Nitomor

I've done it on a couple of shells now. Looks great and stops the decals lifting. I have only used it on shelfers so far. You need to let the clear cure and out of sunlight otherwise the stickers can bubble at least in my experience, though that was in a roasting conservatory to be fair. As mentioned earlier, a couple of light dust coats first. I use 1k Churchills RFU clear coat with some cellulose thinners at a 20/80 thinners/clearcoat ratio. I didn't flat back as I didn't have much success with that, but with a few coats it seals the decals in and they become covered so that they no longer show as decals.

When changing the needle, you need to buy a needle, nozzle and nozzle cap. The larger size nozzle allows you to deal with thicker paints without clogging up the nozzles (particularly important if you want to spray metallics and sparklescent type colours, but also primer and clear coats which you don't want to thin too much so as to prevent runs). Think of it as selecting a traditional paint brush size. The thinner nozzle will allow a finer spray pattern effectively spraying a thinner line with better control, like using a finer paintbrush and also better when using thinner paints, such as 'Life Color' flesh paints for drivers. There are situations were it's nice to have a really thin line for detail spraying, like seat belt buckles and things like that, or some paints are really thin like Alclads fine range of metallics which come out really well with a fine brush. I use a CH for this type of work (0.3mm nozzle). The CS comes with a 0.35mm needle/nozzle (but can take the optional purchase 0.5mm version). The TH only has the 0.5mm version but comes with two nozzle caps, a fan and a round cap. If you look at the specs closely of the various brushes, you can see the min and max line thicknesses that they can paint. For example with its round cap, the TH will go from a 3mm line upto 50mm if you hold the brush further away. With the fan cap, up to 63mm. A 0.35mm equipped CS will do a fine 0.35mm to 50mm line. With the larger 0.5mm needle it is likely to be as per the TH with fine cap, so 3mm upto 50mm. The 0.3mm CH brush will do 0.3mm to 25mm. As you can see, the CH goes finer than either the CS or TH with better control so compliments those very nicely. I did a huge amount of research before buying mine and I nearly didn't go with the TH but delighted that I did as it is the one that is most used. Followed by the G5 and the CH. The TH and CS are pretty similar on specs but the TH nudges it for me on versatility as it's a doddle to swap nozzle caps and the gun style trigger is actually really nice to use and allows for better dexterity when spraying into nooks and crannies. That said, with the CS you could run it as either a 0.35mm or optional 0.5mm nozzle setups, meaning that if you could really only ever have one airbrush then it could almost act as two guns in one, albeit you would need to keep swapping over the nozzle/needle/cap in order to make that happen and obviously pay extra to buy the larger needle kit. Spray guns on the other hand are good for volume, covering more area with a lot less passes but it takes some of the romance out of it. I use the G5 mini spray gun for clear coats only. For 1/10th scale the TH is fine. If you were regularly doing larger areas then you'd want to certainly consider one. If you get the bug, you could always go for a smaller and larger one later. The TH is massively versatile and yet slots in perfectly with future expansion plans. Be warned, airbrushing gets under your skin and although an offshoot of our hobby, it is a new hobby all in itself so prepare for a large learning curve which can be both very rewarding and frustrating in equal measure depending how adventurous you get and the standards you set yourself. I am spraying things that are turning out better than I ever thought I could, to the extent that I keep raising the bar, anything less than perfection is not acceptable, but being OCD doesn't help with that lol! Clean up etc is pretty easy, I just use some medical alcohol wipes to clean the brush and shoot some airbrush cleaner through it. I also have some of the fine cleaning brushes in case the nozzles ever get blocked, Iwata medea sell a cleaning kit. Any other questions feel free to ask away, it's a hefty outlay so you'll want to get it right. I took a bit of a chance and bit the bullet as I had a decent work bonus that year and couldn't quite decide between the CS and TH so bought both along with the other two. The limited edition 'Kustom' series felt a bit special as they came in an exclusive metal case and had larger cups and triggers. I don't know how much longer they are available for and I have read that some no longer come with the special case. They also come with the water vapour filter which I don't believe the stock versions come with. If you buy more than one brush, consider the quick release valves on the air supply for not much money which allow you to swap over guns with minimum aggro. Cheers Nito

There is also the Iwata G5 for fan which is my fourth brush, mainly for clear coating, it's a miniature spray gun so the smaller compressor can handle it but it's on the limit. Not cheap though and a one trick pony for the money. https://airbrushes.com/product_info.php?products_id=3309 The CS is a very good brush (although I would recommend getting the optional 0.5mm needle with it) but the TH has a fan cap (a broader spread) and round cap (narrow spray) so you get the best of all worlds but I've said too much on the TH already!! Depending on cap you can go from 3mm to 63mm fan with the TH. I've just noticed one of my posts I've called it TR off to edit it, it's the TH!! I bought mine here...I'd recommend reading all the specs on the brushes and trying to understand it all before coming to a decision. https://airbrushes.com/product_info.php?cPath=400_403_1_9_257&products_id=2316

That Vajra had me tempted a couple of weeks back, even though I already have one, just as well I'm broke at the moment otherwise I would have have had a little less space at home!

