1/25 Revell Peterbilt 359

[cifenet]

6 hours ago, RoninUtah said:

Great detailing, excellent tips and techniques, thank you!  A couple of points:  When the Peterbilt 359 was first introduced in 1967, it had the 2-bar grill that was included in the original AMT California Hauler and the first version of the wrecker kit.  This was changed to the 3-bar grille in late 1967/ early 1968, so your build would be accurate for a '68-72 model.  As to engine color (that engine looks awesome, by the way!) in the 1960s and early 70s Peterbilt required that engine builders paint their engines white for a "clean" look; consequently, most '60's Petes came with white engines.

Not to reveal my age or anything, but the California Hauler was my first big truck build- I bought it when it first came out!  I remember sending away for the sleeper cab, as it was extra.  The "glass" was molded with a greenish hue in the plastic.

I still have that build; I did some minor repairs and replaced some missing cab accessories and it's now on my shelf.  It's not bad for a beginning build that's now over 50 years old!

Thanks Ronald!  And awesome info and an interesting story about painting engines white!  I would have painted black so it will never look dirty.

About the clear plastic pieces having "greenish hue", this is exactly what I am currently trying to figure out.  My kit included clear windows, but I think these trucks have tinted windows (having more of blue/greenish shade).

I have purchased "clear green" paint to mimic just that, but not having a successful attempt just yet.  I will figure it out one way or another.  I was testing to tint, but looks bad right now.

 

3 hours ago, Rockford said:

You're doing a great job on this kit, just as you did on the Transtar. It will be an impressive and distinctive truck when it's finished. 

Hi Steve, you are too kind.  I am building something out of the box, but your 1/32nd scale work is definitely impressive since you are building something out of nothing.

 

Edited May 30, 2023 by cifenet

[Rockford]

I had success several years ago using food colouring to tint screens. You basically form a bath of food colour and dip the pieces. It takes a bit of experimentation regarding strength and method but it worked well. There might be a tutorial somewhere. 

[cifenet]

10 hours ago, Rockford said:

I had success several years ago using food colouring to tint screens. You basically form a bath of food colour and dip the pieces. It takes a bit of experimentation regarding strength and method but it worked well. There might be a tutorial somewhere. 

Thanks for the hint. I have never thought of the food coloring.  I am digging up some info right now.  
 

At the end, if I find myself not comfortable for executing this, I will probably keep the window parts as they are.  

[cifenet]

Getting closer, but still going!

Doors fit nicely.  No rubbing.  The kit allows the doors to open and close, but I am hesitant to allow that.  

"Less moving parts = robust build = less problem" 

 

I want this sun visor to be shiny so the surface must be smooth.

Unfortunately, the black primer revealed this sink mark that got pushed out from the other side.  This type of issue will slow your work and take fun out of building.

 

Another recess spin marking problem on headlights.  I want to give some depth to the light housing, so I ended up removing the flat surface.

 

A simple divider panel was made to split the headlight since there are two light bulbs (high and low beam).

 

Again, utilizing parts from beads making, I simulate the headlight bulbs.  Painted the inner light housing with silver and using Micro Kristal Klear, I attached the lens. 

The white residue (shown at the side of the lens) will dry clear!

 

On certain situations, it becomes very beneficial to follow my wife on shopping trips.  It was one of those days when I found this.  This splatter guard (for frying pan) mesh can be used on grilles. 

I can probably build at least 10-20 grilles, no problem.  And the mesh pattern is better than anything I have seen!  Also no painting required.

 

Peterbilt front is looking better now.   

 

Semi gloss black coat was applied to the chassis frame and I began attaching sub components that I made earlier.  I see the differentials have joint line showing up, but I won't lose sleep over it.  

 

                                                                    

I did my best to connect air lines based on several diagrams.  I struggled building previous two semi trucks on this, and this is no exception. 

For certain piping path, I had to hide the end of hoses because I really do not know where they would need to go from one side to the other. 

