64 Dodge D100 Pickup Pro Street

[Art Laski]

Beautiful work, Francis! 

[majel]

This is an amazing work of art!!

[AmericanMuscleFan]

On 3/17/2021 at 5:40 PM, Mike Williams said:

Francis,  a wonderful view.  I like the rounded-off edges on the small metal parts, even seen on the pedal assembly.  Compliments.

Your photography in close up view is superb, to realize these parts are so minuscule and so realistic, is actually quite a sensation.

We all love your updates, personally I find myself seeking to better my own methods, truly your entries are an inspiration.

Mike..

Thank you very much Mike, your great advice has finally made its way into my building habits my friend!

As for the photos, I find that they are often taken too close but I admit that it can help to demonstrate the building steps.  On the other hand, it reveals the flaws... 😉

Francis

[AmericanMuscleFan]

On 3/18/2021 at 12:25 AM, Straightliner59 said:

Simply amazing, my friend! Like Mike said, before me, your work is truly inspirational. Thanks for sharing it with all of us, Francis!

Thank you Daniel, if I can inspire builders of your caliber, that's what is most amazing in my opinion! 😊

Francis

[AmericanMuscleFan]

On 3/18/2021 at 12:53 PM, Art Laski said:

Beautiful work, Francis! 

Thank you Art, I am very happy to receive your comments on my build, I am truly honored!

Francis

[AmericanMuscleFan]

On 3/18/2021 at 3:30 PM, majel said:

This is an amazing work of art!!

Thanks Jim! I really appreciate your comment and will try to keep moving in the right direction with this build, hope to put some color on this thing soon! 😊

Francis

[Scott8950]

Francis you should post some of your other builds. I enjoy looking at the craftsmanship and detail you put into them.

[mustang1989]

Continuing to blow minds one update at a time........

Wow!!! 

[foghorn62]

Forty pages and counting, and no end in sight!  I am thoroughly convinced that there is literally no part, however small that you are not capable of duplicating to perfection in scale.  I’ll be honest, the D100 is not my favorite subject to build to this level of intricacy, yet anyone who appreciates the fine precision of a Swiss watch will be mesmerized when examining your accomplishments here!  I do look forward to seeing the completed model, but in some ways, I hope it never ends.  Every time I think you couldn’t possibly amaze me more, you prove me wrong!  So I do have one technical question.  How did you create the rod ends on the clutch linkage?  I know RB Motion sells them, and I have made some of my own, but somehow I suspect that once again you have taken the smallest parts to another level.

tcottc

[AmericanMuscleFan]

22 hours ago, Scott8950 said:

Francis you should post some of your other builds. I enjoy looking at the craftsmanship and detail you put into them.

Thank you for your mark of confidence and your interest in what I am doing now and in the past Scott!  I still have a few models that I made several years ago and I will try to find time to put the photos together but you should expect to see the quantity of details regress over time.  I think they are still of respectable quality but I think my work has evolved a lot over the last few years and I wouldn't want to disappoint you...  I will try to make a new thread when the beautiful season has set in and that of our beautiful hobby is at neutral point... 😢

Francis

[AmericanMuscleFan]

10 hours ago, mustang1989 said:

Continuing to blow minds one update at a time........

Wow!!! 

Thanks buddy!  I'm glad to see that you still seem to like what I'm doing Joe!  I am very happy to have your visit my friend, you always put action in my thread!!! 😊

[AmericanMuscleFan]

2 hours ago, foghorn62 said:

Forty pages and counting, and no end in sight!  I am thoroughly convinced that there is literally no part, however small that you are not capable of duplicating to perfection in scale.  I’ll be honest, the D100 is not my favorite subject to build to this level of intricacy, yet anyone who appreciates the fine precision of a Swiss watch will be mesmerized when examining your accomplishments here!  I do look forward to seeing the completed model, but in some ways, I hope it never ends.  Every time I think you couldn’t possibly amaze me more, you prove me wrong!  So I do have one technical question.  How did you create the rod ends on the clutch linkage?  I know RB Motion sells them, and I have made some of my own, but somehow I suspect that once again you have taken the smallest parts to another level.

tcottc

Thank you so much Tim!  I agree with you and I was well aware from the start that the subject would not be unanimous because this model of truck is loved or hated, for many it is the ugliest truck that has never been done but as they say beauty is in the eye of the beholder!  The tastes are not to be discussed and for me, it is one of the most beautiful besides that this one marked my youth, I have it a little in my DNA.

