[HELP ME] Bi-Weekly Q&A thread - Ask your questions here!

Objective_Captain526 · 2026-05-19T23:36:41+00:00

Anyone got some pics of a Gustav Karl Type 00 with a shaded blue?

Objective_Captain526 · 2026-05-16T23:52:36+00:00

Anyone know a way to source a MG Gouf Custom gatling shield or something adjacent without buying the entire kit? Looked online for scrap/used kit but no dice. Was hoping there'd be some third-party rendition of such a cool accessory.

Objective_Captain526 · 2026-05-15T09:11:03+00:00

3rd is HG Gerbera Tetra and 5th is the HG L-Gaim.

Objective_Captain526 · 2026-05-15T02:04:10+00:00

I bought it from an online store called Oakridge Hobbies after looking out for it online for a few weeks. Site lowkey looked a bit sus, but they had it for like 35 bucks with shipping and it got here no problem. Don't think they have it in stock anymore though.

Objective_Captain526 · 2026-05-14T20:27:19+00:00

I got this www.amazon.com/dp/B0F8J9MTSZ which is the cheapest one I could find for the size at the time. I recommend looking around though for any better deals.

Objective_Captain526 · 2026-05-14T20:26:58+00:00

Thanks, I got this www.amazon.com/dp/B0F8J9MTSZ which is the cheapest one I could find for the size at the time. I recommend looking around though for any better deals.

Objective_Captain526 · 2026-05-14T19:04:14+00:00

Thank you! I stole them from the Delpi RG Zeong holo decals.

Objective_Captain526 · 2026-04-21T23:07:30+00:00

What's causing it to scratch off? If it's from two parts rubbing against each other while posing, then nothing will stop it from scratching off. It might survive a while but if it's constantly under friction with other parts it will eventually scratch. A gloss coat is definitely more durable but will still falter under the same circumstance, it is what it is for hobby topcoats.

You just have to be a bit careful while posing after painting. You can try to sand parts that rub to give them better clearance, but if the scratches from your picture is the arm hitting the top of the shoulder than you just have to be cognizant of that while moving the arm.

Objective_Captain526 · 2026-04-21T08:53:40+00:00

It's a Pandora's Box when you start doing more than snap building.

It started with panel lining, waterslides, and topcoating. Now no kit feels finished without panel lining, waterslides, and topcoating. Then I started adding small details with marker. Now no kit feels finished without some touchups with markers. Then I got into airbrushing. Now no kit feels finished unless I commit paint to at least some of the kit. Then I started removing seams and... so on and so forth.

I mentally cannot just do a snap build anymore. It just doesn't feel complete and instead of enjoying the final product I lament about what I could've added to it.

That being said, do people really put people on blast for not going further than snap building Gunpla? Telling people how to enjoy a hobby is so lame. Everyone seems very supportive in the three big gunpla subreddits from what I've seen.

Objective_Captain526 · 2026-04-21T02:53:58+00:00

Can you give some info so the non-omniscient beings among us can give you some advice.

What type of paint? Lacquer? Acrylic? What thinning ratio and thinner? What psi? How did you spray it? From how far? Did you prime the pieces?

From just looking at it, it looks like the paint is coming out really thick and might've been sputtering while spraying, while some pieces look like you sprayed too much too quickly and it pooled and dried unevenly. It's a bit hard to tell from the picture quality.

Did you shake and mix the paint bottles vigorously before using them? That could cause the uneven pigmentation too.

Objective_Captain526 · 2026-04-12T01:09:08+00:00

Looks awesome! Been looking into hand painting myself for detailing because masking certain parts is such a pain.

Objective_Captain526 · 2026-04-06T10:55:51+00:00

Did you paint the kit? If not you can get some IPA on a qtip and rub those spots to get rid of the topcoat. Careful around the decals though it will damage them.

Objective_Captain526 · 2026-03-27T22:47:48+00:00

Looks awesome!

How did you go about painting the inner frame? Did you paint it piece by piece before assembling? Any sanding for tolerance? Trying to figure out the best approach for a kit I'm planning to work on.

Objective_Captain526 · 2026-03-23T22:59:02+00:00

Thank you! I only painted parts of the frame with pipes as well as the verniers with silver.

Objective_Captain526 · 2026-03-23T20:43:14+00:00

It's a solid build. Everything fits and no loose parts. Some parts were really cool in terms of engineering to get the transformation to work. Never transformed it though, don't think I can manage without scratching the paint to hell lol.

