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Clint - I knew it.....you're pretty handy yourself. That King Tiger weathering is just phenomenal. Great job ! Today I FINALLY got started with getting the back rails on. In this small scale I have to be careful to work "inside-out" as I have to get the iron on it AND before I can move to the next step I have to clean up everything immediately as I'd never be able to get to it as the build progresses. Took me an entire week to get to this point but now it's moving along. One of my crude drawings as my guide during this phase. Might seem hard to believe but it is incredibly accurate to work from. No laughing ya' hear. This pic shows the start of the first rails boxed out during a test fitting And these shots show the "box" triangulated and ready for the next vertical support rails coming off the main hoop. I'm really pleased with how things are fitting together. So far, so good. There are some other pics on my fotki site. Cheers, tim

Thank you Clint for your reply. I have taken your comments in the right way and as they say "no harm, no foul". I truly do appreciate the fact that you believe my build is worthy of your praise and that you place it in such esteemed company. I welcome ALL of your comments and questions as continue to follow along. btw, do you have a photo sharing site so I might check out your armor builds. From what I've seen, there is some tremendous talent building miltary planes and vehicles and I like to check em' out too. Thanks Clayton and especially for the acknowledgement on the effort, it has been time consuming. My machining skills are novice at best but I firmly believe they're getting better as I gather more experience and my mentor continues to offer advice and insight. Well, I'm off to the bench to see if what I made truly fits as expected. Then I can solder something on finally. For what it's worth, drawings are necessary as a guide but when making the pieces and test fitting them, you can "see" potential problems that I can't see on paper. And the truly tricky part is being able to figure out which piece of the puzzle gets made / attached first because I have to figure out how to even get my soldering iron onto the part to secure it. It would be easy to "paint yourself into a corner" if not done in a proper manner. Sorry for all the blabbing, gotta go build. Next post will have some new pics.. Cheers, Tim

Ray and David, thank you fellas. I've spent the last few days making some headway on the brass rails for the back-half. won't go into all the gory details, but it ain't easy i assure you. many hours and still not 1 piece of brass soldered onto the backhalf. i'm at the measure FIVE times phase and then solder point. So many variables but I'm enjoying the engineering challenge. came up with some good ideas today on how to do somethings and I believe they'll serve me well. Clint, first, thanks for the compliment but I'm not comfortable being compared to people / fellow builders that i know are better than me. I've never seen Chris's work beyond what everyone sees on this forum, but I know I am suitably impressed. As far as Dave goes, whom I've referenced many times on this forum....well, in my humble opinion he is the finest you'll see. I look up to him quite simply because I've seen his work and there is no comparison. Still, I do appreciate your compliment and take it the way it was meant. But if you ever get the chance to see Dave's builds in person, do so....you'll be suitably dumbfounded at what the man can do...I know I am/was. And if you get the chance, go check out many of other builds going on in BigBoyz and even the Nascar sections of the forum, I've come across so much amazing talent but if you don't check it out, you'll miss out on some really great stuff going on. I do hope you continue to follow this build and enjoy it as much as I am. Cheers, Tim

Michael, you're correct with regards to the shock brackets. Unlike the anti-roll bar brackets, which were machined, these we're 3/32" brass tube that I soldered some dirtmodeler brackets to on each end. I used a properly thick piece of aluminum between the two brackets to keep them accurately spaced and so they wouldn't move once I put an alligator clip over the brackets. Soldered and did some light clean-up and shaping on the ends of them. The brackets already had the small hole in it for the bolt to secure the shock to it. About 30 minutes or so. Cheers, Tim

Michael - I took RB Motion .054" A/N fittings and slipped them, one at a time, on a thin brass rod against my dremel wheels. First the "red" sanding wheel (dremel part EZ473SA held at an angle and then the polishing wheel, Dremel part # 512E. That took the edges off of them for the most part and shined them up afterwards. I like the contrast you see on the ends. Took 20 minutes to do 8 of them. Let the part spin against the wheels, don't hold them still or you'll immediately get a flat spot. MitchP - Very high praise indeed that I certainly appreciate. You're learning new things by trying and as I'm sure you've discovered, when you get it right, it's the most rewarding. I can see from Michael (10Thumbs) his big step forward in his scratchbuilding skiils in just 2 builds. When I get to a point wherein I'm not learning anything anymore (which I just cannot ever forsee) then it would be time for me to look for a new hobby/challenge. Again, sincerest thanks for your post. Today a few pics of the setup I've done to locate the rear shocks since the rear end is now in position. I wanted to "protect" my Penske shocks so I made matching rods that match them in length and you'll see them in position on the shock brackets I made. These key pieces are now fixed. Now it's time to bend and solder some brass tubing to get this thing moving forward. I did discover one aspect of my jig that I don't like. The magnets have a tendency to grab some of my tools if I get them too close to them. THAT can / could be a real problem. You'll see in on the taller brackets that I put some 1/2" aluminum block over the top of the magnet to "shield" my tools from their magnetic field. Cheers, Tim

