Western Star 4900 FA plow truck

[BK9300]

7 minutes ago, Biggu said:

I was too, Steve................. about 7 pages ago !

I'm still glad when you do stop by and the comments you do leave are always appreciated!  Like I said awhile ago, though, maybe too many pics!

[Rockford]

30 minutes ago, BK9300 said:

Hey Steve - glad you had a look!   Trying to make some things work can be very frustrating; thankfully simpler worked this time.

I have learned to do what my old art teacher told us, depict what the eye sees, not what the mind knows is there. That has saved me a ton of unnecessary work. 

 

And never too many pictures!

Edited November 16, 2024 by Rockford

[BK9300]

Finally made it to the paint booth on Saturday and started priming and painting the AC condenser and trans cooler.  A few more pics of results from a couple days of waiting for things to dry, making some tiny tubes to bolt trans cooler to rad, adding some detail wash on cooler and putting it all together.  Glad when this little bit is finished!

 

Only included this pic to show stuff ready for painting and using the holes in the condenser and cooler - future plumbing will go in these holes - as temporary attachments to hold on to while painting

 

One side of cooler 'bolted' to underside of condenser -

 

Other side of cooler bolted to rad frame through 0.7 mm brass tube pieces

Mockup of rad on truck

Next?  Got a start on the upper and lower hoses to the engine - still need to paint and set fan in place then hook up trans cooler hose/pipe assemblies to fittings on cooler.  Good couple days but doesn't look like much has been done.  Mail strike on here in Canada, so don't know when decals will arrive.  Will have to also get started on finishing fuel tank straps and fuel lines - no end of lists.  Take care!

 

 

[Gary Chastain]

Top notch work as usual. But I have a question: how the heck are you going to outdo this build on your next project? You have raised the bar awful high to top this one. 

[Biggu]

53 minutes ago, Gary Chastain said:

Top notch work as usual. But I have a question: how the heck are you going to outdo this build on your next project? You have raised the bar awful high to top this one. 

EXCELLENT question , Gary ….. enquiring minds want to know?????

[BK9300]

2 hours ago, Gary Chastain said:

Top notch work as usual. But I have a question: how the heck are you going to outdo this build on your next project? You have raised the bar awful high to top this one. 

 

1 hour ago, Biggu said:

EXCELLENT question , Gary ….. enquiring minds want to know?????

It's hard to think about another project at this stage - too much going on here!   If I do think about it, might carry on with another YRB truck - lots of different kinds to choose from and I have easy access to take pics.  It will become clearer in a few months, once I get this one 'Under Glass'!

[Randy D]

That radiator front came out awesome Brian!!   Your painting really highlights all the wonderful scratch building you did.

On my previous  comment I got lost looking at your trany cooler and forgot to mention how impressive the detail work on the tank straps and cover flaps came out. You are just killing this build.

Randy

[Pete68]

Very impressive work Jeff thanks for sharing 

[BK9300]

3 minutes ago, Pete68 said:

Very impressive work Jeff thanks for sharing 

Not sure if you meant this for Jeff or me - either way, glad you had a look!

[Pete68]

1 hour ago, BK9300 said:

Not sure if you meant this for Jeff or me - either way, glad you had a look!

I’m sorry it was meant for you it’s been a long day of Dump Truckin 😂 

[Biggu]

12 minutes ago, Pete68 said:

I’m sorry it was meant for you it’s been a long day of Dump Truckin 😂 

I’ll take it tho 🤭🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[BK9300]

On 11/19/2024 at 6:34 PM, Randy D said:

That radiator front came out awesome Brian!!   Your painting really highlights all the wonderful scratch building you did.

On my previous  comment I got lost looking at your trany cooler and forgot to mention how impressive the detail work on the tank straps and cover flaps came out. You are just killing this build.

Randy

Thanks, Randy - first attempt at cooler failed miserably but happy with how it turned out in the end!

[BK9300]

I mentioned awhile back that completion of some work was becoming more dependent on completion of other work - it’s starting to get a bit jammed up!  Last post I mentioned about stuff to do on front end, then fuel tank.  Now, some body work on cab and hood will need to be done in the next few weeks before I can finish some wiring and airlines that originate from inside the cab and exit out the floor.  That also includes a bundle of air lines to the hydraulic valve manifold that need to exit out the back of the cab to complete the hydraulic system.  Lots to do, and, figure out how to do it!

