Warren D

Very well done! That casting looks very crisp!

Also looks like you could remove some material from the bottom of the spring hangers where they contact the frame. Can't tell from the photo angle if the bottom bolts of the hangers are below the frame but looks like it. Looks to be plenty of meat on those castings.....

You could always put a small block between the rear axle and springs to lower the rear of the frame. Might look a bit odd though.

That came out great!

Wheels and rims look gray to me. Maybe battleship gray as there was plenty of that color paint left after WW2.

Front track width is something I've run into with the older trucks, it's the front springs that is the problem. You've figured out one solution, hey, whatever works.. Modern stuff is just too wide. As for the rear height, most of the trucks of the era you are building were under-sprung, meaning springs were too weak. You'll see more pics of them sitting on the ground than up in the air. I ran into the same thing with my White 3000 build, the Lindberg Dodge tractor's butt was sitting high in the air. I picked up the front a bit but was also able to remove a couple of leafs from the rear as the axle was below the springs.

Outstanding level of detail. I've never seen a sander that didn't have a screen of some sort on the top. Lumps are death to the conveyor chain and the driver will spend more time outside the truck clearing the spreader than putting product on the road!

Got the cab in primer, interior of cab is painted. The paint on the door panels will be explained later. Chassis is in color, waiting for the paint to set up before going any farther.

Yeah, it's pretty long. When I get the larger Cat excavator on it, then it will be huge!

Interesting, when looking at the operator's seat it looks like 1/25, same size as a Mack Cruiseliner I'm working on. I also have a KFS Cat excavator (Resin 1/24 scale) which is a monster by comparison. At some point I'll put the deck extensions on the trailer and load 'er up!

Thanks again, everyone, for your kind words. I'm not sure it this is my best build but it certainly is a favorite so far. I love the look of the older Holmes wreckers with the lattice booms! I've almost considered spending my retirement money on one......

Probably use the ones from the kit, might see if I have something around the yard that would look to scale, might check O scale model RR scenery......that will be the finishing touch which is still a long way away.

Thanks for the idea, I might try a modified version. I still anticipate needing to drop the hitch point due to the tall tires on the truck. I'm close to that point, have the tires on the trailer rims as of last night so I can do the mock up tonight.

Not sure I understand the question. Both bunks articulate and it would seem to be better to have the pintle pivot as close to the front bunk pivot point as possible, ie, shorter frame.

That's mostly noise in the photo. They are "grimy black" which isn't as stark as a pure black. Close to the color of the real ones....

Welcome back. The best way is to break it down into small projects and then add them together. I'm always looking ahead (kinda like playing chess) to anticipate what I might need to do before I have to do it. Already messed up with the crane, but did catch a few bugs with the trailer (namely that it is meant for an AMT tractor which has a slightly different frame width than the resin one I'm using!) being that the truck is going to be taller than a stock AMT kit, I'm already planning on making a pintle plate for the rear of the chassis to keep the trailer wheels sitting on the ground.

Minor update, had a rainy weekend so spent over 10 hours on this project. Focus was the trailer which is well along now. Color coat is on most of it, now the hard part, weathering. I'm trying to go light, it's easy to get carried away and overdo it. I like KJ's look and that's what I'm shooting for, subtle but realistic without going overboard. I've done a few locomotives but this will be my first serious weathering on a big rig. I have more than a few ideas, might be interesting but hopefully not frustrating! Also got the tires painted, wheels are in primer. Chassis needs to go to primer as well as the cab. Have colors mostly picked out but still have to decide on the truck chassis color....down to 3.

I think I'd lengthen the frame by 1/2", looks a little short compared to the photo. I also notice the rear axle seal is leaking!

Suspension went better than I thought and all 10 tires are sitting on the ground. Not sure that would be accurate though....these trucks get beat up and a twisted frame is probably more the norm than the exception! Might get a twist by the time I'm done anyway, so if it does I won't sweat it. Mock up is starting to give me an idea of just what a beast this is going to be. Yup, that's a crane behind the headache rack. I'm hoping there will be enough room for it when I get the front log bunk installed.

It's been a year and a half since I started the Rubber Duck build, I forgot how involved the resin chassis is. OTOH, the AMT Mack Cruiseliner chassis hasn't been a piece of cake either...... May get a few progress shots up tomorrow. Another rainy day means I get some serious time at the bench. So far, wheels are cleaned up, tires in primer. Rear suspension almost ready for assembly. Got to work on one of the accessory items and some parts spent time in the purple pond for cleaning.

It would help to see what size tire you are using. I'd say another inch might be too much, maybe 1/2" but it depends on where the front of the tire locates. Assuming your single axle is located mid-spring as shown, it looks like there is a decent amount of room between the tank and front of the rear tire in the photo. Good project!

Interesting idea, looking forward to seeing the direction you'll go with this.

Jeeze, do you have enough kits?

Thanks folks and like most of my builds, I'm keeping a few little things secret for now. (Basically, I need to see if I can pull it off before I commit!)

It looks great with the trailer! Looks like so many I saw back in the 80's.