Depiction of a true workhorse--Ford Aeromax

I've decided to build a model of my dad's truck--a 1995 Ford Aeromax. This truck sure isn't pretty, nor is it even a really good truck (I spent two summers and Christmases driving it to pay for college). However, it has provided 1.8 million relatively trouble-free miles for my dad, and may soon be replaced, so I thought I would commemorate the old steed for him (for Christmas, hopefully). I've included an old pic of it, taken years ago; I'll hafta spend a few hours photographing it when he next comes home.

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b306/chorister/IMG_1661.jpg

Italeri makes a kit of almost exactly the same truck, but I have to make some modifications to it to match my dad's truck.

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b306/chorister/IMG_1653.jpg

Actually, it would take an enormous amount of work to make it completely faithful, so I will pick and choose which details to leave different. First and foremost are the wheels--they're just completely different from my subject, but they will have to do. I'll still see if I can modify the drive hubs so they don't stick out so much. Furthermore, all the tires are steering tires--not one drive tire!. However, for what they are, they look pretty realistic.

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b306/chorister/IMG_1663.jpg

But the first modification I HAD to do was change the sleeper windows from the triangular pieces on the box cover to a (more common) quadrangular split vent window. What I did was tweak the kit windows so they would fit flush, and glued them in. When they're dry, I'll putty them smooth. I'll hafta make a master to the shape and size of the real windows, and cut. I'm not sure where the windows or divisions (the window is split into three for a vent) will come from. Maybe I'll scavenge some plastic packaging.

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b306/chorister/IMG_1654.jpg

The engine in the kit is an 18 liter, 460 HP Cummins, but the subject contains a 470 HP Detriot Diesel. Other than the differing colors (black vs. gray-blue, respectively), I have yet to see what work needs to be done underhood, since I would like to make it fairly detailed.

More to come as I get pics and see what's in store...

Looks like a great project. I hope that you can make this thing look really close to the 1:1.

Sounds like a great project. It's always fun to replicate something special in your life for friend or family. I'm sure your dad will love it, even if it is not an "exact" replica. Have fun with this one and I hope it comes out great...............*Ryan*

This is Great!!

nice! I'm gonna build a replica of my '04 Volvo VN670 someday...

Cool project!

Looks to be a cool project!! Keep us posted on the progress! In that kit there, does the frame come all ready together or do you have to put it together?

sweet

nice to see something different on here, i personally think it looks like a nice truck, good luck to you on this project!

Got a bit of work on this before I head off for the weekend. Mostly odds and ends, but mostly split between body and chassis (well, that just covers it all, doesn't it?) The frame rails come separately, with even some of the cross-members split into several pieces. The rails are somewhat less than straight in two axes, but they flex quite readily, so I'm hoping the joining session might remedy that common ailment.

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b306/chorister/IMG_1665.jpg

Below is a rather disappointing feature--or lack thereof.

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b306/chorister/IMG_1668.jpg

I'm guessing that the decal is supposed to fool us all? :screwy: Not impressed, though I've seen the likes of this before. Some scratchbuilding and inventive work is obviously in order.

Another effect I will have to achieve is the relative lack of shiny chrome. My dad rarely had the hours necessary to keep polished wheels, and a lot of the chrome on the truck had not been taken care of by its previous owner, so when polished, it still had a rough and semi-chrome look to it. However, this effect may look better in scale, since "too much bling makes one look like a toy." :p The look I'm going for is 'just washed the body and sprayed down the back end, but the rest has seen a few miles.'

Wowww! Cool Thread!!! Nice Start, it´s a cool kit!!!

Good Luck!

I've been slowly putting together small sub-assemblies and figuring out which parts to modify and which to leave: tedious work, but not very picture-worthy. A couple things I've worked on, tho...

First, the airbags supplied for the air suspension are way too small--here's the real thing...

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b306/chorister/IMG_1701.jpg

And here are the kit items, along with a proposed replacement--pastels! They won't quite be thick enough, but if I use the ends from the kit items and build on a bit of putty, it may work.

