I understand most people don't have the time to sit around since and I didn't want to take people's precious time. Thank you very much for your compliment!
Having just started into Gunpla this is really helpful. Did my first HG the other day and my sanding was definitely the part that took the most time and the most effort. I just need to widen my grit range and commit to the full send. Don't worry about scuffing up the body around the nub mark just clean it up with more smoothing.
Really glad to hear that! However, this method is only if you're planning to remove the nub mark COMPLETELY. If you are planning to paint, then you can stop the sanding at 1000 grit, or if you plan to do a top coat, then 2000. Either way I hope your future projects will be fun!
Thank you. This was short, concise and makes me understand more in just a few short minutes. I was looking around to find an answer about what to do after sanding and what to use to polish and this video has helped tremendously.
Sending a lot of your vids to my friends getting into plamo and all the big long running mech shows. Thanks for making these short, clean and to the point videos
With the fact I`m taking a more serious approach with my model kits, this has been helpful in improving the look. Though, part of me is afraid too afraid that I'll sand too much by accident and it'll ruin the shape.
I will need to update this tutorial since I’ve noticed this method is a bit out dated. However, if you’re using higher grit sanding material, then you should be fine since it won’t sand the surface too much. It’s only the initial sanding process you should be careful
@@afiqizwan5179 in my experience i press it a bit hard, that's why i swipe only one direction again and again with the same direction since i swipe it right in the stress mark. haven't tried swiping like i'm sanding wood though so i can be wrong entirely
@@hoshi314 silly question from a novice, when you make the final cut by nipper, is it better to cut as close to the part as possible and then start sanding with high grit (etc 1000) or is it better to leave a little bit of nub and try to sand it down gradually with sandpaper grit starting from somewhere between 400-600? or does it depend on the nipper? maybe godhand would suit the first choice better? sorry again for the long ass question
OMG this was so much better than the other videos I checked! Short, to the point, and still very informative! Definitely getting a like from me. Could you maybe tell us where you got your sanding tools? They look a lot better than any of the ones I got!
2nd cut don't use nipper, unless you have Godhand SPN-120, use cutting knife instead. you don't need to use sandpaper every time. make a cutting knife your best friend, but don't cut yourself. It's a long way, we all start the same, then develop our own technic down the road. take your time, no need to rush, enjoy the long journey, my friend. GUNDUM Forever!
At 1:31 I notice that the bevel on the edge of the piece is a lot thinner after sanding, is that just the trade off for removing nubs? I don't wanna sand down so much as to effect the curvature of the model.
I want to say that’s the lighting since I checked the part again to see how much it’s been sanded, and found it’s not as thin as shown in the video. So I’ll deserve a dislike for bad lighting and photo. To answer your question, unless you heavily sand the surface starting with very low grit, you can easily avoid the situation you mentioned. From 800 grit, it won’t sand too much of the surface to affect the curvature. Sorry for the misunderstanding.
u saved my life my first hg kit gundam vidar as been fun but after removing the excess of plastic in the parts the shine was gone in some areas now they all look shiny again i used a 800 then 1500 and 8000 last seam lines are gone too
For me I stop at 1000 grit, coz I will cover it with surfacer anyways. :D But this is useful esp if you are one of those guys who snap build and just top coats it. :D :D :D Nice Video man!
How do you avoid smoothing out angler portions? i had a piece that was in between to 45 degree slopes angling away and i ended up sanding the whole thing into a smooth round top. Also where does a gunrpimer raser and gray and white balancer come into play? i assume the gray and white balancers are just very high grit sanding blocks.
Usually at an angle I switch to a sanding paper, or use a thicker sanding block to do the job. Unfortunately I’m not too familiar with gunprimer raser nor the balancer
Thanks for this tutorial!! i wonder will top coat cover the difference of the sheen if you don't polish it to 2000 and above? MGEX Strike freedom is coming and I'm trying learn everything I can to make it look good within my capabilities.
Thank you for commenting! In my experience, there wouldn't be a difference of the sheen if you don't polish it to 2000 and above. However, you might notice smaller scratches on the surface if you don't polish it to 2000. So try it out on a random plastic spoon or something and see if the tiny scratches is noticeable enough to bother you. Good luck!
If the flat files you have range from 400 to 2000 grit, then yes it does! The last step that does polishing, if you can find a flat file that uses 3000~8000 grit file, then you can also use those as well!
Your video is so helpful. But, there will be some particles of plastics if u use sandpaper. How do you clean it up. Im a little worried for those particles.😢
Very understandable. Recently u would use wet disposable cloth to catch the particles or use wet sand papers. There’s also a product like a vacuum tray that can catch all dust particles while working.
Greetings! This video is great! One question: whenever I finish polishing parts with a 4000 grit sanding stick, those parts still have that sanding shade. Is that normal? If it helps my grits are 400-600-800-1500-4000.
If you’re referring to the scratches on the surface, then yes. Unfortunately to polish the surface you will need to gradually increase the sanding grit to get a polished surface. If you’re referring to the whitened surface from sanding, then still yes where you will need to sand till 8000 or more grit to restore the plastic sheen. You can avoid going to extra step if you top coat the models Hope I answered your questions
Thank you very much, your answer helped tremendously!! Usually the scratches are little after sanding so I guess my sanding skills are improving😅. I think I’ll skip the 8000 grit and go for the top coat.
