HG 1/100 Tallgeese

Ah!  The Tallgeese.  Up until this point I had tried and learned different techniques, but I had yet to put them together to make a nice, clean build.  I always had some (usually big) flaw on the kit that prevented it from looking too great.  While my skills had improved on individual techniques, I still wasn’t able to put them together for a good result.

Enter Tallgeese.  The primary goal for this kit was simply this: to build a nice, clean kit.  I would use some of the techniques I had learned and be extra careful along the way.

The result?  I like it!  This is one of my favorite gundams.  The kit turned out simple and clean.

I did some preshading, although I oversprayed the white topcoat so the preshading is nearly invisible.  The enamel wash turned out fine, and the decals as well.  Masking went well (although this one took a lot of time to mask properly).

The only thing really new that I tried was modding the jets on the back so that I could put them together after being painted.  I had to drill out some of the inside so I could slip the side parts in later after the main unit had been glued together.  I wanted to do this so that I could paint the silver parts on the inside separately.  This was a useful technique to learn because it can be applied in many different situations on various models.

Overall, I was very satisfied with this model.  This is the first model completed that I didn’t mind sitting out on the shelf.

Lessons Learned:

• When preshading, be careful not to overspray the topcoat.  Otherwise, all the work preshading will be wasted.  Be sure to allow some of the preshading to show through!
• Decals take a lot more time than expected!  They are easy to apply, but when you end up putting on many waterslide decals, the time adds up.  And, if you want to cover a 1/100 kit well with decals, it will require a lot of decals.  You have to cut each individual one, soak it, place it, and optionally add Mr. Mark Setter / Mr. Mark Softer.  But, like other techniques, they greatly improve the look.
• Learn some basic mods, such as drilling female connector areas to allow male parts to be placed at a later date.  They are not too hard to do but can make painting much easier.  You can avoid having to mask which is time consuming and error prone, and have easier access to the part needing paint.