Chariots of Fire

Still awaiting the springs but in the meantime I received the Tankograd publication I had ordered and it is a treasure trove of information for the project. Reproductions of Autocar drawings are included that show top, side, front and rear views with many great dimensions. With that information I started on the grill guard after it was re-scaled to 1/25 size and the cab sides and back quickly followed. The floorboard location is critical to positioning everything else and the mounting points on the frame set it where it is supposed to be. Here's where we are at so far. Wheels and tires are resin castings based on 3D masters done by the spring guy. Wheel hubs came from the AMT ALF kit. (what doesn't!!) Axles are a combination of the ALF rear axle for the front and a Mack axle and differential for the rear. The grill guard is 3/32 brass angle and strip stock along with small brass wire. Cab sides are 0.010" sheet brass. Cab rear and floorboard is 0.030" Evergreen. The grill guard is pinned to the front of the rolled brass. Access to the engine is either through the cab or from the rear of the cab. The hood will not tilt.

IN a bit of a holding pattern. 3D printed springs are in progress from the designer (not me). So I've concentrated on a few other things. Drawings of the cab have been done to 1/25 scale and I just finished the grill guard in brass angle, strip and rod stock. When I get a chance I'll post pics of the work so far.

Pretty cool! Lots of wasted filliment for the build?? Just asking.

Steve: You did an outstanding job. I've seen a lot of attempts at weathering with gobs of dirt 2" round sticking to things! It has to be subtle and it has to be done with some knowledge of how things wear and where the grease and oil accumulate to be done right. You obviously know how to get it done.

You did good, Jeff! Thanks for posting your build for us to see along the way.

Steven G: You do some fantastic work! Absolutely the way a well used but well taken care of ride should look like.

Agree with above. Black or dark gray washes are best. A little oil drip where it would typically happen, rusty exhaust manifold where it gets hot, things like that. Here's a Hercules RXC engine that was done for a Diamond T truck.

Ladders look good as well and you didn't forget the lanyard! Good work!

Wrap the hard suction hoses in masking tape; either 1/2" or 3/4" wide. Do it on a diagonal. This will represent the reinforcement that was used on the hard suction. Paint them flat black. Here's what they should look like when they are done. If you look close at the photo you can see the diagonal lines of the masking tape wrap. They are the same hard suction pieces you are using. Here's another pic that shows the hard suction a little better. Smaller tubing but same masking tape covering. This model was not finished at the time but you get the idea.

I do the same thing, John. I save every little piece. It glues up so nice; if I make a mistake I take a scrap, glue it on and reshape what ever I messed up. Fenders, engine blocks and details, cowls; comes in handy for all sorts of things. I was fortunate enough a few years back to get a 4"x2"x24" piece of it and it has been a wonderful medium to use.

Looks like it to me. I use it quite a bit.

??

Got a good stance on the rig. Cab and body in a nice straight line. Keep on truckin'!

Must be for short hauls or short people!?

I'd start by gathering photos of the real thing and see of there is a photo of the plumbing. Use the photo as a relative measuring tool to get the size tubing you need. Remember that it has to be in scale. If you are doing 1/25 building, use a metric scale since 1 millimeter is close enough to be one inch in that scale.

Scratch building can be a lot of fun. It is about all that I do now, not because I don't like kits. It's just that what I like to build, they don't generally make in kit form. Give us a bit more information on what you would like to do. Scratch building a part or two is one thing. Scratch building a complete model is something else. How far do you feel comfortable in going right now and where would you like to head? Makes a big difference.

Among the variety of trucks used during World War II for hauling good and equipment to service areas was the Autocar cabover tractor. It hauled a variety of trailers including fuel, open general cargo, vans, and wrecking units. This new build will carry on the theme of the Red Ball Express and will be the final military build before returning to fire service vehicles. Here is a look at the first few pieces for the build. Not included are the front springs and rear springs which I am having done by a 3D printer. The supply of strip brass of the size needed has basically run out and KS is not making it anymore. So I'm glad there is a good alternative. They should be ready in a week or two.

Supply problem or delivery problem??

Don't bother with it. Not a good model paint by any standard.

I have 2 barristers' bookcases that have glassed in fronts that lift up. Models can be seen but the dust is kept out. When I ran out of space on the 4 shelves, I added some intermediate ones using pre-finished shelving. Some have been there for over 20 years and are nearly as clean as when they were put there. Short of that a very fine brush can be used to remove dust from time to time along with a little mild soap and lukewarm water. (That's if your decals are sealed).

I saw a couple of things that I do myself! Not to the extend that they were displayed here but similar. Extraordinary skill with that Xacto knife in making the radiator louvers. I would have either slit my fingers or some other feat of disaster! I love the tool that he used to turn the steering wheel and the elongated sanding disk. The latter makes sanding long lines so much easier. Thanks for sharing that with us!!

Looking very nice, Justin! Clean and neat for sure!

Too bad they put FOOSE on the tailgate! Some nice aftermarket FORD decals would go better!

I agree with all of the comments here. I've been building since I was about 12. Not so much in late teens and into my 20's but now that I am an octogenarian I can say that I have been doing model work for most of my life. It came back in my mid 40's. Being mostly a scratch builder now, it does take some additional thinking about how to begin a project and how it will advance toward being complete. Plenty of research and working out little things along the way. Always searching for new materials to build with. The process seems to be a bit like climbing a mountain; a strain to get started, a steady pull toward the top of the hill and then a bit of relief as the end of the build comes into view. Also a little like the story of the Little Engine That Could. A real childhood favorite of mine. I think I can..I think I can, I think I can.......................I thought I could! I thought I could! I thought I could!?

Mark out where you want the slot to be and get the general opening done with a dremel and cutting disc. Stay clear of the ends and edges. Use small flat and rat tail files to finish off the opening. When I do mine I cut the slots and other openings before I cut it away from the sheet. Much easier to handle that way. You can still do yours with what you have done already. They look nice and clean. Make sure the slots in the flashing are smaller than the openings in the panel you have. You don't want the red to show.