89AKurt Posted January 31, 2020 Author Share Posted January 31, 2020 11 hours ago, Mattilacken said: Beautifull! Some really nice details you are building in to this one! Thank you! I could go overboard, but trying to focus on what is seen from above. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
espo Posted February 1, 2020 Share Posted February 1, 2020 Those Hood Hinges are really real looking. I'm enjoying watching all of your scratch building here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
89AKurt Posted February 2, 2020 Author Share Posted February 2, 2020 18 hours ago, espo said: Those Hood Hinges are really real looking. I'm enjoying watching all of your scratch building here. Thanks for looking and commenting! ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danno Posted February 3, 2020 Share Posted February 3, 2020 Wow! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
89AKurt Posted February 3, 2020 Author Share Posted February 3, 2020 5 hours ago, Danno said: Wow! I've never known you could be speechless. ? All I did, was make rivets. Since the bumper has been giving me fits, been sanding so much that I decided just to take the rivets off. Then drilled holes, one in the aluminum plate. Stretched sprue put in the hole, extended exactly 1.0 mm, then melted with the lighter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
89AKurt Posted February 4, 2020 Author Share Posted February 4, 2020 Worked on preparing the bumper for resin casting. First half is the Alumilite rubber putty. Also going the be able to make door handle copies, these plastic originals will go to the chrome plater with the other parts, but the resin bumper will have to be separate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cpt Tuttle Posted February 5, 2020 Share Posted February 5, 2020 We make lots of stuff out of Corian at work, but I never thought about implementing it in my model builds. Interesting to see. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
89AKurt Posted February 7, 2020 Author Share Posted February 7, 2020 On 2/5/2020 at 8:44 AM, Cpt Tuttle said: We make lots of stuff out of Corian at work, but I never thought about implementing it in my model builds. Interesting to see. I've been trying to start a new topic about this, but the site is messed up, getting 404 error. ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
89AKurt Posted February 7, 2020 Author Share Posted February 7, 2020 Been taking baby steps lately. Got license plates, owners manual, bumper stickers and kit box printed on paper. Airbrushed all but the paper subjects with Deft varnish. Got a new batch of RTV, successfully made the molds. Worked all day on trying to get one half decent front bumper, to send for chrome plating. Wasted a bunch of resin, but since it has a short shelf life, better than never using any. While waiting, engineered a hood latch mechanism for the other project. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
89AKurt Posted February 16, 2020 Author Share Posted February 16, 2020 Decided to fabricate a fan shroud. This item is obvious in most vehicles, thought it would add a little detail while disguising the inaccurate radiator and inner fenders, and fat fan blades. Turned the pattern out of Corian, using the drill press and Dremel. For once, the first attempt was successful on the vacuum-form. Cut out, several test fits later..... The promo style engineering had big round things on each side of the radiator, not at all representative, so grinding them out helped a bunch. I don't like the battery, but if I did that, next would be vac-formed inner fenders, then correct suspension, and then you would never see this done. ? I figured getting everything together would be a trick, easy enough to bend the shroud. Was looking forward to gluing the taillight parts in, superglue and baking soda used. Will be sure to check for pinholes after washing. The real truck had bodywork done before painting, but the bed floor was not touched. It worked on a ranch, was beat up by livestock; distressed by grinding down the underside until it could be bent, hit with the knife handle and file tip, sanded with the roughest emory cloth I got. Also added the stake pockets; made a tiny chisel from a machine sewing needle, sharpened on oil stones. Cleaned up the tailgate letters best I could. Need to figure out how to evenly smooth the bottom on all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
89AKurt Posted February 16, 2020 Author Share Posted February 16, 2020 Great, nothing like thinking you got past a step, then the next one forces you to re-evaluate and say "since I'm going to all this work, why half-*$$ it?" Good thing I made a mold and have cast some resin parts already. I have a collection of salvaged electronic parts, this bottle is pins, cut one in half for the tailgate pivots which are relocated on the original part. You can also see how I ground down the back of the tailgate panel, to distress. I wasn't happy with how the taillights were too far in. I knew the tailgate is narrower than measured on the real truck, wasn't really sure why AMT did that. Only after assembling this area, do I see how to fix it. Will need to waste the taillight parts, grind almost to the corner. The outer tailgate will be easy to make longer, need to redo the pivots. Won't add to the inner tailgate. Discovered other things that need attention before final gluing the back end (the front of the sides are glued to the bed and front panel). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mattilacken Posted February 16, 2020 Share Posted February 16, 2020 Looking awesome! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gotnitro? Posted February 16, 2020 Share Posted February 16, 2020 Enjoying your build ! Its definitely gonna be sharp when finished with all your mods Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
