Build process: HG Black Knight Squad Cal-re.a
Hi zesties! I'm starting this series to document my process and get myself to take my time when building, arguably the most important piece of advice for building gunpla. I've also noticed I have spent a lot of tools but not really used them. So anyway this is my experience with this kit, hopefully this can shed some light for those curious about this kit in paricular, or in getting into the hobby of gunpla
TOOLS USED
-stedi ms-104 nippers
-styleX sanding sticks and precut sand paper
-dispae siren glass file
-craft knife
-dispae paint markers: black, metallic red, metallic blue, metallic silver
-dispae joint tightening pen
-gundam makers: pour and liner type panel liners (black only), panel line eraser marker
-mr hobby cement
-masking tape
Not in picture
-q tips
-an eraser
NUB REMOVAL
kit is generally forgiving since most pieces are in white. The only exception would be the thighs, which had gates in the middle of the armour with a seam line running across it. After sanding all those off, I was left with slight discolourations where the gates initially were.
the two tones of gold are harder to remove. For whatever reason, the plastic darkens as soon as i snip it with a nipper, even when snipping at gate. Sanding sticks didn't do much, so I eventaully gave up and used the glass file
SEAM LINES
Kit has a fair bit of seam lines: wings, legs, and the armour parts where it's 2 pieces of white over gold. I tried (imperfectly) to seal the shoulder, knee, and cuffs' seam lines to varying degrees of success using cement and pressing the 2 pieces together before sanding. The beam rifle also has a seam line down in the middle, but no need for cement as it has been designed to look like a panel line.
PAINTING
since i had the right colours as paint markers, I decided to paint on details which were by right colour correcting stickers. Many people online complain about the purple parts on the wings, since stickers that need to fold don't adhere as well. I tried masking before painting for the wings, but unfortunately the purple paint spilled over. The cameras (in blue) and the face went smoothly, and imperfections can only be seen when looking very closely. Will need to topcoat this kit soon, as the paint scratches off very easily
PANEL LINING
I usually use a mix of pour type and liner type as both have their own pros and cons.
liner:
pros: easy to control since you are not relying on capillary action for ink to flow
cons: lines not as dark
Pour type:
pros: slightly darker lines, oddly satisfying when flowing
cons: does not flow through all seam lines, ink can corrode ABS plastic (this kit has no abs so its fine)
Clean up involved aggressively rubbing off excess ink with an eraser, and eraser marker on a q tip to wipe of excess. Need to be careful not to clean off the panel lines themselves
CONCLUSION
This kit is easy to do a straight build with and will be quite rewarding as the final result has stunning shelf presence (the wing span is 40cm). The touch up work was not easy and the result still wasn't the best, but then again this was my first time masking and sealing seam lines. The whole process took around a week, spending 2-3 hours per session a day
When building the HG Black Knight Squad Cal-re.a, patience is key—taking your time really helps with the overall quality of the finished model. One aspect I found important to expand on is the practice of masking and painting. Despite some spills during masking the wings, carefully using paint markers can vastly improve the look over the standard stickers, especially for details like cameras and the face. Another helpful tip is the precise use of panel lining markers. I suggest combining liner type markers for control and pour type for a darker, more defined panel line. However, be cautious as pour type ink can damage ABS plastic—a concern if you’re working with kits containing ABS. Luckily, this one doesn't have ABS. Also, I learned that sanding alone isn’t always enough for gold-colored parts, which tend to darken when nipped. Using a fine glass file helped me smooth out the nubs better. Sealing seam lines with cement before sanding can make a huge difference in appearance, though it might require practice to perfect trimming shoulder and knee lines. For those interested in the final display, my build took about a week with 2-3 hours daily. The impressive wing span of 40cm adds a striking presence to any shelf. Finally, I recommend finishing with a topcoat soon after painting as some paint tends to scratch off easily during handling. These extra steps elevate your build from a basic assembly to a display-worthy model.
also