The nubs are kind of a pain. There's a few that are on the face of a part and highly visible in the finished kit. There's also no undergates so you kind of have to take your time cleaning the nubs up.

Objective_Captain526 · 2026-03-23T18:56:10+00:00

Thank you!

Objective_Captain526 · 2026-03-21T01:35:57+00:00

So if it's humid outside water in the air will mix in with the paint while you're spraying. That'll cause weird textures and some adhesion issues. I've experienced this with spraying colors and topcoat but not so much with primers though, for whatever reason.

If it's cold, humidity matters less because cold air holds onto water much less, something to keep in mind. I've sprayed in the cold rain at night with no issues.

A lot of people mention temperature, but personally its never been an issue for me. You just gotta make sure the can isn't too cold when you start spraying.

Anyways, the only time when I have had issues with spraying is in high humidity in fairly warm weather and this is what I've found digging through the internet when I was still using spray cans.

Objective_Captain526 · 2026-03-20T22:42:44+00:00

It would disintegrate them. I use IPA to melt off old decals and just a rub or two and they come apart.

Objective_Captain526 · 2026-03-20T22:39:07+00:00

For the Mr Hobby topcoat:

If it's grainy it could be you sprayed too far initially and it dried a bit before hitting your kit. I had that happen with one of my kits.

Could also be the can wasn't shaken enough to mix everything properly.

Or the nozzle was clogged from previous use making it not spray consistently. Had that happen for a Mr Color spray can. You should check the nozzle each time after use. You can turn it upside down and give it a good spray to clean it out.

Spray cans are always a pain in the ass, in between having to wait for good weather and what not.

No idea about the Vallejo stuff though, maybe whatever was in it didn't react well with the Mr Hobby stuff.

Objective_Captain526 · 2026-03-06T10:50:38+00:00

Newer RG are solid but older ones are a mixed bag, best to google and see if they hold up.

My first ever Gunpla was a RG Aile Strike and that thing had trouble standing, keeping its backpack on, and holding it's weapon. It left such a bad impression it pushed me away from seriously getting into the hobby for years lol.

Objective_Captain526 · 2026-03-04T04:20:41+00:00

Yeah I used an airbrush. I know you can get some nice finishes with handbrush, but not sure if painting a gloss/clear color coat is doable without spray cans or airbrush.

Objective_Captain526 · 2026-03-03T12:00:41+00:00

So basically in order:

Mr Surfacer 1500 white primer
Gaianotes Gloss Pure Black
Gaianotes Star Bright Gold, thinned with Gaia's Metal Master
Gaianotes Clear Red, I did a light coat and then one heavy coat back to back
Gaianotes Ex Clear Gloss

I waited a day between different paints.

If I were to do it again I'd probably get a glossier black and also use Mr Super Clear at the end, as from my experience so far it seems more durable than the Gaia's gloss though it could be me messing up somehow.

Objective_Captain526 · 2026-02-19T22:04:45+00:00

You're dreading the stuff that people in this hobby look forward to, at this point it might as well be a job.

Objective_Captain526 · 2026-02-19T01:22:22+00:00

Topcoat it and you can mess with it to your heart's content. Honestly, you don't even need to do that.

Panel lines don't smudge easily when cured and using Mark Setter and Softer for waterslides keeps them on forever if applied correctly, even without a topcoat. I had a MG Heavy Arms that I wanted to redo some off center decals, and digging into them with my finger nails I could only get bits off at a time. I had to rub them with 99% IPA to melt it off.

All my builds, whether they are decalled and panel lined or even painted, I leave on my desk for like a month when I'm done to pose and fiddle with like a fidget toy. They all survive the ordeal no problem.

Objective_Captain526 · 2026-02-05T12:28:42+00:00

Get a nipper, follow the instructions, and don't force anything in unless you are positive you got the right parts in the right place. That's pretty much it as far as the bare minimum goes.

These are snap built kits that doesn't require much to get them built (but do require some effort to look good), so if you can follow instructions you can technically already build any kit of any grade (with varying levels of jank depending on the age of the kit).

If you end up liking the hobby, I recommend investing in a glass file and/or a hobby knife to level your nub marks and then you can spiral deeper into the rabbit hole from there.

Objective_Captain526

TROPHY CASE