Another "Convoy" Truck!

[gotnitro?]

Incredible work, the tractor looks fantastic 

Looking forward to your trailer

[Jürgen M.]

Thanks! Didn't think the tractor would find so much recognition! 

[Rockford]

Jürgen 

Even Revell struggled with the K100 visor, so you're in good company. You might need to simplify the piece because there's so many conflicting angles in it. I only succeeded on my K100 by cutting the front brow off a spare K100 cab!

[Jürgen M.]

Thanks for the brightening Up words Rockford!

I did Change the design a bit hoping it might turn out better. 

Have to print it sometime between the trailer parts. Probably when the chassis parts are finished!

That gives me a bit of time for further improvement ideas!

Edited June 5, 2024 by Jürgen M.

[Jürgen M.]

This is the chassis of the trailer! 

The height from axle center fits exactly the hight of the fifth wheel from the axle center of the tractor so it should look quite good later!

The frame on top of the chassis is one piece! 

I'm thinking about designing chassis in one piece in future concerning the rails and cross members! That would assure a strait and aligned chassis! 

By the way, the break drums are of such a large diameter on one side in order to center the wheels and I don't need extra backing plates! I know, they remind a bit of train wheels but they won't be visible later! 

(Of course I am aware that backing plates do not turn with the wheels but they're hidden so well that noone would notice. It's Not a toy to play with besides that!)

Edited June 5, 2024 by Jürgen M.

[Jürgen M.]

Some more progress:

The inner wheels are printed as well as the hubs.

The hubs fit into the inner wheels. They're just snapped in. The fit ist tight enough so they don't have to be glued.

Here you can see how nice the break drums fit into the wheels and keep them centered!

As you may have noticed I've been printing in black lately! That has no special reason, just that I accidentally ordered black filament. The quality is the same though.

 

 

[Jürgen M.]

15 hours ago, Rockford said:

Jürgen 

Even Revell struggled with the K100 visor, so you're in good company. You might need to simplify the piece because there's so many conflicting angles in it. I only succeeded on my K100 by cutting the front brow off a spare K100 cab!

That really might be the Idea, Rockford!

I actually did print a second cab (it was virtually the first one)!

Either I'll cut a piece off or I could extract the top front part of the cab and roof in design and put it to size, then print it!

Thanks for the inspiration! ?

Edited June 5, 2024 by Jürgen M.

[Jürgen M.]

These are the first parts of the trailer body. To be precise they are the doors to the belly ...

...and this is the king pin plate:

These are the gear boxes for the opening of the belly doors

(they're upside down here)

and the gears 

I'll show you how it all fits together shortly! Hope it works! ?

Edited June 6, 2024 by Jürgen M.

[Jürgen M.]

Almost forgot this one:

The rear end of the trailer!

I know it's kind of hard to see details on black parts but I'll show you again when they're primered!

[gotnitro?]

The trailer parts look good, especially the little gears to work those huge doors

[Jürgen M.]

Thanks! Hope they work! 

They should If my simulation was correct! Unfortunately I accidentally deleted it so I couldn't check again before printing!

I could create a new one of course but actually it's too much effort! I'll just wait till the parts are all printed and then we'll see! ? 

Edited June 6, 2024 by Jürgen M.

[Jürgen M.]

This is the bottom opening of the belly! Came out of the printer quite nice!

and an upside down view:

Now the big parts are in progress! Had to split the top part of the trailer into three due to the size of the printing bed but I assured an aligned fit with overlapping latches. 

I'll show you when the first parts are printed!

Edited June 7, 2024 by Jürgen M.

[Jürgen M.]

This is the rear part of the trailer! The hydraulic oil Tank fits! Have to create the oil lines with brass rod.

The cross members Front and rear, ...

This large part took 26hrs to print. The rest of the parts won't be finished before monday afternoon!

[Rockford]

Your pieces are looking good! If I were doing that I'd be sat in front of the printer watching every layer land! Looking forward to seeing it come together. 

[Jürgen M.]

? 

I actually did that in the beginning! 

It does become a bit boring after a while though!

Hope everything does fit together properly. 

I'm printing some small stuff in between now, the middle part of the trailer will be started this afternoon! 

[Jürgen M.]

This is about what it's supposed to look like when it's assembled:

The break drums are Just there to hold the doors in place!

I'm printing the last parts I need to assemble the doors and connect them to the "bathtub"!

[gotnitro?]

Really nice work! The doors look good closed and open around the " bathtub" lol

I'm itching to get back to work on mine, just need to finish the tractor 1st

[Jürgen M.]

Thanks!

It will be a pain in the ... putting the gears together! 

Actually the gears will only be responsible for the counter movement of the doors. The gears themselves will be driven by a sort of belt drive for which I'll be using orthodontic rubber bands. You know, the kind they use for braces! They're short enough and can endure high strain.

I'm cutting the axles to length and then I have to see that the glue hits the right places or it will never work! 

[Jürgen M.]

The parts for the doors drive are finished!

This is how they're located:

The rods are steel.

The pulleys are for the previously mentioned rubber bands. The gears will drive eachother to create a counter wise turn of the door axles!

And this is how they're located on the axles.

 

[Jürgen M.]

These are all necessary parts:

The drive axles with gears and pulleys have to be installed with the rubber bands right away because there won't be space to do it after assembly.

It's going to be a really tight matter putting 8 axles in at the same time and aligning them to fit in the holes.

The spacers at the ends then must be pushed into place so the axles don't slip out again.

[Jürgen M.]

One side is assembled! 

The other side will be tricky since I have to fit in the drive axles and the doors in one! ? 

I'm gonna need 8 arms, 100 fingers and nerves of steel...

...and when it's done a lot of hope that it'll work! ?

 

 

[Jürgen M.]

I did it! ? 

Now I have to allow the glue to dry till I try out the doors! Wouldn't want the whole thing to come apart again!

The tension rises!

[Jürgen M.]

Generally the doors open by Hand but not yet by the drive gears. There's a bit of a tight fit of a door on one side and If that's all it is it should be reparable!

When you turn the gears with your finger one of the doors moves but not the other one!

Should of course be the other way around! If you moves one door the other one should moves too!

I'll get behind it!

It would probably have been better to just use gears without the pulleys!

I keep learning!

Edited June 9, 2024 by Jürgen M.

[Jürgen M.]

Just had an idea! I'll have to print the doors again though.

I put the gears at the ends of the door latches where the axles go through. Then two more between the doors. That way the movement is transmitted directly via gears and the pulleys are history!

[Jürgen M.]

The second part of the trailer body is finished! 

I used the vertical crossbars as overlapping latches so there won't be any gaps visible! Hardly at least!