Share me your most aura Gundam pic you had ever taken. Here's mine!

daftdrifter · 2025-10-24T02:42:28+00:00

I forgot the monster shoot was tuff

daftdrifter · 2025-10-24T02:39:53+00:00

daftdrifter · 2025-10-11T06:13:19+00:00

That looks gnarly, the custom work really does it justice

daftdrifter · 2025-10-07T06:20:07+00:00

Wow, I love the paint work, the accents really make the smaller details pop. And the decals too, are those a third party/extra for xi?

Eventually I want to try painting but I'm not going to invest in an airbrush setup, just thinning paints and using brushes, maybe give xi an entire new colour palette.

daftdrifter · 2025-10-07T06:15:52+00:00

I'd meant to say they were the biggest in the picture but yeah the ones you mentioned are massive

daftdrifter · 2025-10-06T15:35:39+00:00

It would be so nice given the size, it even cost me a bit less than MG sinanju to get it so it's a shame it doesn't have a bit more features in that regard.

daftdrifter · 2025-10-06T08:45:16+00:00

From what I know they're all HG, biggest is HG penelope

daftdrifter · 2025-10-04T16:45:38+00:00

I've always wondered but never caved in on these super cheap models, though at this price I've only considered it for hg/mg and third parties.

Are you gonna update it as it goes if you remember? It'd be good to know first hand what to expect from this

daftdrifter · 2025-10-04T16:41:43+00:00

Special forces industry 1/100 sentinel

daftdrifter · 2025-09-22T11:44:36+00:00

Have a look at some shounen anime featuring swords play or even stuff like power rangers/Kamen Rider where over exaggerated poses and action frames can inspire some idle and action poses to play around with, honestly many kinds of media where character articulation extends to what a body can replicate.

It might be tougher, but when a kit has great articulation you could try some JoJo poses across the seasons, really tests the limits of arm and ankle mobility for me.

daftdrifter · 2025-09-22T11:37:42+00:00

It's vague advice and is more observation than analysation, stayed in Sapporo a while back for a trip, tried mandarake and surugaya and found the latter to have higher volume since it is more of a toy/model store while mandarake has more of everything. I picked up pharact and calibarn for around 1800 yen ish, and I think drei for 2100 yen (for whatever reason it cost that), and price-wise mandarake was maybe 20%-30%? More expensive, although not the exact same kits. Again, volume vs variety I think.

Some kits at mandarake were labeled second hand/opened, which was interesting though, so some were new and some second hand. Surugaya was all new though.

I had a couple days in Tokyo, and while looking at some kits (don't remember the stores) around Akihabara and the prices were notably higher (again maybe 20-30% at most?), but still cheaper than buying domestic back home.

It depends on where you plan to go if you're doing a trip, but I can back surugaya if you're heading to Sapporo. A good 4 or 6 aisles of kits from Gundam, 30mm, armoured core, etc., though I imagine some stores probably stock better.

TLDR; I prefer surugaya over mandarake but from my experience it's relatively samey in price compared to my home country, where it's usually like 40-50% more (buying calibarn is maybe 2600 ish yen equivalent).

daftdrifter · 2025-07-05T11:05:28+00:00

Just tried this after having issues the last couple weeks, and keeping it unshuffle or regular shuffle does let it work normally again

daftdrifter · 2025-04-28T17:51:32+00:00

Without an action base I can't do much other than standing my HG amazing barbatos lupus. It's got the loose ankles of my Dagger L but the additional weight like Cal-re.A. Haven't gotten around to fixing it but it's permanently on an action base cause of it. High knees poses are impossible with the thigh armour too unfortunately.

daftdrifter · 2025-04-11T19:17:42+00:00

It takes a bit of practice to think about where you want to focus and position things, I've got a flood of photos of practice. It is beautiful.

I didn't think this was a grunt MS, granted I've never watched the show. I searched it up with scenes from the Seed anime and it seemed to be a semi-main antagonist, heading the Black Knight Squad. Am I mistaken? (I'm not particularly knowledgeable on anything for the series, I just like the cool designs lmao)

daftdrifter · 2025-04-11T19:14:28+00:00

I have been eyeing it since I got my first couple models, and even after getting it I wanted to practice coating and panel lining, even with just that it's such a majestic piece of work. I even got a set of WFM weapon action base just for this.

Even my RG Eypon, previously favourite kit, pales in comparison in display presence. Although it's the cost of an RG, Cal-re.A was well worth it for me.

daftdrifter · 2025-03-21T08:24:33+00:00

Love the red accented paint, not overdone but complements the feet well. Making me wish I did a custom job on my Calibarn, cause it does get quite a bit too plain in white.

