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JT, Awesome as usual! Makes me wish I had a Lonestar! I have seen a few built as fire tankers and heavy rescues. They look pretty sharp! But, I have a Mack tanker to finish, plus a ProStar day cab, KW T-800, and Pete 378 tankers/heavy rescues to build! My goal for the New Year is to COMPLETE some of my long unfinished projects before starting anything new. David

Nice work Carl and Tom! I bought one several years ago at a swap meet that the previous owner had crudely cut the top and bottom halves with what looked like a hand saw. Because of the gaping irregular cut, it has sat in a box... At some point, I may try sanding the halves down evenly and then applying Evergreen strip to replace the missing plastic. David

Hi Guys, Is there a difference in the wheelbase between the two kits, and if so - what is that difference? I had seen a members built up kit that looked like the perfect length for a tanker conversion project. Recently traded for what I thought was the Longhauler kit. It appears from photos that the sleeper cab is much longer on the Longhauler kit and thus a longer frame. Any other differences? Thanks! David

Pat, That is really AWESOME! It reminds me of the ride that the Fred Astaire character had in the "Santa Clause is Coming to Town" holiday classic! David

For those of you unhappy with how your Future turns out, ammonia or Windex with ammonia will remove the Future only. May save you from having to strip off the paint and decals and starting over... David

Hi Gang, I want to try my hand at replicating an accurate version of this lightbar by vacuum forming: As the title states, what easily worked material would be best? Any suggestions are greatly appreciated. Thanks! David

Hank, Thanks for adding this category! I appreciate all that you and them membership do to make this a great site! David

Justin, Nice job! I especially like the Humat valve on the rear step. David

Emmanuel, Great conversion! On the finished model you can't tell it was a conversion. Nice job with all the cuts and side windows. I spent a lot of time in those ambulances as a paramedic in the early '80's. I have a similar project in the works. FYI, Models by Dave offers a great rear step often seen on these rigs. David

Hi Guys, I would like to start detailing my builds with wiring and plumbing. I don't have a working knowledge of what components are or what should be connected to what. Google searches haven't been very successful. Any suggestions or links would be appreciated! Thanks. David

AWESOME! Great job on the interior details and paint! David

There is a nicely detailed 1/32 scale hose reel that was given to my by a good friend. I believe it came from one of the Aurora American LaFrance kits. The frame is pretty plain though... I also need to get the hang of casting down a little better... With a little flat brass strip bent to shape, the PE ends, some brass "L" angle, and the above mentioned hose reel would look pretty good. I like your engines! I have modified some Don Mills Models cast metal gasoline engines from his portable generator set. The impeller was made from sprue, epoxy putty, and Evergreen tubing. I will try to post some pictures of it when I am at home. David

I believe "Czech Model Trucks" makes PE sets for these. Google them for for confirmation. They do make some interesting parts. I also recall that their products are carried by some dealers in Britain and Germany.

If you want light bars like seen on wreckers and emergency vehicles, Google "Dave Panek". All of his bars are custom made. He does a wide variety and his quality is top notch! David

Brandon, Awesome work! I thought I was the only person who built brush trucks... Great job on the hose reels! I like your approach. I modified some of the AMT ALF hose reel mounts, just have to cast them. The angled arms are the toughest part in my opinion.This is a photo etched Hannay hose reel end that I made with the MicroMark kit. The Orange County, FL FD has some similar brush trucks that look great. I have thought about building one similar, but need to finish some of the pickup based brush units in the pipeline first. Look forward to future updates! BTW, build what you want. Don't let a single contest's rules stop you... : ) David

Wow, it came out GREAT! Tom is the Master! I too will be putting aside my pennies for one. Christmas is coming... David

Charlie, Another winner in the works! I'll be following along! David

JT, Awesome job! Love the stretch, and all the details! Looks GREAT! David

Danny, First off, great job on the 5th wheel! In Photobucket, go to Edit - Resize. If you pick 640 x ___, you should be good. Hope that helps. David

Another small update: New lift mechanisms ("L" angle) were fashioned for the rollup doors. They were painted with Aluminum Alclad 2 and fixed in place with Gator Grip glue. Still trying to figure out how to make the little black fixtures that hold the lift rod for the door... We'll see what I can come up with... Thanks for looking! David

Spray cans are metal. Spray cans contain compressed flamable gases. The benefit of smoother flowinng paint can be accomplished by a much safer means while not sacrificing serious injury, death, fire, or explosion. That about sums it up... : )

To add to what others have said, there are different tools (glues) for different jobs. I use the Loctite GEL superglue as it is much easier to control than even gap filling CA. The thin nozzle makes it easy to apply or put on the end of a toothpick for really fine control. There is also a great hobby glue called "Gator Grip". It looks like Elmers, but is much more versatile. It can be used for clear parts, painted parts, and photo etch parts. What is great is that it is FLEXIBLE! So it works really well for mirrors, PE ship railings, etc. It dries clear and can be used for headlights, etc. I also like the Tamiya Thin glues for small parts/surfaces, and Testors liquid glue in the diamond shaped black container with the long pointed tip for large surfaces. It is thicker, thus it doesn't evaporate before you have a chance to cover the entire surface. I also prefer Bob Smith 5 minute epoxy. It is often re-labeled by the LHS, but has a stable shelf life and does't yellow. Just my 2 cents...

DO NOT WARM YOUR SPRAY CANS IN THE DEHYDRATOR!!! Your best bet is to put a large container of water in your microwave and heat it for 1-2 minutes. Take the container out of the microwave and place your spray can in the water for a couple minutes. It is that easy AND safe! Good luck. David

Unique and awesome build! I like the monochromatic paint scheme! It looks GREAT! David

Peter, Awesome job! It looks like a box art model! I really like the addition of the frosted stripes on the windows. They add a nice touch. I have a few in my stash, and one that I started about 30 years ago. It is painted light blue, to match my squad's unique color scheme which their ambulances have worn since the 1950's. One of these days I'll finally finish it... David