Project #11: 1/72 Zoids Gojulas HMM Model

Objective:

This has been a very long build process...
Close to 1 year in the making and 1 month of painting.

Due to my tight working schedule, build this monstrous model kit has been very challenging.
Nevertheless, managed to push on an complete it.

The Box:

The Build

All I can say is laborious! Especially the legs!
Google around and you know what I meant.
There's close to 1000 pieces to build... just remember to take it slow....

Otherwise, this is a pretty simple model kit to build. The fittings are excellent.
The joints are solid.

Painting

Seen some modellers painted a different scheme for this monster kit and some painted all the details on the model. An overkill for my preference. To me, this is suppose to be a fighting machine not a colourful machine for parade or a colourful target on a battle field...
Hence I prefer to stick as closed to the recommended colour on the box.

Colour used:
Black Surfacer = Just spray this on every parts!
Gun Metal = Most of the internals
Bright Silver = Pistons and exhaust vents
Bright Gold = Pistons and rivets

Midnight Blue = Base colour for the body armours
90% Midnight Blue + 10% White + dash of Orange Yellow = Highlights

Neutral Grey 3 = Base colour for the lighter body armours
Neutral Grey 2 = Highlights

It will be very tough if I did not have my 0.5mm airbrush!
The number of parts to paint are no joke.
Just look the the parts to paint for the lower torso:

More pics on the painted parts:

Yes! The DryBooth is an excellent gadget! Will have a review on it...

Assembling:

Ok. All done. Panelled lined and hand painted all required parts. Time for the most exciting step for this build.

Here are the pics:

The claw:

The tail (this is the most boring part in the assembling. Same steps but just take note of which part goes to which section):

Noticed that I did not show the leg? I was TOO exhausted with the legs... but it turned out... VERY beautiful. Not my painting.. its the design that rocks!

Completed:

Lesson learnt:
1) Make sure the smaller pieces are properly placed in  a container when it is in the DryBooth. Its hot enough to melt parts. Manage to recover a deformed part by heating it and reforming it back.

2) All small pieces should be attached to its bigger counterparts to prevent it from missing! Luckily manage to find it back after 1 day of searching!

Conclusion:

Ok... This is suppose to be a blog on Gunpla... Why Zoids here?
Well... This model is just too beautiful to miss. So, I build it and I'm very happy with it!
Bravo to Kotobukiya's designers and engineers on this model. And not forgetting their excellent after sale support!!!

Note:Will post the completed model once I get a proper digital camera. All above pics are taken from my iPhone. Hopefully it does justice.

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Project #10: MG MSN-06S Sinanju Ver. Ka

Objective:

Something I had wanted to build all these time. This is after all an icon in the Unicorn series.
It's so popular that there are so many references on the internet.
To make this uniquely mine style, I choose to

1) make it more sinister by giving it a darker red shading on its armour rather than metallic red.
2) To have an LED for its mono eye.
3) To have its stand to work for the model. (I have not thought of how...)

Est. Duration: 3 months

The Box:

Its stand (which I got it during my Japan trip!)

The Build:

The build is easy and it's a very straightforward model kit.

Now here are the mods for its mono eye:

Everything else are glued/putty/sand.

[Update]
Now comes the problem. How to make the stand "work" with the kit?
Initial plan is to have a connection between the model and the stand where the stand will hold the battery and the model will only hold the LED.

Painting:

All internals are painted with Gun Metal.
All verniers are painted with Star Bright Silver.
All armours are based coated with Black then shaded with Bright Red.
All black armours are painted with Gloss Black and shaded with Gloss Black + tint of white.
Then all coated with Gloss Clear.

All weapons are painted with Black + German Gray then shaded with German Gray. Then coated with Gloss clear mixed with a tint of Silver to give it a slight glitter.

Lastly, the gold.... painted with Bright Gold. Its a time consuming job...

End results:

Assembling:

Start with the straightforward parts:

Some armour

Running the wires....

Then the wires is suppose to be running through the stand.

Current idea is to have is solar powered... Still thinking...

Conclusion:

This Version Ka designs are almost perfect in terms of build and paint.
Main flaws in this kit are:

1) The head armor is made of 2 separated pieces thus giving it a very visible seam.
2) The gold linings for all its black armour... let's just say... will take up a lot ............ of time.

Other than that, this is an excellent kit!

Outstanding task is its stand...

Click here for more picture. [To be continued..]

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