[New Project Finished!]

Tim, I continue to be impressed (blown away is more like it) by your scratchbuilding, and altering of kits into completely different trucks. Also the sheer number of builds amazes me. You are a true master model maker. Here is a photo of my most recent ride. It's a 2000 Pete 378 triaxle with a cobra dump body. it has a 500 hp Cat and a 8LL trans. Best truck I ever had.

It hopefully will one day be the subject of one of my model projects.

[Memorial Day]

If you are able,

save them a place

inside of you

and save one backward glance

when you are leaving

for the places they can

no longer go.

Be not ashamed to say

you loved them,

though you may

or may not have always.

Take what they have left

and what they have taught you

with their dying

and keep it with your own.

And in that time

when men decide and feel safe

to call the war insane,

take one moment to embrace

those gentle heroes

you left behind. -Maj. Michael Davis O'Donnell

Lest we forget.

Sincere thanks and Heartfelt salute to all the true heroes past and present.

Semper Fi, USMC 13th MEU. "Tanks for the memories."

[Attaching a model to a wood base.]

Thanks for your response. I do need to attach the model to the base. There are a lot of pertrusions i.e. mirrors that could be broken off by the model hitting the inside of the acrylic cover. I want to be able to move the whole thing without worrying about the model moving around inside the case. Recently it bounced around in a truck for the 25 hour trip down from Pennsylvania. I'm looking into the idea of epoxying the wires to the base. I'm trying to avoid drilling through the wood as the bottom of the base is covered in felt. I may have to drill some small holes through, and countersink from the bottom to make a place for the drop of epoxy. Another thing I thought of was to make a small u-bolt out of very small threaded rod, put the u-end over the axle, and run the other end through the base and attach from the bottom with a small nut. All ideas are greatly appreciated.

Mike

[Attaching a model to a wood base.]

A few years back I completed a model of my dad's work truck.

It's been my "Masterpiece", best model I've ever done, and as such has become very valuable to me. I had a wood base and acrylic top made for it. I used thin wire wound around the front drive axle (between the duals) and through small eye screws also between the duals to secure the model to the base. Lately the model has been getting loose. I don't handle it too often, but I'm sure moving it from time to time, and a trip from Pennsylvania to Florida has contributed to the model getting looser on the base. I want to re- attach the model to the base in a more secure way, bus also try as much as possible to keep the method of attachment as hidden as possible. Does anyone have any suggestions as to how I can achieve this? Thanks in advance.

[a vintage gravel hauler]

Very nice, especially the scratch build which I'm a huge fan of.

[1/24th scale Ford LN hood.]

Too bad your wanting a 1/24 LTL long hood (LN is the short hood). I am currently working on a 1976 LTL 9000 long hood that will have a seperate grill surround as well as the grille itself.

I can send you some pictures if you want to email me. I tried putting them in this message but it keeps saying that the file is too big.

The LTL hood is a different animal all together. here already is a 1/24th kit with that hood.

This is the LN short Hood:

This is the the LN Long Hood. (The one I want to make.)

[straighten out a resin body]

I have Shawn Carpenter's 1962 Grand Prix conversion and I am going to start working on it later this month. My question is as I am looking at the body from the rear and notice the body is a little off , unbalanced or slightly warped. What is the best way to straighten it out. I was wondering if leaving it in hot water for awhile then working with it my work? Any help is appreciated. Thanks

Hot water and ice water has always worked well for me with resin. Heat it up , shape it, quench it in ice water to set the shape.

[1/24th scale Ford LN hood.]

I know PLASKIT Resin from Canada produced a nice 1/25th scale LN long hood for the Ford short hauler kit. I've used them before, and they're great. The only drawback is the months it takes to get one. Lately I've been toying with the idea of making a LN long hood for the Italeri 1/24th LNT 9000. I thought of starting with the Italeri 106 Aeromax, and re designing the fenders to LN spec. i was wondering if anyone has made any prototypes for resin casting, and what advise you might be able to offer.