Aldi Special - AMT 1968 Shelby Mustang GT 500 1:25

[Homerlovesbeer]

Hi all,

 

A quick post. I bought this kit from ALDI here in Australia for about $20 (about US $13 or £12.50) with the intent of building it with my 10 year old nephew.

 

He has never done any airbrushing at all so we started off sanding the body and getting rid of all the seam lines and giving it a coat of primer. This was back in January 2020.

 

 

He got a bit heavy handed in a spot of two so I sanded it back at got it ready for painting.

 

Then the world changed with the Corona Virus social isolation rules so my nephew could no longer come around. I decided to crack on without him.

 

So I applied 4 coats of SMS (Australian brand of paint Scale Modellers Supply) Dark Bronze METALLIC and the clear is their SMS Ultra Clear Coat 2K.

 

 

 

 

I tested the 2K on the bonnet and following the instructions to the letter (15psi and ratios of 10:5:1 Part A B and thinner) I found some slight orange peel affect.

 

 

I reached out to the owner of SMS paints and mentioned my problem and if the activator was a slow, medium or fast and got told it's normal. For a hot climate in Brisbane this means the clear goes off too quickly and doesn't have time to level properly.

 

So it was time to spray the rest of the body. I have had amazing success with Gravity Paints 2K clear at 30 psi so thought I'd try that with SMS. I also increased the thinner to 20% to try and slow the cure and give time to level properly.

 

Here are my results.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So my findings suggest 30 psi 20% thinner and the final wet coat go to town on it. I doubt you can over do it unless you hold the airbrush in the one spot for too long causing runs. When you think you've put enough down fill up your airbrush cup and do another fully wet pass.

 

All of you in a hot climate may find this helpful. These pictures were taken after approximately 45 mins after the final super wet coat.

 

I am extremely happy with the results and stoked to find a great 2K clear locally in Australia.

 

I cracked on and tackled the engine next. I de chromed the intake manifold and rocker covers whick looked rdiculious and resprayed them with AK Extreme Metal polished Aluminium. The engine block was painted with Mr Hobby aqueous blue and the gearbox with Metal aluminum. The exhaust manifold was done with Mr Metal also.

 

 

I decided to leave the carbys and air filture in the standard chrome parts. The fit and flash on the kit so far is pretty bad.

More to come soon.

 

Cheers guys

Edited May 1, 2020 by Homerlovesbeer

[Homerlovesbeer]

So.....can anybody tell me how to turn this.....

Into this.......

 

 

 

I'm talking about the dashboard.

 

The door card is a bugger too!

 

Edited May 2, 2020 by Homerlovesbeer

[Stef N.]

There is a German company, Uschi Van Der Rosten that makes wood grain decals, mostly for planes but some for cars as well. Will be a bit fiddly and probably expensive. Or you could ask on the military side for advice on hand painting wood grain. There are some very knowledgable guys on there. Good luck.

[roginoz]

I'd suggest @Codger would be the man to ask........

 

That's a magnificent top coat, bet it looks a treat in the Brisbane sun !!

 

Rog

[Codger]

3 hours ago, roginoz said:

I'd suggest @Codger would be the man to ask........

 

That's a magnificent top coat, bet it looks a treat in the Brisbane sun !!

 

Rog

Rog gives too much credit - you're doing just fine on your own.

He may be referring to my idea of using wood veneer photos from the web, printed on photo paper and applied to the dash and doors. However that was in 1/8 scale and would be near impossible to do in 1/25. Also leather or vinyl is too thick for this scale.

So I invite you to build in 1/8 scale from now on.

Well, seriously - some patient detail brush work, a touch of BMF or Molotow, a spray of Faux Fabrix from SMS or embossing powder for carpets and seat cushions and you're good to go. I believe several of the lads here are proficient decal - makers and may help you get nice thin wood finishes. Most of the 1:1 cars in the day were 'contact paper' !

 

[Lvp]

Hi, nice work to date.

Expounding on Codger's idea and scaling it done a bit - decal paper!

Take a photo of the wood you'd like to use or find a suitable species on the web.

Most imaging editors will allow you to scale the appropriate size for your needs.

There's no set formula, just what looks right.

Print it on plain paper first to judge how it fits in to the overall scheme.

