Bandai 1/100 RGM-111 'HardyGun'

[Wezra]

Yikes, its been over 10 years since I actually put a model together, if not longer!

Well anyway, started the preliminaries with this pretty old gundam kit. I think it was released early nineties. I've had it forever it would seem, so it seemed apt to start with a cheaper, less complicated (than a MG) to get back into the swing of things.

1st Step: Remove all parts from sprues, give sprue leftovers on a parts a cleanup, widen lug holes and put the thing together (sans glue) to get an idea of the best way to paint.

Here are a few pics of progress so far.

Quite a cool looking mecha if you ask me and incredibly well articulated for its age. Only weak points being some parts not quite of the same shape, so some odd misalignments going on. Nowt to troubling though. This one comes from the series : MSG - Silhouette Formula 91 (same one as the the uber cool MG 1/100 F-91, shame they dont MG up this one )

Some more pics

Here's the rough parts breakdown, sorry for grainy pic, lighting from this angle went all weird.

Next stage is filling and sanding, then followed by some primer and no doubt a bit more filling a sanding. Colour scheme is going to be (I think) Overall White, with Gundam Blue for the blue bits. With the dark bits being well some kind of dark metal colour and such I am drawn to doing it in the Gundam Test colours, white, with orange, think it would look pretty cool.

I reckon I might do a few more simple kits I've got kicking about, have some old 1/100 Bandai Macross ones which are very simple, but good looking mechas.

Matt.

[Paul B]

Hi Matt, that's looking like an accomplished build so far. Use of test colours for the paint scheme would certainly make it stand out from the crowd

Bandai have just re-released the Macross kits as part of last years 25th Macross anniversary. When your up to speed again it might be worth having a go at some of Hasegawa's 1/72 Macross kits also, just a shame no one does any 1/48 kits at the moment

Keep the pics coming

[AnonymousER99]

Matt

Agree with Paul on this one!! Looks smashing so far and not only that...its great to have another Gundam geek on board!! Looking forward to the finished article

Mike

[Wezra]

cheers guys.

Only drawback to an otherwise lovely kit is the sheer number of sink marks

The shield alone has like 15 of them on the rear panels. Much filling with Mr Surfacer and sanding me thinks.

I'm pondering quite how to paint some of the bits, cause unlike a MG kit, there is no skeleton as such, some odd masking is going to be required.

[Paul B]

Hope you have plenty of masking tape... Utilise an hour masking a section only to spend 15 seconds spraying it, such is a modellers life... I mask where possible and hand paint where it's not. Good luck and be patient

[Boxster]

That is a nice one there!

Some of the nicest kits are only in 1/144 and didn't make it to 1/100.

I look forward to your progress on this kit!

B