This belongs here

[Edbert]

We had our monthly meeting (IPMS Austin) yesterday, and I got convinced to join a group build. Maybe I giggled too hard when one of the Gundam guys said he was going to build his 1st ever airplane model. But now I am challenged to build this.

Parts are all cut, I'm told they are all there (ha!) but no instructions, all I know is that it is a "HGUC Gunpla Zaku II".

After sorting the bits, my main challenge was to find instructions. Bandai kits are high quality for sure, and some parts are pretty obvious as to what they are, but not all. They are not available on Scalemates, but Bandia has them for viewing but not downloading.

I have plenty of time to return it in finished condition. Best pat of this challenge is there are no rules, I can paint it however, or not at all (of COURSE I'm painting it) but I can make it chrome, or paint it like a WWII soldier, or a flying purple people eater...WHATEVER!

I confess to being a little excited. If you have any ideas or inspiration I'm interested, since it is a snap together I am consider assembling most of it to get ideas. But since it is snap-together, I'm worried about seams. Do not think most Gundam/Gunpla folks use glue and putty...hmmm.

 

[Jakko]

Bandia has them for viewing but not downloading.

Searching for Bandai HGUC Gunpla Zaku II instructions I soon found these.

 

[Edbert]

Searching for Bandai HGUC Gunpla Zaku II instructions I soon found these.

Cool, and thanks!

This was the link I was using, some sort of viewer overlay in between.
https://manual.bandai-hobby.net/menus/detail/426

 

[Jakko]

Ah, yes, annoying embedded viewer. I'm fairly sure the actual file can be gotten out of that, but not using the iPad I'm currently on. I would have to look at it on my computer instead, where the browser has developer's tools.

 

[Edbert]

Anyone used to Gundam/Gunpla (I just learned they are somewhat synonomous) might notice that the kit I showed above is missing the soft plastic "poly" sprue. These are the parts like aircraft use on propellors, or armor uses on wheels that allow two parts to stick together but remain moveable.

I was able to swap out my free robot/armor-suit with another for the club challenge.

It was fully assembled and helps show what it will look like when finished. Of course I immediately took it apart, these Bandai kits are essentially snap-together models. They are of very high quality, but the seams are inevitable due to that nature. An old-school modeler like me has a hard time living with huge seams and raw plastic color. So my intent is to remediate that!

So it begins!

if you look close there was an attempt to seal the gaps with glue (90+% of Gundam builders do not use glue) and sand seams. I thought I did okay, until I put the Mr. Finisher 1500 on it, which showed all the imperfections :-(

I'll need to do another round at least, thinking of using 2000grit and even polishing compound because I want to wow them with metallic finishes. At least I have until January to show it. Because that will be 2026 I am considering a red-white-blue tinted metallic finish, maximum gloss, for the 250th celebration of the USA. But I'm constantly changing my mind and that is a long way off.