Maybe there is information already available and I just can't find it.

 

Another test fitting session here.  I don't want any unplanned surprises later.

 

 

I solved the front track being too narrow, but I cheated.  I extended the cap that mounts the front wheel to the hub. 

 

Time to mount wheels permanently.  This truck will not have rotating wheels.  I don't plan to play it around, so the wheels will be positioned and glued on!

 

 

I noticed that my truck wasn't sitting straight. 

To be accurate, it is the cab not sitting in parallel.  After spending some time figuring this out, I found out that it all started with my sleeper not being correctly assembled. 

If you recall (hope you do!) from the previous WIP, I mentioned that instructions were somewhat vague on how to assemble the sleeper and I didn't know how to mount the sleeper floor. 

Those guide tabs NEED to be under the floor. 

I assembled mine incorrectly.  So if you are using this as build reference, please do not do what I did.  

 

There were 6 mounting points for the cab/sleeper and the incorrectly assembled sleeper floor altered mounting positions including the height of the last three mounting pins.

Due to three mounting points under the sleeper being too tall, it broke the proper geometry of how the cab/sleeper should sit on the frame. 

This caused the cab to sit at an angle creating uneven gap at the front. 

 

To fix this issue, I had to shave off the middle mount points somewhat and the last mounting pin now has a bigger mounting hole.

If this is too confusing, then don't be.  If you assemble your sleeper floor correctly, you will not see this issue!

 

Thanks for following!

Edited June 2, 2023 by cifenet

[RoninUtah]

I LOVE the splatterguard idea!  I've ben struggling with screens for a long time, and this is brilliant!  Thanks!

[cifenet]

On 6/2/2023 at 1:02 PM, RoninUtah said:

I LOVE the splatterguard idea!  I've ben struggling with screens for a long time, and this is brilliant!  Thanks!

That is good to hear!

I know this method is also economical comparing the cost of similar P/E grille parts.  

[cifenet]

Slow iteration this time, but still made some forward progress. 

 

As a typical build takes weeks, I like to clean my work bench between build sessions.  And I must have accidentally threw this piece in the trash. 

There are 2 x part number 125, and I can only locate one.

Luckily, I think I can scratch build this part by using a thin plastic strip and a round plastic tube.  

Now, more about the cab mounting on Revell's Peterbilt 359:

As far as the instructions are concerned, the part 15 and part 16 need to be mounted at a same level so they are parallel in terms of height. 

My cab mounts on top of these and if there is any slight deviation from the correct the mounting position, the cab will not sit straight.

 

And after carefully studying the cab assembly step  yet again, I noticed that the arrows are going under the floor part "134" (see circles). 

So this does indicate that those mounting tabs need to go under!  The instructions were indeed correct, it just that I didn't interpret it correctly.

 

I started the polishing process as I make progress in painting. 

Polishing silver based color is tricky where gloss clear coat is almost necessary.  And another downside of applying clear coat on top of silver metallic is that clear on silver metallic color doesn't show off its shine well.

 

Sometimes, it is possible to damage base paint during the polishing process.  Usually the paint on the edge gets polished away and requires retouching.  I am masking off the good area here so I can repaint the exposed edges only.

 

I de-chrome the wheel covers.  Then applied gloss black to reveal ugly scratches.  I began the process to correct this by sanding off the top surface.

 

After some corrective actions, the painted chrome came out satisfactory for me.  The wheel covers occupy large space on the back of truck, I wanted these parts to look great.

 

Now it is time to replace the main driveshaft with aluminum tubing parts. It is all about cutting the universal joint ends and replacing the middle shafts.

 

I also spent some time making small parts that may (or may not) improve overall frame details.

 

Also I had a choice to make.  I think the black windshield molding is what the factory uses, but it just looks super cool to have shiny trims around.  

 

As usual, a black gloss coat is applied and I chromed it.

 

This paint is from Mr. Hobby and it is an acrylic paint.  This is one of my best clear red paints where I hand paint many things with it including red brake lights.