Love the video man was super helpful tho I'm curious I want to get these but they come in different mm sizes, does the size matter for these? I appreciate it :)
I think it's my crappy nippers I bought but they seem to be way bigger than yours and when I cut it leave really bad stress marks and kind of hard to get in close for the tiny nubs left. I've tried using my hobby knife to cut the parts off but I always end up curve into the piece.
Hobby knife is super effective at removing nub marks, but it does require some precision and control. Which is why I use sanding paper because it offers consistent clean result for removing nub marks. The procedure, however, tends to get extremely grinding when you have to do it for dozens of parts. The fastest and easiest way would be to use a hobby knife to get a flat surface, and painting over that surface. Let me know how your experiment goes and what you found more efficient! Good luck, and have fun!
@@i.r.o.4456 I ended up buying Tamiya designer pro knife and will try it out with that one. I should invest into some good nippers but they are so expensive I'd rather buy 2-3 HG kits 😆
I habitually press a bit hard which might damage the plastic. However, once you reach 1000 grit you won’t be damaging the surface as much so I press harder from there
Actually, turns out I do have one more question. Where would be a good place to get those tools? Amazon has some, but I could only find them in assortments of 600, 800, and 1000. HLJ probably has the more specific tools, but it's not worth the shipping cost unless I've already got something else ordered from them.
You could go to local hardware store that might sell sanding paper of various grit. You might need to look around if it’s not there, but hunting for supplies is fun!
I have a question about this. So I currently have a 600, 800, 1,000, and 1,200 grit sanding sponges for my nub cleaning. Are these enough? Or do I need to add more grits? Also, is it normal that those pieces that I sanded have a slightly...different color than the un-sanded parts (they seem to be a bit lighter and uneven), or I did something wrong?
The sanding paper you have is good! However, in the video I mentioned the sheen on the plastic will be little different if the surface haven’t been polished. Which is why I used extremely high sanding sponges like 8000 to get a similar sheen
Is it okay to use 1500 to 2k for finish (semi rigid sandings sticks). Cant find any 4k to 8k in any store. I suppose ill go to japan to buy it before building my backlogs. I guess my broke ass cant event go there lmao. Ty for the info ❤
Thank you for commenting! You can definitely use 1500 for finish, but you will see slight color difference because it’s not polished similar to the non sanded surface. In fact, you can sand up to 1000 if you want, and if you are okay with top coating with spray can. That would unify the surface sheen to make the entire model becoming uniform. Hope this info helps!
How would you go to polishing nub marks off clear pieces? I tried your method but it turned out a bit clouded. I feel transparent pieces need a different method or tools
There is the polishing method using compounds that both Tamiya and Mr. hobby sell. Similar to using sanding method, you gradually increase the polishing compound number to finer and finer stuff to achieve a clear gloss finish. It’s just a matter of acquiring those compounds and usually company sell them with clear instructions of how to use them. For more information you can check out cockpits and car modelers who extensively use polishing methods
This is an old video now so you can have 1500 grit and it should be fine. After you sand with 1500 though, I recommend top coating to get an even finish
I seem to have a less quality result when I do this. It's not bad, but not as clean and seemless as yours. Could be my technique, but does it make a difference if I just use sand paper from hardware store (I still have grits in 3000 and 7000)? Are they different from sanding sticks from Godhand?
I do not possess the funds to paint my models and I doubt I have the talent to do so. Will the sanding and polishing of the nubs be enough to make the models look good without damaging the color if done right?
Thank you so much for this tooltip. This seems super reasonable... just got my first Model and can't wait to get working. Is it possible to use this method on parts Marked with PC (Polycap)? Thanks again for your awesome help ✌🏼
Hi, maybe you can help me with something: I am building my first gunpla in 20 years and Decided on the HG RX-78-2. When I sanded down my sprue marks I noticed that some of them actually got darker, and now there are dark spots in the plastic. It's hard to see, but if you get close and look for it you can tell. I used mostly 800-7000 grit Infiny sanding sticks depending on the part and how bad the marks were that needed to be removed. It almost looks like the plastic has been slightly burned. or maybe took on some color from the dark sanding sticks. Have you ever experienced this?
I honestly never experienced that before. Usually there would be a white mark to show the plastic was stretched when the nub was cut. But Dark? Unfortunately I do not have the knowledge of what’s going on here
Yes, and honestly if you are not bothered by nub marks you can skip this entire process and enjoy building the model. You can also use your nail to scratch the nub mark off, or sand till 1500 grit and top coat the parts as well. And also yes, you can do everything without needing to paint for sure
Since these sponges aren’t (and will not for a long while + can’t order stuff online) available here, what are the near equivalent sanding paper grits to get?
hello I had tried with my first Gundam to remove the nubs with the sponges, but it was gone wrong and It finish that I scratched it and that's it, now I'm creating a new gundam filing with the knife the nubs are not perfect but you can't see then much
im basically new on this, i build some gundams before but without any technic or exp on that... so i have a question, you used sanding sponges... is the same with sand papers?
Yes and no. Yes- the sanding grits between the two materials are the same, therefore even if you use two different products, you will still get the same result No- Sanding sponges are optimal for rounded surface, and sanding papers for flat surfaces. There are some products that allow you to vary the use between two surfaces, but the general differences are as such
I used your guide on my first kit and it turned out great, nubs completely gone! Is there anyway to getb rid of the micro scratches after? I was reading that others recommend a top coat
The micro scratches are usually the result of sanding that was a little rough. In those cases going even finer with polishing compound might help, but like you mentioned the other way is to apply top coat. Good luck!
