I’ve spent the last couple of weeks building my four copies of the HGUC Phantom Gundam and while a good amount of effort was spent building those kits, they weren’t even part of my original October backlog queue. And I scrambled to decide on those builds because of a little mishap on the HG Gundam Calibarn I was working on previously.
I’m already hearing varying opinions on the use of c-clips for these Witch from Mercury kits though I didn’t really put much thought on them, as they didn’t give me any issues, until this happened. I was already done with the mobile suit itself and just building the weapons, first being the Variable Rod Rifle or the witch broom booster. It was constructed with four thruster pods attached to a central cross-shaped piece via dual-ended c-clip joints that would allow them to open and close as intended.
So, I built all four pods, put a layer of topcoat, and attempted to put them all together. Parts would normally get a little thicker because of this, but I didn’t mind as they did provide tighter connections on joints. Though I’d usually cover ball joints when applying topcoat as they have a higher tendency to get stuck, leading to the main stems connected to them breaking. Unfortunately, I didn’t do the same to the dual-ended c-clip connectors and when I attached the last one, it broke the moment I attempted to hinge it. You can just imagine how frustrating that would feel, thinking that I would need to get another copy of the Calibarn just for that one tiny part.
But I remembered that being a relatively new kit, there should be a good number of Japanese modelers selling parts this kit. Which means I immediately hopped to Buyee (not sponsored) and looked for Variable Rod Rifle parts. I was able to get a set at a decent price and that’s when I decided to move forward with the Phantom Gundam quad-build while waiting for the replacement parts to arrive.
Following my completion of those Phantom Gundams last Saturday, I went ahead to quickly finish the Calibarn the following day. Fortunately, parts that needed paint were already done prior to the c-clip breakage so it’s just a matter of assembly. This goes for both the Variable Rod Rifle and the Escutcheon or the GUND-Bit shield.
With both the HGUC Phantom Gundams and the HG Gundam Calibarn over here done, it means I’ve managed to my “Phantoms and Witches” target this Halloween, and I’ll be able to do that One Shot.
On the other hand, I’ve also decided on what to build next, and it’s related to the global launch of Mobile Suit Gundam U.C. Engage last week. This is a model kit build project 5 years in the making.
Hi can I ask where u got the replacement part for the C clip because mine just broke and I hope u can help me with it
I got mine over at Buyee, a Japanese proxy/middleman service. At the time, there were a lot of Japanese builders selling HG Gundam Calibarn parts since it was relatively new. I suggest doing the same as I believe there are still folks selling , like this one: HG ガンダムキャリバーン バリアブルロッドライフルパーツ.