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Thursday, December 9, 2010

my TOP10 tools for Gunpla


I have here another topnotch highly reliable TOP10 list of the most used Gunpla tools for any modeler. Kidding aside, here is my list for any new modelers who are just starting to buy tools for this hobby. When I was a beginner and I only had a couple of beginner friends back in 2008 ( not yet a member of any forum ), we kinda bought some unnecessary tools that I still do not use up to this day.

So I thought of creating this simple list for beginners so that they would only buy the tools needed for the job. I think that 1 to 4 is the basic tools that any modeler needs to start the hobby. And numbers 5 to 10 are the tools you need when you start to sort of level up and you want to fix seam lines and modify your kits already. Now here is my unbiased ( hehehe ) and highly dependable list of tools you need for Gunpla...


1. Art knives and cutters 
- used primarily to trim excess nub marks after cutting with a side cutter.

2. Side Cutters 
- used for trimming of parts from it's runners. I also use this for quick trimming.

3. Sanding files 
- used for filing stubborn nubmarks, for reshaping parts and clean up of sawed up parts.

4. Sanding sponge or Sandpapers

 5. Pinvises and drill bits

6. Tamiya Thin and Normal Cement 
- used for seam line removal and any gluing job

7. Tamiya plastic scriber 
- I use this for cutting 1mm and thicker pla plates.

8. Hasegawa needle point scriber 
( silver tool ) - I use this for scribing panel lines.

9. Steel Rulers 
- serves as guides when cutting pla plates.

10. Hasegawa Micro Saws 
- very fine thin saws for beautiful cuts.
Hope you find this useful! Thanks for dropping by! Til' next post! :)

22 comments:

  1. sir dc saan po nakaka bili ng hasegawa micro saw and magkano?

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  2. I forgot the price, more or less 1k at Lil's Trinoma.

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  3. still can't understand how to use Hasegawa saws, do you have link tutorial using them?

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  4. You just use it like a normal saw bro... hold it in between fingers and saw up and down. kinda painful and tiring for PG armors which are thick. :)

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  5. sir LIL's lang ba meron nung Hasegawa saw at needle point scriber, wala ba sa mga Handyman or ACE? Thanks. :)

    Nice site by the way. More tutorials to come sana. :)

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  6. Merong precision screwdriver that has a needle point pin at hardware stores. hunt ka lang bro. :)

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  7. LOL

    I see my own hand using cement :p

    nice tutorial btw

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  8. sorry was not able to ask permission bro... I have no photo of both cements in one pic. thanks! :)

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  9. That's a really nice-looking, thick sanding sponge - what grit is it? And where can I buy one? I ordered some hi-grit Kotobukiya sanding sponges online, only to discover they're so thin!

    Also, what's the difference between Mr. Mark Setter and Mr. Mark Softer? I only use the former for applying decals but I have no idea what the specific uses are for each of them.

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  10. If I am not mistaken those are 3M sanding sponges at about 600 - 800 grit.

    Mr. Mark Setter is simply water with vinegar. You use it to apply water slide decals, so using water with drops of vinegar is a ton more practical.

    Mr. Mark Softer is MORE important as it blends the decals with the surface of the kit and eliminates those ugly edges a bit. You use this after you have applied the decal in its desired position. Let it stand for at least 30 minutes coz it will WRINKLE the decal for a while before settling down. ;)

    Hope this helps bro. :)

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  11. Ngek...vinegar and water? Really?! Wow...that's a surprise. Well, sulit naman yung bote na binili ko - I've used just one bottle of Mr. Mark Setter for over 15 kits' worth of decals and there's still plenty left ^_^

    I'll get me a bottle of Mr. Mark Softer, and hunt down a 3M sanding sponge then. FYI: It turns out the sanding sponges from Kotobukiya are also manufactured by 3M.

    Thanks for the advice!

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  12. Are there any difference between using an X-ACTO knife or the Tamiya modelers / design knife?

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  13. The X-ACTO knife is obviously bigger, thus precision small cutting with the Tamiya modelers / design knife is easier. I prefer the this knife though - http://dc23-mecharts.blogspot.com/2010/12/best-art-knife-in-town.html

    It is waaaaay cheaper than the Tamiya knives and you could use the same Tamiya replacement blades for it. I love the NT cutter art knife and the Tamiya spare blades I use with it. 

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  14. sir I am looking for an alternative for tamiya acrylic paints for airbrush. Would reeves acrylics do the trick?

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