Build process: HG Gundnode
Hello zesties! My trip to China was not just about buying decals. I kinda went crazy and broke my no backlog rule because the price and selection of kits was too good to pass off. One of these impulsive decisison was this PBandai kit, which I could not pass off especially given the price and it being PBandai. Since I just finished a 1/100 and my other kit in the backlog is another big IBO kit, I decided this would be a good in-between kit to avoid burn out.
TOOLS USED
-stedi MS-104 nippers
-double bladed nippers
-dspiae glass file
-craft knife
-gundam panel line marker (liner type)
-dspiae paint markers (black, metallic blue, supermetallic cyan, supermetallic green)
-paint sticks
-AMAX waterslide decals
-masking tape
-mr super clear gloss top coat (UV cut)
NOTABLE EXCLUSIONS IN TOOLS
Firstly, I didn't use sandpaper for this build at all because it is almost purely dark colours. I was okay with nub marks being a little more glossy than usual after cleaning as I knew I wanted this to be finished with gloss top coat. On the note of sanding, I was expecting to use cement to seal seam lines along the beam rifle and wings. However I forgot this is a really new kit (and a wfm one), so the seam lines were designed to look like panel lines. I may have ruined one of them by trying to seal it with cement...
Speaking of gloss, learning from my first time topcoating, mr super clear gloss can cause especially bad smudging of pour type panel line ink (until now i cannot bear to look at some of my kits up close because of that). So I went exclusively with liner type for this build. The black ink isn't always as dark and the thickness of the lines may not adapt to the panel lines unlike pour type, so some additional passes and rubbing off excess ink with my thumb was needed to get nicer panel lines.
PAINTING WITH MARKERS
Looking at the stickers and comparing against the markers I had on hand (especially metallic colours), I decided not to use stickers at all and paint on the foil markings. Supermetallic green and black was used to paint on markings on the shoulders, legs, and face. As for the permet parts, I initially used the stickers, but later peeled them off to paint them using metallic blue. Not using stickers prevented 3D detailing from being covered up, which I could bring out with the help of panel lining.
There were some gaps here and there which were filled in with supermetallic green and cyan, applied using the tip of paint sticks.
DECALS
This set from AMAX was bought on taobao, and was a new brand to me. They adhered to the kit as well as other third party decals, but I would not consider them as good a set for a couple of reasons:
-numbering on the instructions was wrong for half of the decals. Fortunately, most of the decals are large and distinct, making it very clear which one goes where.
-not all the decals align perfectly, specifically the outside of the thighs. The manufacturer didn't account for the outer armour overlapping differently from the inner armour, so I had to cut the decals so that they still fit
-decals consisted mostly of benerit group logos and stripes, rather than caution logos (tbf this mobile suit is not controlled by a human so maybe they don't matter as much?). But still it left some big open spots like the front of the legs and waist. For me, decals are a way to break up large plain spots on a kit, so this was unacceptable. Fortunately they do proivide some extra caution and marking decals, so I used those together with my collection of leftover witch from mercury decals to touch up the open areas.
TOP COAT
For the first time in a year, I decided to use gloss as the final topcoat (I think I'll stick to that for all WFM kits) since it would match the aesthetic. After a thin coat, I realized a clean gloss coat requires multiple layers, as some parts still had this speckled look up close, and were thus not as shiny. I have ran into this for matte, but was not as much of an issue because the desired texture and effect on the kit's colour was already achieved. Guides online recommend multiple layers anyway as these speckled finishes (also called orange peel) are not desirable, and it is a way to work around moisture being trapped under the topcoat (unavoidable given Singapore's climate). Personally, I was okay with this kit not having a glassy finish, but I will take note of that for future builds.
CONCLUSION
This was meant to be more of a recovery build after 2 intense projects involving all the customization I have done before. Fortunately, this is a new kit so even straight out of box. Now with its hexagon connectors for linking with other gundnodes, this is the biggest kit in my collection by techicality.
#gundam #gundamcommunity #gunpla #gunplacommunity #gunplabuilder
Building the HG Gundnode kit offered me a refreshing change of pace compared to more complex Gunpla projects, especially with its unique hexagon connectors allowing linkage with other Gundnodes. One insightful takeaway from this build was the decision to forgo traditional sandpaper and instead employ a glass file. This choice was crucial because the kit's dark colors tend to show sanding marks more prominently, and the glass file created a smoother finish, preserving detail without the risk of over-sanding. When it came to panel lining, I learned that using liner-type Gundam panel line markers instead of pour-type was beneficial under a gloss topcoat. Pour-type inks have a tendency to smudge during gloss coating, ruining the clean panel lines. Although liner markers sometimes produce lighter lines, with careful multiple passes and gentle rubbing, the lines became crisp and neat, better complementing the kit’s darker aesthetic. Painting details with markers instead of applying stickers was another important technique to highlight 3D molding details. Metallic paint markers in hues such as metallic blue and supermetallic green allowed me to enhance the foil markings on various parts, especially the shoulders and legs, without obscuring surface texture — something stickers often do. I also used paint sticks to fill in subtle gaps, adding a personalized touch that stickers alone couldn’t achieve. Dealing with decals from a new brand (AMAX) posed challenges due to inconsistent numbering and imperfect fit on some armor overlaps. Cutting decals carefully and supplementing with leftover decals from other kits proved a practical solution. This approach emphasized how a bit of flexibility and patience can maintain the kit's visual cohesion while adding intricate details. Topcoating with Mr. Super Clear gloss revealed the importance of multiple light coats to avoid the orange peel effect caused by moisture trapping and uneven spray. While this texture is more noticeable with gloss finishes, I accepted a slightly less glassy surface in exchange for a uniform protective layer. This experience showed that environmental factors like humidity can impact finishes, and future builds might benefit from controlled conditions or additional layers. Overall, the HG Gundnode kit was a satisfying project that balanced complexity with straightforward build techniques. It reinforced how strategic tool selection, careful painting, decal management, and coating techniques come together to elevate the final model. For fellow Gunpla builders, especially those interested in PBandai releases or WFM series, experimenting with these methods can lead to rewarding results and help avoid common pitfalls.
