David G.

Hello Everybody! I know it's been a few months since I posted anything here but as they say, "Life Happens". I now find myself getting to a point where I can start to actively "hobby" again. So I'm back for as long as the will will will. I'm still working on my Fugimi Lamborghini Countache and I hope to have an update soon. But for now, I needed a simple warm-up exercise to get myself back into building shape. So here it is, a departure from my normal fare. The Bandai Ceilnova Mecha in Black. I picked this kit up a while ago with the intent of challenging myself with some building diversity. Don't get me wrong. I enjoy building cars, but I also enjoy Science Fiction and Fantasy. Most of all, I enjoy building. And although I may branch out from time to time and build something else, I will continue building Model Cars, Mostly. The build sheet is laid out in blocks of what Bandai calls "Thirty Minute Missions". Or build sessions of thirty minutes each. With one session for each of the arms and legs and one for the waist and one for the head and torso, it would seem that a build time of about three to four hours should be anticipated. I'm thinking that an experienced builder could make much quicker work of it than that. Here are the arms. I'm very pleased with the engineering of this kit. All the parts are precisely tooled and cast and go together with either snap placement or friction fit completely eliminating the need for any kind of adhesive. With a few exceptions, the kit is also laterally symmetrical which makes assembly that much easier. Each of the arms is presented as a "Thirty Minute Mission" but I managed to complete them both in a little less time than that. As I thought, an experienced should be able to make short work of this kit. That's all for now, more updates soon. As always, thanks for taking the time to look and please feel free to post a comment. David G.

The masking was absolutely worth it Si! If it shows this well in the photos, it must look great in person. David G.

Beautiful work, well worth the effort. I have one of these I received as a bagged kit from a cousin of mine. After looking it over and seeing the "quality" of the castings, I put it back in the bag... for now. Seeing what you've managed to accomplish with yours inspires me to have another look at my kit. David G.

Nice work so far on the APC and figure. David G.

Nice work so far! I can't wait to see where you go with this. David G.

These were great cars... the '57 Chevys of their era. They were everywhere and most young guys wanted one, myself included. Excellent work on yours! Nice paintwork and color choice, I love the skull and crossed bones on the C pillar. David G.

Wicked looking gasser! David G.

Excellent detail work, great stance and color choice! David G.

Likely the best built version of this kit that I've seen, Well Done! David G.

Very cool! Great work on the rigging. David G.

Nice work. David G.

Thanks JC. I had no idea that there were so many different versions of this kit. The one you have looks interesting, it seems to be a curbside like the one I'm working on, yes? David G.

Spectacular work! Everything looks spot-on. David G.

Hello Everybody! The more I work on this kit, the more things I find that need worked on. Case in point: In test fitting the ground effects I discovered more modifications to be made. The flare fenders are supposed to blend at the front with the chin spoiler. They don't. Obviously I'll be working to correct this. And let's not even talk about those unfortunate sprue attachment points. I cut out some styrene bits to build up the ends of the chin spoiler where it has to blend into the fender flares. With the shapes roughed in and attached to the corners of the chin spoiler, the real shaping work can begin. The stripe on the piece I added is there because it came from a styrene "For Sale" sign I bought at Home Depot to use as stock. The markings also come in handy for identifying which side is which so I can keep the shapes consistent. That's all for now. As always, thanks for taking the time to look and please feel free to comment. David G.

Thank you Bob, I'm glad you like it. I found that WIP thread of yours, it turns out that my version of the kit includes many of the detail items that are in the one you were working on. It looks like they just left out the engine sprue and swapped the chassis plate for the curbside version. In any case, I'll be following along with your WIP on this one. Thanks again, David G.

Great work on this one so far Bob. I'm currently working on the curbside version of this kit, it'll be interesting to follow along with your build to see how you solve some of the problems that this kit presents. David G.

Nice work! David G.

Fabulous progress you've made on this one Ian! As always, I'm enjoying the hand-made details you add. David G.

Lots of great eye candy going on there. Too much excellent detail to comment on any one thing. Fabulous work overall! David G.

Nice rig! It looks like a real workhorse ready for action. David G.

Fabulous looking interior! ? Great looking paint, nice color too. David G.

Nice roadster, good clean build. David G.

Nice detail work on the engine and interior, great color! David G.

Thanks Carl. Yeah, I've decided that I can live with them. David G.

Very convincing rust and paint effects! There's just something about this kit that cries out to be built in such a manner. I built one almost thirty years ago and did it in a similar fashion. But yours looks much better. David G.