Semi Trailer Mechanic

There's a few distribution centers that I run service calls to where hobby shops are nearby. If I get all my repairs done and "make time" I'll stop and get kits and or supplies on my way to my next service call or on the way back to the garage. I could change a leaf spring,couple tires and a few wheelseals and still go in covered in dirt and grease. I actually like that better people get out of my way a lot faster

Poor old Astro. You can use a grill from a GMC General or a Chevrolet Bison to up date your Astro.

Here's some projects that I weathered. Beit in depth or moderate. Thanks for looking. http://www.flickr.co...57623829493805/ http://www.flickr.co...57623319274504/ http://www.flickr.co...57608400008760/ http://www.flickr.co...57603827432233/ http://www.flickr.co...57604086705503/ http://www.flickr.co...57603827410439/ http://www.flickr.co...57603827419497/

Thanks for the compliments. Clayton. The sleeper is from the Revell snap-tite kit. The truck is the R/G 359 kit.

Here's the latest on the work bench. I wasn't going to post about this until it was finish but what the hell. This is being built for an East framless dump trailer I built a while back. The chassis is being built to box stock specs. However the bunk from the Revell (snap tite) 359 is being used. The sleeper doors were cut out replaced by those included in the R/G kit. These as you know have raised details that didn't get washed out after being painted. The interior upholstery was modified using Evergreen tile sheet so far. The basecoat is Duplicolor light metallic blue. Topcaot is Kustom Kolor Pearl Color Coat "Trublue Pearl" and the fenders are Model Master AMC Sterling Silver. If you think about using this color BE WARNED When sprayed the metal flake flies EVERYWHERE. If you look close you'll see a difference in the color tone. All I can think of is the different outside temps caused this as it got painted at different times. Needless to say I won't use that Pearl again. Most likely I'll leave it as is. This will have a curbside wet line kit on it. (Just the hydraulic tank). At this time I'm not going to scratchbuild the PTO,Pump,plumbing,shut-offs, and so on. But later I may take that direction. Thanks for looking!!!

Here's the latest on the work bench. I wasn't going to post about this until it was finish but what the hell. This is being built for an East framless dump trailer I built a while back. The chassis is being built to box stock specs. However the bunk from the Revell (snap tite) 359 is being used. The sleeper doors were cut out replaced by those included in the R/G kit. These as you know have raised details that didn't get washed out after being painted. The interior upholstery was modified using Evergreen tile sheet so far. The basecoat is Duplicolor light metallic blue. Topcaot is Kustom Kolor Pearl Color Coat "Trublue Pearl" and the fenders are Model Master AMC Sterling Silver. If you think about using this color BE WARNED When sprayed the metal flake flies EVERYWHERE. If you look close you'll see a difference in the color tone. All I can think of is the different outside temps caused this as it got painted at different times. Needless to say I won't use that Pearl again. Most likely I'll leave it as is. This will have a curbside wet line kit on it. (Just the hydraulic tank). At this time I'm not going to scratchbuild the PTO,Pump,plumbing,shut-offs, and so on. But later I may take that direction. Thanks for looking!!!

On my to build list is "LIL" POGO's truck off an episode from B+J and the Bear. Her truck was in the epsiode where Hammer (NO ......NOT MC " HAMMERTIME" HAMMER) was racing her in the mountains. B+J rounded a blind corner swerved to miss them and 1/3 of his cab went off the road teetering off a cliff looking into a canyon. Her truck was a 352 Pete either black or a dark dark blue w/ a white stripe. The AMT 352 Pacemaker could work for this. Funny how I remember worthless details like this from back in the day but manage to misplace my keys about every other day. GEEEEZE !!!

Here's my SBFA Reo. http://www.flickr.com/photos/9495602@N02/sets/72157603827410439/

The stand up bunk looks proportioned w/ the overall size of the truck.

Off to a good start. As far as the factory shaving the rivets. Back then probably not. These days however it's possible. The technology put into adhesive these days the sheet metal could be glued on. When I worked for SWIFT Trans. in the Columbus,Ohio trailer shop (major wreck shop) there was one bay set up for the truck body man for him to rebuild wrecked tractors. I'd help him out from time to time when he needed more than two hands to accomplish a task. That's where I learned of an adhesive called FUSER. It's a two part glue. The applicator is a huge battery opp'd gun that two tubes go in and mix. Kinda like a MEGA caulking gun on steriods. The type of adhesive depended on what was being glued. Fiber glass to metal,metal to metal, fiber to fiber and so on. Needless to say he'd let me use the FUSER ( fiber to fiber) to glue patches on translucent (fiberglass) roofs opposed to cutting out sheet metal backer strips used to prevent rivets from pulling thru the patch/roof. Now the only way I could think for a truck body to not have rivets would be like this. The cab has been skinned (de skinned). As each panel (sheet metal) being installed That fusor would be applied, the panel put in place and tacked w/ a blind rivet (POP) as a means to hold the panel in place during the curing time of the fuser. After it's all said and done the rivets would have to be drilled out and the holes filled and smoothed. I'm sure there might be other methods to install sheet metal on a cab w/out riveting but that's the only way I can think of it being done. It's your model modify it the way you want it to look. Good Luck!!!

I use a piece of old spur from a kit. Cut a piece about 1.5" long w/ a 90 leg at the end cut so it just fits thru the opening of the jar. I'll put it in a cordless drill and mix it w/ that. When finished that gets chucked in the trash.

That worked out good. Thanks Brett!!!

What's works best to remove Bare Metal Foil residue? Thanks.

LHS's should have them in stock as well as hobby shops online. I'd say there might be a few on EBAY.

Hey guys!!! I haven't had any desire to do any building lately so here's a picture w/ a seipia effect of an older combination I built. Thanks for looking!!!

That worked out good!! As they say... If it's not square when ya start it won't be square when you finish!!! Building something like this would be perfect to use when assembling the AMT 359 Pete. The last one of those kits I built the frame rails on it were severly warped.

Which NTC Cummins is in the R/G 359 kit. Also I'm looking for detailed reference pics as well. Thanks

ATTABOY!!! Well done!!!

THAT'S AWESOME!!!

NICE!!!

IMPRESSIVE! I'm not that keen on the color but the assembly is flawless. That earned ya an attaboy!!!

Thanks for looking!!! http://www.modelcarsmag.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=35119

Thanks for the compliments. Yeah the suspension was from the tanker kit. If I were to build another from the ground up it would have a scratchbuilt center-point suspension.

Here's a mid 2000 RANCO belly dump trailer I scratchbuilt. Originally built a few years ago I pulled it out of storage and cleaned it up. The trailer got sanded down w/ 1000grit. Next it was painted w/ Tamiya black. Additional scratchbuilt mods are glad hands,7-way recepticle,reworked modified rims,document holder,and a push bumper/stinger. As always I thank ya for looking!!!