Semi Trailer Mechanic

What's goin' on... ABSOLUTLY!!! I've got three or four projects awaiting to be stripped because of that very reason!

What's goin' on... By the looks of this truck on the box that would be too COOOOOOOL to see the wedge put on the back of that truck then build a pro stock drag car on the back of it. I've always seen the C900 Ford built like that.

What's goin' on... Well I can tell you this much as a truck/trailer mechanic I've spent this most of this winter in a service truck dealing w/ the air line off the compressor freezing at the chuck (It's real fun when on the side of the highway trying to change a tire when the impact won't hardly work beacuse the air line froze) I ###### near threw the entire air brush kit in the trash when that happened! I cannot express how discussed I was when this happened! This hobby is my escape from having to fix things! Later on I'll try it again until then I'd like to get some advice from those who've done it for years. I sure do appreciate your input.

What's goin' on... Randy. I emailed Tim Ahlborn and asked him this. Here's his reply...... "Scott The Dirt Hauler was AMT's first truck kit. It was more of a toy, a fantasy truck, very futuristic. It was around 1/28th or 1/30th scale. Tim" And now we know!

What's goin' on... Well look at that! Well done. Did you use chalk to weather it or is that painted?

What's goin' on... I'm w/ Darin. I'll obtain as much 1:1 reference that I can find save it in my computer and then as I assembly the kit refer to that info to scratcbuild or modify details the kit lacks.

What's goin' on.... Olle. Yes sir the can was upright not on its side. Anthony. I want to get verse w/ the air brush first just to see if I like it ( so to say) before buying a compressor and the misc attatchments.

What's goin' on... I think that's the Dodge cab over w/ a Fruehauf trailer. As far as being mistaken you're not alone brother! My girlfriend (of 10 years) has been telling me the same thing! According to her my strong points aren't decision making but for getting things down from the top shelf at the grocery store that she can't reach! GEEEEZE .....

What's goin' on... Yesterday I attempted to use an air brush for the first time. The set up used is the Testors AZTEC (FYI I've had this over 4 years). When I used it only propellant discharged from the tip seconds later it was in liquid form and then the nozzle of the brush froze. Absolutly no paint came out of the brush AT ALL!! I started out using one of the small jars provided in the kit that had a small orfice in the lid(attatchment to the brush) Then I reduced the paint 2 parts water to 1 part acrylic Testors. I put the can of propellant in hot water then took it out when I was ready to start painting. I heard that heating the propellant will give consistant pressure. This attempt was strickly to get aquinted w/ the air brush I wasn't tring to do any work just yet. Now what did I do wrong? Why didn't the paint siphon? I'm aussuming that the orfice in the lid of the jar was the vent? Also was there a step I missed? Is there a way to keep the propellent from condensing at such a rate to the point where it freezes the end of the air brush? Thanks in advance for any input,advice, or troubleshooting tips.

What's goin' on... Lowboy is a nick name for a flatbed trailer where the deck is as close to the ground for load clearance. The same way some pick up trucks are called step sides. Here's one I built a few years back.

What's goin' on... NICE!!! Better replace that left-rear axle shaft gasket! Don't forget to check the oil level in the pumpkin!

What's goin' on... NOT BAD!!! Off to a good start!

What's goin' on... The pillow and sheets were part of the T600 kit. I did some modifing to both to look more realistic. I was going to make a real pillow in 1:25 and use some fabric for the blanks. I got impatient and used what came in the kit. Here's the fifth wheel up close if this picture isn't the detail you're looking for let me know.

What's goin' on... Well, I can tell you this. my D.O.B. is 8-13-72 if that helps. Good job on the diorama!