I never thought I would spend so much time building a scale model and I don't think about remaking a model from scratch anytime soon, it's just too much work.  As you can see, I like to do details but overall, it's too much work and it takes a lot of motivation to bring such a project to the finish line.  I have always thought that it is not the quantity but the quality that counts but it is necessary to find a balance!  I'm not giving myself a deadline but I would like to finish it before the end of 2021 and move on to another subject so you will have the opportunity to come back if you feel like it my friend!

Rod ends are from RB Motion, I'm not the type of guy to take ownership of other people's work and these are the best on the market in my opinion.  Sometimes I do them myself, but it time consuming and you must have a Radius Cutting Attachment (Sherline 2200) for your lathe.  You start by making a ball at the end of an aluminum rod and then go on to milling with the rotary table set at 90 degrees.  Make two cuts on each side of the ball and then drill the hole in the center as needed.  You must then return to the lathe and machine the rod to the desired size, taking your time.  It's easy to ruin all that long work at this point so you have to take it really slowly.  It takes a tremendous amount of time, so that's why I think it's a good idea to buy them rather than making them (not to mention the investment in tools...).  I do mine only when what is offered does not correspond to my needs, I save my time to make the countless parts of this endless puzzle... 😓

I hope my description of the procedures is understandable but don't hesitate to ask if you want more precision my friend!

Francis

[butter]

On 2/25/2021 at 3:15 PM, AmericanMuscleFan said:

Thank you for the kind words and for putting so much pressure on me Ron, you really inspired me my friend!

The pivot points are the aluminum rivets that I have machined, they are roughly 0.001" smaller than the holes in the components and around 0.015" taller than 2 parts stacked together.  I put a photo etch washer between the 2 parts (the support and arms) and crushed the rivets with my little "Punch Press".  I obviously did a test before that to make sure the parts weren't seized and remained operational.

I don't know if the opportunity will present itself to go to Uncle Sam's for an exhibition but if it happens, I'll let you know, in the meantime, don't hesitate if you have any questions I will do the same if you don't have no objections!

Francis

Hey Francis.  You need to mark your calendar for the final GSL contest in Salt Lake City in Early 2023.  My guess is the best of the best from all over the world will be there. (Just saw an update about it in the contests thread in the General info forum (I think that is where I saw it.))  I will see you there if you make it.

[AmericanMuscleFan]

17 hours ago, butter said:

Hey Francis.  You need to mark your calendar for the final GSL contest in Salt Lake City in Early 2023.  My guess is the best of the best from all over the world will be there. (Just saw an update about it in the contests thread in the General info forum (I think that is where I saw it.))  I will see you there if you make it.

That would be cool Ron!  Salt Lake City is not next door but I will still have a lot of time to think about it.  I agree it would be great to meet you and all of our friends at an in-person show.  Pictures and e-mails are fine, but nothing beats real human contact and our achievements within sight! 😊

Francis

[John M.]

Took me a while to view all of the photos of the build and I'm totally blown away by your work Francis. And a belated welcome to the forum. A great crew here.

[AmericanMuscleFan]

15 hours ago, John M. said:

Took me a while to view all of the photos of the build and I'm totally blown away by your work Francis. And a belated welcome to the forum. A great crew here.

Thanks for your visit and your kind comment John!  The positive side of it all now is that if you come back every now and then it will take less of your time and you will have more for your projects. 

I am always happy to see a new member join the forum and better late than never as they say!

Francis

[Mike Williams]

Francis, you wrote earlier, a few comments above here, this;

"As for the photos, I find that they are often taken too close but I admit that it can help to demonstrate the building steps.  On the other hand, it reveals the flaws..."

This is a wonderful statement!  Taking multiple photos of each and every step of a project build is important to the builder....we need to see mistakes and flaws!  We wish to make a decent and almost exact replica, when the near views are nice....the model can be a sensation!

Only recently have I noticed, with painted parts, the view is better when further away!   METAL....makes the best models look real!

Mike..

[AmericanMuscleFan]

19 hours ago, Mike Williams said:

Francis, you wrote earlier, a few comments above here, this;

"As for the photos, I find that they are often taken too close but I admit that it can help to demonstrate the building steps.  On the other hand, it reveals the flaws..."

This is a wonderful statement!  Taking multiple photos of each and every step of a project build is important to the builder....we need to see mistakes and flaws!  We wish to make a decent and almost exact replica, when the near views are nice....the model can be a sensation!

Only recently have I noticed, with painted parts, the view is better when further away!   METAL....makes the best models look real!

