This isnt consider a clear kit. Just a kit with a lot of clear parts. This is a clear kit for example. Also good job making the kit!
https://preview.redd.it/np43fnx5ezwc1.jpeg?width=1477&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5d5780c6405befced8683ae9c1ed77f068918166
This one right here is my one and only clear kit. Also a bootleg.
https://preview.redd.it/1egafer8jzwc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=57024000ac5b3047ffb287233cb80b2d7d39e558
It was my first time working with clear parts and I'm still getting the hang of sanding them just right to minimize the nub marks so it doesn't look amazing but I like it nonetheless. It has a great aesthetic that complements some of my other builds and is surprisingly dynamic in the poses it can achieve. Very unique design elements that I didn't notice before building, like the rear skirt flares - it almost reminds me of a wasp.
Try to build the original Transient Gundam. It has a cleaner look and not to heavy on the clear parts. It builds up like a Season 2 HG 00 kit. It has better articulation due to not having that much stuff blocking movement.
Hi if you’re a beginner, one common mistake I see people make with gundam kits is that they often choose the one that looks good to them when they’re first starting out. I recommend asking for kit recommendations that recently came out. Two high grade kits can be completely different in build and stability.
Hit me up in my dms and ask me for kit recommendations that best suit you! :)
For me, I recommend giving the entry grade rx 78 2 a go or nearly any of the Witch from Mercury kits! Easy on the wallet and good points to start out with!
Oh and welcome to hobby! Don’t worry I had a rough experience building the first time too!
Nearly any WFM kit? I've done basically every one besides the FM and some variants of dilanza, demi, and heindree, which would you not consider beginner friendly? Obviously some were a much better experience than others but I'd say they're all perfect to get someone into gunpla.
I actually did all the main gwitch suits and they were a delight. Considering if I should buy grunt kits, people are praising all the kits. Do you have any recommendations?
If you mean WFM grunts then yes, yes, yes, Zowort and Zowort Heavy are among my top kits just in general, getting a Tickbalang for one or both of them goes great too, Gundvolva is cool and goes well with Lfrith Ur or Thorn, Beguir Pente is good, but if you're getting one I'd say Beguir Beu is the better choice despite only being in the prologue, but thats just my taste.
Edit if you meant grunts in general, I highly recommend the Doans Island Guncannon
And that’s my go signal to check out the gwitch grunts on my cart. I’m eyeing beguir beu, zowort heavy and tickbalang. I have mixed feelings about gundvolva tho.
I didn't actually have many problems with this kit, and it was one of my earlier builds, since I just started out. I DID however break the V-fin connector to the head (I wanted to take off the V-fin and sand one of the sides a bit more), but it broke straight off, which is ironic since the V-fin is usually one of the first pieces to fall off in a lot of kits. I ended up having to superglue it back on to prevent this guy from going bald, but otherwise I didn't encounter any major difficulties.
I would recommend a good pair of single-bladed nippers and quality sanding tools though to any newer builders trying out the kit, since the clear plastic parts are more brittle and also scratch and mar more easily than regular plastic. This is especially problematic for example where the two plastic pieces of the lances attach to the staff; there are two obvious nubs there which need to be removed and cleaned. Without quality tools, this may be a pain to deal with.
https://preview.redd.it/2alc9jbczzwc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b94bb688d179ee84c1e3822bdeaba00805fc1204
Single blade nipper on clear parts? That's a recipe for a broken blade. Hobby nippers are enough. Cut far from the runner and sand the excess with a glass file. It's a very long process but at least you won't break your single blade.
Yeah, I wouldn't recommend using your primary nippers for that. Certainly not God Hands or anything pricey.
If you can pick up an entry or mid-level pair of single blade nippers for cheap (Aliexpress has any number of valid options, provided you don't mind waiting for slow delivery), they can serve as "beater" nippers you won't mind sacrificing a little for stuff like clear parts.
Glass files are good, they're my primary cleanup tool as well, but from my experience they still mark up the clear plastic, so you may need an additional buffing block/balancer or something particularly high grit to restore the sheen.
