Maksymilian Spaczyński

Hey everyone, time for Update #2! Right at the start, looking at the sheer amount of plastic was truly intimidating. To give you an idea of the massive scale, I compared the shield of this 1:60 scale Perfect Grade to a full 1:144 scale Real Grade model. Placing the PG shield right next to the entire Real Grade kit really shows just how huge this thing is, and the size difference is honestly mind-blowing. I am sharing a photo of this comparison so you can see it for yourselves. The rest of the box was just as breathtaking and terrifying because the sheer volume of runners is absolutely insane. As I stared at the plastic, the reality of my goal hit me: I want to paint every single individual element. This immediately triggered a massive wave of panic. If I paint them on the runners and cut them later, I’ll ruin the paint finish. But if I cut them all out first to paint them, I lose all the runner letters and part numbers! It honestly felt like trying to solve a massive jigsaw puzzle where every single piece is solid black. I realized I’m going to have to rely heavily on matching shapes and pure intuition.

​Luckily, a minor workshop setback turned into the perfect opportunity to tackle this. My spray booth recently broke down, so while I wait for it to get back up and running, I am dedicating all my free time after work to cutting out parts. I am focusing entirely on the inner frame right now. The master plan is to assemble the bare inner frame first, painted completely in heavy, menacing metallic tones. I am using a mix of gunmetal, duralumin, chrome silver, copper, and dark gold to give it a realistic, mechanical weight. Once the skeleton is fully built, I’ll share photos of just the frame. After that, I will cut the rest of the armor pieces, test-fit them onto the frame, apply the water slide decals, remove the armor panels, and give them their final premium lacquer coat.

​To survive the organization panic, my girlfriend came to the rescue with a brilliant, simple solution involving paper plates. I am grouping the cut parts onto plates marked with the runner letter and a part range, for example writing "Runner A, 1 to 6" on a plate so I don't lose track of their origins. For the actual cutting, I am using the double-cut method. I do a rough cut with cheap nippers first, and then a precision flush cut with my premium GodHand nippers. It leaves such a clean finish that I rarely even need to use a hobby knife, which saves me from spending an eternity with sanding sponges.

​Right now, I am chipping away at the frame parts bit by bit every evening. The biggest challenge is that painting everything without a full pre-assembly feels a bit chaotic. Analyzing every piece's shape in the manual is going to be tough, but pre-assembling and disassembling the frame risks damaging the tight joints and pegs. I just have to trust my gut and turn this chaos into pure logic. I've already selected most of my paints, so as soon as my spray booth returns, the metallic airbrushing begins. Stay tuned, the real challenge has just started!