Rockford

What an excellent job you've made of that, well done!

You started me on the process mate, thanks for that!

I wasn't sure if this was worthy of its own topic but it's been keeping me occupied so I thought I'd show everyone. You all know I build 1/32 Snap Tites and try to improve the look of them. I've sorted a system for deepening the awful shallow wheel dishes but it invariably led to the loss of chrome wheels, which isn't always a bad thing, but sometimes you want a polished finish. I'd pondered solutions for while. Aftermarket? Not really affordable for me. Chrome effect paint on my usual plastic insert? Doesn't stand up to handling and there's a lot of it in building the tandems. I was determined to get something because the tandems on my 352 were starting to annoy me, they spoil the look of the truck. I bought some thick-walled aluminium tube for a few pounds, it's an extruded piece, no seam in it. I very gingerly cut 3.5mm slices from it with a hacksaw or pipe cutter, both have their advantages and drawbacks. I need about 3.2mm in the finished form so the extra 0.3mm gives me room for filing and polishing. After I had the 4 rings I made a rough jig where I can hold the 4 together and file them simultaneously to the same size. I used progressively finer files as I go along, then change to wet and dry paper, used wet until all the deep scratches are gone. I then add a chamfer on one side to simulate the edge of the wheel dish and start buffing with metal polish and a buffing pad on my motor tool. The wheels themselves are reduced by 3.2mm at the inner mount, which I then used on the outside of the wheel as the hub, I just reduce the diameter with a file. I rub the edge of the rim away so the outer edge is flat. The overall effect is excellent and improves the stance of the trucks no end. I've also been adding sliding 5th wheels where possible. I'm really pleased with the improvements I made to my Freightliner conventional. As well as the tandems and the 5th wheel I reduced the front track, replaced the quarter fenders and painted under the wheel arches on the hood. Here's my 352:- 'm working my way through the fleet, upgrading those that I can dismantle without destroying them.

I know I've not been posting much lately, I'm a bit overwhelmed with my new house and everything's still scattered about the place. My bedtime reading nowadays is back issues of Overdrive Magazine on the Dutch Model Truck Club's Fotki page. I've also been looking at 352 Petes as research for my current (stalled) project. Last night I was looking at the January 1983 issue and when I got to the Tractor of the Month page I thought the subject looked familiar. I flicked to a "for sale" page I'd saved and it does indeed look like the same machine. It's not just the paint scheme though, same 350 Cummins, 13 speed, Dayton spoked wheels painted blue, still has one high back seat, rear facing alley lights on the roof, polished visor, 44,000lb rears, rubber lip on the bottom edge of the cab, the caps on the air horns, the licence plate board below the front bumper with the round amber reflectors on. It's still in Michigan too, about 200 miles from where it lived in the Overdrive days. The paint job has been pinstriped, there's a hefty front towing bar fitted and the half fenders have been renewed but I reckon there's enough there to say that they're the same truck that's had another life. I know, I should get out more, but we dullards make the rest of you look better!

Great looking K100, love the Salem paint scheme. Well done.

Here's my stripes I drew up on Paint® for the Aircon unit.

BOOM! I'm back! Sort of. I can't find half my materials or tools so I'm struggling a bit but I've got a basic bench set up for now and I've took the leap to get back into the habit. I've really missed working on my trucks. Here's my bench setup:- I've still got boxes to empty after two months. To get myself moving again I decided to do a simple job and build an air conditioning unit for the roof. It's a Kysor unit, which seemed to be the most common in the day. I used aluminium mesh for the grille and I'll plumb the lines in once the cab is sorted. I drew up some decals for it. I also got the itch to sort the wheels on the AMT Trailmobile van I built a few years ago. I swapped the AMT pieces for Monogram ones, which sorted the familiar scale issue, but then I had the Snaptite shallow wheel dish issue. I did my usual modification of adding depth to the wheel dish using two strips. Transforms the look.

It's because I've never had one up until then so I just thought I'm not going to miss anything. If I had a presence on there then maybe I'd approach it differently but I didn't see the advantage of it.

I think ive just had the shortest Facebook membership ever. I signed up (against my better judgement) to look at Facebook Marketplace, as we've just moved house and are looking at offloading "stuff" and acquiring other "stuff". Whilst on I went looking for 1/32 trucks because I'd seen a group come up on image searches. One of the first things I see is two images of MY 1/32 Freightliner cabover being used to advertise 1/25 3D printed kits! I was incensed. I left a comment on both images stating that they were not the product being sold, and that they were being used without my permission and had been lifted from this forum. I know it's a compliment really because the person thinks that there's no difference between my 1/32 snapper and a 1/25 AMT but it's misrepresentation and very wrong. I thought "I've been on 5 minutes and im already seeing stuff that's bent, and even using my work to perpetrate their lies!" I decided i wanted no part of such a setup and deleted my account. Am I being too sensitive?

The brake chambers do the actuation, the air stops there. A bit of research on the interwebs will help you mate, and you'll be able to do it systematically. In the meantime, what you've done so far will add some good detail.

Well done, not always easy with a kit that age.

Semi Casual do some amazing stuff. I was watching them on YouTube. Don't like all of it but they have amazing attention to detail. The potential on this is endless!

Great looking job. Will be an excellent combination.

Absolute work of art that Gary. Very tidy and clean too. A show truck. I love the stacks, you can't beat real metal.

Nice job on the Cummins 855, chassis looks good too. Hope the kit isn't too vague for you, but you'll have experienced AMTs ways of doing things before, it's just a bigger version of "what goes where?"

Looks great. Well done.

That's going to be a great trailer to pair with your Mack. Great combination.

I know it's no comfort to you but I think it looks fantastic! Beyond my abilities.

That is so clever! That's worthy of Jim Wangers that is. I do love his Pontiac adverts, just so clever.

You're doing a great job on this. I like the wear on the diamond plate. The chains and pins look good too. It will look great with a load on it.

Great looking truck, would be great to have one of those around

Very clean build, great colour too. So many little touches on this rig, it's a real standout.

Very nice job with some very nice features- opening doors, double sleeper, paint scheme, well done.

When you get into fabbing stuff to the degree you have on this job you see how much work the kit makers have to put into each kit. It's a wonder anything can be built. Persevere, you'll sort it I'm sure. You can see the filter housing is too big from the kit.

Nice install on the DD. Looks factree.