275 replies to this topic

[Turbo590]

With that type of "span" you might want to add some brass/metal to the frame "splice" for added strength. If not you will have a continuous bow.

Kurt

[highway]

With that type of "span" you might want to add some brass/metal to the frame "splice" for added strength. If not you will have a continuous bow.

Kurt

Thanks, kurt, I was thinking the same thing!

[highway]

I got more done today on the truck and trailer, I spray painted the inside of the trailer and got the roof of it glued in place. The roof have a slight warp, thank gooodness for super glue and clamps!!



I also tackled the priming of the cab and sleeper, along with the frame, and mocked the truck up again with a few pieces of rectangular tubing between the frame and sleeper that will later be glued in place for extra strength.



The extra tubing to strengthen the frame will go past the sleeper, so I decided to see how a headache rack I modified from Revell AG's Pete 359 would look on the back.



This will hide the extra tubing where it extends past the sleeper and the tubing will tie the original frame back together. I also laid the fuel tanks beside the truck to get an idea of what the side will look like, as well as the 5/16 diameter aluminum tubing I'm going to use as the stacks.



Of course, the stacks will not be that tall, I just haven't cut them yet! The tanks laid out may not be the final design, but close to it. The front two per side will be fuel, the next water, and the last (the square one) will be tool boxes, one of the tool boxes (probably the passenger side) will be representing the APU generator.
P.S. The nose of the trailer gives you a hint of the trailer color, some Krylon "Original Chrome" I had sitting around.

[Wagoneer81]

Put the cows in the sleeper? Yeah, they might drink out of the hot tub... I've always wondered how the prototypes kept from developing frame sag through the years. I'm working on that same trailer now, they do go together nicely. I was going to ask where you got the headache rack and then read a little closer... What color are you going to paint the tractor? And, are you going for any graphics on that billboard of a sleeper?

Edited by Wagoneer81, 22 March 2010 - 04:43 PM.

[highway]

Put the cows in the sleeper? Yeah, they might drink out of the hot tub... I've always wondered how the prototypes kept from developing frame sag through the years. I'm working on that same trailer now, they do go together nicely. I was going to ask where you got the headache rack and then read a little closer... What color are you going to paint the tractor? And, are you going for any graphics on that billboard of a sleeper?

Hi, wagoneer, thought I'd find you here! I think the prototypes don't sag because I think the frames are a little thicker than normal and LOTS of crosssmembers. I'm working on some extra strength right now (waiting for the glue to dry ) by adding some retangular tubing to the top of the frame where my extention is. I'm going to hide it under the sleeper and headache rack. The trailer goes together very nicely execpt for the roof, mine had a slight warp and that's why it looks more like clamp storage in this picture:



There is also not much to glue to, the roof sits on top of the side panels and the thin lip there and the side ribs are all that hold it in place. The way I glued mine in place was first I applied some Model Master Liquid Cement to each rib, laid the roof in place, and started clamping front to back. After I had the roof in it's final position, I used some Zap CA (the really thin stuff in the pink labeled bottle) and found a small depression where the roof meets the side panel in the back, put three or four drops in the hole, then slowly rotated the trailer so the Zap would run along the seam to the front of the trailer. That worked fine and the roof stayed where I wanted it! Also, the headache rack, even though it's from the Revell AG's Pete 359 (and it's also in the "Can Do" wrecker), I modified it with some square tubing and closed the back to make it a true box. I originally made it as a master for a mold I made experimenting with casting my own parts. A friend of mine has an old Western Star I had bought for him to give him something to do while he was laid up after knee surgery, which he never finished, and he finally gave it back to me to finish for him. Since he used to haul steel, he wanted the AMT flatbed on the Star, and he wanted a headache rack on his, so I made that one to cast. Finally, color and graphics are undecided as of now, paint may be DupliColor "Mirage" purple to red flip-flop and possibly a complementing or contrasting "Mirage" set of ghost flames on the hood. The only color I know for sure is the trailer, and it's Krylon "Original Chrome", since it gives it a nice new aluminum look. Well, back to the model desk!

[Wagoneer81]

The mirage paint will really set that truck off. I painted my trailer Model Master chrome (the kind you don't dare touch or the print's there forever.) and then dullcoated it for a slightly oxidized look. The front panel and roof are painted Duplicolor Dk Blue Metallic to match the tractor. Don't worry, my roof was a little warped too. I used ModelMaster Liquid Cement, the stuff in the black bottle with the needle applicator and LOTS of masking tape! I'll post pictures of it and the Titan here soon.

In the post about the 9400i masters, you mentioned snagging and pulling down a powerline. That bites. You missed it all those times... I'd say the line sagged, pole leaned or someone working on the line didn't get it tensioned back up. I'm in utilities now and I know that, by law, a minimum of 15' clearance under any line crossing a road must be maintained at all times. The first time I was in Eastern New Jersey, I made a wrong turn (because the directions given to me were wrong ) and went about eight blocks up a street that wasn't marked 'no trucks' and had no weight limit posted but evidently hadn't seen anything 13'6" in years. It looked low, but there was no backing back into that intersection. There was but one way to go... I trimmed numerous small treelimbs with the front of the trailer and pulled down about 6 cable TV or phone drops before turning around in a firestation parking lot. One of the fireman came out, told me I looked lost, jumped in their brush truck and I followed him down to where I needed to deliver (right instead of left and two blocks down ). I told him about the services I hit and he basically told me not to worry about it, they'd clipped one with a retracted light tower on their heavy rescue before.