Oh absolutely not. This is only for people who wants to get rid of nub mark’s completely without painting. In fact, you can just use clippers to cut off the parts and be done with it if you’re not bothered by the nub marks. Or you can work till 800 grit sanding material and just paint over the surface
Is it possible to sand it down without curving the corners? Or does that take some practice and skill? I don’t like how round my piece are after I’m finished I’m not sanding down to hell. I’m doing as little as possible to not smoothen the edges
Indeed! But the method will differ, and there's two ways One is using a razor blade to remove the excess nub very carefully, and use from 1000 grit to polish the surface. If you still experience a smooth edge, then you use the razor blade to sharpen the edges by using the flat of the blade to scrape off the plastic.
I removed the nubmarks but the part now is concaved because i didnt pay attention to it, was more focused on removing the mark. Now it looks weird haha. Might as well do it on the other side to get a uniformed look
@@i.r.o.4456 yeah felt like a real dumbass after attaching the two parts and was like "now they like look a buttcrack". Hahaha all part of the learning process I guess. Thanks for this tip
i wish those things were affordable in my country, $400 for a single sanding sponge and $1200 for the godhand nippers, i'll need to search for something able to polish the pieces, any alternatives?
I might need clarification, but there’s two types of nub marks. One from imperfect cut of the gate, where there’s some plastic left on the surface. Second is from stress mark on the plastic that whitens the plastic it was cut.
This is interesting where I usually get white marks. Overall, you can get the same finish if you can cut the gate without putting stress on the plastic.
So when I sand bub marks down most of the time it leaves a little circle on the plastic where the nub mark was. Anyone else get this cuz it’s very rare I get rid of it completely
It I assume correctly, then that circle is the stress mark left from the nub. Usually you would have to sand down the surface to get rid of it. However, if you already flattened the surface already, then painting over it would be better than sanding the surface down. Overall let me know what you do and how it worked. Good luck
I have never heard of those, but if they are alternative that you believe might work, go for it! The grit above 4000 can be replaced by anything else as long as the said replacement can restore the original plastic sheen
@@i.r.o.4456 hey so I just did a test w 400 and 1000, after the 1000 I used the balancer that I mentioned and it works. It has 2 sides of them so I used the side to polish it and it looks great 👍
Alright i got myself sandpaper - 600, 800, 1000, 1500 and 2000 or 2500. Can I still expect the same results if I do everything right? I get the sanding but I am a bit lost on the buffering.
Buffering is bring the surface closer to the original finish, or the plastic sheen. Therefore, you can skip the buffering process if you apply a top coat to unify the surface sheen
So sorry. This video is quite old now but the easier method will be to sand till 1000 grit and just top coat it. Or you can melt a a plastic onto the nub, and etc. but the easiest method will be top coat
In terms of sanding the surface, no. However, if you have a curved surface, then sponge sticks are more useful since it conforms to the shape, whereas paper sticks may flatten the surface if you're not careful
For simplicity, up to 4 or five swipes. But I will say don’t worry about over sanding unless you’re using lower grit such as 400 or lower. Anything higher would actually sand less because it’s finer grit. Therefore you can sand with little worry. Hope this helps, and good luck!
The problem is that when you cut the part out of the runner the thickness of the nipper blade pushes out the part sideways 1-2 millimeters just as you cut it resulting in the stressed plastic on the opposite gates of the part. Regardless how far from the part you cut the gate the thinnest plastic connection on the opposite gates will become stressed. How do you solve this? By cutting out the part starting from the gate which is going to be the most visible on the model, so the rest stressed gates are in less significant places? Or finding the thinnest nippers available? Since any cutting blade thickness is obviously more than 0 millimeters it seems like it's impossible to cut it 100% clean.
That is indeed correct. As you mentioned, the visible nub marks are caused both due to stress applied to the gate while you’re cutting it and the blade not thin enough. Tools such as god hand helps a bit since unlike most clippers, it actually cuts the plastic rather than squeezing it. Which is why I sanded a lot in this video to sand the surface just enough to get rid of the visual stress mark left from cutting. Granted this video is few years old now, and there are other numerous efficient way I found that involves melting plastic and such. The 100% method is just paint over the plastic once the surface is smooth. So use this video only as a guidance, and hope you can find better ways than what I did here. Have a wonderful day!
Painting the surface is the easiest way to get rid of nib marks. You can sand it off, but requires several grits of sanding paper to polish the surface to even if out
Unfortunately Also, the grits don’t need to be sponges. So if you have other tools with similar grits, then that works great! However, this video is old now and I found a better method, so I will be uploading that in the future. Basically polishing with a compound
You definitely can. I start from higher grit since I notice more scratches on the surface if I don’t go gradually. However, if you’re careful then you can definitely start from higher grit without worrying about leaving scratches.
@@i.r.o.4456 Thanks for your reply. Can I use sanding paper instead of the sanding sponge? Does it make a difference? I can only get Tamiya products, and I wonder if they'll give the same result.
You can definitely use sanding paper instead. The difference is mostly the application on round and flat surfaces, where sponges are better used for round surfaces.
Yes indeed! In fact, you can use any nippers for both cases. Having a sharper nipper would help decrease the visibility of the nub mark, making the process little easier.
