redneckrigger

Extremely nice work and absolutely perfect color combo!

Well, it's about to the time where I have to do the piping and figure out the proper order of paint vs. assembly. So, here's a photo of what I have so far, and my punch list which will undoubtedly have a few detours along the way. I had to make a choice of making it look like it had been repainted along the way, and all of the hoses got painted too, or install the hoses after it's painted. I am going to shoot for paint, then do the hoses. I hope to do very minor weathering but not a lot. Also shown here since I didn't really do a good job on photos when I built it, is the boom and all of it's sections. This shows the extension cylinders, their attachment points, and gives a better idea of how it works, exactly like the original. The main boom has the cylinder inside, underneath section 2. Section two extends from the main. Section 3 has tandem cylinders, one atop the other, one extending out each end of the section. It pushes itself out of section 2 and pushes section 4 out of itself. The cylinders inside sections 2, 3, and 4 are hidden when assembled. A lot of the hoses are hidden within the frame and boom, but I'm going to make it look as true to the original as I can.

Since this not only has full four wheel hydraulic steering, it also has conventional mechanical steering on the front axle, so just added that too. Added the gauge bezels to the dashboard, will apply decals and epoxy lenses after paint. Guess it's just about time to start installing all of the hydraulic lines.......probably going to be a mile of 'em! Here's a mockup of progress so far.

The levers are telephone wire with epoxy knobs. Lots of them for sure. Four outriggers, rear steer, swing, low line speed, intermediate line speed, main boom extend, aux boom extend, boom raise/lower, on the floor is rear drive selector, forward/reverse, throttle and gear selector, e-brake, foot controls are brake, inching control and accelerator. It can get REAL busy in there!

Well, I seem to have gotten by the last month of builders block due to life events, and am now finally getting somewhere with the operator's station. Got the hydraulic controls, levers, dash and seat all finalized. Lots of tiny details to add but it's finally getting there. The new cab was definitely worth doing and looks like it is supposed to. Made the control levers from telephone wire with epoxy dipped knobs.

Looking great so far. Glad to see that the Napa body is finding a home on a Brockway..............perfect!

Nice conversion job! I miss the diecasts from Danbury and Franklin Mint.

I started building models with my Dad, back when I was 7 or 8 in the very early 60's. Still have a couple pieces of one of my first cars, a 1961 SMP Pontiac. Dad was the CO of the local National Guard unit, and built models of the armor and light skinned vehicles they had in his unit. I probably destroyed all of them as he built them, but we had fun, and he just built more. That just started a life long addiction to plastic that has lasted almost 60 years. I slowed down in high school, but started up again in college, and went kind of crazy in my early to mid 20's, becoming a collector, one who had to have at least one of everything made. I've always been a gearhead, owning perhaps 150 cars and various trucks during my life, being a mechanic and repairman and painter for a construction company, and then owning my own garage and bodyshop business. I wanted one of everything in REAL cars as well, but, alas, I ran out of space and $$$, not in that order. So, I continued collecting and building to scratch the itch of wanting one of everything. In the early 90's, I purged my collection, selling off about 4000 unbuilt kits to finance the building of a 55 x 100 full service garage and bodyshop. But, I kept building and kept a few kits along the way. I also have, for some reason, an obsession for the world of miniatures, be it 1/25th scale, 1/87th scale Roco armor, (sold my collection of about 5000 pieces a couple years ago), HO scale trains, or anything in smaller than life scale. I love the old muscle cars, Mustangs, Camaros, GTO's, and ALL trucks, from pickups to heavy tractors, and the heavy trucks etc. has become my area of interest now. I love the challenge of building something that I can only see in my mind, and making it work. I have started getting into scratchbuilding, and have not looked back. The small stash I had has again ballooned to over 500 kits with a hundred or so resin kits, and LOTS of resin bits and pieces. I love the challenge, and never build anything out of the box. I used to love painting 1:1 vehicles, and still love the paint portion of a build. I enjoy sharing experiences with the friends I have met on this forum, and enjoy the NNL East gathering each spring. I don't build for others, as I build for a much more demanding critic..................myself. But, mainly, I simply enjoy the time spent at the bench, the creativity, the therapy of the body and mind and soul, and the memories it evokes, that of time spent with my Dad, and now time that I spend now and again, building something with my grandson, (my passion seems to have skipped a generation, but that's OK too), who kinda thinks his Papa has a neat hobby! And all of this is shared with my other hobbies, gun collecting, (I own a gun shop now), hunting, motorcycles, dogs, traveling with my best friend my wife, and family! Not enough hours in the day!

Grab yer camera and snap a hundred or so photos! I try to do that every time I see an interesting piece. Doesn't mean I'm gonna get to build it, but, hey, you never know~!

