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Clifford, You have great reason to be proud of your brother! The subject is sweet! As a fan of Macks AND tankers, It immediately caught my eye. There are many of these style rigs that when retired from fuel oil service saw second careers as fire service water tankers/tenders. The engineering, ingenuity, and execution are FANTASTIC! How did he make the tank? Kudos to him for doing such fine work and thanks to you for sharing it!

Having recently moved half way across the country, from a big house to an apartment, I would love... A first floor hobby room with a firematic theme(I build mostly emergency vehicle models and helicopters). A separate paint room, display area, and building area would be great. Also, an area to place my dedicated decal printing computer/printer. Lastly, a temperature controlled storage area for "the stash". The decor would be like that of a turn of the century firehouse. Exposed brick walls, bead board paneling, firematic memorabelia(sp?)... Boy, I CAN'T WAIT TIL WE BUY A HOUSE!!! :D

Charlie, I'm with you! I look forward to the Prostar release! A Workstar conversion kit would be great too! I can just pickture a tanker/tender or heavy rescue on either chassis... David

John, I am so sorry for your tragic loss. I will share with you something that a friend said to me 20 years ago when I lost my Dad to cancer. "Your Dad lives on in you". While many may think that this is very "cliche", I thought about this statement. To me, it meant that I could be angry, hateful, full of self pity, etc. Instead, while I did grieve his death, I also thought about what was important to me, what my Dad stood for, what he had taught, and attempted to share these things with others. Several years later, when my own children were born, I made it a goal that although my Dad was no longer physically here, that they would know their Grandfather. We often speak of him. We share stories and photos of him. I use lessons that I learned as a child and share them with my kids. Take time and you will experience the many emotions of grief. There will be times when you won't know what you feel. That is okay and totally normal. Although your Dad is not physically here to talk to, you can still share your thoughts with him. One technique that I used was writing to him on my computer. Obviously there were no replies, but it was a way for me to release some of my feelings and emotions. Time, faith, family and friends will also help. Reach out, and allow others to reach out to you. Sorry for the longggg post, just trying to help. God Bless.

Photo not visible on my end. Can anyone else see it?

Hi Bryan, I know what you mean! I began one of these kits back when it was released, to build into my fire company's brush truck. It was a regular cab, 4x4 that required a lot of modification. Also like you, the detail just "has to be right"! Cab shortening went well, as did painting duplicolor Cardinal Red. Got stuck on building all of the components, and am still not happy with the chassis after multiple attempts... Don't have any pictures on line of the progress anywhere... Look forward to seeing this one progress! The detailing is great! Also working on our sister station's '92 brush truck and department's '92 Bronco Chief's vehicle... So many projects - so little time...

John, Look forward to following this one! Instead of "HIM", I would just call him "SIR"(LOL)

George, Great job on this one! I like the Union Pacific livery, and the creative application of the available decals. I too have one of these kits that has been waiting to be built. Couldn't decide whether to build it as a straight elliptical or tractor drawn fire tanker/tender. After seeing Tim's conversion hood that Dave Natalie sells, it may end up sporitng that instead...

Dingo, Great save! Two suggestions - wheel chocks, and next time - check the parking brake!!!

You may want to use "sculpey" or some other synthetic clay to make your sandbags. That way you can control the size, shape, and arrangement of them... You can also gently lay some textured cloth over them to emboss them with a burlap or sandbag type texture... Just food for thought.

I too have to agree! Some of us are NOT sculpturably gifted, and all of the templates, sheet plastic, putty and PRACTICE in the world are not going to magically make us such. I have been building for 30 years, and this is the area that has held me back. I would simply like to take advantage of the CNC technology to be able to cut out two identical side panels for my model fire apparatus. I have still not been able to wrap my mind around the ability to produce large scale parts(cabs, fenders, etc) out of 3-D drawings and printer. It is a wonderful possibility! While speaking of technology, finally, it is sad that the ALPS printer technology was never considered for hobby industry. For those not familiar with the ALPS saga, 15 to 20 years ago, it was thought to be the latest and greatest photo printing technology! It contained cartridges similar to those used as correction ribbons on typerwriters. The ALPS even allowed the printing of white, metallic gold and silver. For modelers and railroaders, this was FANTASTIC!!! Newer machines could even print chrome silver(think scripts) and foils. Sadly, the miracle of the ALPS was quickly eclipsed by the advent of "ink jet" technology. Great for the rest of the world, bad for us modelers. Production of the machines has ceased, and supplies are begining to become scarce and at a premium price. Repair service on these machines is almost non-exstistant. I will cease my rant here, as I am in the process of moving, and haven't touched a model in about 6 weeks(withdrawl)... My "modelcave" is not yet packed, and I anticipate having to pack it as is, and sort it out when I get settled. Look forward to reading what is on others minds regarding the subject.

