I haven’t built model figures in a long time; the last time was back in the ’90s when I was in high school. Technology has advanced a lot in the past 20+ years. The latest SHF and true bone carving figures are nearly perfect in design, so there’s really no need to build Rider models anymore – you can buy beautifully detailed ones for just a few hundred dollars. However, old-school model figures still have a certain charm, and these hollow plastic figures offer more of a challenge. I’ve always felt that as a Rider fan, I should at least make a Shadow Moon figure once in my life. And when I saw it on sale for about 1,800 yen (around HK$130) on Amazon Japan, I bought it, but it took me a year to finally start working on it!
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The Making of
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This kit is actually a re-release of a 1990s product by Kaiyodo. I couldn’t afford it back in high school, but now I finally have the chance!
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Casting plaster and inserting copper rods are basic steps for hollow plastic figures.
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The limbs, antennae, and shoulders of Shadow Moon are secured with rods.
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The original antenna was meant to be cut out of a piece of soft plastic, but it was too flimsy and couldn’t be smoothed out. I had to recreate it using SketchUp and found someone on Taobao to 3D print it for 30 HKD.
![](https://kudezign.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Shadow-moon-making-of-04-1536x1536.jpg)
Before applying Gaia 123 Bright Silver, I first coated it with 032 Ultimate Black, which gives the silver a richer appearance.
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Since the sword wraps around the figure’s hand and can’t be disassembled for painting, I painted the main body first, then crafted the hilt. I also used epoxy putty to reshape it to match the show’s appearance.
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The sword itself was originally made of opaque resin, but I went to Taobao again to get it 3D printed in transparent material.
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