Attaching the Traxxas, plus some sanding

The weather wasn't good for painting today (heat and wind), and I was recovering from covid19 dose 2 Friday-Saturday, so I decided to drill holes for attaching the Traxxas Bandit to the shell. It was really the only thing I could do. I saw other methods, but builders like Eric (showed me his droid at a build just before covid19 hit) recommended the bolt method. 

This is the area is where a few screws can go, the ideal is about 4, no more than 6. 

I also sanded off some more material with my dremel to allow the wheels more room in the middle and wheel wells.

I took a break to gently sand my shells with 300 and 320 grit sandpaper. This helps the paint adhere better, and I will give it a cleaning later to get off any dust, burs, and dirt. I followed a guide like this one https://www.hunker.com/13413297/how-to-prep-paint-abs-plastic, as I did recall builders advising sanding. 

You can see here it is not super shiny anymore and has some sanding dust, but is NOT scratched. Be gentle and use fine grit sandpaper. You can use a tack cloth on this later. 

I got 250 assorted screws, nuts, and washers from Harbor Freight because we ALWAYS seem to run low on them. I'm thinking of another Mouse or Gonk droid later, upgrades for this Mouse Droid,  Mo from Wall-E, and/or general household repairs for these. 

I'm using the 1 inch long machine bolts here, smallest I could find. I have read countersunk machine screws are also recommended, so these bolts aren't the be-all end-all here.

I didn't want my Traxxas slipping around while measuring and drilling, so I tested some of the heavy duty velcro I bought. It held things steady, but will need to go later as there's too much space between the shell and RC car now. This should definitely work for the Greeblies. 

I only had to test two drill bits to find the right one for the bolts. I have no idea how long my dad has had these, but they work.

Bolts, nuts, and washers assembled here. I'm likely using 4-6 of these setups in the final product. 

I wasn't sure what to expect drilling through this plastic, but it was quite easy. The bit went through the shell easily as well, but I expected that. 

I will be doing some more research on how to assemble everything here, because the washers will help spread out some force and weight. 

It looks like the weather will be better for painting next weekend, which is the good news. 

The bad news....There's also a new issues where the wheels push against the frame, meaning it won't drive very well (if at all). I will likely redo the shocks/suspension (stronger material), get better wheels, and/or sand down a tiny bit of the frame if needed (would hate to do this to such a nice frame). I'm going to do research on this before anything, though.