This is my quick review of the stedi water-based panel liner based on my Bandai MG Sazabi Ver Ka [Special Coating] experience.
The “stedi” branded hobby tools (and more specifically, gunpla tools) and supplies have started appearing in my social feeds earlier this year (or perhaps it was last year). At first, it was their glass files, panel line scribers, nippers and what not.
In essence, stedi offers a variety of the same product categories that Dispae, Ray Studio, Tamiya, Sujiborido and whatever brand produces but at lower price points. My impression is they are positioning themselves as the budget, but still quality brand option brand did everything hobby tools and supplies.
None of their products have caught my eyes until I saw their water-based panel liners! A product line that promises to deliver the same result of enamel-based panel liners like the Tamiya options with zero risk of plastic cracking, little odor and the same ease of use and cleanup. Not to mention, fluorescence colour options outside the standard shades of brown, grey and black that glow under UV light!
Here’s stedi’s marketing slide on the panel liners:
They have a slide on usage too:
2. Dip the built-in applicator brush into the liquid to use.
3. Lightly apply the panel liner into panel line.
4. Use a cleaning stick to wipe away the excess.
Life kind of got in the way of gunpla but eventually I got a set of the panel liners and tried out the black one on my snap build Bandai MG Sazabi Ver Ka Special Coating.
Honestly, once I got over the quirks, it worked really well. It’s a slightly different application process in my opinion. How it needs to be used was different from how it was advertised.
On the MG Sazabi’s red special coating, the panel liner liquid did not flow at all. There were zero capillary action. I had to smear the liner liquid into anywhere I want to panel line. That also meant I had to load the applicator brush with more liquid and re-dip the tip more frequently.
I did read on Reddit that other users have had the same experience. Personally, I think this is only a minor downside when there is zero risk of the liquid damaging the plastic. Some also mentioned adding a surfactant such as detergent may help. I did not try it.
Application issue aside, the applied panel liner liquid dried relatively quickly in my A/C cooled house at around 50% humidity. It took a couple minutes for each to dry so I just batch a couple pieces at a time, go work on another piece, then come back and clean them up as one would with the enamel-based panel liners.
The cleaning process is also largely the same as the enamel panel liners with the up/down-side of only needing water instead of some kind of solvent. Albeit there is a lot more waste panel liner to clean up and therefore requiring more clean Q-Tip’s. There was no difficulty with the cleanup however on the MG Sabazi’s metallic gloss smooth finish (no smearing).
Overall, I was quite happy with the stedi water-based black panel liner. I think I will keep using them for snap builds (before top coating with matte otherwise it will mess with cleanup). I liked being able to use it in whichever stage of the build process without having to worry about potential plastic damage from enamel pooling.
I might update this post when I get around to trying out the stedi fluorescence panel liners. Stay tuned.
What do you think? Would you give these panel liners a try?
