From the Bottom Up

I decided I would start on the three kits from the feet and work my way upwards. Yes, usually the manual starts from the torso but how often do I pay any attention to what the manual states?


With the RX-78-2 Ver 2.0 and GM Ver 2.0 having the same frame the assembly was pretty straightforward, times two. The Ver Ka, on the other hand... even simpler.

Here's the RX-78-2 Ver 2.0 feet. There is quite a lot going on here. The Ver 2.0 has flexibility in the feet allowing them to fold up so he can fit in the G-Armor/Fighter (or whatever that thing is). I haven't done much with the nubs left from the sprue cutting yet. I am not going to be painting so I will have to trim them down then sand them with a fine grade of sandpaper.

The GM Ver 2.0 feet. Exactly the same as the RX-78-2, except in tacky green. I have since taken the green off, sanded it, and painted it, however the paint tended to build up and I will have to do quite a lot of sanding before I do another coat. Blah!

Compared to the Ver 2.0 the Ver Ka feet are extremely simple. Only 5 pieces (counting polycaps) required.

I think they look better than the Ver 2.0 feet. I always considered the Ver 2.0 feet to be too small and almost out of scale, but they need to be for it to be compatible with the G-Armor/Fighter

Next up, the legs and your first glimpse at the Clear Armor Parts!

An Ambitious Project! (Who's quitting?)

In a previous blog entry I wrote that I was quitting Gunpla to focus my time and attention on my loved ones. Shortly after I wrote that sentence my boss at work called me over and handed me this!
Bandai had kindly given us a sample of the RX-78-2 Ver. 2.0 With Bonus Clear Parts and I, being the resident Gunpla fanatic, was tasked with the building. I love my job. I need to have it finished by January 15th. That's the deadline. Luckily I have a week off work starting today.

This did present a problem, however. I had told my lovely wife that I was going to stop building these things so that I could spend my time with her. When I talked with her about what my boss wanted me to do, she said that it would be fine. Yay! Awesome wife, FTW!

I have decided to appease both parties and I will be waking up at 6 AM to build while everyone else is sleeping.

Then I had an idea. When I decided to give up on the Gunpla, I still had some unbuilt kits sitting around my room. What if I tried to build a few by January 15th? Hmm...

The GM ver 2.0

I picked up this when it was on sale at the local Toys R Us a few months back. Seeing as it has the same internal frame as the RX-78-2, it will be fairly quick and simple. I think.

RX-78-2 Ver. Ka

This one I won in a Yahoo auction for 900 yen. I figure I will build two RX-78-2 and see how they compare. Obviously the Ver Ka is lacking in posability that the Ver 2.0, yet I think it should be quite fun as well.


Can I do it? Can I assemble 3 MG kits in just over 2 weeks? The RX-78-2 comes with bonus clear parts so I will essentially be building two sets of armour. I won't be painting either of the RX-78-2 but I will paint the armour on the GM (I don't like that green). I will be topcoating and using waterslide decals on all thee, but I have to get a hold of the Ver Ka decals from somewhere.
So there you have it. I am going out with a bang (maybe).

It's better to burn out than to fade away.

Lukas Strike Gallery pt II

Kit: MG Lukas' Strike E + IWSP

I finally got around to taking some pictures of him standing. Well, more accurately, I finally got him standing and quickly took some pictures. I also experimented with the enhance option on the photo editor on my work Mac.

and I know I said I was done with the Gunpla, but as it turns out, I have one more ambitious project to take care of. More on that later.

The Yellowbird spreads its wings

at Pheonix Ignite 5

For those of you who may not know (and I was one of you) Ignite is a series where people get a chance to give a presentation on their passions to an auditorium full of people using slides and a 5 minute time limit. I was contacted by a gentleman by the name of Jonathan MacNamara asking me if he could use some pics from this blog for his presentation on Gunpla. Of course, I was very humbled that I would be asked such a thing and readily gave him my blessing. Rather than speak for him, I will post a link to his blog entry and the Youtube video so everyone can see his great presentation for his/herself.

Thanks again, Jonathan! Your presentation was awesome and I am glad I could have been a part of it in some small way.

The blog


The video

Lukas Strike Gallery

Kit: MG Lukas' Strike E + IWSP

Check out more pictures of the Lukas Strike in Gallery #2!

and you thought I was done...

Almost wrapped up!

Only one part to top-coat and perhaps dirty up a bit and he is done! With some good sunny weather this weekend I managed to decal and flat top-coat the weapons and almost all of the I.W.S.P. Only the cannons (or whatever those things are) for the pack remain.

As you can see, there was some masking done here.

And here as well. ;)

The sword-thingy was roughed up to make it look very worn and well-used. I think the result is pretty good.

The shield probably took the longest amount of time to complete. Many different colours were used here as well as the damage/dry brushing time spent.

A close up of the shield reveals the pock marks or bullet holes or.. well, it just looks damaged, does it not?

And the mighty Integrated Weapons System Pack.

The Dark Blue Mica Tamiya spray really reacts to humidity levels (right, Rob!), but the result was that it looks faded or worn in certain places and because of the effect I am trying to achieve seems to work admirably. The decals are part Bandai Waterslides, Bandai Dry Transfer, and Samuel Decal Waterslides. Some of them have been purposely defaced.

The next post will be the photo shoot and then possibly my last posting in this blog. I have recently been experiencing some personal/familial issues and, as much as I enjoy this new hobby of mine, I need to set aside time to be with my loved ones and show them they are number one in my life. If I devote as much time to my significant other as I have been doing to gunpla, hopefully the ship will right itself and I can get back to enjoying life and making those around me enjoy theirs.

But I will defiitely be keeping up to date with everyone else's work. Fighto! You know who you are, gunpla brethren. /end cheese.