Hello all

[dshue76]

Hello all, I'm Doug from Western Pennsylvania. I've been building models for nearly 30 years now. I build mostly truck/commercial vehicles. Most are customized from a kit in some way. I have a weakness for the Monogram F350 dually kits. There are just so many uses for them. I also build plenty of street rods, muscle cars and race cars.  in the near future I want to take some pics of some of my finished builds to share here. 

Here  are a couple that I have uploaded to my photobucket the first is an an original issue ERTL Payhauler 350 finished, in the background is another original issue Payhauler that isn't done yet.

This pic is a Mobius 71 Ford Ranger XLT in progress, it will be a contractor truck with tool box, ladder rack and it has a Reese style receiver hitch that I made from Evergreen styrene. I want to build a small piece of equipment to pull behind like a cement mixer or morter mixer. The paint will be two tone orange over white. Behind it is a Monogram F350 dually with a scratch built service bed, it's pulling a scratch built tri axle equipment trailer. On the trailer is one of my ERTL John Deere 310 backhoes. I have replaced all of the hydraulic cylinders on it to allow for full movement of all joints as well as the stabilizer legs

 

 

Edited April 7, 2016 by dshue76

[Ramfins59]

Welcome to our plastic playground Doug.

[Dann Tier]

Welcome, Doug!

Edited April 9, 2016 by Dann Tier

[GTJUNIOR]

Welcome to the forum Doug. Looks like you do very nice work.

[The Danish sprue wrangler]

welcome Doug . nice payhauler and trucks .

[gino]

nice work Doug !   welcome to the forum !

[Foggy 2]

Hey Doug welcome to the forum. Really nice Payhaulers and 71 Ford Ranger. We do not see many of these kits over here in Europe and if one turns up it's really costly so it's nice to see two Payhaulers together one in the build and one complete.  When I come over to the US on one of my work trips I always bring an extra suitcase just in case I can add to my stash.

[crazyjim]

Welcome Doug.

[dshue76]

Welcome to our plastic playground Doug.

It looks like I'm just north west of you. I'm in New Castle. I shop at Hobby Express in Cranberry. In fact I started shopping there back in the 90's when they were way down the road on 228.

[dshue76]

Hey Doug welcome to the forum. Really nice Payhaulers and 71 Ford Ranger. We do not see many of these kits over here in Europe and if one turns up it's really costly so it's nice to see two Payhaulers together one in the build and one complete.  When I come over to the US on one of my work trips I always bring an extra suitcase just in case I can add to my stash.

The Payhaulers are really great kits. Both of mine are original issues that I got from ebay around 2008 or so. The one I finished was opened but unstarted, the one that isn't finished was started. I somehow lost a wheel and tire set for it so I had to buy a gluebomb chassis from ebay to get the wheel and tires but while working on it I had my truck tire spares box infront of me and saw a set of bigfoot tires, turns out With a little work and using part of the bigfoot wheel rim they fit perfect so now that Payhauler has single flotation tires at each corner. The glue bomb tires weren't in the best condition anyway 

I need new decals for both though. The set I used on my finished model looked good but fell apart, and at the time I never considered using the decal clear coat that comes with the testors decal making kit... The other set were no good when I got them.

[Ramfins59]

It looks like I'm just north west of you. I'm in New Castle. I shop at Hobby Express in Cranberry. In fact I started shopping there back in the 90's when they were way down the road on 228.

Hobby Express is the only LHS that I shop at.  It is one of the most well stocked Hobby Shops I've ever seen.  If they don't have what you need in stock (which is rare) they'll order it for you.  They are still off of 228 in the Lowe's shopping Center.

[dshue76]

Yes but they used to be way down the road towards Mars, not far from Mars High School. That was around 1997 before the massive building boom along 228. The shop seemed lot smaller then, but it was packed full just like the current shop. I first found it when I had a job delivering truck parts for a diesel injection shop, that sure was a good way to find hobby shops all over the region. Sadly most shops I found back then are gone now. In later years I worked for a contractor as a carpenter assembling Ryan Homes house packages in the area, mostly the developments along 228. That job led me to discover their new shop. I do agree Hobby Express is excellent, they usually have exactly what I went in for as well as everything I didn't know I wanted until I saw it. There have been times that I was on a budget so I skipped what I originally wanted for an impulse buy.

[slusher]

Welcome to the forum Doug...