1957 Mack H-67 (Reworked AITM Cab) & Contemporary Tank Trailer (Scratch Built)

[Plastheniker]

My fourth AITM cab showed similar issues as my precedent three cabs:

 

• The two grilles are an integral part of the cab casting. Though actually nicely done their bars have ( presumably for casting reasons) roundish surfaces. This makes giving them an even and realistic appearance impossible. Usually the result looks like this

  

   

    or even this 

  

   

      IMO cutting out both grilles and making them new is indispensible.

• Also the very faintly ribbed headlight carriers with their four moulded headlights should be replaced.

• Any and all supplied parts

  

   

     except the naked cab and two door handles were not usable.

• The material thickness of my cab was extreme. After reducing the excessive thickness the cab had lost (I guess) at least half of its weight.

• My cab showed numerous (mostly minor) casting flaws. The only really difficult issue were the recessed areas around the lateral windows.Their depth and width varied conspicuously.

 

All in all as expected this AITM cab was laborious but very rewarding because of the really unique design of the H-67.

 

Even if most AITM cabs look very tempting they should, as already mentioned in my earlier topics, be tackled only by most advanced modelers. Otherwise the result will be more or less disappointing. The H-67 is no exception.

 

 

The well-known AMT tanker doesn't look very typical for the fifties and the Lindberg tanker looks too simple IMO.

Scratch building an oval tank trailer with a convex front and a convex/oblique rear was challenging and rather time-consuming but it was an unusual project and really fun.

 

 

 

[Jim B]

Excellent combination.  Very nicely detailed.

[grodudulle77]

Wow !!! Outstanding job, the details are very awesome. Your model is very neat ! Great respect ??? !

[Ace-Garageguy]

Spectacular, as always. I believe you are one of the best modelers alive today. Very inspiring...as always.

[The Brush]

An outstanding piece of work, Very well done, The paint is perfect.

[Dutzie]

Well done!

[traditional]

Jurgen,  This one, like all your previous stuff is just so gorgeous!

You are an absolutely first-class modeller, and your photography is exemplary.  Congratulations.

[HJK]

Hi Jürgen, I can only repeat the chorus of praise, but you certainly deserve it. And you're right with having a lot of work on the resin parts of A.I.T.M. I especially like the color combination you chose. May I ask what you used to substitute the grille bars and headlight inserts? Did you post a thread in the W.I.P. section? Thanks, Juergen

[PappyD340]

OUTSTANDING!!

[ChrisR]

AWESOME!!!

[Biggu]

Incredible craftsmanship............. just beautiful...............

[stenfalk]

Clearly a case for a "How-to-build-a-top-truck-model" textbook. Beautiful!

[Vettegasser]

Man this is another piece of art. 

[slusher]

Outstanding!!!

[Plastheniker]

Thanks for all comments!

 

 

On 8/21/2020 at 1:37 AM, Ace-Garageguy said:

Spectacular, as always. I believe you are one of the best modelers alive today. Very inspiring...as always.

 

On 8/21/2020 at 4:32 PM, traditional said:

Jurgen,  This one, like all your previous stuff is just so gorgeous!

You are an absolutely first-class modeller, and your photography is exemplary.  Congratulations.

 

Bill, Clifford , you really make me blush

 

 

19 hours ago, HJK said:

Hi Jürgen, I can only repeat the chorus of praise, but you certainly deserve it. And you're right with having a lot of work on the resin parts of A.I.T.M. I especially like the color combination you chose. May I ask what you used to substitute the grille bars and headlight inserts? Did you post a thread in the W.I.P. section? Thanks, Juergen

 

Hans-Jürgen,

in 2013 I explained how I made a similar grille for a GMC 9500 here http://www.modelcarsmag.com/forums/topic/74735-gmc-9500-short-hood-aitm-with-tube-trailer-scratch-built/

in posts on pages 3&4.

Unfortunately Photobucket deleted the attached pictures. I am going to restore them or make new pictures if necessary. If it is not possible to edit the a. m. post I will add a post in that GMC topic with the pictures only.

 

Making the grille of the H-67 was a bit different because here the grille was an integral part of the cab and space between the horizontal grille bars was (as far as I remember) less than 1 mm. Here mostly handwork was necessary

I will explain how I made the H-67 gille here in this topic referring to the GMC grille. Probably drawings or photos will be necessary so please give me a few days time.

[HJK]

Jürgen, Thanks for your reply. No problem, just take your time, I'm not in a hurry. Thanks

[1959scudetto]

You did it again, Jürgen ! Fantastic job on my favourite Mack truck!

Did you use the frame from mpc/Ertl's DM 600?

