88 replies to this topic

[Pablo]

First one. I think I nailed the color pretty close, but what do you think? 

I've been immersed in varying shades of Bandits for so long I have highway hypnosis 

 

 

[SpeedyNH]

that's truly gorgeous.

[Rotorranch]

Looks good to me!

 

Rotor

[Pablo]

Customer confirms it's good. I Saran Wrapped the batch and refrigerated it. Tomorrow, root beer party 

[Pablo]

Cranked out three more candy root beer fat cigars today

 

[Martin]

You must be seeing Bandits in your sleep?

 

 I actually enjoy a taste of repetition/production. Most my life has been 90 percent planning and designing 10 percent doing and building. So when I get a chance to do the same job over and over I build the fixtures and tools then Zen out to repetition.

 

Of course you may just want it to be over, been there too.

[Pablo]

  I will admit a bit of a "head rush" when both my peers and the customer agreed I nailed the color 

 

The trick is doing it a little at a time. If I felt rushed, the fun and motivation would be gone 

[Pablo]

I need a little help from my friends on the "Dynamic" decal, seen on this one just aft of the cockpit

 

 

I got that one off this Professor Motor waterslide decal sheet:

 

https://www.professo...-p/aml1185b.htm

 

The $4 sheet comes with two of them, so the cost to place them on this many Bandits would be about $28 plus postage.

I'd end up with a lot of other decals I probably couldn't use in my remaining lifetime.

 

Does anybody know of a better option? Thanks    

[Pablo]

All 7 root beer Bandits are now painted and backed white. Luckily, I only found two very minor holidays.

Not bad for 13 bodies, if I do say so myself    I have a few drops of the mix left to fix those (tomorrow) 

 

 

Next step is NATO flat black outside details

[Martin]

I have some on the original sheets like you show from PM. Don't spend the money I got you covered.

How many do you need? I will check stock.

[Pablo]

13 Bandits plus 2 for you. I need about 16.

[Martin]

FYI this is the best pic I could find to show the length and size of the black side scoops that you are about to paint.

Notice it does not extend forward or to a point. That should make it easier and more factory.

 

[Martin]

Checking stock. I was hoping Dynamic did not bother on the black bodies but there they are, black on black.

 

[Pablo]

1. Thanks for the scoop info, perfect timing - will do.

 

2. I can't tell from the black body photo. Are you saying the scoops and grille ARE painted flat black?

I was planning to do, and show, one first to see how everybody liked it. But if you say they are painted.

I'll just go ahead and do all of them.

[Pablo]

Little holidays corrected by thinning the mixes so they would spray at 10 PSI - easy fix

 

 

Time to mask the scoops .....

[Martin]

Post #47 pic shows a shiny scoop which would indicate it is not painted flat. But I think painting it adds some detail so I thought you decided to paint them. The only way to know for sure is if someone has an original to look at, and that has not happened yet. So let your conscience be your guide

[Pablo]

OK so I'm back to trying the first one with flat details, posting a photo, and letting the customer (and SB audience) decide which looks better 

[Pablo]

Here is the Super Bandit test monkey with flat black details

 

 

So far nobody has shown proof the originals did or didn't have this. I figured I'd try it on one and see.

The customer has the ultimate decision, but I don't like it. Matter of fact I think it detracts from the looks.

 

What do y'all think? If it was my car I'd remove it right now 

[Martin]

You're correct, it does not add anything. So maybe just do the root beer ones?

It needs a mask that will give big radius in the corners.

 

Can you make a reusable mask, peel and stick kind of thing? Dynamic probably had a rubber bra type mask.

It looks to me like the ends are sprayed but the scoops are hand painted. Try the other end of the brush or a something rounded that fit the scoop.

 

 

[Pablo]

"You're correct, it does not add anything" Thanks, that answers that question. I'll bet the customer agrees.

 

"So maybe just do the root beer ones?" No doubt about that.

 

"It needs a mask that will give big radius in the corners. Can you make a reusable mask, peel and stick kind of thing? Dynamic probably had a rubber bra type mask" I'm sure they did but I don't LOL

 

"It looks to me like the ends are sprayed but the scoops are hand painted. Try the other end of the brush or a something rounded that fits the scoop" I may try a brush or a brush end, thanks. Maybe brush and wipe, brush and wipe.

 

Thanks for the ideas   

[Pablo]

Customer agreed, it sucks - no flat outside details on the Supers. Isopropyl alcohol wiped it clean 

 

Moving on to the (regular) Bandits, I did two of them so far. Scoops hand-brushed; front/rear masked and sprayed.

Five more to go (tomorrow). Thanks for the coaching, Martin 

 

[Martin]

Looking real Pro.

[Pablo]

Thanks Martin, you helped a lot 

 

Scoops, grills, and rear ends all finished outside with Tamiya NATO Black XF-69

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Pablo]

All Super Bandits 100% complete

 

[Pablo]

Assembly line work isn't fun but I'm hanging in there. Time to sticker the regular Bandits