olsbooks

Yup. I'll blame the fuel tank, battery box, and cab mount arrangement along with hood/cab fit. If a fraction of a millimeter off, it snowballs. Sadly, there is no easy way to tell until it is too late. I failed to REALLY scrutinize the cab/hood fit like I should have early on. The cab lean is an attempt to make the two sort of line up. It SHOULD be worse but concealed it the best I could. Heck, most old R Mac's sagged at the cab rear if anything. In short, the hood/cab fit needs LOTS of attention before doing anything else on this kit. That said, if given a do over, I would try to build this thing from the "top down". Build the cab, insert the interior, add cab mounts, tanks, battery boxes, etc., then drop the whole thing as an assembly on the frame. I think it could be done. Then make (if necessary) the frame side portion of the hood hinge pins. That would be easier. Engine fit is another one weak point. I had zero clearance between the rear of the engine and the doghouse thereby having to hollow it out some with the Dremel late in the game. I'll blame this on the front crossmember which holds the front of the engine. There were no notches/pins as to exactly where it goes in the frame rails. Mold seams in this kit are the worst I believe I've ever seen. Most pieces looked like a sandwich with lettuce hanging out between the bun...and its not just flash, they are thick. I'm not trying to rip this kit to shreds (believe it or not), I'm just saying this kit gives no warnings and has no sense of forgiveness. As long as you know this bulldog is eager to bite (or kick up a rear leg on you) from the time you open the box and things will go well. Peace

Box build other than shortening the frame. Decals undecided at this point but leaning towards Ryder ones like from the Cruiseliner. Editorial - The quality of this kit leaves much to be desired. Hoping for a relaxing, simple build, I found it anything but. Clean up and minor imperfections are one thing. Warps, voids, and what appears to be worn out molds are another. Maybe if I was in the mood to spend a month on it and/or known to expect it beforehand, it would have been different. This thing has more last minute superglue and shims trying to get the fuel tanks, battery box, cab/hood to fit than I care to admit...it shows. Yes, it has the potential to be a nice kit....if you don't expect it to fall together. Peace.

This will probably be it for updates for a while but wanted to do one final "set the pieces in place" as somewhat of a parting shot. Hope you all have enjoyed and thank you for all the encouragement over the years..yes years..on this thing. Lord willing, a reappearance will appear on the under glass section before too long but no promises are made. Much to do (and redo) between now and on it and a few other things... My only word of advice goes to those saying they can't. TRY! Budget, talent, and lack of tools are no excuse. Most of you know this thing is built out of junk and honest to goodness garbage on a shoestring budget. If not, please go back and read. Yeah, the critics will always be around and self can be the most ruthless. Fault finding is easy. However, I encourage all to make effort to do and create something and stick with it. Take pride and comfort in that and share the lessons learned along the way so others may do even better in the future. I would for one, would like nothing more than to see one of the "masters" on this forum pull off a 1/16 Bison or General that would put this thing to shame. This thing has come together despite incredible odds. And if I'm capable of a garbage heap glue bomb coming out this well, then yours will be even better. Until next time, peace.

Now those are all neat! . Wonder if it's possible to "clothes line" one and drop the Bison cab/hood/sleeper on it. Delusions of such RC grandeur filled my mind from day one but $ ruled out. Didn't know such an option existed when this project began...but that was 3 years ago and appears to have no end. Thanks for sharing. Peace.

A really nice looking outfit! Please consider sharing some details on how you did the weathering. Peace

Molotowe update. While I'm still sold on this stuff, a word of warning. Don't let any liquid, paste, or anything other than water come into contact with this stuff. I was polishing out some of the black paint on the hood with a very mild auto polish (not a cleaner) and some came into contact with the "chrome". Well, of course, it killed every bit of reflection deciding to turn battleship gray as its means of expressing annoyance to my innocent mistake. While still the cat's meow in terms of reflection, ease, and ability to withstand fumbling by the meathooks, like a cat, this stuff has no sense of humor when given a bath if using soap or shampoo. Ah....the joys of learning things the hard way. Peace.

