page_title: Gundam model
section_title: Assembly
hierarchical_section_title: Gundam model / Assembly
caption_attribution_description: English: These are all the plastic parts of a Real Grade MS-06F Zaku II plastic model, removed from the box to illustrate how many parts are in the kit.
context_page_description: Gundam models are model kits depicting the vehicles and characters of the fictional Gundam multiverse by Bandai.
  These kits became popular among mecha anime fans and model enthusiasts in Japan and in other nearby Asian countries beginning in the 1980s. Gundam modeling spread in the 1990s with North America and Europe being exposed to Gundam through television, video and manga.
  The name Gunpla derives from the phrase "Gundam plastic model," most kits being made of plastic.
  As of 2015, Bandai had sold an estimated 450 million units worldwide across nearly 2,000 different Gundam models.
context_section_description: Gundam model kits come in many varieties, but the majority made from the late 80s on - standard "plastic" kits - are manufactured and assembled similarly. Kits come as a collection of plastic parts, decals, and sometimes other decorative accessories which the purchaser assembles by hand into the finished model. 
  The plastic parts are delivered in the exact form they exit the injection molding machine, on a "sprue tree" - a grid of interconnecting plastic rods, called runners, created by the channels in the mold that carried the molten plastic into the cavities that create each part. Each part is connected to the runners by a small plastic nub called a "gate" where the runner connected to the cavity.
  The kit builder must cut away this excess plastic - usually with a pair of side cutting pliers - to free each part, then (optionally, but usually) clip, carve or sand away the remaining plastic tip where the gates attached to leave a clean surface.
  Once the parts have been freed, the builder must then snap them together to assemble the model. Early kits required glue, but from the late 80s onward all kits assemble without special tools or materials.
  Some kits use an internal frame - a complete "skeleton," fully articulated and able to stand on its own - to which panels are then attached to finish the appearance of the mecha.
  When it comes time to assemble the panels making up the external appearance of the model, the builder may choose to customize the model in a wide variety of ways. The most basic is simply to paint the model, which allows for a large amount of personal creativity. Applying decals is also a common technique - decals are included with most models, but are also available as separate products for customization.
  Every conceivable modification is possible, with some more common options including:
  Panel lining: Many models have grooves where "panels" meet. Applying paint or ink with a fine tipped brush or pen can make these lines "pop"
  Panel line scribing: If the panel lines on a model are not as deep as the builder would like, they can use a knife to deepen them, or create new ones, using a ruler or custom stencil.
  Weathering: A variety of paint and plastic etching and carving techniques can make the model appear worn or battle-damaged, exposing simulated metal beneath the surface of an actual mobile suit's paint.
  Kitbashing: Kitbashes combine parts from multiple kits to create a unique new model. This technique has been used by employees at Hasbro to create prototypes of planned releases.
  Conversion kits: Conversion kits are (often) third-party products, usually made of thermoset resin, which can be attached (usually glued) to an official Bandai model to convert it into another model using the original as a base. Bandai used to release official conversion kits under the brand name B-Club.
  Custom parts: At the extreme end, a skilled builder can create additional parts completely from scratch to add detail to the model. these can be purely aesthetic, enhance the articulation of a model, or introduce new gimmicks to a kit.
  All of these are optional, and the model can be assembled and displayed using nothing more than a side-cutter.
  
  Most models, once assembled, are poseable to some degree. Many are "fully poseable," with a wide latitude of motion. To help hold models in "dynamic" poses, gunpla can be mounted on a stand, with some recent models having a dedicated attachment point for this purpose.
caption: Gunpla model parts as shipped
exif: {"Image ImageWidth": "4608", "Image ImageLength": "3456", "Image BitsPerSample": "[8, 8, 8]", "Image PhotometricInterpretation": "2", "Image Make": "OnePlus", "Image Model": "ONEPLUS A6003", "Image Orientation": "Horizontal (normal)", "Image SamplesPerPixel": "3", "Image XResolution": "72", "Image YResolution": "72", "Image ResolutionUnit": "Pixels/Inch", "Image Software": "Adobe Photoshop CC 2019 (Windows)", "Image DateTime": "2020:07:13 18:55:05", "Image YCbCrPositioning": "Centered", "Image ExifOffset": "304", "GPS GPSAltitudeRef": "0", "GPS GPSTimeStamp": "[1, 53, 45]", "GPS GPSProcessingMethod": "[65, 83, 67, 73, 73, 0, 0, 0, 71, 80, 83, 0]", "GPS GPSDate": "2020:07:14", "Image GPSInfo": "844", "Thumbnail Compression": "JPEG (old-style)", "Thumbnail XResolution": "72", "Thumbnail YResolution": "72", "Thumbnail ResolutionUnit": "Pixels/Inch", "Thumbnail JPEGInterchangeFormat": "1158", "Thumbnail JPEGInterchangeFormatLength": "7571", "EXIF ExposureTime": "1/100", "EXIF FNumber": "17/10", "EXIF ExposureProgram": "Program Normal", "EXIF ISOSpeedRatings": "160", "EXIF ExifVersion": "0220", "EXIF DateTimeOriginal": "2020:07:13 18:53:46", "EXIF DateTimeDigitized": "2020:07:13 18:53:46", "EXIF ComponentsConfiguration": "YCbCr", "EXIF ShutterSpeedValue": "6643/1000", "EXIF ApertureValue": "153/100", "EXIF BrightnessValue": "21/20", "EXIF ExposureBiasValue": "0", "EXIF MaxApertureValue": "153/100", "EXIF MeteringMode": "CenterWeightedAverage", "EXIF LightSource": "Unknown", "EXIF Flash": "Flash did not fire, compulsory flash mode", "EXIF FocalLength": "17/4", "EXIF SubSecTime": "264340", "EXIF SubSecTimeOriginal": "264340", "EXIF SubSecTimeDigitized": "264340", "EXIF FlashPixVersion": "0100", "EXIF ColorSpace": "sRGB", "EXIF ExifImageWidth": "4608", "EXIF ExifImageLength": "3456", "Interoperability InteroperabilityIndex": "R98", "Interoperability InteroperabilityVersion": "[48, 49, 48, 48]", "EXIF InteroperabilityOffset": "812", "EXIF SensingMethod": "Not defined", "EXIF SceneType": "Directly Photographed", "EXIF ExposureMode": "Auto Exposure", "EXIF WhiteBalance": "Auto", "EXIF FocalLengthIn35mmFilm": "25", "EXIF SceneCaptureType": "Standard"}