Sideshow T-800 Combat Endoskull

[Clutch]

Late to the game on this one. I got tired of waiting for them to re-release the clean version. Whilst cleaning the paint off with nail polish remover, I came across this. :angry

I plan on going over it with the airbrush so that it is black again. Made me start thinking, are the combat versions just the clean rejects? They really had the black paint glopped in here.

I also managed to screw up the nameplate. I was trying to see if I could clean the black dots without messing up the writing. Wrong!

I plan on removing it as well and using a replacement decal.

Overall a great collectible for the money.

 

[KevVader]

Re: Sideshow T-800 Combat

Nice!
That's exactly what I did with my Combat Endo, I remember the paint really being thick in certain areas especially indentations in the cast...and I ended up taking off all the lettering as well. Had a plaque made up at the etching place in the mall for 8 bucks.

 

[Kerr Avon]

Re: Sideshow T-800 Combat

Yes, the combat versions are just rejects from the 'clean' batch that has some kind of defect in the plating process. I got lucky and got one that has no easily noticeable defects. What I'd do with yours is instead just put some blast marks and some weathing. The blast mark could cover up that defect fairly easily and leave most of it still clean.

 

[STARTREKTOS]

Re: Sideshow T-800 Combat

I like the Idea about making the defects blast marks. Either way yours is still incredible.

 

[Simmon M]

Re: Sideshow T-800 Combat

I wonder if the BD Ironman busts are just the standard version rejects as well?

 

[Replicant]

Re: Sideshow T-800 Combat

That clean up looks fantastic!

Thanks for the heads up on the possible damage underneath, I have considered getting this and doing what you have done.
Does anyone have an idea of exactly how bad the defects might be?.... like worst case scenario??

BTW Clutch...

In the third pic I can see you and you remind me of the last scene T1000 after he gets blown in half...lol

 

[Clutch]

Re: Sideshow T-800 Combat

lol

 

[Kerr Avon]

Re: Sideshow T-800 Combat

That clean up looks fantastic!

Thanks for the heads up on the possible damage underneath, I have considered getting this and doing what you have done.
Does anyone have an idea of exactly how bad the defects might be?.... like worst case scenario??

Typically it's discoloration and sometimes a rainbow sheen like light reflecting off oil in water. If you wipe the paint off and see some coloration you don't like, worst case scenario you just put some more paint over it and it's battle damage.

 

[Replicant]

Re: Sideshow T-800 Combat

Thanks for the info, Kerr.

 

[Clutch]

Re: Sideshow T-800 Combat

I finally got around to redoing the nameplate. I got a decal from here:
TK-4510 - STAR WARS DECALS FOR ARMOR, HELMETS, AND MORE!!!!

I got excellent service. Sent a pic and the dimensions and they pretty much nailed it!

Here is what it looked like before. I wiped the speckling off, but it took some of the letters with it.

Here is the decal:

Base wiped clean with nail polish remover:

I tried lining the decal up, but the static got ahold of it and it stuck to the base. I was afraid to try and peel it back up, so it is a bit low. :lol

I pressed the lettering down by rubbing the transfer sheet with a rounded paintbrush handle. I then gently removed the sheet. Some of the letters would not stick to the chrome, so I had to press/peel, press/peel until they all stayed put.

Only time will tell if they will remain stuck to the base. I am still thrilled that I was able to fix the base in a way that replicates the original lettering.

As for the imperfection in the chin, I sprayed some Testors flat black through the airbrush. Any overspray was removed with the nail polish remover.

I also thought the eyes were a bit bright, so I jumpered one battery compartment with a wire. They are perfect now. :love

 

[allosaur176]

Re: Sideshow T-800 Combat

How exactly did you connect the battery wire?? and thats the only flaw of this piece is the brightness of the eyes... They got it right with the 600 bust

 

[CessnaDriver]

Re: Sideshow T-800 Combat

Yeah I did the battery jumper as well. Great minds think alike. LOL
Way too bright. Painful to look at.

 

[Clutch]

Re: Sideshow T-800 Combat

I just stripped both ends of the wire and wrapped one end around the spring and shoved the other end into the metal on the other end. I need to solder the ends for a more permanent solution.

 

[allosaur176]

Re: Sideshow T-800 Combat

just any type of wire or is there a specific one?

 

[Clutch]

Re: Sideshow T-800 Combat

Any type should work. I got some spools of the stuff at Radio Shack.

 

[gizmo]

Re: Sideshow T-800 Combat

I just made a dummy battery for mine out of rolling up some alluminium foil.It sure does make the eyes a more accurate brightness.

Nice job cleaning that up Clutch.Looks awesome.:thumbsup




Regards,
Ben

 

[SankaraRaider]

Re: Sideshow T-800 Combat

Late to the game on this one. I got tired of waiting for them to re-release the clean version. Whilst cleaning the paint off with nail polish remover, I came across this. :angry

I plan on going over it with the airbrush so that it is black again. Made me start thinking, are the combat versions just the clean rejects? They really had the black paint glopped in here.

I also managed to screw up the nameplate. I was trying to see if I could clean the black dots without messing up the writing. Wrong!

I plan on removing it as well and using a replacement decal.

Overall a great collectible for the money.

Glad to see you were able to fix it up.. :cool

I believe these are indeed rejects of the clean version,
I've seen so many examples of people getting a 'little
surprise' when they removed the battle damage..

About the nameplate; same thing happened on my Endo.
Were going to just remove the 'dust' (when finished
with the rest of the bust), but my fingers had become
a little sticky from the nail polisher and paint, so when
I accidently touched the lettering, it came off.. Whoups!..

Fortunately I didn't stumble upon any major defects
underneath the black paintjob when cleaning this guy up..
(What a slobby paintjob btw. mine even had paint on
the red lenses!)

I couldn't find any good replacement decals for the
nameplate at that time, so I ended up making my
own in Photoshop and Illustrator, which I then offered
as a printable pic to the guys over at Sideshow Freaks.

A version with the trademark logo and one without:

Tried to duplicate the decal as close to the original as
possible, It's actually a lot sharper than the original,
which on my bust was a little washed out.

Here's the links for the two versions I did, If you guys
would like them:
(also have them in vector-format some place)

With TM: http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j...Plate/T2-Terminator2JudgmentDay-SideshowT.jpg
Without TM: http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j... Plate/T2-Terminator2JudgmentDay-Sidesh-1.jpg

Had this decal on my endo for a while, but In the
end I actually ended up doing a completely different
version, a custom Cyberdyne Systems themed one..

...
And Yup, you're right, it's really a great collectible
for the money, I'm very happy with mine, especially
after I cleaned it.. Well worth the hours of rubbing,
polishing, paint in missing details and repainting stuff..

 

[servant38]

Re: Sideshow T-800 Combat

Excellent job on the cleaning and nameplate man! I also cleaned my endo and my nameplate was scratched when it arrived so i gonna do the same as you did.

 

[El Duderino]

Re: Sideshow T-800 Combat

Looks awesome man, great work.

 

[Clutch]

Re: Sideshow T-800 Combat

Thanks! And thank you SankaraRaider for the images. :thumbsup