I spent the whole day sandpapering. My hands hurt.
I have started taking a garage kit building course at XenoHobby. Today was the first lesson. I will post weekly updates here after every lesson.
The kit I have chosen is Miina Tsukishiro from Getsumento Heiki Miina which spun off from the live action Densha Otoko series and based on the legendary Daicon videos made by the people that would go on to form Gainax. But whatever, it’s a cute girl with two ginormous carrots, alright?
Anyway, first you take all the parts out of the box (duh) and then compare it to the included part list. If any part is missing, cry and give up. Then it’s time for the most exciting part of building a resin figurine: cutting off the flash and sandpapering the hell out of everything until it’s so smooth that it slides out of your hands.
Example of a flash:
The piece above is from a different kit (I’m sure you recognize it), since I have already sandpapered the hell out of Miina and her carrots. (Kinky.)
Remember what I said about this being the most exciting part of assembling a resin kit? I lied. It sucks completely. In fact, prisoners at Guantanamo are often forced to sandpaper resin figurines until they cry and confess. It’s more effective than waterboarding.
I used two grades of sandpaper, 240C and 600C. The higher the number the finer the grain. Since I’m lazy, I tend to stick to the 240C one because it’s much faster…which is probably a bad idea since it’s rougher and destroys details more easily. Oh well.
There they are, all smooth and…white. And that’s all I did for the first lesson. This could take longer than I expected…
But at least I am another step closer to building my own customized Haruhi Bunny. :3
Check back for the second update soon (i.e. one week from now). It’ll be about…uh…I forgot to ask. Oh well, I’m sure whatever it is, it’ll be more exciting than sandpaper. :)
P.S. My lessons are tentatively every Saturday afternoon at XenoHobby’s South Bridge Road location (Tel: 65323850). The course costs S$50 including use of tools but excluding materials and kit. Come join me!
you could have spent your time sanding at home or something. leave them to teach you how to drill in pins to hold the parts, masking, priming, painting, gluing etc etc.
Next would be painting some parts, then glueing, then painting the rest! :P
MIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINAAAAAAAAAAAA!!! The Gestumen Touheiki Miina aired last night (eagerly waiting for the RAW to appear).
Is that a genuine Miina kit or a ‘friendly’ version?
Considering the original was a wanfesu limited release…
What’s a good online resource for learning how to do this kind of stuff?
I’ve found bits and pieces scattered around the interwebs, but not much in the way of an actual guide… and anything I did find was geared towards military model type things.
I have a few kits I’m still trying to work up the courage to work on when I have the time…
FUUUUCK. I SAID TO INFORM ME WHEN YOU TAKING UP CLASSES. But I won’t be able to go anyway so meh. lol
Aren’t menial tasks supposed to be done outside of the classroom, and teaching actually how to do it is what they’re supposed to be doing in the classroom?
http://codyscoop.com/models/how-to/
@ Beowulf
Not in Asia – wax on, wax off.
I kid, I kid :P
Oh yeah, you may want to check out the Febuary issue of Dengenki Hobby. There’s a step-by-step work in progress guide of bunny girl figure though the chap simplifies the process by using clear paints to get his stocking effect instead of fishnets.
Hey! I want to join in as well. Been looking for someone to start resin kits with :)
By the way, what time is it on saturday afternoons?
Beowulf: Learning how to sandpaper is part of it.
Windbell: any time actually. It’s very flexible.
If I didnt have my O lvls this year I would have practically flew over to join in ;_;
Wait till you get started on the paint work. Have fun with teh air brush.
Cant wait to see the completed product.
Here’s a piece of advice, try not to set your standards too high, you’ll find yourself very unsatisfied with the results and you’ll be stripping the paint off the kit and redoing it over and over again. Know and acknowledge your skills.
wat will you be doing next? after sanding, will it be painting? or even making your own cast bunny?
There is more than just that few processes, but of course primering might be one of them.
Lol this reminds me of my Gundam course at Nakamoto’s. People here must understand that the course charges not by duration or lessons. It’s the whole process. So learning how to sand is part of it.
Good luck. My first proper Gundam turned out quite good actually.
I didn’t have a proper first Gundam, but the first MG I did is technically one though (Zeta Plus C1, now on to the Zeta Gundam 2.0).
Be careful with sticking the parts together, it’s one of the hardest part. And primering is one of the importat process IIRC, since it does help in painting or something.
Never got into resins because I didn’t want to mess things up and they’re expensive. This looks like it’s going to be an interesting series of posts.
LOL, now you become my 师弟，anyway I think you might finish your Mina before my Saber.
Once you start painting your Mina, you will probably be sticking the pieces at the shop rather than bringing it back home and forth for each session.
So you are the one who is painting the mina thats make me ur 师哥. Anyway have fun sanding, as i told you it took me 1 week to sand everything. The hardest part is yet to come.
ganbatte~!