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b306/chorister/IMG_1774.jpg

Second, my dad's truck has a (rare) single large exhaust stack instead of two, so I searched for a larger tube...

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b306/chorister/IMG_1699.jpg
Here I found the ink cartridge from a pen worked fine after it was emptied (compared with kit item on left).

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b306/chorister/IMG_1739.jpg

And I finally finished puttying and sanding the incorrect sleeper window. Now to make the new one...

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b306/chorister/IMG_1741.jpg

Verry interessting thread. Keep it commin'!

oh wow, i love rigs. cant wait to see this one completed. as for references, you sure cant beat the real thing! are you gonna make a trailer for it, black? keep up the good work.

glad to see other truck builders here, i have a few kits sitting around that need to be built, im planning a bit wrecker project, but dont have the time.

nice work an keep it up.

Work's been slow, so I've been at this for not a few hours. Yet somehow, progress seems slow--must be the Law of Diminishing Return. Oh, and no, quadzero, there will be no trailer: I've never heard of a 53-foot trailer kit, especially one with flat aluminum siding. So it would be another $70 and tons of work, delaying this already how-the-heck-am-I-gonna-finish-this-before Christmas gift. Anyway, some updates:

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b306/chorister/IMG_1779.jpg

The frame rails came to me slightly warped (why am i not surprised?), so I had to figure out how to straighten them. My first tack was to complete the subassembly, then tie it to something straight and submerge it in hot water. No go.

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b306/chorister/IMG_1781.jpg

I then attempted the more effective but potentially deadly art of bending over a flame. Yes, it is finally somewhat straight. But my lack of patience bit me, as one part of the right rail got a bit too limp and now looks rather funny. Oh well, more work with spare plastic and putty, if need be. (Hopefully the tanks will hide this)

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b306/chorister/IMG_1829.jpg

Next it was on to finishing the sleeper windows. The old ones should disappear with some paint, so I took upon myself the daunting task of cutting new holes (how I will fill them, or make new window trim, I have yet to determine). Above are my tools. My new favorites are from the $10 set of needle files I picked up from the hardware store!

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b306/chorister/IMG_1827.jpg

And one of the results. Not too bad, I guess. Perhaps I can get the trim to set it off nicely (small strips of plastic bent to shape? Any ideas?).

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b306/chorister/IMG_1830.jpg

More plastic needs cutting before I can prime and paint. The opening for the sleeper-cab pass-through is smaller than what my dad's truck has, so out come the rotary tool (Yay!). The cab back is here mounted on the front face of the sleeper, as both will be cut. I will have to cook up some more plastic to fill the new gap (more old parts--I haven't yet ponied up $ for plastic card, but I may have to yet).

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b306/chorister/IMG_1831.jpg

And one more 'project' I came upon when I took some more ref pics on the weekend. The oil pan reservoir sits forward of the front axle beam, the opposite of what's depicted in the kit. So, out came the X-acto, and the twain were separated with nary a bloody finger. Note also the removed engine accessory: it is one of at least three which are located elsewhere on the real thing. At least the air compressor can stay put! I've already got a water pump, oil pump, a/c compressor, alternator, and steering pump to relocate! My fault, I guess.

Nice modifications. Your dad will be proud I guess!!

A long time has passed, and I haven't updated for a long time, so here it is: it's definitely not getting finished for Christmas, but I'm still working feverishly on it. The problem has been that during my work on the engine, new mini-projects have popped up along the way, so I've done a lot more than anticipated. And of course, it's taking a lot longer to do stuff than I thought. However, my dad's birthday is in the beginning of January, so I might get it done for then. Anyways, here's what's up:

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b306/chorister/IMG_1832.jpg

I enlarged the opening between the cabin and sleeper, and consequently, I had to build a new passageway--it isn't very wide, but it required some creative work with an open flame.

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b306/chorister/IMG_1833.jpg

Here's what it looks like on the other side.

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b306/chorister/IMG_1834.jpg

Remember that hole in the block, resulting from the removal of some random and unnecessary engine accessory? Well, the opening up of the bottom of the engine (when I cut the oil pan off 'cuz it was backwards) allowed me to put some plastic card in behind, and then I cut some more card to fit the hole. Here it is before being puttied over.

