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NICK-A-TRON MK3 TRAP KIT BUILD AND PAINTING TUTORIAL/INSTRUCTIONS

**UPDATE....DUE TO PHOTOBUCKET NO LONGER ALLOWING 3RD PARTY HOSTING THIS GUIDE CAN NOW BE FOUND ON MY FACEBOOK PAGE HERE... https://www.facebook.com/pg/NickatronPr ... 4714984202**


Hello! Welcome to the official guide on how to build and paint my new Mk3 trap kit! This kit is designed to be quick and simple to build but also highly accurate! So let's get started!...

Things you'll need..
1) Mk3 trap kit
2) Fine and medium sandpaper
3) Selection of screws, nuts and bolts.
4) 2 part epoxy glue
5) 3/4" yellow electrical tape
6) Basic tools (screwdriver, craft knife)
7) Spray paint (primer, satin black, silver, gold)
8 ) Brush on model paint (black, brown wash, red)
9) (optional) Rust pigment powder
10) Male foster connector
11) Labels

Basic stages of construction..
1) Sand parts
2) Build kit using reversible mechanical fixings (screws and bolts)
3) Dismantle kit
4) Wash all parts
5) Partially re-assemble kit using mechanical and chemical fixings (glue and putty)
6) Paint sub assemblies
7) Final construction and finishing

Ok, so here is how the kit will look when it arrives. Carefully unwrap each part and check that everything is present and correct.
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Step 1). Each part will have a surface with a slightly proud, sharp edge. This is the surface which was exposed when the resin was poured and will stop them sitting flush and generally look ugly. Run it along a flat sheet of medium grit sandpaper a few times to smooth it out. Be careful when sanding the thinner parts.
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Step 2. (skip if you aren't adding electronics) Next we have to open up a slot in the indicator box and main body for the wires for the bargraph to run. Drill a hole at each end of the indicator box between the ears, drill a line of holes the same size between the two outer holes and the use a hacksaw blade to cut away the remaining resin making 1 long slot. Use a file to smooth everything out. Make a matching hole in exactly the same way on the main body. These holes dont have to be particularly neat as they aren't seen when the kit is complete but you want them smooth as to not damage the wires running through them.
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Step 3. Next we will attach the indicator box lid to the box itself. Lay the lid in place and use masking tape to hold it. Drill 2 pilot holes in any 2 diagonal corners and remove the lid. Carefully remove the lid and drill the holes for the lid screws using the pilot hole markings (i used a 2.5mm drill bit here). Screw on the lid then repeat the process for the remaining 2 holes.
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Step 4. Now we'll screw the indicator box assembly to the main body. Start by drilling a hole in each ear slightly wider than the screws you'll be using (i used a 4mm drill bit). Then place the box onto the body and mark through these holes a small pilot hole using a smaller drill bit (I used a 2.5mm bit). Then using a drill bit slightly wider than the head of the screws slightly widen the top of the holes in the ears in order for the screw heads to counter sink. ImageImageImageImage

Step 5. Drill out the holes in the battery box for the red LED and the toggle switch and male foster connector. Also drill the holes for the cosmetic bolts in the battery box. Screw in the bolts (These don't have to be removed again so you can use glue if you wish for extra strength).
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Step 6. Next up is adding the handle. Drill a hole just slightly wider than the bolt you are using (I used an M6 bolt) into the end of the handle rod. Hold it onto the handle stalk on the main body and drill a pilot hole in the stalk so the 2 holes align. Take off the rod and drill a hole all the way down the stalk until in breaches the inside of the main body. Using a drill bit as wide as the head of the bolt, widen the opening of the handle rod hole so the bolt head will sit sunken below its surface.
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Now just simply bolt the handle to the stalk and add a washer and nut inside the body. ImageImage