Was searching around for some 1/16 accessories for my Bison project and happened across this. The Mack Granite is the only "US" truck found (available in several configurations - mixer, fire truck, etc.) and slipped past me all this time somehow. I'm unfamiliar with Bruder however it does appear nice looking and certainly more affordable and easier to modify than the high end metal display models. https://actionfarmtoys.com/collections/1-16-bruder-commercial-vehicles/products/02824-1-16-mack-granite-timber-truck-with-crane I have NOT purchased anything from Bruder or this retailer so don't consider this an endorsement...only a find you may or may not be aware of. Peace

If you opt to "bust" into one of things, go into the back side...not the point and do so before ever using it as designed. The applicator absorbs lots of the "paint" before it gets going. A cut off tool swipe across on the non point end (me thinks) would would be my next attempt. It's thick so a tiny drilled hole wont do. All the rattle balls and complex parts are down the point end extending midway up the pen. Suffice to say a mess resulted discovering all this and major reason for the hasty brush job. On bare plastic, enamel paints, or probably anything other than Alclad/soft paints, the point on the pen point is very good and precise.

While on this topic of movie/TV rigs (and being the GMC nut) does anyone know whatever became of the General from S&B II? I recall GMC had some lofty (no pun intended) goals for that "Generals Quarters" sleeper but darn few built and never released as a regular production option. I cannot recall the builder of it but am quite sure it wasn't Brighton Metal Products (supplier of their regular sleepers). It might have been Bentz but that's only a guess as the layout, features, and styling inside and out was so close to that used by IH on the 4370 and 9370 .

Mike, consider me ever the skeptic yet I'm willing to scream this one from the rooftops as loud as I can. Alclad, Spaz, and BMF have got to be shaking in their boots. If not, they should be. It's absolutely the best find and money spent for model building I can think of in 40 plus years! I tried for years to come up with my own formula using all sorts of toxic nasties, electrical charges and so forth hoping to make millions. Regardless, whatever this stuff is, they did, they nailed it. Get good with it and one could start a small business doing everything from real auto trim, antique touch up, crazy fingernail paintings, etc etc etc and do very well. It has some durability to it too but I have not pushed it. I'm still just drooling over the results (as you can tell) and this was my first attempt. If Mr. Murphy and his law are going to sneak in like usual, he'd better do it soon. About the only problems left (in my case due to thickness) are cracking or yellowing over time. And if I can do this good with it on a hack job, what the experts with budget, tools and good eye/hand coordination will pull off boggles my mind. In a word....revolutionary. Forget the model as nothing is cleaned up/all just hanging in place. Look at the results! Bumper, grille area, muffler and quarter fender. The pix still don't do it justice and blame the flash. The tanks were chrome plated plastic from lug nut covers. The stack is a true chromed copper water supply line Peace

Brian, it's is the greatest thing I've run across in years. I'll post some better pix in a few days once some things are cleaned up/assembled. I expected this stuff to be a huge disappointment or turn to BLAH_BLAH_BLAH_BLAH after a few days. NOT SO! I'm looking at the bumper and quarter fenders right next to the fuel tanks/chrome lug nut covers and struggle to see much difference. It's as good as any chrome that comes in a kit IMO. Just give it lots of time to dry. It took me two $10 pens to get every bit of external chrome. One might have done it but I clunked around and experimented first. One pen should easily handle everything on a "typical" 1/25 scale semi if well thought out and you are "ready to go". If anyone has airbrushed this stuff, it would be nice to know their results. Unrelated: I'm bombing out on making the driver and passenger seats from scratch. If anyone has (2) 1/16 KW or Pete seats available (perhaps high back buckets from car?) or any other idea's, it would be much appreciated. Peace.

