1:60 Zaku

My 1:60 Zaku Project

The Zaku has long been my favorite mobile suit design from Gundam. Through 2001 I spent a lot of time working on a 1:144 Zaku, and ultimately decided I'd like to get the Perfect Grade Zaku kit put out by Bandai, in the hope that I could turn it into a really great, well detailed model. I envisioned a lot of super-detailing, accomodated by the large scale and what I expected to be a well-detailed kit. These days, I've finally started work in earnest on this kit. My aim is to remodel the outside to make it more like the Zakus in 08th MS Team, incorporating some features from other Zaku variants, and in general finding ways to build a better Zaku.

Although the PG Zaku design is fairly close to the design version used on the MG Zaku and in 08th MS Team, there are some notable differences. The PG Zaku's forearms are much boxier and lack the details on the sides of the elbows. The PG Zaku's skirts are relatively featureless. Also, the cockpit is inaccurate to the point of being laughable, and various other areas require alteration to better resemble the version from the anime.

My plans for the PG Zaku are by no means finalized: but currently I plan to alter the head, cockpit, skirts, arms, legs, and feet to better match the 08th MS Team designs, and to redesign the hands (and possibly the rifle) to match the Zaku FZ from Gundam 0080. These changes are partially driven by a desire for "accuracy", but mainly my goal is to give the Zaku an overall appearance I'm really happy with.

Current Work
• Replacement hands: When I started work in earnest on my Perfect Grade Zaku, one thing I realized pretty quickly was that I wasn't happy with the looks of the kit-provided hands. Personally I think Zakus and other Zeonic mobile suits look best with round fingered hands, but the PG hands were boxy-fingered and looked very flimsy at the knuckles. My first inclination was to try to round off the fingers, but I determined that I couldn't get the look I wanted without replacing the knuckles, too: so my solution was to get to work finding a way to scratchbuild a new set of hands, with PG-level posability, if possible, and the look I wanted. So far I've figured out a process that should yield good-looking, durable hands, and will probably translate well to other projects requiring a well-camouflaged working mechanical hinge, as well.
  
  The construction notes for my PG Zaku hands are here.