Gundams, easy to build or hard to build?

[Grendels]

This is a question that has bothered me for a while now. Gundam kits have the reputation as being an easy kit to build. But is that reputation justified?

I have a resin kit with 13 parts, and according to current thinking, it is a hard kit, just because it is resin. While a Gundam might have 200+ parts and it is easy. This seems like a disconnect to me, so I thought I would just post here and ask!

 

[Quaralane]

Can't really say as the only Gundams I've built were Taiwan knockoffs

 

[Elm City Hobbies]

That is the thing with some model companies, they have these skill ratings on their kits, which is total BS.

You have differences like Revell Germany has skill levels 1-5, while Revell USA is 1-3, yes I know they are 2 different companies....but what happens when a RoG skill 5, is reboxed by Revell USA?

But as I said, skill levels mean nothing outside of skill level 1, which is always a SNAP kit. Beyond that, the skill level is 100% derived by how many parts are in the box, which is a total crap shoot way to judge the skill level of a kit, I like most have probably built kits with 200+ pieces, but was an easy build, but would garner a skill level 5 rating because of the number of parts, but we have also had kits that were 25 parts and were a PITA to build, but because it only had 25parts, it is considered a skill level 2. No rhyme or reason to the skill levels.

 

[Gundamhead]

It'll take you a few hours to just snap together a Master Grade kit. It'll take you a couple to glue. It'll take you several more trying to hide and fill seams. It'll take you several more to break the parts down for painting, (gotta get all the sides of the parts). It'll take you several more to paint. It'll take you a few hours on the dry transfers. It'll take you a few hours on touch up and weathering.

It's far superior in engineering than any 'normal' models you might have built. Any. Bandai is 10 years ahead of most of the other model companies. But just cause it says snap, doesn't mean it is. It's about the same build as any 1/35 400 part tank. Unlike a tank though, you gotta scale your weathering to 1/100, and it's a lot harder to achieve the believability factor.

I heartily recommend every modeler to try a Master Grade kit. They are quite amazing models solely from an engineering point.

 

[greyphantom1000]

Since its olny been like a year that you posted this i'll jump right in!
It can be easy or hard depending what you want to do, like any model kit. If you take the time to sand all the nubs off and primer/paint/panel line in addition to having a full time job it can take a couple weeks sometimes. If your interested in really seeing how its done, vegeta8259 on youtube does amazing work. His skill level at building gundams is probably one of the best ive ever seen. He has a few WIP videos to show the work that goes into it. Building gundams though is rewarding in that it really shows the more you put into it the more you get out. Plus it doesnt have to take months and months to build them

 

[Grendels]

I have built one since then, and it was one of the "harder" ones. It had quite a few seams to worry about.

It would be nice to have a model that doesn't take three months to build......

 

[amateurmodeler]

the few I've built haven't been really difficult. I end up building mine twice though, once to check fit and plan the painting out, then again after everything is painted and clear coated.