The Basics of How to Build a Gundam Model Kit

Gundam, a franchise of plastic model kits that started in the 1980's and continues to improve as Bandai pushes plastic model kit technology to its limits. As someone that has built models from this franchise for five years I wanted to share some basic tips on how to build these model kits. As the Franchise continues to grow older more products get added and so it can be daunting to get into the series. It also doesn't help with the preconceived notions around model kits requiring glue and paint to even look good, so it could be seen as an endeavor fit for masochists.

I am here to say that this isn't the case with Bandai's line of model kits. A fair comparison of the hobby would be like building with Lego, with the catch being that you have to cut the parts out yourself. Whether you are a fan of the franchise, or someone new thinking of getting into the hobby of building model kits, I hope this step by step basic guide can help you enjoy the process.

As I am still learning from this hobby there are some things shown that aren't the best like photos or explaining details. I want to encourage others to add some criticism as to how others can improve, and tips on how to become better at the hobby.

For this part you will need nippers(they are similar to pliers as the body plan is the same,but these have small blades that are designed to precisely cut a piece of plastic to a desired length), a hobby knife (preferably one with a handle), 400# and 800# grit sanding sticks. You won't need paint or glue for these types of projects, as the stickers and plastic pieces will give a faithful representation of the design.

The model kit can be from the 2020's or from the 1990's, but as long you get one then you have completed step one. To be honest it doesn't even matter if you pick a particular model kit due to the box art looking cool, or if you want to try building a model kit from a particular gundam series.

When unboxing a gundam model kit you are greeted with several runners, a sticker sheet, and an instruction manual. The manuals can range from foldout to booklet style depending on the grade of the model kit. As the instructions are normally on the bottom of the box take out the runners and set them aside, based on color or size and check the second to third page for the overview of the box's contents and parts list. If you have a higher end model ( grades: RG,MG,FM, and PG) you might be greeted by marking stickers, dry transfer, or water style decals that can add more details to the base model kit.

Here, you can get to see a brief overview of the parts lists and look at some of the pages to see what you are getting into. Remember like any other hobby it is time consuming, but you will feel accomplish when you are finished.

You might notice in this photo that there is a big E and the number 1 near the parts, in an instruction manual you might see E1 or E8, the 1, or 8 is the tag where you can find the part. The E on the top of the runner is a marker from the runner you need to get the part from, then look at the tag number for the part. The pictures on the manual will tell you how to orient the piece and just in case you are confused where a certain part is you can refer to the parts list.

On this part take some nippers and place the nippers closest to the runner and snip the part, but make sure to leave some of the plastic on the part. Then proceed to cut the excess plastic out of the plastic piece to get it prepped for step six. Don't become impatient during these upcoming steps and try to have fun while giving it your best shot. There are parts where you might have to consult the manual regarding cutting or not cutting a certain part, as they assume that you are already using nippers to cut parts.

In this step grab your sand paper and hobby knife as you will use these tools for step 6. First get a hobby knife and take the blade side of the knife and carefully cut the excess plastic that you weren't able to get off in step five. After that bring out your 400 grit sanding stick to completely get rid of the plastic. Then take your 800 grit sanding stick to polish the area as 800 grit sand paper is smoother to touch than 400 grit sand paper.

Now it is time for the satisfying part of the build process, assembling the body. You might want to refer to the instructions during assembly as certain parts are used for the build. Things like rotating and putting parts together before assembling other parts are important, as certain gimmicks and mechanisms won't work properly. As long as you trust the instructions with every fiber of your being, you should have a proper articulated robot that is ready for display.

Supplies: Tamiya panel line accent color, enamel paint thinner, Q tip, and patience.

You might notice lines around some parts when you build model kits, these are called panel lines. These lines might look great, but sometimes having a singular color can make these details hardly noticeable. For this project take a part from your gundam that has these details and get ready to work. It can be a minuscule detail but bringing out these details are essential for a great product that you can be proud of.

Take the piece you want to panel line, then unscrew the lid of the panel line accent color. You might notice a small brush in the picture, but don't worry the brush comes with every bottle of the Tamiya panel line accent color (as far as I know). Take the brush near the part and let the paint do the rest, as the paint will travel across the panel line. It might look messy after the application, but that is where the thinner and Q tip come into the equation. Unscrew the cap of the thinner and dip the Q tip into it and then gently wipe away the excess paint.

If you lose your manual you can go to https://manual.bandai-hobby.net/ for any particular manual that you lost as long as you remember the name. You can also look at upcoming releases to see how they are built, as I got all of my pictures like the HG caliburn model kit, FM 1/100 forbidden gundam, and MG 1/100 eclipse gundam from that particular site.