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b306/chorister/IMG_1836.jpg

And for the primer--I figured I should start with gray to cover the red plastic.

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b306/chorister/IMG_1838.jpg

And then white primer to cover the gray.
I don't have pictures of it, but I started to spray with TS-7 Racing White (which I had gotten a deal on from eBay), but discovered that this white had WAY too much yellow in it--my dad's truck is painted a more neutral or bluish white. So, I decided that since I had two cans of TS-7, I would use that to build up the paint and then apply some TS-26 Pure White to correct the hue at the end. So far, I think it has worked, but I'm nearing the end of my TS-26! Damn huge models!

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b306/chorister/IMG_1857.jpg

One of my projects with the engine was constructing a correct front end. This is my template for cutting plastic.

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b306/chorister/IMG_1859.jpg

Here are the two pieces of scrap which were cemented together and later cut around the template. I've still managed to get away with not buying sheet styrene! Gotta love the remains of a long modelling career...

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b306/chorister/IMG_1860.jpg

The resultant piece, which I have started to detail with joining bolts, simulated with pieces of wire cut and pasted. My hope was to shave them to size after gluing and then putty them to shape. This was not to be: the glue simply was not strong enough to withstand an assault with the rotary tool.

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b306/chorister/IMG_1862.jpg

So I cut them to size and glued afterward.

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b306/chorister/IMG_1870.jpg

Here is the almost-finished front end, rebuilt oil pan, and scratchbuilt valve cover attached to the block. I also included my scratchbuilt crank pulley and alternator. Note the LT1 for size comparison.

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b306/chorister/IMG_1867.jpg

Another pic of my scratchbuilt alternator, and another from a Corvette ZR-1 kit for comparison. The wires will be puttied and smoothed to resemble joining bolts (or whatever they're called). More updates soon...

neato... keep up the good work, I'm enjoying the progress.

i was wondering if you would have this complete for christmas. cant wait to see that huge engine painted and sitting in the frame. this is gonna be really cool when its done. at least some of the pressure is off now that you have some extra time to work on it. keep up the good work.

Nice progress.
Your scratchbuild skills are verry :bigthumb:

Furthermore, all the tires are steering tires--not one drive tire!.
I´ve built quite a few trucks until today, but i´ve never thought, American trucks would make a difference in this. :eek:

Very nice work!

By the way: You´ll find the air suspension you need in Revell´s 359-kit.
And for the engine and other parts, take a look at these pages:

http://www.rnkconversions.com/prod02.htm

http://www.stsmodeltrucks.com/cart.html

Always worth a look:

http://www.plasticcowboy.com/

Nice! But it looks like you have to sand the sleeper again because you can see the old windows. Keep it up!

Really intersting subject, great build and really interesting to see you creative solutions! :bigthumb:

Thanks for sharing

Nice work!! I build trucks too. My next project will be a Scania R144 530 "Millenium Truck". 18 litres with 460 hp?? Is it a V8 or a Straight 6?
Keep the good work up!!

looks good

wow man, that's crazy. It's awesome that you are doing all of this, I hope your dad sees and enjoys all of the tiny details that you have put hours into. I'm impressed!

One more update (right) before Christmas. I've decided to at least prime the engine, wrap the box, and update the thread so I can show him all three in the morning. He'll probably be pleased that I've already started.

-"Is it a V8 or a Straight 6?" --are you asking about the engine in my kit, your kit, or my dad's truck...sorry, wasn't completely sure. The kit engine and my dad's Detriot are both inline/straight 6's, but if you're doing a Scania, it's most likely a cabover, so that's probably a V8.

I've been spending countless hours chipping away at tiny (and not-so-tiny) details, so here's a few:

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b306/chorister/IMG_1903.jpg

I've scrounged up an old turbo from a RoG KW twin-sequential turbo setup ('cuz it was bigger) and added some plastic card and putty 'cuz it still wasn't big enough--the exhaust compressor housing must be able to fill the tires on a Geo! -Plus more various modifications to resemble the real thing...

