Rockford

To take my mind off the Peterbilt Winslow stripes failure I did some work on the Bison. I built a driveshaft to accommodate the shorter wheelbase. I used various diameter plastic tube over an aluminium tube core. I also decided to make the rear wheels two-hole Budd wheels instead of ten-hole aluminium pieces. I used my motor tool to run two holes into one. I cleaned the shape up with a small half-round file. In the photo the top hole is the raw version, the bottom one is after dressing. Then I filled the remaining six holes from the back of the wheel and just flattened the filler down at the front. I'll rub it down once it's set.

Sorry I haven't replied to your kind comments gents but I've been a bit distracted the last few weeks. You're all very kind. I tried another set of Winslow stripes but they failed again so I added a company decal I drew up on Microsoft Word. That's it with this truck, every time I strip it to try applying the stripes I cause damage so I'm definitely calling it done now.

I've admitted defeat on the stripes. I bought the liquid decal film to match the paper, printed my stripes also some company and mudflap logos I drew up. Gave it two coats of decal film as per instructions and let it dry overnight. First I tried my logos and while they took a bit of getting off the backing paper they went on great. So, time to try the stripes. As soon as they went into the water the black started lifting. Then the dark red started showing patches of white before I'd touched it. I had to throw it out. I used some company logos I'd drawn up myself and they went on great. I don't understand it, why are some ok and others not? Is it the black ink? It can't be as the mudflap logos are almost all black and they're fine! My printer is a Canon inkjet 3100. Is it certain colours? There's yellow and red in the logo I used on the Pete and that is perfect. Maybe the stuff is just not cut out for big decals, I don't know. I've emailed Bare Metal to see if they can shed any light on the situation. It's academic anyway because I can't touch the Pete again. I broke the step and both mirrors stripping it to apply the stripes. I can't risk stripping it again. Maybe it's time to start masking and painting different colours.

New day, new start. I've put too much work into these Winslow stripes to just give in so I'm going to buy the proper decal sealer and have another go. It just looks too good with them. I'm also going to try printing the decal in a two stage process to eliminate that colour shifting you can see in the photos. To build confidence I've gone ahead with applying the blue stripe I printed at the same time for my old 352 that I built in lockdown. I cut around the vent in the door this time so I only needed to use setting solution on the door hinges and lockers. It is a very simple stripe but it worked, it transforms the look of the truck and I feel better about trying on the other truck. Apologies for the terrible protective tablecloth.

What a brilliant looking truck. The story adds so much too! Excellent stuff.

Beautiful truck. I remember when an F10 was the truck to beat. I also remember the little Michelin men on mirror arms. Really nice build.

Thanks mate. I'm sure I'll calm down. I was probably a little too ambitious thinking I could do a full stripe set. There's so many features the decal has to conform to. I might get some of the proper Microsol sealer and try on another truck, but I've decided to leave this one alone.

This is as finished as it's gonna get. I did intend a set of Winslow stripes but they didn't come off so another plain Jane tractor. Lot of alterations and scratch building has gone into this, it started out as the Monogram 1/32 Snaptite kit. I wanted it to look like the AMT 352 Pacemaker truck and I'm fairly happy that I've achieved that look. If you want to see the work that went in to getting this far, please look in the On The Workbench section, I won't bore you with the list.

Well, my Winslow stripes looked like they were going to work. Got the passenger side on ok but the driver's side just went to pieces. The setting solution softened the decal but started leeching the ink out and the black outline started crumbling. I suppose using Tamiya clear to seal the ink wasn't the best move. Incompatible with the setting solution and the decal paper. So I peeled it back off and thought I'll just leave the name on the doors "Ozark Trucking" but then I lost one of the Ozarks!!!!!!! It was all I could do not to throw the cab across the room. Yet another anonymous, stripeless truck. I then fitted the cab steps and broke one. Fixed with super glue but close to deciding this is my last model. I'll post it in Under Glass because any more faffing around and I'll break something else.

Very nice work. Mr Kent and Mr Worthington would be impressed.

That's impressive work. Unbelievable detail!

