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Old 01-08-2016, 02:48 PM   #21
MULTIPLEX
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Re: Star Wars Bandai Kit Thread

Bandai 1/12 R2-D2 and R5-D4



Today I’d like to discuss the R2/R5 kit. This kit contains two Astromech droids, R2-D2 and R5-D4. Both are actually almost identical in build, with the only difference being the domes and colour scheme. This was one of the first Bandai kits I built and I would say it was one of the harder ones to build as there are so many individual parts. 3P0 was faster to complete than R2 IMO, mainly due to the many parts that require detailing on R2.

The Build

As far as the build is concerned, it was very satisfying and highly detailed. I think this set one of the highest part counts. The third leg mechanism is a great feature and glad they were able to include it. To drop the third leg, the dome needs to be removed to push it down.

NOTE:
Some of the parts are very hard to remove after being snapped together. So plan accordingly.

Here are some specifics about each set…

R2-D2

For R2, I was not satisfied with the blue they chose. So I decided to make my own darker blue. I was also really disappointed that the grey parts were not shiny enough. R2 needs to have silver accents, especially his dome. There are actually a lot of stickers/decals that come with R2. Some are so tiny and impractical I wanted to attempt to paint them on. So glad I did.

But the hardest part about the painting was to envision which parts are exposed to the exterior. Because there is no point wasting paint and time painting the whole part if only a little bit of it shows. I had trouble putting in some of the pieces because I used too much paint or had excess paint dry on some of the parts that rub together when you insert them into each other. I had to do a lot of removing of paint so the parts fit snug and not too tight. There were also areas that were hidden under the grates that I forgot to paint so I had to take apart the model body a few times. My suggestion is to really understand exactly where the painted details need to be and do them ahead of time. I painted almost everything on the racks. I also added more detailing than the stickers provided.

The dome, be very careful. Use thin layers. I added a couple drops of the Tamiya Acrylic thinner X-20A to the Flat Aluminum and used a wider brush to apply thin coats. It probably took about three coats to get it nice with no visible light/dark areas. Be patient.

Colour Palette Synopsis

All blue parts - Tamiya Royal Blue/Metallic Blue mix
All grey parts – Tamiya Flat Aluminum

Also, I used Tamiya Gun Metal to add some accents to some of the small round knobs that attach to his dome. I got this idea after watching Episode IV again.

For some of the LED light details, I used Flat Red, Yellow, Lime Green and also a Sky Blue/White mix.

For the fuel cell wiring, I used Dark Copper.

I did not paint the accessories yet.

As you can see, the final product is absolutely stunning. I am so happy with it. It scales perfect with the Bandai C-3P0.










BUT...

When put together there is just something missing. I didn’t want this version I was making to be too dirty like when he was on Tatooine. I was thinking more medal ceremony R2. But when put together you quickly realize that all the panel details are lost in the white plastic. This is where I decided to test out the Tamiya Panel Line product. It’s very interesting how it works. You dab a little in the groove or against an edge and watch it travel. I used R5 as a guinea pig.

R5-D4

Basically he is the same as R2 in almost every aspect but I decided not to paint the blue. After watching Episode IV again, I felt his blue should be a lot brighter. Plus we really only see him when he is quite dirty so I decided to go with the stock blue. The grey parts were painted silver. The only parts that I used stickers were the many squarish silver parts that encircle his dome. The fade effect was too hard to replicate. And also the thin red line details on his dome. I have already noticed the red lines are starting to peel off so may try and paint this one day. I did not paint any of the red parts.

NOTE:
be very careful with the R5 antenna. Mine snapped and I had to glue it back together.

As mentioned above, I added some panel detailing to R5 and decided to keep him dirty and kind of random. If I do the same to R2, I think I will removed the excess with lighter fluid and a Q-tip to get a cleaner look. I also toyed with the idea of using Gundam thin panel line markers. I’m sure this would have worked too but some of the grooves are so thin the tip would not get in there. Anyways, something I could compare and contrast another time. I think I will add some more mud and sand effect another time to R5.





This set is great and just looks so amazing alongside 3P0 in the 6 inch scale. I like it so much I decided to make a custom R2-KT for my daughter (see next post). So as you can see, pretty much any colour variant is possible.

Verdict

There is a lot of detail work with this set but I would say it is well worth the effort and blows the Revoltech and Hasbro version away. I would rate this set 9/10 just based on R2 alone. R5 is a bonus. So more like 9.5.

