Chariots of Fire Posted March 27, 2014 Share Posted March 27, 2014 Now that the '38 Ford brush truck is done it is time to begin its companion piece. This time it is a smaller rig that represents one of thirteen such trucks that were purchased by the Massachusetts Department of Conservation after the no-name hurricane of 1938. In 1961 I worked that summer at Shawme Crowell State Forest in Sandwich, MA. There were still two of these rigs there. I actually got to drive one to a fire off Cape. Now both rigs are relics of history and a few random photos. This is a photo of one that is similar to the ones originally purchased. They were virtually identical except for perhaps the year of the cab. The frame is done in strip brass, soldered together at each flange. The springs are strip brass also with just the ends soldered together. The cab is resin as are the tires and wheels, similar to the previous build. The grill was so bad however, I had to make up a new one in brass. Much better fit and will look good with the openings between the horizontal bars. The engine is from the Yat Ming open cab Ford of the same year. It has nice detail so it might as well be used. The cab has opening doors. I temporarily taped them in place but they will need to be hinged. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blazefox Posted March 27, 2014 Share Posted March 27, 2014 Where did you get the cab from. Very nice start Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigred63 Posted March 27, 2014 Share Posted March 27, 2014 What a great start! I like the way you use the brass for the frame. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kilrathy10 Posted March 28, 2014 Share Posted March 28, 2014 I don't know how you guys do it, but anything in brass or any other metal gets my nod.....I'm always impressed with builds like these....This is gonna be pretty cool....I'll be following this one, for sure.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Casey Posted March 28, 2014 Share Posted March 28, 2014 You number of followers just doubled. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chariots of Fire Posted March 28, 2014 Author Share Posted March 28, 2014 Where did you get the cab from. Very nice startThe cab is an old Ron Cash casting as I remember. I've had it for a number of years. Just never had a purpose for it until now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fractalign Posted March 31, 2014 Share Posted March 31, 2014 Very Impressive. There are not enough thirties truck being built ! I will be following this one very carefully ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hotrod59f100 Posted March 31, 2014 Share Posted March 31, 2014 Vary cool love those old coes Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cobraman Posted March 31, 2014 Share Posted March 31, 2014 Wow ! That's going to be real nice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chariots of Fire Posted June 27, 2014 Author Share Posted June 27, 2014 I've been in a modeling slump for the last two months. After completing the 1938 Ford Brushbreaker I took a break and it just got extended. Happens every once in a while. Anyway here are some shots of the followup with some of the work that has been done in the last couple of days. The doors are now hinged and are in pretty good shape with the door openings adjusted and shimmed with strip stock. Some of the blemishes in the resin have been smoothed over and the truck frame has some running board supports added. The Yat Ming '38 Ford supplied the front bumper. It fits nicely to the end of the brass frame with some brass pins. The Ford emblem and V-8 emblem have been covered with BMF. I'm going to try and prime and then paint over the BMF and before the paint sets hard will remove it from the BMF. It should reveal a nice clean edge and good "chrome" look. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Petetrucker07 Posted June 27, 2014 Share Posted June 27, 2014 Thats lookin reaaly good, nice work so far Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chariots of Fire Posted June 28, 2014 Author Share Posted June 28, 2014 Here's a shot of a similar rig. I think it might be a '39 Ford, not a '38, but the layout and body style is the same. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chariots of Fire Posted July 1, 2014 Author Share Posted July 1, 2014 Got a few more items figured out and built. The body is coming along after much debating on whether I should cut down the wheel base to 134". Glad I didn't because now that the body has some shape to it the proportions seem to be coming out ok. I'm using 0.030" sheet stock for most construction. Keeping it relatively thin achieved a more in scale look. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danno Posted July 1, 2014 Share Posted July 1, 2014 Superb, Charlie! Looking forward to enjoying the build from the peanut gallery. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slusher Posted July 1, 2014 Share Posted July 1, 2014 Very impressive work and progress... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim B Posted July 1, 2014 Share Posted July 1, 2014 Nice scratch building. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greymack Posted July 1, 2014 Share Posted July 1, 2014 Wow very nice 38 man Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tesla Posted July 1, 2014 Share Posted July 1, 2014 Hat's off to you and this fine build...working with brass...that's quite an undertaking. It looks superb! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jairus Posted July 1, 2014 Share Posted July 1, 2014 Havn't seen a clear shot of the rear axle yet.... what did you use Charlie? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Hall Posted July 1, 2014 Share Posted July 1, 2014 Looking good..those are such interesting looking old trucks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mackd Posted July 1, 2014 Share Posted July 1, 2014 I love this kind of work.A great work of challenge.Bravo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chariots of Fire Posted July 1, 2014 Author Share Posted July 1, 2014 Havn't seen a clear shot of the rear axle yet.... what did you use Charlie?I used the pumpkin out of the Yat Ming '38 Ford, drilled out the center and slid in a section of brass tubing. Will take a photo of it for you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chariots of Fire Posted July 1, 2014 Author Share Posted July 1, 2014 Here are some photos of the frame showing the resin cast pumpkin from the Yat Ming '38 Ford. A main brass axle housing is run through the center with the next size tubing used as the axle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jairus Posted July 1, 2014 Share Posted July 1, 2014 (edited) Thank you! Been working on my own '36 flatbed truck and the rear end has had me stumped. Guess I need to get down and scratch build the thing from styrene. Edited July 1, 2014 by Jairus Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chariots of Fire Posted July 1, 2014 Author Share Posted July 1, 2014 That looks like it is pretty close to the same thing only the larger portion is on the right rather than on the left. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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