IronHide TopKick C4500

[djmcguire]

I just want to know how to get my hands on a few sets of those Nitto Mud Grapplers...

[Sergey]

On 8/6/2021 at 7:31 PM, AmericanMuscleFan said:

That's what I call high caliber creation, great art my friend!!! ?

Thank you Francis! I really appreciate your words!

[Sergey]

On 8/6/2021 at 8:32 PM, djmcguire said:

I just want to know how to get my hands on a few sets of those Nitto Mud Grapplers...

Hello Daniel! Try to contact to Mikhail Petrenko. His nickname is: stratos75

http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbulletin/member.php?u=526712

[Kit Karson]

@Sergey Your scratch-building skills are beyond kompare!  Kraftsmanship komes from hands on experience with a konuntless number of tools and techniques!! 

I'll be watching over your shoulder, Brother -KK

Edited August 16, 2021 by Kit Karson
delete a picture & add a picture

[Zippi]

Just some fantastic scratch building.  Looking really nice. 

[Sergey]

Thank you Kit and Bob for your support!

Let's continue!

I decided that it is easier to process panels individually than together. The stiffness is greater. I sanded off the excess plastic on the roof.

The front side of the roof had to be lifted with putty.

I'm slowly processing it, but this is not the final yet

I took care of the sidewalls. I started making stamping lines. The upper one:

... bottom one

So - it 's clearer

Next - putty in the right places, but first - are masks


Then the most dreary thing for me: putty, sanding, putty, sanding ... 
Thank you for watching!

Edited March 13, 2022 by Sergey

[Sergey]

Hello, Friends!

It's time to upgrade, after 3.5 months. About the long break a little later.

I have sanded trim lines in the draft version

Yes, I noticed that gutters run along the upper edges of the roof...

...decided to reproduce them. Cut "skis" out of brass

Something like this they could look like:

And here's the reason for the break: 5 or 6 times I glued the side panels. I was never able to glue them perfectly, and even squeeze a piece of brass between the roof and the sidewall    

In general, "skiing" has been postponed for now. Then I'll stick it on...from Evergreen.

I took care of the front axle. The donor Ford has a narrower track than the GMC. Front axle with rotary fists is about 64mm, and you need about 80.

I cut off the plastic axles from the gearbox, replaced them with brass. It's harder.

Drilling the differential was difficult. One half inside is a pipe, but of a smaller diameter than necessary.

 

The rotary knuckles also had to be drilled to accept the brass pipe. First with drills, and then, at the edges, with an end mill. Yes, the reciprocal parts of the fists were also drilled and cut to accept the brakes. The right one hasn't been cut yet

I tried on the wheel on the cargo hub. There was a reason to start learning 3D. To begin with, the wheel hubs are the very thing.

The front of the cabin lacks rigidity. Pasted sheet plastic for now

Only in the photo I saw that the front of the roof on the left is lower than on the right. I'll have to re-glue it again  

Enjoy watching! 

Edited March 13, 2022 by Sergey

[Mattilacken]

Epic work! Looks tough to get it even! I know how hard it can be! Front axle looks great! The gearbox you referred to is called Differential. ? keep up your good work!

[Sergey]

Thank you, Anton! My slipway  was ill- conceived to glue the cab level.

[Sergey]

Hello, Friends!

There is nothing to show about plastic today, but I will show the first modest experience in 3D modeling.

Front hub

Many thanks to Mikhail aka Stratos75! He has drawed the cap.

It was already faster with the rear hub

I'm slowly getting into progress. I should learn a little more and to may print out something more serious  :dance:

Edited March 31, 2022 by Sergey

[Sergey]

Hello, Friends!
Let's continue our perversions. 

Re-glued the front left upper corner. It became even.
It's time to make the fire wall.
I have finally found a picture of the most "stripped" front wall of a cab

Started from styrene:



Next - putty

The floor is made of "candy" plastic 1.5 mm


It will be further developed (however, like everything else)

Molded a plastic pad under the wipers. It's still an intermediate option.

And I tried on a long-prepared etching

Enjoy watching! 

[Sergey]

How d'you!

The working season is over and finally I can get in modeling, my precious!

I remembered that there is such a project where it's time to put something on wheels. I started with axels. Shortened both about 10 millimeters.

