This is really awesome! I’ve been considering on making a Custom paint build but I’ve been nervous on starting in fear of messing up. But seeing this have me a lot more confidence that this is something I can definitely do. Thank you!
Good job. This is exactly what I needed to know, I'm new to gunpla but I do miniature painting. Biggest issue I find is knowing which piece is what. In miniatures, you just paint the model as is, but gunpla has so many pieces, and some layer on top of each other awkwardly. Thanks for the video!
Hi Nicole, I have been watching your videos, great work! There are multiple steps involved in customizing a gunpla model, can you help list down all the steps in chronological order for customization using airbrush painting? I’m a newbie, the steps below is based on watching multiple youtube videos: 1) Removal of parts from runners 2) Fix up the full model (trial/preview) 3) Plan the painting steps and colours 4) Nub marks removal 5) Wash all parts with detergent 6) Cement parts and remove seam lines 7) Panel design and scribing 8) Apply Primer 9) Apply Paint using airbrush (Mask if needed) 10) Apply Paint using handbrush for tiny areas 11) Apply top gloss cover 12) Apply panel line liquid 13) Apply decals 14) Apply top matt cover Is the above sequence of gunpla full customization correct? Really appreciate your advice on this 🙏🏻
It can work but I feel that it’s more time consuming and less efficient with the way you listed it down. You have to understand why you do certain steps and what’s it’s purpose and not simply follow steps and guides used by others. Let me explain a few things.. First, you mentioned the trial/preview, we do this right before painting when everything is done and completed, so it’s not really the 2nd step. Building the model is to see what other areas you have to fix before painting. Second, washing the parts is to remove dust, debris, oil and sanding residue to make the paint stick better so you do this once all customizing and clean up is done, doing this first before seamline removal and scribing is not advisable and simply renders it useless. Now, a better way is, 1. remove it from the runners, cleaning up the nubmarks as I go. 2. I do a sub-assembly (by limbs) then remove all visible seamlines. 3. I start customizing and scribing. 4. Sand everything nicely then build it. I build the whole thing and then check for errors or things I want to add. 5. I disassemble everything Then I clean it with water and soap once I’m happy with the results. 6. While waiting for the parts to dry, you can plan the custom color scheme if you’re not going with the original colors. 7. Separate all parts into the colors you’re painting them then apply primer. 8. Airbrush the base colors or use spray cans 9. Masking and/or handpainting if applicable 10. Apply gloss varnish to protect the paint and help applying decals and panel liner easier. 11. Apply decals first since some of it overlaps panel lines. 12. Panel line goes on top of decals 13. Topcoat of your choice, could be gloss, matte or satin
@@NicoSuratosthanks for the detailed reply! I will definitely follow your recommended sequence for my first airbrush painting customization. To explain why i swapped some sequence. After cementing & removing seam lines, some of the parts would be glued together, I thought drying would be more difficult if parts are already joint, so i reversed the sequence. However, it does makes sense to wash only after scribing and removing seam lines, to remove oil from our hands and dust from scribing or customizing. Yes, it also makes sense for panel lines to go above the decals. However, at areas where the decals and panel lines overlap, do I draw the panel line on the decals itself?
Panel lining goes on top of decals because the purpose of panel lining is to add depth and definition to the details of the model, such as panel lines, notches and indentations. By applying panel lining on top of decals, it helps to enhance the clarity and legibility of the decals by making them stand out more prominently against the surrounding details of the model. Additionally, panel lining also helps to blend the decals more seamlessly into the overall design of the model, preventing them from looking flat or out of place. So yes, you do the panel line on top of the decal
Removing some of the male peg allows for easy disassembly by increasing empty space in the hole which means a less than snug fit. To do this, gently cut away the peg at a 45 degree angle. There are tutorials showing easy disassembly with this :) Also use a parts separator to prevent damaging your parts
So just to make sure, we will need to sand the parts we'd like to paint in order for the acrylic paints to really stick to the surface, is that correct?
It helps a lot but the paint will still stick to the surface if you don’t sand, you just can’t afford to airbrush heavily because it’s easier for it to flood due to the smooth surface
I assume you mean the joints and pegs? Personally I don’t, but some people will put masking tape or blu tac so it won’t get painted, you can also just scrape it off after painting or sand the parts before painting to accommodate for the layer that the paint will add.