I have Iwata Kustom series TH, CH and CS. The TH has 0.5mm needle, the CH a 0.3mm needle and the CS a 0.35mm needle with a 0.5mm needle option (which is how I run mine). The TH and CH have mac valve and all have trigger limiters and the Kustom series come in a lovely metal exclusive case and include a moisture filter. They also have larger paint wells and larger triggers on some. Kustom series here; https://www.air-craft.net/acatalog/Iwata-Kustom.html as mentioned earlier, if I could only buy one, it would be the TH. It is perfect for our modelling needs. The 0.3mm needle airbrushes can jam easier and some media gets jammed in it, especially when using more adventurous metallics and sparkelescent paints. It comes with two end caps, one for fine spray and one for broad which is ideal for spraying bodyshells. The CH is excellent for very fine detailing and thin paints, like chrome type paints. The CS is also very good for general airbrushing and with the 0.5 needle option you can run metallics and the like, I tend to use that for drivers, and the TH for shells. The TH will also handle primers as well as clear coats which the smaller needles would struggle with. They are all very good for cleaning, they can be taken fully apart, spares are readily available, they are if anything easier for a novice as they just so good that you aren't have to fight poor quality amongst everything else. My reasoning was that if i buy the best I can afford, I'd only have myself to blame for poor results. They work great for lexan bodies too. You need to find a good balance for thinning paints and the right pressure, this varies by room temp and type of paint so you need to get a feel for it which comes with practice. I tend to reduce paints by 20-25% and spray at 15-20psi. I use Auto Air paints for shells. Ps, I'd get the decent airbrush first, compressor and booth you can improvise with easily enough. Airbrush compressors are great for indoors (I use the conservatory!) as they are pretty quiet compared to workshop ones but it depends where you are spraying. The workshop ones are far more powerful and cheaper. A big cardboard box makes a decent booth. You can make your own, some great examples about on the net. Bathroom fans and oven extractors are all available cheaply and can be made to fit. Early booth in a well ventilated area!!

Just to add, there will be lots of trial and error and bear in mind this is almost an entire new hobby altogether, 'consume you it will!' You'll go from this... To this... It opens up so many options, it's been a great and at times very frustrating learning curve. Good luck, it'll be another feather to your bow, and it's quite cool when you can be a hero and paint your kids nerf guns!! (Disclaimer Note: Do not allow them to carry in public!!)

I have 4 Iwata airbrushes, there is one that stands head and shoulders above the others for this hobby and it's versatility, the HP-TH. The Kustom version as below has a bigger paint pot too. Not recommending this trader just first to come up on Google. https://www.air-craft.net/acatalog/Iwata-Kustom-Hi-Line-HP-TH.html?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIuLOwk9Wz1QIVJr7tCh1oxgbLEAQYASABEgKeBfD_BwE Here is mine. With it's 0.5 needle,this will spray sparklescents and lacquer and it comes with two needle caps; a fan and finer pattern so it can do smaller stuff like drivers. It is a fantastic airbrush, I can't recommend it highly enough, yes it's not cheap but this is the best name in airbrushes and it's a tool for life.

Nope, not showing unless you click the link. Also you have geotagging turned on which means you can see exactly were it's taken (ie be careful of any pics taken at home.

decisions decisions lol....

I'm far from a lipo pro, I actually have an HPI hard case 2S lipo which has swelled a bit, yet it has never got worse, doesn't get hot and takes a full charge so I keep a closer eye on it but it seems perfectly usable still. I guess it's a case of being cautious, using common sense and making sure you feel comfortable with it. I think if I started getting errors charging I'd be getting a little paranoid if I'm honest but that's me.

Assuming you're running Tamiya's being on TC forum, I'd recommend you get this battery, it fits every Tamiya chassis that a normal nimh battery would, I have a few of these and they work on everything in my fleet including the notoriously tight Hornet and lunchbox; https://www.modelsport.co.uk/core-rc-4000mahr-7-4v-30-60c-2s-lipo/rc-car-products/388538 You'll need a decent lipo charger. There are lots to choose from, I have a quad one that does 4 batteries at a time but we go out as a family so it was a good buy for us. Lipo sacks give peace of mind, I use these but lots of others out there; https://www.modelsport.co.uk/hpi-plazma-pouch-lipo-safe-case-black-/rc-car-products/370156 Enjoy. I wasted too much money on useless nimh, Lipo is so much more convenient. All good advice above, get a decent hard pack and don't charge unattended and most importantly make sure you understand how to use the charger and that it is set to the right settings, for example charging a lipo in nimh mode would likely be bad news! Inspect it after every discharge and keep an eye on it for any damage to the plug, wires or casing including swelling and if you have an intelligent charger, that it is taking the correct charge mah. enjoy

I trashed a paint job wet sanding, never again for me!