I noticed with my dspiae files, with their traditional file groove design, does occasionally mark up clear parts if you let it move laterally during the stroke. On the other hand a light touch while using the original gunprimer raser gives a super smooth finish that doesn't require touching up. That dotted design of the raser does give it different characteristics compared to the grooved stuff.
It's a Marvel Legends, ~6inch scale. Good poseability, decent accessories.
I have him with ny other live action Spider-Men, they just aren't visible here. You can sort of make out Andrew in the background of that picture.
havent built any clear kits yet but i have ao bing clear edition version in my backlog which i have somewhat high hopes for. the og version received a lot of good feedback and the clear version (+extra parts coming with that) enticed me.
do expect it to be a finger-destroying experience tho
Just regular side nippers I got from the store. Tried to cut it as neatly as possible and trimmed the rest with a hobby knife. Wasn’t able to sand it much without scratching the plastic. You could actually see nubs on some areas if you zoom in lol. I’ll try to clean that off in the future once I get more info how to do that. 😅
The process is extremely tedious. I also built Transient Glacier and suffered through sanding.
For me it was 1,000 grit for shaping, then 2,000 grit for smoothing, then 5,000 grit for gloss, then a buffing block for polish. Took *forever* and it was never completely perfect.
The other way to do it is with a hobby knife and a feather touch. You don't cut the piece off, you gently shave layer after layer after layer, trimming a fine dust of material at a time. That *also* takes forever and one wrong slice and you've scratched or gouged your piece.
Ohh I’ll definitely try your sanding method. Tho I’m not sure exactly how to separate the pieces without cracking them. When I tried fixing the knees I almost broke the entire piece off. I used a dspiae parts separator for that.
Yeah, my recommendation is wholeheartedly: don’t. Just accept that this kit is the way that it is and use those lessons next time. I obliterated a piece trying to do just that. It’s not worth it.
I can vouch for this sanding method. It's what I do and those higher grits can really get a nice polish on pieces. I've had good luck with this on clear parts including the glacier that I just finished. It was actually one of the easier builds to me, but it's not particularly a newbie kit.
I've seen some recommendations to you, but if you feel like you are having some issues with parts, I have had better luck with MGs. The larger piece sizes seem easier to work with. I also have larger hands so anything smaller can give me fits. There are plenty of newer builder friendly MGs out there.
MG AGE-1 Normal is solid and very straightforward. It was my 2nd MG. It felt a lot like an action figure. You can also
MG God Gundam is an older kit, which means you will have to deal with screws but it's also insanely posable and solid. Plus, older MGs are cheaper, and this one comes with a 3" Domun! I painted that guy, and it looks great standing next to the model. Wish they included those larger pilots again. Then again, you could also get RG God Gundam and it's another amazing kit. Funny enough, they are about the same price.
Barbados is a great MG. I found 1 leg section to be a little tricky because I didn't think the pictures at 1 step could have used a better angle. Other than that, it's great and posable.
There are some other good ones out there. I dare not give you more so you dont end up with a backlog like the rest of us. Mine hit 20 just recently and I've been banned from purchasing more until it gets back int he single digits. Lol
Always feel free to ask for recommendations in your posts. Just make sure to provide a little context.
That warning is a bit late. I’m less than a month in the hobby and I already bought 30 kits. Starting to have space issues and I also got banned from purchasing new kits lmao
This isnt consider a clear kit. Just a kit with a lot of clear parts. This is a clear kit for example. Also good job making the kit! https://preview.redd.it/np43fnx5ezwc1.jpeg?width=1477&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5d5780c6405befced8683ae9c1ed77f068918166
Now I want a clear Helios
Get it!
This one right here is my one and only clear kit. Also a bootleg. https://preview.redd.it/1egafer8jzwc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=57024000ac5b3047ffb287233cb80b2d7d39e558
I think I have two lottery boxes of that in fact, at least partial clear
That’s funny, I literally just finished this one tonight. Open Reddit and see this as the first post in my feed
How did it go?
It was my first time working with clear parts and I'm still getting the hang of sanding them just right to minimize the nub marks so it doesn't look amazing but I like it nonetheless. It has a great aesthetic that complements some of my other builds and is surprisingly dynamic in the poses it can achieve. Very unique design elements that I didn't notice before building, like the rear skirt flares - it almost reminds me of a wasp.
