MS-06R-1A Zaku II
Since I work with my Gunpla kits whenever I have some free time, I feel it can be hard to make good blog posts, because I do not take pictures of all the steps, and sometimes I forget to take pictures. Sometimes it can go several weeks between different steps in a build.
This is a build I did recently, during a couple of weeks. I did not take pictures of all the steps.
Build
This is a master grade 1/100 scale kit. This version of the Zaku has a different design on the legs that look pretty cool.
![The box](/images/articles/zaku2/IMG_20220326_114756.jpg)
I like to keep my runners organized, makes the build much easier.
![DIY Organizer made from cardboard](/images/articles/zaku2/IMG_20220326_115631.jpg)
Assembly is straight forward. Building this kit took a couple of hours of uninterrupted nipping.
![Completed Zaku. Except for the cables for the legs and backpack.](/images/articles/zaku2/IMG_20220327_172805.jpg)
Scribing
I wanted to add more details to this kit. It's a good looking kit but it will look even better with panel lines. I looked at several different builds online for inspiration. Most lines was scribed with a 0.2mm chisel.
![Scribing details for the chest armour](/images/articles/zaku2/IMG_20220329_104907.jpg)
![Scribing details for the left shoulder armour](/images/articles/zaku2/IMG_20220329_104924.jpg)
![Scribing details for the right shoulder shield](/images/articles/zaku2/IMG_20220331_203153.jpg)
![Zaku all scribed up.](/images/articles/zaku2/IMG_20220401_203256.jpg)
I made some mistakes when scribing (I was not happy with the results), so I had to fill with putty. For this I tried mixing left over sprues with Tamiya extra thin cement to create a plastic/glue slurry and used that to fill the bad panel lines.
![DIY putty](/images/articles/zaku2/IMG_20220401_204822.jpg)
When that had dried I sanded the surface smooth and scribed new lines that looked better.
![Fixing my mistakes..](/images/articles/zaku2/IMG_20220401_204755.jpg)
This process of failing and then fixing your mistakes makes you more confident, because it does not matter if you make mistakes, you can always fix them.
Paint job
I like to give my models a military color scheme because I feel it fits them very nicely. I used black, antracite grey, olive drab, orange, steel and gunmetal. On the parts that are painted with olive drab I also added some antracite grey to make it more interesting.
![Parts before clear coat and panel lines](/images/articles/zaku2/IMG_20220406_190900.jpg)
![Leg armour before clear coat and panel lines](/images/articles/zaku2/IMG_20220409_093013.jpg)
![Putting parts on sticks before clear coat](/images/articles/zaku2/IMG_20220409_114306.jpg)
![Painting frame parts with Steel color](/images/articles/zaku2/IMG_20220415_130924.jpg)
![Masking details on backpack](/images/articles/zaku2/IMG_20220417_105218.jpg)
I did not do any weathering on this kit, so it looks pristine, fresh out of the factory.
After painting, I applied clear coat and panel lines.
Decals
I used decals from several different decal sheets, including some of the original "rub on" stickers. I have never liked rub on stickers, but they where actually pretty easy to apply and look nice.
![Adding decals to the leg armour.](/images/articles/zaku2/IMG_20220415_092715.jpg)
![Adding decals to the lower arms.](/images/articles/zaku2/IMG_20220415_092742.jpg)
![Adding decals to the chest.](/images/articles/zaku2/IMG_20220415_092748.jpg)
![Adding decals to the shield.](/images/articles/zaku2/IMG_20220415_092752.jpg)
![Keeping all the parts organized is very important!](/images/articles/zaku2/IMG_20220415_130931.jpg)
I had some waterslide decals over from my Geara Doga build so I used some of them as well. I also had some left over waterslide decals from the Sazabi and RX-78-2 builds so I used some of them as well.
Matte coat
Once all the decals where in place, I sealed the decals and paint job with a matte coat.
![Front view](/images/articles/zaku2/IMG_20220419_202739.jpg)
![Side view](/images/articles/zaku2/IMG_20220419_202751.jpg)
![Back, showing the backpack](/images/articles/zaku2/IMG_20220419_202800.jpg)
![Closeup](/images/articles/zaku2/IMG_20220419_202825.jpg)
![Closeup of machine gun](/images/articles/zaku2/IMG_20220419_202848.jpg)
The result is very satisfying. It was a fun build!
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