Jürgen M.

The chassis is taking shape! I also designed and printed the fenders and the bumper! Not processed yet. Just to get an impression how it will look!

Great Pics! Thanks for posting! I was on the road the other day and saw an old White Road Commander from Romania! Gray with blue stripes and extremely aged! I couldn't take a pic though cause I was driving and using my mobile as a GPS! That was the first American truck I had seen in ages!

Thanks guys! ?

Really awesome rigs! Could you post some Pics of those trucks that inspirated you? I'm always interested in the real life trucks!

Steering is completed! The hardest part to me is making the tie rod exactly the right length so the wheels are straight. The brakedrums are just fitted on to see if everything works! They turn perfectly and without wobbling. They'll be fixed on the axles by rings. You can find them on the picture with all the printed parts. Still I'm not sure If I'll use the brakedrums with the printed bolts! If they break during assembly that would be awful. As a plan "B" I actually cut a 1.5mm Allen key to short pieces looking like chromed bolts. The brakedrums would then have fitting holes to hold them. I'll prepare one and show you. Plan C would be the printed 6-edge rods to be Cut down to size. Easier than cutting a hardened steel Allen key but also fragile. ?

Here's the beginning of the front axle assembly with steering components:

This is the "stopper"! A simple but useful part. May not be an original component of this truck but I think it looks pretty good! In its position! Not glued yet. By the way, I reprinted the hood tops in a different position which gave them a nicer surface and the tunnels for the tilting axles came out perfect. (Please excuse if I use terms that are incorrect or just descriptions of what I mean but I don't know all the correct words for all parts! I did learn a lot of them by reading your threads but sometimes the Kraut in me dominates and I just can't think of the right words. Of course I do look some up in the net but not all translations make sense!)

Nice work! These Things are really worth putting effort into. That rig is gonna Look awesome!

I see you're into a lot of wheels on a rig! Awesome collection!

Little mock up to see if the hood fits in! I'll install some kind of "stopper" for the Back of the cab to be sure to fix it in the correct position on the chassis! Don't want to see the hood falling through or not fitting in later.

? Will do! I'm sure it'll appreciate it! Thanks for your comment. You're absolutely right. Noone will see all the details later. Nevertheless I can understand why you guys still put so much effort in the details. Sometimes you look at the models and feel the happiness about how real they look. You feel satisfaction and pride about your work, you take it down from the shelf and look at each detail and you remember how much work it was and you resume practically every step of work. I know the feeling! I look at my Convoy trucks everyday, see them on the shelf and imagine them driving together for a cause, like in the movie! Nice feeling!

Interesting build! Looks cool! ?

Some more printed parts: Chassis is almost completely printed. The thin rods upper right hand side are 6-edged rods I printed so I can make the rear wheel bolts. I'll cut them to length and put them into the holes in the rear brake drums! Then the inside rims, then the hubs, then the outside rims! The axles will be made of 2mm steel rods. A few more parts, then I'll begin printing the engine.

Thanks very much Jeff! Hope you'll like the results!

Thanks Jeff! Of course you're right, I'm building for myself. Maybe I shouldn't be thinking too much about other opinions! Not that they' ve been negative! I'm actually proud and happy about all your positive feedback! Concerning where this truck is heading, I was thinking about a customized but aged truck. Meaning a nice paintjob with visible traces of rust and some peeling paint. I haven't yet decided which color though. First I thought about something like the "Over the Top" Hawk Hauling Autocar. Weathered and mechanically stressed! Then I decided to give it a noble touch with visible signs of a tribute to it's age! I have decided which wheels I'll be using. The front rims will be these two-hole types, the rear wheels will be 10-hole rims. The tires I have in my box are Italeri rubber tires as used on my Conco and the KW K123 I built before that.

Another update on printed parts: Took a short vacation last week, that's why there was no progress! The chassis and suspension will be the same as the Conco. I know it's not authentic but will anyone see it when it's finished? Since I don't have the knowledge of details concerning this truck, I will build it showing the main attributes, like most of my model trucks! The purists among you guys might shake their heads but I think I can live with that. Sorry, I know how you guys are into authentic details which I absolutely respect but I have to admit that I don't have the anticipation of looking up every detail. Hope nobody is offended by this attitude but it's the way I work. The overall impression is what counts to me. Honestly, I envy you guys for the precision of your builds! I just don't have the knowledge about all those brand specific details and I'm an old dog that only learns few simple tricks! Nothin' fancy anymore!

That's the same technique I used to build my R.D. Tank Trailer! It's also totally from scratch! Yours turned out really nice!

Looks great! Love the metallic blue paint job combined with the white!

I have nothing to add! Looks fantastic! Same with me by the way concerning the pics! No matter how precise you work it always looks different on a pic! Not just the details but the colors too. Your details look absolutely fab!

Now that looks cool! That radiator grille is like real! Keep going! Watching is fun!

Thanks Jeff! Very nice words! If I start selling them, I'll have to pay for the CAD software! It's only for non commercial use! Besides that I think there are people who deliver better quality of parts due to a better printer and I still have to learn a lot concerning design skills. But thanks for your faith in my skills! I really appreciate it! ?

Nice Autocar! Love these trucks! Hope my DC75T comes out at least a bit close!

Awesome!

Little mock up to see if parts fit! I designed the hood to fold when opened. First try looks satisfying! might have to make a few fitting corrections but I think I'm on the right track!

? Am I that fast? Just printing! No assembly yet! ?