Lazy Gunpla - Waterslide Decal Tutorial

As much as I enjoy doing my gunpla, there are times when it's tedious and I hate it.  Doing the decals for my Nu Ver. Ka is one of those times.  There are a lot, they are mostly very small, and they are waterslides - which is good in that they are much more forgiving than the dry transfers, but darn it if they don't take forever to do.

Anyway, I figured now would be as good a time as any to show how I do waterslides.

SETUP

A few things you'll need before you get started:

     1. Decal setting solution:  This is what I use, but I've read that you can just use watered down vinegar. Based on the smell, I believe it. 

     2. Decal softening solution:  I use this one.

         (and a small brush to use with each)

     3. Hobby knife

     4. Tweezers

     4. Cutting mat 

     5. Dish of water

I've found it much easier to deal with the sheet of decals when they're taped down to the cutting board.  That way it's not sliding around everywhere while you're trying to cut them out.

... EVERYTHING ELSE

It's pretty straightforward:

First cut the decal you want to apply out from the sheet and toss it in the water to soak.  The amount of time will vary (so I've been told) based on your decals, but it seems like ~10 - 15 seconds does the trick for me.

While it's soaking, this is when I like to brush the setter onto the plastic where the decal will eventually sit.

Retrieve your wet decal from the water with your tweezers.  Now this part can be pretty tricky.  You need to hold onto the paper - only the paper - and then slide the actual marking off of it and onto your plastic. You can then fine tune the location while everything is still wet, then GENTLY dab with paper towel to pick up the excess. 

During that last step, I often feel like I need a third hand, so I've found an easier way to make the transition:  After soaking, just grab the decal off of the paper with the tweezers and then place it like a tiny sticker. 

I've never seen it written to do this way in the many tutorials I've read, however I've not had any issues with it.  I will admit, if you're not a little careful, I can see how this could damage the decal you're trying to apply.  I'm going to keep doing it my lazy way though.  It's seriously so much easier than trying to slide it off of the paper and onto the plastic.

Once it's in place, you need to let it dry for a while.  What I do is I'll go through and place a bunch of decals at a time, and as one is drying, move on to the next.  After I've done several, I'll come back and apply the softening solution.  Just brush it on (carefully!!) and then let it dry again.  This step is optional (if you ask me, anyway).  It's most important to use the softening when the decal is being applied to an irregular surface, giving it a 'painted on' sort of look.  Even on flat surfaces, it helps to hide the edge of the decal, but if you don't feel like doing that then more power to you.

WIP - Nu Gundam ver. Ka

It's been a while since I've updated last - I apologize.

I've been slowly chugging away on this kit for a long time now, but since starting this blog, it's just been pieces in bags - not very photogenic.  The weather has improved, and I've got some free time so I got to paint!

Here are some photos of the progress:

Tamiya Gunmetal for most of the frame (Yes, that is my cat's scratching pad that the skewers are stuck into).

Here he is with just the frame assembled.  I'm quite proud of this if I do say so myself.  Gunmetal for most of the frame, Krylon Gold Leaf and Krylon Silver Chrome for accents.  Looks pretty sharp, eh?

The rest of the photos are close-ups of some of the details that I particularly like.

Gold pistons hidden in the elbow, and more gold inside the upper arm.

Gold and Chrome pistons in the knee.  Hopefully after I give it a gloss coat, the chrome of the pistons will look more ...  well, chrome-like.

Some silver inside of the leg, silver thrusters and gold covers.

Two-tone hip joint.

I just love that little gold piece inside the shoulder.  I don't know why, but it makes me happy.

I've still got some of the little detailing to do in the frame, and then it's just lining, decals and flat coat!

I'll be sure to post another update once I progress some more!

LED mods

One of the cool things about the new high-end MGs that have been coming out lately, is the slot for the Bandai LED.  The effect of the glowing eyes really adds a lot to it.  Unfortunately, the vast majority of the Gundam catalog is much less accommodating, so if you want an LED, you have to take matters into your own hands.

I recently finished working on my Aile Strike ver. RM where I did just that, so I'm going to talk a bit about that experience, and give some advice in how to go about it yourself.  Note:

First, a lesson in electronics!

Let me introduce a handy equation known as "Ohm's Law"

 V = IR

Where: 

V = the difference in electrical potential between two points, measured in Volts (V)

I = current through the circuit, measured in Amps (A)

R = electrical resistance, measured in Ohms (Ω)

A typical LED circuit looks something like this:

Typ. LED circuit (EMF = Electromotive Force, measured in Volts)

and we can use Ohm's law to calculate what size of a resistor we need.

Here's an example, Suppose we've got 5V from a USB port and a 2V, 20 mA LED.

First, we'll use something called Kirchoff's Voltage Law, which put very simply states that in a closed loop, the amount of voltage provided from the power supply will equal to the sum of the voltage drops across the components in the circuit. Or simply Vpower supply = Va - Vd.  In more practical terms, it tells us that voltage at point A = 5V and at point D = 0V

So point A is 5V, points D & C is 0V.  Since it's a 2V LED, you can solve for the voltage at point B : 

Vb = 2-0, Vb = 2V.

Now we use Ohm's law.

V = IR

(Va-Vb) = IR

(5V-2V) = (0.02 A)*R

150Ω = R

Now we know that we need a 150Ω Resistor! Yay!  

