Xeostar

Painting the Merc AMG GT3 today for me. No decals, it's all painted and not done the accessories but the main body is getting there.

These are powerful and portable little things plus not very expensive especially if you've already got the battery. I used one for my cars and other things, it comes in very handy. Cordless Inflator | Cordless High Volume Inflator | RYOBI 18V ONE+™ R18VI-0 (ryobitools.eu)

Yeah, the XM-01 has got to be a prime for a re re 959 on this chassis!

Thanks , I'm still ummming and ahing over it and not sure if I like it or not. It's certainly one to look at a further back to get the effect but it's really quick to do. It was my first attempt at a cartoon style body that seems popular with the airbrushing lot. I think I can do better next time.

Hi, I think @yogi-bear and @GeeWings summed things up very nicely. With the main points being the inability to print and cut unless you go for industrial very expensive machines so you're stuck with the colour of your vinyl or doing multi-layered. I use the Silhouette portrait 3, with Silhouette and Cricut being the two main home options. I think Cricut are the leaders and a bit more expensive. I went with Silhouette as I got a good deal on one, £80 I think and I liked the sound of the software vs the Cricut but I forget why now. Although the Silhouette software leaves a lot to be desired, I manage to work with it but it's a bit odd, I often complain about Microsoft Office apps but compared to this they super well polished and easy to use. I use mine almost exclusively for masking for airbrushing and to cut very light weight sheets, stencil vinyl sticky paint masking airbrush craft art sheets A4 | eBay. The silhouette software has a good trace function. I get an image of the logo or text I want to copy, even a photo from my phone. Make it black and white with decent contrast edges where I want to cut. I drop that image in the software and it traces the outline into the cut profile. Resize, reverse and ready to print which works quite well. Tracing in Silhouette Studio® - YouTube It can cut quite small details, here are some examples. The wild one bird was a from a photo I took from the kit box and traced around.

Yep I use a vinyl cutter to do the lettering and similar, as you say printed backwards as a mask from the inside. Although the flat design isn't mine it was on the internet to use as a reference which is handy but it's not often I fine these. For that one I'd prob do the text, "71" and purple diamonds on the cutter but the rest free hand masking with flexible tape for the outline. I use one of these which does the job well enough and not too expensive, some others get really pricey. Silhouette Portrait 3

I've got a few small ones in mind but the next big one I think I'm going to try this on the GT3. What do you think?

@Kol__ Thanks , I'm quite pleased with it, probably my best one yet I think. Yes 95+% paint, things like the headlights and rear light cluster are the decals but all the Porsche, Ansys and Penske are painted as are all the colours and the black and white stripes between them. I'd like to say it's my original design but it's a copy, sort of, from the 100th Le Mans, Porsche 936 Penske Motorsport livery. I really like it so attempted it. HELLER cooperates with Porsche Penske Motorsport

Even if you manage to get solder to stick it'll never make a joint you can trust. My advice, for what it's worth, is do the job properly with a spot welder they are really accessible nowadays. If you want them end to end do it like this.

When they are end to end you still spot weld a strip of tin between the cells then fold them back on each other to be end to end.

Yeah solder wont really work, you need one of these:- Integrated Spot Welder Kit, Black Hand‑held DIY Adjustable Spot Welding Pen, Mini Welder Automatic Trigger for 18650 Battery Dc 4-12v : Amazon.co.uk: DIY & Tools

I can only think it's the kits popularity, lots of people don't like the Saint Dragon style so I guess supply and demand. I love the Saint Dragon personally and bought one without and ESC so that suited me too. I seem to have loads of ESCs kicking about so might as well saved a few £ and use for bearings

Bit late for Black Friday but this seems like a good deal to me. Tamiya 47459 The Saint Dragon 4WD Off Roader (Kit Without ESC or Custom Deal Bundle) 1:10 Radio Controlled R/C Car Model Kit (Special Price), Time Tunnel Models

How essential is the wife? They do take up a lot of room and money to think of it... worth considering.

Airbrush practice for me, attempting a water drop on a faded backing.

@technics yes 95% of the airbrushing I do is on lexan so I get the transparency bit but all that does is change the gloss top look, your backing colour should be fully opaque so the same as using solid card and gives the same shade. Re the thickness if it work for you then go for it , it was how it clings to the sides. Almost like milk consistency is what we're after but it looks quite like paste but it could be the photo. Look how thin this is at the 20.20 mark, same for Lexan. (932) How To Airbrush Acrylics.Perfect Every Time !! Scale Models & Gunpla - YouTube

Its quite unusual to back with blue, it's normally black or white, sometimes silver. I use these test cards to keep a record of how paints look, they are really handy to refer back to Model Paint Recording Tool Card Bridge Color Test Card Color Card T08E01/02 Part | eBay With some colours the backing makes a huge difference it's like two totally different paints. Your paint in the brush pot in that picture looks very thick there, I'd say that needs thinning out quite a bit.

oooh a Mk4 very nice! How are you finding it?

Really sorry to hear your news @MadInventor I hope we cross paths again some day on the other side. Don't tell anybody but I've heard even all Tamiya's come with bearings over there too!

I love to see old cars soldiering on being kept together with bits a bobs, mix of screws and parts. I think you often have most fun the cars like that when your happy to throw them about without too much care. There is an old RC plane saying that says the more money you have in the air the less fun you'll have, has some truth I think. Glad to hear the brace is doing ok too