UPDATE 12-28-09: Wet sanding
Phew! I am so tired right now sanding the armor parts of this kit. As most of you know that sanding is one of the most boring parts of doing gunpla...and alas! it is over. I have been cleaning up the holes with art knife and files since 9 am today and have been sanding the armor parts since around 1 pm. We don't see much pics on sanding in the net, coz maybe...one, your hands are dusty and you don't want camera catching dust...second, it is just so boring to take photos of the sanding process.
However, I figured that showing snippets of how we usually sand could be beneficial for newbies or people who have plans of painting there gundpla for the first time...so here is how I sand and prep the kit before pla plating...
FIRST, I sand the parts with 400 grit ( I think ) sanding sponge...400 grit is super coarse for gunpla, but I like using the sponge, and 400 grit easily removes minor scratches from panel line scribing and removes sprue / cut marks faster. PLUS, the 400 grit softened the sharp edges of the corners of the holes...after wet sanding the edges will look soft and part of the mold...
SECOND, I wet sand it with 800 grit sandpaper, basically sanding it with wet sandpaper...hihi, I mean sandpaper soaked in water...keep it wet during sanding...
THIRD, I wet sand with 2000 grit sandpaper...Notice in the pic below that most of the scratches has been removed already...I am ok with the minor very very shallow scratches, it gives the primer a nice surface to hold on to...
Tadah!!! all of the armor parts are sanded already...I will do simple pla plating next session and add a few holes...Basically the hardest, most tedious and boring part of this build is done! which is the cleaning up of the holes and sanding...I will surely finish this very soon! Anyways, here are some pics...
Stay tuned! up next is simple pla plating, bore some holes, and priming...this will be done soon.THANKS for viewing!!!
UPDATE 12-30-09 : simple pla plating
Hello guys, I have been doing simple pla plating with the kit for a couple of hours now...but I figured that it is enough already...unlike my usual overkill builds...the focus of this build is the underwater camo pattern and the exposed internal mods. thus, I will not pla plate this kit further. Pla plating this kit further will be just a waste of time, coz the semi complicated camo pattern will just distort the surface. Instead, i will just add small rivet holes later after priming. Note that I will add the rivet holes after priming, coz I like using the layer of primer as my guide as to how deep the rivet holes are going to be...unlike directly boring small holes on the dark brown plastic, which will be harder to see. Below is a pic again of how more or less the kit will look like after painting...however, I plan to do a matte version of the study.
And here are some pics of the pla plated kit...I will be wet sanding this with 2000 grit sandpaper and will be priming it later...
15 comments:
what's the use of wet sanding? is it any different from just sanding?
nice job on this MS. im digging it!
thanks bro!...basically wet sanding produces a smoother finish plus you won't sniff the dust particles during sanding. ;)
do you also sand the internal mechanical framework of master grades? because i've been sanding mine and i don't know if it's worth the time (when I'm planning on painting it).
I do...but only the exposed parts like the knees and elbows...never the internal internals. ; )
Yo DC. i have looked at ACE, WorkStation, and even MC Home Depot for Sanding/Abrasive Sponge but i didn't find anything...
The sales assistants there don't even know what sanding sponge is...
Where did you get that Sanding Sponge?
I got mine at ACE SM Fairview... kinda rare sometimes. :)
ohhh. I haven't found any sanding sponge at WorkStation MEtropoint, ACE Makati, MegaMall, and MC Home Depot Global today. Hmmm... dang SM Fairview! I have never been there in my life. lol! I really want to try the sanding sponge. Thanks DC! ^_^
Goodluck finding one bro. :)
I have found one at ACE Makati today but it is too rough, flaky, and smaller than what you are using DC. It says "Fine" but still it's to rough and might not be good for plastic models. I didn't buy it...
I had that one too... its basically unusable. :(
hi dc 23,i realised i wet sand with 1000 grid,there is white color scratches and when i touch the surface t can be considered smooth and when the kit is wet the white scratches is gone but when is dry it is visble especially under light,how do i solve the problem
Wet sand with a higher grit, maybe 1200 to 1600... then prime to check if the scratches are still visible. :)
Hello sir! I'm not new to Gun Pla building but I am so very new to this level of building and I need help with sanding: how will I know if I sanded 'well enough' without having to prime to check? I use a 600 grit followed by wet 1200 grit but I can still see a faint line where the sprue nibs were. Any ideas sir?
I gotta say, it's because of you sir my love for GunPla building has been rekindled!
I salute to you sir! :)
I think you are doing it the right way. To further check for errors, hold the sanded piece against a light and move in in different angles to see imperfections. Priming is always the ultimate step to see errors. :)
Thanks! :)
Ah! Alright then sir, I shall try it with the primer,
Again, thanks sir!
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