When you are happy with the size and color, print it on white decal paper.

Create a template to cut the correct size.

Don't forget to clear coat the printed decal (not with the 2K) to prevent the ink from running when wet.

I found it helpful to clear coat again once the decal is cut to eliminate any water induced bleeding from the cut edges.

This has opened up a world of possibilities for me with custom decals and replacing yellowed or brittle ones.

Am going to try carbon fiber (fibre) effects soon.

Good luck.

[FunkyChiken]

Excellent finish with the 2k!

[Homerlovesbeer]

23 hours ago, Stef N. said:

There is a German company, Uschi Van Der Rosten that makes wood grain decals, mostly for planes but some for cars as well. Will be a bit fiddly and probably expensive. 

 

Hey thanks. Probably a bit too expensive for this kit but I'll sure keep it in mind for future projects.

[Homerlovesbeer]

19 hours ago, Codger said:

So I invite you to build in 1/8 scale from now on.

Well, seriously - some patient detail brush work, a touch of BMF or Molotow, a spray of Faux Fabrix from SMS or embossing powder for carpets and seat cushions and you're good to go.

 

23 hours ago, roginoz said:

.

 

That's a magnificent top coat, bet it looks a treat in the Brisbane sun !!

 

Rog

Thanks Rog.

 

I am really happy with it and it does look great in the Sun

 

Beautiful work Codger! My skills need much improving before 1/8 scale attempts

 

I looked into printing my own decals however it seems expensive where I'm finding them.

 

I'll have a go at the dash in the next couple of days.

[Homerlovesbeer]

13 hours ago, FunkyChiken said:

Excellent finish with the 2k!

Thanks mate 😇

[Lvp]

3 hours ago, Homerlovesbeer said:

I looked into printing my own decals however it seems expensive where I'm finding them.

I was referring to printing at home using an inkjet printer.

I get about 6 sheets of white or clear for about $10 USD.

Should last you awhile.

[Spiny]

You might need to seach back a bit with all the lockdown builds which have appeared, but a couple of months ago there was an 1885 Benz built thread which had a bit about how to do wood - the end result looked very good.

[Homerlovesbeer]

7 hours ago, Lvp said:

I was referring to printing at home using an inkjet printer.

I get about 6 sheets of white or clear for about $10 USD.

Should last you awhile.

 

Yep I knew that's what you meant however the local hobby shop sells a box of 6 A5 sheets by Testers for $36 and the local art store sells simgle A4 sheets for $10.95

[Homerlovesbeer]

2 hours ago, Spiny said:

You might need to seach back a bit with all the lockdown builds which have appeared, but a couple of months ago there was an 1885 Benz built thread which had a bit about how to do wood - the end result looked very good.

Thanks!

 

Found it 

 

[Lvp]

5 hours ago, Homerlovesbeer said:

 

Yep I knew that's what you meant however the local hobby shop sells a box of 6 A5 sheets by Testers for $36 and the local art store sells simgle A4 sheets for $10.95

Ouch!

Could try glossy photo paper, dampening backing and rubbing off thickness with fingers or some type of eraser.

[Bengalensis]

19 hours ago, Homerlovesbeer said:

Found it

I hope you can find something useful in there. With small size surfaces and/or down in recesses it is difficult to work with a sponge or larger movement of the brush, but it's also more forgiving. You will probably get away with much just with a beige base coat, some random streaks with a darker brown that you smear a little, then followed with some clear orange. Do some tests on scrap pieces and I'm sure you will find your way.

[Homerlovesbeer]

Well I tried dry brushing white onto the dials and using Tamiya panel wash to bring them out but the white just isn't white enough. I need a better way to apply......

 

Hmmm

[Homerlovesbeer]

Getting pretty frustrated about how to paint these dials. Tried so many things now and they still look rubbish.

 

Tried painting with a very small brush - no joy.

 

Tried dry brushing (as seen here) - no joy.

 

Tried using a white 0.7mm paint pen - no joy.

 

Tried using a cocktail stick and dabbing paint on that way - no joy.

 

Losing my mojo over this as I cannot find a solution to how to paint it.

 

Sigh....