![How to Prep Your Gunpla: Removing Nub Marks and Other Surface Imperfections [Tutorial]](/img/n.gif)
I like your 'how-to' videos. Short but straightforward, no time wasted talking. Thanks mate!
Thank you! And hopefully the video would help in your project!
dude makes a 2 minute, super informative video with no bs, I love to see it
I understand most people don't have the time to sit around since and I didn't want to take people's precious time. Thank you very much for your compliment!
I recommend beginners stop sanding at 800 or 1000 grit and just topcoat everything in matte. It saves time and the entire kit will look uniform.
After years later this is very true. Thank you for the advice
I’m new to building what does topcoating in matte mean?
@@RebornRh it means spray on a clear coat paint that's satin
@@eatsleepplayrepeat Thank you! I just bought a can of topcoat flat spray is that good?
@@RebornRh depends on what it is as long as it's from a model paint brand you'll be fine
I learned more from your short vids than any other tutorial in YT. And for that you got a sub from me..
Thank you so much! Glad it helped
Me too! 😊
Yay
Fully agree
Thank you :3
Having just started into Gunpla this is really helpful. Did my first HG the other day and my sanding was definitely the part that took the most time and the most effort. I just need to widen my grit range and commit to the full send. Don't worry about scuffing up the body around the nub mark just clean it up with more smoothing.
Really glad to hear that! However, this method is only if you're planning to remove the nub mark COMPLETELY. If you are planning to paint, then you can stop the sanding at 1000 grit, or if you plan to do a top coat, then 2000. Either way I hope your future projects will be fun!
Thank you. This was short, concise and makes me understand more in just a few short minutes. I was looking around to find an answer about what to do after sanding and what to use to polish and this video has helped tremendously.
Glad it helped! I’ll be here to answer questions if there’s any
Sending a lot of your vids to my friends getting into plamo and all the big long running mech shows. Thanks for making these short, clean and to the point videos
I hope to create more concise content, and thank you so much fro spreading them!
Thanks for this--it was easily the most direct, informative, and to-the-point.
Glad it was helpful! Hope your project works out amazingly!
With the fact I`m taking a more serious approach with my model kits, this has been helpful in improving the look. Though, part of me is afraid too afraid that I'll sand too much by accident and it'll ruin the shape.
I will need to update this tutorial since I’ve noticed this method is a bit out dated. However, if you’re using higher grit sanding material, then you should be fine since it won’t sand the surface too much. It’s only the initial sanding process you should be careful
Be careful with 400, 600, and 800. I usually only swipe 1 way only. This dude sanded the part like it was wood so the risk of oversand is higher
@@hoshi314 on that 1 swipe, how hard do you press it, gently or little hard?
@@afiqizwan5179 in my experience i press it a bit hard, that's why i swipe only one direction again and again with the same direction since i swipe it right in the stress mark. haven't tried swiping like i'm sanding wood though so i can be wrong entirely
@@hoshi314 silly question from a novice, when you make the final cut by nipper, is it better to cut as close to the part as possible and then start sanding with high grit (etc 1000) or is it better to leave a little bit of nub and try to sand it down gradually with sandpaper grit starting from somewhere between 400-600?
or does it depend on the nipper? maybe godhand would suit the first choice better?
sorry again for the long ass question
Great video. Thanks for a short, sweet, and demonstrative video. Appreciate you!
And thank you so much for viewing this video!
This has been the most helpful video so far. I hate others that talks too much before showing how to do it.
I know most people don’t have the time, but glad mine was what you needed!
OMG this was so much better than the other videos I checked! Short, to the point, and still very informative! Definitely getting a like from me.
Could you maybe tell us where you got your sanding tools? They look a lot better than any of the ones I got!
....aaaaand I just read the discription. Nevermind. ^^; But for the added effort of putting in the tools you used, you're getting a sub too.
Lol, and thank you for such kind comment!
2nd cut don't use nipper, unless you have Godhand SPN-120, use cutting knife instead. you don't need to use sandpaper every time. make a cutting knife your best friend, but don't cut yourself. It's a long way, we all start the same, then develop our own technic down the road. take your time, no need to rush, enjoy the long journey, my friend. GUNDUM Forever!
Yep, that would be the easier way. Forever Gundam!
Most underrated gunpla tutorial channel on YT.
Thank you. Although I make these videos as a hobby and for people who are busy.
At 1:31 I notice that the bevel on the edge of the piece is a lot thinner after sanding, is that just the trade off for removing nubs? I don't wanna sand down so much as to effect the curvature of the model.
I want to say that’s the lighting since I checked the part again to see how much it’s been sanded, and found it’s not as thin as shown in the video.
So I’ll deserve a dislike for bad lighting and photo.
To answer your question, unless you heavily sand the surface starting with very low grit, you can easily avoid the situation you mentioned. From 800 grit, it won’t sand too much of the surface to affect the curvature.
Sorry for the misunderstanding.
@@i.r.o.4456 No need to apologise :) and certainly doesn't deserve a dislike, it's a very informative video!
Thank you for your very kind comment!
Thanks for the video. I've watched a couple videos on the same topic and yours has been the clearest and really helpful, good job
I’m glad it was helpful to you! And good luck with your projects :3
@@i.r.o.4456 thank you. I'm building a high grade mk ii next and then an iron blooded orphans under hunt kit
This 1 minute video is so useful! Thank you so much!
