1967 International Loadstar 1600

[Tesla]

Excellent work Charles!

[jacobus]

great work

put me on the list , sure like to have one

follow this great build

jacobus

[Chariots of Fire]

Struggling with the windshield.  Today I put a small piece of strip stock around the perimeter of the windshield to act as a trim piece and as something to force the clear plastic against to hold it in place.  After much frustration I was able to get it in except for small pieces near the lower corners where the plastic has to bend.  Curving the clear stock is not easy.  Real hot water is best as it does not distort the plastic but it takes a while to do.  Got all of this done only to find out that the top of the windshield is too low!  So the trim has to come off and the top of the cab has to be modified some.  As I'm sitting here the idea came to me to make the trim piece of out of small brass angle stock.  It can be bent if softened by heating (annealing) to fit the contours of the windshield opening.  Why didn't I think of that earlier!  (*&)*^*$^$#^%#(?!!!!!!

[Chariots of Fire]

Today I got the brass angle stock windshield surround installed.  It was a blessing in disguise as I noticed previously that the top front of the cab just did not look right.  Studying the photos showed that the front was much more square than what I had sanded out.  The brass sits out just a but from the top of the cab and it gave me a ledge to put in some Squadron putty to reshape the cab.  Now the problem is going to be finding some clear stock that I can heat up just a bit and bend and the edges so it will form to the shape of the windshield trim.  Some sheet stock has a tendency to craze when it is bent even a little bit.  All in all, though it was a good choice to go with the brass angle.  It is strong and hopefully will allow the windshield to pop in without gluing.  We'll see.

One of the local repair garages had several wreckers using Loadstar chassis.  I had a diecast wrecker body sitting around so I put the two together just to see what they might look like.  (Kinda like the look)  But we are a long way away from deciding to do any kind of a finished truck model.  Just getting the cab right is enough for now.

The headlight bezels are now turned out of aluminum stock.  I drilled out the center of each one and milled out a ledge around the inside for a lens to sit on.  I used some lenses from the AMT Ford LN kit.  Just about the right size.  I don't have the lenses in the bezels in the photo but they look good when installed.  I can remove the bezels and cast them as well.  That way they can be painted.  A couple of swipes with a Molotow pen around the inside would restore the bright area behind the lens.

[Superpeterbilt]

This looks so great. I just hope to have a few of these one day.

[DRIPTROIT 71]

This looks so great. I just hope to have a few of these one day.

What he said!!!

[mikemodeler]

I love how this is coming together Charles and am watching your progress with much envy. I do hope this is somehow available to us someday as I would love to build a couple of different versions of this truck- dump and wrecker, similar to the one you have mocked up.

[DrKerry]

Outstanding!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Chariots of Fire]

Take two steps forward and one back!  That seems to be what's happening with this project.  The windshield area has been giving me fits.  That and the part of the cab that is just above it.  Studying the photos showed that the shape was wrong so little by little I've been adding filler putty to above the windshield to build it up.. I also had to redo the brass trim  to bring the top out more.  In the process of doing all that I wrecked the grill with so much handling.  Good thing I had a mold of it so I could cast a replacement!  This time I backed it up with some stiffeners that should keep it from getting damaged again.

I did the same for the hood.  With a separate mold, If the truck gets cast with the hood in place I can cut it away to make the hood open butterfly style.

Now I'm working on a buck for doing the windshield by vacuum forming one.  That's the buck in the foreground of the picture.  

[Chariots of Fire]

Tried my first vacuum formed windshield tonite.  The machine is very quick and easy to use.  However it became quite obvious right away that the buck has to be perfectly smooth in order for the plastic to retain its nice clean surface.  The material I used is quite porous and although I sealed and sanded it, the texture still showed through and the plastic that came out was not smooth either.  Next time a little less heat and a nice smooth polished surface on the buck will give me a better result.  Making the formed plastic fit was real easy after it was trimmed away from the buck.  It popped right into position in the windshield frame which is what I was looking for.  More to come!

[DRIPTROIT 71]

That looks AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Russell C]

That looks AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The reason why I'm following. Fabulous work.

[Superpeterbilt]

Yes!!

[DrKerry]

 Coming together nicely!!!!!!