Great video! If you don't mind can you tell me what paints and primers to use on kits with ABS plastic and ones to avoid? I'm planning to build the flame toys windblade but it's primarily made out of ABS.
I personally just use the same paints I have for any kind of plastic. It works for me and I don’t have any problems so far. I only use water based acrylics. You can try on the ABS runner first with your paints to see if it works
On time that if i ever wanted to wash off the paint from my HG Barbatos, i dip out the water with soap to remove the paint and it actually did..its perfectly clear right now...so this isnt my first time after watching that video .
this may be a bit of an odd question not your for you but anyone... but in recent years my hands start falling asleep (carpel tunnel) while building Gunpla. I'm extremely disappointed i cant do something I loved to do as often as i would like. Does any1 have any tips to make building / painting easier on the hands?
I found this from a reddit thread from years ago, “I wear wrist braces when I sleep and that helped me tremendously! My fingers used to go numb while I was building and that has pretty much stopped.” Hopefully that can be of some help, others mentioned asking your doctor for suggestions as they will be able to give better advice 😊
I have terrible carpel tunnel from years of working in a professional kitchen (we called it "knife hand"). The best solution is to stretch. Look up some guides on stretches specifically for the condition. Braces are also very helpful if it's really bothering you (sounds like it is). I would really encourage the stretching though because if the condition gets too far along the only meaningful remedy becomes surgery. Which is extremely painful (they basically scrape the scarred muscle out - it's gnarly). Otherwise meds for inflammation (ibuprofen for example), ice / heat combo, etc. Good luck guy.
I have massive carpel tunnel, as a union carpenter who has a hammer attached to his hand 50 hours a week, you just get used to it. It sucks but eventually I just learned to ignore it honestly.
Hi nico Ive been watching your tutorials lately. So I started custom painting my RG force impulse model using your tips and tutorials. However after painting and top coating, everything is tight to fit when reassemble. some armor started to have cracks. And those articulated armor that rub to each other started to have paint scratch. By the way my inner frame is also painted. I would love to see if you can make a tips and trick to prevent these from happening. I would love to see you do it on RG Hi-Nu since it has many rubbing armor parts and articulated parts. Thanks in advance.
What paints did you use? Are they lacquer or acrylics? What you can do to prevent tight fitting is to not paint the male/female pegs, you can cover them with blu tac or masking tape so they won’t get painted. Also try not to apply too thick layers of paint. It’s best to sand all the parts and surfaces before painting especially the areas where you know, is gonna rub against other parts, to prepare for the added layers of paint.
I personally sand the whole thing because the purpose of sanding is to make the paint adhere better to the surface especially if you’re using acrylics. So if you only sand the parts with sink marks, then the paint might have a hard time sticking to the other areas you did not sand. If you’re using lacquers, sanding Just the area with marks is fine.
Top coating a painted and unpainted kit is just the same because a topcoat is basically just a protective layer for your model, so there’s no reason for it to be different whether the kit is painted or not. :) Will do a video soon about varnish/topcoats in general 😊
@@NicoSuratos Thank you and on the topic of varnishes are clear color spray cans of tamiya also affected by humidity like other top coats do they fog up as well? Nasa rural area kasi talaga kami ate taas ng humidity lowest humidity 58 naranasan ko at most of the time 70-73 QwQ Once again Thank you for accepting my request of a tutorial video :)
Blue tool: Gunpla Parts Separator by Bandai. Washing is only recommended and done if you’re gonna paint, there’s no need to do it if you just use the stickers.
Hi Nico, if you mainly use acrylic paint, I wonder how do you do detail painting (ex: pipes or pistons on the inner frame) or reverse wash over the acrylic base paint? Won't the cleaning process ruin the paint underneath?
For detail painting I also use acrylics. I simply varnish over the already painted parts before doing so. I also use enamels and oil paints which work fine with acrylics.
@@NicoSuratos so the varnish is also acrylics, I assume? And do you have any recommendation of oil paint and enamels brand/kind that work fine with acrylics?
Yes even the varnish. All oil paints and enamels work with acrylics no matter the brand. But for enamels I use Tamiya and for oil paints I use Grumbacher and Gamblin
@@NicoSuratos okay 1 more question if you don't mind just to make sure, so based on your experience, neither Tamiya enamels paint nor thinner react harshly and eat the acrylics varnish and paint underneath? And do you think it is safe to lightly topcoat Mr. Hobby's clear lacquer over Tamiya's acrylics?