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b306/chorister/IMG_1905.jpg

One more detail was the filter (dryer?) mount for the air compressor. Small, but important as this side of the engine only has the intake manifold, starter, and a/c compressor to clutter the block.

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b306/chorister/IMG_1904.jpg

One last peek at the multi-coloured engine before it hits the airbrush booth. Notice the new fan pulley on the front, which (on top) will secure the alternator mount. If I can find some old floppies or other sources of thin metal, I'll bend myself a mount instead of trying to scratch it out of too-thick plastic bits. Also new is a water pump (I believe) on the side.

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b306/chorister/IMG_1906.jpg

And viola! Looks cool in monotone, but strangely disappointing since every single flaw jumps out at you. Oh well, I can putty and sand later, and I'm sure I'll leave quite a bit of the texture since the real thing is a tad worn and beat up. That's all for now---Merry Christmas.

Well, after getting married and moving several steps up in my career, I'm back at it again. I'm skipping my "Red rental Corvette in Red Rock Canyon" diorama to finish this.

After doing a ton of research into the engine, I finally figured out that it was a Detroit Series 60--that's how dirty, rusted, and obscured this sucker was! Even though I want a clean cab, I'm aiming to capture the craziness and use/age of this installation!

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b306/chorister/IMG_1674.jpg

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b306/chorister/IMG_1678.jpg

Italeri's Pete 378 has the correct engine and a rear suspension resembling the Hendrickson units on the 1:1. Of course, I had done so much work on the Aeromax kit's supplied block that I had to transfer some of the scratched details, especially since the 1:1's engine differed from every other reference pic I could find.

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b306/chorister/IMG_2360.jpg

Another detail: no supplied electric horn! Since this was going to be front and centre on the top of the firewall, I had to steal and modify one from a Revell car kit.

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b306/chorister/IMG_2364.jpg

It took me a few tries to find/adapt an accurate looking A/C compressor and mount.

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b306/chorister/IMG_2366.jpg

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b306/chorister/IMG_2367.jpg

A test fit revealed some ride height issues. It sits slightly too high in both front and back, and the front axle is too far back.

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b306/chorister/IMG_2368.jpg

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b306/chorister/IMG_2371.jpg

I've planned to simply cut down the spring mounts in front. Adjusting the rear was simple: filing down the underside of the part of the spring where the axles mount.

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b306/chorister/IMG_2369.jpg

Looking good! It's nice to have this project back! Hopefully you'll finish it by New year! Keep it up!

something different. i like all the attention to detail you are doing. keep up the great work.

It's been a busy week off--being away for a week at a time for work will do that. Most of my time spent on this project has been research and planning: even though the Pete model had a rear suspension fairly close to the correct Hendricksons, a great deal of work was needed to get the ride height accurate. I probably got the frame something like half a scale foot lower.

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b306/chorister/IMG_2385.jpg

The front suspension was the most difficult: I cut the supports in half and filed away in earnest, but it was hard to keep things straight so that the front axle wouldn't sit cock-eyed. You can see the "before" picture in a previous post. The silver marks were the center-points of the U-bolts before; you can see how far forward I moved the springs. The result:

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b306/chorister/IMG_2387.jpg

This still isn't nearly as low as most Aeromaxes I've seen, but I'm modelling my Dad's rig at a point after his front springs and wheels were replaced, so it no longer looked like a sports car up front.

The rear suspension had very thick mounts, which I filed away considerably. The broken blue line depicts the original mount, and the solid blue line is how far I filed. The 1:1's axles point upward very slightly but noticeably, so that's why you see an angle.

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b306/chorister/IMG_2382.jpg

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b306/chorister/IMG_2386.jpg

And that's how it looks with the axles. The U-bolts were clipped quite a bit to fit. Even after a great deal of filing and sanding, the two halves of the axle are visible, but that may disappear under paint, mehopes.

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b306/chorister/IMG_2390.jpg

The rear sits just about perfect, with the tires peeking over the frame rails by a few scale inches. Thankfully, the sliding fifth wheel mount only required a little cutting to match the 1:1, but the fifth wheel itself will have to be scratched. The same goes for the frame crossmember underneath the fifth wheel. And the shock mounts...and the transverse arm mounts...but I digress.