I've been trying a couple of graphics packages to draw up my Winslow stripes for this truck and I've got nowhere. I can draw rectangles and that's about it. Previously I'd tried using Microsoft Paint, the old program but I wasn't happy with the results, you could see the pixelated steps in the diagonal lines. I used the same program to do the Trailmobile mudflap decals and I noticed that you couldn't see the pixels on those. It was because I'd massively reduced them on printing so they fooled the eye. Why not do the same on my Winslows? I drew a set of stripes as big as I could and then printed them at 32% original size. Then I flipped the image and printed the other side, just altered the margins on the paper so it missed the first image. Results are ok, good enough for me to use. I'm using clear decal paper because the paintwork is white, to get the use out of the sheet I also drew up some plain blue stripes for another truck. I want to let them dry thoroughly, then clear them with a Tamiya rattle can and then let's see how they look on the truck(s). I know you can buy decals but on e you get them shipped to GB they start getting expensive. I've enjoyed messing around on the computer.

Thank Jim Don't beat yourself up mate, I've been working on these two since February! Headache rack? Not sure yet. Long in the distance at the moment.

Now that the flatbed is on hold I decided to deal with something that's been bothering me. The daycab Bison looked good with the long chassis but that wouldn't be the usual thing for a workaday truck, which is what I build, I'm not a showtruck builder. I looked on the interwebs at GMC Generals for sale and looked at the wheelbases. Converting them to 1/32 scale gave a smallest figure of 4.9 inches:- I decided that was too small even for me. I tried 6inches:- Too long, I settled for 5.5 inches which was the Goldilocks figure for me:- This meant cutting 36mm out of the chassis, (Forgive me for switching between imperial and metric) and losing my beautiful hand built driveshaft. I decided to use the driveshaft on my GMC General which has only ever had most of one because it was a used kit off eBay, so it didn't go to waste. I made the cut and fitted some fillets for strength. Added quarter fenders. Looks a proper little chunky monkey now. Still a lot of work to do here but I'm so glad I did this, it looks just right. before I went any further.

Nice job, Marmon cabover next?

Thanks for the comments and the ideas gents. I'll be trying your suggestions over the next few weeks. I'll let you know what I settle on.

Nice clean job!

Great looking rendition of a great car. Thirty years? You've made me feel positively industrious!

Everything on this trailer is scratch built except for the wheels and tyres and the sand shoes on the landing legs. I wanted a flatbed to go with my assortment of 1/32 tractors but at this scale there's only dry vans, reefers and the fuel tanker. My only option was to modify a diecast unit or build my own. Looking at the die cast stuff I could see it really wasn't suitable, the suspension detail was dire so I chose the "build" path. I bought various plastic profiles from a hobby shop and set to work copying the construction of the real thing. I modelled it on some Trailmobile trailers on auction websites. The rear tandems slide and the landing legs operate. The paint is Post Office Red over red oxide primer. I modified the AMT 1/32 chrome wheels to look like 2 hole Budds. I made my own decals for the mudflaps using Microsoft Paint and reduced some Trailmobile badges for the front and back. This has been one of the most satisfying models I have ever built. I'm over the moon with it and am now wondering what I could build next, despite having 4 projects on the go already. I'm thinking of a removable goose neck trailer. ?

Thanks gents, very kind of you. Well I'm just about done on this build. All that was left was the Trailmobile insignia on the frame and the mudflaps. I'm ok with the wooden bed as it is. I can't think of any way to treat it. I know in real life it would be treated for longevity but it would be left fairly rough to make a good, non slippery surface. As I've said before I'd like to weather it a little bit don't know how. I might try a few things over the next few months. For now, it's done. Can't quite believe I've done it, or finished something for once.

Today it all went together. I painted the hubs and the wheel nuts with Tamiya red. Painted the air lines from the chassis to the tandems. Left the lines to the brake chambers red because we never bothered masking the hoses when we sprayed a trailer. Fitted the sliding bogie and lubed it with some dishwashing liquid. Made my mudflaps out of white electrical tape. Painted the rear lights and markers with silver, then used clear red or orange or red as required. I also downloaded some insignia and reduced them. Here they are on white decal paper. I'll clear them to seal the ink. I simply cannot believe I actually built this. It looks like a trailer, not a shapeless twisted blob. The tandems still slide. The wheels look right, not too far apart.

True answer Dan, I really don't know. I'm wondering whether I should rethink the deck but I really don't know what I could use as an alternative. Also, I'm wondering whether I should weather the deck somehow. Thanks for the kind words gents.

Great work so far. As for the wet kit, PTO etc... it's all on the interwebs mate. I used to work on tippers, tankers etc... so saw all sorts of set-ups but it's 30 years ago so I use truck sales sites and the like to remind me.

Oh that IS nice.

Very inventive. Looking forward to following this.