This past week, I got the final bits of painting done. Gloss clear coated it to prepare the surface for decals. Applied some decals from various decal sheets such as the 1/144 Londo Bell set (warning labels), the 1/72 Ivanov from Macross Zero, and some random grim reaper decal from Samuel Decals – sticking with the whole “Grim” theme. Once the decals were set, another clear coat was sprayed over the decals to protect them, and a black enamel paint wash was applied. The gun saw a silver enamel paint wash; the first time I tried using a metallic/lighter color to panel line a dark painted mecha kit part. It looks ok I guess. But overall, I’m pretty happy with the kit. It would have been done sooner, but other project got in the way and I lost interest here and there.
Below is a picture of the stock Grim and my Grim in the middle of being modded.
The list of mods:
- Added white LED inside the head
- Removed backpack antenna and added head antenna
- Added underside detail to the side skirts
- Modded side skirts to add weapon sheath for throwing knives
- 3D printed throwing knives
- Added fuel tanks to the backpack
- Added a backpack mounted rocket launcher
- Added backpack mounted gatling gun scratch built with styrene and bashed with the Gundam OYW core fighter, also added grenade launcher element
- Added details to the backpack main thrusters
- Added spikes to the forearms
- Added a sheath for the Grim’s knife to the left forearm
- Added epoxy putty to create an organic upper sleeve
- Added epoxy putty to right shoulder to bulk up the shoulder
- Added thruster verniers through out the kit, upper shoulder, codpiece, and lower legs
- Cut out belly and replaced with underside mine piece from the MG Kampfer kit
- Modified the rifle to add barrel and silencer as well as bulked up the magazine with styrene cylinders and more kampfer mine parts
- Upper thigh areas were extended with styrene plastic by about 4 mm to give the kit a more balanced look since I felt it looked a little squat
- Recasted the clear pink lens piece to create a clear piece that I tinted with alclad candy electric blue enamel
The purple parts were base coated with left over paint from the Z’Gok build, white was used as a shading tone, then alclad hot metal violet was sprayed to give the purple tone. The right shoulder used clear yellow instead of the hot metal violet.