What is a Garage Kit?

Garage Kit building is a bit of a niche hobby, even in Japan, so it's understandable most people in the US are unaware of them, outside of the US market which is generally aimed at movie monsters and comic book heroes/villains. I am going to discuss the Japanese GK market.

Garage Kits (often called GKs) are, essentially, a resin model kit which comes unassembled and unpainted.  Some are very simple kits, with only a few pieces, while others are extremely complex with nearly 100 pieces.  They come in various scales and several characters are available as kits.  In the Japanese market, they are primarily aimed at anime/video game/manga characters, VN game characters, Japanese movie monsters like Godzilla, as well as old-school heroes like Ultraman and Kikiader.  Some kits are extremely rare and difficult to find, while others are relatively easy to find.  Prices vary greatly, which are greatly influenced by the availability of the kit, sculptor/producer, date of release and popularity of the character(s).  Many sculptors even sell GKs of their original characters, which can be quite difficult to obtain after initial release.  The term Garage Kit was coined several decades ago, as kits were usually only produced by big-name companies and were fairly limited in which characters were available.  Builders wanted to make kits of other characters, so they began making sculpts, mods and kit-bashes of their own.  In most cases, resin is mixed and poured somewhere with a lot of ventilation, so garages were usually used, thus the term Garage Kit.

Resin is toxic in it's liquid form, not only does it have nasty fumes but the dust you may produce from sawing/drilling/sanding a kit is very hazardous.  As long as you take proper care in using safety equipment, there is nothing to worry about.However, a lot of the tools used can be dangerous, especially for those with small children around, so precautions are necessary to keep things safe.  Kits are often made by a sculptor working for a company (like VOLKS, for example) or simply as a freelancer.  The Master Kit (being the original one made by the sculptor) can be made of many materials, such as: paper clay, wax and polyester clays, like sculpey.  The Master kit is then used to make (usually) silicon molds of the individual kit pieces and then resin is poured into the mold, which hardens over time and creates a resin model kit.

Building a GK takes a lot of time and effort, especially when first starting out, but they are very rewarding to build.  I personally prefer obtaining a GK over a PVC of a character because I am free to customize it as I see fit and there is more gratification from seeing it on my shelf than a prepainted figure.  They require sanding, putty, painting, assembly and sometimes modifications.  In general, the building process is fairly cut-and-dry but there's a lot more to it than simply painting a few resin pieces and slapping them together with glue.  As long as you have fun building, then that makes it a very rewarding hobby.

Kits are almost always primarily sold by sculptors and manufacturers at events in Japan, similar to a convention, like Wonder Fest and Treasure Festa.  They must first obtain the copyright pass from the company that owns the rights to the character(s) and, if it is granted, they are allowed to sell the kit(s) at an event.  Generally, sculptors are only given a a small amount of time to sell the kit(s), which is usually as long as the event goes on.  Most events are anywhere from one day to three days, in most cases.  Sometimes, if there are leftover kits the sculptor would like to sell (or if they've produced more) they can try to get permission from the copyright holder(s) again, to sell at another event.  Some companies are better than others about giving permission, like Gainax for example.  This is why you will always see a huge amount of Evangelion kits, even though the original series itself is over ten years old.  Some kits are also only sold at a specific event or are even limited to a specific number of casts, making them even harder to obtain.  Some sculptors are allowed to sell via a manufacturer website, like VOLKS or even through their own website, as the sculptor Mustang has done in the past.  Unless you are able to have a proxy attend an event to get the kit for you and/or you can buy it from a sculptor/manufacturers site, you will have to buy it second-hand.  This doesn't always mean the kits are "used), per say, as a lot of people attend these events to simply buy kits and resell them for a higher price on auction sites.  These people are often referred to as Scalpers, for obvious reasons.  You can usually find kits om sites like Mandarake, as well as Yahoo! Japan Auctions.  Using Y!J requires you use a proxy or a proxy service, as signing up requires you to live in Japan; Mandarake does not require use of a proxy and they offer auctions as well as "Buy It Now" options for kits.  Mandarake also has physical stores in Japan, where you can buy the kits as well.  Mostly, the kits offered on Mandarake are less Scalpers and more collectors, so you will often see older kits there, not only newly released ones.

