Category: Models

Crafting +3

It’s time again for a craft upgrade. I’ve made a few things since Christmas, and some will wait for their own post, but here’s a few of the others. 

 
That’s all the parts for Gundam G (Self Perfect Pack) which is a 1/144 scale, not particularly expensive (<$20) kit. It’s a not particularly attractive version of the basic Gundam design that I bought because it has a gimmick. See this photo: 

 
Yes, it (intentionally) glows under UV light! Sure it’s garish and unsightly, but at least it glows!

Jokes aside this was a quick and easy build with the typical high quality Bandai brings to all Gundams. While it doesn’t require glue, I put a few drops in a couple of places to make it more secure. For the price, this is a good kit.

The next item was this: 

 
It’s a 3D sculpture made of cardboard! KLS got me this for Christmas and although it was very quick to assemble I was impressed with the precision and how nifty it looks complete. Here it is hanging in our kitchen (it’s about 2 feet tall): 

 
Lastly, another model kit: 

 
Yes, another Zoid, namely Cannon Tortoise. As with the others I have purchased, this was expensive, complicated to assemble, and very impressive once complete: 

 
It’s not much bigger than my palm, has articulated feet, a rotating (and rising/lowering) cannon, and a head/cockpit that can retract into the shell. 

It isn’t a kit for beginners, and it’s a little drab unpainted, but I greatly enjoyed making it and suspect it won’t be my last Zoid!

Construction Time Again

 
That’s the latest robot model I’ve built; this time another from Bandai’s Valvrave series (Valvrave VI to be precise). I know nothing of the manga or anime, only that these kits were cheap (~$20) and look distinctive.

Similar to the other one I made a while back, this is heavy in the sticker and transparent plastic department, but was quick and easy to assemble and looks pretty snappy assembled! 

 
My next project was this LED Christmas tree kit, assembled with a bit of solder and gumption from the pieces shown at left. It rests on a 9V trunk, and flashes prettily when pushed down on. (SFL would recognize this as a slightly larger ‘blinky thing.)
 
It was extremely simple to assemble – especially after the nixie clock from earlier this year. A fun little project for my desk at work! 

 
Lastly one of the new metal miniature Star Wars kits, this time the ‘Special Forces Tie Fighter’ from The Force Awakens. I love the new Tie design and was looking forward to making this kit.

But the difficulty was as high – higher even! – than any of the other kits of this type and I hated putting it together! Before you consider buying this one yourself, make sure you have high precision tools, superb lighting, invulnerable skin and the patience of a saint. Even then you’ll make unfixable mistakes like I did….

But it looks pretty great doesn’t it?

NYCC 2015 Day 4

  
Since we could only stay at the con a few hours today we focused on one last sweep of the main hall (well, about a third of it) and some last minute purchases. 

 
As always I love the vintage and the unusual, and were it not for getting sidetracked by a pile of ancient D&D modules (all of which I then bought) I nearly purchased a crazy expensive boxed Ultraman villian from the 80’s.

I didn’t buy this though: 

 
Or any of these: 

 
And certainly not this: 

 
I have to say though, I love that someone’s even trying to sell that. Yet another reason this con is so much fun.

I haven’t spoken of our celebrity sightings yet. Aside from the X-files panel, we probably saw fewer this year than ever before, and much of the sightings were like this: 

 
There were also much fewer people signing autographs this year as well, which may have been good because I doubt anyone could have topped the bizarre John deLancie from last year 🙂

Eventually, it was time once again for us to turn our backs on the con and head home. 

 
Since it’s KLS’s birthday today, we had sprung for a first-class room on the train home! It was cozy and comfortable, and came with a delicious meal in the dining car! 

 
Doesn’t she look happy!!

After four long and packed days we’re super tired, but once again we had a great time at NYCC. I’ll follow up in a few days with a post about some of the unusual loot we brought home with us…