Beginning your Journey

Knowledge is Power

If you have a good idea of what Gundam and Gunpla is (if you don’t, check out my last post!) and want to begin your journey, I will go over what is to be expected in your model kit and the tools you need to build it.

Inside the Gunpla Box

If you have bought or yet to have bought your model kit, here a are list of things that you will likely find inside the box.

A manual detailing the steps for assembly

Front Cover of Manual

All the Runners of this kit

The plates AKA Runners holding the pieces in place

Runner

Stickers for some parts

Stickers

The Tools You Need 

-         Nippers

-        Hobby Knife

-        Sanding Stick (or a filer)

-        Tweezers

The four up there are the bare minimum for you to assemble your kit. There are tons more tools out there to help make your kit look extravagant but if you are just starting, those tools will do. Here is a picture down below of the tools.

Left to Right, Nippers, Hobby Knife, Tweezers, Sanding Stick

How to use the tools

The Nipper is the tool to cut the pieces that are on the runners. The bits that are attaching the pieces to runner are called “Gates” and what you want to do is cut those off from the runners.

Red Circle shows the "Gates"

When the pieces have been removed from the runner, you may notice that on the piece there is a white mark that is left. That is called a “nub mark” or “stress mark”. Here is where the hobby knife and sanding sticks/filers come into play. First you take the hobby and carefully carve out the thick parts of the nub and then use the sanding sticks to smooth down the nub so that it is gone or at least, less visible.

Smoothed out nub mark

Some parts will require you to place a sticker and many of the stickers are quite small, so this is where the tweezer will come to help. When the holding the sticker sheet, locate the required sticker, hold one side firmly and pull back on the sheet until the other side is off the sheet. Use the tweezers to pick up the sticker and then place on the piece.

Sticker on Tweezer

The Gunpla Kit: Scales & Grades

So, you have just started getting into Gunpla and most likely you are confused by all the different scales like 1:144, 1:60, 1:100. What this simply means is that the Gunpla kit is simply scaled down to a size that it has been allocated, for e.g. 1:100 means that the Gundam is 100 times smaller than what the actual size of the Gundam is in the show.

The other term is Grades and there is a whole range of it but to keep it brief, I will go over three which are High Grades, Master grades and Real Grades which are explained below.

High Grades

High Grades (HG) are considered by most to be the easiest way to into Gunpla building. They are often the most affordable and almost all line of Gundams and Mobile suits are in this grade, be it the protagonist’s, side characters or the antagonist’s ones. Many of the kits are 1/144 scale and this grade is perfect for beginners to begin a collection as they are small, compact, and easy to display as they do not take up much room. HG kits are moderately detailed but with some extra effort such as painting or panel lining, it can stand out. If you want to get started, then this Grade is where to go.

Master Grades

Master Grades (MG) are a step above HGs as they are pricier to get into, but the reward is the amount of detailing, gimmicks and mechanics that come with the kit. Some kits even come with LED lights! MGs are only available in the 1/100 scale and the unique feature of Master Grades is that they have a “inner frame” which can be described as the skeleton of the Gunpla. Most Master Grades are detailed when straight assembled and often do not require extra work as they look excellent when completed. However, if you are wanting to stand, there are stickers and decals to add extra detail to the kits. If you are wanting more of building challenge, then this grade is the step upwards.

Real Grades

Real Grades (RG) is seen as the fusion of the High Grades 1/144 scale with the mechanics, gimmicks, and the inner frame of a Master Grades! The term “Real Grade” refers to the makers of the kit want to show what the kit would look like if it was made more “realistically”.  In terms of price it is roughly in the middle between High Grades and Master Grades. So, if you want Master Grade but no more space for them except for High Grades then Real Grade kits may be just for you!

I have only scratched the surface of Gunpla building but this should be enough for you to dive into the Gunpla world and begin your first kit!!

I hope to post again soon next time

Peace out – Andrew