 

I was surprised that Revell did not include any "clear" parts for rear tail lights.  And this entire bumper is molded in one piece.  I began painting the tails lights using Mr. Hobby clear red.

 

 I used UV curing clear resin to mimic the light covers.  I think this method is quite effective.

 

I picked my interior color for the truck.  I didn't want the usual offering, but I wanted to look slightly "fancy" and special.  I mixed these two colors and produced something off purple.

It may turn out to be ugly at the end, but let' see how it goes!

 

My next step is to get things moving with the seats and fuel tanks.

 

The frame details are also almost done as well.  

Thanks again for following! 

 

[Straightliner59]

Your brake cylinders are freaking gorgeous! Well, so is everything else, but, these really caught my eye. Excellent work!

[Straightliner59]

What a wonderful piece of work. Your metallic finishes are simply fantastic. Enjoying this project, very much!

[Force]

1 hour ago, Straightliner59 said:

Your brake cylinders are freaking gorgeous! Well, so is everything else, but, these really caught my eye. Excellent work!

Well the part at the arrow shouldn't be there at all, it's the cage bolt for when you are caging the parking brake spring to be able to move the truck without air in the brake system, the outermost chamber is for the parking brake and has a large strong coil spring in it so when you don't have air in the system to push the spring back it applies the brakes and holds the truck in place.
So the cage bolt is removed for normal use.

Here is a couple of pictures to show how it works.

Parking brake applied and or no air pressure in the system.

Normal use when the system is aired up and no parking or service brakes applied.

Here is when the service brakes is applied.

 

When you buy the air brake chambers new the cage bolt is often in there or put in there so it's easier to mount and to be able to adjust the slack adjuster, when mounted this cage bolt is removed.
Here is a caged brake chamber when it's mounted on the truck or trailer.

 

and here is an uncaged brake chamber as it looks under normal use, look on top between the chambers, there is where the cage bolt, nut and washer goes when it's not used.

Edited June 5, 2023 by Force

[Straightliner59]

It's funny, as many times as I've crawled under trucks to engage a PTO with a broken cable, or any number of other reasons, and seeing hundreds of those plastic plugs, I didn't even notice that. I was marveling at the colors he achieved. You're absolutely right.

[Force]

1 hour ago, Straightliner59 said:

It's funny, as many times as I've crawled under trucks to engage a PTO with a broken cable, or any number of other reasons, and seeing hundreds of those plastic plugs, I didn't even notice that. I was marveling at the colors he achieved. You're absolutely right.

Yes the chamber looks nice otherwise, very nice.
It's Revell who didn't do the homework properly when they developed the tooling for this kit back in the early 80's.

[cifenet]

12 hours ago, Straightliner59 said:

What a wonderful piece of work. Your metallic finishes are simply fantastic. Enjoying this project, very much!

Thanks Daniel!  It has been very fun build using all kinds of metallic finishes.  Lots of chrome on this truck, I really want it to be be shiny at the end!  Let's see if I can pull it off!  

 

11 hours ago, Force said:

Well the part at the arrow shouldn't be there at all, it's the cage bolt for when you are caging the parking brake spring to be able to move the truck without air in the brake system, the outermost chamber is for the parking brake and has a large strong coil spring in it so when you don't have air in the system to push the spring back it applies the brakes and holds the truck in place.
So the cage bolt is removed for normal use.

..

..

 

 

Thanks Haken for detailed info on brake chambers, I actually did not know that they store the bolt within the chamber.  

Having said that, I really wanted to add that cage bolt piece to enhance the look and having it really makes the brake chamber sophisticated.  

I suppose you can still have these cage bolts in the truck considering it is getting the brake components serviced during the maintenance check at a dealer.  Ha!  

[bisc63]

While I'm not a huge fan of big rigs, I am a huge fan of good model building, and this thread is chock full of that. Much to learn from your methods and techniques for sure. Just wanted to give you a heads-up on a thread you may have missed regarding tinting windows:

Keep up the good work!

