Building Mecha Kits: Topcoat

Fadila Soehedi
Mecha Model Guide for Beginners, Derick Siu

If you've been keeping up with my blog posts until now, you can hopefully tell by now that we're almost finished with the process of building our figure. I've already built the model, put on decals and stickers, and weathered it. By now, it looks almost ready to display! All we need is a little cherry on top that actually isn't a cherry... It's just a top coat for your gunpla.

What exactly is a top coat? A top coat is basically an extra layer of clear plastic you apply to your model to protect its decals and weathering affects since these can easily rub off. There are three types of top coats, that being a gloss, semi-gloss, and flat clear coat. These can "dictate the final look of your kit and ultimately affect your overall presentation of it" (Siu 42).

Flat clear top coat spray can

The differences between these three top coats are very basic and self-explanatory. Gloss being a coat that gives a smooth and shiny surface, mostly being used for car and motorcycle models. Semi-gloss gives your model a look that's neither dull nor shiny surface, it's somewhere between there. Finally, a flat coat gives your model a rough surface with no reflections of any sort, these are mostly used with military models. These can all be to top off a gunpla, but the most commonly used ones are the semi-gloss coat and flat coat.

Comparison of different top coats on spoons on pg. 42
Gloss (left), semi-gloss (middle), and flat (right.

Before applying a top coat, you must be aware of the hazards that the substance holds. First, it's extremely flammable, you'll want to be in a well ventilated area that's dry yet slightly cool. Second, there's an abundance of chemicals in it, be sure to avoid any contact with skin and do not ingest or inhale the particles! With these in mind, please be careful when handling and be mindful of the precautions you should take.

Relative distance of how you should spray your kit
(featuring: my hand)

When you apply a top coat, you'll want to spray the front, back, sides, top and bottom of the model with the coat of your choice.  You'll want to apply a coat to every side about 3 times with 5 minutes of drying for each coat so keep in mind how much you'll be spraying. Doing this will ensure a solid barrier of protection for the plastic as well as make the effect of the coat more visible.
Be sure to shake the can before you spray! While spraying, you'll want to spray as if you're simply spray painting something... If you haven't done anything like that, Derick Siu helps by explaining that, "a suitable distance for spraying is 6-10 inches. Slowly move the can horizontally across the model, releasing the nozzle once you have fully passed the piece" (Siu 53). Spraying in this manner evenly spreads the particles coming from the can, avoiding bubbles and dripping. 

When you're finished applying the coats, you will want to give it about 24 hours to cure. The ending result should be a marvelous and detailed intergalactic military-grade battle robot thing that's been shrunken down into a mere figure that YOU made! With the top coat sealing the deal, you're now completely finished with your model kit! As for me, I think my model turned out really nice seeing how I used methods from the book and a little background knowledge. I've certainly picked up a thing or two from the book that I'll most likely be using in the future.

What do you think? Is all the time and effort required to build a decent-looking gunpla really worth it in your eyes? Please give me some insight to help me determine if I'm using my time wisely or not!

Siu, Derick, Mecha Model Guide for Beginners (Volume 1), CreateSpace Independent Publishing           Platform; 1st edition, 2013