Harry P.

The metal straps in the above photos are made from the thin aluminum of a pie pan. The aluminum is thin enough to easily cut with scissors, yet stiff enough to hold its shape when bent. I use this stuff to make things like the mounting straps above, linkages, brackets... all sorts of things. As you can see, there's not much left to this one. I've been using it for many years... bits and pieces of it are on a lot of my models!

I tend to jump around when I build a model... I rarely follow the instruction assembly sequence. So now I'm putting the chassis aside while some small parts are drying, and jumping to the ladder carriage assembly. Here I've started adding some missing detail to more closely match reference photos. Reference photo details vary from one truck to another, so I'm just sort of averaging things out, not necessarily following any one reference photo exactly. The kit parts are molded in red plastic, my additions are in white styrene and brass. The "bolt heads" are small brass nails left over from a wooden ship kit (they are hull and deck planking nails). The metal straps that hold the wheel axles in place are aluminum strips cut from a pie pan. This whole assembly will eventually be painted red.

I don't see any problem with the paint... it looks good from here! So does everything else.

I would never have guessed...

Somewhat...

If I was a total maniac I would have glued all brass parts together, sanded the seams and sent them out to be replated... but I don't know of anyone that does brass plating on model parts. So I'm going to just live with the seams. Like you said... there's only so much I can reasonably do...

More chassis and engine detail added. The linkages mounted on the steering box are scratchbuilt, not included in the kit. The lights on this truck were not electric, but acetylene-powered. The brass tank mounted on the frame rail below the dash was the "factory" where acetylene gas was made. The tank had two compartments... a lower compartment held calcium carbide, a powder that looks pretty much like sand. The upper chamber held water. A valve controlled the rate at which the water was allowed to drip down onto the calcium carbide powder. When the water and calcium carbide combined, a chemical reaction produced acetylene gas, which traveled through hollow gas lines to a burner in each lamp. The light was produced by the burning of the acetylene gas... the light was literally a flame. The reflector bowl behind the flame projected the light forward. The light housings had holes in them to allow the heat of the burning gas to escape. This is the way car headlights worked before the introduction of electric lights.

I think your self-imposed "standard" of music being worthy only if it was a "hit" is incredibly shortsighted. You have missed a lot of good music over the years if all you ever listened to was Top 40 radio. But you're free to be shortsighted, of course... BTW... I have to agree on "Metal Machine Music." I don't get it. Pure self-indulgence as far as I can see.

I told you he wasn't interested in the Top 40!

Looking very good.

Very nice! I see you do a lot more than just cars!

There is waaaaaaaaay more to music than just what's "on the charts."

I think it needs some chrome to offset all that pink. Chrome visor, chrome mirrors, chrome window surrounds and wipers, etc. And I would have gone the opposite on the color... the darker "heavier" color on the frame and bottom part and the lighter color on the upper parts. (you did ask what we think... )

He had several "hits." Dirty Boulevard... Sweet Jane... Walk on the Wild Side...Satellite of Love... but making the charts wasn't what he was interested in.

You better hope your boss doesn't do that, too.

Here's a little tip for you... I use CA glue a lot when building. Most of the time, I need just a tiny drop, applied to a very specific spot. Trying to use the tube to squeeze out a small drop is almost impssible... it just doesn't give the control I need. I use a homemade CA applicator. All I do is use a flat Dremel sanding wheel to remove the top half of the "eye" of a large sewing needle. That leaves me with a tiny "Y" shaped opening at the end of the needle. I wrap the needle with masking tape to make it easier to pick it up and handle (and so I don't poke myself with the sharp end! ). To apply the glue, I place a drop of CA onto a disposable surface (a small piece of paper, plastic coffee can lid, whatever). Then I dip the open end of the needle into the CA, which leaves me with a "just right" drop of the glue suspended between the two "arms" of the open-ended needle. Now I can apply a precise amount of glue to a precise spot without worrying about too much glue spurting out if I used the tube to apply the glue directly. After use, I just wipe off the tip of the needle with a paper towel. If any CA builds up on the tip, all you have to do is scrape off the dried CA with the tip of your X-acto blade and you're good to go. Cheap. Simple. Effective.

I hate it when members say their going to add some photos to there posts, but their not really they're.

Just bought the Christie engine. $45, shipping included.

Looking at the chassis, I just realized there's no gas tank. Did this truck run on magic power?

I got en email from Ken Kitchen (Kitchen Table Resins)... he sent me a few photos of the clear hoods that were made available to Olds dealers back in the day, to be used to showcase the new Rocket 88 engines.

I suggest you look into foiling the chrome trim on your next model. It makes a huge difference. Also... wipers and door handles?

Does anyone else wonder how they got the fenders to overlap the body sides like that on the parts tree???

For the gauges I used the tiniest brush I have and a magnifier. And yes, now that I'm into this model I'd like to do the Christie, too.

Nice job on the cape.

A Hudson Hornet had been on builders' "most wanted" lists for years.