[cifenet]

1 hour ago, bisc63 said:

While I'm not a huge fan of big rigs, I am a huge fan of good model building, and this thread is chock full of that. Much to learn from your methods and techniques for sure. Just wanted to give you a heads-up on a thread you may have missed regarding tinting windows:

Keep up the good work!

Much appreciated for your kind words and support!

And thank you very much for the thread discussing the subject I want- tinting the windows!

It has some excellent information!  I have been also experimenting the tinting part and the technique I am trying is to thin the paint three four times than usual and then make multiple passes to gradually adding the shade.
 

And lastly, I was also not a huge fan of trucks in general as of March of this year.   

But since then, I am on third build of trucks.  Just like that.

[Force]

8 hours ago, cifenet said:

Thanks Haken for detailed info on brake chambers, I actually did not know that they store the bolt within the chamber.  

Having said that, I really wanted to add that cage bolt piece to enhance the look and having it really makes the brake chamber sophisticated.  

I suppose you can still have these cage bolts in the truck considering it is getting the brake components serviced during the maintenance check at a dealer.  Ha!  

Of course you can, it's your model and you do as you please.?
I just wanted to pass the information.
The cage bolt is stored on the outside of the chamber when it's not used to keep them handy when needed, over or under, they are on there...but as they are steel and the middle part of the brake chamber where they are stored is aluminum I don't know how well they would cope up after years of driving on salted winter roads, so they might have to use new ones after a few years as the original ones most likely are rusted and probably seized in place and are impossible to get loose from there. ?

Edited June 6, 2023 by Force

[redscampi]

This entire build is very impressive and inspiring!

[cifenet]

On 6/5/2023 at 11:53 PM, Force said:

Of course you can, it's your model and you do as you please.?
I just wanted to pass the information.
The cage bolt is stored on the outside of the chamber when it's not used to keep them handy when needed, over or under, they are on there...but as they are steel and the middle part of the brake chamber where they are stored is aluminum I don't know how well they would cope up after years of driving on salted winter roads, so they might have to use new ones after a few years as the original ones most likely are rusted and probably seized in place and are impossible to get loose from there. ?

Yeah, here in states, they use sodium chloride everywhere for de-icing including highways.   Steel components won't survive for sure.  I would think putting them in a glove compartment makes more sense to me, just like how we keep wheel lock keys!

 

On 6/9/2023 at 4:26 PM, redscampi said:

This entire build is very impressive and inspiring!

I hope this build "diary" isn't too boring, I really do not know the general audience yet.

I really need to complete this soon.  Thanks for your interest in this, Gary!

[Force]

1 hour ago, cifenet said:

Yeah, here in states, they use sodium chloride everywhere for de-icing including highways.   Steel components won't survive for sure.  I would think putting them in a glove compartment makes more sense to me, just like how we keep wheel lock keys!

Sodium Chloride is the chemical name for salt, chemical formula NaCl, and this is what they use over here too.

[cifenet]

Rusty shared a helpful link about "tinting windows" above and I also started to experiment for my application.

This is definitely a useful technique for building fighter jets or automotive kits where tinting clear parts is desired. 

The funny thing is, I have done tinting before, but I just totally forgot how. 

The difference may be that I used acrylic paints before and now I was trying to figure this out using lacquer based paints. 

Luckily, I am documenting the procedures here, I won't need to remember this "how-to" again.

 

The challenge was to have tinted windows without windows losing transparency (or without becoming foggy).  After a couple of trial and error sessions, I was able to achieve what I wanted and it was rather easy. 

It really came down to my paint mixture and by adding additional gloss clear on top of green/blue clear, things started to look better.

 

I found my testing materials!

This is the mixture I used for my application using Mr. Color lacquer paints. 

The problem of fogging windows went away as soon as I started adding gloss clear into the mix.  The regular blue tint was rather boring, and this is why I have both clear green and clear blue in the mix.  I have my thinner ratio rather high and this allows me to apply multiple light coats to achieve the shade I want.

