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CASTOR SET

$29.95
Castor Custom Spotlight - Eliot Bemis

The Castor Set

Mar 7th, 2021

Eliot’s take on the Castor Set.

I love building models and customizing whatever I can get my hands on, so when we came up with the idea of a DIY set I was all in! Follow along with me and see what my creative process is for coming up with a unique design for a CANDYCAR®.

Where did I start?

What I love about this set is the variety of cars you can make. You have three types of cabins, two types of bodies, and three more styles of wheel-bases. You can combine these however you like, but for my design, I want to go with a sports racer design.

What was your inspiration?

I have been really into animal prints lately and wanted to incorporate that somehow. It might not be realistic for a race car, but that is what makes this so much fun as a project. We have created PDFs that you can download here to sketch out your ideas before you start painting!

From natural wood to finished car.

If you want to go all out as I have, you are going to need some basic supplies: Spraypaint, Clear Coat, Painters’ Tape, a utility knife, and a well-ventilated area. Here are the steps I took:

1.
Priming The Car

Priming the body in white is a great way to add strength to your car's paint job. Any brand of paint will do just fine!

2.
Applying A Base Color

With the leopard print in mind, I could have tackled this two ways. The first being painting the body with orange and red and then masking with a negative mask. Or painting the entire body black and making those spots. I choose the latter as it gives me more control over where I placed my masking decals! Painting over black can be tricky, so if you do this method be prepared to lay the paint on thick.

3.
Masking The Body

We are lucky to have a vinyl cutter in the studio so the sky is the limit for shapes we can make, but you can just as easily use masking tape and cut out whatever shapes you want. I individually placed each spot to protect the black from being covered up by the next paint layer.

4.
Gently Removing the Mask

EASILY the most satisfying part of this project was removing the mask and seeing all those spots come to life! I highly recommend waiting 12 hours after painting to remove the decals if you use this method. You want the paint to be fully cured when you remove the mask.

5.
Clear Coating & Assembling

This is it! The final steps on my journey of creating a CANDYCAR®. I finish the cabin and body in two heavy coats of clear gloss finish. That locks in the paint and a shiny finish to the car which I love. After letting the pieces dry I simply screwed the base into the car and through the cabin and I was off to the races.

My final thoughts.

This set brings me back to making crafts with my mother and playing with toy trains with my father. It is a great way to learn how to paint, design, and assemble all in one! I would love to see all of the creations being made shared with us. Use the hashtag #CANDYLABCASTORSET on Instagram so we can see your custom cars!

& be careful!

The Castor Set does require assembly and adult supervision. If you are going to use spray paint, and a knife please be careful!

Art Director & Designer

Eliot Bemis

For me, the Castor Set is the pefect saturday afternoon craft or design project. The possibilties are endless, between colors, parts, and styles, you can create whatever you desire.

6+

$29.95

Castor Set