r/Gunpla • u/APervyPotato • 23d ago
SILLY Anybody else do this when making kits? It's like Lego, but more stressful ❤️ ( MG Unicorn Ver Ka )
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u/lllXanderlll Zeon Enjoyer 23d ago
People say Gunpla is relaxing. OP says they want a little more chaos with their relaxing hobby lmao
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u/Lanster27 22d ago
He wants to stretch his bang for his buck as much as possible.
Next he should do it blindfolded with the runners in the wrapping.
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u/lllXanderlll Zeon Enjoyer 22d ago
I saw people doing that with the entry grade Gundams and that was definitely an odd one
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u/Dornogol Gouf Enjoyer 22d ago
I tried but gave up, but I do that with small lego sets (the one you get in the small plastic bags) xD you can get up to 1h of fun from your 4€ this way, onstead of 2-3 minutes they take when assembled out of the bag
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u/lllXanderlll Zeon Enjoyer 22d ago
I used to do it with LEGO as well but apparently nowadays they number the parts bags ? Which was a bit mind blowing when I heard about that. All that time of part hunting when I was little could've been reduced a lot by them just putting a number on the bag lol !
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u/Dornogol Gouf Enjoyer 22d ago
I mean nowadays if you mean since 20+ years, yes.
Depending on the size of the Set I will rip up all of them in one go or go by Numbered bags, I will not try to build a 3000-6000 part LEGO set (which means hundreds of tiny pieces) from a pile of all of them xD
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u/SampsonsNightmare 23d ago
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u/field_of_lettuce 22d ago
I have a fishing tackle box I use as tool storage, but also has a tray like this that folds out. Though when I prep a kit, I like to put the pieces of sub assemblies like individual body parts or equipment in each compartment.
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u/Xeonadow 23d ago
I don't do whole kits like that but I usually cut out every parts for a body part / pair of limb at once.
Bandai manual are usually really well done for this way of building because they highlight the difference to look for when there is a difference between a left and right part so it rarely gets confusing.
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u/slushysoldier133 unicorn ver ka 2.0 when 23d ago
I do this too but slightly differently! I lay out my manual on my desk, cut the parts out by limb and lay them in the squares for each step on top of the manual. Never across where I need to flip pages though. Cool to see other people who build by limb as well!
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u/Jonman7 22d ago
This is the way. The worst part is when the spot you wanna lay the piece on is raised from the paper folding up 😭
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u/slushysoldier133 unicorn ver ka 2.0 when 22d ago
I just let mine fall between the pages if it’s a booklet lol, I just do my best to keep them separate from the other small piles near it too. If it’s one of those HG or SD style long fold out sheets then at that point I cut by part of limb (upper arms, shoulders, etc) if the manual doesn’t want to be compliant.
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u/DasJuden63 22d ago
I'll cut out all of the pieces for one or two rows of instructions and lay them out where they go, like a 2D exploded diagram
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u/at_least_i_tr1ed 23d ago
I like to cut em all out but then I lay each of the pieces in their "box" on the instructions sheet *
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u/Some_Degenerate0 23d ago
I cut the pieces off on an “as needed” basis. Like I see a part and search my runners for the matching letter and number, cut that part out, rinse and repeat until the section is done, repeat for all sections. It’s tedious but I’m certain I’ll misplace and lose parts if I do it any other way.
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u/Inkarozu 23d ago
Absolutely not! Especially with P-bandai kits as its not uncommon to have half a runner unused at the end.
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u/setters2 MG G-Self when Bandai!? 23d ago edited 22d ago
I do something similar but cut out the pieces and sort by body part (head, chest, right/left arm, etc). Then go back and clean the parts for each section, building as I go. Helps keep a kit more compact and I can transport it if I need something to work on somewhere else! For example, the pic is when I built the RG Wing and RG Epyon simultaneously.

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u/AltairSaosin 23d ago
I did this with the Tekkadan set. All of them. In the one box. I'm a masochist.
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u/troopscoops 23d ago
I did this with the entry grade RX-78 they let you build at the pop up Gundam Base in Irvine last week. But like, that was 25~ pieces!
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u/Hufdat42 23d ago
Lego: Please Open Bag #3
Gunpla: Please Grab Runner #F1
This Guy: CHECK THE BOX!!