 

Edited May 8, 2020 by Homerlovesbeer

[Andy J]

You could try painting the dials silver or white then when dry paint over the top with a water based black coat ( vallejo model colour works well ). When dry use a toothpick to gently remove the black from the areas of the dials you wish to highlight. This should leave the colour you painted originally in the area's you require. Remember to keep the paint as fine as possible otherwise you risk not being able to see the detail you want to highlight. This method may seem strange but it does work if done correctly. 

Hope this helps Andy. 

[Homerlovesbeer]

Thanks Andy. Good idea.

 

I also came across this idea dating back to 2008 by "Semi Trailer Mechanic" on another forum which may also work.

 

Here's how I was taught. Take some matte aluminum Bare Metal Foil and apply it to the entire face of the dash and trim it. Next take a piece of tissue and rub it really well. Use a wash to fill in the gauges and allow to dry or use a Sharpe Marker. Take some fine sand paper and "LIGHTLY" rub over the surface of the gauges until the raised surfaces are clean and clear. Then w/ a fine paint brush start painting around the trim rings of the gauages and then go back and finish painting the face of the dash. Because BMF covered the entire face of the dash if there's any trim left around the dash that too can be sanded down as well giving it sharp look. Here's an advantage if ya screw up all ya do is peel off the Metal Foil and try again speaking from LOTS of experience. 

Edited May 8, 2020 by Homerlovesbeer

[Homerlovesbeer]

Ok guys,

 

Thanks for all the suggestions. I had a crack at the foil method tonight. The dials are quite complex so the notion of cutting out every single element to reveal the black below is unthinkable.

I did add a Tamiya wash over the foil however the wash really clings to the curves at the side and not so much consistent over the whole surface. 

 

I tried flooding it so I couldn't see any dial at all and letting it dry but the curve of the dial at the edges had massive build up and the middle not much at all.

 

I cleaned it up and applied another small wash which doesn't look too bad. It's very hard to photograph so I do apologise.

 

 

 

What do you all think? Try something else again?

 

This is a cotton bud for scale.

 

 

Cheers,

Homer

[Homerlovesbeer]

In other news the tub is pretty much done. I used a steadyish hand to paint the wood trim on and a 0.1mm Molotow pen for the chrome.

 

The carpet was done by painting a coat of black paint and while wet applying black glitter nail I bought off Ebay through a tea strainer lol.

 

 

 

 

I still have to do a couple of chrome surrounds on the door panel yet. I'm not sure if it's worth it or not.

 

Does anybody know how to make the centre ribbed part of the seats look real and slighty warn?

 

Cheers

 

 

Edited May 9, 2020 by Homerlovesbeer

[Bengalensis]

Your work is coming along nicely, even when you have to find your way as you go. Well done.

2 hours ago, Homerlovesbeer said:

Does anybody know how to make the centre ribbed part of the seats look real and slighty warn?

I would probably take the same black and mix in a little bit of some brown or red-brown, and thin it down just a little. Not at all thin like air brushing, just a little thinner than ordinary Humbrol. I'd then smear a little of this mix on a paper and work a small amount into the tip of a small eye shadow brush, something looking like this one:

https://www.dofton.se/dofton_templates/pimg/kokie-medium-eye-shader-brush-br617-1.jpg

Then brush it on the paper until it just leaves a little colouring, then work it onto the seats. Better to do little and repeat than doing to much at once.

[Mr Mansfield]

11 hours ago, Homerlovesbeer said:

 

What do you all think? Try something else again?

It’s a real pain with small dials & no decals. I tend to paint them silver & then pop a little panel wash in, let it dry, realest until the back looks dark enough

 

Here’s an example of how it worked for me:

 

good luck!

Edited May 9, 2020 by Mr Mansfield

[Spiny]

Not sure how fine the brush was that you had no luck with (nor for that matter whether you have a magnifying headset which I seem to be using more and more ). But the method I've used when I have a raised figures on the dial but no decal is to brush paint onto the raised items. For me, I used a Tamiya HG Ultra Fine brush which is fantastic for detail work, then made sure I only got the smallest dab of paint on the end. If the paint starts drying on the brush, stop and wash it out as the dry clump increases the side of the brush head. This was the result I got with this method when I did the Stratos:

 

 

However, if you don't have a magnifying headset or extremely fine brush then it probably won't work for you I'm afraid.