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b306/chorister/IMG_2391.jpg

Next week off, I'm hoping to finish the suspension completely. Wish me luck!

Good luck with the rest, looks really cool, and it's seems like an dedicated build to me..





Paul.

Finally posting again after a few busy weeks. My skill in scratch-building is growing by the day, what with all the pieces I have to make, and parts I have to modify so heavily. I'm finding out how much slower a build seems to move when so many of the parts need heavy modification or scratch-replacement.

I started with the front suspension. The front brake slack adjuster needed some TLC--before and after are shown.

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b306/chorister/IMG_2393.jpg

The shock absorbers were much too small in all dimensions, so they were turned upside down and the top sleeve made with drilled-out plastic rod, and details made with spare wire, a pin vise, and a homemade punch set. I'm beginning to love all the little tools I've collected over the years.

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b306/chorister/IMG_2401.jpg

The shock mounts top and bottom were scratched. The bottom mounts looked like big square blocks of metal in the ref pics--I wasn't being lazy. But I did forget a completed pic--I guess that'll come after paint.

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b306/chorister/IMG_2403.jpg

The hood hinges caught my attention next. Very simple but strong...

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b306/chorister/IMG_2397.jpg

...but won't allow the hood to open its full 90 degrees. This took a little thinking, since I wanted to keep the strength so that the hood could be opened and closed frequently without worry, but it had to open enough for accuracy and show off my work on the engine.

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b306/chorister/IMG_2399.jpg

Solution: inelegant but functional.

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b306/chorister/IMG_2400.jpg

The kit cross-member between the axles left a lot to be desired, so out came the sheet styrene again. This one required some time with pliers and a candle.

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b306/chorister/IMG_2404.jpg

The fifth wheel will just come over top here.

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b306/chorister/IMG_2407.jpg

The rear shock absorbers were mercilessly kitbashed with those from a Pete kit, and mounts were made.

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b306/chorister/IMG_2410.jpg

The incorrect mounts were removed from the cross arms, and new mounts are next.

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b306/chorister/IMG_2411.jpg

The rear of the suspension leaf springs and airbag mounting hardware, as well as...torsion tubes? were fabricated. I'm nearly done with the rear suspension, I swear!

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b306/chorister/IMG_2412.jpg

Ok, back after a summer at our new house--there's a lot to be done! I'm committed to a New Year finish for this one--my Dad and I both have birthdays in the first week of January.

I ground off the old rear shock mounts with my rotary tool, then built new ones out of copper wire and styrene, and mounted them in the right place.

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b306/chorister/IMG_3665.jpg

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b306/chorister/IMG_3668.jpg

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b306/chorister/IMG_3666.jpg

The rods for controlling sideways movement of the axles needed new mounts, and these are for the frame rails. They will be mounted when the axle mounts are ready: the axles are tilted up at a small angle.

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b306/chorister/IMG_3670.jpg

I made my first hack at cutting up a pop can for details, and though fiddly, the aluminum made great mounting straps for this rear brake reservoir. Most of it was made from a pen cap, and the rest from plastic sheet, rod, and guitar string. At the end, you can see my first efforts at making A/N fittings by hand. Not the best, but hard to see if it's never going to stay "clean" and saves me $$$.

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b306/chorister/IMG_3672.jpg

A shot from a new setup I'm trying for taking pics.

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b306/chorister/IMG_3676.jpg

Actual progress to follow every other week...

that is some very impressive styrene detailing.
one quick thing; be sure to fil down the pinched wnds of snipped wires.
they aren't that noticable to the naked eye but in photos, they annoyingly show up.

Great work on the engine and suspension, took me back to when I worked on trucks great detail and craftsmanship keep it up

Well done!
Here is my WIP on AeroMax 120: http://forum.autoinscale.com/viewtopic.php?id=2340
It is in Russian, but if you have questiones feel free to ask. I hope it will help.

Thanks for the comments.