[Chariots of Fire]

Tried a wood buck to redo the windshield.  Even after several coats of dope the wood grain still came out in the final piece.  So will have to do the buck over again, this time using some Renshape that has no grain.  It will be well sealed before trying to pull another one.  Here's the results so far using the wood.

I did polish out the clear plastic and it looks ok but the new one should be even better.

[Fordboy1975]

Why not just coat the wood in filler primer?

[DrKerry]

What if you sprayed the wood buck with a sealer? Not sure if it'll work as the hot plastic hits it??! Never did vacumforming so I don't know...

[Chariots of Fire]

Why not just coat the wood in filler primer?

Unless the filler primer is heat resistent it would have a tendancy to soften and adhere to the clear plastic.  I think my best bet is the Renshape.  The Aero Gloss is a sealer of sorts and it felt really smooth but the alternating soft and hard growth rings in the wood still showed through.

[RAT-T]

WOULD PLASTER OF PARIS WORK AS A BUCK OR MOLD?

[GLMFAA1]

Charlie : Vacuum form the first windshield, cut to size, place on mold w/double side tape and shot another windshield, this will give you a smooth surface on the windshield as the grain is on inside of the windshield. When I saw the putty on the first on I was going to tell you that would show

 

greg

[gotnitro?]

Amazing transformation! !the workmanship is perfect, and unbelievable how fast you turned this cab into reality 

 

[Chariots of Fire]

Charlie : Vacuum form the first windshield, cut to size, place on mold w/double side tape and shot another windshield, this will give you a smooth surface on the windshield as the grain is on inside of the windshield. When I saw the putty on the first on I was going to tell you that would show

 

greg

You don't think the second pull with adhere to the first one? 

[Wagoneer81]

Your skill and craftsmanship never cease to amaze me, Charles!   I've been watching this project evolve with GREAT interest and have to say that that cab is a thing of beauty! This is one of my favorite trucks, from this era.  When I was on our local Fire Dept., back in the '90's, our township pumper was a '66 L-1800 built by Howe Fire apparatus, in Anderson, IN... (I live just up the road, in Summitville...)  I've wanted to model that truck, for years! The truck still exists, now owned by one of our local firefighters, so I'll have access to it for pictures , measurements, etc... 

I do wish you the best, on this!  I'd love to acquire one (or more) of these cabs, when you're ready to cast them!  

As for the windshield buck;  If Renshape doesn't work for you (I think it will), have you considered shaping the form from a chunk of Bondo?  I know a 1/72 aircraft modeler who uses this technique to make bucks for aircraft canopies... I think he uses an automotive wax on his bucks to help with adherence issues.   

[Chariots of Fire]

Your skill and craftsmanship never cease to amaze me, Charles!   I've been watching this project evolve with GREAT interest and have to say that that cab is a thing of beauty! This is one of my favorite trucks, from this era.  When I was on our local Fire Dept., back in the '90's, our township pumper was a '66 L-1800 built by Howe Fire apparatus, in Anderson, IN... (I live just up the road, in Summitville...)  I've wanted to model that truck, for years! The truck still exists, now owned by one of our local firefighters, so I'll have access to it for pictures , measurements, etc... 

I do wish you the best, on this!  I'd love to acquire one (or more) of these cabs, when you're ready to cast them!  

As for the windshield buck;  If Renshape doesn't work for you (I think it will), have you considered shaping the form from a chunk of Bondo?  I know a 1/72 aircraft modeler who uses this technique to make bucks for aircraft canopies... I think he uses an automotive wax on his bucks to help with adherence issues.   

Thanks, Chris.   I'm pretty sure the Renshape will work.  It is so easy to carve.  I can use the wood one as a pattern since the fit is pretty good.  The only bad part of using Renshape is the amount of dust it creates when it is sanded.  I use a sanding disk in my Dremel and it is like a mini dust storm.  A mask is a good investment.

I hope I can get it cast.  The cab is nearing completion and I still have the dash, floor board and interior door panels to do.  The caster I have been talking with wants to do it with the hood secured in place.  I would rather it was done as a separate piece so that it could be shown with one of the sides of the hood open.  We will see what develops.  

[Chariots of Fire]

Been reworking the top of the cab.  Still not quite the right shape.  So it has been raised a little and re-sculptured.  Did some work on the dashboard and it is coming along nicely.  Will post some pics soon.