MG Scrapper Ball

Introduction:

Slightly less than a month ago our first discord group build wrapped up for the MG Ball. We had an amazing turn out with some spectacular entries. And, I somehow failed to get the photos of my kit out in time!

This is my entry to our now passed group build. The idea was based on a one page 'character study' for my Ball. Here's an excerpt from that story study:

"This Ball was purchased by a ‘Mom and Pop’ salvaging operating out of Side 6. Compared to the smaller ‘petite MS’ and patchwork ‘salvage grade’ normal suits they were typically used to, the Ball featured much thicker hull plating, better thrust vectoring and much higher thruster output. Making it perfect for entering dangerous debris fields to dislodge and tow out mobile suits and other flotsam for stripping and processing. Having a Ball in a salvagers toolbox is the key to entering the heavy debris fields of old battlefields and ruined colonies.

Judging by its condition this Ball is well worn, but also well cared for. Some of the armor panels appear to have been replaced over the years. The paint has been chipped or scraped off in a few areas due to the ever-present debris and the ‘rough and tumble’ nature of the work, but the salvagers have attempted to keep the panels painted in their colors."

If you somehow don't already have an MG Ball you should pick one up immediately. These are wonderful inexpensive MG models with oodles of possibilities. And, if you pick one up (or anything else) using this link it will help support my work!

Kit Talk:

Having something like the character study above gave me a pretty decent road map for what I wanted in this build. I remove the cannon from a standard Ver. Ka ball and made a 'cap' for the recess. I bashed parts for a 'Type K' Ball to add the rollbar and towing winch.

The color scheme isn't based on anything in particular. I wanted to get the idea across that this salvaged company just painted some blue segments of the existing gray hull of the Ball. 

I used a new chipping technique on this kit. After physically gouging and chipping the plastic I laid down a silver base coat to the model to establish the material of the hull. After that I applied small amounts of vaseline in various places all over the model before laying on more paint. All areas of this kit have at least 3 individual layers of paint to create the chipping effect. 

Using the vaseline is tricky because if it isn't cleanly removed then you can accidentally have larger than intended chipping areas if it smears. You can see where this happened around the RCS thrusters near the arms. I think this will be a useful effect in the future, but I need more experience with it.

This kit features the bares amount of weathering washes (by choice). And, in hindsight I probably should have made it a bit grungier.