Back to rad hoses - did get the upper and lower hoses made up and have a couple pics.  I had hoped to have oil cooler hooked up for this post as well, but didn’t happen.  Have to be away from bench for a few days, so I’ll leave off with a few pics of some of what I need to do sooner than later. 

Upper and lower rad hoses - everything gets pinned!  I also have short brass pins on bottom of rad and at outlet from water pump.  Used Hasegawa chrome film for the ‘clamps’ and hose from Ted’s Modeling

Upper hose in place temporarily

A couple pics of valve manifold as it is now…

 

 

And a couple pics of where I hope to get to as best I can. . .

Back in a few days - take care - thanks!

 

Edited November 21, 2024 by BK9300
Typo

[BK9300]

A bit of painting this morning, a few hours work at the bench this afternoon, and more progress.  Hoses glued to rad, fan painted and attached to engine, rad glued in place and fuel tank epoxied in place on hangers as well.  Fuel lines tomorrow and in between chores tomorrow, might get started on attaching the tranny cooler lines to the cooler.

Had epoxied the fan in place, then CA glued the bottom hose to the rad, then used styrene glue to set rad in place.  Put the truck frame back in the rotisserie so I could slip the bottom rad hose over the brass pin on lower front of the water pump.  Hose is somewhat visible in this pic.

 

Upper rad hose was CA glued to the rad and slipped over the brass pin in the molded fitting on thermostat housing

 

Better view of fan

 

 

Fuel tank epoxied in place ('brass' fittings have been painted and should be attached to fuel line and return line, and in place in back of tank tomorrow).  Still need to figure out a semblance of a plate and wiring for fuel sender

 

 

Can just see parts of the fan through the rad screen; better side view of trans cooler fittings and attachment to right side of rad frame.

 

Second attempt at tank straps - using some thin, tough, clear plastic from some packaging as the straps; on the left is a test strap with 'bolts' for the bottom end of the strap; next three pieces will be actual straps (still need to figure how long they really need to be), then there is the rubber component of strap and finally, another test strap that has been covered with Hasegawa chrome film.  Top end of the chromed straps will be 'bolted' in place using Top Studio aluminum bolts.  Tomorrow's work should be fun (not!)

 

I've tried to be careful handling the frame, engine, rad, etc., during the build, but it looks like lots of tiny paint wear has taken place.  Uncertain at this point if I risk a mess doing paint touch ups, or maybe very tiny amount of metal highlighting to accent the worn parts.

Hope in the next week to get the truck up on all wheels - that will be a mile stone for sure!  Nothing more for today. Thanks for stopping in to have a look!

[Biggu]

What an update ! Just eye watering. There is so much to see and take in. Every time I look at your updates I see something new. Just incredible ….. Brian , you are an amazing talent. 

[Jürgen M.]

I repeat myself, I know, but it's like watching a real truck being built in a factory! 

Looking at the details of that engine, chassis, even the wheel bolts I can't come to another conclusion than seeing a shrunk factory on your bench. Magnificent!

[Rockford]

Excellent stuff, my models look like someone hitting a box of bits with a stick in comparison. Good job I'm happy being inadequate. 😛

[BK9300]

12 hours ago, Biggu said:

What an update ! Just eye watering. There is so much to see and take in. Every time I look at your updates I see something new. Just incredible ….. Brian , you are an amazing talent. 

Thanks very much, Jeff - far more praise than might be deserved, but thank you! 

[BK9300]

10 hours ago, Jürgen M. said:

I repeat myself, I know, but it's like watching a real truck being built in a factory! 

Looking at the details of that engine, chassis, even the wheel bolts I can't come to another conclusion than seeing a shrunk factory on your bench. Magnificent!

Very kind of you, Jürgen!  Much appreciated.

[BK9300]

8 hours ago, Rockford said:

Excellent stuff, my models look like someone hitting a box of bits with a stick in comparison. Good job I'm happy being inadequate. 😛

Firstly, thanks for the compliment.  Second, so many good things going on in your builds! - far cry from inadequate

[BK9300]

Didn't get to the tank straps today, but did make headway on the tank's fuel line/return line.  Also got the start of the tranny cooler connections, then immediately got sidetracked into trying to better understand how the ends of the two hoses from the tranny actually needed to be routed to the cooler.  This was a problem because of the front plow lift group/bumper assembly.  Had to temporarily set the lift group in place, and position one of the frame side braces in position, to determine the best route to the fittings (no pictures from real truck for this).  So, while I didn't get the hoses finally connected, I figured out a hose routing that worked and got excited by how the lift group looked in place, and took a couple pics of the mockup - bonus!

