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Mobile suits in space diorama - Bandai 1/144 Gundam kits

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  • Member since
    July 2019
Mobile suits in space diorama - Bandai 1/144 Gundam kits
Posted by Robotism on Friday, July 19, 2019 1:56 PM

I was putting together a diorama in my head and started with this Zaku I. I want to do a MS or two MS defending a flag or an asteroid base enterance. After putting together the first kit as a snap fit I considered where I wanted this to go and started some test posing. With some parts from the bit box I came up with 2 options. The first is the reloading pose where it's about to switch it's ammo cannister out. The other is firing while preparing to toss a cracker grenade.

 

I'm undecided on the second machine yet. I like the Zaku I design but it lacks the weight to carry a diorama solo. I don't know if I want to stay in universe and use another Universal Century machine or dip into the Build fighters territory where anything goes.


I was thinking of possibly submitting an article on the full build when it's done. There's lots of terrain to build and some fun weathering on the machines. Photos are on the busy background to stand out as unique pictures in case of submission

  • Member since
    September 2006
  • From: Central Texas
Posted by NucMedTech on Saturday, July 20, 2019 10:24 PM

Like your zaku and concept sounds good, I like the grenade pose seems more dramatic. I am not sure if this would be in universe or not but maybe have the second one be a gouf laying down heavy fire?

Still learning about the gundam universes.

Stephen

Most barriers to your successes are man made. And most often you are the man who made them. -Frank Tyger

  • Member since
    May 2011
  • From: Honolulu, Hawaii
Posted by Real G on Monday, July 22, 2019 3:22 PM

And if you are doing a space diorama, remember that you can orient the suits any way you want (no gravity), for more dramatic effect.  For an asteroid base, styrofoam blocks salvaged from packaging materials and chunked up makes for a fast, cheap substrate to build on.

“Ya ya ya, unicorn papoi!”

  • Member since
    July 2019
Posted by Robotism on Monday, July 22, 2019 6:27 PM

Goufs are land based MS so wouldn't work in space. And I have a pet hate for Gouf kits after a couple of failed projects where they exploded in one way or another. Those curved spikes are such a nightmare to putty. Maybe the newer Gouf kits are better.

 

I have a plan to do an asteroid dock in the future with MS orientation being weird, there's some nice scene in Zeta movies like that and it's on my back burner. I have Zeta it's self in mind for that one. I want to develope my style a bit more with this diorama, trying a few new tricks so I want the diorama to be a stable point to work on this time round.

 

I decided on using a Zaku F2000 from Gunpla builders beginning G. It's a really nice design and under used. I had one snap fit I had played with before but ended up back in the box. I like the idea of a big fat Zaku and a skinny Zaku like an older brother little brother dynamic. It's not technically timeline accurate but it's too cool for me to care.

 

 

  • Member since
    November 2009
  • From: SW Virginia
Posted by Gamera on Tuesday, July 23, 2019 9:07 AM

I don't know anything about Gundam but it sounds pretty friggin' cool! Hope you'll post more photos, I'd really like to see how this goes. 

"I dream in fire but work in clay." -Arthur Machen

 

  • Member since
    July 2019
Posted by Robotism on Tuesday, July 23, 2019 1:55 PM

I found this chap among the backlog and thought he might like to come in from the cold. I snap fitted him a few years back but never got round to doing much with him. He's a really cool design and perfect for a larger chunkier guy at the back. So here's the Zaku Super custom F2000 in all his glory.

 


I tried all of his equipment on him and I liked the front loadout like this. The arm machinegun makes him nice and beefy and the raised bazooka is something I was looking for in the Zaku I but couldn't pull off. He's quite hard to pose for pictures because someone loosened most the joints while building it, something about snap fitting and taking it apart again. I think past me was just a jerk and wanted to hand me a plastic grenade...



Here is is from the side with a full load out on the back. It makes him slump backwards but it's a cool idea. I like the manipulate armours but they're a bit clunky. I'm torn between removing them and not because it's one of the unique features of this fatty mobile suit.


Here is what I'm thinking the final pose will look like. I was tempted to have the left arm aiming too or just the left arm but I like how this went together. His head can't move at all so I have to use his body for aiming purposes which is a big strange. There are 2 energy pipes not installed in the snapfit, I hope they don't make this pose difficult to pull off.


This is his axe. It used to be one of the biggest they made and the biggest Zaku until someone came along with an even bigger axe. I think he was over compensating for not being as cool.. But it can attach to his back which is cool. If I was doing a diorama with just him I would have him slicing through something with it but for now I just wanted to show it off. I've undecided if he'll have it on his back of a regular Heat hawk. The regular one looks pretty cool on the back as almost a banner Samurai style.

The Zaku I is almost ready to paint. I've puttied, primed and reputtied so everything is nice and smooth now. I did the prime to see for problem areas in sky blue and I've become attached to it. I'm tempted to pick up a light matte green and use that for the torso areas. Go for a traditional Zaku I colour scheme. He also got a gift from the F2000. He comes with an unused shoulder shield and I like the idea of Zeon kitbashing MS so he can lose his standard shoulder and gain a shield on the opposite side.

I ordered some metal detail up parts for the Super Zaku. I thought it would be nice to replace his nipple spikes and shoulder spikes with metal ones. But I forgot he also has 2 on each knee so I'm 3 spikes short if I want to do that. I may have a sneaky solution but I'll wait a couple of days for the parts to come in before I decide. I've not used metal parts before and I don't know how well they will take paint.

  • Member since
    November 2009
  • From: SW Virginia
Posted by Gamera on Tuesday, July 23, 2019 6:16 PM

Again, that's cool! Don't know anything about the history but it's a neat looking model.

"I dream in fire but work in clay." -Arthur Machen

 

  • Member since
    July 2019
Posted by Robotism on Saturday, August 3, 2019 1:21 AM

I apologise for the lack of updates. I've had a failing of health (see, I can act like an old guy even if I'm not quite grey haired yet!) and it's limited my hobby ability to five cheeky minutes with a paint brush while the painful bits aren't looking. I plan to continue the project when I'm more on my feet again.

I might be regretting having the Zeon flag hanging above my modeling desk. I suspect some of the medical guys might have thought it was WW2 related..

  • Member since
    May 2011
  • From: Honolulu, Hawaii
Posted by Real G on Saturday, August 3, 2019 3:26 PM

Robotism,

Take care and wishing you a speedy recovery - those darned Feddies never sleep, always woking on some new Gundam.

“Ya ya ya, unicorn papoi!”

  • Member since
    November 2009
  • From: SW Virginia
Posted by Gamera on Sunday, August 4, 2019 6:52 PM

Hope you feel better soon. This dang heat and humidity has got me in a mood I don't want to build anything... Dead

"I dream in fire but work in clay." -Arthur Machen

 

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