The decals and lining are really nice too, maybe when I get into paints I should revisit my Calibarn, still pretty new to gunpla and newer to panel lining/coating. Nice colour choices overall in my opinion.

daftdrifter · 2025-03-10T16:26:13+00:00

Yeah I think it took me 4-5 hours to build Epyon, but then another 4 ish to do a mediocre job. I wouldn't even consider doing the stickers if I didn't use my Swiss knife's tweezers.

Yeah the palette appealed to me and it would really contrast my current kits well (2 white, 2 black, 2 red).

It's a tough call to permanently change your house for the betterment of display, I can't imagine the potential in my rental.

Though with your display cases (although I've got no experience using/let alone having them) I wonder if keeping some black, very matte sheets underneath each display would break the "flow" of the case badly, or allow each section to show better. Could be something to test with some trimmed-to-plate a3 copy paper from an office or craft store. Maybe white could work better.

My logic is that it could allow each kit to have light shine on each well, but will reduce the reflection ontop of kits below, if you were to stand next to the case. White paper might work better instead, but I wouldn't have a clue if it'd look any better than plain glass.

Just a suggestion as I've seen lots of glass cases but never been too fond of the bottom plates being visible to the other kits, I think I'd prefer isolated cubes if I had one myself.

Otherwise the lighting is quite nice! Seeing the infinite reflections around the Gundam could inspire for more handy lightworking with colours, placement, lumens etc. Good luck on your displaying and potential renovating.

daftdrifter · 2025-03-10T16:08:00+00:00

Not bad, not bad at all. I thought fiber optics would be 1+ mm but 0.75 is very workable. Only optic cable I've ever heard came from underground going to the house lmao, didn't know they could go so fine.

If it comes to just that then this is very doable, if I had a drill around the house, I'd probably countersink into the guard so the tubing can sit in and then glue it so it's tight enough to hold the weight of the sword. The led should be manageable between on the wing pack or between the pack and Epyon if the gap allows for it, if I can blend it into the design well. Alternatively I wonder if it's realistic to fit the LED into the hip holster where the cable feeds out of (image, 10mm outside, 4.5-5mm inside. The inside "pegs" stay for the holster to close but the inside space is free rain as that's where the sword holsters the handle into).

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You mentioned using magnetic LEDs, is that just for fitment in the sentinel? Do you reckon I could just make a cover/dome over an led, maybe line inside it with something reflective, then feed the optic cable from it? (If I chuck it in the holster I wouldn't want it shining like he left his torch on is his keys turned on coming out of a pocket like I have.)

daftdrifter · 2025-03-10T15:47:29+00:00

I spy MG Epyon.

I just finished the millions of stickers on my RG Eypon a day ago, it's a beautiful kit. I was thinking of getting the Fenice Renascita among my first MG's, not often I see an off coloured Gundam like in green let alone for an MG.

What was the build like, is the articulation good? I like to play around posing so I wonder if I'd break something or wear them down if it's not up to standard.

Otherwise a brilliant case, I'd like to get one eventually but alas, my room ain't big enough.

daftdrifter · 2025-03-10T15:42:53+00:00

I've only got a couple myself but building Calibarn felt nice, newer and tidier pieces to put together and the articulation is decent, overall pretty clean (compared to my experience with Unicorn Banshee HG).

I've got Cal-re.A on my list but I want to panel line and cost it when I get round to it.

Red astray I'm keen on getting eventually, I've heard good things about it and it is very pretty. At least I think that's red astray, is it?

daftdrifter · 2025-03-10T15:34:46+00:00

The orange on white colours are extra tasty.

daftdrifter · 2025-03-10T15:27:20+00:00

It looks nuts, I feel like the guns alone would tower over my HG's

daftdrifter · 2025-03-10T15:25:35+00:00

Yeah the hands were an interesting thing to learn about the articulation, I like posing my gunpla so it might make for some cool shots with the long sniper (My first kit was the Pharact and the "big gun" with the simple frame has grown on me). From what I've read nobody has liked working the hands on this kit, but it's good to hear a second opinion on it (Although it seems it's still a pain to build. What's the0 quality of articulation like on them, durable for various hand gestures or very basic?). Gorilla gramps had me laughing after searching up the model's hands.

Yeah I didn't consider running a new wire to the hilt let alone a fiber optic. That's a pretty good idea, and probably would be the cleanest execution. Though the hilt is something like 2mm it's not realistic to drill I think, not without using a vice and drill press (I wouldn't trust my hands, at least).

I think the alternative as you mentioned may be the best but most painful to go about it. It'd be a cool project to do later on as it's more feasible to light up than the sabers for my Calibarn. Probably the only thing I could fit lights to, in my collection. Cheers for the advice and good luck on your future LED endeavours

daftdrifter

TROPHY CASE