Hi Guys, I just accepted a job offer in Orlando, so will be looking to get back to building once the family and I get settled. We'll be in "temporary" housing for about 6 months, so it'll be a little while before the workshop will be up and running at full speed... I look forward to meeting you guys and getting active in a local club once I get settled!

Hi Guys, I will be moving to Central Florida soon. My biggest challenge will be protecting my models(built and the "stash") and paints, glues, etc. from the high Florida heat. We will be in temporary housing for at least 6 months, so most likely the above items will be in a storage unit. I know that I am not the first to do this, so "How have you guys handled this in the past? I have plastic shoe boxes with lids for my "In Progress" projects, and copy paper boxes custom cut down with dividers/wheel stops for the individual completed models. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks in advance!

Hey Guys, Looking for feedback from anyone who has used the Miter Rite tool. I have used the Chopper, Midwest, Zona, and X-acto miter boxes. Looking for a durable tool that will allow cutting of multiple angles on small pieces of styrene stock. Any feedback would be appreciated Thanks.

NDC, I don't know if you have an airbrush or not, but Scale Finishes has many automotive colors and supplies them in small quantities. Jameston the owner, is GREAT to work with, his product and prices are great, and can get just about any color mixed. Like Art said, Duplicolor automotive spray paints are great. TCP Global is an on-line supplier of automotive finishing products that carries Duplicolor. HTH. David

Franck, Your models look great! Nothing to laugh at - at least you finish yours! I have 20-30 projects that I just "couldn't" build box stock. Thus, about 7 are completed. The rest are still " In progress"... Welcome to the forum. Look forward to your contributions.

Niko, Just my two cents... Take the extra time, mask the trim with regular BMF or Tamiya tape, and airbrush a few light coats of your favorite trim color. I like Testors Rubber, but you can pick any color you wish. The final resullt is well worth the trouble. David

Using a toothpick to apply white acrylic paint would provide a good base for your colored markers. If you mess up, simply rinse off the white paint. HTH. David

Hey Guys, Both methods would be great to build the "gooseneck" portion of the trailer frame on this tractor drawn aerial. This style has been a favorite of mine for years, but "engineering this portion of the project has kept me from starting it... Actually, an application of the kerf technique to both sides of the frame material would be needed to accomplish the "gooseneck" effect.

Danny, Just came across this thread. Wow! It is great to see how this great project came together. I recall seeing the pictures on your website. A question - the "foamboard" that you used, is it solid foam insulation board, or arts and crafts foam board with one side of the paper removed? As a fire apparatus builder, I have always wanted to build a turn of the century brick firehouse with wooden doors. Your techniques are just fantastic! I can't wait to give the brick technique a try. Thanks.

Aaron, What an incredibly CLEAN build! Your work is nothing short of SUPERB! Look forward to your next update.

Don't know if fire trucks interest you at all, but I saw a neat single rear axle Paystar "urban interface" brush engine from Hawaii. It is a fancy term for a fire truck that is designed to fight fires where the wilderness meets mans desire to build homes in and near nature. This truck was painted bright yellow. If I can find the picture, I will post it. Pretty impressive truck!

Eric, What can I say that hasn't already been said? FANTASTIC! As a lover of architectural detail and the fire service, I really appreciate your fine masonary work! I have long wanted to build an old turn of the century brick firehouse. Your technique would be great! I have also considered doing a scaled down facade of a one bay old brick firehouse with a service door in my basement. Traditional brick veneer would make it an extremely expensive and wasteful proposition. The insulation method may actually make such a project possible. Hmmmmmmm. Thanks!

Hey Guys, Thanks to all for your feedback! The building was built some time in the 1910's. The firehouse was in a rural, agricultural area of NJ, known for apples and peaches. I was thinking of 1/25, as I build mostly in 1/25. I was wondering about replicating the foundation block. I have seen tutorials referencing removing the top layer of paper from a foam core board, or scribing styrofoam. Any suggestions would be appreciated. I will try and find out what type of apparatus they originally ran. Thanks.

Hi Gang, One of the fire companies that I used to belong to is celebrating their 100th anniversary next year. I have been asked to build a replica of their original firehouse. Only two photographs exist. No measurements are known either. I have never built a diorama or structure befrore. I am a little nervous, as I want the details to be accurate. But, I know that reasearch, experimentation, and just plain "diggin in" are the first steps in getting it done. The work illustrated here is fantastic! I hope this project turns out half as nice as the projects displayed here. Below are the two photos of the old firehouse that exist. Any ideas or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.