redneckrigger

I have the whole cellar of our house, about 28 x 44. I have a couple benches set up, one for building kits, and the other for building guns. I have plenty of room for storage of parts for both as well as my stash of kits and literally hundreds of pounds of model parts and pieces. The cellar is bone dry, bright, warm and is my haven where I spend more and more time every day. My finished builds are displayed upstairs in several glass barrister cases. Still, though, it DOES seem at times that there is not enough room!

That is absolutely stunning work! I love Detroits to begin with, and the rest of the build is superb as well. I like the subtle weathering as well, all around the truck. Can't say enough. Your workmanship is wonderful!

VERY cool build, and quality looks too...........................now if only wasn't a DODGE! Only kidding.............last truck was a Dodge, and the LAST of 4.....couldn't bear the repairs any more! Very nice work!

I wanted to get a particular shade of green for my Detroit engine builds, so I mixed a few greens I had on my bench, reduced with my enamel reducer to airbrush consistency, and did the job. Came out beautiful. I cleaned up with lacquer thinner and all was good....................until I looked at the three bottles of paint to see which ones I had to get more of. I saw that I had used a Testors Model Master enamel, a regular Testors enamel, and a Testors Model Mater Acrylic. These are clearly not meant to go together, but they worked fine, and gave me both the finish and color I wanted. will I try it again?????? Probably not! Had some paint left over, and when I looked at it again about a week later, it was like snot in the jar and could NOT be salvaged!

As I used to own a body shop, and also worked for a construction company painting their trucks and equipment every winter, I also had access to 1:1 automotive paints. I still use the same products. I use ACME brand gray Quick Slick sealer.............don't know if it is still made, but I have a lot. I reduce it for thin coats to avoid hiding detail. I have also used Dupont Vari-Prime primers. I then use PPG or Dupont acrylic enamel, without hardener. I make my choice of brand based upon the availability of the color I want. I thin it with medium drying reducer, and spray thin coats. I try to make sure the plastic is covered with a sealer that won't attack the plastic, then I paint using whatever I would use on a 1:1 vehicle. I don't use hardeners only because I didn't want to spray Isocyanates any more.......did plenty as a youngster, and it works fine without. I have not used base/clears on any of my models, only on 1:1. I don't try to get the ultra high gloss on my builds as I did on the 1:1 jobs as I feel it looks out of place in 1:25 scale. I also use PPG flatteners for reduced sheen areas.

Nice PE for sure..............price is, to me at least, irrelevant as long as you get something that you yourself feel is worth what you paid. And, to me again, that sure looks like great value received!

Very neat build!

Superb build! Gotta love those old school cabovers! Lord knows I DO!

I used it straight out of the bottle. It is the 1000 grade. I used a Paasche H air brush. Works well so far! It can be thinned with Mr. Color Thinner, but I have never used it...so far! And, so far, I REALLY like the results from it. I used to use regular primers and sealers left over from my body shop, but those are long gone now, so, I tried this and like it. Gotta try the 500, 1200 and 1500 grades next! Yeah, I thought about the high cab, but, the 4090 was already higher than the standard 4070 to give added clearance to allow for the larger engine and required radiator. The altered frame rails then raised the cab another 3/16" over stock, but that is typically what happens when a conventional powered front axle is added to a 1:1 truck in this manner. And, since it is only the cab that gets raised, it is a compromise worth having to get a powered front axle. Of course, now I see that there is a hydraulically driven front axle that is being fitted to Class 8 trucks and such, that doesn't alter height at ALL..........but that is WAY too "new" school for me!

Thanks for the good words from all! I actually started doing the front axle add-on by simply removing the stock front axle and replacing with the driven. But, the driven axle is straight and does not have the drop ends and would raise the front of the truck by 9/32". THAT would require putting a 9/32" lift onto the rear driven axles and the pusher. So, I DID that but it looked lousy, and spindly. It also raised the fifth wheel height to way beyond usable. Then I remembered an AWD conversion we had on one of our fire trucks, also a 'Binder. The original frame had a drop down front, as does the 4070 basis for this build. The conversion on our truck took the entire front of the frame off, and replaced it with straight frame extensions. This allowed installation of the straight front driven axle without need for raising the rear suspension. It did however, make the cab height higher. So, the raised rear suspension came off and went back into the parts box. The razor saw came out and off came her front frame. I then used a parts frame from another 4070 to make up the full depth straight extension, complete with fish plated joints. The stock height rear suspension went back on where it WAS before my brain storm, and the front axle went to her new home. All of the standard shocks and torque arms went BACK on and I splashed a coat of Mr. Surfacer primer on it. NOW, I think it looks the part of what I intended it to be in the first place. Just finished making an oscillating fifth wheel for her. Now the piping and wiring is next. I figure if I took all of the time I have spent on this and converted it ALL into POSITIVE gains made, I'd have this one done and probably the next two as well! But, THAT is the fun of this hobby. I only build for myself, and so far, I am hitting the mark! Cheers to all!