 

A few things going on here - fuel line fittings attached to fuel supply/return lines and a couple of 'oops' items.  I'm not, never have been, a truck driver - so don't always pay attention to otherwise important details.  The driveshaft section from output shaft to steady bearing is not quite in phase - I understand that's not a good thing on full size trucks!  Secondly, 'someone' backed another truck into the exhaust shroud before this one could even get out of the shop. . .

 

Fittings in place - 

 

Best I could come with today for hose to pipe connections for the tranny cooler lines;  also got the right hand mounting bracket painted black - I noticed in an earlier picture that I had not painted it

 

All this was set up to finally determine the end routing for the hoses to tranny cooler.  The two hoses will come up from under and then up beside the plow lift to truck frame connection - no pic from the real truck for this, but did see several versions of this online and in some Western Star's Builder Body series of publications.  Always a problem to solve - in doing these temporary placements, the plow lift group will ultimately need to be brought forward a bit further - that meant the side braces needed to move forward as well - that meant the brace plate along side the frame now conflicted with pass through air line from the front brake pods.  So, if you look closely, that line has been removed on this side, and will need to drill a hole in the brace plates for both air lines and reattach them.  Again, if I kept looking at pics from real truck, that is exactly how it is supposed to be.  Anyway, all makes for a good mockup!

 

Hoses for plow lift cylinder will come out of (and go back into) the rectangular cutout in lift group.  Going to have just enough room beside the cooler fittings to set in the Western Star hood hinges that I hope to make in the next little while (then I'll cut back the kit frame's much lower hood hinge pivots)

 

Time for dinner!  Take care, and as always, appreciate your comments and or questions.

 

Edited November 25, 2024 by BK9300
typo

[Biggu]

Brian, I showed Ken this update …….. he is speechless as am I , one detail you may want to include on the front ram lift lines ….. the boys in the shop  used to also zip tie some heater hose at the bumper hole to prevent wear of the hydraulic lines going thru the hole when we raised and lowered the front plow. The heater hose was the red stuff.  Ken also mentioned ( I had forgotten about this ) that the hole was also used for lines for the wear saver, to which I was NO fan of and I can explain why if interested… are you planning on a wear saver ? Maybe not would be a good thing …….. absolutely love what you are doing. ….Top  notch update …. Thank you. 

[BK9300]

1 hour ago, Biggu said:

Brian, I showed Ken this update …….. he is speechless as am I , one detail you may want to include on the front ram lift lines ….. the boys in the shop  used to also zip tie some heater hose at the bumper hole to prevent wear of the hydraulic lines going thru the hole when we raised and lowered the front plow. The heater hose was the red stuff.  Ken also mentioned ( I had forgotten about this ) that the hole was also used for lines for the wear saver, to which I was NO fan of and I can explain why if interested… are you planning on a wear saver ? Maybe not would be a good thing …….. absolutely love what you are doing. ….Top  notch update …. Thank you. 

Glad Ken likes it!  I’ve also had occasion to talk with Craig off and on about ‘what is this’ kind of questions.  No, I won’t be doing a wear saver - don’t think I ever had any pics of one.  I had intended to add the protective hose for the ram hydraulic lines up front, and, in looking at pics of the underside of the truck, I see I need to do that for the fuel lines, too.  Might have to be a split hose at this point but split would be hidden!  Thanks for the observations - always appreciated

 

 

[Biggu]

13 minutes ago, BK9300 said:

Glad Ken likes it!  I’ve also had occasion to talk with Craig off and on about ‘what is this’ kind of questions.  No, I won’t be doing a wear saver - don’t think I ever had any pics of one.  I had intended to add the protective hose for the ram hydraulic lines up front, and, in looking at pics of the underside of the truck, I see I need to do that for the fuel lines, too.  Might have to be a split hose at this point but split would be hidden!  Thanks for the observations - always appreciated

 

 

Oh yeah , he likes it a lot , and good call on that wear saver…. Have you shown Craig any pics of this magnificent build? He will appreciate the details you are replicating….  

[BK9300]

2 minutes ago, Biggu said:

Oh yeah , he likes it a lot , and good call on that wear saver…. Have you shown Craig any pics of this magnificent build? He will appreciate the details you are replicating….  

Yes, i have sent him a few along the way - I think I sent him link to the build thread so I don’t clutter his cell phone.