Found some slightly smaller chrome lug nut covers (33mm) so the fuel tanks have been redone. Much better in my opinion. New steps as well. The greatest "discovery" however was splurging into a Molotow chrome pen. They are expensive so consider yourself warned and Hobby Lobby stocks only the smaller diameters. Anyway, after a bit of playing, I cut the back off the pen and dumped the contents into a small plastic container (those used at Wendy's to hold ketchup are great) and brushed it on. Whoah! This stuff WORKS!. It doesn't show well in the pix but here to say it is by far the best and easiest thing around! There is a Molotow "refill" available online and says it can be airbrushed though I don't know what they thinned it with, pressure, etc. Sorry Alclad and BMF, you just lost me. Drawbacks? VERY slow drying time and on the thick side - about like Testors paint. 2 days is recommended for drying but (so far) seems to flow out minor brush marks. The quarter fenders, mirrors, air cleaner cap, and bumper are all done with this mess slopped on and allowed to flow and dry. The grill surround and grille have been done also I but did not want to risk bumping them around for pix. Tanks straps and steps are NOT done with this stuff. They are just bare aluminum. Incredible stuff! No "perfect" surface required like Alclad or BMF but like I said, kind of thick so it will fill fine details :-( and also imperfections :-) . Spend $10 a buy one to try. You owe it to yourself. Just have everything you want to chrome ready so you can do it in one shot if you bust into the pen like I did and opt for the brush. I literally poured a couple of drops on the bumper, evened it out with a few quick strokes and walked away. Use no more brush strokes than absolutely necessary if you go this route. I was having trouble with the supplied pen tip grabbing the Alclad and softening up the Wicked Colors black paint. One website recommended NOT using tape on it saying it will tear once dry. Given as thick as I laid it on, I'm sure that would be true in my case. I, therefore, had little choice but to free-hand the hood chrome and will have to go back and work on the black but have (hopefully) an ace in the hole on that one. Gloss black decal paper. I may wind up doing a whole new hood before its all said and done. This stuff makes it worth it. Wish I'd known about this stuff about 2 years ago. Like I say, the picture don't do this stuff justice at all for some reason. I set the quarter fenders by the fuel tanks and cannot tell the difference. You can easily and clearly make out the letters on a coin in its reflection. I've never been able to get that much out of Alcad and BMF and I don't play well together on complex shapes. Peace.

Good point Warren! Those fenders and even the cab might make real good starting points. Hmmmmmm.

Some may see junk. I see a resourceful genius at work. Much of it looks as if it came from the rides toted around on old traveling carnivals. Pure mechanical mayhem. Only those with "issues" dared operate it, knew its many quirks, and could somehow keep it running. Making sausage in other words. I long for those days knowing it was a good way for some of us mechanical and electrical burnouts to actually EARN a living. Thanks for sharing.

Nice build! You have been pulling off some really unique creations lately. Keep it up! Now for an unsolicited opinion that will likely hurt somebody's feelings. I remember seeing a handful of these hideous things as an urchin calling them the ugliest truck on the road to my dad and him laughing. But in the 1960's, it seems every auto manufacturer that built semi's sent rejects from the styling department to handle COE's. Amazing what a difference 50 years make....well....err...okay, they're still ugly to me....but now chuckle and miss them.

Looks like a Brockway model 251. A model 361 would be a good starting point for the cab and fenders. The hood and grille would be the biggest challenge. There is an active Brockway hysterical society.

While everything is just resting in place or taped in, its enough to provide an overall view. Lots still to do but its getting there. Grille was redone (about the 10th time) and finally satisfied with it. It will remain stationary with the radiator when the hood tilts. I knew that drop frame from the KW was going to bite me and did all I could to raise the bumper and have it and the grille sized right. The grill is still too tall and bumper too low but attacking that was beyond my pay grade. Ah, the cost of compromise! Tanks look way too big without the steps (and are) but are just hanging on by the straps over the frame rails. The search goes on for lug nut covers one size smaller. Peace

I mean this only in the most positive way...when people pull off works like this it frightens me! Absolutely amazing!