Finally implemented the idea that I had a while ago............converting my work-in-progress to a 6x8 with a powered front axle. Got the axle, a Mark Savage piece, installed as shown in the photos above. Instead of raising the suspension to install the driven axle, I did it the way we had one of our fire trucks converted, by replacing the front of the frame with straight frame rails in place of the drop down front frame extension in the regular CO-4070 or 4090. Gave the frame a squirt of primer, and here is a mock-up that HOPEFULLY will continue towards completion instead of the three steps forward, five in reverse that is my typical approach! Lots more to do, but on the way, once more.

That was the kit that had operating headlights, if I remember correctly. AWESOME build!

Gregg, just found this forum a short while ago...................IT'S TREMENDOUS! Will be signing up for the magazine ASAP. I may be a newb to the forum, but have been around this hobby since the early days, for over 45 years. Am also a veteran of 8 back surgeries and fusions......get better soon and OBEY THE DOCS!!!!! Thanks for doing what you do, don't sweat the complaints about being late.........it's better than NOT doing the mag! Keep up the good work, and THANK YOU!

The site the wheels came from has 65 different styles of wheels available......................just sayin' and they look good too.

I use a pair of kelly clamps, also known as hemostats. I haven't found anything I want to paint yet that doesn't have a tiny spot underneath to clamp the hemostat to, and then I hold it in one hand and paint it. When done, I clamp the handle of the hemostat in a small bench mounted vice. I aslo hold it in the vice if I don't need to move it around while painting. Has worked for 45+ years.

Welcome back to the hobby! You are not alone, many have taken a leave, as have I for several years. Not far from you in southern Vermont. ENJOY!

When I worked for someone else, a construction company, all of our trucks were Cummins, Cat, or Mack. When I had my own truck, it was a Detroit, and yes, I drove her HARD. Got bad mileage, but got the job done. I found out early that she could not, WOULD not run lugged down, so I pushed her till the day we parted. The larger more powerful engine doesn't always mean worse mileage. A friend of mine and myself both bought new 1985 GMC K3500 single rear wheel pickups at the same time. Both trucks had every option, his had a 350 and mine had a 454, both with 3.73 gears. Mine averaged 13.5 mpg no matter how I drove her. His couldn't get better than 11. He was so PO'd, that the dumped his after 3 years. I drove mine into the ground and parted her out to keep my wrecker running. Great engine, with plenty of power and acceptable economy. Big diesels rule still around my part of the woods.

Nice build! Brings back memories....had a '68 A100 van with the 225.

They are ALL music to the ears!

The Detroits that I had all had crankcase vents that worked well. Built up pressure was not a problem, from what I have been told by a friend who still turns wrenches on a few of them. But, compressors, alternators, crossover tubes, o-rings, and about every other place that could leak did. We had a 1971 Seagrave/FWD pumper in our fire department. We bought it second hand with an 8V71 in it. That truck ran super and didn't leak anything at ALL like my 6V92T. But it took a special type of driving to get the best out of it. The problem was the other four trucks we had were 2 Cummins 250's, a Mack ENDT 673 and a gas Waukesha 817 C.I. in a Thibault/FWD. None of them needed to be run as if you were mad at them as did the Detroit. The Seagrave eventually died a slow death because no one drove it correctly. You CAN'T drive 'em like a Cat or Cummins, or even a Mack. 'Twas a pity, as the was a sweet machine!

Hey, it's a Chevy............it's GOT to turn out good!!!!!

Thanks for the good words, guys! I don't have much choice than to behave myself. My wife is a Paramedic, and she works at my gun shop. Her threats as to what can happen to me if I DON'T behave and do what the doc says are scary indeed! Yeah, I enjoy the time at the bench. It is relaxing even if some days, like the last four or five, end up in a net gain of NEGATIVE results. But, it's getting closer to completion, and IF I can finish it the way it is going now without further revision, it may get done in a year or two! I also leave the ultra fine details for the guys with the young eyes and flexible fingers. I'm happy to have it turn out like I imagined, and heck, I only build to please myself. I gave up trying to please others years ago back when I went to the NNL East every year. But, even that experience gave me inspiration to build, but to build the way I want to, not for anything else. Cheers, keep the projects going! Tom

They are quite easy to make using two V8 Detroit engines. Have done it many times. AND, if you build a few, you get left over parts that can be used to make a 6V71 engine! Bonus!!!

Very cool! And not far from reality with the advent of the AWD Spirits too! I would suggest raising the plow headlights a bit. In use they would be too low and with the plow raised they would shine on the back of the plow. They should be able to shine over the top of the plow when it is raised. Just put my own plow on my truck for the first time this year and had to adjust the lights! Nice build!