Author: Mark

Continuing on from yesterdays post “Guess the model Part 3”, we now have the equally inspired Guess the Model Part 4. In this series of posts I will be showcasing parts of the model I am currently building. Partly so people can guess that the model is, and partly to show how fantastic they are!

In guess the model part 4 today’s part is the hips. Apparently we are working our way up! This was, by far, the trickiest bit of the build so far!

The combination of the waist and legs is pretty striking. The hip section was by far the most challenging part of the build so far. The two flap pieces facing the front (on either side of the central piece) attach via small ball joints. These are very prone to popping free, especially when you try and pose the legs. I will be doing an overall roundup once the build is complete.

That is today’s clue to the model that is on my building table!

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gundam #gundammodel #model #kit #gunpla

Continuing on from yesterdays post “Guess the model Part 2”, we now have the equally inspired Guess the Model Part 3. In this series of posts I will be showcasing parts of the model I am currently building. Partly so people can guess that the model is, and partly to show how fantastic they are!

Today’s part is a leg. I know nearly as exciting as the .. erm leg … but now you get 2 for the price of 1! So lets get on with “Guess the Model Part 3”!

Now that the pair are together, it is starting to form, I think, quite a classic look! I really need to take the side pipes off, and clean the pieces up individually (making sure to avoid the spring effect mentioned in yesterdays post). However with my hands I’m finding those hard to hold. I am going to have to dig out a pair of tweezers to hold them steady while I sand away!

That is today’s clue to the model that is on my building table!

Thank you for taking the time to read this. If you haven’t already done so please like and follow us on our social media platforms and checkout our website!

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100086701512793
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/modelkitsltd/
Website: https://modelkitsltd.co.uk

gundam #gundammodel #model #kit #gunpla

Continuing on from yesterdays post “Guess the model Part 1”, we now have the equally inspired Guess the Model Part 2. In this series of posts I will be showcasing parts of the model I am currently building. Partly so people can guess that the model is, and partly to show how fantastic they are!

Today’s part is a leg. I know nearly as exciting as the foot!

As can be seen in the images above the leg bends beautifully. Two things that I learnt while building this model.

1. Cleanup the small “pipe” pieces before putting it together.
2. Cleanup the small “pipe” pieces before putting it together.

I feel strongly enough about this that it deserves two places! Those small pieces are on a sprint which gives the unique bent look/style and provides flexibility. However, if like me you push too hard on those pieces the spring can come away from the piece inserted into it catapulting the tiny pieces around the room. Believe me on this when I say it is easier to clean them up first!

That is today’s clue to the model that is on my building table!

Thank you for taking the time to read this. If you haven’t already done so please like and follow us on our social media platforms and checkout our website!

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100086701512793
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/modelkitsltd/
Website: https://modelkitsltd.co.uk

gundam #gundammodel #model #kit #gunpla

Introduction

From the very outset you need to ensure that fiscal responsibility is at the top of your list. Sure setting up a new business can be exciting. Being your own boss, investing in something you love, can be an absolute whirlwind. However, ultimately it is a business and you do need to follow everything through.

If you can then make use of an accountant/accountancy. They are worth their weight in gold. If, like me, finance was not your chosen profession, then you are likely to want all the help you can get.

From the beginning

From the very beginning you need to keep track of all your expenditure. Keep all your receipts, and ensure you know what everything is for. In the beginning, at least, try to remain focused on what you have to have for the business to succeed, and not what you just want to get as a new business owner. Challenge yourself, and never be afraid to put off that fancy purchase because is is not essential. As your business grows and you have more free money then is the time to enjoy the fruits of your labour!

Over and over

Time and again I find myself looking at things that may be “handy” or “useful” but really are not actually necessary. As a new business owner you need to make sure that any available funds are channelled into the key areas of your business to increase your chances of success. Think about whether you can make do without that tool, implement, or thingymahjig. Ultimately you want your business to bring in a return on your investment, to put food on the table, or meet whatever goals you have in mind. That end goal is what you need to remind yourself of when you get distracted by non essentials.