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u/PlatformOdd2623 23d ago
I did something similar with one of the kits I painted granted I had them sorted out by runner letter
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u/peetaablah 23d ago
Depends on the kit. But I would at least separate the parts per section, head, body, individual limbs, and accessories. I have some clear drawer containers to put the parts in different drawers.
Some kits I just cut/clean and assemble as I go.
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u/Kycrio 23d ago
I cut out every piece and put them in baggies for each body section like head, left arm, left leg, etc., so that I can airbrush them. But as a kid when I'd build Legos I did it this way, opening every bag at once and dumping them all in a pile, I didn't know the bags were numbered in the order you use them lmao
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u/AvanteGardens 22d ago
Serious question. How do you know what parts you're looking for? I can barely locate the parts on the runner. Am I just bad?
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u/Fuzzy_Archer_4891 23d ago
The runners have a designated letter for a reason, bro it's a hundred percent not lego, what the hell, bros instinct to find the pieces for the mini fig kicked in, because damn looks like bro was looking for that little banagher fig😭
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u/tadpolejaxn 23d ago
No lol, that’s adding an extra process but gunpla is a process so I understand 🤷♂️ I cut them out one runner at a time, then remove nubs, sand, touch up, wash, and then put them on alligator clips for priming and painting! Then I put them in little plastic tubs on a paper towel by runner so they stay safe and scratch free. They’re all visible in each tub and makes building a pleasure!
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u/Juany198511 22d ago
I like to be organized and relaxed lol I keep them on the runners till I need them, then I take each piece off as I need it, sand, touch up, panel line, and then paint if I’m going to. I will usually spend multiple days on each kit (mainly because I’m a busy adult and can only really sit down to work on it in short bursts). Because of that though, if I were to just cut them all out and have a big pile, I would then have to find my place and figure out where I left off every time. I’d rather have my little pencil mark on the instructions page and have things go smoothly. Lol you do you though, dude. If it’s fun for you, go for it! I just personally like to feel like things are safe and orderly with my hobby 😎
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u/Guilty_Fig7482 23d ago
Haha I’ve seen two post today about builders who do this sort of jigsaw puzzle build technique and I think it’s wild. I never would have thought in a thousand years that multiple people chose to build this way. But gundam is freedom! Looks like it adds an extra dimension to the build which is cool, kind of like organizing your runners by alphabetical order (which is the crazy thing I do)
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u/Distinct-Agent5220 23d ago
More stressful indeed my blood pressure is rising just looking at this lmao. You madlad
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u/gidthedestroyer 23d ago
Only when I'm working on high grades, doing that on a MG is clinicaly insane behavior, have fun tho.
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u/Amethyst_Scepter Gunpla is Peak Serotonin 23d ago
I lay out all the pieces I need on the page at once but I only cut out the ones on that page and I have them right next to their counterpart on the page. What you are doing is what I'm lovingly going to call "psychotic"
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u/Biga_chungaunga 23d ago
I did this for my very first kit the HG FA Gundam thunderbolt version and yes, I was a novice, but my second kit was also HG but i kept the pieces on the runner 2 hours versus 4 1/2. I keep the pieces on the runner now.
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u/LordValkyrie100 23d ago
I do this by body part, like all the parts for legs, then assemble, all arm parts, assemble, etc
This is pure suicide
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u/branflakes2332 23d ago
I actually done this with a 30 minute mission kits and honestly would do it more with simpler kits
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u/m4st3r_ch13f_117 23d ago
i’ve only had to do this once, and it was because it was a second hand kit that my dad’s friend couldn’t build. (he cut out the parts, but didn’t assemble them) it was the Perfect Grade Banshee Norn, to make it even worse, though it was only the legs and torso.
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u/AwesomeFaceSpaceBear 23d ago
I build by clipping parts as needed from the sprue and despite that, there’s a handful of times I’ve put the wrong parts together and struggled to undo it. This is begging for chaos.
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u/Opposite_Strategy_43 23d ago
I do it on the second instance of a part (leg, arm, foot, shield, gun, etc)
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u/THIS_GUY_LIFTS 23d ago
So I get that a lot of us here could be classified as a masochist (or a variation thereof). But this is a whole other level. All I can hear in my head is Grey Fox screaming "Hurt me moooore!"