From knitting needles bought earlier, I cut the spindles. The rear one is longer. The rear hubs and brake discs will sit on it.

And the front ones are very short. Actually, only the hubs and disks fit on them. Here, by the way, is the proof.

The holes in the brake discs from Plamoz (and, accordingly, in the hubs) are about 2.3 mm, and there were no such spokes in the arsenal. It is obvious that the brakes with wheels will stagger

However, with the help of adhesive tape, you can glue anything! In this case - electrical tape. One layer was enough.

I made new steering rods. Ford's one were too large and in wrong place for GMC.

Finally - test fitting!

Enjoy watching! Feedback is welcome! :bye:

Edited November 29, 2022 by Sergey

[dino246gt]

 

wow!

[stavanzer]

Looks Fantastic! Great Work so far.

[AmericanMuscleFan]

Great work Sergey, glad to see you back on this build, your progress is impressive as usual. ?

[Sergey]

Thank you Dennis, Alan and Francis! I try my best! 

To catch up to yesterday: I soldered and put in a steering link, and also made a blank cover over the clutch. It will also be necessary to process the edges.

Stay turned!

 

Edited December 1, 2022 by Sergey

[Mattilacken]

Beatifull work and such great details you make!

[Sergey]

Thank you, Anton!

I recently saw your 88' Silwerado. That is beautifull work too!

[Mattilacken]

On 12/2/2022 at 2:34 PM, Sergey said:

Thank you, Anton!

I recently saw your 88' Silwerado. That is beautifull work too!

Thank you Sergey! It’s almost done now, are making some final adjustments to it now but will be under glass by the end of the week ? 

[Sergey]

Hello, dear colleagues!

 

There is no progress on model itself, BUT the work from the workbench smoothly migrated to the computer. I tried my hand at a more complex element (for me) than the hubs

 

 

I did it according this photo:

 

 

Friend of mine helped me to discover this one

 

That's what I got:

 

 

These stiffeners were my headache for some time.

[Mattilacken]

Nice. One way to make the stiffeners is to draw the profile and extrude it and then ad chamfer and round.

[Sergey]

Hello, colleagues! And Happy New Year!

Thank you Anton! I guess I finished fuel tank modeling for now.

A bit of good old-fashioned modeling. I assembled a resin engine.

Well, it's not bad. Besides even with the hood open, it is almost invisible.

Added a 4mm spacer between the crankcase and the block. The turbine was bent from 3mm solder.  I will still refine the oil filters.

So far, it will stand without pipes. By the way, here is everything that has not been used yet (or already).

Well, a couple of views on the frame:

Good luck to everyone!

[Mattilacken]

Happy new year Sergey and great progress! 

[Sergey]

On 1/2/2023 at 2:00 AM, Mattilacken said:

Happy new year Sergey and great progress! 

Thank you!

Hello to everyone!

As part of maintaining activity, I made cardan shafts. However, there were not enough crosses. I need to visit my good friend - resin caster.

Well, I chose the Ford’s transfer case. It is even put on custom TopKick

Photo is small and bad, but I hope you can find similarity. Good luck to all! bye:

[Sergey]

Hello, Friends and all sympathizers!

I looked at the date of the last post and shed tears. TopKick was left forgotten and abandoned. The frame is lying on the top shelf, it is lying... Until someone decided to wipe the dust off on the closet and swept the frame off the shelf along with the dust, GD! But about everything in order:

For example, here are some parts straight from the printer! Many thanks to friend of mine

 In addition to the tank, there are caps for the front hubs at the bottom, and the hubs themselves, which have already flashed here. And of course, I immediately (almost) rushed to attach the tank to the frame.

We all remember, and for those who do not remember, I will duplicate that there was such a photo:

Yeah! this means that there are not enough steel belts and guides. I like it!

And here they are!

And here we will return to the frame that fell off the shelf.The brackets to which the rear "earrings" were attached were burst. And I fussed and made it out of copper. Also I redesigned the semicircular blocks that are between the springs and the arched part of the earring. They are made of a semicircular 3.2 mm rod and some kind of limiters were glued the ends of them from 0,2mm styrene. Otherwise the "earrings" always fall off the blocks.

Now, after I tried to draw the hood in program and failed, I started to make it in old school manner