Conclusion

Plan out as much as you can before hand, with respect to your finances. Don’t over reach and don’t get anything you don’t need. You want to be in it for the long haul and not burnout bright. Ultimately try and enjoy the experience as much as you can!

Thank you for taking the time to read this. If you haven’t already done so please like and follow us on our social media platforms and checkout our website!

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gundam #gundammodel #model #kit #gunpla

Setting up a new business can be fun, challenging, tiring, and ultimately rewarding. One of the things I never realised was that I was going to end up with data everywhere!

So when setting up an online business there are a lot of things you are going to need to work out, and to track.

Postage

One of the first things I started to put together was all my information around postage. How much various vendors charged. What the cost would be to me. What the VAT I would have to charge was! However I then needed to drill down further to get a clearer picture. I also had to track how much an individual box would cost, packing materials, tape, paper, printing, and those funky little clear sticky bags that can hold your documents on the outside of the box.

Eventually this then moves on to when you actually post out purchases to customers. I needed to keep track of how much I charged, and how much of that was VAT etc.

Stock I want

I also discovered I needed to keep track of the various items of stock that I have put in orders for, but am waiting for the supplier to provide. With the business I am in (model kits with a specific focus on the Bandai Gunpla models) the manufacture and distribution is still massively outpaced by demand. Keeping track of this lets me update people on what may be coming in, and what I will be able to provide in the future.

Stock I have coming in

This covers stock I have coming from the distributor, and also stock I already have. I need to account for all those items, what I paid for them, and what I will be charging for them. I also need to know the width, height, length, and weight of all the items so that I can feed in to the postage. This stock information is kept in both a google sheets page, and in the main store.

Sale Information

I also need to keep track of all the sale information. Interestingly as woocommerce take their fee prior to the releasing of funds to the business account. I have to adjust the bookkeeping value for VAT to reflect the actual VAT taken at the point of sale.

Conclusion

Ultimately there will, undoubtedly be more data / information than you were likely expecting. But it is all part of the learning curve. I would still do it all again, maybe with a little more pre-planning, and with a lot more knowledge. However, it is still something well worth the time and investment.

Thank you for taking the time to read this. If you haven’t already done so please like and follow us on our social media platforms and checkout our website!

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Website: https://modelkitsltd.co.uk

gundam #gundammodel #model #kit #gunpla

Introduction

Starting a new business there are many challenges you face. First you have to work out all the details; like, do you need to register for VAT, what sort of company do you want to setup. Then you have your initial setup and configuration. Businesses need to look at setting up a website, how they structure it that site, a domain and hosting, as well as security and other issues.

Once all those are out of the way there are relationships that need to be built with suppliers. Remember they are people too and need to be treated with respect and integrity.

What caught me out?

However, what has really got me, once I got started, were the small things. Sure I had covered off all the big items. Stock, VAT, the Website etc.. However, it was the smaller items that caused a lot of the initial challenges.

For example sorting out the relevant postage. You need to charge VAT on postage as it is a service that you are providing to your customer. You also need to bear in mind the various weight limits or bands, as the heavier an item becomes the more costly it is to post. For example with Yodel 0 – 1kg has one charge, whereas 1kg – 2kg has a slightly different cost. You need to ensure you account for all this when configuring your site, and working out how much to charge.

The second item that caught me off guard was storage. It should have been a given, but I underestimated the total amount of storage I would need. I have ended up having to secure external storage close to where I am. However, it was another initial/startup cost that I hadn’t factored for.

If you get the opportunity to work with a business coach I highly recommend it.

Christmas roundup is a summary of previous posts. You have decided to purchase a kit for a loved one for Christmas. This is, I would say, is a rather wonderful gift. It will transport them back to younger and simpler times. They can sit, and build, and at the end of it have a fantastic model.

However, you do want to make sure that the building process is as smooth as possible. Barring some Entry Grade (EG) models there are some bits and pieces you will want to pickup. Maybe even use them as stocking fillers!