 

My second try was successful!

 

As most of the Revell kits, this truck doesn't come with side windows.  I like the look of having the door windows rolled up as shown here, I will have to find a way to make this work. 

 

These are the actual front windshield parts and the tinting looks quite good to my eyes.

 

I don't know why, I am still struggling to complete the painting of visor.  All kind of blemishes showing up and now the paint is all wrinkled.  I will strip the paint and try it again. 

 

The interior work continued as well and I wanted to add small details without spending too much effort.

For the instrument panel, there are 3 ways (that I can think of) to build for this kit:

1. Paint everything including gauges, dials, buttons, lights, etc. 

2. Apply decals which is included.  If using decals, I would sand off the face to make the panel surface flat.

3. Use aftermarket parts.

I elected the option #3 and purchased an interior detail P/E set from czechtruckmodel.com.  It took roughly 10 days to arrive from Czechia to USA.  I used most of the P/E parts except one part which is to replace steering wheel spokes.  The kit has a four spoke wheel and the P/E part is for a three spoke steering wheel.  And the size didn't match either.  Hmmm.

 

The wood grain/color is too red for my taste, but the overall look is quite good.  I applied UV resin clear to add realism on gauge dials.

   

I have purple interior now!   While the paint was getting dried, I completed the work of detailing dashboard. 

 

Didn't want to go too crazy, but I added various things just enough to improve the feel.  My shiny purple seats are debatable, but my feeling is that they do stand out.

 

I also wanted to add seatbelts and I think they were anchored to the wall.  I found some left over materials to build two seatbelts including anchors and buckle clips.

I just want enough details to show off when doors are opened, but if you examine the belts, they don't look like they extract and retract!

 

Also the location of the speakers are incorrect, they should be where the upper anchors are at, but placing them at the above location works out nicely.

 

I will be painting the door surroundings to give polished stainless look and this is how I am able to mask the curves.  I will get the paint session going soon.

Looks like I still have many steps to go, I am hoping to mount the doors next!

Thanks for following so far!

 

 

Edited June 11, 2023 by cifenet
Spelling/grammar mistakes -I tend to write these at late nights juggling many pics!

[cifenet]

Looks like I am hitting 2k views, I feel obligated to add more contents.

Unfortunately, multiple problems occurred this time around and I have been dealing with issues and some frustration.

 

I started to paint several parts including the cab and doors.

 

Lifting masking tape was never a problem before, but this just happened again (I had a similar problem with Transtar 4300).  It took a section of decal and clearcoat with it.  I usually shoot 3-4 layers of clear on top of decals and this never happened. 

Too early to panic just yet, but it was definitely frustrating to face a problem like this.  As it turns out, the smoke stack hides most of the problem, I can barely see the destroyed decal here.   Worst case, I can probably match the paint and spray stripes manually.

 

The positive side was that painting of the stainless trim around the door came out decent, I was happy with it.

 

My black primer is telling me how sloppy my gluing job was... I need to fix this.

 

Another issue was that this fuel tank (I have only built one so far) finish isn't done to my liking.  The metal finish is coarse and showing dark grain spots.  It certainly is going to take some effort to redo this.  I will need to make a decision soon whether to continue as is or redo the finish...

 

The air cleaner canisters came out somewhat better so I decided to continue on these.  I game simple black wash on edges and this enhanced the overall look.

I did manage to mount two doors and I must admit that it was somewhat difficult.  I struggled to mount things based on the instruction steps, I ended up altering the order of assembly. 

 

First, the instructions are written so you install in the following order:

1. dashboard

2. front windshield

3. seats/steering wheel

4. doors

This seems like a logical order, but I found out during the test fitting session that my doors wouldn't mount easily if the dashboard is attached first. 

There is small gap that you need to insert the upper door hinge and this gap became very tight when the dashboard was attached.  I didn't want to shave the mount so it can fit into the gap as it may weaken the strength of the hinge mechanism. 