I make sure that may varnish and paints are fully cured and hardened before using enamels on top. (Which is why I use oil paints if I’m in a rush) I don’t use Enamel thinner since it’s a bit too harsh and strong. I use turpentine or gamsol. I also don’t keave the enamel on for too long, I don’t flood it and clean it right away to be safe. I think it’s possible to use Mr Hobby Lacquer Clear over Tamiya acrylics. But, I recommended to test it on a small area first to make sure that the lacquer does not damage the underlying acrylics.
I personally don’t really change anything in my paints even when painting on abs plastic and I haven’t had any issues so far. I think a lot of people have a bit of a hard time with abs because it’s non-porous so paint is harder to adhere to it, but simply using a primer before painting is a huge help, so I don’t really have any different advice than what I usually tell.
I've been painting gunpla for a while but was really curious about sanding of the entire surface and sink marks. This video was what i was looking for, you're a saint for clearing that up. Do you have any tips for surface preperation paying attention to sink marks?
For sink marks, most of the time, you can take care of that just by sanding a whole lot ‘cause sink marks are usually just very shallow so applying putty will be useless. But there are times when the sink marks are deeper than usual, so you’ll have to use putty for that.
SD kits are very simple and beginner friendly, just follow the manual and you’ll be okay! Enjoy the building process and soon you’ll be addicted to building gunpla 😆
this is a amazing video! but on a side note you kinda sound like the news reporter from family guy NO HATE but other than that great video and i will be using the tips you showed in the video thank you!
this is awesome, a little greek kid kicking ass at making videos and customizing Gunpla. You're very inspiring!
nico is from the Philippines, not greece?
This is really awesome! I’ve been considering on making a Custom paint build but I’ve been nervous on starting in fear of messing up. But seeing this have me a lot more confidence that this is something I can definitely do. Thank you!
Go for it!
Wow Great job!
this is great video for anyone who wants to paint their gunpla's for the first time.
Thank you for watching!
Thanks from the UK Nico, I am planning my first attempt at painting and this is exactly what I needed.
Glad it was helpful!
Good job. This is exactly what I needed to know, I'm new to gunpla but I do miniature painting. Biggest issue I find is knowing which piece is what. In miniatures, you just paint the model as is, but gunpla has so many pieces, and some layer on top of each other awkwardly.
Thanks for the video!
Glad it helped!
Your videos keep getting better
Thank you! Really appreciate that! ❤️
Best video for painting Gundams!!! THANK YOU!
Thank you for watching!
Gonna be trying these techniques on 2 sacrificial pieces before I do this on a PG Strike Freedom. Thank you!
Hi Nicole, I have been watching your videos, great work! There are multiple steps involved in customizing a gunpla model, can you help list down all the steps in chronological order for customization using airbrush painting? I’m a newbie, the steps below is based on watching multiple youtube videos:
1) Removal of parts from runners
2) Fix up the full model (trial/preview)
3) Plan the painting steps and colours
4) Nub marks removal
5) Wash all parts with detergent
6) Cement parts and remove seam lines
7) Panel design and scribing
8) Apply Primer
9) Apply Paint using airbrush (Mask if needed)
10) Apply Paint using handbrush for tiny areas
11) Apply top gloss cover
12) Apply panel line liquid
13) Apply decals
14) Apply top matt cover
Is the above sequence of gunpla full customization correct? Really appreciate your advice on this 🙏🏻
It can work but I feel that it’s more time consuming and less efficient with the way you listed it down. You have to understand why you do certain steps and what’s it’s purpose and not simply follow steps and guides used by others. Let me explain a few things..
First, you mentioned the trial/preview, we do this right before painting when everything is done and completed, so it’s not really the 2nd step. Building the model is to see what other areas you have to fix before painting.
Second, washing the parts is to remove dust, debris, oil and sanding residue to make the paint stick better so you do this once all customizing and clean up is done, doing this first before seamline removal and scribing is not advisable and simply renders it useless.
Now, a better way is,
1. remove it from the runners, cleaning up the nubmarks as I go.