In summary for our Christmas roundup they are likely to need nippers (to cut the pieces from the runners). Sanding sticks to smooth them down, and potentially tweezers to position stickers or transfers if they have any.

Nippers and sanding sticks will be getting added to our store in the near future. However while waiting for that, why not have a browse and select the perfect model for a loved one! You can find the shop here.

Thank you for taking the time to read this. If you haven’t already done so please like and follow us on our social media platforms and checkout our website!

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100086701512793
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/modelkitsltd/
Website: https://modelkitsltd.co.uk/

#gundam #gundammodel #model #kit #gunpla

Welcome back to this mini Christmas Kit series of posts! Yesterday we were discussing how Christmas is getting closer and buying a model for someone who hasn’t built one before. Essentially you will want to pickup a couple of essentials to make the build process more enjoyable! Yesterdays item was nippers. Today we are going to say the next item on the list should be tweezers.

Now you may have some around the house, and that would be fine. However I tend to find that hobbyists like to keep their hobby tools separate from their normal everyday items.

So what do you need the tweezers for? Well many of the kits come with stickers, or transfers. You can often find this out by googling the specific kit for more information. Trying to apply these stickers or transfers can be a nightmare, especially given the small nature of many of them. It is definitely easier to use a pair of tweezers to align the stickers or transfers and then smooth them into place.

Thank you for taking the time to read this. If you haven’t already done so please like and follow us on our social media platforms and checkout our website!

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#gundam #gundammodel #model #kit #gunpla

Introduction

I ask myself this question all of the time; should I paint my models. I’m sure there are all sorts of views out there in the world, but it is one that I keep coming back to. I thought it would be interesting to explore them here.

What are the options

When asking myself should I paint my models I often cycle back to wondering what the options are. It seems to me that there are a few core options, and then variations on those.

As is

The first obvious option is to just build the model and leave it as is. With the level of detail and the colour separation on the models this still can leave you with an absolutely stunning looking piece. However even within this there can be choices to make; do you want to use the stickers, and do you want to do panel lining. The first model I ever built I used the stickers but that was it. I’ve left it pretty much as is .. purely from a “it is the first one I ever built” nostalgia point of view.

Painting – Airbrush

Another option is to paint the model using an airbrush. This can allow for some amazing detail, and shades and colour transitions. For example this example here is a lovely example. Clean and really stands out. Obviously the biggest barrier here is that to do this properly you do need to invest in some decent kit. Originally you had to have a decent motor and tank so that the airbrush flow would be consistent and not pule paint. However, I have seen some smaller USB charged air pumps reviewed recently that would appear to offer a decent smooth delivery of air. There is no doubt that this is a method that can be used to elevate your models to a whole new level.

Painting – Traditional

My final option is the traditional painting method. Many modellers will have been doing this for years with different brands of paint and different brushes. In my experience many people who start with brushes tend, at some point, to graduate to using airbrushes. However, as with everything there is nothing to say that you have to. There are some absolutely mind blowing artists/modellers out there who don’t go near an airbrush. You can achieve amazing detail and effects, and again elevate the models to an all new level.

Why would I do it?

There are a lot of reasons why you may choose to paint a model. It could be you want to change the look and feel, or it could be that you want to hide a blemish. I, for example, don’t like some of the join lines (especially on anything like a helmet) so I would prefer to fill it, and then paint it to give a smooth finish. As with anything in a hobby you shouldn’t do something just because others are. Always do what you want with your models; as long as your happy with them, and how they look, that is all that is important.

Conclusion

So in conclusion I would say go with what you want to do. Once you have paid your money it is your model, and your time. If you feel that you want to paint them then go for it. If you want to keep it stock out of the box then that is awesome as well. Ultimately I don’t believe anyone should tell you how to have fun, and modelling should be fun. As long as you are enjoying it then you will get the most enjoyment out of. Remember, if you find yourself asking yourself “should I paint my models” then go with what feels right to you.