Re:Build - Returning back to the Hobby
by GSquad Community Blog on Dec 23, 2020
Read Time: 3- 5 minutes
Hi, this is MechaRon. This blog is about my story and how I got back to the hobby of building PLAMOs. It was 7 years ago that I decided to retire from the hobby. Not because I didn't want to build plastic models anymore, but priorities in life set in.
This year in 2020, when COVID-hit, I was forced to work from home. One day looking through my storage, I found a few old kits that I never got the chance to build. I decided to open one of those boxes, and saw a half-built MG RX-78 V3 that I was building before I took a break. I decided to take it out of storage and start building it again. So I finished that kit.
Caption: MG RX - 78 Ver.3 finally completed build after years in storage.
The hunger of building another kit hit me, and I realized that I wanted to build another. So I did. I went back to my storage, picked up the rest of my older backlogs, and started building one kit after another. And another. I wasn’t content just building the kit, so I pushed myself a little bit further and decided to custom paint a few kits that I had, and realized I had to relearn all of the skills I used to have. The more I did it, the more I had to relearn what I’d forgotten. Even though I’d forget to clean nub marks, miss priming a part, thinning paints too much or didn’t thin them enough, I just kept at it because I started enjoying the hobby once again. After the span of a few months, I even joined a competition. Of course, I did not win anything because there were a lot of parts of my build that I missed, but I enjoyed it, and it was a great learning (and relearning) experience for me. I just kept building and painting throughout the summer.
Caption: HG Banshee Norn custom paint with visible nub marks
Caption: HG Astaroth Origin custom paint. Paint applications could be thinner and cleaner.
The more that I try to push myself as a builder, the more I realize that I enjoy what I do. I decided to practice more, mashing all things that I like to do – animation, photography, video and building PLAMOs, and I decided to share it through social media. I started doing stop-motion videos – at first they were very simple, As I made more videos I kept getting better.
Caption: HG Jesta Cannon custom paint. Better build and painting. Actually won second place in an online competition.
Now my advice for those that are entering the hobby or those that are having second thoughts – go for it. Build a kit. Built two more. Share it with others. Really push yourself. There are a lot of communities that are very welcoming and will help you hone your skills. Just keep building. If you have backlogs, build them. It’s not just about buying and collecting all those kits but more of building them. It doesn’t matter if your panel lining is bad, or if your paint is too thick or too thin. Those model kits were made not to be contained in a box, but instead they were made to be built and to be enjoyed.
You can go check out my works on my YouTube channel, and you can see some of my current and past builds on Instagram. I just started on Twitch too. You can follow me there and I would love to chat and learn more things about this hobby with you and other hobbyists, not just from this group but from all around the world.
