Kenworth W-925 (mild custom)

[Rockford]

Some great work going on here. Love that paint job! Great idea on the hood pins. The alignment of the cab and hood is about all i don't miss on the 1/32 snappers I build! 

[Gary Chastain]

Went to the stores today to get another can of Krylon looking glass silver ( a really nice alternative to Revell chrome). I found no cans of Krylon at Home Depot, none at Meier store, none at Hobby Lobby, what the heck. Got home a did some internet search, apparently Krylon has been sold to Rust- oleum ( so the interweb says) and people are complaining about colors changing, formulas changing. So quick trip to eBay and found some. MAN……i can’t keep up with changing times and all these merging corporate changes. 

[Gary Chastain]

Custom shifters built, dash installed, used sewing pins for the brake buttons, next, steering column 

[ShakyCraftsman]

1 minute ago, Gary Chastain said:

Custom shifters built, dash installed, used sewing pins for the brake buttons, next, steering column 

Very Cool 😎 idea Gary.

Ron G 

[Biggu]

Brilliantly executed. Looks very real ! Live the pin idea. 

[Jürgen M.]

That looks perfect Gary! A clean and precise job on that dash and I love the idea with the pin heads! I might just come back to that in my next build!

[Gary Chastain]

After cutting and stacking firewood today, 35 degrees this morning, apparently winter is coming early this year. Got a little progress done on the fuel tanks, setting these up for the wide clamp band on the tanks. Then chrome the tanks and paint the straps body color blue. Battery boxes are chromed and ready to mount. Making slow progress. 

[Biggu]

'slow' progress?????  No way, this is really moving along , it is really gonna be cool... I really love the color and how you polished it out to a mirror shine.... your fab work is excellent... so precise....

[Rockford]

All very well done. This will be really impressive when you complete it.  

[BK9300]

Progress is progress, Gary - looks great!  Do you ever polish and wax your paint jobs?  I’m trying to figure that out, with decals and photo etch bits to consider.

[Gary Chastain]

34 minutes ago, BK9300 said:

Progress is progress, Gary - looks great!  Do you ever polish and wax your paint jobs?  I’m trying to figure that out, with decals and photo etch bits to consider.

For the most part no I don’t polish, mainly because of the rivets and body detail on the truck cabs. I have sanded and polished parts without all the detail, but not that much. Do polish aluminum a lot. I spent a year after high school at Quincy Tech earning an associates degree in automotive refinishing, that taught me a lot about applying paint. I use light to guide my application, not color. 

[Scott Eriksen]

Gary,,try this stuff,,it's brushable and air brush friendly ,, Amazon.com: Liquid Silver Leaf Paint Kit - Alcohol-Based Quick Dry Ultra Shiny Metallic Gilding Paint for Crafts, Resin Art, DIY Decor | High Gloss Finish with Varnish | 2 x 30ml Bottles : Arts, Crafts & Sewing 

[Gary Chastain]

12 minutes ago, Scott Eriksen said:

Gary,,try this stuff,,it's brushable and air brush friendly ,, Amazon.com: Liquid Silver Leaf Paint Kit - Alcohol-Based Quick Dry Ultra Shiny Metallic Gilding Paint for Crafts, Resin Art, DIY Decor | High Gloss Finish with Varnish | 2 x 30ml Bottles : Arts, Crafts & Sewing 

Have not seen that product, will check it out for sure, thanks. 

[Scott Eriksen]

43 minutes ago, Gary Chastain said:

Have not seen that product, will check it out for sure, thanks. 

I got it after seeing results on some Facebook model pages,,,I used it on the chrome on the Mack garbage truck,,works great and inexpensive,,,

[Gary Chastain]

Quick mock-up to check tank fit and exhaust fit between tank and battery box. Deck plates roughed out. May built a set of steps between fender and fuel tank. A lot of little things to make, diesel tank caps, wide tank straps, air line box on deck plate. 

[Gary Chastain]

Pogo stick roughed out, now to recess into the deck plate. 

[Gary Chastain]

Well this was not my best day. Went to my local hobby shop (Trains and Things in Traverse City Mi.) to pick paint and supplies and they are closing , last day Sept. 30th. Picked up a bunch of stuff with nice discount. Had a great conversation with the owner who knows me personally and explained how they are getting squeezed out of business, can’t get product and retirement sounded good. He did ask me if I wanted any truck kits off the shelf and said he would set them aside. Told me to come back the week prior to September 30th and he would sell me the kits with a good discount, asked if I wanted any racks as well. Gonna need my trailer that day😉😜😉

[ShakyCraftsman]

Hey Gary

  I've been there before when we went to Traverse City to visit with my wife's brother. It was a nice shop. To bad it has to close. 

Ron G 

[Jürgen M.]

You could take over, Gary! That way the supply chain wouldn't be interrupted! 😉

 

[Gary Chastain]

1 hour ago, ShakyCraftsman said:

Hey Gary

  I've been there before when we went to Traverse City to visit with my wife's brother. It was a nice shop. To bad it has to close. 

Ron G 

 

1 hour ago, Jürgen M. said:

You could take over, Gary! That way the supply chain wouldn't be interrupted! 😉

 

It was a nice shop Ron, gonna miss those guys. 
Jurgen, the reasons they decided to close:

No real online presence 

cant get product to sell, distribution is to big box store first due to volume 

price increases

tariffs, shipping cost are too high

young people in general are not into model interested in these types of hobbies

rent costs

retirement age of owners

a business model today is tuff  

 

[Gary Chastain]

1 hour ago, ShakyCraftsman said:

Hey Gary

  I've been there before when we went to Traverse City to visit with my wife's brother. It was a nice shop. To bad it has to close. 

Ron G 

Ron, there was a big hobby shop in Grand Rapids, do you know if they are still open?

[ShakyCraftsman]

Hey Gary 

  I think so, Riders Hobbies. One in Grand Rapids and one in Flint (by me). Also there is Great Lakes Hobbies in Sterling Hghts.

Ron G 

[vincen47]

Oh that’s too bad that Trains and Things is closing. I don’t go to TC very often, but I’d always stop by there when I did. I’m fortunate to have a few good hobby shops within a reasonable drive, living down state. 

Great progress on the project. Looking good.

[Gary Chastain]

8 minutes ago, vincen47 said:

Oh that’s too bad that Trains and Things is closing. I don’t go to TC very often, but I’d always stop by there when I did. I’m fortunate to have a few good hobby shops within a reasonable drive, living down state. 

Great progress on the project. Looking good.

Yes they will be missed. I did not know you are from Michigan, how far south of Cadillac are you?

[vincen47]

13 hours ago, Gary Chastain said:

Yes they will be missed. I did not know you are from Michigan, how far south of Cadillac are you?

I’m way down state in Monroe. Nearly Ohio, but I have family in northern Michigan, and I head up there to camp and visit as much as I can. I’m going to the St. Ignace truck show next weekend, highly recommended, if you can make it.