2. I do a sub-assembly (by limbs) then remove all visible seamlines.
3. I start customizing and scribing.
4. Sand everything nicely then build it. I build the whole thing and then check for errors or things I want to add.
5. I disassemble everything Then I clean it with water and soap once I’m happy with the results.
6. While waiting for the parts to dry, you can plan the custom color scheme if you’re not going with the original colors.
7. Separate all parts into the colors you’re painting them then apply primer.
8. Airbrush the base colors or use spray cans
9. Masking and/or handpainting if applicable
10. Apply gloss varnish to protect the paint and help applying decals and panel liner easier.
11. Apply decals first since some of it overlaps panel lines.
12. Panel line goes on top of decals
13. Topcoat of your choice, could be gloss, matte or satin
@@NicoSuratosthanks for the detailed reply! I will definitely follow your recommended sequence for my first airbrush painting customization.
To explain why i swapped some sequence. After cementing & removing seam lines, some of the parts would be glued together, I thought drying would be more difficult if parts are already joint, so i reversed the sequence. However, it does makes sense to wash only after scribing and removing seam lines, to remove oil from our hands and dust from scribing or customizing.
Yes, it also makes sense for panel lines to go above the decals.
However, at areas where the decals and panel lines overlap, do I draw the panel line on the decals itself?
Panel lining goes on top of decals because the purpose of panel lining is to add depth and definition to the details of the model, such as panel lines, notches and indentations. By applying panel lining on top of decals, it helps to enhance the clarity and legibility of the decals by making them stand out more prominently against the surrounding details of the model. Additionally, panel lining also helps to blend the decals more seamlessly into the overall design of the model, preventing them from looking flat or out of place.
So yes, you do the panel line on top of the decal
@@NicoSuratos Great! Thanks for the advice! Really appreciate your time and effort in replying! 👍🏼
Do you have any tips on disassemble the kit to the parts without damaging them?
Removing some of the male peg allows for easy disassembly by increasing empty space in the hole which means a less than snug fit. To do this, gently cut away the peg at a 45 degree angle. There are tutorials showing easy disassembly with this :)
Also use a parts separator to prevent damaging your parts
@@NicoSuratos thanks
Great video! Thanks
Thank you for watching!
So just to make sure, we will need to sand the parts we'd like to paint in order for the acrylic paints to really stick to the surface, is that correct?
It helps a lot but the paint will still stick to the surface if you don’t sand, you just can’t afford to airbrush heavily because it’s easier for it to flood due to the smooth surface
@@NicoSuratos ooohh I see, thank you for this information! Your tutorial videos helped a lot🙌
Thanks for watching!
Very helpful and through. Thank you sir!
Thanks for watching! (btw I’m a girl 😅)
Ok a noob question what is the blue thing you are using in this video.....Sorry I am a new gunpla builder
I have one of those blue things. It is a tool to help separate the parts easier.
Just a parts separator from Bandai
Im newbie to painting on gunpla does i need put masking tape to the fitting parts of body to prevent tight fitting issue? Before i customize
I assume you mean the joints and pegs? Personally I don’t, but some people will put masking tape or blu tac so it won’t get painted, you can also just scrape it off after painting or sand the parts before painting to accommodate for the layer that the paint will add.
Great video! If you don't mind can you tell me what paints and primers to use on kits with ABS plastic and ones to avoid? I'm planning to build the flame toys windblade but it's primarily made out of ABS.
I personally just use the same paints I have for any kind of plastic. It works for me and I don’t have any problems so far. I only use water based acrylics. You can try on the ABS runner first with your paints to see if it works
@@NicoSuratos thank you for the info! Will look into those.
On time that if i ever wanted to wash off the paint from my HG Barbatos, i dip out the water with soap to remove the paint and it actually did..its perfectly clear right now...so this isnt my first time after watching that video .
Cool, thanks for watching 😄
this may be a bit of an odd question not your for you but anyone... but in recent years my hands start falling asleep (carpel tunnel) while building Gunpla. I'm extremely disappointed i cant do something I loved to do as often as i would like. Does any1 have any tips to make building / painting easier on the hands?
I found this from a reddit thread from years ago, “I wear wrist braces when I sleep and that helped me tremendously! My fingers used to go numb while I was building and that has pretty much stopped.”
