64 Dodge D100 Pickup Pro Street

[AmericanMuscleFan]

On 2/3/2021 at 10:11 PM, foghorn62 said:

Just WOW Francis!  Assembly is always nerve wracking for me.  Somehow, I have to believe you’ve got this covered.

Thanks Tim!  Same feeling to me, you can ruin weeks or months of work in the blink of an eye and a sloppy or poorly accomplished assembly will be all that is left visible in the end!  Better to take your time...

Yake care, Francis

[AmericanMuscleFan]

On 2/4/2021 at 10:45 AM, Steve H said:

Francis! Amazing, amazing stuff going on here.... like the others have said, running out of superlative words. The dash face is awesome... the whole truck is over the top gorgeous! Can’t wait to see it all in “one piece”. Hmmmm how many pieces are in this beast?!

Cheers, Steve

Thanks for the kind words Steve!  I'm starting to see my truck take shape and it's been a lot of fun after all the months spent building all of these parts (I still have a lot to do however).  As for the counting of the parts, I dare not do the calculation because I would be embarrassed but with about sixty parts just in the carburetor, for the whole project, this could give a somewhat worrying total... 🤔

Take care, Francis

[Steve H]

7 minutes ago, AmericanMuscleFan said:

Thanks for the kind words Steve!  I'm starting to see my truck take shape and it's been a lot of fun after all the months spent building all of these parts (I still have a lot to do however).  As for the counting of the parts, I dare not do the calculation because I would be embarrassed but with about sixty parts just in the carburetor, for the whole project, this could give a somewhat worrying total... 🤔

Take care, Francis

I’m sure the total will be north of 1000, probably well North...   Amazing work sir.  

[AmericanMuscleFan]

17 hours ago, Claude Thibodeau said:

Hi Francis!

Wait... those are all grade 8 fasteners, right?

With so much time involved so far, it would be foolish to go cheap on that...

CT

HEY Claude!  As you know all too well as a real car fabricator, quality components are no substitute and you have to use the best quality for a high quality end product.  The last place to save in the quality of bolts is on the engine and "grade 8" is the only possible avenue! 😉

Take care, Francis

[AmericanMuscleFan]

1 minute ago, Steve H said:

I’m sure the total will be north of 1000, probably well North...   Amazing work sir.  

You may be right and it's really embarrassing...  Thanks again Steve, your support is simply invaluable my friend!!! 😊

 

[Steve H]

Just now, AmericanMuscleFan said:

You may be right and it's really embarrassing...  Thanks again Steve, your support is simply invaluable my friend!!! 😊

 

What’s embarrassing, is that I only have just over one hundred parts in my builds, still takes months... 

[Mike Williams]

On 2/5/2021 at 11:59 PM, Claude Thibodeau said:

Hi Francis!

Wait... those are all grade 8 fasteners, right?

With so much time involved so far, it would be foolish to go cheap on that...

CT

@CT, we have to realize, the cheap stuff will only melt when Francis mills these parts.  Yes.  Perhaps the new scale Francis has invented with this project has the industry thinking....no more cheap-A aluminum available?  I do feel that Francis has made new territory with his work....

Edited February 7, 2021 by Mike Williams

[Claude Thibodeau]

2 hours ago, Mike Williams said:

@CT, we have to realize, the cheap stuff will only melt when Francis mills these parts.  Yes.  Perhaps the new scale Francis has invented with this project has the industry thinking....no more cheap-A aluminum available?  I do feel that Francis has made new territory with his work....

Hi Mike!

Francis has been "whittling" at his fabulous cars for eons... And I've seen them in person, therefore, I can testify to his ability to make miracles out of many alloys.

As aluminium goes, with the torque this monster will provide... Maybe T-56 grade would be appropriate? 

CT 

[AmericanMuscleFan]

17 hours ago, Mike Williams said:

@CT, we have to realize, the cheap stuff will only melt when Francis mills these parts.  Yes.  Perhaps the new scale Francis has invented with this project has the industry thinking....no more cheap-A aluminum available?  I do feel that Francis has made new territory with his work....

