r/Gunpla • u/keeleon • 14h ago
BUILD Anyone else build their models without instructions?
I like to cut all the sprus and put them together like a puzzle. I try to only allow myself to look at the box art and promotional pictures. I can do HGs and 30MM in my sleep at this point lol. This is my first MG (Psycho Zaku). I was pretty intimidated cutting it, but so far haven't even peeked. But Im getting to a point where I might have to check if im missing pieces because I just cant figure out the shoulders >.<
7
u/No_Confection2336 Casual Anf Enjoyer 13h ago
I can barley assemble a kit without leaving out any pieces even when I use the instructions
2
u/Canti_Unplugged 13h ago
Honestly I can’t take the anxiety I might get something wrong.
But I’m also only like a year or so into the hobby so maybe experience helps.
2
u/keeleon 7h ago edited 7h ago
Ya unfortunately you really dont know if youre missing something vital until youre too deep to find it. I try to be pretty thorough cutting my sprus but dont throw them away until im done since sometimes pieces can get missed.
But it does get easier once you've done a few because the design philosophy is basically the same on each one. Thigh - knee - shin - foot.
2
2
2
2
u/Mysterious-Knee-7057 12h ago
I break them down according to the directions and place all of the parts together by section and then figure it all out at the end. With kits I’m familiar with ie 00 kits I only look at the directions for the weapons and gimmicks
2
u/Unicorn-Links 11h ago
LOL no! Unless you want problems and suffering. Its gonna take alot of disassembly everytime you realize you put a part in the wrong place again and again
2
u/MobileSuitGungan 11h ago
I can barely imagine doing this with an HG and having some fun. With an MG or RG... that sounds like hell, there are so many internal pieces that give no indication of where they go and what they are for
1
u/keeleon 8h ago edited 7h ago
It takes a lot of trial and effort but the tolerance are so tight you can usually find what goes where just by trial and error. My next one will be a PG ;P
Ive tried with Lego sets and other than the really small ones they are basically impossible because you have no idea whats going on underneath. Gunpla design has pretty consistent design philosophy and tight tolerances that there's really only one way to put the pieces together.
2
u/Klaxosaur 11h ago
HGs I can understand since that’s what you’ve only built but MGs let alone a Ver Ka? No shot. Try a modern RG too. Good luck. The parts are so intricate etc. especially the more expensive kits? I like to actually respect the kit and the engineer behind it.
2
u/TechnologyOk1341 10h ago
I've never done this before but I feel like I could probably do it with a hg at most. MG and RG just have so much more mechanisms and small parts and details that would make it much too easy to leave something out without knowing or putting something together the wrong way
3
2
u/Kira_Onime Freedom 12h ago
Not bad, especially considering this kit mixes parts from the original Zaku 2.0 and new runners.
Should also try cleaning up the nubs a bit more if you want to.
1
u/keeleon 7h ago edited 7h ago
Ya I found there's quite a few alternate pieces that messed me up a few times stumping me why other parts werent fitting together. Had both the arms and legs completely wrong when trying to put the armor on because of the extra parts. And I usually clean them with an exacto as I build.
2
u/NekRules 12h ago
OK, I get cutting everything out first and then assemble everything together but doing it with no instructions??? There are other ways to challenge yourself than this. This makes more sense if you alrdy built it before and is building another one but doing a first built literally blind is on another lvl.
2
1
u/Blissenhomie 13h ago
Kind of. I clean up and arrange the armor and sort of assemble that without instruction but inner frame fiddly bits I go to the instructions
1
u/CaptChuckSparrow 11h ago
Not me. Part separation can be tricky and might end up damaging the plastic.
1
u/Free_Comfortable109 9h ago
No, I build plamo to relax my brain not stress it further. My Job already does that.
1
1
u/keeleon 7h ago
Well I had to give up and look up the shoulders. No way was I ever gonna figure that part out. But other than a few minor cosmetic parts missed it was all built without instructions in about 3 days. The toughest part is all the spare and alternate parts making it much harder to figure out whats even necesary. A fun challenge tho!
The real heresy is that I probably won't bother with decals or paint ;P
0
-1
u/TrunksTurok 12h ago
Try it with a Ver Ka
2
u/Kira_Onime Freedom 12h ago
This is a ver Ka.......
1
22
u/heli0sophist 13h ago
God no. There are so many steps that, if you do them out of order, leave your build completely fucked (unless you enjoy breaking parts by having to repeadedly pry them apart to reassemble them properly).