dptydawg

I agree that the 4430 builds into a nicer model than the 310 out of the box. The backhoe needs to have some pivot points hinged and a few missing hydraulic rams added, then it it builds into a more impressive model. Carl

Good idea to expand the hobby room, Pat. However it will probably soon fill up again. Junk seems to follow the gas laws and expands to fill the available space I like your collection on plates especially the NWT and Expo67 ones. Carl

Nice job on the JD. It is a very interesting kit. It is most unfortunate that Ertl quit making 1/25th scale agricultural models. Carl

Thanks Guys for all the positive comments. I didn't think that it looked right with the small tires on the rear. Those tires will not go to waste though. I think they are the perfect size to put under a snowmobile trailer. That will be a future build. Thanks Carl

I picked up a Tamyia Toyota Hiace van kit awhile back. The van is right hand drive, has tiny rear dual tires and larger front tires. I decided that the most likely use for this vehicle in Canada would be as a mail delivery truck. I built it with larger rims and tires both front and back. I had to alter the rear suspension slightly to get a level stance. After I got it painted I some how misplaced the rear door panel. Its large red with blue and white stripes and gone???. So I fabricated a roll up door as a replacement. Since the body was already painted I left the hinge halves on the side panels. The ribbed sides were difficult to mask cleanly and there is a bit of bleed through on the edges. The graphics are printed on plain paper and covered with packing tape then attached with 2 sided tape Thanks for looking Carl

Great looking model. I'm a bit partial to Plum Crazy with white stripes and dog dish caps. I have a pair of 1;1's in the garage Carl

JT, That's another impressive build to add to your orange fleet. The Lonestar looks right under that rolling parking lot. Carl

Excellent craftsmanship. The tour through your build pictures is pure art at its best. What a great model! Carl

This model started out as a 1/24th scale Monogram 2 in 1 Street Machine. Its basicly a T/A with some extra goodies. I tried to convert it into an SE addition with some extra goodies also. The back window was closed in to SE size and a vinyl roof was added from masking tape. The T/A exhaust was converted into a scratch built dual resonators and muffler system.. I added torque boxes to the sub-frame and a headliner and roof consul. I used the T/A hood without the scoop and scratch built the shaker air cleaner. It has a parts box Hemi auto. The paint is MM British Racing Green Metalic and the roof is some cheep shade of nail polish. Thanks for looking Carl

Since we have been chatting about Ertl's tractor kits, would it be worth while to start a string that displays our 1/25th-ish ag models? . There could be some interesting scratch builds and kit bashes out there. There was a rumour awhile ago that Heller was coming out with a 1/24th scale Ferguson tractor, but I haven't seen anything about it lately. Carl

This is a Cherry Bomb muffler that I turned out of a 5mm plastic knitting needle Carl

I use a rubber lid gipper to hold the bottle and a jar opener that I bought from Lee Valley to open stuck lids. If excessive force is required I hold the lid under hot tap water which softens the paint and allows lid removal. Carl

Great job of scratch building the loader and blade. Its good to see built up models of Ertl's tractor series. It should look good when you finish weathering everything Carl

Hey Gator, I resemble that remark. I find that there is a lot of potential in diecast models. They offer subject mater that doesn't appear in plastic. plastic parts are easily combined with diecast metal using Ca or epoxy glues. Check out some of the work done by the Reid brothers in Model Cars Magazine. The Power Wagon in the display case looks like one of the Ertl diecasts. It is a very well detailed model and comes in several versions. Thanks Carl

As far as I know John Deere paints are only available through JD dealerships. TSC store brand tractor paints are way less than wonderful and I wouldn't recommend them for modeling. Their paint is often followed by a dip in the purple bath.. Carl

I'm a big fan of John Deere Blitz Black. it is available at JD dealers and goes straight onto styrene without the need for primer. Carl

You're coming along nicely, J.T. Its too bad that RoG scrimped on the detail on the power plant. I guess since it is not very visible they didn't bother with it. Looking forward to more progress carl

Pat Your floor looks more like painted concrete than the sandpaper did. I might suggest that you put in a couple expansion joints though. On large floors they're usually 24 to 30 feet apart. the doors look good Carl

Thanks Howard I hope to be there. I'm not sure if I will have anything to enter this year, but I'm sure that you will try to separate me from my money Carl

Congratulations Pat on a very well engineered and crafted model. The Dodge L700 id not an easy kit to build and you have mastered it. Great scratch building and kit bashing. It looks like it belongs in your engine shop. Well Done Carl

I'm waiting for the Heller Ferguson tractor to make an appearance. Carl

Good news that Tim is not retiring completely. St Mary's is actually closer for me but it is a bit off the beaten paths that I usually follow. The last time I was in McCormick's it was a sad place with barren shelves. Carl

Hi Pat Somehow I missed this project. Just noticed it this morning. You are doing your usual terrific job of scratch building and kit bashing. I like where you are going with the V-10. Way back when I had a Dodge 2500 with a V-10 and 5 gear. I was a great driving truck. I liked that engine better than my hemis. Keep up the great work Carl

If you go to a large Mopar show you'll see about a dozen different shades of Plumb Crazy even though they all specced paint code FC7. Every paint supplier seems to have a slightly different tint. I think that the colour on my Challenger is close to Chrysler original paint code. The right rear rim is factory original paint. The paint on the other rims is a slightly different shade from the paint on the body but both are supposed to be plumb crazy. thanks Carl

Nice restoration work on those diecasts. I think there is 1/25th scale version of a D17 Allis out there some where. I believe that it is a plastic diecast. I haven't found one yet that was for sale at price I was willing to pay though. I have built the there Ertl tractor kits and the IH and |JD plows. I've never seen the kit of the Massey plow. I've also restored a couple 1/25th scale Ertl diecast construction models. Diecast is a bit of a challenge to work with but the results can be quite impressive. Carl