sample of Vallejo Gunmetal Grey and one done with Bosny, in two lighting conditions. Can you guess which one is which?

will the real sLiM sHaDy please stand up, please stand up, please stand up...

Now, if you are not familiar with how Vallejo Gunmetal Grey looks like, you have a 1 in 2 chance of guessing it correctly, but that’s still a guess. In this example, however, I made it rather obvious. You also be surprised that there is at least one other Gunmetal color I know that is not grey.

Do you like Metal or the Blues?

Is it Shiny, Metallic, or Mirror-Like?

2021-01-10T16:28:00.001+08:00

Sheen. Not to mistake this word for that actor named Charlie whose father Martin shares his last name. By definition, Sheen simply means a certain luster or shine. In scale modeling and art, sheen is a word that describes how certain surfaces look like when hit by light at certain angles, from a subtle luster to a bright shine that can blind any fool who stares at it long enough. There are surfaces that are shiny, and some that are mirror-like.

When we talk about shine, some people often mistake it to mean mirror-like. Though the two are based on similar concepts, light reflectivity, they are not mutually exclusive. There are things that shine, meaning, they reflect light with a certain luster or gloss, as the case may be* but are not necessarily mirror-like or metallic in appearance.

A good way of demonstrating the sometimes subtle difference between shiny, glossy, metallic and mirror-like are car finishes.

Various car finishes. Source: Google Search

The images above show different cars with different paint finishes. Some are just glossy (they reflect light, but do not look metallic), a few of them have mirror finishes (they reflect light and images), and a couple or so have a matte finish (top right corner BMW), but still have a metallic sheen or luster to it.

In this case, let’s stick with metallic shine. Most metals, when polished have inherent shine. Polished well enough, some, if not most of them can become mirror-like.

Let’s take Aluminum, which is a good example for this. Raw Aluminum has a very flat, almost dull-grey metallic appearance, depending on its condition or stage of processing. When newly smelted, it has a very light sheen, but when drawn as sheets or pipes, or shaped into fixtures, it can be polished into various grades of shine and mirror-like finishes.

The sheen and shine of various forms and types of metals. Source: Google Search

Here, you can clearly see that, despite being raw or just smelted, aluminum has an inherent sheen or shine. Of course, this shows various forms of aluminum that have undergone processing. There are also processed aluminum that do not really shine, but dull grey (especially when exposed to the elements for certain periods), but still retains it metallic characteristics. Like Gunmetal, metallic textures or effects are not always shiny, nor appear metallic at all times.

L-R: Engine Block, Aluminum Ingots, Drawn Aluminum Bars

In Scale and Gunpla modeling, these are examples of finishes one can achieve using paint (and other mediums). I used aluminum as an example, because we use a metallic texture known as brushed aluminum, which can be very subtle or intense metallic sheen, but not mirror-like. To achieve a mirror-finish, modelers use mirror chrome metallic paints, and quite recently, chrome powders.

L: Chrome Powder finish. R: Mirror-Chrome Paint. Credit: Kampfer by Jenic @ Youtube.

Both are shiny, they equally reflect light, but the Kampfer is mirror-like. Brushed aluminum, like some Stainless Steel finishes, are shiny, but not mirror-like.

*Lastly, there are shiny surfaces, but do not appear mirror-like or metallic. Most newer kits have gloss finishes that also serve as their built-protection. The stock, unpainted RG Sinanju has a gloss finish that looks unmistakably plastic, while the RG Sazabi special coating , though not mirror-like, simulates a metallic red sheen.

L: RG Sinanju (unpainted). R: RG Sazabi Special Coating. Source: Gunjap Dot Net.

Simply put, sheen is muted shine. The Metallic Red of the RG Sazabi, or Titanium Red can be simulated with paints. I achieved that accidentally more than 10 years ago while working on painting my first Sinanju. I mistakenly got Bosny Flat Clear instead of the other Clear (which is gloss/semi-gloss), but instead of being disappointed, I realized it looked pretty good. This is what we know as candy tones, a painting technique where a clear color is overlayed over a metallic or chrome buffer to create a metallic color sheen.

Muted Metallic: Silver/Gold>Clear Red (glossy)>Flat Clear (muted)

No one was doing the technique at the time (afaik), so I started to call it MatX Muted Metallic Red, then after MatX Titanium Red, much to the dismay of some people back then (and even now, as it were), because when they hear the word metallic, they single-mindedly think mirror-like metal, or, that I attached MatX onto it.

Muted Metallic Red vs Titanium Red. By MatX.

Epilogue:

I'm reviving this blog, because Facebook got rid of the Notes section, which made publishing articles within the platform less than ideal for formatted articles. So, I find myself fixing the old ones with Photobucket items one by one, as I refer to them.

And These Came in the Mail

2017-08-22T14:30:00.001+08:00

Rather, I had these sent to my school since I was on an off-site training. Bosny Philippines has once again graciously sent me free stuff, this time, my choice of 48 cans of Bosny Paints and a couple of Spray Guns. A while back, they've also given me a few cans, a couple of the guns, some shirts, and a couple of USB drives.

The package came in in five boxes, three of which are actual Bosny boxes with the paints they come in. The larger brown box contained the standard-sized cans. I've also asked them from a new catalog, since the one given to me by a friendly hardware store owner several years back have become very dilapidated from frequent use.

The new catalog has a cleaner layout, which makes it easier to search for the color one is looking for.

The spray guns can be used to aid in spraying, relieving much of the stress of spraying via nozzle. I haven't really tried to use the ones given to be a while back, since I'm rather comfortable just using my finger, and have achieved good enough finger control. I will be raffling these, along with the other two later on.

Now, for the nifty stuff. My usual suspects (L-R): Flat Clear, White Pearl, Flat Black, Flat White, Gold 351, and Hondat Red 67. I would have gotten other colors, since I did stock up a month or so earlier, but, these colors can run out rather quick, especially with the techniques I use, and of course, experimentation and testing.

New team members (L-R): Black Tint, Anodized Bronze, Blue Lagoon, Light Reflector, Stainless Steel and Mirror Chrome. Jan Michael Aldeguer did a nice spoon test of the Mirror Chrome, but, like the regular chrome, it does get tarnished rather quickly and top coating makes it dull. I'll be doing experiments myself on the Mirror Chrome.

It's worthwhile to note, I got the Light Reflector and the Stainless Steel to see the extent of what the paints can do for Gunpla. I'm curious as to how the Stainless Steel will actually look on plastic, though it looks like a slightly darker version of the Metal Alloy. As for the Light Reflector, it has a rough texture on the swatch and is somewhat glittery when the light angle changes.

There's also a Phosphorescent Glow-in-the-Dark spray can in the catalog, which I probably missed while checking for colors in Bosny's website. I'll see if I can procure that and test it as well.

Of course, I would be amiss if I didn't get these. My all-time favorite buffer and candytone undercoat, the Bosny Premium Metal Alloy. I also use the Metal Alloy as my "Silver" in most of my paint jobs, mainly because its faint yellowish tone looks a lot nicer than the bluish-gray tone Aluminum, Silver and Metallic Silver. I got 12 cans of these babies. A while back, I bought 6-pack box of Metal Alloy, 5 of which were duds, where I ended up with lumpy splotches of goo instead. I guess this more than makes up for that.

That's it for now. This post also marks a 3-year blog post absence since everyone seems to prefer quickie Facebook posts more than detailed blogs.