The Same but “ a little “ Different

[Biggu]

  On 10/18/2024 at 9:35 PM, RoninUtah said:

Great idea for the headliner, I'll think about using that on the build I'm planning now!  I got frustrated with the Motlow pens- they only seem to work only half the time, and you never know if you're going to get a nice thick line that looks like real chrome, or something less.  I buy the refill bottles, and I use a brush for small detail painting- I have a lot more control that way. When I airbrushed it, I used it straight out of the bottle, with no thinning. It cleans up super-easy with alcohol. One bottle lasts a surprisingly long time.

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Excellent! I hope you do a head liner. I will be watching your build to see how it comes together.  Glad to be of a little bit of service. I will look into that refill. 
I bought these off Amazon after mediocre success with Molitow. These seem to work ok , I’ happy with them   

Edited October 18, 2024 by Biggu

[Biggu]

Battery box. Good stuff but also a good thing I have seen one or two over the years. A number of bends with no reference pics

[BK9300]

Photo-etch is marvelous!

[RoninUtah]

  On 10/18/2024 at 9:40 PM, Biggu said:

I will be watching your build to see how it comes together.    

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Thanks! I hope to start it this weekend… I’ll start a separate thread when I do.

[Jürgen M.]

  On 10/18/2024 at 9:09 PM, Biggu said:

Jurgen, take all the information you can, this forum  is a melting pot for ideas for sure.... and if you try it and it works, be sure to let us know.... information and communication is gold ....

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You bet I will, Jeff! There might be a use for it in my next project! ?

[Biggu]

Not a lot to show for about 4 hours of ‘work’ …. In between putting groceries away and taking out the garbage …. There was a fair bit of clean up and adjustments to be made and some fiddling to make these parts fit and line up somewhat. So front spring pack, steering axle, pitman arm, steering arm and drag link in the front, in the back … rear ends, shocks, airbag mounts. The bag mounts and shocks were really fiddly for some reason …. Anyway , all good and all installed. The airbags will be installed after the frame and all its bits are painted. Doesn’t look like much tho …… now to get going on the 'plumbing'..... 

Edited October 23, 2024 by Biggu

[BK9300]

Any progress is good progress, Jeff - good to keep moving forward!  (I'm going to pay attention to your brake line plumbing this time around and do some for any truck I make in the future)

[Biggu]

  On 10/23/2024 at 9:51 PM, BK9300 said:

Any progress is good progress, Jeff - good to keep moving forward!  (I'm going to pay attention to your brake line plumbing this time around and do some for any truck I make in the future)

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Thanks , Brian. And yes steadily forward. Geez, don’t follow my plumbing too closely, it may not be fully accurate. Plumbing is very time consuming. 

[RoninUtah]

Looks great so far, love those bolts on the crossmembers. I'll be curious to see what you do about plumbing!

Yeah, life gets in the way sometimes!

[Biggu]

  On 10/23/2024 at 10:09 PM, RoninUtah said:

Looks great so far, love those bolts on the crossmembers. I'll be curious to see what you do about plumbing!

Yeah, life gets in the way sometimes!

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You guys are gonna shame me to be accurate and do good job????

[Biggu]

I think I am gonna add a few more bolts to the shocks….maybe. ..

[Jürgen M.]

Love that precision! 

Chassis looks nice and straight! My Pacemaker is bent to the left a bit. You hardly notice it but it's there! 

[Biggu]

  On 10/24/2024 at 5:32 AM, Jürgen M. said:

Love that precision! 

Chassis looks nice and straight! My Pacemaker is bent to the left a bit. You hardly notice it but it's there! 

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These old kits can be a bit of a challenge in that regard too. I also noticed a slight twist in mine so when I installed the cross members for the shocks and airbags I added a LOT of weight and some shims to try and take the twist out while the glue was drying. Left it like that for an hour or so and had a look. Altho not perfect I think once other bits are added what little bit is there won’t be noticed. Like you said there is a little bit there but…..  knowing this is an old kit and I’m sure no one has reworked the moulds for a shake and bake fit, there is a modelling challenge. I rather like a bit of a challenge and I have my fingers crossed this that I can actually make this into a presentable model. BUT even if I make a hash out of it , I have no real worries, only I will have to look at it. Not like it will be any contest winner. ? Thanks for checking in JM.  Comments are always welcome. 

