dshue76

I like the direction of this build. I really like the color choice as well. From the pictures it looks like the resin bed panels came ready for paint? I can't wait to get a set for mine.

Exactly. I love the Revell F350 because it has so much potential but more variety would be nice. I would be happy with even srw versions of modern trucks that are detailed. My Meng F350 will be getting the resin dually conversion. Hopefully Mengs 1/24 kits sell good here in the US and maybe they will start exporting here directly. So far they are picking subjects that the US companies have ignored. Sure there are a couple Hummer kits already available but not to the detail level this will be. I'm not a big fan of the Hummer but I will get one or more of these kits I would probably modify it to have the open bed. I think this kit should provide the resin casters with plenty of work creating new tire and wheels at the least. Even with the glaring problems the Meng F350 has I still like the kit.

Very nice! I've been thinking about picking one up.

I got this a while back and it kind of stalled until I found decals that inspired me. The paint is acrylic craft paint with Testors gloss clear acryl. Decals are from the AMT Ford C600 Stakebed and from an old set of Slixx for Ward Burtons CAT Dodge.It's built out of the box except the rear bumper, I think it's from an AMT Chevy C1500. Thanks for looking. And more pictures are in my Photobucket http://s22.photobucket.com/user/truracer20/slideshow/AMT Chevy Van

Stephen King. I also read a lot of old classics. For technical writing I like really old stuff, Andre-Jacob Roubo’s “L’Art du menuisier” (The Art of the Joiner). And Fred T Hodgson, he did a lot of trade books at the turn of the century.

I had no idea they ever made cars...

Painted the mirrors heads and brackets white. Looks 100% better.

I use the craft acrylics almost exclusively now. I thin with either Testors acryl thinner or distilled water. But I don't rely on the sheen listed on the bottle. I use the clear that applies, gloss, semi gloss or flat. Really the acrylics are fragile without a clear coat. I usually spray most paints between 15 and 20 PSI. I did try thinning Apple Barrel paint from Walmart with alcohol and it was not compatible. Never tried it with Folk Art or in lesser quantities. The spots that seem like oil are from being too thin. But once dry and re coated they should not show. and the mix can be fattened. I do not mix in the cup of my gravity feed airbrush. I've seen people show doing it in youtube videos but I couldn't get it to work. I find it easier and better to just put the paint in a jar and flush the airbrush then remix the paint and pour it back in. I use Folk Art, Apple Barrel and Americana craft paints and combine them with good results. In my opinion the craft paints work better than Testors Model Master Arcryl paints. The Testors paints tend to dry in my airbush really fast and leave a latex film that requires complete disassembly and roto routing on the airbrush tip. With the craft paints I just put the cap on the cup and use a brush dipped in Testors universal acrylic cleaner to clean the needle tip and I can leave it sit until the part is ready for another coat, usually within 10 minutes. If I try the same with the Testors MM paint that film still forms in the cup and will be drawn into the tip. I also haven't had a problem masking over craft paints, but with the Testors Model Master acrylics I've had them peel when removing masking. I've never used the Testors Aztec paint, is it the same as their Model Master acrylics? The MM silver is strange stuff. Looks like chrome if used over black but otherwise is a very odd shade of silver. When odor isn't an Issue I like airbrushing oil based enamels like Rustoleum.

After painting the door in body color then trim the window mask to reveal the rubber and mask the body color around the rubber with either BMF or tape and paint the rubber. Foil may be easier on those thin areas. You can trim masking tape just like Bare Metal Foil. If I were doing that kit then I would make sure to scuff the areas that get paint on the clear parts.

The Revell car carrier fits perfect with the 1/25 AMT tractors. I don't think this trailer was built to exactly 1/24. But the wheels and tires are. I had my trailer displayed with the AMT Kenworth T600A and the trailer looked exactly right. But it just didn't fit the time period of the tractor. It also looked good with the other AMT tractors I've built like the Diamond REO, Peterbilt from the big stick wrecker, the Ford LN 8000, Mack DM 800 and the Chevy Bison. These days it is displayed with the Chevy Bison. In fact I've never built a Revell Germany class 8 truck, I could never justify the price for them. When I can get two AMT kits for the same price I go with the AMT, But I think I will try the Revell snap trucks, since I'm in need of a couple tractor units.

I would clean the cut ends of the piece and then determine now much material is needed to fill each side. Then just find some Evergreen or Plastruct sheet or shape to fill the gap. You can also add a piece of 1/8" square under the flat piece that would go under the lip of the fender the add your filler between the flat piece and fender. That would make for a pretty strong tie in. Make each side look the same and do it neat and clean then after paint it will blend in just fine even if it looks different from it's molded state. And honestly these trailers get repaired very frequently in the real world since they are built to be as light as possible.

Just finished this yesterday. Its the Lindberg F150 Flareside 4X4 . The kit is very good for the most part. The decals tend to have too much excess around the edges. I used the rear window decal from the Revell F150 kit. I have started on the Revell F150 and I think the Lindberg kits are better in the detail department.