Serioga, thanks for the link. Did you use photo-etched windshield wipers? You did some fantastic work on yours, and gave me a bunch of ideas, including how to do some things I was considering. I won't detail in some of the same ways, but I'm sticking strictly to what I remember from driving and from reference pics of the real thing. You had an interesting idea for cutting out the two depressions in the front of the hood and making them vents. From the factory, they were just troughs used as handles to open the hood, as in many other trucks. But it would have been easy for a driver to cut the fibreglass and insert mesh. Holes are often drilled in them for drainage.

drunken monkey: Yeah, I figured someone might notice that. I've generally been good with cleaning up parts before pics, but you caught me, and the shock mount bolts will take some creative work to dress. Keep it coming--if I stop learning, I stop living.

Did you use photo-etched windshield wipers?
Yes, these are from KFS, as name plates and number plates.

You had an interesting idea for cutting out the two depressions in the front of the hood and making them vents. From the factory, they were just troughs used as handles to open the hood, as in many other trucks. But it would have been easy for a driver to cut the fibreglass and insert mesh. Holes are often drilled in them for drainage.

Thank you for the note. When you do a guess work, it's always usefull to read the truth meaning of the things. :)

I like workhorses and love to see someone fabricating parts with excellent scratchbuilding abilities. Keep us posted!

Back for another week, but I didn't get a great deal done on the model. I started on the last bit of rear suspension, the tracking bar mounts on the axles. No pictures of those yet, since there's little to show but the basic shape.

More importantly, I decided to build a new fifth wheel top mount, since the kit piece is the wrong shape and too difficult to correct. The target is what looks to be the SAF Holland FW-35:

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b306/chorister/fw35.jpg

The plate in question:

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b306/chorister/IMG_1709.jpg

I began with 2mm sheet, drawing out the shape with the aid of an ellipse template...

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b306/chorister/IMG_3700.jpg

...cut and filed to shape...

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b306/chorister/IMG_3702.jpg

...and the inside cut out very roughly to suggest the lip, mounts, and lock mechanism. The lock spring was hand wound around rod, and adjusted in the unlocked position (nut pushed out from plate lip).

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b306/chorister/IMG_3703.jpg

The top is 0.5mm sheet cut and filed to shape. Filler is needed to even out gaps, and the unlock handle and pivot bolts are left. To avoid having to duplicate grease grooves, I'll simply stick with the "fresh out of the garage" look and make it look like it was somewhat recently greased, with a load or two in between to cover the plate.

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b306/chorister/IMG_3705.jpg

More next week.

Good point! But I would rather use Revell's or AMT's spare fifth wheel. They are well detailed.

Nice to see you back on this. I'd like to build another truck some day.

Thanks for the comments!

Serioga: I would have preferred that option, but I couldn't justify spending even more on this model to avoid a couple hours of work. If I can put on a convincing enough grease job, it should turn out for the best.

The rear suspension is nearing completion, with only the air brake architecture to go. The control link mounts for the axle are complete and shown with a bar and frame mount...these took a surprisingly long time to get right, because of their size. At least the second one took less than half the time to make.

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b306/chorister/IMG_3761.jpg

Along the way, I keep finding new things to "fix" or build. Case in point: the air brake/drum detail consists of a flat plat covering most of the inside of the wheels, so I found some old model wheels and repurposed them as brake drums. I took it about as far as it will be visible to me, which is hopefully just a bit further than it will be visible to anyone else.

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b306/chorister/IMG_3765.jpg

The biggest news was the arrival of my wheels from Spaulding! I have searched high and low for 5-hole wheels that would fit Italeri's tires. The 1:1 originally came with 5-hole aluminum wheels all around--a very uncommon combination--and later had to refit the steering axle with 10-hole wheels. I'm depicting the truck in the later stages of my Dad's ownership: a little worse for wear at just over 10 years and 1 million miles since manufacture.

Anyways, the white metal castings were a little rough. I've pictured one of the better castings on the right and the results of sanding, polishing, and reshaping the holes on one of the worst castings on the left. They turn into a pretty good replica with a few hours of work each.