No, thank you for taking your time watching my video!
u saved my life my first hg kit gundam vidar as been fun but after removing the excess of plastic in the parts the shine was gone in some areas now they all look shiny again i used a 800 then 1500 and 8000 last seam lines are gone too
Fantastic! And it seems you have found. More efficient method to do the same. With it, have fun with your projects
This was exactly what I needed. Thank you!
Glad it helped!
I love videos like this short and full of helpful info
Glad you enjoyed!
damn, nice and short and to the point.
Thank you! I understand most people just want the information and nothing more
This is such a short tutorial compare to the others, but I learned more about sanding better here
Thank you! I like to keep it short and concise for you guys
Rly like the short videos, very concise.
Thank you :3
Thank you for such a good and concise video!
Thank you for your kind comment, and glad it was helpful!
I like this, simple and quick explanation
Thank you!
I just finished this kit. I wish i would have seen this before
This method works for many kits, so you can try this for different one
I got really nice results using 3000 paper too
Sanding sponge... I like the sound of that!
Sanding sponges are very nice and I highly recommend
For me I stop at 1000 grit, coz I will cover it with surfacer anyways. :D But this is useful esp if you are one of those guys who snap build and just top coats it. :D :D :D Nice Video man!
Thank you! This video does show the extra step to get back to the original sheen, which I know many people asked since they didn’t want to top coat
How do you avoid smoothing out angler portions? i had a piece that was in between to 45 degree slopes angling away and i ended up sanding the whole thing into a smooth round top. Also where does a gunrpimer raser and gray and white balancer come into play? i assume the gray and white balancers are just very high grit sanding blocks.
Usually at an angle I switch to a sanding paper, or use a thicker sanding block to do the job. Unfortunately I’m not too familiar with gunprimer raser nor the balancer
Another tip is if you have side cutters you should cut flush and the blade should be moving in the direction of the nub.
That’s also great to know!
Thanks for this tutorial!! i wonder will top coat cover the difference of the sheen if you don't polish it to 2000 and above?
MGEX Strike freedom is coming and I'm trying learn everything I can to make it look good within my capabilities.
Thank you for commenting!
In my experience, there wouldn't be a difference of the sheen if you don't polish it to 2000 and above. However, you might notice smaller scratches on the surface if you don't polish it to 2000. So try it out on a random plastic spoon or something and see if the tiny scratches is noticeable enough to bother you. Good luck!
i use godhand and then my nails, works like a charm 90percent of the time
Seems more efficient. Nice
Does a flat file with different grits work as well? I've got one that has 4 different grits, from rougher to finer. Great video btw.
If the flat files you have range from 400 to 2000 grit, then yes it does! The last step that does polishing, if you can find a flat file that uses 3000~8000 grit file, then you can also use those as well!
I.R.O. Thanks a lot
A nail sponge does wonders if you're looking for a cheap solution
1:34 on the before pic, is that supposed to be a panel line or a mold seam?
Sorry the picture wasn’t clear. It’s supposed to show the tiny nub mark on the side of the armor.
“Corporate wants you to tell the difference between these two photos..
There’s no difference.”
Somewhat true
short and to the point, perfect thanks :D
Thank you for the kind comment!
Great advice!
Glad it was helpful!
Thanks for the vid, it really helped A LOT
Glad it helped!
Really good! Thank you
No, thank you for your kind comment!
What are those mini clap things on a skewer called? So I can figure out what to buy?
The ones I have are called Mr Almighty clips from Mr. Hobbt
Your video is so helpful. But, there will be some particles of plastics if u use sandpaper. How do you clean it up. Im a little worried for those particles.😢
Very understandable. Recently u would use wet disposable cloth to catch the particles or use wet sand papers. There’s also a product like a vacuum tray that can catch all dust particles while working.
@i.r.o.4456 Thank you for your nice comment.
Can you please put a link where to get those sanding sponges. Thanks.
If you live in the states, then you can purchase them here
newtypehq.com/products/god-hand-sanding-sponge
What about the Tamiya 1500 standing sponge??
Probably Amazon. I purchased mine at local hobby store though
Greetings! This video is great! One question: whenever I finish polishing parts with a 4000 grit sanding stick, those parts still have that sanding shade. Is that normal? If it helps my grits are 400-600-800-1500-4000.
If you’re referring to the scratches on the surface, then yes. Unfortunately to polish the surface you will need to gradually increase the sanding grit to get a polished surface.
If you’re referring to the whitened surface from sanding, then still yes where you will need to sand till 8000 or more grit to restore the plastic sheen. You can avoid going to extra step if you top coat the models
Hope I answered your questions
Thank you very much, your answer helped tremendously!! Usually the scratches are little after sanding so I guess my sanding skills are improving😅. I think I’ll skip the 8000 grit and go for the top coat.
Very good!
Love the video man was super helpful tho I'm curious I want to get these but they come in different mm sizes, does the size matter for these? I appreciate it :)
Thank you, and it should not. As long as the grit is consistent you should get the same result.
I think it's my crappy nippers I bought but they seem to be way bigger than yours and when I cut it leave really bad stress marks and kind of hard to get in close for the tiny nubs left. I've tried using my hobby knife to cut the parts off but I always end up curve into the piece.
Hobby knife is super effective at removing nub marks, but it does require some precision and control.
Which is why I use sanding paper because it offers consistent clean result for removing nub marks. The procedure, however, tends to get extremely grinding when you have to do it for dozens of parts.
The fastest and easiest way would be to use a hobby knife to get a flat surface, and painting over that surface.