Mike..

Thanks for you continuous support my friend!

I try as much I can to show and explain how I make my parts and the pictures are worth a thousand worlds as they say but I could always take some more of every step but I think it would add more hours to an already very long project.

I will always be willing to explain the steps for a particular part on a case-by-case basis if anyone requests it.

As for the final result, the pressure is on me to deliver the most realistic product possible while being aware that it will not be unanimous...  Everyone's tastes and diversity makes what is done on the forum is proof of this and its reason for existing!

I realize that photography is an art in itself and as with models, we improve with practice and we learn from our mistakes! 😉

Francis

[AmericanMuscleFan]

Hello everyone,

Today's update concerns the front bumper as a continuation of the manufacture of body components.  My first idea was to do it with brass but I realized by looking at pictures on the web that the shape was not flat but with a slight crease in the middle towards the top so I thought it would be easier to do with plastic instead (sorry to disappoint my friends who love yellow metal...).  I will probably use Alclad for the finish and I might add tow hooks later by using the carriage bolts to secure the brackets or by drilling holes in the bumper and securing them to the frame.  I tried to take several pictures of the building process but don't hesitate to ask if you need more information.  Comments and suggestions are welcome.

Francis

The bumper was fabricated overlapping two 0.020'' styrene strips instead of one 0.040'', I have found that this technique makes the corners more rigid and prevents them from losing their shape.

I traced a line with a pencil as a guide and sanded the part on a flat surface to simulate the subtle crease in the middle.

I added a flat part on the back to simulate the license plate embossing and two 0.010'' styrene strips to create the folds on the top and bottom.

I made the brackets with 0.015'' aluminum and the carriage bolts are brass rivets.  Bolts and rivets are from Scale Hardware.

Different view (back side).

A little fitting test to see if everything is correct.

Different view, of course, I will remove the excess of the carriage bolts and I will use aluminum nuts on the final assembly.

With the cabin and front fascia in place. The bumper is a little bit loose and will be closer to the front fascia on final assembly.

[foghorn62]

Looking good Francis!  You mention using aluminum nuts on the brass carriage bolts.  Do the nuts just slip over the bolts and then glue in place, or are they smaller so the softer aluminum threads while twisting over the bolts?

TCOTTC 

 

[butter]

Hi Francis.  Perfectly executed as always!  I will consider the same approach for the bumpers on my F100. 

[Straightliner59]

Oh, man! I love this thing, so much! This body style is probably my favorite pickup. I will say, that, if I was building it, I would go with the base white bumpers/grille, etc. I would also probably go with steelies and dog dish hubcaps. But, then, I'm not a big fan of chrome. No matter what you go with, finish-wise, this truck's a winner, all day, every day. It's b***hin', Francis!

[AmericanMuscleFan]

23 hours ago, foghorn62 said:

Looking good Francis!  You mention using aluminum nuts on the brass carriage bolts.  Do the nuts just slip over the bolts and then glue in place, or are they smaller so the softer aluminum threads while twisting over the bolts?

TCOTTC 

 

Thanks Tim! They are just simulated aluminum nuts (from RB Motion) without threads, they will be lock in place with thin super glue.

Francis

[AmericanMuscleFan]

23 hours ago, butter said:

Hi Francis.  Perfectly executed as always!  I will consider the same approach for the bumpers on my F100. 

Thanks Ron!  I think it's the best way to make that kind of part but I realize that I have mentioned that I used 2 strips of 0.020'' but they were 0.015'' in fact for a total of 0.030''.  It doesn't make a big difference but I wanted to correct the information for those who would like to give this technique a try.  Thin 0.010 '' styrene strips around the edge help produce the illusion that the final part is thinner and more realistic.

Francis

[AmericanMuscleFan]

15 hours ago, Straightliner59 said:

Oh, man! I love this thing, so much! This body style is probably my favorite pickup. I will say, that, if I was building it, I would go with the base white bumpers/grille, etc. I would also probably go with steelies and dog dish hubcaps. But, then, I'm not a big fan of chrome. No matter what you go with, finish-wise, this truck's a winner, all day, every day. It's b***hin', Francis!

Thanks Daniel!  I had initially thought about painting the grille and bumper white but decided to use a light color for the bodywork so chrome will probably be the best option for this scenario.  I thought that a light color will help not to lose the details that I took so long to do all over the place on this project.  I'm not a big fan of chrome either, but sometimes it's an obvious choice, you have to use it with restraint when possible... 😉

Francis