Since kits are difficult to obtain in some cases, illegal copies are often made and sold, called Recasts.  The result of recasting kits with cheaper resins (and also not using the original Master Kit to make molds from) causes a loss of detail.  Recasts are very damaging to the US GK market, as the sculptors are generally not restricted by 3-day passes to sell a kit, so buying a recast of their work is directly affecting their income.  While recasts do influence the Japanese Market, they are generally not looked at as detrimentally damaging as it is in the US Market, since the Japanese Market kits are not continually produced and sold, they are very limited.  This certainly does not make recasts an okay thing, but they are generally not looked at as offensive in the Japanese market, though there are groups who are very aggressively anti-recast.  Regardless, the market still exists because the recasting is usually done in a different country from where the original kits are produced and can avoid certain laws.  There are even kits referred to as Thai Recasts (or Thais) because, at one time, recasting was mainly done in Thailand.  These casts tend to be very, very bad quality and are often unworkable.  The resin usually has talcum powder mixed in because, the recaster feels it will make their mixed batch of resin able to pour more kits.  In reality, this essentially dilutes the resin and takes it from a semi-soft form to a rock-hard substance that's very brittle and ceramic-like.  Not only is the resin quality horrible, but the molds are often not maintained well, causing severe loss of detail, warping of resin pieces and improperly aligned molds makes the pieces shifted and impossible to look correct again.  These are often sold on eBay and it's best to avoid them.  If you want a US kit, look up the sculptor's information and contact them, they're usually very happy to have someone buy their kit(s).  In the JP market, stick with Yahoo!Japan Auctions and places like Mandarake.

With all that said, this is just a general introduction into resin.  Building kits is a really fun, rewarding hobby and I recommend trying it at least once. 

Contact Info & General Information

Of the Ash Tree provides professional assembly and painting of  model kits, be it Gunpla and Plamo or Resin.  Ashley/seraph_phoenix is in charge of resin garage kit commissions, while ClayCannonII is in charge of Plamo, Gunpla and Mecha commissions.


Resin from seraph
Commissions are not accepted for "thai resin" kits.  Pictures of kit parts with a ruler are recommended before an accurate quote can be given.  I currently work at $7.50 USD per hour; the total depends upon the complexity and/or scale.  I can perform light to heavy modifications to kits, as well as creating custom sculpted pieces for kits, such as weapons, altered clothing, detailed bases and more.

The cost for a completed kit depends upon the complexity of the kit, as well as the quality of the casting.  Any extra parts or mods you request will add to production time, so please keep that in mind.  All kits come with a basic wooden base, painted a solid color, unless otherwise stated.  I work a normal everyday job and I am new to taking commissions, so please be patient with the time it takes to complete the kit.  Please be sure to send a link to pictures of the kit, be it from the site where you bought the kit or a database like www.myfigurecollection.net.  This is crucial in having information on the kits size and complexity, needed to give you an accurate quote.


Gunpla, Mecha and Plamo by ClayCannonII
Commission times vary per the complexity and scale of the kit, as well as for any extra modifications or particulars you have for the build.  Please be sure to include the name and maker of the kit, grade and scale, if applicable, with a picture of the kit to keep the quote as accurate as possible.




Quoted prices are not a guarantee of the final price, as we work hourly and may run into unforeseen problems building your kit.  We will do our best to keep the final cost as close as possible to the quote.  Currently, we are unable to perform lighting on a kit.

A deposit is required up front for all kits, before any work is started.  The remainder of the cost is due after production is completed and you have approved of the final product.  Resin kits require a $50 deposit, while Gunpla/Mecha/Plamo currently require $65.  Paypal is the only payment option currently accepted and shipping is the responsibility of the Buyer. 

For commission inquiries or questions, please contact OfTheAshTreeGKs@yahoo.com

Phantasy Star Online FOnewearl Mod - Part IV

It's that time again!

I've been working on Cranberry a lot, pretty much every day unless I work. I'm working on the skirted part, her belt that the skirt attaches to, completing her arm bracer, finishing her necklace and finishing up details on the shirt. Next I'll be moving onto the shoulder poofs, fitting of the arms into the new joints, sanding the skirt, starting her hair fringe (front hair piece) and boots. Hopefully I can have her done within the next 1-2 months.

To start the skirt, I cut paper and taped it to her, so I could cut them into the appropriate shapes. Once that was done, I used the paper as a stencil and cut the same shape out of clear overhead transparency paper. Tossed out the paper and replaced it with the transparency paper, then layered lots of putty on them. While it was curing, I stuck a few cotton swabs under the skirt, to push it upward into the more poofy/raised skirt that she has. It didn't impact the final result a lot, so I layered up enough putty to where the skirt poofs out a bit, like in the game. I also made the "belt", which is actually the waistband of her skirt. I had to make it separately so the skirted pieces could attach to it later. Next will come the arduous task of sanding the skirt parts without breaking them lol  *As always, click for larger images.