89AKurt Posted February 16, 2020 Author Share Posted February 16, 2020 6 hours ago, Mattilacken said: Looking awesome! Appreciate it . 5 hours ago, gotnitro? said: Enjoying your build ! Its definitely gonna be sharp when finished with all your mods Thanks for watching, and the comment! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
89AKurt Posted February 17, 2020 Author Share Posted February 17, 2020 Alright, managed to improve the tailgate area 1000%! ? Squint and see it's close enough. The more important thing, the real truck tailgate can open all the way down, when you take the support arms off. In the case of my '68, no, but the '69 had what was a ranch bumper, which came in handy a few times. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doggie427 Posted February 18, 2020 Share Posted February 18, 2020 I love everything about this truck. Just reading this thread has given me at least ten tips that I never knew I needed. ??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
89AKurt Posted February 18, 2020 Author Share Posted February 18, 2020 2 hours ago, doggie427 said: I love everything about this truck. Just reading this thread has given me at least ten tips that I never knew I needed. ??? ? Oh great, I've corrupted you. Look forward to what you use any tips on. One tip, always double-check modifications before you use RTV, you don't need to duplicate mistakes. I noticed the tailgate is still not correct, the indent above the letters has an angled slope inward, and the plane the letters are on is just a little 'lower', there is no dip at the recess belt line. Also, a weird thing with this Alumalite RTV, the catalyst changed color in the short time since opened. First major part to be scratch-built that is unique to the real pickup, the ranch type back bumper. Had to fudge a few things, drew it first. Screwed it to the chassis plate, just in case it needs adjusting after painting. Used some of the interior left-over pieces for the ends. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dino246gt Posted February 19, 2020 Share Posted February 19, 2020 Wow, this project is cool and your work is awesome! Just as soon as you finish................................ Mobius will release an all new kit of it!!! LOL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Geiger Posted February 20, 2020 Share Posted February 20, 2020 Great work and thanks for taking the time to document and explain! The downside is that you are pointing out kit shortcomings that we hadn’t noticed and now will stand out to us on our finished models! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
89AKurt Posted February 20, 2020 Author Share Posted February 20, 2020 4 hours ago, dino246gt said: Wow, this project is cool and your work is awesome! Just as soon as you finish................................ Mobius will release an all new kit of it!!! LOL Thank you. I was having that exact thought too, and if that's what it takes, everyone in the world can thank me. 3 hours ago, Tom Geiger said: Great work and thanks for taking the time to document and explain! The downside is that you are pointing out kit shortcomings that we hadn’t noticed and now will stand out to us on our finished models! Welcome. Oh yea, what a shame, hope nobody enters the same contests as me. ? Since I'm making resin copies of some of the parts, which I plan to sell, that will give others a better chance. But as Dennis said, that's when Mobius (or Meng) will release a real nice model. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dino246gt Posted February 20, 2020 Share Posted February 20, 2020 Kurt, thank you in advance! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
89AKurt Posted February 22, 2020 Author Share Posted February 22, 2020 ?? Running the '48 Canopy Express along with this project, since similar processes are involved. I'm going to work on this copy of the tailgate, namely the area that is a failure anyway, that should be sloped inward anyway. The other thing is to work on the plane the letters are in, needs to be cut down about .5mm. I'm also trying to make a bunch of door handles that will be sent out for chrome plating. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danno Posted February 22, 2020 Share Posted February 22, 2020 WoW! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
89AKurt Posted February 23, 2020 Author Share Posted February 23, 2020 17 hours ago, Danno said: WoW! Huh. ? Thanks to this forum, got a lead to nice diamond plate, so got the toolbox and steps done. First step was using photos I took with the tape measure in the picture, taken when I knew the truck was sold, drew to scale. Taped down the diamond plate on the drafting board, marked then cut out the parts. Got this far by 2:00AM. For the lid, scribed first, then scraped down the edge, final scribe for the bend lines, used the liquid cement to soften the plastic to help bend, and of course weld the corners. This morning cast a tailgate, then started to modify it. Made the steps using paper clips, which are nice a shiny, unlike many. Scribed and cut in the latches. For the box, only the exposed sides are diamond plate, why waste it when not seen? Steps were simply drilled into the floor pan, which will make them easy to adjust for final assembly. Revised the hinge pin locations a little, used the same paper clip. I'm going to put a magnet into the bed stake pocket, so embedded a steel plate. Then I mixed some resin and put on glass, then squished down the tailgate, so the back will be completely flat for when I make a new mold. The whole unit will also be thinner, the kit is too thick. Masked the paper clip, sprayed Alclad 'chrome' on the steps, since they were steel. The box will be 'polished aluminum', after I make a mold of it too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danno Posted February 23, 2020 Share Posted February 23, 2020 Yep. Rendered me speechless at least twice now. Working on three, aren't you? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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