AmericanMuscleFan

You have the right philosophy and working methods Marcos, these precision tools are expensive but will only add new possibilities to your already exceptional work. It takes a lot of patience and adaptation but the moments you spend in front of these precision tools to see the desired part gradually appear is a pleasure that is hard to describe! ? There is something for everyone in this hobby and some may find it illogical to spend so much money and time doing all these details but as I like to say, the important thing is to be different! ? Francis

Thanks for the kind comments Ron! As for your truck, don't let disappointment set in, you have a beautiful project in the works and your construction techniques are top notch! People don't comment all the time (and some never...), but there will always be interest in out-of-the-ordinary subjects like yours! Just keep putting a log in the fireplace every now and then.... ? Francis

I'm always happy to help! Thanks for visiting and for your kind comment Dave! Thanks Trevor! I think the most interesting updates are still to come with even more assembly in the coming days and weeks... Thanks Marcos, I must say I'm pretty happy with the fit of the parts so far! Thanks Daniel, The high quality of your work and your ingenuity keeps me motivated! Thank you for that my friend!!! Thanks Roger! I'm always happy to have your visit, I can't wait to see your next updates on your Hornet Pro Stock, I love this project and I hope you make it to the finish line!

Very nice build Helmut, the hand painted eagle is very impressive and I love the color combination. Too bad it was damaged during your move, these styrene models don't like to be handled too much but fortunately it's usually possible to make these little damages disappear... ??

There is no need to say Mark, you are a magician in this field! New York is part of the Rust Belt and I imagine there is some inspirational material around you, in any case it is very convincing!!! ?

Hello everyone, Today's update is about assembly. I started with the rear because I need to make some modifications to the front so I can lower the front as much as possible (without modifying the frame). Basically, I'm going to have to make a new off-center front spindle and hope to lower the front a few inches to scale, to be continued... For now, I assembled the rear end and chrome plated the axle and 4-Link brackets using Caswell Copy Chorme, the result is what I was looking for, kind of a stainless color but not too chrome finished. The rear suspension is full functional and the brake disks spin freely in the caliper. I would have needed 4 hands to do the assembly but the space is very limited, I guess it wouldn't have been faster anyway... I hope to be able to show you a glimpse of the unpainted body on the frame soon! Comments and suggestions are welcome! I know I have to make this remark with diplomacy but if possible, in order not to repeat the photos I have uploaded, please avoid making a "quote" of the whole update but only of the photo on which you would have a question or comment to make. I'm already at more than 43 pages and I'm still far from the end with many pictures to come! Your support means a lot to me!!! ? Take care, Francis Fuel line connected to the electric pump. Rear end assembled. Other side view. I forgot to mention that the brackets for the wheelie bar are installed and I will make this one later. Rear end finally installed... hope for good... Another view, the battery cable is also installed in the same way as the gas line on the other side of the frame. Seen from the top. Seen from the back. Brake lines are connected to the calipers, I also put bleeder valves. Flexible brake lines connected to the T-valve. I'll smooth out the small wrinkles when the epoxy glue hardens. Lenco transmission support bolted to the frame.

Great project Larry! I love these Buicks, they are one of my favorite GM body styles along with the 71/72 442 Oldsmobile. One of my uncles had a '70 GS (red with white interior) and I was very attracted to that car, I remember the beautiful center console. I would love to build a 1/25 scale GSX '70 one of these days... Another long term project... Good start by the way, I will follow your progress with interest! ?

It's just amazing Dann (I know I'm repeating myself...) but this Super Car deserves all the praises it has received (and will receive)! I was wondering what type of glue you use to join all those styrene parts together? Also, where do you plan to put the gas tank? Will the piping run from the back to the front of the vehicle? Maybe I'm getting ahead of myself but I find this project so interesting...! ?

This is really a great job Daniel! I was just wondering if this truck model had front lights and I have my answer! It is now about to be completed and amazing build quality! We always want more so I can't wait to see your next project. For now, let's let this one get its well deserved praise! ?

Oh I see... I am not an expert in the world of military aviation as you can see... So your final paint will be partially translucent so that your final color benefits from the texture of the base color?

Nice work Joe, the paint is beautiful, a lot of work... your index finger must hurt... By the way, I love that FORD mat... ?

Great work Daniel, I love the working hood and hinges! These are the kinds of features that make a model stand out and always astonish those who look at it.

This is great work Marcos! The photo etch parts are definitely smaller and certainly more difficult to work with but with a little patience (and your skills) you will certainly be able to tame them... ? Francis

Hello Doug! Thanks for your question, it depends on the shape and size of the material used to machine the part. If I'm machining from a round rod, I separate the part the vast majority of the time by going back to the lathe with the regular cut off tool blade, but if the part is rectangular in shape, I use a cutting disc directly on the milling machine. A little advice, if you use a cutting disc, get one with 110 teeth because the ones with smaller teeth tend to clog up easily, making then disturbing noises and the material stuck in them produce a less clean cut. I find the cutting disc method more difficult to control and the right speed of the milling machine more difficult to determine (I speak from personal experience). I hope this helps, Francis

Thanks Jeremy, I really appreciate your kind words! I think that when you love your subject, it helps to always want to do a little more! I'm having a lot of fun with this project and I've made a lot of progress in my machining techniques (I think...), I hope it will serve me well in my future projects! More picture of the assembly to come soon! Francis ??

Thanks Marcos! They are photo etch parts from Detail Master, the hardest part is to roll them up perfectly and have the holes lined up right to insert the little aluminum bolt that are used to attach them to the frame. It takes a little patience... ? Francis

Thanks Lorne! I look forward to seeing more updates on your fantastic truck, but don't take it as pressure from me, my friend... ? Francis

Thank Ron! Any update of your great FD-100 build my friend?

Thanks for the kind words Dave! The brass rivets are 0.8mm from Scale Hardware and the small steel brackets are photo etch from Detail Master. Francis

A picture is worth a thousand words and I won't take so many to tell you how much I love this beautiful differential... Love at first sight!!! ?

Thanks Ian, I don't see any reason why you should redo your brake lines as they are very well done! It's your project and I respect your decision if you want to do it. For the brake lines, I used 0.014" raw wire that I had in my inventory. My mother gave it to me when she stopped doing DIY and I think it came from Walmart. Francis

Thanks for your always kind comments Tim! I feel the same way you do about final assembly because there is always a good opportunity to mess up something you spent hours making. I once dropped a full bottle of super glue on my workspace where there were several pieces waiting to be assembled. I'll let you get a mental picture... ? Thank you for your confidence, I will need it!!! Francis

Thanks so much for your kind comments Jerry! I hope you will find the next chapters as pleasant as the previous ones, but they should be more colorful if I may say so... ? Francis

It's always nice when you start to see real progress on a long project even if at the end of it, there's always a bit of nostalgia that sets in... Very nice plumbing work by the way! ?

Thank you for your appreciation of my work methods Tim, coming from a master of precision like you it is much appreciated!