10thumbs

KJ, I think I see it sticking out on the bottom of the last tire. Nice model! Which kit is it? I like it.

Thanks for the insight Steve. With this info I think I can turn my attention to AMT kits as well. Plus the opportunity for aftermarket resin wheels (like from KJ) may really open up possibilities. I've checked ebay in Germany and there are Revells, a couple of AMT'S and Italeri's (1:24) to be had. All buy now, no auctions. Pricey too. Next step for me is to research which trucks were 70's era.

Hi Greg, that 65 is a beauty! I'll bet your project now will be too. A really good looking Mopar!

Those are really clean builds Clayton, looking good.

So what's your problem? You wrote not to forget valve stems. I replied essentially that I don't see any sense in valve stems so I'll pass in the future.

I think too the thing with the valve stems is overrated. On the last two builds I cast the wheels in steel and the puny stems are so small I have to turn a bright light on and put the car in my face to even see the silly things. I think if they're that small, I can't see them, then I don't need them either. If I make them visible, then the scale is out of whack and no tire has a stem as thick as a fat cigar, 'cause that's what the scale would be like. So, at least for cars in 1:25 I won't bother with them again. Interesting too, on the pics I took of the car, none of them show the stems. 2 are black, the other 2 are shiny brass (forgot to paint them!). Neither is visible.

Thanks guys, I'm really touched by your comments, I wasn't expecting much notice over here in this obscure area. Wooden model ships are my 1st love in the modeling world. I was apprehensive about showing. These models mean an awful lot to me and I was afraid someone would knock something and I'd have to pull out my knives and have a brawl. You know, while sitting at a bench for more than a year with each model, life around you goes on and things happen around you during a project. Since these vessels have been around me on my walls for more than 40 years, lots has happened. Good and bad, sad and happy. That's life, and these old friends have been with me the daily. I don't think I'm up to finishing another of my favorites, as Bill mentioned, a boat from the Chesapeake Bay. Probably the main shipping area of American maritime culture. The Baltimore Clipper is one that is a very important vessel in our history. Sleek and fast, and very sharp looking, a real beauty and one of a kind. Tom, I don't feel up to it anymore either! Maybe when I'm fully retired, but then again I can't imagine being only at home. I have to still go to my shop or go nuts. Bill, that sounds like quite a rare piece, those NE Schooners are a dream, a beautiful design. Dave, good luck and fair weather for your project. Artesania Latina have nice kits, I'd of grabbed one at 60% too. Luckily, I have only one un-built kit up in the attic. Peteski and Sam, thanks for the nice comments guys. Very much appreciated! TJ, good luck with your fine ship, you'll be enjoying it for a long time, so get those lines attached and be proud. Thanks all, Michael

Thanks Gator for your input. I'm really getting ready to get my 1st truck on the bench. I'm just nuts about details, and making them visible. I know well the cost of extras that come up. The very small car on my avatar is a scratch build, all done in metal, and a bit more costly than out of the box. But this is the way it has to be, so be it. No looking back now. The wheels KJ show, and the way Brian explains, is the way it has to be. I'll more than likely do it this way too, 'cause I like the look. With some time I'll zero in on the kit, I'm a rookie, but the Freightliner COE is looking good as well as a couple of others. Thanks for looking here. Michael

Bill, cleaning these big models can be a problem. I have one of those old Cutty Sark models. Like you, early 70's. Still good, still being cleaned every couple of years. I fill the bathtub up with hot soapy water, then the old ship gets sunk. I have others as well, same procedure. Move it around under water and and there she blows! Cotton swabs and a variety of fine brushes, some compressed air is not bad either to get it dry again. They get clean, even the decals remain. The rigging takes time, a small stiffer type brush does well here. The crud gets off, not to worry. @TJ, please excuse the hijack.

@KJ....Oh boy, first I have an explosion view of the rear wheel environment, plus a pretty cool looking wheel setup. So now I'm thinking, those parts there, cast in metal, with each part having a slightly different finish....is exactly along the lines of what I'm looking for. Plus rubber tires. Good stuff! (Geez, how many sets do I need for a nice kit? Like maybe the Diamond Reo from AMT). 4 in the back, 1/2 up front? Dang, trucks are expensive.

Hi guys, Every once and a while I'll have a look on this forum too. I'm an old ship freak, been building them for more than 40 yrs. Here a few pics of my last finished wooden ship, a scratch build from 6 yrs. ago. It's a Hermaphrodite Brig, yep, you read it right! The tackle is a bit different than a schooner Brig, because the foremast has only yard arms, the 2nd mast has a schooner rig. These were fast merchant ships that needed lesser crew members than other types of this class. The ship model is 30" long overall and is rigged for a longer stay in harbor. The yards are lowered, as the sails have been stored away. The hull is doubled planked with the outer planking a mahogany copy called sapelli. This wood has a nice grain and is easy to cut accurately. I stained the wood so that it fits on the antique English pyramid mahogany Commode it sits upon. This model is entirely scratch built, I used partially the Artesania Latina model "Le Hussard" as a reference to proportions, the said model is not one of my favorites though by any means. I like the scale, 1:50. This is a real nice size to work on, the model is hefty and has a size that allows mega detailing if wished, or a bit more moderate as is my choice always. For instance, lots of guys like to have the ropes all wound up and hanging down to the deck all coiled up. This is of course good looking, but a pita to clean. I tie them off at the railing or wherever, and cut the ends off. Once every couple of years I'll give the ships a good shower. The wood withstands, the extra rope hanging around doesn't. This is just my opinion. The rigging does function by the way. If I add sails I could lower and raise them at will. Exception being, I cut the ends off. See above text. The 1st pic is older, the others are just a couple of years old. The ship sits up on a shelf above my present bench and along the wall. There is a whole fleet of ships on these shelves, I thought I'd like to show one of them. I like old sailing vessels, it's an absolutely satisfying hobby and I can highly recommend going in this direction if you have time and enjoy researching and are a friend of Naval History. Our country was born and succeeded because of ships like these. Michael