And lastly, it was harder to mount windshields and also gluing with this dashboard in place. 

As you can see, the dashboard blocks the access inside. The last thing I want is dirty windshields from glue marks, scratches from handling too much.  I want to attach the clear parts correctly the first time.  One chance!

 

Instead, I installed in the following order and it made the assembly actually easier!

1. windshields (attach from outside) - use clear glue inside.

2. doors - you can open them wide and insert the dashboard/seats next.

3. dashboard / steering wheel - tight, but manageable.

4. seats - easy!
 

I have been experimenting what to do with the side windows.  I like this "slightly rolled down" look.

Third issue is the fitment problem shown here with windshield parts.  The windshield is definitely short, I see gap on the top!

Again, no need to panic just yet, I think I have the visor piece that goes on top of the front roof which will hide this gap...

 

This Revell kit doesn't contain license plates, so I quickly made them.  I think the decals look better on plates.

 

The rear bumper has been mounted.  I think I will scratch build mud guards.  Then add the license plate and the rear area is done!

 

My next step would be to fix existing problems (sleeper, windshield gap, ripped decal, etc) and then face more problems!

Thanks again for following~

 

Edited June 13, 2023 by cifenet

[gotnitro?]

Really enjoy following your detailed build  !  Glad to see your success tinting the windows, I've tried in the past and ended up w a foggy finish.

 

Keep up the great work 

[cifenet]

On 6/13/2023 at 11:28 AM, gotnitro? said:

Really enjoy following your detailed build  !  Glad to see your success tinting the windows, I've tried in the past and ended up w a foggy finish.

 

Keep up the great work 

Appreciate your support!

Yeah, mine got cloudy at first, but as I was applying paint layers (to achieve wet coat), the windows became clear.  And I sprayed inside of the clear part, BTW.

[cifenet]

Hi guys!

This WIP continues.  I began focusing various sub components this time. 

I see the end is near, but I still do not have my sleeper painted.  The sleeper will be my main focus soon.

 

Time to add details to the bumper.  I drilled out the molded driving lights from the bumper.  Using an aluminum tube, I will make two light housings.

 

Using a mini tube cutter, I made two small light housing components.

 

Using some beads and UV clear resin, I assembled two yellow driving lights.

 

The lights are in.  The left light seems to be misaligned, I will fix these small issues later.  I want these lights to stick out ever so slightly so you know they are there.

 

Spent time detailing the air intakes.  These will look good once mounted on the truck.

 

The visor came out "satisfactory" finally.  The camera is not able to show off the shine, but it is there.

 

The exhausts were painted too.  I will have to mount the long pipes on the top later on.

 

I also began the painting process of my sleeper.  I repaired the glue mishap too.

 

I started the exercise of detailing these tanks.

 

Also intake pipes...

 

Simulating rubber wraps for the tank straps here, but damaged surface while lifting another masking tape.  

I will repair the damage later.

 

I bought this tape back in 2013 while visiting Japan and kept this unopened till today.  It is made by Hasegawa.

My other reflective tape is super shiny one (see air intakes above), but this has super flat finish. 

It is similar to Bare Metal Foil, but feels thicker and has no wrinkles to deal with.  I find them easier to work on flat surfaces.

I used these (Transtar 4300 as well) to represent the tank straps and they are fantastic! 

 

Somehow the pipes are short on each end.  Is my cabin front wider than it should be?  Another homework I need to figure out later.

 

While mounting these doors, I had to use CA glue on door hinges.  Unfortunately, the glue fume destroyed the chrome finish (yes, chrome finishes are delicate if not protected), so I spent more time fixing it.  As I said before, "I measure once, cut twice"...

 

I mounted the fuel tank on one side.  Slightly skewed, but I am okay with this. 

Thanks for watching!

 

[Bills72sj]

Amazing detail in progress. Your resilience in fixing boo boos is admirable.