Really like this, Brian. Maybe I missed it but did you scratch build the fuel tanks? Those (along with the spokes) really set this thing off nicely. And talk about trying to put a lion in a litter box! If you didn't have pix and specs of the real thing I'd say there was no way. I pity the poor slob stuck with doing an in-frame overhaul on it. While I'm quite sure Carolina Freight never spent money for a 3406, (much less padded door panels or much of anything else) with that air deflector, it sure does remind me of them. Just put a "half" bumper on it and away we go. Really nice job. BTW - here is a really nice creation rig like I speak of in 1:87 scale http://www.1-87vehicles.org/photo532/ford_lnt9000_carolina.php .

Finally finished... (less rigging)..sorry about the blur.

Back from the dead. Sleeper had to get a whole "redo". What's the saying "measure twice/cut once?" Well, I was way off. Anyway, here is the new one. I still botched it as it is about 1/4 inch too tall but it will do. Looks better and doors came out a lot cleaner. In keeping with penny budget, the interior is the epitome of sleep cheap. The mattress is the dense foam used to stuff flowers into a vase. It makes a nice texture and is easy to shape. Upholstery otherwise is painted sandpaper, painted duct tape and painted used plastic plates. Prime, then black, then red (thin). I apply awash with highly diluted black watercolor. It gives it a nice "sheen" but not too much, pulls out some detail, and has that "oxblood leather" type appearance common in the day. Detail doesn't show good in pix but it is all ribbed and actually not bad. The pillow is one of those tiny bags of absorbent found inside aspirin bottles. The front wall of the sleeper interior is still to do, trim on luggage door to finish and still have to go back and paint the "vent" but using a piece of long stiff wire as a single hinge pin, can easily apply/remove doors. Trying to fabricate seats is going to be tricky but the sandpaper and duct tape might work if I can get it to stick to the flower foam. We shall see. Otherwise, grille surround, grille, bumper, and hood have been redone/repainted in hopes some Molotowe chrome one day. Darn black paint and flash....dust. The paint job is clean. Peace

This creature is based on the US version of the International 9670 series introduced in the early/mid 1980's. Don't see many around anymore but there was a set back axle version offered in the US though I dont recall ever seeing a double bunk version. (I am NOT saying they didn't exist....just never saw one myself) . JB Hunt and Schneider had quite a few with raised roofs and the full aerodynamic package. Check on truckpaper.com for an IH 9800 found in the land down under. It's still around and been refined a bit. The flush turn signal lenses are a good indicator it is a later version.

Thanks for the comments. The red one cleaned up pretty good. "Reaming out the horns and lights?" Nah. A little cheap water base paint slopped inside the horns and orange with clear over the top on the lenses. I'm too lazy and cheap for much more than that. Thing 4 turned out real good and went for the full "drama" shot. It is actually dark blue and went together with no fuss. I normally weather and beat up models but the guy wanted a shiny one so here ya go.. For the pix, I just put a couple of layers of green painters tape over the flash. Cue Twighlight Zone music. Just a hint of camera shake really whacked the stacks and several other pieces out I can only guess as everything is straight. I promise!!!!! It was a long exposure. Then again, maybe it was the death ray from Andromeda. . Ahhh, night shots. Always enjoyed doing those. Hides a multitude of sins - doesn't make them go away but something to be said for the cover of darkness when it comes to a plastic model kit anyway.. Peace .

Very cool builds! Nice shots. Even better stories! Well, the dude that wanted thing 1 and thing 2 wants 2 Petes now. Far from lucrative but it keeps me out of jail or the insane asylum and covers material costs. I got to go back and work on the Peterbilt emblems a bit and straighten the visor,otherwise call it done and another slam together pure stock build. Like many have said over the years, getting the wheels/rims to align on these kits is a pain. On the rears, I simply left out the "spacer" between the duals. It is such a thin gap only the rivet counters will ever notice and eliminates a lot of misery while helping out looks quite a bit. The other thing was the "pin" used on the headlight lenses really screws up their appearance. I simply shaved it off, scuffed the entire back side of the lens with 400 grit and glued it in. The "divider bar" is just a quick swipe of silver with a toothpick. One of those little things that does not take much skills or money but makes a big difference IMO. Peace.

In days past I used to do HO. You have pulled off a heck of a nice job on some tiny tiny stuff! Consider moving the thread over to the under glass section. Peace