BK9300

A very unique, well done build, Jeff! Looks every bit like the real deal - awesome job!

I think the fog lamps are going to work out well for the work lights around the truck. Didn’t know about them till I started searching for something that could work- felt lucky when I found the PIAA lights! Thanks, Jeff. Thanks, David - appreciate you having a look! Dom, I certainly understand about the difficulties of masking clean lines - was pretty sure I wouldn’t be able to do that in the tight spaces at the back of the sander, so decals it was!

Been able to mess around in Sketchup for some small things I will need for this truck. I was able to model an Atkinson, two way, single channel intercom, found in a couple places on the real truck. Bren just finished a couple test prints and they turned out great, for something only 11 mm tall! There is an intercom unit near the truck mounted controls for the inspection booms, one in the man basket and one in the cab of the truck. Test prints of intercom - I may replace the detail on the lower control portion of the com - I will need to add a toggle switch and a control button, regardless - There is also a speaker only unit at the back of the truck under the deck, mounted on the end of the frame - these are about 6 mm tall - Slowly getting a few parts together while finishing off the plow truck - will be good to get started on this one full time!

Working on the final details for this truck, I've come to realize I will never be able to plan for everything. Was working on the lights for the sander and had a stab of fear because I realized I hadn't pre-drilled all the holes for the pins that will attach the lights to the sander before I painted. Long ago, I had thought about doing that; then that thought clearly disappeared and now I need to drill through a finished paint job to get the lights put on. I've also put off locating the chain hangers - the real trucks had hook hangers in differing locations on the sander body, or frame, but the particular arrangement of attachments on the truck I'm modeling doesn't have room for chain hangers in any of those spots. I decided to go with some frame mounted hangers, just in front of the battery / tool boxes, with protective mud flaps in front of the hangers. Small bits of work on the lights, that took way longer than I thought it would - drilled and pinned for mounting to sander and each light housing has another pre-drilled hole for the wiring on the sander to thread through - Need to drill holes for mounting pins - three needed on the back edge of the side panels near the loose wires, one on the middle of passenger side of sander and one on top, by the front roto light - maybe start with a small hole first, so I'm not chipping away chunks of paint! - The real truck didn't have any chain hangers - I re-checked all my pics - and many of the 'normal' locations for hangers aren't available or optimal on this truck's layout. There is lots of room (red sketching), on both sides of truck, between the battery / tool boxes and the back edge of front fenders, to attach frame mounted hangers - Something like this is what I plan to make, just not attached to any fender(s) - Hope to get the sander work and roto lights painted tomorrow. More soon!

Too funny! All it needs are the lights and they're under way! Thanks, Jurgen.

I don't think a museum would take this - it's too fragile!

Your eyes must have been a bit weary after gluing all those bolt heads - looks great!

That's got to be frustrating, but you've clearly got the solution under way! Hope this mini project goes quickly for you.

It’s a treat to look at all the details you have added, and the ceiling fan looks remarkable. Very small item to craft so precisely!

The group effort produced a terrific result, but the project started, and ended, with you! Awesome work.

Your latest details sure look good - just finished a job and headed for another - still lots in the tank, looking at the indicator needle!

Just catching up, Jeff - your detailing is coming along great - looks fantastic!

I get your point about the finer salt, but what’s turned out really clearly is the paint edge at the rust margins - hard to achieve that any other way! I’m guessing some areas could be feather sanded to look like older areas of rust, leaving some of the crisp, paint edge areas as newer rust. Good process for rusting, to be sure!

Thanks for that, Jürgen - very happy with how the decals turned out!

Great tribute to your dad.

Much appreciated, Jeff! It has been quite a ride alright, but not to worry, it won't end - it'll just be a different ride!

That's the real deal - looks awesome, Jeff!

Sure don't need to know much about the real car (which I don't!) to appreciate the fine work you're creating here. Very well built!

Looking forward to this!

I caught the reference to Tony - good stuff!

Had a successful morning (and afternoon!) at the bench, working on decaling the sander. Six hours went by pretty quickly! Big shout out to Terry, at STS Decals, for making my artwork into the truck's decals. Used part of earlier drawing to layout a starting point for the hash marks - I've got the front of the sander sitting, carefully, on a towel, with the back end on a parts box - The grid pattern is set! - Not a hundred percent sure why I included this - it did look precarious, though, and made me press on to get the back end finished! - This is a big weight off my shoulders - a couple things not quite the way they could have been, but I had re-done a couple hash marks along the way and wasn't going to do any more! Also got some warning labels added to back end - Overhead shot of decal for the Swenson Spreader - Sander's manufacturer decal, a couple more warning labels, and the sander's unit number - Now that this part is behind me, I can get on with finishing some wiring and lights and decide whether or not to attach the sander to the frame yet - may need to leave it off until I get the cab and hood sorted. Things could be easier to handle if the sander not attached just yet. Getting closer!

Sounds like a very productive day! Your drawings and schematics should definitely be displayed with the finished model - there is a ton of work in those!

That's looking fabulous, Scott - you know me - love all the hydraulic lines. Terrific update!

I’m late to this reunion, but sure do echo everyone else - great to hear from you, and see another project on your bench! Always an education, and will be great to follow along.

Awesome to hear from you, Steve, and a very insightful observation - I’m worrying more about getting paint and decals right, than I did making the hood hinges work!