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2023 Group Build - AMT 1/32 W900 Aerodyne


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This is my offering for the GB. It's your usual AMT mix of the good and the bad. Paint and colour schemes seem a long way off, there's just a big list of things to fix first. I decided to go for this rather than the Monogram kit because the overall proportions are better. If you look at the Monogram the cab greenhouse is far too big and the wheels are dwarfed in the massive front fenders. The wheels on the AMT don't look right but that can be fixed by adding Monogram wheels. Also, the AMT has two air cleaners, the Monogram only one. The fuel tanks are more accurate on the AMT whereas the Monogram are just their generic renditions. How far I intend to go with this is unknown at this point, let's just say my usual adjustments. 

First off the front windows are the wrong shape [square at the top outer corners!] and have no seal detail around them and that's one of the main things that identifies a W900 for me, so I shaped the top of the openings with a round file and added the "rubber" using 1mm square strip and shaping it at the corners. I tried shaping the strip gradually but I found the adhesive caused it to crack and tear so I opted for the sections at angles and will shape them. I'll double up at the corners to give me space for the arc. 

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Edited by Rockford
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Looks good. I had a lot of fun building mine I cut off everything needed off of the AMT frame and transferred it to a Monogram Freightliner frame and it fit perfectly. Here’s you a couple pics to look at how it turned out if you decided to go this route. AB498549-147E-481B-B1AF-DFDC05D99758.jpeg.961f40362068bbb40d5487c1bd89f85d.jpeg43AF68DA-27CB-4170-9D93-748F442F9BE1.jpeg.d291c7de8a504712f17219269edd9a4c.jpeg

Edited by Pete68
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Had an opportunity to get stuck into the KW. Had to sort out the awful 5th wheel setup. The 5th wheel itself is an excellent rendition of a Holland cast unit but the mounting is poorly executed. Built a sliding unit as per my AMT K100. Works great and is 3mm lower than the kit setup. I'll add a little cast bracing underneath the plate for realism. 

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Reshaped the chassis rear end. Cut off the fuel tank brackets to move them forward so that they're centralised under the sleeper. Removed the suspension mounts for the rubber suspension.

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Freed the Reyco steel spring suspension from the Monogram chassis and will set it backwards rather than trim the end off the rails. 

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Edited by Rockford
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Next step was mudflaps because that would determine where the tandems sat. Drilled the chassis and did my usual aluminium tube and electrician's tape. 

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I cut four pieces of 90 degree angle and sat them on the suspension hangars. They'll act as supports while I work on the chassis. 

Added quarter fenders from the Monogram Freightliner cabover. Finished the sliding 5th wheel off. 

Couldn't work with the AMT bumper so used the one off the Monogram K100, looks much better. 

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Cut the sleeper steps off and fitted them to the cab floor with braces like the original, looks better and is much stronger. 

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Finished the windshield rubbers, look good, just need a little rounding out, I'll do that when I'm rubbing the cab down. Looks more like a W900 now. 

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Edited by Rockford
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2 hours ago, Dutzie said:

I’ve never been much of a fan of the 1/32 scale kits but you are really making me reconsider. Nice work. 

Thanks sir.

I'm not the greatest fan either but it's a space and cost thing for me. I'd much rather build the classic AMT kits that I had when I was a kid but I've not got any room, let alone the £60 per kit. So, I've learned to enjoy doing the many, many mods required to make the 1/32 kits look credible, it's a challenge that keeps me absorbed. 

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Did a bit today. Used ali tube to form a pogo stick. Drilled the mount ready to accept the hoses. The 5th wheel plate will hide the tube for the quarter fenders. 

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Did some filling and shaping on the rear axles. It takes a few goes to make them look credible, I just use whatever shrapnel is on the bench and fits, then some filler to smooth it off. Fabbed sleeper mounts so I can cut the tab off the back wall when I'm ready. Made a closing panel across the rear of the chassis to hide the tube for the mudflaps. 

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Filled the mirror mount holes in the door because they're just wrong. I filed sprue down to the right size and plugged the holes. I'll fill them too of course. 

