Customize Material (3D Lens Seal)

What the set offers

The set belongs to the Customize Material line of the Bandai brand, that is among the materials meant for altering finished models. The elements have a domed lens surface which differs from flat printing in that it genuinely reflects light and changes its look according to the angle of view. On a model it therefore reads as a piece of optics, not as a drawn circle. The set thus does not deal with the build itself but with the last percent of the look, by which a model carried through is recognized.

Where the elements find use

They offer themselves wherever a lens or a glossy vision port is meant to be visible on a model. Most often that means the eyes of characters, sights, sensors and headlights of machines, but they can also serve on an instrument panel or as a small decorative element on a shell. A small glossy point can turn an otherwise matte area into a place the eye heads for at once.

How to work with the elements

• Elements under the designation seal are generally applied dry. Check the procedure in the manufacturer's instructions before use, and without support there do not soak them, as water would damage them.
• Leave the surface under an element smooth, clean and degreased, otherwise adhesion suffers.
• Lift them out with tweezers with smooth jaws or with the tip of a knife, as fingers leave a print on a small element.
• Try the placement dry first; once it has seated, an element moves poorly.
• Apply the elements only onto a finished and dried surface, that is as the last step of the build.

Terms of supply

A set of elements is supplied. Paints, varnish and glue are not included in the package, unless stated otherwise.