 

14 hours ago, Claude Thibodeau said:

Hi Mike!

Francis has been "whittling" at his fabulous cars for eons... And I've seen them in person, therefore, I can testify to his ability to make miracles out of many alloys.

As aluminium goes, with the torque this monster will provide... Maybe T-56 grade would be appropriate? 

Thank you for your trust and your obvious ability to exaggerate on my machining work, friends!

The only thing that I will have achieved with great success is to have exceeded all reasonable time limits to build this truck.  It is on a scale of 1/25 but despite never having made a real one I have the impression that it will take me 25 months too long...

The best way to lose money in business is to want to do too much, you can use this thread as a good example... 😥

Thank you for still showing interest in supporting my work, you keep me motivated and I need it!!! 😊

Francis

[Straightliner59]

7 hours ago, AmericanMuscleFan said:

The only thing that I will have achieved with great success is to have exceeded all reasonable time limits to build this truck.  It is on a scale of 1/25 but despite never having made a real one I have the impression that it will take me 25 months too long...

Well, my friend, it's not a race! As the late, great Neil Peart wrote in 'Prime Mover': "The point of  a Journey; Is not to arrive". Your craftsmanship is worth whatever time it takes you, Francis! It's why I will make a part multiple times, until I am happy with it, or until I have decided that it's about as good as I am going to get it! It's the joy of the  experience that matters.

[AmericanMuscleFan]

16 hours ago, Straightliner59 said:

Well, my friend, it's not a race! As the late, great Neil Peart wrote in 'Prime Mover': "The point of  a Journey; Is not to arrive". Your craftsmanship is worth whatever time it takes you, Francis! It's why I will make a part multiple times, until I am happy with it, or until I have decided that it's about as good as I am going to get it! It's the joy of the  experience that matters.

Thank you for your kind and wise advice my friend!  Plus, you supported it with the words of one of my favorite artist and certainly one of the greatest lyricists in rock history!

I appreciate you even more for that even if you are already very high in my esteem!

Time stand still... 🎶

Francis

[AmericanMuscleFan]

Hello eveyone,

It's still time to get back to work so I'm taking the time to update the thread with new photos of the latest progress and a few that I forgot to post last week before I installed the floor pan.  I made a small ABS plastic fuse box to run the electrical wires through the firewall.  The other photos are for the frame for which I made the adjustments and added the anchors which consist of brass rivets to simulate round head "bumper" type bolts (I don't remember the exact name of this kind of bolts).  With the frame set in its final position, I will now be able to make the final adjustments to the body panels.  Comments and suggestions are welcome!

Take care, Francis

Fuse box in the milling chuck.

ABS fuse box final.

The wires can pass through it.

Test fit in the firewall.

The frame is in its final position (it is straight like an arrow...) and fits the body like a glove!

The frame is connected to the body with brass rivets, I will add aluminum nuts to sucure the whole thing.

Back area under the bed.

Frame in the main cabin brackets.

Top view. The cabin is very dirty as you can see, the result of 2 years of manipulation, even Inspector Clouseau could claim that I am the culprit...

[Straightliner59]

On 2/9/2021 at 8:50 AM, AmericanMuscleFan said:

Thank you for your kind and wise advice my friend!  Plus, you supported it with the words of one of my favorite artist and certainly one of the greatest lyricists in rock history!

I appreciate you even more for that even if you are already very high in my esteem!

Time stand still... 🎶

Francis

Nice to know we are kindred spirits, that way! Neil's lyrics constantly inspire me to excellence. I miss that man. Time Stand Still, indeed! It's exciting to see this really coming together. It is looking great, my friend!

Edited February 10, 2021 by Straightliner59

[AmericanMuscleFan]

22 hours ago, Straightliner59 said:

Nice to know we are kindred spirits, that way! Neil's lyrics constantly inspire me to excellence. I miss that man. Time Stand Still, indeed! It's exciting to see this really coming together. It is looking great, my friend!

Thanks Daniel!  I'm glad to know that we also have more in common than styrene, aluminum and brass!  What could be more fun to make what you love while listening to good music from talented artists who will obviously be able to stand the test of time!   Will hope that our scale models will be able to do the same... in any case my gratitude for your kind words will be there for a long time!