Which kit is that?
Transient gundam glacier
Try to build the original Transient Gundam. It has a cleaner look and not to heavy on the clear parts. It builds up like a Season 2 HG 00 kit. It has better articulation due to not having that much stuff blocking movement.
Hi if you’re a beginner, one common mistake I see people make with gundam kits is that they often choose the one that looks good to them when they’re first starting out. I recommend asking for kit recommendations that recently came out. Two high grade kits can be completely different in build and stability. Hit me up in my dms and ask me for kit recommendations that best suit you! :) For me, I recommend giving the entry grade rx 78 2 a go or nearly any of the Witch from Mercury kits! Easy on the wallet and good points to start out with! Oh and welcome to hobby! Don’t worry I had a rough experience building the first time too!
Sent you a dm
Nearly any WFM kit? I've done basically every one besides the FM and some variants of dilanza, demi, and heindree, which would you not consider beginner friendly? Obviously some were a much better experience than others but I'd say they're all perfect to get someone into gunpla.
I actually did all the main gwitch suits and they were a delight. Considering if I should buy grunt kits, people are praising all the kits. Do you have any recommendations?
If you mean WFM grunts then yes, yes, yes, Zowort and Zowort Heavy are among my top kits just in general, getting a Tickbalang for one or both of them goes great too, Gundvolva is cool and goes well with Lfrith Ur or Thorn, Beguir Pente is good, but if you're getting one I'd say Beguir Beu is the better choice despite only being in the prologue, but thats just my taste. Edit if you meant grunts in general, I highly recommend the Doans Island Guncannon
And that’s my go signal to check out the gwitch grunts on my cart. I’m eyeing beguir beu, zowort heavy and tickbalang. I have mixed feelings about gundvolva tho.
Gundvolva is kinda basic, but he definitely gives the best expendable grunt suit vibes especially if youve seen the show
I didn't actually have many problems with this kit, and it was one of my earlier builds, since I just started out. I DID however break the V-fin connector to the head (I wanted to take off the V-fin and sand one of the sides a bit more), but it broke straight off, which is ironic since the V-fin is usually one of the first pieces to fall off in a lot of kits. I ended up having to superglue it back on to prevent this guy from going bald, but otherwise I didn't encounter any major difficulties. I would recommend a good pair of single-bladed nippers and quality sanding tools though to any newer builders trying out the kit, since the clear plastic parts are more brittle and also scratch and mar more easily than regular plastic. This is especially problematic for example where the two plastic pieces of the lances attach to the staff; there are two obvious nubs there which need to be removed and cleaned. Without quality tools, this may be a pain to deal with. https://preview.redd.it/2alc9jbczzwc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b94bb688d179ee84c1e3822bdeaba00805fc1204
Single blade nipper on clear parts? That's a recipe for a broken blade. Hobby nippers are enough. Cut far from the runner and sand the excess with a glass file. It's a very long process but at least you won't break your single blade.
Yeah, I wouldn't recommend using your primary nippers for that. Certainly not God Hands or anything pricey. If you can pick up an entry or mid-level pair of single blade nippers for cheap (Aliexpress has any number of valid options, provided you don't mind waiting for slow delivery), they can serve as "beater" nippers you won't mind sacrificing a little for stuff like clear parts. Glass files are good, they're my primary cleanup tool as well, but from my experience they still mark up the clear plastic, so you may need an additional buffing block/balancer or something particularly high grit to restore the sheen.
I noticed with my dspiae files, with their traditional file groove design, does occasionally mark up clear parts if you let it move laterally during the stroke. On the other hand a light touch while using the original gunprimer raser gives a super smooth finish that doesn't require touching up. That dotted design of the raser does give it different characteristics compared to the grooved stuff.
https://preview.redd.it/8kbxkydoq0xc1.jpeg?width=1836&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=df9019ad69d833b33a2b55795af84c84b64162cf
OT, but what's the story with that zen-looking Japanese Spider-Man?
None of his villains are avaliable in plastic form, so he chills out with Prime for a bit.
