Tutorial on how to make the Gundam antenna sharp! Even beginners can learn it!

The antennas of Gundam are usually designed to be thick for reasons such as safety standards. However, if the antenna is sharpened, the overall impression will change greatly. Some model makers will grind it so sharp that you may even feel that it will prick your hand. However, it is actually quite difficult to sharpen the antenna. Even if you grind it aimlessly, you cannot achieve a good sharpening effect. To sharpen the antenna of Gunpla well, you need to pay attention not only to the tip but also to the back. This time, we will explain how to sharpen the antenna.

The trick to antenna sharpening is to reduce the "thickness"

Even if you grind down the top and bottom sides to make the tip of the antenna thinner in order to make it pointy, it is often not possible to achieve a good sharpening effect.

When we say "thin", we mean the overall sharpness.

In other words, to achieve a nice sharpening effect, you first need to start from the back and thin it out towards the tip. So, let's actually do it.

Practice: Antenna Sharpening

First, cut off the raised part on the back of the antenna called the "flag". This part is thickened to meet safety standards and is not originally there, so it is redundant.

The "flag" has a small protrusion, but it can be easily cut off with model cutters. If you don't have model cutters yet, I suggest you consider buying a pair. Using good model cutters can make model making very comfortable.

Now that we have cut away the raised portion of the "flag", it's time to start sanding the back.

Sand along the shape shown by the red line.

Don't sand too much at the base, and gradually thin it out towards the tip.

It is recommended to use sandpaper with a hard backing for sanding.

After polishing the back, polish the top and bottom sides of the antenna to make the tip thinner. Unlike the back, the entire antenna needs to be polished because if only the tip is thinner, the appearance will not look good. The antenna is originally a very small part, and even the slightest deviation will be obvious. Please stop from time to time, observe the entire antenna, and polish carefully.

This is the effect after processing. The left side is the sharpened antenna. Because this work is quite a test of carefulness, it will be a relief when it is successfully completed... The above is the method of sharpening the antenna. Precautions after sharpening the antenna Of course, this method is not only applicable to Gundam-type antennas, but also to the unicorn antennas