Western Star 4900 FA plow truck

[BK9300]

Milestone day - apart from attaching the sander to the truck frame, I'm calling the sander finished!

This little item was 4 hours worth of effort - I think the universal is big for scale, but I'm confident I couldn't have made it smaller!

 

 

Cylinder, hand crank, glued in place - 

 

Ladder glued in place and functioning -

 

 

Won't put the screens back on top until the sander is mounted on truck.  Now, I can get back to the cab and hood polishing.  I promise, no more pics of the sander until it's on the truck!

Edited September 9 by BK9300

[Gary Chastain]

I need to come to your house and go to BMU (Brian’s Modeling University), so I can learn some new skills. All kidding aside, got huge respect for your skills Brian. 

[Biggu]

"BMU", that's hilarious ............. and perfectly accurate!!  

[Gary Chastain]

19 minutes ago, Biggu said:

"BMU", that's hilarious ............. and perfectly accurate!!  

Professor Brian…….hhhmmmmm, does have a ring to it. Brian’s gonna block me if that sticks 🫨😂🤣

[Jürgen M.]

I'd take lessons any time! 

This is a real master piece. That sander is more than perfect. You should really pass on your knowledge and skills. How about making tutorials on YT? 

[Straightliner59]

I haven't looked at this in a while. Your details are beautiful, Brian! I don't think that U-joint is much too big, if it is. The black paint helps it to look smaller, as well. The finishes on the different parts look like their 1:1 counterparts. Well done, my friend!

[BK9300]

22 hours ago, Gary Chastain said:

I need to come to your house and go to BMU (Brian’s Modeling University), so I can learn some new skills. All kidding aside, got huge respect for your skills Brian. 

Very generous comments, Gary - thanks!

[BK9300]

22 hours ago, Biggu said:

"BMU", that's hilarious ............. and perfectly accurate!!  

 

21 hours ago, Gary Chastain said:

Professor Brian…….hhhmmmmm, does have a ring to it. Brian’s gonna block me if that sticks 🫨😂🤣

Not sure about the professor - I hear student’s protest a lot these days!

[BK9300]

12 hours ago, Jürgen M. said:

I'd take lessons any time! 

This is a real master piece. That sander is more than perfect. You should really pass on your knowledge and skills. How about making tutorials on YT? 

Thanks, Jurgen - don’t think I could fit tutorials into my day!

 

4 hours ago, Straightliner59 said:

I haven't looked at this in a while. Your details are beautiful, Brian! I don't think that U-joint is much too big, if it is. The black paint helps it to look smaller, as well. The finishes on the different parts look like their 1:1 counterparts. Well done, my friend!

Thanks a lot, Daniel!  The black does sort of tone down the size of the u-joint, and that’s a good thing.

Edited Wednesday at 04:53 PM by BK9300

[Rockford]

You put such effort into every little piece of this build! Just fantastic, Professor. 

Edited Wednesday at 04:53 PM by Rockford

[BK9300]

1 minute ago, Rockford said:

You put such effort into every little piece of this build! Just fantastic, Professor. 

‘In for a penny…’, I guess - thanks, Steve!

[Biggu]

38 minutes ago, BK9300 said:

 

Not sure about the professor - I hear student’s protest a lot these days!

And the old ones still shoot spit balls !

[BK9300]

38 minutes ago, Biggu said:

And the old ones still shoot spit balls !

Well, then, it's settled - no Professor for me!

[redneckrigger]

That crank and joint assembly is beyond words! There is no way that I could even think of making something like that, it is just amazing! Keep up the incredible work, and keep giving the rest of us something to strive for sir! WOW!

[Biggu]

4 hours ago, BK9300 said:

Well, then, it's settled - no Professor for me!

I think it may be too late. Steve and Gary say you are.  🤭🤣🤣Not a bad job to have. You could make them stand in the corner … And now back to the build 

Edited Wednesday at 10:49 PM by Biggu

[BK9300]

3 hours ago, redneckrigger said:

That crank and joint assembly is beyond words! There is no way that I could even think of making something like that, it is just amazing! Keep up the incredible work, and keep giving the rest of us something to strive for sir! WOW!

I'm thinking you're not giving yourself the credit you are due - pretty awesome scratch building going on in your thread!  Thanks, Tom.

 

[BK9300]

I did get a start on some polishing today, starting with the cab - figured if it messed up, it would be the easiest to re-paint if needed!  Never having done polishing, apart from the test hood I did a few days ago, I had lots of fingers crossed when I started in.  It's not quite as reflective as the real truck's cab finish, but best that's going to come from my bench today!

 

This pic gives an idea of the real truck's finish - it was brand new at the time of the pic -

 

I've got lots to learn about polishing, but I'm pleased with how the cab turned out - 

 

 

Hard to see in the pic, but through the polishing, I discovered a 'fish-eye' in the middle of each door - guess when I glued the temporary brace inside the cab, I used too much glue and sunk the plastic a bit.  They wouldn't sand out all the way, but not going back now. . .

 

I'm hoping the hood's finish turns out like this, too.  Then, lots of detailing to be done - mask and paint rubber seals around windows, mask and chrome the door handles, finally make the air cleaner, and get on with assembling all the little parts for the hood and the cab, installing the interior, and doing the firewall wiring.  No shortage of stuff left to do, but every day is closer to completion!

Edited Thursday at 12:59 AM by BK9300
typo

[Scott Eriksen]

Top notch buddy!

[Straightliner59]

It's coming along, Brian. It's looking awesome!

[Gary Chastain]

That shine is perfect, well done

[BK9300]

22 hours ago, Scott Eriksen said:

Top notch buddy!

 

14 hours ago, Straightliner59 said:

It's coming along, Brian. It's looking awesome!

 

2 hours ago, Gary Chastain said:

That shine is perfect, well done

Thanks very much, guys - I appreciate it!

[BK9300]

Been a rainy day here and didn't get much of anything accomplished - just wasn't sure which of several areas needing attention I should attack first.  I started out, innocently enough, to mount the wing plow, because many months ago, I had a binding problem that wouldn't let the plow fold up as far as I wanted.  Well, that led to me re-assembling most everything I could.  This is just a bunch of pics of that effort and, after all that, I do have some clearer idea about what to do next!

 

Pretty pleased with how this truck looks, all put together - even with more work to do yet. (because it was darker outside today, needed to use flash on iPad - I think that is what’s making the blue cast in some of the pics) -

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is as close to the truck as I could get the wing plow - it's quite close to the pics I have, but maybe not all the way -

 

 

Have to start in with cab detailing next week - just about there!

 

Edited yesterday at 06:22 AM by BK9300
typo

[Gary Chastain]

An amazing build

[Straightliner59]

Absolutely beautiful work, Brian! I look at this, and I could swear I was still in Minnesota. Just fantastic work, sir.

[Jürgen M.]

Looks great! Perfect details and a tidy job beyond of everything!