Michael Rinaldi's New Book and Bandai Kits

Michael Rinaldi's Single Model NO.03 - Sazabi Custom

Michael Rinaldi's third Single Model book is finally printed and at Hornet Hobbies. The subject matter is Mike's entry into the massive world of Gundam and Gunpla modelling with one of Bandai's all time best kits, the 1/100 scale Master Grade Sazabi "Ver. Ka.". Visit our dedicated page for more information and an explanation of the Gundam Universe.

As expected from a Rinaldi publication, the book is an excellent step by step guide to creating believable in-scale dirt, damage and weathering. It also explores the evolution of Michael's technique, especially a new focus on working to completion on discrete areas of the model. What also makes the Single Model series so useful is Michael's spending sufficient time to explain both the how and the why of what is being done. Understanding why a technique is being used is necessary to mastering it. Even if Gundam or sci-fi subjects are not your first choice of subject matter, the techniques described in this book can apply to all projects, and you can never go wrong studying the process of a master.

Bandai Gundam Star Wars Starblazers 2199 kits

Speaking of Gundam kits and Bandai, Hornet Hobbies carries a wide assortment of Bandai kits. Besides Gundam, we also stock some Starblazers 2199 ships and the absolutely fantastic Star Wars line. Since Bandai manufactures literally thousands of kits, we can't stock each one. We are happy to order any Bandai kit that you are interested in.

As Michael comments in his book, modern Bandai kits are a joy to assemble. The fit and finish of the parts is near perfect since the kits are designed for press-fit assembly and require no glue. The detail of the subjects is excellent in all scales. One reason for Bandai's success is their investment in improving their injection molding technology and techniques. They were the first company that successfully injected different coloured styrene into a single runner. Their process and their control and precision has only improved over time as the picture below demonstrates. The eyebrows and mascara on the face, as well as all the colours used to create the eyes are injected in some magical process that allows for astonishing detail. That face is about the size of a Loonie coin.

Bandai multicolour styrene face and eye sprue

  • An excellent local product
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