Back lot Toy Cars Dinky and Corgi

[TerryB]

Mr. Dremel has liberated the bus parts!  The windows insert is beat beat up, not sure what soda bottle brand will be needed this time😀.

Edited June 5, 2021 by TerryB (see edit history)

[TerryB]

Bottom plate was bent, a little hammer work fixed that.  The broken piece of the steps was found inside as was the steering wheel.

[TerryB]

Body shell by the door was bent which might have caused the steps to break.  A little hammer and wood fixed that.  Yes that is a Scrabble tile holder that was used to make the body straight.

[Guest]

The side and rear windows still look usable.  Can you just trim what's left of the windshield away and use some of your Pepsi stock in it's place?

[Guest]

Y'know, when you think about it, this school bus was probably no kids favorite toy! 

[TerryB]

Front windshield is broken, I found some of it inside.  Sitting in front of my small parts cabinet there was an a ha moment, maybe a drawer divider?

 

[TerryB]

One side of the bus windows are good, the other side not so good.  Maybe clear epoxy as a filler?

 

[Guest]

Ouch!

[TerryB]

The parts drawer divider was thick and not too flexible for use as a windshield.  It would sort of work but the contour at the bottom of the windshield would have a larger gap than I wanted.  Yesterday I finished off some granola in one of those plastic containers with a removable lid.  It’s thinner plastic and clear and looks like it might work.  I glued the loose pieces of the windshield to the window insert so I could get a better feel for the shape.  Also doing the same for the side windows that are broken.  The cabinet divider might work there.  All this so I don’t have to spend $30 for the replacement windshield.🤷‍♂️

 

[Guest]

Your wife's gonna spend the next two years looking for that lid. 😄

[TerryB]

34 minutes ago, GregLaR said:

Your wife's gonna spend the next two years looking for that lid. 😄

She’s lucky I didn’t want to use the plastic container with her dark chocolate covered mini pretzels in it.  I would have had to eat all the pretzels first to claim the container.  On second thought maybe I need a back up windshield 😀.

[John S.]

Nice work Terry.

[TerryB]

The good and bad.  My window patch panel made from a plastic divider from a small parts cabinet worked well until I tried a fast drying glue to hold it in place.  The glue made the glass get foggy.  I’m going to try and buff it out with some white compound to lessen the rough spots.  The front windshield will get more attention after the bus gets painted.

 

 

Edited June 11, 2021 by TerryB (see edit history)

[ericmac]

I have built models for many years. I've found 5 min epoxy works better on clear parts for exactly the reason you have described. Best of luck. 

 

I too have a few back lot specials,  albeit Matchbox versions. I em enjoying your thread.

[TerryB]

Testors glue might have been a better choice over the DAP glue I used.  I was hoping to tack to window in place and then use a different glue to finish the job.  I’ll have to see if I have any 5 minute epoxy around the house.  

[TerryB]

Back to the bus finally after some other setbacks and doctor visits.  The bus is getting the paint remover bath right now. Pictures later! 

[TerryB]

Bus paint is getting wrinkles!

[TerryB]

Round two of paint stripper.  Roof paint didn’t seem too affected by round one.

[Guest]

I get the same results Terry.  I don't know what paint they used originally, but it seems to be very robust.  I have to spray mine 2 or 3 times before they're bare.

I too have been side-tracked for the last week, need to get back to work on my ambulance!

[TerryB]

Ok, so bus original paint removal was conquered by second application of stripper and some wire brush action and a little exacto knife scraping. Today then became a paint day. I had prepped the metal with some Dremel stainless steel wire brush cleaning and some light sanding to thin out the crash marks in the body. The goal was to paint the inside only. I was confident I had figured out the painting process so using another custom holding system I began to spray the yellow paint. The inside of the bus body went sort of ok so I thought I would paint some of the outside too. Big mistake!  The confidence level got a big shot of reality when the paint began to run.  I tried wiping off the paint where I could and then the bus fell off my holder.  So now I have missing paint where the gloved hands touched the paint and some other finish issues. At this point the score is bus 3 and Terry 1.  I’m not sure if I have to strip the paint and start over or maybe salvage the existing paint.