So I take it KJ sells these parts too? KJ, you have mail. Brian, the hub....I assume the shiny clamps with nuts squeeze onto the inner flange sticking up just inside the rim. Right? OK, I don't understand the spacer deal on the rears. Double tires, is the inside wheel made different than the outside wheel? I mean the inner part of the outer wheel goes up against the same, or is the inner wheel a different animal altogether? Oh boy, I have a feeling things are getting close! Ordering soon guys.

An excellent trio. As always very cleanly built and gorgeous paint. You do very nice work and I enjoy seeing these.

Hi Bob, I agree with Wayne, the brown tone is a killer for sure! A real Mopar color from the day. Our Mopars always loved colors. Black was cool, enough Chebbies though had that shade. Lord must have wanted Mopars to have color because they look so good in about any shade Ma made. The medium blue you speak of is also a favorite of mine. So cool. When I was doing my 64 Dodge model I couldn't find the right shade. Good too you get the ride height up, the look is just the way it should be. I like this. Michael

Thanks Brian, that's some valuable insight. As far as the kits are concerned, are Dayton wheels 2 piece? I can't imagine those massive pieces are done as a single wheel. Guys, here's the scoop. I like casting parts, wheels for instance in metal. I'm after great details, and you just can't beat metal. Nothing more real looking on a model than metal. Should the Dayton wheels be 2 pieces at least, then those things will look utterly fantastic on a model. The rears too. So, next question, 1 piece on the models or 2 or more parts?

Hi TJ, absolutely, I'm only liking to help you out, good that you see it as such. Ships are extremely intricate and it takes, my opinion lots of time and something that cannot be rushed. I've built lots of tall ships, a good one takes many, many months. I don't have the patience anymore, but I've decided to make kind of an Admirality Model for my current project, the Dos Amigos, a fine Brigg more than 3 ft. long. I'll finish the hull and only the lower masts, no yards, but full rigging from the mast down. Just not right now. Ships are just magnificent models.

Hi Bob, welcome to the forum! What a cool project, you're doing a fine job on a car a lot of us wish was offered. I really like the 63 Mopar Super Stocks, Dodges too. I found on my Lindberg Dodge the doorposts were a tad too wide, read out of scale. I filed mine down with a fine fingernail file and the deal looked immediately better. My opinion. The glass still fit behind the door but be careful. Have you figured out the ride height yet? Beautiful work! Michael

Just Excellent! I have to keep coming back. Steven, could you please write a few words how you do your Alclad? I've tried numerous times, but a dull aluminum, or half shiny aluminum is the best I can get. Very frustrating. The parts are clean and smooth. Then gloss black, then Alclad. I shake the bottle thoroughly too, then as quick as possible pore it into the air brush pot, then shoot it once. No success. Any thoughts? Michael

F12 is the highest for Windows-type Notebooks and PC's. I could probably assign an F key to zoom, but I've never had any problems before. This one time it's fixed, so for the future I can handle it. I wasted more than an hour of free time though, computers can be aggravating sometimes. (Especially when one is not an expert).

TJ, it appears the bowsprit is bent upwards. There's too much tension from the rigging. I really think you should do more standing rigging for the masts before you continue further with the sails. The model will look much better too. I know the amount of rigging for this ship is overwhelming at first, but step by step will get you a beauty. This is a difficult ship to build, but you don't have to do all of the rigging. Even 50% of the standing rigging is enough to make it a model you'll enjoy seeing for decades. Use black lines for the standing rigging.

Thanks guys, I'm learning step by step. Like different wheel choices available with the kits. That's good. EDIT: I think KJ meant available in the real world, 1:1. Also, the ones I'm looking for are called "Dayton" wheels. I like them because I think they'd make for nice detailing on my 1st model truck. The rear wheels especially. Now if the Daytons are 6 spoked too, I have no idea. Mark and Brian, I just checked out the Diamond Reo, an AMT kit. That does look about right for me. Somewhere too I think I saw a White Freightliner with the Dayton wheels. Now I have to see what kit the truck is from. I really don't know much about truck kits. Any recommendations from you guys would be great.

Got it! Fixed! I went to View, Zoom, then Zoom Text Only. Ctrl ++. The text zoomed in increments till it's OK now.

Hi Jesse, I use Firefox. This site is the only thing I'm having problems with. Nothing has been changed, no browser updates in the last week or so. This morning all was normal. Now it's not. I don't get it. The size appears to be about 5.

All o f a sudden the writing is so small I need a magnifying glass to read the print. It's only on this website, no where else on my Apps or other sites. How can I change the settings for this site?

Hi guys, In my ongoing question series, 'bout Diesels and big Trucks, I'd like to know which ones had those 5 or 6 spoked wheels up front? I'm thinking about starting to build big trucks, mainly just the tractor so I'd like to zero in on a definite model or two. Also, I'm a helpless soul when it comes to Alclad chrome. My technique just flat stinks, so i figure the spoked wheels cast in metal then a brushed metal finish would look good. If conventional or COE, doesn't really matter right now. I'd just like to get my feet wet for starters. Thanks in advance, Michael