Western Star 4900 FA plow truck

[BK9300]

About that paint booth issue;  almost immediately after posting about it, and realizing that I should have had the painting all done by now, I got worried about the masking tape I still had on the inside of the hood.  Don't know what issues leaving the tape on longer for would have created, if any, but I didn't want to chance it.  I carefully removed the tape and it all came away cleanly, much to my relief.  Will need to re-mask for final top coat, though, but am happy that all is good on the underside for now, save a few spots along the edges, where some yellow did manage to creep in.  When all is finished on top, might still do those slight overspray areas along the inside edges of the hood and bracing, too.

 

 

 

Very happy with how this is looking!

[Biggu]

Just beautiful!!!

[Jürgen M.]

Looks awesome! Great job! 

[BK9300]

12 hours ago, Biggu said:

Just beautiful!!!

Thanks, Jeff!  Itching to get on with the last of the paint and start assembling.
 

 

12 hours ago, Jürgen M. said:

Looks awesome! Great job! 

I appreciate that, Jürgen!

[Scott Eriksen]

The overspray is spot on!

[BK9300]

19 minutes ago, Scott Eriksen said:

The overspray is spot on!

Thanks, Scott!  Been hard to tell when enough is enough - looked too green(ish) to me, on top of the grey, but might be ok.

[Randy D]

What a wonderful hood , you packed in so much detail Brian!!!

 

[BK9300]

Paint booth back working, but had Brother, Niece and Nephew here for a few days.  Kind of a bonus in that my Nephew is a professional photographer.  I told him I was going to buy one of the Nikon cameras that has an option to do a set of focus stacked pics and assemble them all into one pic, completely in focus, front to back of the model.  He told me his camera did that, too, so he did a couple test shots to show me what it could turn out like.  Looking even more forward to getting my camera now!

 

Regular shot with no focus stacking -  front in focus but not much else

 

For each of the next two pics, the camera took 40 pics to make one, all in-focus pic -

 

 

Back soon with more, actual progress!

[Jürgen M.]

Great pics of an even greater build Brian!

I can only repeat myself: looks so darned real!

[BK9300]

9 hours ago, Jürgen M. said:

Great pics of an even greater build Brian!

I can only repeat myself: looks so darned real!

Thanks a lot, Jurgen - hope I can take some pics as good as my nephew did!

[BK9300]

On 8/10/2025 at 5:42 PM, Randy D said:

What a wonderful hood , you packed in so much detail Brian!!!

 

Thanks, Randy - a bit more to come, then the hood should be done!

[ShakyCraftsman]

On 8/15/2025 at 8:17 PM, BK9300 said:

Thanks, Randy - a bit more to come, then the hood should be done!

Brian fantastic as usual. I probably missed it, but what did you use for the rear drive tires?

Ron G 

[BK9300]

14 minutes ago, ShakyCraftsman said:

Brian fantastic as usual. I probably missed it, but what did you use for the rear drive tires?

Ron G 

I bought a bunch of drive tires from Jamie a couple years ago - best I’ve ever used - and thankfully still have some left for another build. 

[ShakyCraftsman]

Thanks Brian 

Ron G 

[BK9300]

Feels like progress has been, well, there hasn't been any for just about three weeks!  Was able to get a few things done and or, started today.  Somewhere along the way, I forgot I needed to paint the visor for the cab, so got that underway.  Also made the exhaust tip for the end of the muffler, that will be chromed along with the other cab bits.  And, got the final coat of colour on the hood, cab and day cab panel.

 

Prep work on visor - first coat of primer and then laid out, and drilled, the holes for Top Studio rivets that will 'attach' the visor to the cab brackets underneath -

 

Another neglected (forgotten?) item was the exhaust tip - took an unused exhaust piece from an old kit, cut off the clamp, and added the clamp to the exhaust tip fashioned from styrene tubing -

 

Finally, last coat of colour on the hood/cab/panel went on today.  The paint might have been ok with the previous coat, but I thought I would sand out a couple of dust bits in the hood, one on the cab and then lay down that last coat and all would be good.  No such luck - never mind the lots of care cleaning the air brush when last I used it, or rinsing out the paint bottle before filling it with filtered paint, plus running some thinner through the air brush first.  Started the fan in the little paint booth, began painting the cab and almost immediately a few bits of BLAH_BLAH_BLAH_BLAH found their way onto the passenger side door.  This time, the pictures are forgiving - can't really see the dust bits - but I can see them when I inspect the cab -

 

 

So, using just a paint can, I put a couple coats on the two used hoods I had on the bench.  After a week or so of curing, I'm going to try my hand at polishing the used hoods, before I attempt anything on the cab.  Never done polishing before, so that should be interesting -

 

In the meantime, I going to concentrate on finishing the sander - remaining lights, decals, beacons front and rear, the ladder and some other little bits, all of which are long overdue being finished.  Take care!

