Gunpla tools for Beginners

Tools 101

This quick list will provide all the tools you'll need to get started in the fantastic hobby of Gundam plastic models (Gunpla)!

Side Cutters:




 









 Xuron 410 Micro-Shear Flush Cutter

These are your bread and butter tool (sometimes called nippers), you use them to remove parts from the spru (the thing all the individual parts come on). Side cutters are sharp and neatly cut through the plastic, nail clippers, pliers and scissors crush the plastic instead, leaving rough, stressed plastic.


X-Acto Knife 




Xacto X3311 N0. 1 Precision Knife With 5 No. 11 Blades

You use a Xacto knife to remove the nubs on parts leftover by the nippers. Change blades often, and be careful not to cut yourself.



X711 #11 Blade Carded Handi Pack (40)

Buy your blades in larger packs to save money. This is how I buy mine, I'll typically use 3-4 blades per kit!

Sandpaper





 

 

 

 

 

3M assorted sandpaper pack

Sand paper is used to sand an remaining evidence of the nub off of a part. I like using fine grades of sand paper because they leave less visible scratches in the plastic. This is crucial if you don't plan on painting your kit!

 

Spudger


3M SP3010 Nylon Spudger Tool

This tool has a funny name, and about a dozen uses. I use mine to seperate parts, move decals and adjust tiny gimmicks on my kit. The spudgers are made out of Nylon, so they shouldn't scratch your plastic up.

Cutting Mat


Self Healing Green Cutting Mat 18 x 24 inches

A cutting mat will protect your table top and can prolong the life of your xacto knife blades.


Gundam Markers




GSI Creos Gundam Marker Basic Set (6 Markers)

If you're new to Gundam and modeling and general you might want to start out using Gundam markers instead of painting. You can use these to cover up any marks leftover from removing nubs. You can extract the paint from the markers by pushing down on the tips, you can then paint it onto a kit with a brush.



Panel Lining Markers



Gundam Marker Black Fine Point GM01 (For Panel Lines)

Gundam Marker Ultra Fine Grey


Sakura 30062 6-Piece Pigma Micron Clam Ink Pen Set, Black

Panel lining pens are essential for highlighting detail in panel lines, and on edges. Some people prefer the reduced contrast of grey panel lines on white. I prefer black, Sakura micron pens are also a good alternative, because they offer similar thickness pens, at a fraction of the price.

Comments

  1. Hey,

    How do you use so many blades per kit? I have the same type of blades but by another brand thats for sale where I live, and even for the PG GP01 I only used like 4 blades for the whole deal and its the biggest PG arround. And mostly I needed to change blades because the tips broke and not because they got dull.

    Greets,

    Lorri

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for your question Lorri. I typically choose to use 3-4 blades per kit because I want to have a very sharp blade available when I'm cutting the nubs off of the parts. The duller the x-acto knife gets, the more pressure you need to apply to the blade to get it through the plastic. The more pressure you apply to the plastic, the more likely you are to stress or damage the part. I used to be more conservative in my blade use, but generally I found I had an easier time clean parts up by changing the blades out more frequently.

      Thanks

      GGD

      Delete
  2. Guess everyone their own way, I can generally build atleast 1 MG with 1 blade, and depending on how soon I get a new modelkit gunpla or just another model. With me the point of using a new one is mostly either the blade breaks or its starting to rust. Only with a PG so far I had that I had to change blades because they became dull. :) but as I said each their own ways and methods ofcourse.

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  3. Hey. I don't have the money for all those tools but I have a Leatherman with wire cutters and a plastic/metal file along with some sandpaper at home. Would these work for beginner tools?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It will work, but you might be disappointed with the results.

      Delete
  4. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  5. Hello, I wanted to ask if there are alternatives to the gundam markers that I could use, and could these replace stickers?

    ReplyDelete

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