I can’t tell if the paint runs were due to my wiping down the bus with Testors thinner prior to painting or if I just was using too much paint.  I’ll wait the required 24 hrs before figuring out the next plan of attack.  Photos

 

[TerryB]

To build up my confidence I assembled a PAINTED model kit my son gave me for Fathers Day.  It’s a Maisto Assemblyline kit, a very basic skills type of kit featuring a metal body car and plastic trim pieces.  I needed it as a distraction from the bus.  The car looks great.  The kit would also be ideal for teaching a young person hobby skills.  There’s a stock 1955 Buick too in this series.

 

Edited June 21, 2021 by TerryB (see edit history)

[Guest]

Hey, that's pretty cool!

Don't sweat the paint on the bus.  It's happened to me before too.  That paint is fresh so it should come off very easy with acetone or even brake clean. I use both/either to wipe mine down before spraying. I don't have good either luck using thinner to wipe down prior to paint. If I use it, I usually get fish eyes.

[TerryB]

1 hour ago, GregLaR said:

Hey, that's pretty cool!

Don't sweat the paint on the bus.  It's happened to me before too.  That paint is fresh so it should come off very easy with acetone or even brake clean. I use both/either to wipe mine down before spraying. I don't have good either luck using thinner to wipe down prior to paint. If I use it, I usually get fish eyes.

Yes, working on trying to straighten out the paint today.  I think I can get the rough areas cleaned up for a second try. The yellow doesn’t seem to flow as nice as the blue did on the Cadillac.  Oh well, it’s supposed to be a learning experience.

[TerryB]

Ok, today’s lesson.  I was too close to the bus while painting.  Second lesson and bigger issue, I’m painting me in the process of spacing myself farther from the work.  My wheelchair wheels have overspray on them as does some of the chair itself and my shoe.  Looks like painting a bigger surface is going to require a game plan to handle the overspray.  Maybe I have to be wrapped in plastic too…that could get quite interesting 🤔 

Edited June 23, 2021 by TerryB (see edit history)

[ericmac]

16 hours ago, TerryB said:

Ok, today’s lesson.  I was too close to the bus while painting.  Second lesson and bigger issue, I’m painting me in the process of spacing myself farther from the work.  My wheelchair wheels have overspray on them as does some of the chair itself and my shoe.  Looks like painting a bigger surface is going to require a game plan to handle the overspray.  Maybe I have to be wrapped in plastic too…that could get quite interesting 🤔 

I look forward to your next update.

[TerryB]

After waiting the required 24 hours for drying I went ahead and removed some of the excess paint from the first painting attempt.  Also wet sanded some of the paint on the sides of the bus so that the second coat would adhere. The bus roof was still bare metal at this point so I sanded it with 600 grit wet/dry paper and wiped down the entire bus with CRC electronic cleaner which is similar to brake cleaner, no residue.  I sprayed the bus with the second coat on the sides and first coat on the roof, making sure to keep the paint can 10” back and to keep it moving while spraying which meant I was unknowingly making lots of overspray in my work area.

Overspray is bad because it gets on the floor and my wheelchair wheels and I will track it into the house (greatly frowned upon by Mrs.B) and it was getting on me despite my machinist apron I wear to prevent that from happening. I need to keep that extraneous stuff to a minimum as it can cause reactions that create infections for me. (That’s even worse than scorn from Mrs B.😀)

 

So the pics show what happened.  The bus roof came out nice but the paint on the sides got wrinkled from??  I think it was reacting with the remains of Testors paint thinner I had used to wipe down the bus before spraying the first coat.  At this point the future is unclear.  The side paint or all of the paint should be removed and I start over? The bigger size of the bus means more overspray, should I get model paint spray and try that?  The Rustoleum paint spray pattern seems too big to keep the overspray to a minimum.  Anyway it seems a time out  to regroup is needed.  Should I call Earl Sheib?  Any car any color for $29.95 sounds tempting right now.

[Guest]

Hmmm?

The wrinkling on the sides is odd.

[TerryB]

More pics including my Wal-mart shoe, formerly black, now has a yellow tinge to it.

Edited June 23, 2021 by TerryB (see edit history)

[TerryB]

34 minutes ago, GregLaR said:

Hmmm?

The wrinkling on the sides is odd.

I thought so too, I might be able to strip the sides and try again.  Still working on how to address the overspray problems.  John S says airbrush is the way to go.

Edited June 23, 2021 by TerryB (see edit history)

[Jim Bollman]

I see a box in the background so you may already have tried this but when I have small parts to paint I use an appropriate size box on it's side as a miniature paint room. Sometimes I sit the parts on something like you are doing, other times I push a wire through the box to hold the part.