[highway]

\

In the post about the 9400i masters, you mentioned snagging and pulling down a powerline. That bites. You missed it all those times... I'd say the line sagged, pole leaned or someone working on the line didn't get it tensioned back up.

Yeah, I haven't been quite right since then, and was actually a little happy when I lost my job in June of last year. It's been hard finding something not involving driving, but I'm thinking about going back to school and actually LEARN something! The few months between the line accident and losing my job, I'd spend more time looking at the power lines than the road, and noticed lines in my hometown I never even knew where there! The people who lived in that neighborhood said about 2 days before I hit the line, someone else had crashed their car into one of the poles near there, and being in the 70s in February, I think it may have been a combination of all three things you mentioned.

I'll keep watching for the Titan and your livestock trailer, sounds nice!

[Wagoneer81]

That's what did it, leaned a pole, the line slacked in the spans and BINGO* you hooked it. Things like that will make you notice the little details...

[highway]

I've been doing more work on the truck and trailer lately, the trailer is in primer as of today. I also went on line to get some pictures to use as a mural on the sleeper, but I need your help! This is what the mural will look like:



but I need help with the size! Do you think the mural looks good the size it is, or should I make it a little bigger? Please help and give me your opinion!!

[rronning84]

That truc is long. I would hate to try and navigate that through Walmart

[highway]

That truc is long. I would hate to try and navigate that through Walmart

Yeah, it would be fun! The truck has a scale wheelbase of about 350 inches and with the 40 foot livestock trailer it measures a scale 70 feet long.

[RodneyBad]

WOW!!
What a Sleeper.
I think I saw something like that on Truckers Dream Homes.

I think the Mural should take up the whole side of the sleeper.
nice looking one too.

Nice work

[highway]

WOW!!
What a Sleeper.
I think I saw something like that on Truckers Dream Homes.

I think the Mural should take up the whole side of the sleeper.
nice looking one too.

Nice work

Thanks, Zuk. It's definitely a "Trucker's Dream Home" being a scale 180 inches, compared to 70 for a stock sleeper. Thanks for the opinion on the size, too. That's why I asked for everyones opinions on it, because I'm thinking a little bigger, but the better half said it looks fine. It's amazing what you can find online, I "Bing"ed "lightning and mountains" in images, and that's one of them that came up!

[highway]

I did some work on the interior of the cab and got the interior pan painted and added some Bare Metal Foil to some things to dress it up. Any good trucker loves shiny objects!!



I even made the pedals chromed.



And a little to the steering wheel.



More pics and much more chrome to come! It is going to be a show truck, after all!

[Sergey]

Excellent, Matthew, but if you want your Ford looks like Show Truck, you better use an air brush and masks for interior too.

[highway]

I finally got the trailer in it's first coat of paint, here's what it will look like after I get a few rough spots taken care of:





I found a set of Alcoa wheels to replace the trailer's five spoke wheels, and was also surprised and pleased with the look of the Krylon "Original Chrome" paint. Most of the chrome spray paints I have used in the past have not had this much shine, but still has an aluminum look to it.

I also found a set of toolbox steps that are not used in my Italeri Mack Superliner kit, so those will be mounted as the steps for the catwalk and headache rack, as well as being a toolbox and the other will be the APU generator housing. I will still have enough frame room left that there will be 3 fuel tanks per side, and the square tank on each side will be the sleeper's clean and gray water storage. Here's another quick mock up pic of the general idea of the finished truck, including sleeper mural.:



Of course, I still have some more body work to finish on the sleeper.

[whale392]

You asked for our opinions on the sleeper graphic length/size. Being it is printed off the computer versus being painted on, I would stop short of any surface irregularities that would cause issues with the graphic laying down smooth.
There used to be a trucking company called 'Circle C', and their trucks were completely muraled; some of the best-looking paintjobs I had ever seen.

[highway]

You asked for our opinions on the sleeper graphic length/size. Being it is printed off the computer versus being painted on, I would stop short of any surface irregularities that would cause issues with the graphic laying down smooth.
There used to be a trucking company called 'Circle C', and their trucks were completely muraled; some of the best-looking paintjobs I had ever seen.

Thanks, Brad, I was not planning on going past the storage door on the side I have the picture mocked up on because I don't want to mess with the irregularities. There is also an access door on the other side, and that extends to the first curve in the sides. I will be printing the picture on decal paper, but since this will be my first time making my own decals, I wanted to do it on a smooth surface.

[whale392]

That's what I'm here for Matt. I may not know semi trucks well (you guys have been a big help to me so far), but I do know paint and graphics..........ok, maybe not so well either; but I do have a boatload of opinions I am willing to share!!

[highway]

That's what I'm here for Matt. I may not know semi trucks well (you guys have been a big help to me so far), but I do know paint and graphics..........ok, maybe not so well either; but I do have a boatload of opinions I am willing to share!!

Thanks, Brad, it's always good to have opinions to share! I have to agree, there are many talented truck builders here, many are very helpful, and I would hope to say I know a little when it comes to semis, I drove them for 12 years! I also worked for a towing company for a couple of those years, so I've been in, on, under, and worked on trucks in that time. I even worked on the wreckers and was under them a time or two! I haven't printed another test of the mural yet, but between your opinion and others from here and the "other" model site, and also my "artsy" mother in law, I've decided to extend the mural slightly and take it from about the end of the curve where the front wall meets the side to just before the doors in the back. I haven't decided yet, but may even add a different small mural to the hood as well. I'm not sure, though, because there is a small ridge in the hood, and sort of scared if I can get the decal to conform to it well or not.