Hobby

Almost everyone has a hobby (because I know there are a few who does not have one). Hobbies are activities you do when you got nothing to do or more commonly known as spare time recreational pursuit. Hobbies are practiced for interest and enjoyment, rather than financial reward. Examples of hobbies can include collecting, creative and artistic pursuits, making, tinkering, sports and adult education. When someone dwell into a certain type of hobbies, it can lead someone in gaining substantial skills, knowledge and experience, but the most of important aim is personal fulfillment.

What are hobbies for some people are professions for others. For example, a game tester may enjoy cooking as a hobby, while a professional chef might enjoy playing computer games during his free time. Generally speaking, the person who does something for fun, not remuneration, is called an amateur or hobbyist as distinct from a professional.

As for me, there are a few things that I love to do as my hobby but currently I'm really into modeling kits, specifically Gundam.

RAWWWWR !!!!!
1/100 Aile Strike Gundam

Back when I was in Form 2, I started collecting this Gundam kits but then it didn't last long because the cheapest price for a model kit would be around RM 50 and RM50 for a Form 2 student is a HUGE amount back in 1999. Due to that reason, I stopped collecting it. But months ago, I've came across this guy who supplies Gundam kits at almost cost price (he earns a few ringgits for a kit). That totally got me warmed up all over again.

For those who are new into Gundam modeling kits, there are a few things you should look out for when you want to purchase one. Gundam models usually do not require additional paint or glue although there are many people that enjoy painting to the perfection. There are number of different classes to these models such as PG (Perfect Grade), MG (Master Grade), HG (High Grade) and others. They define how poseable and moveable models are and how complex they are to build.

There are generally 4 skill levels to gundam kits.

1 being the easiest
4 being the hardest

There are also certain grade to kits defined by the following

HG = High Grade - The easiest to build, less detail, less flexibility
MG = Master Grade - Medium difficulty, little more attention to detail, more parts, more flexibility.
PG = Perfect Grade - More parts, little more difficult to build, will take much more time, lots of flexibility and more detail.

Let’s kick off with the relative size of the kits. The diagram below shows approximate sizes for each scale of kit, starting from the smallest models at 1/200th scale up to the impressive 1/60th scale kits. The sizes shown are typical dimensions for the standard RX-78 Gundam model. For kits within the same scale range, size can vary somewhat, a good indicator of size and complexity is price. A higher than average price usually means you will be getting a larger more complex kit.

Complexity

1/200th Scale
In terms of complexity there are several grades of kit to choose from. The most straight forward with respect to assembly are the models from the HCMPro series. The mobile suits themselves come preassembled, but don't be fooled, the level of detail in these small scales models is incredible. The only work left for you to do is clip off the weapons and accessories on the few sprues in the box and choose how you want to fit them to the model.

1/144th Scale
Next up are the 1/144th Scale No Grade kits we stock. These kits are the entry point and consist of two or three sprues of parts and some poly caps (flexible joint pieces). The total part count is typically around 50 pieces. The sprues come pre moulded in multiple colours allowing a great finish without painting. Of course if you have the skills and the time you can finish and paint these kits to a very high standard. Expect to be able to build one of these models in around an hour or so.

The next step up is the 1/144th Scale High Grade kits. These models are great value for money. They offer more articulation and more detail with a typical parts count of around 100+ pieces. As with the No Grade kits all you need to do is clip off and trim the pieces and then snap the parts together, no glue is required. Additionally at this scale some kits do come with a few transfers or decals to help add detail. Typically it takes a few hours to put one of these models together.

1/100 Gundam Red Astray Frame

1/100th Scale
Moving up the scale we have 1/100th No grade, High Grade and Master Grade. In reality the new SEED kits which are considered as officially No Grade are in fact similar in detail to the traditional High Grade kits in this range, so for the purpose of this description we will consider them as the same. Again these kits snap together and feature good detail. In some ways these are a little easier to assemble given the larger size. These kits will also typically take a few hours to build.

The next step up the ladder shifts us forward a gear both in terms of detail and complexity. 1/100th Scale Master Grade kits are highly detailed models usually with lots of feature and a large selection of decals for detailing. Don't be put off if your modeling skills are limited these kit simply click together just like the previous ones, it's just going to take a little longer to complete. Then again the effort is well worthwhile, many Master Grade kits feature a wealth of internal detail and typically consist of 300 or more parts. Some of the more expensive versions can have parts counts of up to around 600, rivaling even some Perfect grade kits. Expect one of these to take around twenty-ish hours to build.

1/100 MG Zeta Gundam Ver 2.0

1/60th Scale
Finally we find ourselves at the largest Scale 1/160th. There are essentially two grades of kit at this scale. Firstly No Grade kits such as the SEED “Strike with Striker Weapons Systems”. These kits are great value for money, lots of detail and presence for your display, the range is limited but all of these models are great designs.
The second grade in this range is Perfect Grade, the pinnacle of Gundam Model kits. These models are very complex and will usually need to be built over the course of several days. They feature lots of detail and internal structure and consist of anywhere from 600 to 1000+ parts. Many of these kits include light-up parts or screw fixed joints to give extra stability. If you have the patience to build one of these models you certainly won't be disappointed.

1/60 Gundam Strike Rouge

Well I guessed that's all for now. Will update soon with the Gundam that I fixed recently. Don't worry, more Gundam will be fixed soon. Stay tune.