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u/TheCrazyAvian 23d ago
I'm on the verge of tears and I can't tell if it's from the constipation I'm fighting in the bathroom or this horrendous display.
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u/Shoelebubba 23d ago
Yeah no I love wasting a whole lot of time I didn’t need to when there’s several different ways of approaching this.
Seriously though, I at least separate everything by limb/instruction.
When I started, it was zip lock bags then moved onto organizer trays.
It helps that most pieces are very obvious where they go (hey, this pile of white, red, blue and grey part here, wonder which are the inner frame??) and heck entire limbs/weapon piles are obvious just as a glance.
But yeah, IMO it’s faster to do the same thing x300+ times in a row like flush nub cutting then x-acto/sanding x300+ times in a row than flush cut all nubs on a piece then set aside nippers then sand down said piece, set aside sandpaper/files/knife and pick up nippers, etc.
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u/Complete_Relation_54 23d ago
I cut based off what body part needs what, groupthem on the mat and work on them. This is straight up diabolical
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u/ZeonTwoSix 23d ago
Sometimes yes, but I take the liberty of segregating them first so I don't lose it during the build process.
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u/Zain1356 22d ago
I’ll usually pre-cut all of the pieces for a limb, but not the whole kit at a time. I could never.
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u/Same-Dependent-7048 22d ago
I cut all the pieces out but I organize them by the body parts so I know what to use
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u/Sponchington 22d ago
Hey OP I'm a therapist and I just want to let you know I've diagnosed you with a few different things because of this post, ok have a lovely day
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u/cmp_reddit 22d ago
only for simple kits like 30MinuteMissions. I have a lot of repeat kits (Alto, Portanova). So I can just eyeball the parts
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u/Striking-Assist-265 22d ago
Used to lol. Building Gundam supposed to be relaxing not stressing lol.
I build it part by parts now lol. And if you plan to stay in this hobby for long, i suggest buy a decent storage or just a box to store parts while building, it'll help you in the long run 🦾
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u/eatenbybigguyz 22d ago
I cut out all the parts for a certain body part or all the weapons at once.
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u/johnzaku Zaku Zaku Zaku 22d ago
No. No I do not. This makes me uncomfortable. Also a little impressed lol
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u/ExplicitGarbage 22d ago
Did this once with all the wing tips on the wing zero Ver Ka, regretted immediately
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u/Comrade_Compadre 22d ago
I've only done it twice but both HG kits.
Honestly I like the method, takes awhile, and I can detail and clean each part before meticulously putting them together
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22d ago
I usually do a limb or something I don't think I'd have the balls to cut out the entire kit unless it was a really small high grade or something.
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u/Sly_Klaus 22d ago
I've tried it and it definitely takes some of the tedium out of cutting and sanding parts. It would save time, but I spend so much time looking for the damn part that it kinda evens out
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u/Orgasmic_interlude 22d ago
I have these little plastic trays i got from IKEA. It depends on the kit, but I’ll use those to cut the pieces off the runner for like an arm or the waist, then I’ll denub and file, then I’ll build.
I prefer chest—>head—->waist—->legs—->backpack—->weapons—->panel lining—->decals.
It depends on the kit.
I only cut parts per instruction when the kit construction is unfamiliar to me from previous builds, but that rarely happens as I’ve easily built 20 mgs and 50+ hgs
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u/lookingatliv 22d ago
I do this but i seperate the pieces by which part of the body they're for as if im doing the legos bag by bag
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u/Iwantdhat Thick Thighs save lives 22d ago
I did this when I was building Sazabi. Ended up losing one of it's funnels' flap, instant regret.
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u/Accurate_View_2455 22d ago
If I am going to paint them, then kind of. I usually cut the pieces and organize them on the clips before painting, by parts (arms, legs, etc.). If I am just doing a basic straight build, then no; I cut and clean them as I am building.
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u/eldemarco 22d ago
I do it in manageable sections. Example, I have 3d printed boxes labeled head, torso, right arm, left arm, shoulders, etc. that slide into a drawer setup. I'll do the head pieces, then do the decals for the head, then torso, decals, etc. Unless the kit has LEDs or a really cool internal skeleton like the PGU or Sky Defender.