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b306/chorister/IMG_3772.jpg

They can only be used on the outside drive tires, and are still too narrow to mount the tires without some more kit-bashing. I'm beginning to wonder how long I can drag this on without actually painting anything :screwy:

Very nice attention to detail!

I'm beginning to wonder how long I can drag this on without actually painting anything :screwy:
Yea, the same thoughts about my current project: http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=984976
As for the wheels, I have got two hole resin wheels from American friend. He said they fit Italeri rubber tyres, but in fact they too narrow to. When I will use them, I plan to carefuly cut each disc in two halves and insert 2mm thick rim from spares between them.

Thanks for the comments; they help me along when I'm low on motivation. The beginning of the holiday season is keeping me busy, but at least I finally wrapped up the rear suspension.

While mocking it up, I noticed that the control link mounts on the axles were glued on the wrong spot, and the control links could not meet the frame rails. As far as I can tell, the links themselves are a few scale inches shorter than the 1:1, but I compensated by filing and reglueing to fit.

The mounting holes for the kit parts had to be filled with styrene and sanded smooth. Pictured before filing:

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b306/chorister/IMG_3799.jpg

The control links before:

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b306/chorister/IMG_3796.jpg

And after:

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b306/chorister/IMG_3808.jpg

And the back:

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b306/chorister/IMG_3806.jpg

I also created some distribution valves for the air brakes. I also had to choose the right size wire for my air lines.

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b306/chorister/IMG_3805.jpg

Here you can see the finished suspension. If I can do it quickly, I'll add the mounting bolt heads for all the pieces on the outside frame rails. The very rear of the frame rails are also a mess. Ready for more cutting, glueing, and filing!

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b306/chorister/IMG_3810.jpg

The fifth wheel received some attention in the form of mounting flanges and mild reshaping, but pics will follow when I've added more details after the weekend.

Nice process. I like it. I will save some tips for my Ford LTL.

It would drive me crazy to have so much built and not have anything painted. I guess I'm not as patient as I should be. Great updates, can't wait to see more of this.

Quick update from (a very busy) last week.

The most tangible work was to finish my scratchbuilt Holland FW35 fifth wheel. Some contours were filed out, as well as mount pivots, pickup points, and enough of the locking mechanism to be visible on the model (you'd still have to look for it). The lock shaft and lock puller with return spring are pictured as well.

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b306/chorister/IMG_3813.jpg

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b306/chorister/IMG_3814.jpg

The last few details on the frame before paint were started, and will be spelled out when finished, along with pics. I've also started kit-bashing/scratching the radiator/intercooler/condenser unit and making a new fan.

The 1:1 had a molded resin fan, and I couldn't find anything like it in the spares box, never mind the right size! The hub came from a plastic medicine vial and a cheap pen, and the blades were cut from heavy-weight paper and bent into shape.

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b306/chorister/IMG_3823.jpg

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b306/chorister/IMG_3825.jpg

The kit radiator/fan was still the right size to fit between the frame rails, but would be heavily modified. First to go would be the mounts and coolant holes, seen here taken off the right side.

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b306/chorister/IMG_3820.jpg

A radiator from a Revell T600 had the right size fan shroud, so the fan was cut out with a homemade photo-etch saw (I need some real ones, or a better way to cut teeth).

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b306/chorister/IMG_3818.jpg

The removed shroud has been installed on the kit radiator (back) and ground/filed/puttied/sanded into place with an inexplicable box-like addition seen in pics (does anyone have an idea why this would be here? I would think that it would be better to maintain a better seal around the fan blades). Some cloth mesh was glued into the front for some detail, just in case it's visible, and as practice for the intercooler. White glue was used, and I'll likely use a thinned mixture next time.

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b306/chorister/IMG_3826.jpg

The sides and top still need some work, but that's for next time.

The interior/firewall has been receiving some attention as well. A couple gaps ahead of the inner doors needed plugging, as they will be visible with the hood open. A lot of puttying and sanding was needed to smooth the firewall--it's just about right, though it may not look the best in the pic. There should be quite a bit of detail on the firewall when finished, so I'm not too worried.

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b306/chorister/IMG_3827.jpg

Until next week!