Hopefully that can be of some help, others mentioned asking your doctor for suggestions as they will be able to give better advice 😊
I have terrible carpel tunnel from years of working in a professional kitchen (we called it "knife hand"). The best solution is to stretch. Look up some guides on stretches specifically for the condition. Braces are also very helpful if it's really bothering you (sounds like it is). I would really encourage the stretching though because if the condition gets too far along the only meaningful remedy becomes surgery. Which is extremely painful (they basically scrape the scarred muscle out - it's gnarly). Otherwise meds for inflammation (ibuprofen for example), ice / heat combo, etc. Good luck guy.
I have massive carpel tunnel, as a union carpenter who has a hammer attached to his hand 50 hours a week, you just get used to it. It sucks but eventually I just learned to ignore it honestly.
Paint with your feet.
@@Kyleologyuse telekinesis
What brand/model do you recommend for the chisel tool you use for defining panel lines?
I swear by SAB Panel Liners for all my scribing/chiselling works!
It’s a great video kid very informative. What scribe do you use for 1:144 kits?
Thank you for enjoying the video! For 144 kits, I mainly ise 0.15mm and sometimes 0.2mm
Hi nico Ive been watching your tutorials lately. So I started custom painting my RG force impulse model using your tips and tutorials. However after painting and top coating, everything is tight to fit when reassemble. some armor started to have cracks. And those articulated armor that rub to each other started to have paint scratch. By the way my inner frame is also painted. I would love to see if you can make a tips and trick to prevent these from happening. I would love to see you do it on RG Hi-Nu since it has many rubbing armor parts and articulated parts. Thanks in advance.
What paints did you use? Are they lacquer or acrylics? What you can do to prevent tight fitting is to not paint the male/female pegs, you can cover them with blu tac or masking tape so they won’t get painted. Also try not to apply too thick layers of paint. It’s best to sand all the parts and surfaces before painting especially the areas where you know, is gonna rub against other parts, to prepare for the added layers of paint.
Do we have to sand every part of the surface or just area with sink mark/flat surface is fine?
I personally sand the whole thing because the purpose of sanding is to make the paint adhere better to the surface especially if you’re using acrylics. So if you only sand the parts with sink marks, then the paint might have a hard time sticking to the other areas you did not sand.
If you’re using lacquers, sanding Just the area with marks is fine.
@@NicoSuratos thanks you for your answer! I will be using tamiya primer and paint spray can
In that case, just sanding the area with sink marks is fine! Spray cans are good at adhering to any surface without much preparation.
How long should I soak the gunpla pieces in water and dish soap before painting?
Not long. 30 seconds - couple of minutes. Depends on you really
Hi.. just curious...you used top coat after painting your gunpla?
Yes I did
Newbie here, can I ask for a top coating flat tutorial is there any difference when coating an unpainted kit and painted one? Thank you
Top coating a painted and unpainted kit is just the same because a topcoat is basically just a protective layer for your model, so there’s no reason for it to be different whether the kit is painted or not. :)
Will do a video soon about varnish/topcoats in general 😊
@@NicoSuratos Thank you and on the topic of varnishes are clear color spray cans of tamiya also affected by humidity like other top coats do they fog up as well? Nasa rural area kasi talaga kami ate taas ng humidity lowest humidity 58 naranasan ko at most of the time 70-73 QwQ Once again Thank you for accepting my request of a tutorial video :)
What’s the blue tool? Dang, I already put stickers on, but didn’t wash. I clean nubs as best as I can while building.
Blue tool: Gunpla Parts Separator by Bandai.
Washing is only recommended and done if you’re gonna paint, there’s no need to do it if you just use the stickers.
@@NicoSuratos thanks! im planning to paint some parts. also, is Primer always needed before painting?
@@xHelloSushixfor me primer is a must when painting your gunpla.. to add layer to thr surface before painting
@@sweetsoulrevue4547 thank u! do u have recommendations for brands in the US? i always see several, but never sure.
Hi Nico, if you mainly use acrylic paint, I wonder how do you do detail painting (ex: pipes or pistons on the inner frame) or reverse wash over the acrylic base paint? Won't the cleaning process ruin the paint underneath?
For detail painting I also use acrylics. I simply varnish over the already painted parts before doing so. I also use enamels and oil paints which work fine with acrylics.
@@NicoSuratos so the varnish is also acrylics, I assume? And do you have any recommendation of oil paint and enamels brand/kind that work fine with acrylics?