[TerryB]

21 minutes ago, Jim Bollman said:

I see a box in the background so you may already have tried this but when I have small parts to paint I use an appropriate size box on it's side as a miniature paint room. Sometimes I sit the parts on something like you are doing, other times I push a wire through the box to hold the part.

Jim, I used that on the Cadillac paint job and it worked well, the bus was too big so I had the box positioned to catch the overspray or at least I thought it would do that.  Apparently not well enough😀.  It’s been a learning experience and not entirely frustrating yet.  Two things are going on-#1 is quit while you are ahead and #2- keep trying and come up with something to solve the issue.  I do see the smaller cars as more friendly to my workspace limitations. 

[ericmac]

15 hours ago, TerryB said:

I thought so too, I might be able to strip the sides and try again.  Still working on how to address the overspray problems.  John S says airbrush is the way to go.

I hate to tell you but I have had the same problem with Rust-Oleum products myself.  The thinner in the Rust-Oleum itself is causing the crazing in the paint. The only recourse I have been able to use with any success was to strip the whole thing (again) and start from scratch.  Sorry for being the bearer of bad news. 

[John S.]

Terry, sometimes there would be some of the paint remover still on the metal of the bus causing the paint not to adhere .I would strip it again, and then,wash it off with  soap and warm water. Dry it with paper towels, and let it dry overnight. Then give it a couple of lite coats of primer. Let that dry over night, then wet sand it with 600 sand paper. I would not use Rustoleum. That paint is crap!!!! 

     As far as overspray, I would get a cardboard  box where the bus car fit in, and put it on a turn table, so you can spray it evenly, and turn it so you can get all sides, including the top. Start out with a few lite coats, and then a little heaver coats for the next two. 4 coats should give the bus with a nice even yellow. Let me know how you make out. John

[TerryB]

On 6/23/2021 at 3:26 PM, GregLaR said:

Hmmm?

The wrinkling on the sides is odd.

On a toy bus yes, on a human, well not so much😀.

[Laughing Coyote]

Yellow paint seems to not work well on just bare metal without a primer no matter what brand.  It just runs.  I would do what John said and you should come out with better results.  Now that I stumbled on to this thread I will too be watching your progress.

[tenugent]

Old rule,never put lacquer over enamel (will craze).sounds like your finish coat is hotter (thinner in paint) than the base.Maybe a sealer for primer would solve your problem?

[TerryB]

The paint is Rust-Oleum paint and primer in one can.  I took the bus down to bare metal and sprayed it with the first coat of this paint.  It ran in places on the first coat.  I went back and cleaned the runs area back to bare metal and there were places where I had to touch the bus when it fell off my holder and I cleaned and sanded that area too.  Then, after cleaning those areas, I resprayed with the same paint from the same can.  Then the wrinkles showed up.  The mystery for me was getting the wrinkles where the first coat was applied and good results where the roof, that did not have a first coat, came out so well.  Seems like second coat with the same paint should be ok but it was not.

[TerryB]

Ok, new revelation this afternoon.  This is what I said a few posts back “After waiting the required 24 hours for drying I went ahead and removed some of the excess paint from the first painting attempt.”

 

I re-read the very small print on the can today and found the time quoted between coats of paint is 48 hours, not 24! So I screwed up and did not wait long enough between coats. The can also says “works best on bare metal” so that explains why the bare metal roof paint came out ok but the previously painted sides wrinkled during my recoat attempt.  I keep telling myself (A) I am learning a new skill and (B) good things take time. With Rustoleum paint the good things require at least 48 hours of time and probably more.  Wife just chuckled when she saw the bus and paint can on the bench.  Something about yellow paint all over me and the garage was also mentioned in passing and keeping future messes in check would be in my best interests🤷‍♂️.

[Guest]

Finally back on track with the ambulance.

Drilled the rivet tower out this afternoon.

 

 

....and tapped in the new screw.

 

 

Then I decided to start with a base coat of white on this one to make the additional colors a little more vivid.

 

 

Still haven't decided exactly what colors I will use in the end.  As noted earlier the original choices were pretty basic.

 

 

And I don't believe making this car look absolutely identical to it's original 1960's scheme will suddenly shoot it's value into the stratosphere so, like Terry's Cadillac, I think I'll use a little artistic license.

 

[TerryB]

Looking good Greg!  I like the white body idea.