The Energon Pub

I just got a Music Label Soundwave (yeah, the Takara mp3 player, and it was on sale) and the silver paintjob on his upper legs have some scratches on the edges probably caused by the factory worker's handling him during packaging. For once, the scratches are not my fault

I bought a Gunze Sangyo Gundam Silver marker that I plan to use to touch up his missing silver, but I'm not sure if the paint will stick to Soundwave's legs. As the name states, the marker is designed for use on Gundam plastic models, but since both TF's and Gundam's are ABS, there shouldn't be a problem.

The last thing I want is for the silver paint to rub off the moment my fingers brush across Soundwave in alt mode.

Anyone used this marker before? Any advice?

I've used Gundam Markers (black) to accent the lines on my Star Wars figures before, but I would think that for large areas of paint, a Gundam Marker wouldn't look too good even if the paint stays on.

for little nicks and scratches they work fine.... but if you're looking to color in a whole area, itll look shoddy
.... i mostly use the silver one too. i guess amongst my TFs, silver paint is is the easiest to chip

I've only used Gundam markers for Animated figures, because well... it only works well with that toyline. If you're using it on your figures they should be fine, however It might not look the best.

Thanks, guys. And Thank God I asked. I actually had thoughts of painting up 2007 Swindle's awfully cheap-looking red plastic with a Gundam marker.

In any case, it's just the edges on Soundwave's upper legs that are scratched off, so it'd be a minor touch up at most.

BTW, if I do actually want to repaint an entire area with silver (or any other color, for that matter), like say Leader Megs' "knee guards", how should I go about it? Tamiya spray paint?

Just one more question: are Gundam markers made ONLY for touching up, even in the case of Gundam models? My command of the Japanese language is comparable to that of a three-year-old Japanese child, so I don't understand even a quarter of the words that are written on the markers, especially the kanji.

I'm barely a novice when it comes to modding TF's (or Gundam's), so you'll have to forgive the newbie questions.

Spray paint can be messy and there's a danger of putting way too much on. Games Workshop Mithril Silver will be the right colour for Soundwave. By a smallish brush and some of that.

Ever tried colouring something in with a felt tip pen? You never get even coverage do you? Using a gundam marker for large areas may produce the same result. I always assumed they are for detailing.

Yeah, if you're going for a 'big' area, then I suggest using paint, not a marker. Marker's only good for edges, lines, or small holes that you are trying to fill in.

yup, for big areas use paint. i prefer an airbrush, or spray paint, just so that its an even coat all the time. sometimes when using a brush, paint can get thick if you dont thin it right and it could clump and you'll see strokes, or even if its too watery you can still get strokes; i just find it difficult to find the right paint consistency, and even to be consistent with your strokes so that you dont see the brush lines when it dries. the worst is when its kinda dry, but youre still painting, then it gets all rough and bumpy, kinda like drywall...

.... but in your case you can use the tamiya spray paint. first things first, mask the areas you dont want to paint with low adhesive masking tape. spray paint can be unpredictable and the spray can go everywhere, but you can control this by masking. then once you got your paint, make sure to hold the can upside down for about 30 seconds or so to release he pressure, you'll get a softer spray this way.... this will also prevent the paint from getting runny and prevents putting too much, as spray paint is usually a strong spray, especially if its brand new and never sprayed before. painting is fun. do plenty of thin coats, id say about three. one base coat, another refined coat, and then one more for good measure and to hit areas youved missed. and make sure to spray from far away, youll get a soft spray and itll prevent runniness (not a word, i know). and when you spray, dont do it little by little like a trigger.... youll get spurts from the nozzle, getting thick particles of paint where itll look like water droplets on your toy. so hold the button down so that its a steady stream, but dont hold it too long cause you dont want too much paint on your toy. but yea thats spray paint for you....

.... but from the way you described your soundwave, i think a marker would be fine. so as long youre not coloring the whole silver area, but just the chipped parts....

goodluck let me know how it goes

BIG WARNING!

If you're shopping around for Gundam markers, you may run into the "eraser" marker (GM300). It sounds like a great idea, and can actually be fairly useful, but be careful!

The mechanism is pretty much the same as other Gundam markers, but with some sort of solvent instead of paint. If you allow the solvent to remain in contact with certain plastics for too long, it causes damage to whatever you're touching up.

The damge can vary. Lesser damage may be simply be dulling or frosting of shiny plastics. At the more severe end of the spectrum, the plastics can become brittle and crack under the slightest pressure.