What's goin' on... Normally I post my work in the Model Trucks section of this forum but lately it's been down right stagnent. This time I'd like to show my work to the rest of the forum. Here's a link to all the photos opposed to adding all the pics here. If you're interested in the details put into this to date you may wanna go get a cup of coffee,soda pop,or a beer cause this may take a few mins to read. HA HAAA http://flickr.com/photos/9495602@N02/sets/...7432233/detail/ This is the AMT 1:25 Kenworth T600 being built far from box stock around the 1988-90 year vintage. To bring you all up to par I started w/ an aborted AMT 1:25 Kenworth K100 Areodyne COE project I got sick of. The rear portion of the chassis has been sectioned using the front protion of the T600's chassis. Doing this the frame was stretched about 2inches. The fifth wheel mount has been modified using styrene angle and scale rivets to replicate huck bolts. The fifth wheel came from the Revell 1:25 snap tite Peterbilt 359. I added jaws to the under side (that lock behind the trailer's kingpin) A piece of Plastruct HEX was added the top of the plate (to resemble the jaws adjustment nut) and a release handle was scratchbuilt. Finally the air cylinder and linkage was also scratchbuilt to replicate the fifth wheel sliding assembly lock. The bunk has been modified using the roof from the R/G 1:25 Kenworth W900 wrecker (spare part left over) givng this an old school flat top fleet look. Inside I scratchbuilt a flat screen TV. The bunk has been completely scratchbuilt w/ a recess under the bed for a storeage drawer. The drawer has been scratchbuilt from 1/32 basswood and stained several times w/ Minwax oak and clear coated w/ Minwax clear coat. The floor is .020 black sheet styrene to replicate a rubber mat. The driver's bunk comfort control panel is scratchbuilt. The base is also basswood stained w/ a small section of black sheet styrene. Small pieces of styrene rod has been used to make the control knobs and a piece of K/S tubing is to look like a drivers reading light bezel. The interior is two tone gray flocking. The plastic shelving cabinents found in the T600's kit were measured and those measurements were used to scratch build shelving cabinents also out of 1/32 basswood stained as well. For the interior tub (I guess that's what you'd call it) the rear section was cut off. The upholstery is painted light gray possibly will get flocked? The seats came from the K100 KW kit however the air ride cylinder and frames have been scratchbuilt out of styrene detailed w/ scale bolts. The cylinder is styrene tubing and the inner tube is K/S aluminum tubing. The floor was painted w/ aluminum metallizer and then a sheet of black styrene .020 was cut to fit to look like a rubber mat. The dash board has been detailed w/ Bare Metal Foil and painted (Better pics will be taken later. I was having trouble w/ getting the lighting/flash right I just said heck w/ it for the time being). On the firewall I used fine wire found at a craft shop in the (do it yourself) jewelry section. It's been painted flat black weathered w/ some chalk. Last a windsheild washer solvent reservoir has been scratchbuilt including the cap. Inside the cab Plastruct tiles was used to creat the upholstry Kenworth used at the time ( I didn't have the patientence to slice up a styrene rod to make the buttons). The sections needed from the Plastruct tiles sheet were cut at a 45 degree angle. This is to give the diamond look opposed to squares. Inside on the headliner are scratchbuilt map lights above the driver/passenger seats. On the cab/bunk's exterior the base coat (two) was Tamiya Matte Black. I waited a little over one day after putting the first coat on prior to doing a second. For the top coat I choose Testor's Colors by Boyd True Blue Pearl. The first coat was lightly misted on and I waited over a week before putting the second coat on as pictured. Again this is being left alone for a week or two to fully cure. In the mean time I'll get back to work on the chassis or the powertrain. To be continued... Thanks For Looking!!!

What's goin' on... Here's how I was taught. Take some matte aluminum Bare Metal Foil and apply it to the entire face of the dash and trim it. Next take a piece of tissue and rub it really well. Use a wash to fill in the gauges and allow to dry or use a Sharpe Marker. Take some fine sand paper and "LIGHTLY" rub over the surface of the gauges until the raised surfaces are clean and clear. Then w/ a fine paint brush start painting around the trim rings of the gauages and then go back and finish painting the face of the dash. Because BMF covered the entire face of the dash if there's any trim left around the dash that too can be sanded down as well giving it sharp look. Here's an advantage if ya screw up all ya do is peel off the Metal Foil and try again speaking from LOTS of experience. I did this last night on a dash for the AMT 1:25 Kenworth T600. I'll post pics later. Here's a dash that I did that to for the R/G 1:25 Peterbilt 359. This is a fair picture not the best. By the way... I like the idea of photoshopping a picture of the dash! I'll have to try that!

What's goin' on... My paint shop is the same as Billy's. Here's where I build (for the time being) There for a while I used to take a kit or two w/ me to work that I'd tinker w/ that during lunch. This project here brought that to a stop. I lost track of time and my 30 min lunch break turned into a 1:15 min D'OH!!!

Here's mine...

What's goin' on... That looks cool No pun intended!!! Any plans on weathering it?

What's goin' on... I recomend using the lights from the AMT/ERTl 1932 Ford kit. I used those on this truck (it's been rebuilt since this pic) also in that kit I used the windsheild for a bug gaurd and the dash for a Pete silowette logo.

What's goin' on... Here's a project where I used the Fruehauf dump body on a Ford LouEville. One of these years I'll finish it up!

What's goin' on... I too am in the indusrty I've been a trailer mechanic for 17 years now. As far as the 386,387's like the others have said no kits or conversions are out there unless you get the 1/32 scale die cast model. You can get away w/ using a Italeri 378 and an aftermarket 379 conversion kit. If ya can't build what you had in mind build what's out there like say a 359 Peterbilt or a GMC Astro. Seeing that you're a steering wheel holder HA HAAAA you've got the advantage over most on getting reference to build. Welcome to the forum.

What's goin' on... For the last 17 years I've been repairing semi trailers like this (Repair I did back when I worked for Swift Trans.)

What's goin' on... Here's where I keep my stash. Since this pic was taken I've added to the collection.

What's goin' on... Here's the seats for the T600. The air ride and frame I scratchbuilt and the seats are from the K100. Next I'll add flocking to the surface of the seats and make (raise/lower) control valves and air lines.