ACen presentation

Check out the link here for more info about my panel at Anime Central next month.

Hyaku Shiki!

No decals/stickers yet. I put those on last night and need to make a few final adjustments. Final pictures soon.






One legged (I was detailing the other leg).

Weighting the foot of the Type 100

Ignore the audio in the videos.

Taking the test fitted foot apart to find places to pour in the #12 lead bird shot:

One of the core foot pieces, before and after chopping and grinding out the "snap together" pins (all the before and after shots read right to left):

The other core foot piece, again before and after removal of "snap together elements."

The base plate of the heel of the foot, before and after:

The upper plate of the heel, before and after:

The toe, upper plate, before and after:

The toe bottom plate, before and after:

I also trimmed down these tabs that fit into slots on the upper plate of the toe assembly to make room for just alittle more lead shot. Before:

...and after:

Here's how the part above looks in a before and after test fit, before:

...and after:

Here's the paint dropper that I use to pour the lead shot. I clipped the tip so the opening is larger than a regular paint pipette. It's standing in a tape roll so it won't empty tiny balls of lead onto my work table.

Here's me pouring the lead shot into the prepared foot part:

Here are the two base foot parts filled with lead and with their various holes sealed up with epoxy putty:

Another view:

The core of the foot, also filled and puttied:

I love a nice bead of glue on a seam line. This will clean up nicely:

The final piece:

Too bad you can't "see" how heavy it is now :)

Please let someone make a gift of this to me

Okay so I'm really getting down on my knees here.

I don't want to turn this blog into an Amazon wish list, but by all that is holy this looks like an amazing kit!

For those unwilling to click the link I'm reprinting HLJ's pics below:








For one who has long wished for a Ban Dai Master Grade-style Five Star Stories kit, this is the closest that dream will probably ever get to coming true.

The old saying that the way to a man's heart is through his stomach is true enough, but an awesome toy-for-grown-ups will get my heart pounding too.

Leg assembly and completed lower torso: Hyaku Shiki

I finished the body assembly on my Master Grade Hyaku Shiki yesterday, here's a little peek at it:




I know that it is yellow, not gold. I wanted to build this without painting it to create a how-to for those kit builders who don't or maybe can't deal with the painting side of the hobby.

I imagine I will paint this by and by, but for now I like the way it looks "in the raw."

One difference between hardcore Gundam builders and hardcore FSS builders is that the former get into shading with the beloved "Max Technique" and weathering and bashing and dioramas, while the latter dwell obsessively on stuff like resculpted shoulder insignia bas-relief paintings and other "cosmetically beautifying" efforts. Gundams are all about the narrative while Mortar Headds are about sculptural beauty.

Guess which side of the coin I fall on...