Gary Chastain

Progress, but need more chrome with this really dark blue.

Man is that ever true, from manicure department at Mejier , plumbing department at Home Depot to the jewelry or scrap booking departments at Hobby Lobby. Just feel a bit out of place in some of those departments. Make my wife go with me😉🤣😜😂

Productive day, fuel tanks, tank straps, fuel caps, air connection box, and truck decking all painted and cleared. Now….no touch for a few days

You can get several different sizes, these are .152 diameter for the red ones, the blue ones are 4mm and 6mm. Got them at Hobby Lobby in jewelry department. I used a hobby Q-tip (very small) dipped a little bit (just the tip) in Vaseline to pick them up and set in place using two part epoxy. Put epoxy in the hole with a tooth pick, then set button in place in case I missed the location, I wouldn’t mess up the paint. This also worked well with setting my slam locks. Seemed to work but hard on patience.

Well this worked out, found these beads at Hobby Lobby and thought to give them a go. Kinda pleased how they look. Got a bit of reflective look.

Yes they will be missed. I did not know you are from Michigan, how far south of Cadillac are you?

Ron, there was a big hobby shop in Grand Rapids, do you know if they are still open?

It was a nice shop Ron, gonna miss those guys. Jurgen, the reasons they decided to close: No real online presence cant get product to sell, distribution is to big box store first due to volume price increases tariffs, shipping cost are too high young people in general are not into model interested in these types of hobbies rent costs retirement age of owners a business model today is tuff

Well this was not my best day. Went to my local hobby shop (Trains and Things in Traverse City Mi.) to pick paint and supplies and they are closing , last day Sept. 30th. Picked up a bunch of stuff with nice discount. Had a great conversation with the owner who knows me personally and explained how they are getting squeezed out of business, can’t get product and retirement sounded good. He did ask me if I wanted any truck kits off the shelf and said he would set them aside. Told me to come back the week prior to September 30th and he would sell me the kits with a good discount, asked if I wanted any racks as well. Gonna need my trailer that day😉😜😉

Pogo stick roughed out, now to recess into the deck plate.

Quick mock-up to check tank fit and exhaust fit between tank and battery box. Deck plates roughed out. May built a set of steps between fender and fuel tank. A lot of little things to make, diesel tank caps, wide tank straps, air line box on deck plate.

Have not seen that product, will check it out for sure, thanks.

This build tells a great story, love the build.

Outstanding build

Oh man, that is so cool, well done.

Very sharp build

That’s some outstanding craftsmanship, fantastic build.

Absolutely a one of a kind quality build, outstanding work, well done.

For the most part no I don’t polish, mainly because of the rivets and body detail on the truck cabs. I have sanded and polished parts without all the detail, but not that much. Do polish aluminum a lot. I spent a year after high school at Quincy Tech earning an associates degree in automotive refinishing, that taught me a lot about applying paint. I use light to guide my application, not color.

Love the progress, fun watching what you do when rebuilding these kits. Someday I have to try to rebuild a kit.

After cutting and stacking firewood today, 35 degrees this morning, apparently winter is coming early this year. Got a little progress done on the fuel tanks, setting these up for the wide clamp band on the tanks. Then chrome the tanks and paint the straps body color blue. Battery boxes are chromed and ready to mount. Making slow progress.

Custom shifters built, dash installed, used sewing pins for the brake buttons, next, steering column

You took a very average model kit and turned it into a very special build with your vision and the team work from this group/community was just outstanding. Just a few years ago, a build of this nature would have nearly been impossible. Well done Jeff and all your accomplices 🏆🏆🏆. And I bet you are the only builder with road oiler/tar truck.

That was a real journey with a whole team behind you, well done.

Well done Scott, really cool