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Test fitted the Monogram gull-wing front bumper, and it transforms the look of the truck. I realise now that you could make a credible Movin'On truck out of this kit with a bit of work.

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When I first opened this kit I was horrified with the execution of it, but a bit of work has made look like a proper W900. The basic dimensions are spot on. I just hope I don't ruin it! 

I'm actually toying with the idea of opening the hood and building an engine from scratch. I'm not sure though. 

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Got off to a slow start this weekend. Wanted to make a proper-looking KW visor for the cab. Custom ones are easy, you just bend a piece of aluminium, but try as I may I couldn't for the life of me get the shape of the factory visor out of ali. I ended up building one out of plastic stock pieces and there's NINE pieces in this one visor. I'm very pleased with the result though, looks right. 

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Also built a two piece propshaft with a centre bearing, air tanks mounted on the fuel tank brackets, a cab floor and firewall. I jammed a kit exhaust stack on just for show, sits right against the cab wall and doesn't look right at all. 

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I was having breakfast this morning and pondering my KW. It just didn't look right, what is it? Battery boxes! 

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They're far too shallow. Looking at photos of the truck in the original KW brochure I worked out it needed about 5mm added. The diamond plate detail doesn't carry over on to the front of the box so I was not worried about losing detail. I cut the bottom step off each side with a hobby knife and added some 5mm square tube.

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Once it was set, I realised I'd added too much and it needed to come out at about 3mm so I had to take a hacksaw to my work. Painful but successful. 

Added the bottom step back on and shaped a piece of square rod into the triangular extension on the top step. Overall, the look is so much more correct to the eye. 

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Not much done today other than add brake chambers to the rear tandems and some underside details on the fifth wheel. You can see the copper wire snake o had to add to get it to fall backwards every time. The pull handle made it front heavy. 

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Edited by Rockford
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  • 2 weeks later...

Tried the kit glass in the cab today and it really wasn't going to cut the mustard. With adding the weatherstripping to the aperture it makes the glass even more recessed. Also there's no wiper detail. I had a spare Monogram T600 windshield piece, so I separated the panes and filed each one down until they sat in the recesses almost flush. However, they kept dropping out and going wonky so I had a moment of genius! I decided that the driver would have both sunvisors turned down on a sunny day. I made two and glued them in place. Then I glued a piece of scrap against the lower edge to finish the dash and I now had two ledges to push the glass up against. The results are good. Then I dropped one of the panes, stepped on it and broke the bottom of the wiper arm off. Miraculously found the tiny broken piece, picked it up and dropped it again. Can't find it now. I can't repeat my thoughts but I'll look again tomorrow. 

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Kit mufflers and stacks were atrocious so made my own from aluminium tube and plastic tube. Fabbed some brackets from C section and got them glued in place. I can pull the stacks out when they are set firm, will paint the mufflers with the cab and then find some aluminium tube to slide over them.

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Also drilled the holes for four grab handles off the T600. So small progress, but progress nonetheless. 

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I'm just so glad I went for this one and not the Monogram Snap Tite version because this has the hood and cab dimensions bob-on, though at first it looks much worse than the Monogram. I'd have a an impossible job trying to make the Monogram look right I reckon, and I couldn't bear a W900 that went off half cocked. 

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Snatched some time this afternoon. I'm a very slow worker though. Knocked up an exhaust pipe for the stacks that runs off along the frame. Just used sprue and a candle to make the slow bends. If you are cautious with applying the heat you can get the piece pliable without it becoming too soft. Just a gentle application of pressure until it's the angle you want. The downpipes were quite complex because they use several twists as well as bends but with a bit of patience I knocked them out first time. 

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Also did the amber lights on the front fenders. I've described how I do it before in my 352 build but this time I used clear sprue because that's all I had, and added a little sliver of wire insulation to each pigtail to make a pedestal effect. I'm really pleased with them. 

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  • 2 weeks later...

I've reached a bit of a hiatus with this project because I don't know where I'm going to go next. I'm thinking of building a Cummins for it and making the hood tilt but I'm worried I might ruin it. 

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I threw the air filters together and fiddled with the bumper mounting. Also bent up a half fender out of aluminium but I'm not sure if I want to use it. What do you lads think?

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