EDIT: UPDATED PIC

I used Tamiya Panel Line Accent (Gray). Uses capillary action to spread. Clean up excess with lighter fluid.

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Old 01-08-2016, 02:49 PM   #22
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Re: Star Wars Bandai Kit Thread

R2-KT





A little fun...











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Old 01-08-2016, 03:41 PM   #23
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Re: Star Wars Bandai Kit Thread

Quote:
Originally Posted by MULTIPLEX View Post
LOL

Is your Emperor's throne a custom? I want to make one and watched The Budget Jedi video on his. Similar plans?

PS nice paint work on the droids...looks like ill be buying 2 Bandai kits now.
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Old 01-08-2016, 04:35 PM   #24
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Re: Star Wars Bandai Kit Thread

Quote:
Originally Posted by turtle power eh View Post
LOL

Is your Emperor's throne a custom? I want to make one and watched The Budget Jedi video on his. Similar plans?

PS nice paint work on the droids...looks like ill be buying 2 Bandai kits now.
Might I make a recommendation? If you are buying two kits because you are after two R2-D2 models to customize then why not get one R2/R5 set and one of the newer R2/BB-8 kits. That would get you four figures; two R2 figures, R5 and a BB-8 for the price of two sets. I recently built BB-8 and it's awesome

And yes, the Emperor throne is a custom I did recently. It's my own creation. It's made of bubble foam. I never saw the Budget Jedi video before. I really like how he used laundry baskets. What I might do is post in the Hasbro discussion forum what I did if you are interested? I literally made it from garbage.
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Old 01-11-2016, 09:49 AM   #25
turtle power eh
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Re: Star Wars Bandai Kit Thread

Quote:
Originally Posted by MULTIPLEX View Post
Might I make a recommendation? If you are buying two kits because you are after two R2-D2 models to customize then why not get one R2/R5 set and one of the newer R2/BB-8 kits. That would get you four figures; two R2 figures, R5 and a BB-8 for the price of two sets. I recently built BB-8 and it's awesome

And yes, the Emperor throne is a custom I did recently. It's my own creation. It's made of bubble foam. I never saw the Budget Jedi video before. I really like how he used laundry baskets. What I might do is post in the Hasbro discussion forum what I did if you are interested? I literally made it from garbage.

The two kits I was planning on were the 3PO and R2/R5 kits.

Yeah, the laundry baskets he used was a great idea, I've been debating making that diorama using his plans as a starting point for awhile now.
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Old 01-11-2016, 12:13 PM   #26
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Re: Star Wars Bandai Kit Thread

Oh gotcha. I misunderstood. 3P0 is such a great figure. I don't think there will ever be a better version of him in 6" scale.
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Old 01-11-2016, 02:50 PM   #27
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Re: Star Wars Bandai Kit Thread

Quote:
Originally Posted by MULTIPLEX View Post
Oh gotcha. I misunderstood. 3P0 is such a great figure. I don't think there will ever be a better version of him in 6" scale.
It was a good recommendation though - I will likely be doing it myself and customizing the extra R2. If it goes well, I may grab a 2nd R2/R5 set and customize both of them as well... start my own Droid Factory!
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Old 01-11-2016, 03:40 PM   #28
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Re: Star Wars Bandai Kit Thread

OK OK i'm sorry that is a lot to read through. These kits look fantastic BUT I don't do paint.

How's the articulation? Will it fall apart if I try to aggressively pose?

Cheers!

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Old 01-11-2016, 04:07 PM   #29
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Unhappy Re: Star Wars Bandai Kit Thread

Quote:
Originally Posted by BoNKerS View Post
OK OK i'm sorry that is a lot to read through. These kits look fantastic BUT I don't do paint.

How's the articulation? Will it fall apart if I try to aggressively pose?

Cheers!
They are not toys. So if you plan on being "aggressive", I would not recommended these.

I would say the articulation is on par or beyond Figuarts. Definitely better than Black Series articulation. I know you like to photograph your toys. These pose very nicely because of the lighter weight.

Maybe you should photograph my models. Just don't be be going all Spaceballs on them

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Old 01-12-2016, 11:55 PM   #30
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Re: Star Wars Bandai Kit Thread

I may be the last person to catch up to this stuff, but um... where might one be able to buy a C-3PO Bandai kit? Any Toronto area stores, perhaps? Or would it have to be online somewhere?
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