The latest car model to put tools into practice! Review of the latest "Nissan R32 Skyline GT-R Custom Wheels (Black Pearl Metallic)" from "The Snap Kit" series! The Tool Way! Part 18]

Hello, this is Karyas! This is the 18th issue of "The Tool Way! In this 18th issue of "The Tool Way!", we would like to introduce and review "Nissan R32 Skyline GT-R Custom Wheels (Black Pearl Metallic)", the latest in the "The Snap Kit" series from Aoshima Bunka Kyozai-sha!

It's finally getting hot in earnest. ...... How are you all doing? In a season like this, the best thing to do is to relax and build plastic models in an air-conditioned room! So this time, while reviewing the tools and materials we have introduced so far, we would like to challenge ourselves with car models that anyone can build easily.

There is a giveaway at the end of this article. Click here for details!

⇒ Please click here for the details!
A must-read for plastic modeling beginners! If only you have this, you'll be safe! 10 Essential Tools for Gunpla Production + α!

What is The Snap Kit?

The Snap Kit" is a series of easy-to-build car models developed by Aoshima Bunka Kyozai, a company that plans and develops plastic models in a variety of genres. The features can be briefly summarized as follows,

The Snap Kit requires no glue, and can be built quickly with only nippers and tweezers!

Low price, ideal for first-time plastic modelers!

The model is realistic enough without painting, and the details can be reproduced with stickers!

The 1/32 scale is just right, not too big and not too small, allowing you to collect a variety of cars!

This is a series that allows anyone to enjoy car modeling in a casual manner!

This time, we will be building a custom wheel version of the already released "R32 Skyline GT-R" in Black Pearl Metallic color. In addition to this kit, a total of four other kits in different colors, Gun Gray Metallic, Crystal White, and Spark Silver, are currently on sale, all priced at 2,090 yen (tax included). Choose your favorite color for your car!

Check out the contents!

The number of parts is quite small at 25, and it is nice to see that the parts are color-coded from the start. Clear and plated parts are also included!

First-time plastic modelers will not need to worry, as there is a guide to help you get started!

Lights, mirrors, emblems, window frames, instrument panel, etc. are reproduced with stickers.

The interior of the car is only one part! If you want to paint the seats and dashboard, do it before assembly.

I assembled it!

This time, we would like to build it completely straight, without painting or modification.

Necessary tools: Nippers, tweezers

Tools that are useful: File, cotton swab

First, before assembling, apply stickers to the body and window parts. Since the adhesive will lose its adhesive strength if you reapply the stickers many times, use tweezers to carefully apply the stickers once without any misalignment (especially on the window frames)!

⇒ Please refer to the following page for more information!
Useful for making Gunpla! Comparative review of tweezers that can be bought for less than 1000 yen! The Tool Way! The 9th issue of "The Tool Way!

After attaching the stickers, use cotton swabs or toothpicks to firmly adhere them to the parts.

Fit the window parts firmly into the body. Since you will not be able to touch the inside after completion, make sure to remove any sebum or dust from the window parts at this point using a cotton swab or cleaning tool (see below).

Cut out the various parts using nippers. A cheap nipper with a cancerous blade was used to cut out the thicker gates, and God Hand's Blade One nippers (official price: 4,400 yen (tax included)) were used for gate processing.

⇒ Please refer to the following page for more information!
Essential Items for Gunpla Production! Which nippers are the easiest to use? A thorough comparison and review of three God Hand nippers! The Tool Way! The Tool Way!

File and gate the parts to make them easier to assemble. We recommend God Hand's "Kami Yasu! series. It is comfortable to use by attaching it to the special FF board acrylic (official price: 880 yen (tax included))!

Interior parts are completed by attaching stickers and attaching the steering wheel! Carefully fold the parts into a box shape.

Depending on the position of the shaft, you can choose either normal or lowered ride height.

After completion, the photo was taken with the front tires lowered and the rear tires normal. The ride height can be changed at any time by removing the tires!

Align the chassis with the interior parts.

Fit the body parts firmly into the chassis, and you have completed the assembly!

Click here to see the assembly video!

Normal ride height

Lowered ride height

You can write your own number on the license plate by attaching the included white stickers. It will be fun to make a full-scale license plate with "License Plate Maker" on Aoshima's official website!