I did a Monster Racer version... https://www.msuk-forum.co.uk/gallery/image/37044-img_1317jpg/[/img]

Alternatively get a hobbywing 1060 ESC or other lipo compatible speed controller/buzzer and use a much lighter lipo 2S battery (ie Core Rc which fits perfectly in there), transforms the Hornet and you will rarely have the cover fall off.

Createx is American I believe. http://www.autoaircolors.com/ http://createxcolors.com/wicked-airbrush-colors/index.html http://createxcolors.com/airbrushcolors.html I too recommend them, it's pretty much all I use now, I use the Wicked and Auto Air range of Createx colours and reduce with their Createx 4012 reducer. I see they have more reducers now, not tried them but the 4030 looks interesting. Good luck Nito

Looks fantastic. I prefer the narrow look on the side by side pics. Very original build. Enjoy

Jun Watanabe Hornet

Excellent stuff, very inspirational, thanks ever so much for that. It'll breath new life into my Terra crushers, ironically my gearboxes and engines were ok last time they were used, I just dislike nitro so looks like I can confidently sell those bits knowing I can make use of the chassis which is great news because aside from messy nitro, the chassis' are awesome so I'm thrilled to know that they will get to turn their wheels in anger once again!! I feel quite excited even though it'll be a while before I get back around to them due to over expenditure on other things and lack of time this year! This Wild Commando is ripe for it... Cheers

Excellent, thanks for that, I'll head on over

Awesome stuff, thank you so much for taking the time to do that, really look forward to it. Cheers Nito

Thanks @gearheadwilly for the pm offer. I'd love to see a build thread on it. If you select 'The Builds' forum and then in the top right corner is the start new topic box in green, click that and you're away!! I'd be interested to know which gearbox you ended up using, for motor I guess you are looking at the larger 1:8 scale Brushless type. Must be an awesome rig with a decent BL setup. Here's my donor fleet...I also have a set of silly sized wheels (not pictured). Thank you, Nito

I have three terra crushers but hate the nitro nonsense. Do you have a build thread of how to convert to brushless?! The chassis is awesome, I'd really like to reassign mine to BL power!!

I use stock 18T pinion and LB wheels with no ill effects on my Monster Hornets. In fact the handling is way better, it can handle rough terrain, the balloon fronts make up for the poor front shocks and the wider track makes it far more resistant to roll overs. The larger wheels give a better top speed and the acceleration is nearly as quick. Running a waterproof lipo compatible quickrun 1060 esc and core rc 2S lipo is the icing on the cake, has to be the lightest car in my fleet and one of the most enjoyable, it is one of my go to cars and I must have over 40! I have also used a Mad Bull gearbox on my Hornet but there's really no point, the Hornet box is plenty tough and the suspension mounting points are completely different. I made it work successfully on the Hornet tub but the new mounting points I used on the chassis became a weak point. The steering tie rods could do with beefing up however the stock just bend in an impact but they bend straight back so i've not changed them as haven't had the need and I like that they act in a sacrificial manner. Despite the flimsy tie rods it steers, handles and goes better than a Mad Bull. Gratuitous Monster Hornet shot... And in full battle damaged trim...(you can expect the spoiler to come off a bashed Hornet...) and finally with a Mad Bull gbox... And a video of it running brushless, it's now back on a silver can with lipo as BL is too much for it but the video gives an idea of handling, bear in mind that the handling is way better with a silvercan as it has a tendency to flip on BL power!! On 2S it does 39kmh on a silver can on tarmac which is over 24mph!

Fantastic news, congratulations Truck, as per everyone else's comments, nice to see your work be appreciated, acknowledged and recognised 'officially' and in print and Front Cover no less, I'm really pleased for you Well done and well deserved, your stuff has always had great attention to detail, photos too and the execution is always awesome.

The Mad bull gbox case will split at the suspension mounting points, all of mine have small splits where the suspension mounts but none to the point of them coming off. It's unusual to have any other issue with the casing. What issue did you have? Any pics? My only issues with the Mad Bull were the bent steering rod getting jammed, resolved with a homemade fix using Tamiya parts to make a new solid rod which is much better; and my boy ramming his under a garden chair on its maiden voyage taking out both A-pillars! Oh and the time he ran into a puddle and the bathtub chassis filled with water taking out the esc temporarily, best to waterproof the electronics in a balloon as they are exposed to water as kids love puddles!! My Hornet has really been abused, especially when running brushless, that really is a tough cookie, the body (apart from the wing) is more forgiving than the Mad Bull shell and it has done somersaults, flips, rammed into soild fence posts, wedged under a 5 bar gate and the only damage has been bent tie rods for the steering which simply bend back again. It is one of my favourite runners, a lipo Monster Hornet is superb and so light. Being so light it can pretty much run anywhere, I love it. To convert it to big wheels you just need lunchbox wheels and front stub axles and cut the bumper back a bit so the wheels can steer unimpeded.