Got the cab done, and to my satisfaction. Need to hinge the doors and make the window gaskets. Looks far better now.

Yeah, had a 1973 RD350 for a bit. Wish I still did! But, we still do have the 1978 XS750E I bought new in 1978. Cool old timer for sure!

Ha!!!!!!!!!!!!! Just noticed that.........it sure does look like a Lunar Module!

Finally got back to the bench. Life interfered last month in a big way with a vacation and then the passing of an old friend and then my Father-in-law and I just didn't even get within 20 feet of my bench. But, got back at it tonight. The operator's cab just had too many issues to please me, so into the scrap bin it went, and this is Act 2 of the cab. It looks so much better, at least to my eyes.

Great effort, Greg. Count me in for a few sets once you get them done!

VERY cool idea..............! As for an engine, try a Detroit Diesel 4 or 6 cylinder. These can be had from Jamie at Moluminum.com.

You are so right, Mike. Charlie should write a book.................it would be a best seller for sure!

Holy COW! Am definitely going to try this! That sure looks a lot easier than what I was doing and it produces a one piece gasket. That is sweet! Thanks Charlie as always for the incredible info! I had tried to think of many different ways, none of which would work as well as this. This just proves it never hurts to ask for a bit of advice, and this is great advice. Update: I tried it on a test piece, and wow.......................so easy, simple and totally convincing and effective! Thank you sir! I also removed the previous attempt from the cab. I intend to try this method on the existing cab, at least to get used to it, and then, most likely construct a new cab. Thank you Charlie!

Well, this project has been going great, without my all too typical one step forward three in reverse technique. But, it is time for that now. I am not happy with the operator's cab in several aspects. Most of them can be lived with, but the rubber window gasket simply does not make me happy. So.........................I have scrapped the cab, and am going to start over on it. I tried half round Evergreen. The smaller size looks far better but is evil to try to make it work. The larger size was far easier to work with, but it looks like..................well, it does not please me! So, I have a few other ideas to try, and will be not only making a new cab to fix the other problems it has, but will be hopefully finding a method to do the gaskets that looks better! I am also considering telling the crane operator to stock up on long johns and mittens, and foregoing the cab.......................! I am sure he would file a grievance with the union though!

Rainy day today so got a little bit done. Got the rubber window gasket roughed in on the windshield and the roof window. Made up a set of new doors that overlap the opening the proper way. Mounted the transfer case/transmission. Made and installed the driveshafts and installed the drivers compartment floor and roughed in the instrument panel. Also installed diamond plate on the fuel and hydraulic tanks. The window gasket looks so-so. Lots of fine tuning to do. I am almost tempted to build this without the optional cab but the crane operator would be very upset with me with the cold snowy winters here in Vermont!

Outstanding work........................upholstery is amazing!

I glue a small piece of tubing whose outside diameter fits the inside of the cylinder onto the end of the piston rod, making the piston. I then glue another piece of the same size tubing into the rod end of the cylinder to act as the cylinder cap, which prevents the piston and rod from coming out of the cylinder, exactly like a real cylinder is made. You can find details and photos previously posted in this thread. Works very well! You can also make tie tod type cylinders very easily by adding square heads with tie rods holding them together as can be seen in a former thread on my Galion roller in " On The Workbench." It's fun to do too, as long as I have bright lights and good tweezers!

Steering cylinders assembled and installed. Sometimes I wish I was building this in 1/12 scale!

The lettering is actually from a company called Kit Kraft. Here is the link: Don't remember seeing a brand name..........https://kitkraft.com/products/3-16-plastic-letters They are easy to use and come in several different sizes................perfect for the cast name plates these old machines commonly had. Kit Kraft has lots of neat items on their site that I have used for various things in several builds. Yeah, there are a lot of parts..............and a LOT more to come, though most of them will be detail parts. The larger sub assemblies are almost done, except for the rest of the drive train and the operators cab. This will absolutely be the most involved piping job I have ever attempted, but it sure will be fun!

Made up the tie rods and installed them so the steering works. Added the steering arms for the hydraulic steering cylinders and installed them to the knuckles. Made up the parts for the four steering cylinders. Little tiny things but a huge step in the build. After the cylinders dry, they will be assembled and installed to each knuckle. Also shown here are all of the subassemblies and pieces so far, AFTER a major bench cleaning, as it got so bad I couldn't even see the bench! Next to be done after the steering cylinders, will be the operator's station, controls, and the rest of the cab, and the rest of the frame with the torque converter and drive shafts. And............THEN the detailing..............which will most likely be more work than has been spent so far!

It's getting there.................everything is still in the rough stage, and will need lots of fine finishing, but it's starting to take shape! Thank you to all for the words of encouragement!