YOU and only YOU could have pulled this off John. What a COOL build. I love your stuff, always have and always will. Cheers, Tim

Thanks Chris. No I won't be going to the GSL...with kids, spring break and all the other things that "life" throws at me, I will have to miss it again. It's on the bucket list and it would be great to finally meet so many other modellers that I've met through this forum. Whew...thanks Randy. Glad you like it. What you won't see is that today I spend 2 hours tearing it all apart and re-doing the bars and geometry on the rear It was wrong. Now it's correct. I thank my friend Dave for catching that one. Oh well, better to get it right. If you go to my Fotki page you'll see the changes I made. And I must add that I'm so flattered that you think enough of the build to share it with others. Especially those not familiar with our hobby. Cheers Michael - Thanks dude. See my comment for Randy. Nothing is easy it seems. But, it WILL be correct. Please note too the difference in the diameters of the upper v. bottom bars. The tops are 1.1mm and the bottoms are 1.4mm. Dave pointed out that the bars on real cars are substantially bigger than most modellers make them (1.250" to 1.5" in diameter) So, I took what was the closest material (s/steel tube in this instance) to replicate the 1:1 cars. It's the little things. Mike (MagicPhotos) nice to see you following and I DO appreciate your comments as always. Take care. Cheers, Tim

Hi - Brad and Joe, I do drawings before milling any part. I know some guys might be able to do a piece without having something to go by, but I'm not one of them. I will be sure to share some future mill setup pics and other info that might be of help. As an fyi, I don't own a lathe at this time. When choosing between the 2, I chose the mill as my first purchase as it's more versatile and theres more to learn. I figure if I can learn my way around a mill reasonably well, then a lathe will be a much simpler learning curve. I know that might seem like a backwards approach to some, but it's just the "weird" way I think. Scott, thanks too for ALL your positive comments. It's greatly appreciated. Today, I got the 4 links done. The rear is now in position, height and side to side and back/forard. Now I can start the rails. The jig worked VERY well but todays work was fairly simple, straightforward stuff. It's true capabilities will be tested in the coming days. The tubing is s/steel and I tried to replicate the bungs on the ends of the rods by softening the edges of RB Motion A & N fittings. Kinda worked. Now, if I had a lathe, I might have..... A few pics.......

Randy, I thought I had a decent vocabulary but I'm running out of superlatives. Let me just say..........SWEET workmanship. Cheers, Tim

Ray and Brad, I do use drawings. For the rear they show top and side profiles. Of course, it doesn't mean that they might night change as I get into the fabbing of the rails. I promise to post frequent progress pics as I build and you should be able to see all of the good, bad and the ugly. I'll be specific about what works and doesn't work. Art, thank you sir, and btw when are we gonig to see more of your "dirt" car? Cheers everyone. Tim

Yeah Dave, what they said....what's up with that? When will you get this done? In all seriousness my friend, when the time comes, then it will be the "right" time. Now go get that awesome 37' hotrod done. Cheers, Tim

Why am I not surprised at how well this is turning out. See what happens when you set ones expectations so high. Nice Chris. Cheers, Tim

Hey Jeremy, I'll be watching you build. I have no doubt you'll make the club and your dad proud. Great subject too! Cheers, Tim

FOUND IT...and I'm sure glad I did. John, you have the most creative mind and ability to execute a vision that one could imagine. Just truly inspirational. I especially like the fact that it's totally "believable" in it's concept and execution. You never cease to amaze. Cheers, Tim

Jeremy - Thanks again and tell your father I said "hello'! Jeff - I used a sherline slitting saw with a .020" blade. When it gets near the end I carefully grab it a pair of tweezers and ever so slowly advance the wheel until it comes off. Key word is "carefully". And yes, like you, I've had more than my share of parts lost on the floor that I've renamed "the Lost World". Jonathon Thanks as well. RAY, glad this helps in some way. If you have any further questions OR suggestions to make it better, pleaes let me know. Mitchell - Thought you'd get a kick out of Dave's builds. He lives on another planet from the rest of us as his work is so "alien" in it's execution. Thanks Chris for providing the link too! Joe - I sound just like him too when I have my paint mask on. Mr. Teresi - Greatly appreciated as always........now, again, how do I get to that boat build thread you've got going on. I had it and now I can't find it again. BTW - I FOUND your boat thread under "OTHER BUILDS" on the forum, for those of you that have not seen it or were aware of what mad genius John was displaying, go check it out. Totally cool.