Let me know how your experiment goes and what you found more efficient! Good luck, and have fun!
@@i.r.o.4456 I ended up buying Tamiya designer pro knife and will try it out with that one. I should invest into some good nippers but they are so expensive I'd rather buy 2-3 HG kits 😆
That is super understandable lol. Kits are more tempting choice
When you sand do you press onto the kit hard or let the sander glide across it
I habitually press a bit hard which might damage the plastic. However, once you reach 1000 grit you won’t be damaging the surface as much so I press harder from there
Actually, turns out I do have one more question. Where would be a good place to get those tools? Amazon has some, but I could only find them in assortments of 600, 800, and 1000. HLJ probably has the more specific tools, but it's not worth the shipping cost unless I've already got something else ordered from them.
You could go to local hardware store that might sell sanding paper of various grit. You might need to look around if it’s not there, but hunting for supplies is fun!
What about transparent or clear pieces that looks like glass what would you recommend to do?
Yes. In fact, this method is one of the preferred method for clear or glass piece to get rid of nub marks since you’re repolishing clear pieces
I have a question about this.
So I currently have a 600, 800, 1,000, and 1,200 grit sanding sponges for my nub cleaning.
Are these enough? Or do I need to add more grits?
Also, is it normal that those pieces that I sanded have a slightly...different color than the un-sanded parts (they seem to be a bit lighter and uneven), or I did something wrong?
The sanding paper you have is good! However, in the video I mentioned the sheen on the plastic will be little different if the surface haven’t been polished. Which is why I used extremely high sanding sponges like 8000 to get a similar sheen
Is it okay to use 1500 to 2k for finish (semi rigid sandings sticks). Cant find any 4k to 8k in any store. I suppose ill go to japan to buy it before building my backlogs. I guess my broke ass cant event go there lmao. Ty for the info ❤
Thank you for commenting!
You can definitely use 1500 for finish, but you will see slight color difference because it’s not polished similar to the non sanded surface.
In fact, you can sand up to 1000 if you want, and if you are okay with top coating with spray can. That would unify the surface sheen to make the entire model becoming uniform.
Hope this info helps!
How would you go to polishing nub marks off clear pieces? I tried your method but it turned out a bit clouded. I feel transparent pieces need a different method or tools
There is the polishing method using compounds that both Tamiya and Mr. hobby sell. Similar to using sanding method, you gradually increase the polishing compound number to finer and finer stuff to achieve a clear gloss finish.
It’s just a matter of acquiring those compounds and usually company sell them with clear instructions of how to use them.
For more information you can check out cockpits and car modelers who extensively use polishing methods
Thats a lot of sand paper ! Is it a must to buy all of them? Or is there any sand paper grit that must have? at moment I only have 1500 grit
This is an old video now so you can have 1500 grit and it should be fine. After you sand with 1500 though, I recommend top coating to get an even finish
I seem to have a less quality result when I do this. It's not bad, but not as clean and seemless as yours.
Could be my technique, but does it make a difference if I just use sand paper from hardware store (I still have grits in 3000 and 7000)? Are they different from sanding sticks from Godhand?
They shouldn’t make a difference from what I know. But do try again and let me know if it doesn’t work
I do not possess the funds to paint my models and I doubt I have the talent to do so. Will the sanding and polishing of the nubs be enough to make the models look good without damaging the color if done right?
Yes. Although the process is very tedious, you can make the model look good without paint.
Thank you so much for this tooltip. This seems super reasonable... just got my first Model and can't wait to get working.
Is it possible to use this method on parts Marked with PC (Polycap)?
Thanks again for your awesome help ✌🏼
You may but it will be harder since PC are rubber like.
Hi, maybe you can help me with something: I am building my first gunpla in 20 years and Decided on the HG RX-78-2. When I sanded down my sprue marks I noticed that some of them actually got darker, and now there are dark spots in the plastic. It's hard to see, but if you get close and look for it you can tell. I used mostly 800-7000 grit Infiny sanding sticks depending on the part and how bad the marks were that needed to be removed. It almost looks like the plastic has been slightly burned. or maybe took on some color from the dark sanding sticks. Have you ever experienced this?
I honestly never experienced that before. Usually there would be a white mark to show the plastic was stretched when the nub was cut. But Dark? Unfortunately I do not have the knowledge of what’s going on here
can u use induestry sand paper instead of model kit sand paper
Yes. As long as the grits are similar and fine
Can I use 3000 and 7000 instead 4000 and 8000 grit? Those are the only sandpaper grits I can find. Thanks! Good tutorial and straight forward.
Absolutely!
And thank you for your kind comment
I can’t find any 4000 grit in my area so can i use 2000 grit with some water on the sandpaper?
Yes, however you might notice the surface have different sheen on the plastic. You can apply a top coat to unify the surface too
@@i.r.o.4456 what is a top coat?
Something like flat, semi gloss, or gloss coat which you can apply on top of a surface with a spray to get a consistent sheen on the surface
Guau, that was easy, Thanks dude, nice video
I'm glad it helped! Thank you for your kind comment
beside godhand, is there any other brand for >2500 sponge? its kinda rare in my place
I used sponge, but you can also use sanding paper as well. I was able to find some at local hardware store
Is it possible to do all the things in the video, without needing to paint the piece? I'm a beginner without any paint tools
Yes, and honestly if you are not bothered by nub marks you can skip this entire process and enjoy building the model. You can also use your nail to scratch the nub mark off, or sand till 1500 grit and top coat the parts as well.