Yes even the varnish. All oil paints and enamels work with acrylics no matter the brand. But for enamels I use Tamiya and for oil paints I use Grumbacher and Gamblin
@@NicoSuratos okay 1 more question if you don't mind just to make sure, so based on your experience, neither Tamiya enamels paint nor thinner react harshly and eat the acrylics varnish and paint underneath?
And do you think it is safe to lightly topcoat Mr. Hobby's clear lacquer over Tamiya's acrylics?
I make sure that may varnish and paints are fully cured and hardened before using enamels on top. (Which is why I use oil paints if I’m in a rush) I don’t use Enamel thinner since it’s a bit too harsh and strong. I use turpentine or gamsol. I also don’t keave the enamel on for too long, I don’t flood it and clean it right away to be safe.
I think it’s possible to use Mr Hobby Lacquer Clear over Tamiya acrylics. But, I recommended to test it on a small area first to make sure that the lacquer does not damage the underlying acrylics.
Where can I get those chisel/scribers?
- - - BUY IT HERE! - - -
France/ Europe - riseofgunpla.com/en/bout...
Philippines - shopee.ph/product/821497...
USA - newtype.us/v/samawangu/tool
- gundamplacestore.com/pro...
- majinhobby.com/product/s...
Canada - pandahobby.ca/products/s...
- shokuningunpla.com/
- www.argamahobby.com/
UK - www.gundamgateway.co.uk/...
- www.knshobby.com/product...
Spain - www.mechauniverse.com/sa...
Singapore - tr-hobby.com/product/sab...
Hongkong - chicohobby.com/products/...
- fdx10a-workshop.myshopif...
- www.barter-basement.com/
Indonesia: www.tokopedia.com/mechan...
Columbia: gundamhangarstore.com
Hey there. I am planning to paint abs plastic frame from early RG kits. How do you recommend on paint selection on abs plastic?
I personally don’t really change anything in my paints even when painting on abs plastic and I haven’t had any issues so far.
I think a lot of people have a bit of a hard time with abs because it’s non-porous so paint is harder to adhere to it, but simply using a primer before painting is a huge help, so I don’t really have any different advice than what I usually tell.
For Rg Hi-V gundam what best color combination for custom paint? Thank you:)
you can check out pinterest for color scheme inspirations or get the lineart of the Hi-V and try out your own colors in photoshop :)
What tool did you use to rescribe?
SAB Panel Liners
Pwede po ba ipang topcoat ang bosny sa vallejo paint?
You can’t. It won’t cure at the same rate unfortunately
@@NicoSuratos ano po ibigsabihin po nun?
hi where do you buy your kits for the Gundam?
Hobby Shops, ToysRUs, Toy Kingdom, online shops. I’m not sure where you’re located so I can’t give a more specific answer but there’s a lot online.
I've been painting gunpla for a while but was really curious about sanding of the entire surface and sink marks. This video was what i was looking for, you're a saint for clearing that up. Do you have any tips for surface preperation paying attention to sink marks?
For sink marks, most of the time, you can take care of that just by sanding a whole lot ‘cause sink marks are usually just very shallow so applying putty will be useless. But there are times when the sink marks are deeper than usual, so you’ll have to use putty for that.
@@NicoSuratos Thank you for the fast reply! Also congratulations on your GBWC piece, looking foward to the video
Thanks! The video is up now!
ua-cam.com/video/TXfGjWR_wuU/v-deo.html
hi nico im new and i want to try the world of gunpla i buy sd gundam freedome any tips for me??
SD kits are very simple and beginner friendly, just follow the manual and you’ll be okay! Enjoy the building process and soon you’ll be addicted to building gunpla 😆
this is a amazing video! but on a side note you kinda sound like the news reporter from family guy NO HATE but other than that great video and i will be using the tips you showed in the video thank you!
Thanks! I don’t watch Family guy so I’m just not gonna google it 😂
Hii what kit is this one?
MG Qubeley but it’s customized
Like bro how young and how rich are you?
Just turned 20 and I’m not rich 😅
Is it just me or the BGM is from Honkai Star Rail?
SAB scribers, someone's rich lol
Haha I’m not actually rich! but I do get to experience some amazing products thanks to my work with some fantastic brands!
The bugs crawling around on your table is disgusting
Thanks for the microscopic inspection, but I think I can handle a single ant adventurer. Unlike some, I don't find nature 'disgusting. :)