Get Really Into Building Gundams With These Gunpla Tools
If you’ve been thinking about building some mini Gundam figures of your own but weren’t sure where to start, let me help!
About a year ago I built my first Gunpla figure.
Prior to this build, I had always assumed that assembling one of these miniature mobile suits would be some sort of torture. But I saw that Aerial was something like $15 at Target and impulse bought it.
Turned out, I actually loved the process and having a little mini Gundam on my shelf. So I started making many more of these. My nostalgic pride and joy at the moment aren’t Gundams at all, but the mechs from Rayearth. And I never would have discovered how fun this could be or how nice it is to have some mechs guarding your office if I hadn’t bought the Aerial kit on a whim. So if you’re on the lookout for a new hobby, or just think that assembling Gunpla could be fun but you’re not sure where to start, maybe this will help!
1. Entry Grad RX-78-2
The first kit that I made was, admittedly, pretty basic and easy. But there’s a level even easier and more entry-level than that! There are tons of Gunpla out there to choose from with a very wide range of difficulties ranging from very easy to multi-day-build.
We’re just dipping our toe in, though. So let’s start with the basics before seeking out the more advanced kits. This Entry Grade RX-78-2 is perfect for that. It’s the classic mobile suit that most people think of when they hear “Gundam” and only comes with relatively few tiny plastic bits to fit together. If this kit doesn’t awaken the same joy in you, don’t make more. But if it does, this is a great and easy way to figure that out. And either way, with an $18 price tag, it’s not like you’ll be committing a lot of time or money to the experiment.
2. Tool Kit
I quickly realized that there were a few tools that I’d need to build Aerial. And then some bonus glue when I broke a piece in half trying to unsnap it from the plastic sheet. After that, the nippers/pliers were my best friend. Luckily, we happened to have most of this stuff in the basement. Y’know, because cosplay.
But if you didn’t start out with an unrelated hobby that would require any of this stuff, you may not already have it in your basement. We covered the nippers, but the tweezers were instrumental in getting the tiny persnickety stickers on the tiny plastic bits, and the files were always necessary for shaving off any excess nubs.
The hobby knife, believe it or not, I used to help get into seams so I could disassemble an entire leg when I realized I’d put the hip joint in upside down.
And again, at $9, we’re not talking about a huge commitment here.
3. Micro Grinder
Let’s be honest, if you’re looking through my intro list for Gunpla tools, you’re probably not at the “micro-grinder” level yet. But we know how these hobbies go. One day you’re thinking about checking it out and before you know it it’s been a month and you’re surrounded by miniature plastic war suits. Your partner knows better than to ask how much the three shoujo-anime-mechs that just appeared in the mail cost because you can’t put a price tag on happiness and you’re chasing an itty bitty gauntlet under the table before a cat finds it.
Nipping the pieces out of their plastic sheet will often leave a little bitty plastic nub, and sometimes you want those gone. If nipping isn’t high-precision enough for you and filing by hand takes too long, it’s time for the mini grinder.
4. Sheet Organizer
If you haven’t built a Gunpla, the pieces come on bigger plastic sheets. Each sheet is numbered and color coordinated, and each small piece is numbered within there. If you have a place to spread out, keeping track of all of your sheets is pretty easy.
But if you’re me you may do your building on a couch while the TV is on with all of your sheets stacked up and constantly being shuffled around. And honestly, you’ll need a better organization system. This rack is made specifically to keep all of those sheets lined up, tidy, and easy to see and choose from, and it has been a game-changer for me, personally.
Oh hey! BoLS might make a little dolla-dolla if you decide to buy these items. We need that money to build a life-size Gundam. Like they have in Yokohama. BoLS should have one, too.