And also yes, you can do everything without needing to paint for sure
@i.r.o.4456 thank you so much!
Since these sponges aren’t (and will not for a long while + can’t order stuff online) available here, what are the near equivalent sanding paper grits to get?
The highest you wanna go is 8000~10000 grit so if you can find sponges or paper up to that, then any brand will be fine.
@@i.r.o.4456 Ok, will look into it. Thanks!
hello I had tried with my first Gundam to remove the nubs with the sponges, but it was gone wrong and It finish that I scratched it and that's it, now I'm creating a new gundam filing with the knife the nubs are not perfect but you can't see then much
Knives are great alternative so you’re doing fine. If you start painting, then removing nubs become much easier
the nub mark has been removed and now the part no longer fits flush cuz we sanded away the whole side of the part....
I was young back then. Now I know my lesson. Just paint :p
im basically new on this, i build some gundams before but without any technic or exp on that... so i have a question, you used sanding sponges... is the same with sand papers?
Yes and no.
Yes- the sanding grits between the two materials are the same, therefore even if you use two different products, you will still get the same result
No- Sanding sponges are optimal for rounded surface, and sanding papers for flat surfaces. There are some products that allow you to vary the use between two surfaces, but the general differences are as such
Perfect guide thank you
Thank you for your kind comment!
I used your guide on my first kit and it turned out great, nubs completely gone! Is there anyway to getb rid of the micro scratches after? I was reading that others recommend a top coat
The micro scratches are usually the result of sanding that was a little rough. In those cases going even finer with polishing compound might help, but like you mentioned the other way is to apply top coat. Good luck!
I’m getting a model kit soon and I’m wondering am I gonna have to do this for all of the parts?
Oh absolutely not. This is only for people who wants to get rid of nub mark’s completely without painting. In fact, you can just use clippers to cut off the parts and be done with it if you’re not bothered by the nub marks. Or you can work till 800 grit sanding material and just paint over the surface
@@i.r.o.4456 thanks for reassuring me I’ll make sure to try my best with my first one which should be coming soon
Good luck, and hopefully it goes very well :3
Is it possible to sand it down without curving the corners? Or does that take some practice and skill? I don’t like how round my piece are after I’m finished I’m not sanding down to hell. I’m doing as little as possible to not smoothen the edges
Indeed! But the method will differ, and there's two ways
One is using a razor blade to remove the excess nub very carefully, and use from 1000 grit to polish the surface. If you still experience a smooth edge, then you use the razor blade to sharpen the edges by using the flat of the blade to scrape off the plastic.
@@i.r.o.4456 Genuis, thank you!
how much pressure should I be putting on the surface when sanding?
Lightly or medium. If you have a sanding sponge you can be rougher.
My sinanju is saved. Thank you friend
Glad I helped, and good luck to your project!
I removed the nubmarks but the part now is concaved because i didnt pay attention to it, was more focused on removing the mark. Now it looks weird haha. Might as well do it on the other side to get a uniformed look
Ouch. And even more, I had the same mistake when I just started out so the pain is real. Hopefully it’ll turn out good!
@@i.r.o.4456 yeah felt like a real dumbass after attaching the two parts and was like "now they like look a buttcrack". Hahaha all part of the learning process I guess. Thanks for this tip
has anyone tested if putting gunpla in a freezer or lowering its temperature somehow prevents nub or stress marks?
that........ is something I never thought or heard of
Have you tried it?
I'm curios to try it myself
i wish those things were affordable in my country, $400 for a single sanding sponge and $1200 for the godhand nippers, i'll need to search for something able to polish the pieces, any alternatives?
You can use any clippers, and the sanding materials can be from any brand as long as the grits are similar
Can I not use 800 grit like I only use 400, 600, 1500, and then I polish
Indeed you can!
Nice and quick.
Thank you!
Very helpful! 👍👍👍
Glad it was helpful!
I.R.O. i wish i had found this earlier 😥
hey! Where can I message you? I usually just use a blade to clean the nubs and this video kind of helped me a lot but i got some questions!
You can ask me here
@@i.r.o.4456 the nub mark is if the same as the piece itself nor is it a bit darker
I might need clarification, but there’s two types of nub marks.
One from imperfect cut of the gate, where there’s some plastic left on the surface.
Second is from stress mark on the plastic that whitens the plastic it was cut.
@@i.r.o.4456 so for example. If you let’s say blade the nub. Can’t you get it the same as sa don and filing? There’s always one that looks darker
This is interesting where I usually get white marks. Overall, you can get the same finish if you can cut the gate without putting stress on the plastic.
Do I just skip doing this and top coat or do I still have to sand it still? (First timer, built a Deathscythe the other day)
After years later, you can skip most of the step and just top coat the model. Hope that helps!
@@i.r.o.4456 I was not expecting a response but thank you for even taking the time to do so, ehe.
@chuunico I do reply late so sorry about that. But if you need anything else I am here to assist however I can within my skill range and knowledge
So if i wanted to paint so why is it necessary to polish it since the stress mark will be replaced by the paint itself?
This method is for people who don’t want to paint. If you’re painting, then 800 grit will be enough
Thanks very helpful 👍
Your welcome!