If you do get your hands on the "eraser" marker, use it for very small areas, and have a lint-free cloth handy to wipe off excess solvent liquid as soon as it dissolves the paint.

[JRX] wrote:BIG WARNING!

If you're shopping around for Gundam markers, you may run into the "eraser" marker (GM300). It sounds like a great idea, and can actually be fairly useful, but be careful!

The mechanism is pretty much the same as other Gundam markers, but with some sort of solvent instead of paint. If you allow the solvent to remain in contact with certain plastics for too long, it causes damage to whatever you're touching up.

The damge can vary. Lesser damage may be simply be dulling or frosting of shiny plastics. At the more severe end of the spectrum, the plastics can become brittle and crack under the slightest pressure.

If you do get your hands on the "eraser" marker, use it for very small areas, and have a lint-free cloth handy to wipe off excess solvent liquid as soon as it dissolves the paint.

hmm, ive never tried this, this could be useful. thanks

tom brokaw wrote: hmm, ive never tried this, this could be useful. thanks

You really should. It's a great tool if used correctly.

Mykltron, Blurz, Tom, JRX, thanks for all the tips and info. I've perished the thought of doing any major paintjobs with markers on my TF's or Gundams. Spray paint and brushes for large areas, right? Got it.

tom brokaw wrote:yup, for big areas use paint. i prefer an airbrush, or spray paint, just so that its an even coat all the time. sometimes when using a brush, paint can get thick if you dont thin it right and it could clump and you'll see strokes, or even if its too watery you can still get strokes; i just find it difficult to find the right paint consistency, and even to be consistent with your strokes so that you dont see the brush lines when it dries. the worst is when its kinda dry, but youre still painting, then it gets all rough and bumpy, kinda like drywall...

.... but in your case you can use the tamiya spray paint. first things first, mask the areas you dont want to paint with low adhesive masking tape. spray paint can be unpredictable and the spray can go everywhere, but you can control this by masking. then once you got your paint, make sure to hold the can upside down for about 30 seconds or so to release he pressure, you'll get a softer spray this way.... this will also prevent the paint from getting runny and prevents putting too much, as spray paint is usually a strong spray, especially if its brand new and never sprayed before. painting is fun. do plenty of thin coats, id say about three. one base coat, another refined coat, and then one more for good measure and to hit areas youved missed. and make sure to spray from far away, youll get a soft spray and itll prevent runniness (not a word, i know). and when you spray, dont do it little by little like a trigger.... youll get spurts from the nozzle, getting thick particles of paint where itll look like water droplets on your toy. so hold the button down so that its a steady stream, but dont hold it too long cause you dont want too much paint on your toy. but yea thats spray paint for you....

.... but from the way you described your soundwave, i think a marker would be fine. so as long youre not coloring the whole silver area, but just the chipped parts....

goodluck let me know how it goes

Thanks for the detailed tutorial, Tom. While I won't be doing any major painting on Soundwave, the Gundam marker worked well enough on his scratched edges, and he looks brand new now. Left it to dry for the night, and it hasn't rubbed off even after I brushed against it with my finger.

[JRX] wrote:BIG WARNING!

If you're shopping around for Gundam markers, you may run into the "eraser" marker (GM300). It sounds like a great idea, and can actually be fairly useful, but be careful!

The mechanism is pretty much the same as other Gundam markers, but with some sort of solvent instead of paint. If you allow the solvent to remain in contact with certain plastics for too long, it causes damage to whatever you're touching up.

The damage can vary. Lesser damage may be simply be dulling or frosting of shiny plastics. At the more severe end of the spectrum, the plastics can become brittle and crack under the slightest pressure.

If you do get your hands on the "eraser" marker, use it for very small areas, and have a lint-free cloth handy to wipe off excess solvent liquid as soon as it dissolves the paint.

Hi JRX. As a matter of fact, I was planning to buy the GM300 marker this weekend. Sounded quite handy, although I had no idea how it was supposed to work until you told me. Thanks; I'll make sure to careful using this.

SKYWARPED_128 wrote:Hi JRX. As a matter of fact, I was planning to buy the GM300 marker this weekend. Sounded quite handy, although I had no idea how it was supposed to work until you told me. Thanks; I'll make sure to careful using this.

No problem . I'm not sure if that is how you're "supposed" to use it, but that's what works best for me. I also like to keep a clean dry rag around to gently wipe off the tip of the eraser marker after each use, or between colors (to get rid of any of the excess paint I "erased"). Again... not sure if you're "supposed" to do that, but it hasn't caused any problems yet.

Good luck!