Click here for the official Aoshima website "License Plate Maker

The custom wheels look cool!

The interior of the car seen through the window is also very realistic! I can't get over how reflective the side mirrors are. ......

Let's take a cool photo!

After completion, take cool photos and upload them to SNS! It's a great way to get your models seen and "liked" by people from all over the world! If you get motivated by having your models seen and "liked" by various people, you will be motivated to create something new.

By the way, to take beautiful photos of your works, you should be aware of the following points,

1. Use a good quality camera (to improve the image quality).

2 Remove dust, lint, sebum, etc. from the work (clean the subject)

3 Shoot with natural light or in a photo booth (shoot in a bright location)

4 Try to be particular about the base, background, etc. (create a sense of quality)

The four points are as follows.

Regarding point 1, even if you do not have an SLR camera, the performance of smartphone cameras is improving rapidly these days, so if you just want to take a simple photo, that should be sufficient.

As for point 2, make sure to clean your kit thoroughly with a cleaning tool before shooting. No matter how cool your finished work looks, it will be ruined if you leave plastic scraps, sebum, and dust on it.

When exposed to light, you can clearly see the sebum that has adhered. Also, since lint and plastic scraps can be found in unexpected places, it is necessary to carefully observe and remove them.

Here are two products that can be used for this purpose: the Model Cleaning Brush, now on sale from Tamiya, and TORUNDUST, now on sale from God Hand. Both are officially priced at 1,760 yen (tax included) and are great products that remove dust while suppressing static electricity. Once you buy them, you can use them forever, and they are highly recommended tools!

*Be careful not to use tissues, as the fibers may adhere to the opposite side!

TORUNDUST: View at Rakuten Ichiba View at Amazon.co.jp

Model Cleaning Brush: See at Rakuten Market See at Amazon.co.jp

After cleaning the model, store it in a proper case. 100-yen plastic cases are fine, but here is one that is the perfect size for 1/32 car models.

Here is the T-Case [S] (official price: 1,320 yen (including tax)), now on sale from Wave!

T. Case (S): View on Rakuten Ichiba View on Amazon.co.jp

Perfectly sized for secure storage. It is also conveniently stackable for display!

In addition to the normal type, a type with a mirror on the back and cases of different sizes are also on sale, so check them out!

And 3, when shooting indoors, the booth allows you to choose the background color and adjust the brightness for a beautiful shot. Choose one that fits the size of your subject!

I tried to give it a high-class feel!

In the last article, I would like to show you an easy way to create a high-class atmosphere.

It is, without a doubt, to use a mirror!

Just by placing it on top of a commercially available mirror sheet, you can instantly create a sense of luxury!

Cars and mirrors are a perfect match. The key is to take pictures so that no unnecessary objects are reflected in the image.

We also recommend cutting a mirror sheet to fit the size of the case and sticking it on the base to display. Please give it a try!

Now, how was it? Even beginners can complete "The Snap Kit" series in a few hours. Parents, children, and friends can go shopping together on a holiday, create a model on the same day, and upload a photo of the completed model on SNS! It would be fun to do a one-day modeling project like that!

See you soon!

Product Information

Nissan R32 Skyline GT-R Custom Wheels (Black Pearl Metallic)

. On sale now!

・Price: 2,090 yen (tax included)

Scale: 1/32

・Manufacturer: Aoshima Bunka Kyozai-sha

Outline of Present Campaign

<Prize

A set of "Nissan R32 Skyline GT-R Custom Wheels (Black Pearl Metallic)" and Aoshima stickers will be given away as a prize!

<Entry Requirements
Application period: August 8, 2023 (Tue) - August 15, 2023 (Tue) 23:59
Number of winners: 1 person
Announcement of winners: Prizes will be shipped to winners.
Prize shipping: Prizes will be shipped out sequentially ・Please fill out the application form below.

Entry form can be found here.

＜How to apply: Please click here for the application form.
Registration (free of charge) is required to enter the contest.
Only one entry per person is allowed.
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Prizes must be shipped within Japan.
Kakaku.com will take the utmost care in packaging the prizes, but please note that no returns or exchanges will be accepted in the event that the prizes are damaged due to an accident during transportation.
Please note that the prize will be invalidated in the following cases
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