Pic Thread: Customized Hot Wheels,etc

[BigMike]

I need to upload more to my Facebook page so I can put more on here. I'll do more later

[special-K]

Now that is custom work. Superfine! Mine are just "non-original".

[flashed]

WOW ,Im drooling on my keyboard .

[BigMike]

Well I feel stupid because I realized I spelled Luis's name wrong...Doh! Here are a few that he designed and I put together & painted.







A camo set I did that a guy wanted me to paint for him.

[BigMike]

Few more









Twist to an old favorite

[special-K]

Is all this paint, graphics and all, or do you combine methods? Yeah, I picked up on the Luis thing right away . Kidding of course

[BigMike]

Originally Posted by special-K

Is all this paint, graphics and all, or do you combine methods?

I combine both inkjet decals as well as Alps printer graphics. Not sure if you know what an Alps printer is but it's a micro dry printer that can print water slide decals. It can print you're CMYK colors as well as metallic cyan, magenta, gold, silver and more importantly WHITE. I also have a vinyl plotter that I make masks with, like the blue Sledster with the Merc on the back. I did lexan R/C car bodies for a long time before going small scale.

I first take pictures of stripped body and clean it up and make it to scale in photoshop. I then open it up in illustrator and design the graphics to the proper size of the bodies. Like below


After making sure it's all right I print the decals on my Alps printer.


Then on to the body. (These were different decals than the black with red pinstriping decals above)

[special-K]

Thanks for the details. So, basically, this is making tampos? Meaning, the same or similar technique is what Mattel,etc. do using production methods? I only know the term "tampo" yet never knew where the term originated.

My thing has been with making trucks look more regular, meaning more like what one of us may drive...more believable than fantasy or show. No chrome seats,inside bed,front panel of bed,etc. That green '62 I did has a fawn interior to be like stock and the gold one has white to look custom. I did the one grille white to lend to the just a regular truck vibe. I'd like to get into more detail. Hot Wheels don't command that so much, but to repaint a Greenlight or Jada it is. Looks like I would need to buy a lot of equipment I don't have. Custom paint jobs would be a cool option as well.

[flashed]

Wow ,that is so cool to know how all this works .

[BigMike]

Originally Posted by special-K

Thanks for the details. So, basically, this is making tampos?

Tampos are kind of like a rubber stamp that stamps the various ink colors of the design onto the body. The graphics are a series of different parts of the artwork being stamped with specific colors, once all the stamps are complete you see the whole picture...kind of the same theory as silk screen printing tee-shirts. Here is a great tutorial Tampo Machine

The Alps printer uses a cassette type cartridge that contains a thin dry film on them that the printer transfers onto the decal paper as the artwork dictates (like ribbon typewriters). Once the graphics are complete you cut out the decal, put it in warm water and then set it on the body. The decal paper uses a transparent film that the artwork is printed on that releases from the back of the paper when introduced to warm water. Here is a video I found on YouTube that shows the Alps printer doing it's thing. Alps printer.

I hope you made sense of my ramblings, not the best at transferring the information from my head to paper. I understand what the look you're trying to get with you're customs. I was making a set of upper and lower trim for the 69-72's but got busy and never finished it. Also started on the 67-68 trim as well, but got sidetracked again. Maybe one day I'll get it finished.

[special-K]

Originally Posted by flashed

Wow ,that is so cool to know how all this works .

Hey John, I think you jumped the gun. Check out Mike's next post where he beaks it down into particles

Mike, I think you did a great job explaining, very clear. The manufacturers use a different method/equipment. You do decals and they do tampos. A tampo is a stamp with the "s" changed to an "o" moved from the front to the rear, right? Naw, I am familiar with the screen printing process and that was a great comparison, as that's what I pictured (in my head not on paper) as you explained. Years ago, before I touched a computer, I talked to a guy at a flea market who I bought a custom graphic job from (Dairy Delivery). He was just copying, reducing, and printing...making stickers. This is a sophisticated piece of equipment yielding finer results that you are using. I also bought a Neat Streeter ('36 Ford coupe) from a guy a long (longer?) time ago. It is black with traditional flames. It looks like paint, but I could be wrong. It makes me think of those rice carvings. How long has this technology, or at least the device to the public, been available? I've had a thing for custom imprint

[special-K]

Thanks Robert!

[special-K]

I only had factory color for two.

[flashed]

Wow ,those turned out great .

[1badgmc]

Sweet! I love the blue one.

[special-K]

Do you think I got the color right for the green '67 interior? I need to find a blue close enough, yet. The 50th I just painted white. But now I want to do the gold inserts. I also have been wanting to get so thin styrene to make tonneaus or bed covers. For tonneaus I could do a texture

[90\87Formula]

Originally Posted by special-K

Thanks Robert!

You're welcome.
I like all the colors you did.
I always favor blue; but the 50th you did; I like the best.

[BigMike]

I agree, they all turned out great. Always liked the 50th and you did a great job.

[special-K]

I think I like the side markers "shaved" on the 50th. I still want to do all the tail lights and detailed grille is something I need to get up some nerve for.

[BigMike]

Originally Posted by special-K

I still want to do all the tail lights and detailed grille is something I need to get up some nerve for.

I can send you some of the ones I did, I think I have a few sets already printed up. If you look at some of the ones I posted above (not the Caddy style) they are pretty close. LMK

[BigMike]

So I get this email last night from my buddy showing his rendition of the Batmobile....called the Phatmobile! Haven't seen the car in person yet but looks like it's going to be pretty cool. Never really cared too much for the original design but this one is slick. IMO

[special-K]

Yo, that's phat, yo. That's how the Batmobile would have looked if the show came out five years earlier.
Tail lights? Sure, I'd be willing to pay for some.

[BigMike]

No need, pm me your addy and I'll send you out 5 pair, maybe more if I can find some. Eventually I'll do an entire page of them which would do probably 500-600 trucks.

[special-K]

They're teeny little things alright. I'm sending a PM and thanks again!. I want to do more colors. I think I have a metallic green. Oh, and I guess that lt. blue would be the same as the on the '67 I did, or close enough

[Ol Blue K20]

I think those sledsters look awesome