Neil Peart comes out of this body!!! 😉

Francis

[mustang1989]

I really like how all of these additions and parts just "click" together. Everything looks as though it all belongs there and doesn't have that "added" look to it. This kind of time, patience and hard work are the kind of things that make a good model really stand out from the rest.

[Straightliner59]

17 hours ago, AmericanMuscleFan said:

Thanks Daniel!  I'm glad to know that we also have more in common than styrene, aluminum and brass!  What could be more fun to make what you love while listening to good music from talented artists who will obviously be able to stand the test of time!   Will hope that our scale models will be able to do the same... in any case my gratitude for your kind words will be there for a long time!

Neil Peart comes out of this body!!! 😉

Francis

Absolutely, my friend! It's the constant drive to be better, and try new things. Back in Rush's earlier days, Neil had a case he took on the road, with him that had some tools and paints. He built model cars, to pass the hours! This has always been my favorite body style Dodge pickup, by the way. Yours is exceptional, Francis.

[foghorn62]

1 hour ago, mustang1989 said:

I really like how all of these additions and parts just "click" together. Everything looks as though it all belongs there and doesn't have that "added" look to it. This kind of time, patience and hard work are the kind of things that make a good model really stand out from the rest.

I totally agree with Joe’s comments.  The word “precision” comes to mind in every aspect of this model.  I have to believe there is not more than a couple thousandths tolerance anywhere in this build.  BTW, those bolts are called “carriage bolts).

TCOTTC

[AmericanMuscleFan]

7 hours ago, mustang1989 said:

I really like how all of these additions and parts just "click" together. Everything looks as though it all belongs there and doesn't have that "added" look to it. This kind of time, patience and hard work are the kind of things that make a good model really stand out from the rest.

Thanks so much for the statement Joe, I can't resist making well-fitting parts even though it's not advisable to do so.  I always try to keep the paint coverage of the parts to a minimum as this becomes a problem during the final assembly.  Difficult to reconcile precision and realistic effect at the 1/25 scale...

Take care, Francis

[AmericanMuscleFan]

6 hours ago, Straightliner59 said:

Absolutely, my friend! It's the constant drive to be better, and try new things. Back in Rush's earlier days, Neil had a case he took on the road, with him that had some tools and paints. He built model cars, to pass the hours! This has always been my favorite body style Dodge pickup, by the way. Yours is exceptional, Francis.

Thanks for telling me about this story Daniel, I didn't know but it just makes me like the guy even more.  I will forever remember the great humanity and humility of this talented human being.  He went through so many ordeal and his inner suffering never seemed to affect his work, a man of great discretion!

Working Man 🎶

Thanks again for you good words on my pickup Daniel, I do really appreciate, I hope my old uncles Philibert and Raymond are watching from above, it's a bit of homage to them that I'm doing it!!

Francis

[AmericanMuscleFan]

6 hours ago, foghorn62 said:

I totally agree with Joe’s comments.  The word “precision” comes to mind in every aspect of this model.  I have to believe there is not more than a couple thousandths tolerance anywhere in this build.  BTW, those bolts are called “carriage bolts).

TCOTTC

Thanks Tim,  I try to be as precise as possible with a show of hands because my beautiful precision equipments are not really useful on body panels...   I still have to remember to keep a little clearance for the paint but I must admit that I go a little too tight sometimes and I have to correct this aspect of my building method!

Thanks for the actual name of the bolts my friend, I was pretty sure the name (carriage) but we have so many words in our language that are borrowed from English (or distorted from English) that I am never sure if it's real or just jargon.

By the way, I saw your reply on Mike William's thread regarding your Caswell plating system, do you have the "Plug N' Plate Copy Chrome kit" version?   Mine is the "Plug N' Plate Nickel kit" and the results were nothing more than a sort of black chrome, not quite what I was looking for so I gave up.

Francis

[Glen Powers]

OMG Francis a 1/25th scale fuse block!!!!! This build has to be hands down the most engineered and micro detailed one pretty much ever.