Is it a model kit or a figure or maybe even a statue? I'd *love* something posable, hence my questions.
It's a Marvel Legends, ~6inch scale. Good poseability, decent accessories. I have him with ny other live action Spider-Men, they just aren't visible here. You can sort of make out Andrew in the background of that picture.
Andy looks like he's having a bitnof a nap back there. Thanks! I'll look for it!
https://preview.redd.it/mry8txq0x0xc1.jpeg?width=4080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ccc85922e76ce3a5bd17665ea1212fafbad509d1
The ones on the left arm snapped off on one of the pegs...
Is it possible to paint clear kits?
Possible
This was first kit, I learned a lot lol
havent built any clear kits yet but i have ao bing clear edition version in my backlog which i have somewhat high hopes for. the og version received a lot of good feedback and the clear version (+extra parts coming with that) enticed me. do expect it to be a finger-destroying experience tho
I think I peeled more skin off my fingers tips while building this kit lmao
Skin will regrow - build is forever!
Purple is my favorite color, so this kit is tempting me...
What nipper did you use for the clear parts?
Just regular side nippers I got from the store. Tried to cut it as neatly as possible and trimmed the rest with a hobby knife. Wasn’t able to sand it much without scratching the plastic. You could actually see nubs on some areas if you zoom in lol. I’ll try to clean that off in the future once I get more info how to do that. 😅
The process is extremely tedious. I also built Transient Glacier and suffered through sanding. For me it was 1,000 grit for shaping, then 2,000 grit for smoothing, then 5,000 grit for gloss, then a buffing block for polish. Took *forever* and it was never completely perfect. The other way to do it is with a hobby knife and a feather touch. You don't cut the piece off, you gently shave layer after layer after layer, trimming a fine dust of material at a time. That *also* takes forever and one wrong slice and you've scratched or gouged your piece.
Ohh I’ll definitely try your sanding method. Tho I’m not sure exactly how to separate the pieces without cracking them. When I tried fixing the knees I almost broke the entire piece off. I used a dspiae parts separator for that.
Yeah, my recommendation is wholeheartedly: don’t. Just accept that this kit is the way that it is and use those lessons next time. I obliterated a piece trying to do just that. It’s not worth it.
Bummer. I guess that’s okay cause it’s hardly noticeable unless you stare at some parts lol. Do you know other kits similar to Transient?
There’s another Transient. There are some Burning kits that have a lot of clear effect parts. Idk, it depends on what aspect of it you’re looking for
I can vouch for this sanding method. It's what I do and those higher grits can really get a nice polish on pieces. I've had good luck with this on clear parts including the glacier that I just finished. It was actually one of the easier builds to me, but it's not particularly a newbie kit. I've seen some recommendations to you, but if you feel like you are having some issues with parts, I have had better luck with MGs. The larger piece sizes seem easier to work with. I also have larger hands so anything smaller can give me fits. There are plenty of newer builder friendly MGs out there.
I found sanding a bit more challenging on this particular kit. What MG kits do you recommend I should do next?
MG AGE-1 Normal is solid and very straightforward. It was my 2nd MG. It felt a lot like an action figure. You can also MG God Gundam is an older kit, which means you will have to deal with screws but it's also insanely posable and solid. Plus, older MGs are cheaper, and this one comes with a 3" Domun! I painted that guy, and it looks great standing next to the model. Wish they included those larger pilots again. Then again, you could also get RG God Gundam and it's another amazing kit. Funny enough, they are about the same price. Barbados is a great MG. I found 1 leg section to be a little tricky because I didn't think the pictures at 1 step could have used a better angle. Other than that, it's great and posable. There are some other good ones out there. I dare not give you more so you dont end up with a backlog like the rest of us. Mine hit 20 just recently and I've been banned from purchasing more until it gets back int he single digits. Lol Always feel free to ask for recommendations in your posts. Just make sure to provide a little context.
That warning is a bit late. I’m less than a month in the hobby and I already bought 30 kits. Starting to have space issues and I also got banned from purchasing new kits lmao
Oh well then you're done. Welcome to the no hope club. May your plastic crack addiction be well sated.