I use Plastruct Bondene and Plastic Weld for liquid glues for all unpainted assemblies and some painted assemblies. I do use the Testors orange tube glue for some parts assembly after paint. I use the Testors clear parts cement and window maker for windows and painted assemblies if I don't want to or can't scrape the paint from matting surfaces. I also use CA glues of different thickness'. I've also used clear coat paint for adhering some items like photo etch. This bottle of Testors clear parts cement is at least 10 years old and still works well. The orange tube glue is best when fresh, it strings more and more with age.

Thanks guys. On the rear ride height I took at least 3/16" out! And Harry I think I will revisit the mirror color. White will make a huge difference in over all appearance.

I use water based acrylics and just use a light grey for the primer coat on dark molded colors. Right now I'm working on an AMT Chevy Rescue Van that was molded in red and my method covered excellent. The final color is a medium blue. I could have gone with any color and there is no way the red would show through.

Thanks all.

I knew the doors can be tricky so I took my time to get everything placed right. First I got the cab side done then installed just the door hinge to the cab. then I taped the door into the opening and shimmed between the cab and the door side hinge to get it in the right position then I held the interior door panel in place and glued it. Once that was set I glued the hinge to the door. I use liquid glue from Plastruct since it drys really quick and there is no possibility of anything slipping after I set the parts aside. I was on the fence about lowering the rear ride height until I mocked it up. Way too high! But once lowered I had to add a plate under the fifth wheel to get the trailer to sit level. I weathered everything but the outside of the body with mud tones. The body is cleared with Testors flat acryl. All paints are water based acrylics. I wanted it to be a fairly new looking work horse that gets cared for. I'm thinking of making it a farm or produce truck. I still think I should have painted the mirror heads white. I want to build another as a dump truck or hook lift dumpster truck.

This is my first finished truck contribution to the forum. It's the Lindberg Dodge L700. This was a fun build and went together fairly easy. I didn't use the rear hub covers that are supplied, instead I used BMF to keep the flange bolt detail that the kit supplied part covers up. In the future it will likely get some decals but since I'm not sure what the decals will be yet I decided to post it as done. More pics are in my photobucket http://s22.photobucket.com/user/truracer20/Dodge L700 Tractor/story

Why not knurl the nut so you don't need wrenches? I have quite a few pin vices since it's easier to buy one with bits that just bits. All of them hold bits nicely, even the worst is good enough for hand work. Of course I also use a brace and bit in my hand wood working and I have no problems there either. The one I have like the picture in the original post is my favorite other than the fact that my two most used bits require me to flip the collet. A manual lathe would be my preference for a one off part like this.

Really nice build. I like the unusual builds like this.

I think all of the resin casters with issues don't have a clue of how to schedule production. I would have no problem ordering and paying for a product that I knew would be cast at a certain time. Kit Form Services operates in this manner. I agree with Harry. Don't pretend to operate a business then claim it's just a hobby when you get over your head and your customers aren't investors so you have no excuse to hold their money without giving them what they paid for. I think there would be room for many real resin business' if there weren't so many incapable independents. It isn't only the casters that pull this stuff. Years ago Spaulding Trading and Shipping lost my business when they failed to inform me of their back order policy and charged me for and sent me the items from my order that they had in stock. Over a year later they charged my card and sent me the remaining items. At the time it got me a non sufficient funds charge. They will never get my business again. To make matters worse one item in that package was cast metal glad hands for truck air lines and they were horrible, so bad that I had to look through the bill to find out what these tiny pieces of trash were, they were supposed to be from KFS but I highly doubt that KFS sells castings with more flash than actual part. They were broken, deformed and half cast as well. I could have done a better representation with blobs of glue. In the same package were cast metal clevises that were nearly perfect, I have no doubt those were from KFS.

I think one of the decals you are refering to is a dash plaque.

Glue some supports into the window opening before you start cutting to keep them from bowing and bending while you work at the cuts.

This is one that I work on as inspiration hits, or I find a part that will go with it. The boom was built first in 1999. It has a LN 8000 hood grafted to a 91 F 350 body. The frame, engine, bed, hood, front suspension and wheels are from the LN 8000 Shorthauler. The rears are from the AMT Peterbilt big stick wrecker. With the new reissue of the 91 F 350 duallie I now have decals for it and a support truck to match it. I've gone years without touching it. But that's ok, I think going slow has led to things just falling in place. The cab was from a glue bomb ebay parts kit, the rears came from an accident that my Pete wrecker was involved in, hydraulic hoses are leftovers from the many truck kits I've done, the hood was from the first LN8000 Shorthauler I ever built( the box got turned into a trailer). I did buy a new Shorthauler for the frame, bed and another set of wheels. I also scrutinize left over parts from cars and trucks to see if they will work with this in any way. I do think that I will start working on it soon though since I already have just about everything needed to complete it and most of the scratch building is done. I still have to build the control panel but that should be easy, it will look like it can swing to both operating positions but will stay on the left. And I need to shorten the boom sections so they don't overhang the bed as far, it wouldn't be legal as is without oversize load signs. I think as they are it scales out to 8 ft. I'm also considering covering the bed in real wood planks or scratch building a new bed with a wood floor.

This one is at 2 weeks and includes the flatbed trailer that goes with it but I have started a couple others during that time as well. I just did the finishing touches on it today. These pics are a couple days old. Most builds take much longer or stall for me though, or outlast my attention span but for some reason this Dodge L700 held my interest. In fact I'm considering getting another for a dump body.