Step 7. Next up is adding the base plate. Place the plate over the opening of the main body and mark where you'd like the screws to go (I like to add one in each corner and one in the centre of each side). MAKE SURE TO MARK THE HOLES SO THE SCREWS WONT PROTRUDE ANY WALLS OR SURFACES OF THE MAIN BODY WHEN INSERTED! Drill out the holes using a drill bit just wider than your screws ( I used a 4mm bit). Place the base back over the body and mark the holes placement using a smaller bit (I used 2.5mm). Drill out the smaller holes in the main body being careful to not breach any surfaces. Counter sink the holes on the base and screw the base to the body.
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Step 8. Drill holes into the side plates where the dials and resistor will go. Hold the dials in place up to these holes and drill pilot holes into them from the back of the plates. Epoxy glue thick wire into the holes in the dials and restore (wire coat hangers are ideal).
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Now you should have a trap looking something like this!...
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Now the bad news....we have to dismantle it all!
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Step 9. Wash all parts (including the side and front plates plus the small dials and resistor) in warm soapy water. Give everything a nice scrub to really get rid of all the mould release and dust and debris from drilling etc. MAKE SURE THE WATER ISN'T BOILING OTHERWISE IT WILL WARP PARTS!! Then leave everything to fully dry.
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Step 10. Once everything is dry it's time to re-assemble the kit but this time using epoxy glue in conjunction with the bolts on the front indicator box and handle. DO NOT USE GLUE ON THE BASEPLATE!.
Place the indicator box on the body and draw around the edge with a pencil. This will tell you where the box touches the front of the body so you can scuff it up with some course sandpaper as this allows the glue to form a stronger bond, Do the same on the handle rod and stalk too.
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Add epoxy glue to these scuffed surfaces and re-attach the handle and indicator box using their bolts/screws.Image

Step 11. Now we're going to get rid of those ugly exposed screw heads. I always use Milliput for this job as it doesn't shrink and can be sanded to be invisible with the surrounding resin. Simply mix up some putty and squish into the holes from the counter sunk screws in the ears and bolt in the handle rod. Use a wet knife blade to remove any excess. Leave for 24 hours to fully cure.
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PAINTING!!

Here is the selection of spray paints I recommend for this kit. The halfords grey primer and satin black are a god-send for any ghostbusters prop build!
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Step 12. Prime all the parts with grey primer. Remember to spray lightly. 3 or 4 light coats is much better than 1 thick coat.
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LEAVE TO CURE FOR AT LEAST 24 HOURS!!

Step 13. Paint the main body, baseplate and dials Satin black (if using the GB2 side dial spray this silver). Paint the side and front plates silver. Paint the resistor bronze then lightly mist it with the gold paint. ImageImage

LEAVE TO CURE FOR AT LEAST 24 HOURS!!

Step 14. Once the paint is fully cured the next step is to add the yellow stripes on the doors. The easiest and screen accurate way to do this is to use 3/4" electrical tape. Lay on your first stripe then add another right next to it and then lay on a 3rd stripe next to that, remove the 2nd stripe and this will give you the perfect spacing between each stripe. Continue until you have 4 yellow stripes. Using a very sharp blade (watch those fingers!) run along the outside edge of the doors to remove the overhanging tape. You may have to use 2 layers of tape each stripe to get a nice rich yellow and stop the black showing through.
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Step 15. Hand paint the details on the side plates using acrylic brush on paints. I recommend the citadel colour range for this. Some tips.....Use a Matt varnish over the silver before painting to allow the paint to go on smoothly and not bead up on the smooth silver paint. Also use a light brown (sepia) wash over the vector plate, resistor, bolts and small plate recesses to allow depth and a sense of realism. You can also use a rust pigment power over the bolts for an extra level of weathering.
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Final construction!

Step 16. Place the side and front plates on the main body and mark around the edges lightly with a pencil. Remove the plates and use a course grit sandpaper to scuff up the areas inside the pencil lines. If you dont do this when you glue on the plates you'll only be gluing to the paint on the surface and the plates could easily tear off. You want to be gluing resin to resin, not resin to paint. Glue the plates on using epoxy.
Once the 3 plates are glued on and fully cured drill through the holes we made for the dials and resistor into the body. Use epoxy glue to hold them in place.
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Step 17. Almost there! Just screw on the base plate, add your labels and glue in the foster connector and you're done! ImageImageImageImage

"Now that wasn't such a chore now was it?" ;)

Hope you enjoyed this tutorial and that it helps you with your build. Thanks for watching :)
Last edited by nick-a-tron on March 7th, 2018, 4:46 pm, edited 2 times in total.

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