Edited October 24, 2024 by Biggu

[Gary Chastain]

I spent the last 30 years teaching plastics, so , some interesting details that many of you already know. Plastic is hydroscopic ( draws moisture from the environment). This absorption causes the plastic to move or find a state of less stress from the injection molding process, hence, warping. This is noticed for us truck builders as our parts are larger, frame rails(length) and large cab/sleeper bodies. Heat can also create a similar response to the plastic. Putting your built kits in an area where they are exposed to sun can also create problems as well, there are no additives to prevent degradation from sun/atmosphere in our plastic. Keeping your parts in sealed bags is actually a bonus in protecting the integrity of your parts. I have read where some builders actually open the original packaging, separate the parts then install the parts in a lunch ziplock bag. This effect on small parts is less noticeable. Polystyrene is a very low cost material with very little molecular structure, hence way we can scratch a line in sheet Polystyrene and snap it at the line. Nylon plastic will not snap at the line as the molecular structure crosses that line and it just bends. Buying an open kit off the internet can raise the risk of warped parts if the bags have been opened and parts are laying loosely, not that this is a deterrent, just got to work out the issues. 

[Biggu]

THANKS for that excellent detailed description of how this plastic thing works. I never knew any of that, Gary. Reading your explanation , makes perfect sense and is quite understandable. Luckily for me I don’t model in the direct sunlight, but I do have a lamp that does cast a fair bit of heat. Not sure I could build in a plastic bag tho ( if I understood that correctly )? But on the up side I do keep the parts in the sealed bag , even if I have opened the box.  Thanks again for that great explanation, Gary. Always good to learn new things ! 

[Gary Chastain]

The moisture effect is over time (every thermoplastic has a different absorption rate), so the time lapse of building is really in-material, it’s long time storage or in a really high humidity area. Ever start a build, set it aside for a year or two, then start the build again and wonder why the parts don’t seem to fit now, they did at one time?  But this does bring value to keeping a dehumidifier in your modeling room. And again, big parts demonstrate the warping because of size, small parts less. 

[Biggu]

Not the greatest of pics and it’s a bit hard to tell, but I “ think “ I got ‘most’ of the twist out. Probably not all but like JM says, I think I can live with it 

[Gary Chastain]

Looks really good

[Biggu]

  On 10/24/2024 at 5:52 PM, Gary Chastain said:

Looks really good

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I think it may still be out just a touch, but over all, if it stays like this I'm hoping I got it..... and it will be workable....  do you think it will stay? I am of the opinion, and correct me if I'm wrong, that once well secured with glue and cured, the warpage should be at a minimum from here on ....

Edited October 24, 2024 by Biggu

[Jürgen M.]

I think it looks good! I think you can live with it! ? 

Will you put in steering?

[RoninUtah]

I'd be happy with that! Looks good.

[Gary Chastain]

  On 10/24/2024 at 5:55 PM, Biggu said:

I think it may still be out just a touch, but over all, if it stays like this I'm hoping I got it..... and it will be workable....  do you think it will stay? I am of the opinion, and correct me if I'm wrong, that once well secured with glue and cured, the warpage should be at a minimum from here on ....

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I think when you add the weight of the tires/wheels and the complete cad, it will level right out. The frame rails are pretty flexible. 

[Biggu]

  On 10/24/2024 at 6:14 PM, Jürgen M. said:

I think it looks good! I think you can live with it! ? 

Will you put in steering?

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Naw , I don’t think so, but it could happen. We’ll see…?

[Biggu]

  On 10/24/2024 at 6:42 PM, Gary Chastain said:

I think when you add the weight of the tires/wheels and the complete cad, it will level right out. The frame rails are pretty flexible. 

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That’s what I was thinking (hoping) ?

[Gary Chastain]

???fingers crossed, right