Gundam - Zaku II

[Martijn Meerts]

This is a (very) long term project, really only working on it very sporadically. It doesn't help that the next step is painting some bits and pieces, and I don't really feel like setting up the airbrush for so little work :)

 

Anyway, the Zaku II is pretty much an experimental build. I'm going to glue the whole thing together, fill up all the gaps with putty where needed, prime the whole thing, paint it with the colors specified in the manual (which requires a lot of mixing), add panel lines, add shadowing, and then seal it up. I'm also replacing the unsightly sticker that's supposed to be the lens with a 3mm pink LED. The wires will be routed through the body, and either exit through 1 of the feet, or I might see if I can add some sort of plug system so it's easy to stick Zaku II on a base and be able to light up the LED.

 

Some initial pictures from the progress (or, lack thereof, since it's been in it's current state for half a year or so =))

 

 

Image 001:

The LED to be used. A fairly standard 3mm pink one, with the head filed off to make it flash with the head piece.

 

Image 002:

Test fitting the LED. There's very little space in here, and I really need to keep the black bit movable so I can remove the masking tape which I'll need to add.

 

Image 003:

Shortened the long, stiff LED leads, and soldered on some much more flexible 0.02mm lacquered copper wires. Also modified the base of the head slightly so the LED actually fits.

 

Image 004:

The LED installed for a test fit (the head does close completely, I just didn't want to do so because it's annoying to take apart again :)) The black bit can still rotate. Obviously, the area around the LED needs some cleaning up, and I think I need to add a misty coat of black over the LED to integrate it a bit better with the rest.

 

Image 005:

Testing the LED. It's definitely too bright, but I think I can dim it down a bit more by using a larger resistor, as well as doing the misty coat of black from image 004 :)

[linkey]

Is that a MG (1/100) Zaku II you got there or a HG (1/144) Zaku II? As the 3mm LED would be a tight fit for a 1/144 HG Zaku II

[Martijn Meerts]

It's a 1/144 Zaku II, and yes, the LED is a VERY tight fit :)