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Lindberg 1/8 Bobtail T


Sam I Am

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It has been a looooong time since I attempted a large scale kit. When I was about 10, I talked my parents into getting me a couple big kits...which I found very quickly that they were over my head at the time, and ended up destroying both attempts.  About 15 years ago I started and quickly aborted a 1/16 build.  I have been collecting a few large kits with the goal of not letting them beat me....this time.  So I am starting with the one I really cannot hurt. It is a combination of an old built up and a barely started kit. I have been slowly undoing what the previous builder started gluing together and making it something I can live with. I have the chassis pulled apart as far as I can, the basic engine assembly fitting together better, and the wheels/tires cleaned and painted.

The first of many questions...

This has that rubber like interior. Has anyone tried painting it with a SEM interior paint?  I know it has self etching properties and a flex agent.

Second, the instrument decals are shot. Does anyone know a source for 1/8 instrument decals?

TIA

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I found it Sam. I was looking under the Big Boyz section. 

I like the Emerald green on the wheels. They look good to me. I don't have any answers for your questions though. Too bad you don't have a spare piece of the interior or a sprue to test the paint on first. I'm sure someone has a thought on it.

Later-

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With the bad things I have heard about trying to paint this type of interior material you might consider casting it in resin that would then be easier to paint. I like the looks of the wheels and tires at this point.  

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On 8/19/2020 at 7:04 AM, espo said:

With the bad things I have heard about trying to paint this type of interior material you might consider casting it in resin that would then be easier to paint. I like the looks of the wheels and tires at this point.  

Glad you like the wheels. I used a little soft scrub with bleach on the white walls and dawn dish soap on the tires scrubbing both with a toothbrush.

I had not thought about resin casting them. I have a casting kit but have not been brave enough to try my hand.

Edited by Sam I Am
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So after prying off as many parts as possible on the engine assembly, I was able to clean things up good enough for who it's for...me. I then did a little detail painting to break things up. I have found with this scale I better get over my love/hate relationship with my airbrush.  Even the smallest part can be too big for a brush. 

Even though I do not plan on putting much detail into this build, one thing bugged me. Where the shifter handle goes into the top of the transmission you usually have a soft rubber or leather boot to hide and keep clean this connection. This model did not have one and looked just like it would if that boot was missing.  I couldn't think of anything that I could use for this and so presented my dilemma to my wife. She turned around,  opened a box of spare electronic parts, and pulled out the silicon tip off an ear bud.  I LOVE my wife. I proceeded to turn it inside out and trim off the excess.  I think it gives a very realistic look of a shifter boot.

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Anyone familiar with this kit is noticing a lot of the kit chrome parts are now painted.  Between the chrome being in really bad shape, and the amount of glue on some parts, I just felt that the best thing was to strip it off. It will give it more of an average looking rod from the day rather than a blinged out show rod. 

Even though I said I wasn't going to add much detail, this scale makes it difficult not to, hence the gearshift knob. 

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So after much cleaning (the previous builder just broke the parts off the tree and glued them together) and test fitting,  and removing an ignition coil from the top of the breather tube...yea, you read correctly.  I came up with this.

It still needs wired, and I need to come up with a v-belt, but I am going to sit the engine aside for now and focus on the chassis.

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Good looking beginning.  Gives you something to do while the Seachickens are setting on their duffs making millions.  A thought on the instrument decals - make your own.  Find some you like, that will fit, in a magazine, on the web, or maybe a catalog.  Scan them into your computer, adjust to correct size, then print on decal paper.  Yeah, I gave up on the Kitties after they fired 'Riverboat' mid-season.

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41 minutes ago, TarheelRick said:

Good looking beginning.  Gives you something to do while the Seachickens are setting on their duffs making millions.  A thought on the instrument decals - make your own.  Find some you like, that will fit, in a magazine, on the web, or maybe a catalog.  Scan them into your computer, adjust to correct size, then print on decal paper.  Yeah, I gave up on the Kitties after they fired 'Riverboat' mid-season.

Rick, are you over your bromance with Cam yet? ??

I will have to consider printing out my own instruments. 

Brittle plastic...?

Edited by Sam I Am
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So after a nice weekend of camping. I was able to get the front suspension assembled.  I also used molotow for the first time. I wish I would have read the part about letting it sit a week before handling...

I cleaned up the mounting brackets for the tank and noticed the woodgrain.  So I sprayed them with a light gold metallic,  washed them with black, and molotowed the straps. I mocked up the tank to see what they will look like. So far I am sticking to the instruction sheet and going step by step.

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Thanks Mark, Tom. 

Also, thanks Tom for finding that paint.

We are experiencing high winds, wild fires, and power outages,  so what does that leave one to do? 

Wiring and finding the correct rubb...I mean...v-belt. ?

I find it interesting that this engine has no fan. I guess I can't drive it in parades. 

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Edited by Sam I Am
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  • 2 weeks later...

So after waiting on some paint (found that the dark green might be discontinued,  but Modlbldr found a can for me, thanks Tom !), I finally have it up on all fours. The wheels and engine are just mocked up for now.

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Edited by Sam I Am
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