Here's a guide to identifying a resistor if you need to.  If you just buy one though, the packaging will tell you what its resistance is.

Note: The voltage and current for your LED should be on the packaging somewhere.  It will vary from one LED to the next, so make sure you check.  Also, I used a 5V USB in my example, but most batteries will be 1.5V.  That will likely be fine to power a typical LED with no resistors, however if you need more voltage from your batteries, you just put them together and you'll have a 3V power supply.

Installation!

Now this part will vary a lot from kit to kit.  There a couple things though that will impact your strategy.

• Where is your power coming from?  A battery - internal or external?  USB - cord, or port?
• How many LEDs?  Where are they located?

When I did my Strike, I opted for the USB port located in his butt.  There were a couple reasons for this.  There isn't room for a battery, and I didn't want a cord dangling out anywhere. Not to mention, there was a convenient hole there already for the stand.  Also, it's just a really cool concept if I do say so myself.

Note that if you go for the battery route, make sure it's easily removable or put a switch somewhere you can reach it.

Once you decide where your LED(s) will be and where your power is coming from, you can start to map out your wiring.  This part will depend a lot on the particulars of your kit, but the biggest sticking point will likely be finding room for your resistor if you need one.  You can see below how much space it takes.  It couldn't go into that big space above because that's where the backpack connector slides in.  I had to make some serious modifications to the inside of the back, and make some holes for the wires to run up and connect to the LED in the head.

I also made to modify the head in order to make the LED fit - including shaving the LED plastic into a smaller size. One of the goals here was to make it such that the LED is removable (by melting the solder) when it eventually burns out.  I also painted the inside of the head to prevent light leaks (except for the clear eye piece obviously), and painted the outside of the eye piece to make the eyes stand out.

 

Now the fun part - the USB port in the butt.

For starters you need the USB port.  You can buy one like from here, or cannibalize one from an existing cable or something.

Here's a great site explaining what the connections are for your USB.  You'll want the positive end of your LED connected to the '+5 VDC' pin, and the negative end of your LED to the 'ground' pin.  You don't need to do anything with the data pins since we're only using it for power.

Speaking of positive and negative ends of the LED - Here's something you should know about LEDs. The "D" stands for Diode, which means that it only allows current to flow in one direction.  As such it's important to put the LED in the right direction.  Notice how the LED has one end longer than the other?  That long end has to be connected to the positive end of your circuit.  You can see in the pictures below how it lights up when oriented one way, but when I flip the LED around, it doesn't.

 

Installing the USB port is just something you'll have to figure out on your own, as the ideal spot for it will vary depending on your model.  I chose my location because there was an existing hole that was almost exactly the right size.  I did have to modify the hip joints in order to fit the connector, but with almost no impact on the articulation of my Strike's legs.  The connector is held in with hot glue because plastic cement doesn't work on metal (I imagine - I haven't tested).

A Final note

These are very general sorts of guidelines and experiences that are relevant to my experience doing an LED mod.  I tried to make it as general as I could and explain principles that are applicable to any situation.  I'm sure I left stuff out though, so if something needs more explanation just let me know and I'll try to answer any questions.

One last thing.  Performing this mod requires the use of a soldering iron.  If you don't have any soldering experience, I highly recommend doing a lot of practicing with spare bits of wire before you do it do your model.  There are plenty of videos online that can help you out.  I am not an expert and won't pretend to be one so I will defer to others expertise when it comes to teaching proper use.  However, it is very important to be capable with your soldering iron.  An unsteady hand can easily damage the plastic of your kit, and burn yourself.  Irresponsible use of an iron can cause a fire in your home, so be very careful.

Thanks for reading!

Build - Aile Strike ver. RM

This is a build that I completed before I started the blog (Obviously - I only started this a day or so ago).

After I finished and was satisfied with my first kit, the RG Gundam Mk II, I was itching to go bigger and better.  I wanted to tackle my first MG.

 The Aile Strike is one of my favorite suits, and the ver. RM master grade is a fantastic representation of it.  My only issue is that I've never been a fan of the Red, Blue, White, Yellow color scheme that most protagonist suits have.  As this was my first master grade, I thought "Hey, why not try my hand at doing some painting too!"  So I came up with this sort of slytherin-esque theme, meant to be a little more militaristic than the default.

Using Tamiya spray cans, I painted as follows:

Frame = Gunmetal & Light Gunmetal
Formerly red pieces = Field Grey (which is the green color)
Formerly blue pieces = Flat Black.
I used some silver, and copper for accents, and finished it off with a dull coat and some weathering using the Tamiya idiot-proof weathering kits.

After I was completely finished, I had another idea.  I should try to put a USB-powered LED in the head!  It can't be that hard! Having some EE classes from college under my belt, and a healthy history of screwing around with electronics, I knew enough to make it work electrically.  I just didn't know how much work it would be to make it all fit in the suit, though it worked out in the end.

Anyway, here are some photos of it.  I apologize for the lousy photo quality.  I have yet to invest in a nice photography setup.

Let me know what you think!

Pose stolen from Gundam Beginner

Same pose, but it's a cool angle I think

Here he is just standing neutrally

LED turned on.  See the cable coming out of his butt?

LED on, light off.

Thruster details

Here you can see the USB port in his butt. Pretty cool if you ask me!