Straight Build

You cracked open the box, dumped out the runners, and now you're staring at a wall of plastic wondering where to start. Good news: a straight build is the most satisfying entry point in the hobby, and you don't need an airbrush or a paint booth to make something that looks genuinely great on a shelf.

A straight build means assembling the kit as Bandai designed it, then elevating the finish with clean nub removal, panel lining, decals, and a protective topcoat. No painting, no modification. Just clean technique on every part.

The biggest decision you'll make is your nippers. Cheap nippers crush the gate and leave stress marks in the plastic. God Hand SPN-120 ($45-50) are the gold standard, but Dspiae ST-A 3.0 ($20-25) are nearly as good at half the price. For your first build, even a pair of Tamiya sharp-pointed side cutters ($18) will do the job if you pair them with a hobby knife and patience. Cut parts off the runner leaving a small gate nub, then shave it flush with your blade. Sand with 600 then 800 grit if needed.

For panel lining, Tamiya Panel Line Accent Color in black or dark gray ($8) is the standard. Apply it along the recessed lines, let capillary action pull it into the grooves, then clean up the excess with a cotton swab dipped in lighter fluid or Tamiya X-20 enamel thinner. If you're nervous about enamel thinner cracking ABS joints (it can happen on older kits), use Gundam Markers for panel lining instead. They're more forgiving but the lines aren't as crisp.

Inventory runners, manual, and decals. Before you touch your nippers, lay out every runner and check them against the parts list. Confirm your decal sheet is intact. Nothing worse than getting to step 47 and realizing runner F is missing a piece.

Clip and clean torso parts. Start with the torso because it's the core everything attaches to. Two-cut method: first cut leaves 2mm of gate, second cut goes flush. Scrape remaining nub with your hobby knife blade held perpendicular to the surface.

Build head, arms, and weapons. Work through one subassembly at a time. Test fit before fully snapping parts together. Some connections are very tight on RG and MG inner frames, so don't force anything.

Build legs, waist, and backpack. Legs usually have the most repetitive work (you're building two of them). Keep left and right organized.

Sand visible nub marks. Go back through every subassembly and hit any remaining nub marks with sanding sticks. Focus on visible surfaces. Nobody sees the inside of a skirt armor.

Panel line major armor sections. Apply panel liner to the torso, shoulders, legs, and head. Let each section dry 5-10 minutes before cleanup. Work in natural light so you can spot missed lines.

Apply stickers or water slides. Kit stickers work fine, but waterslide decals (either included or aftermarket from Delpi or DL Model) look dramatically better. Dip in water 10-15 seconds, slide onto the part, position with a damp brush, then hit with Mr. Mark Softer to conform to surface detail.

Topcoat and final pose photos. Mr. Hobby Topcoat (water-based, spray can) in matte or satin is the go-to. Two light coats from 8-10 inches away. Matte kills that toy-plastic shine and unifies stickers with the surface. Let it cure overnight, then pose and photograph.

Common mistakes

• Cutting parts directly off the runner flush. This tears the plastic. Always leave a small gate, then trim in a second pass.
• Using too much panel liner. You only need a tiny dot at the line's edge. Capillary action does the work. Flooding a part causes pooling and potential cracking on ABS.
• Skipping topcoat. Without it, your panel lining smudges and decals peel over time. Topcoat protects everything and kills the plastic-toy look.
• Rushing the build in one sitting. Even a simple HG has 40+ parts. Fatigue leads to sloppy nub marks. Take breaks.
• Ignoring nub placement before cutting. Some gates land on visible surfaces. Plan your cut angle so the nub faces inward or toward a seam.

A straight build taught me more about patience and precision than any painted kit. Once you nail this process, every future build benefits from those clean habits.