[DRIPTROIT 71]

Excellent work as always!!! The grills are a great improvement!! The interior looks awesome!! The trailer is an excellent addition to the model!! You are truly an artist!!

[Plastheniker]

Thanks for the latest replies!

 

On 8/24/2020 at 9:50 PM, 1959scudetto said:

You did it again, Jürgen ! Fantastic job on my favourite Mack truck!

Did you use the frame from mpc/Ertl's DM 600?

Helmut, actually the mpc/Ertl DM 600/800 as well as the Amt R685 can be used, but these kits replicate two different types of bogies.

 

The bogie of the DM 600/800 kit resembles this one:

The bogie of the R685 resembles this one:

 

All my pictures of 1:1 H-67s showed bogies similar to the latter one of the R685.

Nevertheless I used the DM 600/800 kit because its fit is much better, but the necessary modifications were rather time-consuming.

Therefore today I would certainly use the R685 kit despite its poorer fit.

 

 

 

[gatorincebu]

 

  Jurgen,

       that is one impressive model.. Certainly top shelf quality !

 

 Be Well

    Gator

[CRUSADER2]

Fantastic work!! the cab dash board is the best I have seen, really don't know how you manage to get the dials looking so neat, and the front grill's look perfect, excellent top notch work all round!!!

[leafsprings]

Another beautiful build!   I sure glad you choose  older  American trucks as your subjects!

[Plastheniker]

Thanks for the latest comments!

 

On 8/22/2020 at 2:35 PM, HJK said:

Hi Jürgen, I can only repeat the chorus of praise, but you certainly deserve it. And you're right with having a lot of work on the resin parts of A.I.T.M. I especially like the color combination you chose. May I ask what you used to substitute the grille bars and headlight inserts? Did you post a thread in the W.I.P. section? Thanks, Juergen

Hans-Jürgen, sorry for the delay.

 

 

Despite all headache I can't remember what I used for the ribbed headlight carriers. I found the black, ribbed styrene strip in my spares boxes. Possibly it came originally from the floor or the oil sump of a car/truck model since these parts have ribbed surfaces very often.

 

 

Unfortunately it was not possible to edit my old GMC topic so regarding the grille I am going to start from scratch.

 

An X-Y table ("Kreuztisch") of any size is very useful but not indispensable.

Usually I use this rather unorthodox assembly of a full-size X-Y table and a full-size slowly running drill with a narrowed slitting cutter. (Ignore the workpiece on the pictures).

 

 

Broadly speaking I did this:

 

1. As mentioned both grilles are an integral part of the cab. I cut out these grilles completely including the moulded frame around the upper grille. Since the resin is very thick I drilled out most of it and removed the rest with a rotary tool. When finished it may be necessary to glue a strip of thin styrene around the upper opening to achieve a clean and even edge.

   

    

2. Then I cut two pieces of thick styrene sheet (maybe 3mm) as baseplates fitting into the openings but leaving a gap of 0.5mm all round. I inserted these baseplates into the openingss provisionally and glued a wide strip of 0.5mm styrene all round the baseplate as a (on the upper grille it will be finally hidden) grille frame. This assembly should fit snugly.

3. After removing it I milled vertical grooves into the baseplates milling through the grille frames and glued strips of 0.5mm styrene into these grooves as vertical grille bars. (If you work precisely this can be done manually.)

4. Normally I would have done the same for the horizontal grille bars milling through the vertical grille bars as well. Space between the horizontal grille bars, however, was (as far as I remember) appr. 1 mm. The vertical grille bars (remember only 0.5mm thick) would never sustain so many cuts lying so close together.

 

To be continued

[kilrathy10]

Incredible looking model... Outstanding work done.... Stunning... You are quite the modeler... Your stuff is always amazing to look at...

[Plastheniker]

Thanks JT!

 

Resumption of my preceeding post:

1. ...
2. ...
3. ...
4. ...
5. Therefore I simply glued short strips of 0.5mm styrene as horizontal bars between the vertical bars. Here provisional gluing with acetone is best. Always using the same piece of brass square rod guaranteed equal distances between all horizontal bars.
6. After applying a minimum amount of liquid super glue to all joints I milled a plane grille surface using my modified (now precisely height-adjustable) modeling drill stand (Ignore the circular saw blade on the picture).

   

    

7. After sanding on a flat surface I foiled everything, covered it with flat black enamel and polished the paint away from the raised surfaces. Then I sprayed the finished grille with flat clear to achieve an even matte surface.
8. Finally I restored the removed (step 1) chrome moulding around the upper grille hiding the gap between grille and cab.

I hope this is understandable. If not please let me know.