Figure modding
It’s been a long time coming. Today I’ll be briefly going through the process of modding a Konami Mecha Musume trading figure. In an earlier post I went into details on another Mecha Musume, the T-34, so for a more in depth tutorial, go there since this post is mainly just an overview.
So, let’s get started!
The goal of this modding? To turn this German Sturmgeschütz III Ausf.G Mecha Musume:
The original figure
To a Finnish “Sturmiâ€. The differences between the two are quite large so I had to see what could be done to the trading figure to give it the same look.
The Tools
Before we actually begin, we’ll take a look at the tools and materials which I used.
- Putty – Mulliput Standard
- Acrylic Paints – Tamiya Color
- Wooden Stick – approx 2-3mm thick
- Strip of brass/metal – approx 5-6mm wide
- Wire – approx 1mm thick
- Hand Drill
- Hobby Cement – Tamiya Cement
- Cutter – small
- Sandpaper – high grit
- Cotton buds
- Acrylic Paint Thinner – Tamiya
Milliput Standard
An assortment of Tamiya Color
An arm to show the scale
The wire and hand drill
Preparation
First thing to do was to take apart the figure. It was a little hard since some parts were glued together, but nothing a little tug would fix…
Looking like a garage kit
Next up, the individual parts would need clean up before we can start anything. Using a high grit sandpaper, I gently sanded off the paint off flat surfaces while using the cotton buds soaked with paint thinner to strip off the paint off more curved surfaces like the arms.
Legs
One of the main changes is the side skirt armour that the German StuGs have, the ones in Finnish service didn’t have any so they had to go.
Legs without the side skirt (left) and without the mounting pegs (right)
Basically, I used some cutters to snip off the skirt armour and the mounting pegs, then sand down the paint. Next is to prepare the logs and the holders before we paint and glue it.
Before painting
Cannon
The cannon is also another area where significant modding was needed. To make clean up and painting easier, the cannon was split into three parts.
Ready for modding
This is where the wire and drill come in handy. Use the drill to well, drill a hole into both sides of the connecting faces of the cannon. This will allow the wire to slip in and keep both pieces steady when glue is applied.
Ready for glue when needed
Putty
Now that we have got the parts ready, it’s time for putty! The Milliput putty comes in two sticks which are mixed together in equal parts before the colours completely blend. The result is:
Ball-o-putty!
Two areas of the figure which will get the treatment are the cannon and the legs. The cannon will try and mimic the turret cement re-enforcement and the legs will have zimmerited sides to closely replicate the Finnish Sturmi.
Puttied up areas
Paint
The final step before putting the parts together is painting! I tried to mix the paints to get as close as the green used for the Finnish Sturmi, but I have no idea on the exact formula.
Before painting
Painted legs with logs glued on
Before getting the logs attached and any weathering
Final painted and weathered Finnish Sturmi
So there you have it, a conversion of a Mecha Musume trading figure.
Sorry for the sloppy write up, but I hope you enjoyed looking at how it was done.
There are still areas which I left out such as decals, but I haven’t found any Finnish armour decals anywhere, perhaps I’ll need to print my own…
Any questions feel free to ask and I’ll do my best to fill in the details.
Nice~ I’d like to try modding, but I feel like I wouldn’t be any good at it. I keep thinking about trying a cheap garage kit first, though I’m hesitant about everything. xD
That’s some skill you have there, though. ~
.-= IshokuOsero´s last blog ..New Stuff Everywhere, Unfortunately Not Figures. =-.
Thanks XD
I don’t have that much skill, for one thing I don’t have an airbrush so I can’t really do any garage kits either =/
Man, the work that goes into these things is always a sight to see! How long does it take for you to get all this done?
.-= Zeroblade´s last blog ..Translation Versus Localization =-.
It typically takes the better part of a day to get this done. Not too hard to do if you plan it all out first :3
Hi!
First of all I need to say your figures are awesome! Keep up the good work!
I’m not my self into models and stuff but I happened to come here randomly via google or something! Hehe!
Anyway! I see this post is quite old! But if you happen to need Finnish swastikas or any other Finnish military decals you can email me! I can easily get you some!
Greetings from Finland!
-Edy195
this will forever rimean a mystery. I don’t get why she would be releasing a PB, DVD, and be featured in the MM 2010 calendar there are just too many holes in the story, and the whole wanting to be a model thing doesn’t sound like the genki, idol loving Koharu I know. This is just Tsunku being a dick again. Koharu was my second favorite member, and I am taking this really hard, although I am finally accepting it because there is nothing else I or anyone else can do. Risa is my #1, but with the same way you feel for Koharu, it’ll be the same for me when Risa leaves I’ll no longer have a favorite. And that’s the one suckish thing about Momusu everyone is going to leave eventually, but no one wants to think about it until their favorite girl actually leaves. The only thing that will make this right, which I have my fingers crossed for, is it Koharu goes to avex or any other place and gets a solo career. With there taste in music and her love for cool images , I can so see that happening. Either way I am going to support her in whatever she does, but I’d rather support her as a singer than a model (because honestly, how do you support a model?!).