Glen

[foghorn62]

2 hours ago, AmericanMuscleFan said:

By the way, I saw your reply on Mike William's thread regarding your Caswell plating system, do you have the "Plug N' Plate Copy Chrome kit" version?   Mine is the "Plug N' Plate Nickel kit" and the results were nothing more than a sort of black chrome, not quite what I was looking for so I gave up.

Francis

What I actually have is the Plug N Plate Nickel kit like you have, but my wife bought me two bottles of the Copy Chrome solution, so I tried that using the power unit, and wand from the nickel kit.  I was not successful at first, when I attempted to use the solution as a dip, but when I tried it using the electrode with a little gauze wrapped around it as wand to brush the chrome on, it worked.  Just like a nice paint job, I found that preparation is the key.  The cleaner, and shinier, and smoother your part is, the better it will look after playing.  This was my third attempt on this bumper, but it was not difficult to strip and start over. It’s still not perfect, but better than the plastic one from the kit tree.

TCOTTC

[AmericanMuscleFan]

23 hours ago, Glen Powers said:

OMG Francis a 1/25th scale fuse block!!!!! This build has to be hands down the most engineered and micro detailed one pretty much ever.

Glen

Thanks for the kind words Glen!   My first goal was to reproduce the styrene body with as much detail and precision as possible but I have to admit that I got a bit carried away by the obsession with details.   On the other hand, I honestly think that there are other talented model builders who have gone even further than me in terms of details and you can find them right here on this forum!   I really appreciate your appreciation for my work sir and I still have a lot of work ahead of me, welcome to see more...

Francis

[AmericanMuscleFan]

20 hours ago, foghorn62 said:

What I actually have is the Plug N Plate Nickel kit like you have, but my wife bought me two bottles of the Copy Chrome solution, so I tried that using the power unit, and wand from the nickel kit.  I was not successful at first, when I attempted to use the solution as a dip, but when I tried it using the electrode with a little gauze wrapped around it as wand to brush the chrome on, it worked.  Just like a nice paint job, I found that preparation is the key.  The cleaner, and shinier, and smoother your part is, the better it will look after playing.  This was my third attempt on this bumper, but it was not difficult to strip and start over. It’s still not perfect, but better than the plastic one from the kit tree.

TCOTTC

Thank you for confirming this point Tim, I intended to make an attempt with their chrome plating solution and your details confirms the information I was looking for.  Your bumper has exactly the kind of effect I'm looking for so I'll give their system another chance, if it works for others, I should eventually get there too ...!?  I had planned to make the front bumper out of brass 😉 so the Caswell plating system should be the best solution, you proved it my friend! 👍

Francis

[foghorn62]

5 hours ago, AmericanMuscleFan said:

Thank you for confirming this point Tim, I intended to make an attempt with their chrome plating solution and your details confirms the information I was looking for.  Your bumper has exactly the kind of effect I'm looking for so I'll give their system another chance, if it works for others, I should eventually get there too ...!?  I had planned to make the front bumper out of brass 😉 so the Caswell plating system should be the best solution, you proved it my friend! 👍

Francis

I found that the key for a nice finish is to have as perfect a piece as possible.  One thing that I noticed is that even the tiniest imperfections or scratches will be highlighted once it is plated.  Make your usual perfect  piece, and buff it to a high shine, and you will be successful.  It also helps to have a place on the piece that gets good electrical connection, but is hidden from view on the finished part once installed, to attach the alligator clip wile plating.  If you have to contact the piece on your surface area, you can move the clip, and brush plate under where it was, but I think you will get a small smudge, or shadow that knowing you, you won’t be happy with.  If you can hide the place where the clip was attached, you’ll be much better off.

Professional platers use copper plate as a filler when prepping for chrome .  They often will copper plate several times, and buff thoroughly each time until the surface is perfect.  Then they plate with nickel, and finally Chrome.  I think the copy chrome is actually a nickel product, and not really chrome at all, since in true chrome plating, it is the nickel plate that gives the bright shine, and the chrome is actually a clear product that gives it depth and protection.

TCOTTC