Model kit project: 1/144 HGUC GM Cannon - 10

Update #10 - Seal it all away

I finished up painting the last major details (wrist plates, knees, chest vent) with my airbrush and proceeded to touch-ups using a traditional brush, for tiny flaws in masking and hard-to-reach spots.

Not pictured: tiny flaws and hard-to-reach spots.

Unfortunately, a minor disaster struck while painting the interior of the visor: one of the stupid antennas snapped off!

NOTAFINGA!

It tried to sabotage me on purpose. I didn't even see where the antenna landed, so reattachment wasn't an option. I moved on to finishing the remaining paint details and waited to obtain replacement antenna.

Six of these components are being good little model kit parts and behaving themselves by not breaking. One of them is intentionally trying to screw me.

My go-to for scale model antenna? Framing nails. I absconded with a couple from my supplier and, after removing the existing 1 and 1/2 antenna, used my pin drill to set holes into the antenna mounts on the back of the head. I ended up breaking my drill bit, mangling the antenna bases and having to resculpt them, and nearly supergluing my fingertips together. But I think they'll work as replacements.

I hope you're happy, GM.

Once in place, I masked and blasted them with a coat of primer and proceeded with clear-coat sealing the remaining components. I settled on a satin finish to better replicate the semi-glossy look of bare plastic and avoid looking too glossy (and too much like car paint for me) or too flat (like it's been left as unsealed hobby paint and reminds me too much of miniature figurine).

Also I've seen the full-scale Gundam statue in Toyko and it was semi-gloss, so there.

Clear coating is pretty much the same process as priming; secure parts to a board and spray outside. I went back later to the head after painting the new antenna to clear coat it as well. This involved cutting recommended dry times short but I figured in the worst case I'd simply have to strip and repaint a pair of nails white.

You're holding up the whole process. I could have reassembled the whole model by now.

It was well worth the rush. The GM Cannon is finally finished and more poseable than many other 1/144-scale High Grade kits of the last decade, let alone the old GM Cannon kit. I added some decals from both kits before clear coating as a last layer of detail.

Ta-da! Ta-da forever!

It's far from perfect but I know most of the flaws are hard to notice. More importantly I accomplished all the main features I wanted this conversion to include and pulled off a decent paint job, and with a project that was probably bigger than I should have tackled as my first 'major' project. So it'll be a centerpiece for my connection and the will be more to come in a similar vein.  I will take some more photos and upload a gallery as a final update.