2023 Group Build - AMT 1/32 W900 Aerodyne

[J.B. Customs]

That is just way COOL ??

[Rockford]

Made a waterpump out of plastic card using a piece of sprue for the pulleys. I cut a strip of insulation tape and made a drive belt. Also made the auxiliary drive pulley for the front cover. 

The water rail presented a problem. I eventually turned a piece of 1mm square rod into round for the connections to the heads and found an exhaust pipe off a car kit that I could fashion into the water manifold. The thermostat housing is just two pieces of 2.5mm square rod. Just added rings of ali tube to simulate the connections between sections of the manifold. 

Turned an alternator out of sprue and made a quick bracket. I'm amazed at what I've done so far, and have had a great time doing it. 

[Rockford]

Built an exhaust manifold from sprue. I notched the length with a round file and added six pieces at right angles, the shaped it all down. Added a simple flange for the turbo. Then built a turbo from my old mate Chubby Sprue and some plastic tube. Just had to add the inlet and outlet for the respective turbines. I've drilled the centre sprue to accept oil lines. 

Also started piping up the coolant system with the lines to the oil cooler and the waterpump. 

Made a flywheel housing by cutting a length of plastic sheet and fitting it into a hole template. I just trimmed the end until they butted tightly. A piece of flat card was then glued on the top and all left to set. Pulled it out of the hole and trimmed it up, I'll fab some mounts next. You can see the trimmed piece in the background of the first shot. 

Edited April 23, 2023 by Rockford
Text corrected

[Pete68]

Nice updates great scratch work 

[cifenet]

You are taking this into another level for sure!    Great work so far and I can definitely see things are shaping up.

[Rockford]

4 hours ago, cifenet said:

You are taking this into another level for sure!    Great work so far and I can definitely see things are shaping up.

Thanks mate. I've pondered why I'm doing this pointless pursuit already. Thinking further about it, I think I'm a little envious of the 1/25 guys who have engines to detail in their kits where I only ever get an oil pan! I wanted an engine. So I'm building one. I could have bought a 3D printing but that costs too much with shipping etc... and I'm enjoying this. Surprised myself really. 

[Rockford]

Had some time to work on the Cummins today. Fitted the sump which came from the T600 Kenworth kit. Added the pickup pipe to the oil pump, the fuel lines to the head, coolant line from the aftercooler, the charge air pipe, fan pulley and belts, flywheel housing, starter, dipstick and breather. It'll be finished soon and then I have to figure out how to fit it to my chassis. 

Edited April 28, 2023 by Rockford
Text editing

[cifenet]

Good going here, once you give an overall coat of paint, the engine will look quite sweet with all the right details!

[Rockford]

Thanks guys. 

We'll, it's done. Added the turbo oil feed & drain, spin-on oil filter under the oil cooler, front pulley and alternator belt, water pump inlet pipe bent up from sprue, the coolant lines for the intercooler and compressor. I'm amazed that I managed to do this, but a logical approach, building in layers made it quite straightforward really. It's not perfect by any means but when I look at it I see a Cummins! All that remains now is the paint and how on earth I fit it! 

[Bennyg]

You’re the 1/32 master! That is ace.

Ben

[The Brush]

Very nice another gem from you, the engine is in a class of its own Great work.

Graham

[DRIPTROIT 71]

You are truly a Craftsman! I like the Cummins! Excellent work!

[Rockford]

You're very kind gents. I'm waiting for the right conditions for painting, when I'll just blast it beige as they did in the factory, hoses and all. All they left off were the belts. It's 14 Centigrade today but the humidity is nearly 80%, can't risk another job being ruined by paint blooming. 

[Rockford]

Well I couldn't believe we had a good painting day again yesterday and I had a tin of Tamiya Light Sand left over from another job. Three coats and it looks very Cumminsy. 

Bit of detail painting, belts back on and done. 

[cifenet]

I knew it!  It is beautiful!  You hard work paid off here.

Fantastic details are showing up nicely, keep it up! 

 

[The Brush]

Now its painted it looks even better, Impressive work.

Graham

[Rockford]

Thanks gents. I think you will see that I put it in Under Glass because it has taken on a life of it's own as a sub-project. I just thought I'd better post a "finished" picture here. So now it disappears under the hood of my W900 never to be seen again. 

[Bennyg]

On 5/9/2023 at 7:37 AM, Rockford said:

Thanks gents. I think you will see that I put it in Under Glass because it has taken on a life of it's own as a sub-project. I just thought I'd better post a "finished" picture here. So now it disappears under the hood of my W900 never to be seen again. 

Make the hood open so you don’t hide it.

Ben

[Rockford]

Looks like I'm committed to doing so now. I'll have to open up the chassis first and seat it in there, then work out my clearances etc... I can't believe I've been working on this truck since February! 

[Rockford]

Scary moment today. Took a cut-off wheel to the cast-in sump on the chassis. Cut went well.

Dropped my Cummins in and it fits really well. Cab still goes on ok. Can't believe I've now got a 1/32 truck with a complete engine!

Now I've got to fine tune the cab mounts and build a set of hood pivots that I can position before I part the two. Hopefully the cab and hood will remain aligned. 

[Bennyg]

That’s ace!

Ben

[tractoraholic]

That really looks great. I admire all your detail work. I thought it was challenging doing mine in 1/24 scale, it's amazing your doing it in 1/32. Great job!

[Rockford]

20 hours ago, Bennyg said:

That’s ace!

Ben

Thanks Ben, can't wait to see your 1/32 build. We're a small group. 

[Rockford]

19 hours ago, tractoraholic said:

That really looks great. I admire all your detail work. I thought it was challenging doing mine in 1/24 scale, it's amazing your doing it in 1/32. Great job!

Thanks sir, I'm sort of resigned to 1/32 because of space constraints but I do enjoy the challenge of making these things credible. I'd much rather work in 1/24 or 1/25, so much more choice. 

[J.B. Customs]

Really great ingenuity ?