Tony T Posted October 29, 2013 Share Posted October 29, 2013 Another way you can break the surface tension of the water is to add a little bit of dish soap. Would accomplish the same as what the future does. Greta build, Harry! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sjordan2 Posted October 29, 2013 Share Posted October 29, 2013 (edited) Well, this is one of your most jaw-dropping builds. I don't know how you made the gauges so crisp. After this, I'd like to see what you'd do with the 1/16 Christie steam fire engine. Edited October 29, 2013 by sjordan2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry P. Posted October 30, 2013 Author Share Posted October 30, 2013 Well, this is one of your most jaw-dropping builds. I don't know how you made the gauges so crisp. After this, I'd like to see what you'd do with the 1/16 Christie steam fire engine. For the gauges I used the tiniest brush I have and a magnifier. And yes, now that I'm into this model I'd like to do the Christie, too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danno Posted October 30, 2013 Share Posted October 30, 2013 Well, this is one of your most jaw-dropping builds. I don't know how you made the gauges so crisp. After this, I'd like to see what you'd do with the 1/16 Christie steam fire engine. The Christie was/is 1/12 rather than 1/16. Not a big issue, but just for accuracy's sake. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PappyD340 Posted October 30, 2013 Share Posted October 30, 2013 AWESOME work Harry, it's coming together very nicely, just waiting for more!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry P. Posted October 30, 2013 Author Share Posted October 30, 2013 Looking at the chassis, I just realized there's no gas tank. Did this truck run on magic power? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sjordan2 Posted October 30, 2013 Share Posted October 30, 2013 The Christie was/is 1/12 rather than 1/16. Not a big issue, but just for accuracy's sake.Right. That should be very impressive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry P. Posted October 30, 2013 Author Share Posted October 30, 2013 Just bought the Christie engine. $45, shipping included. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry P. Posted October 30, 2013 Author Share Posted October 30, 2013 Here's a little tip for you... I use CA glue a lot when building. Most of the time, I need just a tiny drop, applied to a very specific spot. Trying to use the tube to squeeze out a small drop is almost impssible... it just doesn't give the control I need. I use a homemade CA applicator. All I do is use a flat Dremel sanding wheel to remove the top half of the "eye" of a large sewing needle. That leaves me with a tiny "Y" shaped opening at the end of the needle. I wrap the needle with masking tape to make it easier to pick it up and handle (and so I don't poke myself with the sharp end! ). To apply the glue, I place a drop of CA onto a disposable surface (a small piece of paper, plastic coffee can lid, whatever). Then I dip the open end of the needle into the CA, which leaves me with a "just right" drop of the glue suspended between the two "arms" of the open-ended needle. Now I can apply a precise amount of glue to a precise spot without worrying about too much glue spurting out if I used the tube to apply the glue directly. After use, I just wipe off the tip of the needle with a paper towel. If any CA builds up on the tip, all you have to do is scrape off the dried CA with the tip of your X-acto blade and you're good to go. Cheap. Simple. Effective. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alyn Posted October 30, 2013 Share Posted October 30, 2013 Looking at the chassis, I just realized there's no gas tank. Did this truck run on magic power? Gas is overated. I have it quite often, and quite honestly, it's a pain in the butt. Nice work so far. Nice tip on the window tint. The photo of the rear pump shows the effect nicely around the bolts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peekay Posted October 30, 2013 Share Posted October 30, 2013 Coming together beautifully - and thanks for the tips. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ramfins59 Posted October 31, 2013 Share Posted October 31, 2013 That's coming along very nicely Harry. Impressive detail work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uncle potts Posted October 31, 2013 Share Posted October 31, 2013 I just discovered this thread, been absent from the forum lately, life gets in the way. This is one that I am going to have to follow every day. I've always admired your work and I am looking forward to your progress. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony T Posted October 31, 2013 Share Posted October 31, 2013 Cool tip on the CA applicator. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry P. Posted October 31, 2013 Author Share Posted October 31, 2013 More chassis and engine detail added. The linkages mounted on the steering box are scratchbuilt, not included in the kit. The lights on this truck were not electric, but acetylene-powered. The brass tank mounted on the frame rail below the dash was the "factory" where acetylene gas was made. The tank had two compartments... a lower compartment held calcium carbide, a powder that looks pretty much like sand. The upper chamber held water. A valve controlled the rate at which the water was allowed to drip down onto the calcium carbide powder. When the water and calcium carbide combined, a chemical reaction produced acetylene gas, which traveled through hollow gas lines to a burner in each lamp. The light was produced by the burning of the acetylene gas... the light was literally a flame. The reflector bowl behind the flame projected the light forward. The light housings had holes in them to allow the heat of the burning gas to escape. This is the way car headlights worked before the introduction of electric lights. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danno Posted October 31, 2013 Share Posted October 31, 2013 Harry, that is spectacular! Great modeling. Looks for all the world real, but for the part line on the acetylene tank. But, there's only so much one can reasonably do, isn't there? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry P. Posted October 31, 2013 Author Share Posted October 31, 2013 Harry, that is spectacular! Great modeling. Looks for all the world real, but for the part line on the acetylene tank. But, there's only so much one can reasonably do, isn't there? If I was a total maniac I would have glued all brass parts together, sanded the seams and sent them out to be replated... but I don't know of anyone that does brass plating on model parts. So I'm going to just live with the seams. Like you said... there's only so much I can reasonably do... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danno Posted October 31, 2013 Share Posted October 31, 2013 If I was a total maniac I would have glued all brass parts together, sanded the seams and sent them out to be replated... but I don't know of anyone that does brass plating on model parts. So I'm going to just live with the seams. Like you said... there's only so much I can reasonably do... That's right. And I'm glad to know you aren't a total maniac! Does that mean you're a partial maniac? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry P. Posted October 31, 2013 Author Share Posted October 31, 2013 Does that mean you're a partial maniac? Somewhat... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sjordan2 Posted October 31, 2013 Share Posted October 31, 2013 This just gets more astonishing.PS: In honor of your most recent avatar, will you be sticking knitting needles through your arm? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry P. Posted October 31, 2013 Author Share Posted October 31, 2013 I tend to jump around when I build a model... I rarely follow the instruction assembly sequence. So now I'm putting the chassis aside while some small parts are drying, and jumping to the ladder carriage assembly. Here I've started adding some missing detail to more closely match reference photos. Reference photo details vary from one truck to another, so I'm just sort of averaging things out, not necessarily following any one reference photo exactly. The kit parts are molded in red plastic, my additions are in white styrene and brass. The "bolt heads" are small brass nails left over from a wooden ship kit (they are hull and deck planking nails). The metal straps that hold the wheel axles in place are aluminum strips cut from a pie pan. This whole assembly will eventually be painted red. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry P. Posted October 31, 2013 Author Share Posted October 31, 2013 The metal straps in the above photos are made from the thin aluminum of a pie pan. The aluminum is thin enough to easily cut with scissors, yet stiff enough to hold its shape when bent. I use this stuff to make things like the mounting straps above, linkages, brackets... all sorts of things. As you can see, there's not much left to this one. I've been using it for many years... bits and pieces of it are on a lot of my models! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry P. Posted October 31, 2013 Author Share Posted October 31, 2013 Here is another component of the ladder carriage. On the left is the badly warped kit piece. Since it's nothing more than a series of square rails, I figured it would be easier to scratch a new one out of styrene stock than somehow try to heat and straighten the kit part (the kit part was warped both front to back and left to right, plus it was twisted). I used a razor saw to remove the molded-in bolt details on the kit piece and glued them onto my replacement piece. The kit piece then went to its new home in my garbage can... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry P. Posted November 1, 2013 Author Share Posted November 1, 2013 This just gets more astonishing. PS: In honor of your most recent avatar, will you be sticking knitting needles through your arm? Uh...no! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry P. Posted November 1, 2013 Author Share Posted November 1, 2013 I want to publicly thank Dan Baker. My kit was missing a rear tire, and Dan saw my post in another area of the forum asking if anyone would be able to cast a copy for me. So what did Dan do? He PM'd me, asked me for my address, and sent me a tire from his own unbuilt kit... even though his own kit is now short a tire! Talk about "pay it forward!" Thanks, Dan. Sometimes I wonder what's wrong with people these days... and then someone like Dan comes along and makes my day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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