Paly sophomore Bryson Zuur took interest in model kits after admiring his friends collection, “Model kits are like action figures, except you just get the parts at first, and then you have to build it,” Zuur said.
Gundam, a military sci fi anime featuring massive robots and politics, has a large variety of model kits produced by the company Bandai Namco and is the preferred option for Zuur.
“Many people passionate about Gundam view it as a way to express their creative side. They do more than just build the model provided, such as customizing Gundam by painting, carving, and also combining other kits to make something one of a kind,” Zuur said.
The first step in one’s model kit journey would be finding a kit that you gravitate towards. Vendors for model kits include Michaels, Ebay and Amazon. When you unbox your kit, you will see a few different objects including the runners which hold the pieces, your stickers and instruction manual.
Before starting your kit, you also need a very important tool: “Nippers, they are the things you cut the pieces out from the runners with, and it allows you to get a clean cut that’s not jagged, or makes the pieces look rough,” Zuur said.
Now comes the part where you actually build the model kit. Beginners may be curious . . . Where do I start? Alex, owner of Tatsu Hobby has been building model kits for over 30 years, “I started a long time ago as a young boy, collecting action figures and then found out about model kit[s]. I found it very fun and engaging and still do until today,” According to Alex, this is what his typical build process looks like:
“Read the manual”
“Take out the parts”
“Snap assemble”
“Move to the next step and repeat until it’s done. This is for no paint build,” Alex said.
This basic series of steps is what most many model kits will need for completion. For more intermediate to advanced builders, the next step is customizing. A harder step as Alex shares, is painting and adding decals to the kit, which in itself brings a whole new process for building:
“For paint builds: read the manual -> take out the parts -> clean the part by sanding and such -> assemble to see how parts fit -> modify parts and assemble (optional) -> place parts aside -> move to the next step and repeat until it’s done -> prime parts -> paint parts -> top coat parts -> panel line & decals -> final top coat -> assemble parts.”
Although far more time consuming and expensive, this process is definitely a fun experience for more veteran builders to push their skills.
Zuur’s current Gundam model kit collection display; featuring HG Phenex, HG Kshatriya, MG Zaku Gunner, HG Sinanju, 1/48 Unicorn, Clear ver RG Sinanju, RG Crossbones, HG Quebly and MG Thunderbolt Full Armor.
Building model kits is often a very time consuming process, but can be a great outlet for creativity. Yet, what are the downsides?
“The only downside is if you never get started on the hobby. This hobby is fun, rewarding, and gives you good hand coordination as well as reading instruction skills,” Alex said.