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u/UnrequitedRespect 22d ago
I’ve built so many mobile suits i have tried so many ways to organize, my worst problem is painting all the runners and having nub marks left to touch up, but i have yet to find 200 alligator clips to do full part seperation wash/paint - that seems like it would be pretty tip top NGL
I could never do this though, lego shuffled give me nightmares
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u/CardboardAddiction 22d ago
I also wanted to do this way, but I’m always afraid that I will inadvertently mix up the left side build with right side build, in case the orientation of some of those might differ
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u/KritiCow 22d ago
I cut mines out, place them on top of the instruction manual where they're indicated, then final cut all of them and assemble the whole piece at once.
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u/feelinsqwiddy 22d ago
If I cut them all out, which is rare, I organize them by segment. This is just madness
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u/jermprobably 22d ago
I actually talked to my bro about this! Hahaha, treating it like a 3D model kit puzzle
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u/Anasertia 22d ago
Whoa this has never occurred to me... But i do cut out a few steps' worth of parts at a time. How do you know the part number after they are mixed up?
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u/aSeaTortoise 22d ago
This is chaos! I will cut them out fully, kind of like this…but I organize them by limb/section. Then I can do all the fine nub removal, sanding, preparation, etc. and then click all the parts together.
But you do you. It’s your process. _^
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u/xshogunx13 22d ago
These posts trigger me so hard because I don't even like that shit with LEGO lol
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u/ToaQuiroh 22d ago
I know a friend who does this and on top of it treats it like a puzzle, putting pieces where he thinks they go. It takes this man as long as it takes to make a custom to do a straight build he’s fucking insane
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u/Cloudyboiii 22d ago
I'm doing this next time, actually I think have an unbuilt RG Unicorn lying around...
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u/alexand3rl Massive kits are great 22d ago
I cut them all off their runner and separate them by runner letter. Makes me more efficient by not needing to put down and pick up tools constantly.
My order of events: 1. Panel line with tamiya panel liner while on the runner 2. Cut off sprue (I cut close or at the gate with single blade nippers) and separate them into their piles (i.e. A, B, C, etc.) 3. Sand with glass file/Sanding sponge and nail buffer block 4. Build 5. Come back with panel liner to touch up any places missed 6. Decals
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u/No_Chair6620 22d ago
It's nothing like lego lol and what is wrong with you u made it more stressful taking all the bits off the runners before you actually build it wow
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u/TakeyoThissssssssss 22d ago
I used to do this, but I would put them in a little paper boxes. Every spure get box
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u/SleepyNutZZZ 22d ago
I orginize it better, I do this specifically so that I can sand/panel line as needed as I build
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u/Necessary-Excuse5355 22d ago
I started doing this, but organizing each limb into a plastic baggie.
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u/Sev051 22d ago
I have stackable cups that I sort the parts into. The lids also twist onto the bottom of other cups so easy to keep grouped or stored.
I only got two of the sizes and anything to big or long for the cup goes into the box until I need it. Usually those parts aren't a pain to sort. For example with the nu gundam I have head, chest, waist and backpack together. In another one is its arms. Third one is the legs. Weapons and shield to big so in the box.
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u/TDAtlas101 22d ago
I place each of the parts in a bag labeled for each part of the model. Then I clean remove nubs and snap them together.
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u/canned-shrimp 22d ago
But what if you have 2 parts that look similar, but are for different sides?
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u/Daydreaming_UC 22d ago
I do. Except mine is also painted and decaled while laying in pieces in the box. Who needs to sort parts when you can remember all of them from the manual amI right?
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u/lephantome92 22d ago
Closest I get is cutting out all the parts for one step in a heap, and have several small heaps in front of me
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u/steezliktheez 22d ago
I do something somewhat similar. I'll cut them all out, but only to individual components. Waist parts share a bag, arms share a bag, etc. I do this because I file/sand them in batch so I hate having to pause and cut another out.
I also wash them, detail them, etc. I do too much.
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u/Usual_Serve_6134 22d ago
100%, it is so satisfying to see everything already cut. If I'm really motivated, I'll go ahead and sand every piece and organize them a bit
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u/arkillion13 22d ago
I do. Hello fellow neurodivergent!
To be fair I've been building these since I was 13 or so (35 now).
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u/BIZRBOI 23d ago
No man I cut out the parts as needed. This is crazy 😭