Edited Tuesday at 11:19 PM by BK9300

[ShakyCraftsman]

2 minutes ago, BK9300 said:

Feels like progress has been, well, there hasn't been any for just about three weeks!  Was able to get a few things done and or, started today.  Somewhere along the way, I forgot I needed to paint the visor for the cab, so got that underway.  Also made the exhaust tip for the end of the muffler, that will be chromed along with the other cab bits.  And, got the final coat of colour on the hood, cab and day cab panel.

 

Prep work on visor - first coat of primer and then laid out, and drilled, the holes for Top Studio rivets that will 'attach' the visor to the cab brackets underneath -

 

Another neglected (forgotten?) item was the exhaust tip - took an unused exhaust piece from an old kit, cut off the clamp, and added the clamp to the exhaust tip fashioned from styrene tubing -

 

Finally, last coat of colour on the hood/cab/panel went on today.  The paint might have been ok with the previous coat, but I thought I would sand out a couple of dust bits in the hood, one on the cab and then lay down that last coat and all would be good.  No such luck - never mind the lots of care cleaning the air brush when last I used it, or rinsing out the paint bottle before filling it with filtered paint, plus running some thinner through the air brush first.  Started the fan in the little paint booth, began painting the cab and almost immediately a few bits of BLAH_BLAH_BLAH_BLAH found their way onto the passenger side door.  This time, the pictures are forgiving - can't really see the dust bits - but I can see them when I inspect the cab -

 

 

So, using just a paint can, I put a couple coats on the two used hoods I had on the bench.  After a week or so of curing, I'm going to try my hand at polishing the used hoods, before I attempt anything on the cab.  Never done polishing before, so that should be interesting -

 

In the meantime, I going to concentrate on finishing the sander - remaining lights, decals, beacons front and rear, the ladder and some other little bits, all of which are long overdue being finished.  Take care!

Looks absolutely marvelous Brian. I love the color.

Ron G 

[Biggu]

What a terrific update, Brian. Your attention to detail is fabulous. This is such an interesting build and you have missed nothing.  I am looking forward to the next up date. 

[BK9300]

45 minutes ago, ShakyCraftsman said:

Looks absolutely marvelous Brian. I love the color.

Ron G 

Thanks, Ron - appreciate that!  If I can’t get a handle on the polishing on the test hoods, just going to have to live with the bits of dust on the passenger side door.

[BK9300]

17 minutes ago, Biggu said:

What a terrific update, Brian. Your attention to detail is fabulous. This is such an interesting build and you have missed nothing.  I am looking forward to the next up date. 

Thanks a lot, Jeff - certainly taking my time getting this finished, and seems like always more to come!

[vincen47]

Wow what a difference the photo stacking makes. That photography is incredible. Takes an already impressive and exceptional model to a higher level.

[BK9300]

18 hours ago, vincen47 said:

Wow what a difference the photo stacking makes. That photography is incredible. Takes an already impressive and exceptional model to a higher level.

I was very impressed with pictures my nephew was able to create - I've got my work cut out to make some that, hopefully, look as good!

[BK9300]

Started in on some finishing details for the sander.  I got the ladder put together, but not attached to sander yet - too much handling for decals needs to happen yet, and didn't want to break anything else.  Also, got the non-slip strips added to the top of the fender that the base of the ladder will attach to.  Organized some parts that need to be painted - work lights and roto lights - and made a bit of plan on how to finish all these bits off, and finally finish the sander!

 

Ladder sections and some hardware, ready to put together, after bolts are shortened (the yellow, square light housings are for the two upper, amber flashing lights at the back of the sander) - 

 

Lower, hinged section of ladder bolted in place - ladder just sitting on top edge of sander for pic - 

 

Lower section raised to travel position - real truck had a latch like I added to the battery box, to hold the lower section in place when raised, but the frame for the ladder is just too narrow for me to add a similar latch here.  The slotted bracket that lets the lower section unfold also holds it in place well enough for a static model! -

 

Non-slip strips added to top of fender - used 400 grit, automotive finishing sandpaper, with a thin strip of epoxy down the center -

 

Some time ago, I found some 1/24 scale, PIAA fog lights (made by Yamamoto on Spot Model's web site) that should work well for the work lights - four for the sander and a couple others elsewhere on the truck.  For each light, will need to remove tiny, resin pin on the base mount, and drill out for a short pin of 0.5 mm brass rod, as well as a hole for the wiring.  Some lights will be clear and some will be amber -

 

I had a hard time finding roto lights and finally settled on some from Auslowe - they will be a tiny bit tall, but they have a semblance of a rotating lamp inside.  Hopefully that detail won't be lost once painted with clear orange, and I'll add a strip of chrome tape to the light's base -

 

Will paint these lights tomorrow, start some of the decaling and get these light mounted and wired soon!  More tomorrow, if all goes well.

 

 

[Gary Chastain]

Not a detail missed, this is really a special build. 

[Biggu]

Wow. Absolutely outstanding !  How many work lights do you have planned? Are you going to hang backup lights on the mirror brackets or on the steps or both?  This is such an exciting build and one very close to my heart. This is absolutely spectacular.  

[BK9300]

21 minutes ago, Gary Chastain said:

Not a detail missed, this is really a special build. 

Thanks a lot, Gary, and very generous of you to say!