antampatz

With the bazooka completed, the remaining seam removal work focused on the beam rifle, machine gun, and the three machine-gun ammunition drums.

The overall process was the same as before. The weapon halves had already been bonded together using plastic cement and allowed to fully cure. Once the plastic had hardened again, the excess material squeezed out during the cementing process could be removed and the surfaces refined.

Although neither weapon was as extensive a project as the bazooka, both presented their own challenges. Like many older kits, the seam lines pass directly through visible details and changes in surface geometry rather than along natural panel breaks.

The beam rifle proved particularly challenging around the scope and several of the smaller recessed details. These areas are difficult to access using conventional sanding tools without affecting the surrounding surface. Once again, the custom sanding sticks proved particularly useful here. Being able to tailor the width and length of each sanding stick to the specific area being worked on made it much easier to remove the seam lines while preserving nearby details.

The machine gun presented similar issues, with several seam lines passing through small features and tighter spaces. While not especially difficult, it required a more deliberate approach than some of the larger and more accessible components elsewhere in the kit.

The three ammunition drums were considerably more straightforward. Their geometry is made up largely of flat surfaces and distinct edges, making them much easier to clamp during cementing and much easier to clean up afterwards. Once the excess plastic had been removed and the surfaces refined, the seams disappeared with relatively little effort.

As with the bazooka, the clean-up work relied on a combination of sandpaper, metal and glass files, scraping tools, and the back of a hobby knife blade. The custom sanding sticks continued to play an important role, particularly in confined areas where larger tools simply could not reach effectively.

None of these changes dramatically alter the appearance of the individual weapons, but together they make a significant difference. Instead of looking like assemblies built from two separate halves, the beam rifle, machine gun, and ammunition drums now read as single manufactured components.

With the weapon seam removal work now complete, one of the most prominent clean-up tasks on the entire kit is finally behind me. The weapons are now much better prepared for the detailing, painting, and weathering stages that will help bring the Gatekeeper concept to life.