Wow Ray. That is pulling in beautifully. Thanks for the amount of detail and photos you're sharing along the way. There are important lessons here that I'm sure I'll attempt to replicate one day and you're blazing a great path. Cheers, Tim

Glad to see you back on this one John. Now where do I go to check out you boat thread? Cheers, Tim

Hi, I'd like to address those that posted comments individually: Randy - many hours of prep to get to the fabbing part now. I'm learning machining as I go and it's slowing me down but I'm not really building a model here, I'm getting an education in actuality. More after school time is going to be required I'm afraid. I spent 2 1/2 hours making those twin small anti-roll brackets on the mill...they're 3.8 x 4.8mm (tiny I assure you) but they're a much cooler solution that I wanted to try to make....that's where my time has been spent. The jig brackets were machined from 1/4" alum. rod which took me too long to make as well. I know you can relate. Hopefully (I'm counting on it) this will work now as I get to fabbing the back-half. Thanks for following along too! Chris - Scratchbuilding sure is rewarding but it's tough and time consuming as you well know. You get what you put into it I guess. Great job on the blanket too! Keep her going now and thanks for your compliments. Dave - mimickry is the sincerest form of flattery and I'm doing my best to learn and replicate some of the things and lessons you've shared personally. Guys, go check out Dave's engine build. A true Monster small block that even Godzilla would fear. (photobucket - "comp1839" ) You won't be let down. Ray - Tyrone- Leonard and Dave - Thank you gentlemen for your continued interest and the kind words. I think the coming few weeks will really be a good as it relates to progress now. Joe - "dragons'.....I'm going to take that as a compliment....you do know however that Godzilla was NOT a dragon. Bruce - thank you sir. I really like your build on your Wolf F1. You are absolutely nailing the colorations all along the way. You have some very sharp talents there too my friend. I did pick up a HiroBoy 1/12th Porsche 917 LH recently...at my rate I'll get to it in a year or so. SOOOO many opps for detailing in 1/12th that it boggles my mind even where to begin. And man is it a BIG car compared to the Henry. Thanks too for your words and interest. Michael, glad to be of help as always. The grid is 1/8 of an inch. More like 4mm. I'll take apart the jig as I have to put the 4 link brackets on next to locate the axle front to rear with the chassis. I also want to scribe some vertical marks for lining up purposes on the brackets I made. That's why you see red machinist dye on them in certain areas. It will make alignment even easier I believe. I put the entire assembly plate on a machinist vice that is a twin axis. It raises the car to a level that I don't have to bend over nearly as much. I was getting a stiff neck too often from bending over the table and the gyrations while soldering were too much. I can even tilt the table if I need to for soldering purposes. I'm anxious to see how that helps. Appreciate your compliment and for following. Now where are those ladder bars for YOUR car. Cheers, Tim

Hi, I guess if you don't post for a while you kind of forget how to. I just took 20 minutes to post to the thread and I obviously did something wrong. In brief, here are some new pics and if you have any questions, please ask and I'll do my best to explain. Cheers, Tim I did "borrow" liberally from some of the chassis jig ideas that Dave(comp1839) used and shared on his Camaro ProMod build. I'm not trying to re-invent the wheel, only trying to make it work on this particular build for the scale that I'm working in. The brackets are really helpful in locating the axle and shocks so I can build the backhalf off their locations.

NICE RAY.....I knew this would be an awesome thread. Great work on the cowl ! Tim

Hi Ray, you sir must be a mind reader as I've spent quite a bit of time and brain power (which I don't have to spare) on how to fab what I now have down on paper. The axle brackets are done. They work well and now I know what I MUST make (another pair of similar type supports albeit taller) that will help me "locate" the proper shock location. Then it's time to solder. I promise to share what I've come up with BEFORE I start the chassis fabbing. I think that what I will be describing might make more sense to anyone interested before I actually start soldering it up. I am encouraged by the progress I'm making and the ideas should be replicable for future builds. The only thought I have for anyone considering my current jig for this build is that it might not be applicable for a different type of car. Such as your GT-40...but if there are ideas that I can offer that help you or anyone else, then that is all I can hope for. Cheers, Tim SORRY RAY, I meant your Big Boyz Deuce build.......not Randy's GT-40. Tim

Hi Randy, "mc" ...model club? What car are you doing in 1/12th btw? Cheers, Tim

Hey Randy...very soon...I've been making small parts, chassis jig pieces and final drawings so that I can start fabrication of the back end at some point next week. I've spent time also finishing up some small details on my brakes and even soldering some simple tiny tabs on my 4 link brackets (which took me too long as one of them "moved" and I had to take it apart and re-do it..my fault as I didn't take the necessary precaution before soldering it up) I'm working very tight tolerances (which you know all about) and it really serves to remind me what scratch building means.....these modern drag chassis require more thought and planning than my Willy's chassis. Be assured though, I'm making headway. I'll post pics sometime next week. Thanks for thinking about the build! Cheers, Tim btw, killer job on the steering rack on your gt40. Just superb.

Great car that you've selected Bruce and you're certainly off to a super start. Thanks for sharing the details on the paint for the engine/trans. It looks VERY realistic.....I'm going to step up to 1/12th at somepoint and it will be interesting to see how much detail you can put into 1 car. Best to you on the build! Tim

Sorry to hear this Art but certainly understood. Will certainly follow along when you eventually get back to it. Cheers, Tim