So when I sand bub marks down most of the time it leaves a little circle on the plastic where the nub mark was. Anyone else get this cuz it’s very rare I get rid of it completely
It I assume correctly, then that circle is the stress mark left from the nub. Usually you would have to sand down the surface to get rid of it. However, if you already flattened the surface already, then painting over it would be better than sanding the surface down. Overall let me know what you do and how it worked. Good luck
Thank you. . step by step demo make more videos I subscribe 😉
Thank you! And will do!
Instead of using the 4000 and up, can I use the balancer and recover sheet from gunprimer?
I have never heard of those, but if they are alternative that you believe might work, go for it! The grit above 4000 can be replaced by anything else as long as the said replacement can restore the original plastic sheen
@@i.r.o.4456 hey so I just did a test w 400 and 1000, after the 1000 I used the balancer that I mentioned and it works. It has 2 sides of them so I used the side to polish it and it looks great 👍
Alright i got myself sandpaper - 600, 800, 1000, 1500 and 2000 or 2500. Can I still expect the same results if I do everything right? I get the sanding but I am a bit lost on the buffering.
Buffering is bring the surface closer to the original finish, or the plastic sheen. Therefore, you can skip the buffering process if you apply a top coat to unify the surface sheen
So if you sanded down a stress mark area, does that mean that area will be the most shiniest than the rest of the part??
So sorry. This video is quite old now but the easier method will be to sand till 1000 grit and just top coat it. Or you can melt a a plastic onto the nub, and etc. but the easiest method will be top coat
this is very useful. Is there a difference between sponge sticks vs normal sandpaper sticks?
In terms of sanding the surface, no. However, if you have a curved surface, then sponge sticks are more useful since it conforms to the shape, whereas paper sticks may flatten the surface if you're not careful
Will this technique works on rg line up which have glossy type plastic?
It should when you polish the surface with high grit, unless the surface were painted for those plastic
I literally just got into model kits yesterday and I'm curious how long do you sand? I'm terrified I'm gonna oversand and ruin parts.
For simplicity, up to 4 or five swipes.
But I will say don’t worry about over sanding unless you’re using lower grit such as 400 or lower. Anything higher would actually sand less because it’s finer grit. Therefore you can sand with little worry. Hope this helps, and good luck!
@@i.r.o.4456 tremendous thank you 🤘
How can you tell when to move on and use a higher grit?
I would say when you see less scratches with higher grit material. But it is also up to you to decide whether the surface have been sanded enough
I’m about to build my first kit, and I’m wondering if you should sand the whole part or just the surface of the nub mark?
My video did poorly in that regard, but just sand the surface of the nub mark.
oh god, that's just 1 out of the hundreds of nub marks
Honestly you can skip most of the step and give a top coat.
Would 2400 psi be ok as a replacement for the 4000 psi sandpaper?
Yes! But you may notice the surface might be slightly rough
The problem is that when you cut the part out of the runner the thickness of the nipper blade pushes out the part sideways 1-2 millimeters just as you cut it resulting in the stressed plastic on the opposite gates of the part. Regardless how far from the part you cut the gate the thinnest plastic connection on the opposite gates will become stressed. How do you solve this? By cutting out the part starting from the gate which is going to be the most visible on the model, so the rest stressed gates are in less significant places? Or finding the thinnest nippers available? Since any cutting blade thickness is obviously more than 0 millimeters it seems like it's impossible to cut it 100% clean.
That is indeed correct. As you mentioned, the visible nub marks are caused both due to stress applied to the gate while you’re cutting it and the blade not thin enough. Tools such as god hand helps a bit since unlike most clippers, it actually cuts the plastic rather than squeezing it.
Which is why I sanded a lot in this video to sand the surface just enough to get rid of the visual stress mark left from cutting.
Granted this video is few years old now, and there are other numerous efficient way I found that involves melting plastic and such. The 100% method is just paint over the plastic once the surface is smooth.
So use this video only as a guidance, and hope you can find better ways than what I did here. Have a wonderful day!
Sorry, I am a bit confused. Do I have to always sane and paint to remove a nub mark?
Painting the surface is the easiest way to get rid of nib marks. You can sand it off, but requires several grits of sanding paper to polish the surface to even if out
So you need multiple grit sponges? It can’t all be done with one?
Unfortunately
Also, the grits don’t need to be sponges. So if you have other tools with similar grits, then that works great!
However, this video is old now and I found a better method, so I will be uploading that in the future. Basically polishing with a compound
Can I just use the 4000 sponge from the start, or will that make it worse?
You definitely can. I start from higher grit since I notice more scratches on the surface if I don’t go gradually. However, if you’re careful then you can definitely start from higher grit without worrying about leaving scratches.
@@i.r.o.4456 Thanks for your reply. Can I use sanding paper instead of the sanding sponge? Does it make a difference? I can only get Tamiya products, and I wonder if they'll give the same result.
You can definitely use sanding paper instead. The difference is mostly the application on round and flat surfaces, where sponges are better used for round surfaces.
Where do you buy the sanding kit
I got mine from a local hobby store that sold the Godhand Series
Can you use any nippers for the cutting the remaining sprue, after the initial cut?
Yes indeed! In fact, you can use any nippers for both cases. Having a sharper nipper would help decrease the visibility of the nub mark, making the process little easier.
@@i.r.o.4456 Thank you for such a quick response!
@@i.r.o.4456 Hello there! Me again. Does 3000 grit work well, in place of 4000?
@@Crazyalchemist23 Yep!
Can i use just a 8000 grit and would it look the same
You can, yes