I also finished the bracer on her left arm. The drawn photo is from a PSO art book I own, and I use it for reference all the time. While the character in the drawing isn't wearing Cranberry's outfit, I can still use it for shared clothing bits, like her boots and arm bracer. I carved lines into the bracer to match the drawing and then glued on the small pieces I made and sanded any imperfections. I'll be sawing the hand off at the red line, so I can make her Blue Ring bracelet/shield, and still be able to keep it in one piece. I'll be sculpting it by hand and then casting it in clear jewelry resin.

Here, you can see the art book image for the necklace, which I then made by using a clicky pen. I removed the clicking cylinder and used it as a base for the necklace piece. After covering the pen piece in petroleum jelly, I applied a bit of putty, then let it cure. I gently sanded it to shape and blued it to the existing necklace piece. I also made these....strange shirt parts. I don't really know how to describe them, except as a small metal shape near the collar bone and shoulder. I used reference from screenshots of Cranberry and sculpted them directly on the model's torso. While the putty was still curing, I took a slender hobby blade and cut out the little hollowed part. Voila, complete!

Ugh, panel lines! They drive me nuts and man does her outfit have a lot of them >_< I etched lots of panel lines into the shirt to bring out the details. A few minor mishaps here and there but they're been repaired now. Since that is all done, today I'll be moving onto making her shoulder poofs and fitting her arms into the new joints I made a while back. Then, the shirt with be done! OMG.

I've taped Cranberry's hips and legs together so I can start work on her platform boots. It took a while to get her situated just right, but I finally got it. I also taped up her face so I can start sculpting her front hair piece. So, more to come soon ^___^

Phantasy Star Online FOnewearl GK Mod - Part III

So it's time for another update ^__^ 

The length of the necklace up the neck was too short, so I had to extend it up a bit.  Still need to carve the line around the middle of it, as well as add the little section id holder in the front (the circular shape marked).  I checked my PSO artbook for more clear pictures of the bracer on her arm, as well as her necklace.  I made a flat piece for it, but the artbook shows it as more domed, with the center hollowed out.  It will an easy mod to the small piece I already made. *As always, click for larger images.

The necklace and section id plate before and after modification.

I also made the little straps that go across the back of her shirt.  I used sheet styrene, cut into the appropriate size and then I used a drill bit to make a carved part in the center, which I sharpened with a small square file.  I then made four tiny little discs that go on the edges of the straps, hollowing down their centers and then gluing them into place.  I also made the bottom rim of her shirt and etched the line in the middle.  It was kind of a pain and would've been easier while the putty was still pliable, but I had applied the putty before bed one night and by the time I got to it, it had fully cured XD

 Straps progress

Also, when I moved her necklace further up her neck, I realized the hair line was way too far down the back of her head and neck, so I adjusted it to look more natural.  I'm filling in some of her bracer and will likely tonight add some of the details to it, as well as finish the necklace so I can move onto the poofy shoulders and sleeve trims.  I'll also probably go ahead and cut the wire mesh for her skirt and get it affixed into place so I then putty it ^__^

Head/neck before alterations.  You can see the lines I marked for removal.

Bracer work

Preliminary shirt bottom and finished bottom.  Also a picture of the finished straps.

More to come soon ^__^

Phantasy Star Online FOnewearl GK Mod - Part II

It's that time again!

So, the customer decided to do regular, permanently attached clothes since cast off was proving such a problem. I have since been working on her like crazy and here's what I've got going on so far...

Since Cranberry will now not be whole and will instead have clothes on her permanently, she can have different joints. Thus, I spent a day hacking her into pieces. I also went ahead and attached a few of the pieces that would not present a problem during painting, such as her shoulders to her torso and one side of her shorts to her hips. I then started making the tops to her boots, edges of her shorts and her bracelet. I started on her shirt, with a small tweak; a fitted shirt stretches across the breasts and leaves a little gap where the shirt doesn't touch the breastbone, so I glued a piece of overhead transparency between her breasts to simulate the stretched shirt. I then puttied over the areas, adding the lip of her shirt and removed the nipples. I also made nice keys for all the newly seperated pieces, so they fit together snugly. I've mainly been working on getting the breast area smoothed out around the plastic sheet I used and also smoothing out the edges of her shorts. They broke a few times and I switched putties, but I also had to change my tactic. I was going to just have them flat at the bottom of the joint, with a key on the bottom but it didn't look natural when I put the thigh against it, so I had to take my dremel and carve down into the edge of the piece to make a lip that fits over the top of her thigh. This creates a more realistic look, though it took a little more time. I also worked on creases/folds in the boots around the ankles, but it's a bit of a pain, actually o_o I also built up some excess putty I had onto her toes, for the pointed toes of the boots that I'll make later.

Anyways, here are the pics, with some before and after shots of pieces.  *As always, click for larger images.

Working on her daily, so more to come soon!