1911 Christie fire engine WIP

[Harry P.]

More excellenter!

{PS: The toolbox should probably be rotated 180degrees, Harry. Easier to access the tools from the side of the steamer than from within the coal bin. The lock should be on the outside, rather than inside. Just sayin' . . . no sense in getting burned when reaching for a wrench.}

If I did that, the rear wheel would be in front of the box and you wouldn't be able to access the lock.

Maybe it would make more sense to move the toolbox to another spot... on the right front fender, maybe? But this is the location the instructions call for.

[Harry P.]

Looks like the instructions are right... but there is also another box on the right front fender in this photo. I think I might just move the toolbox over to there.

[farmer1]

Or maybe you'll just have to build another one

[slusher]

Harry, your attention to detail, and your scratchbuilding are phenomenal. I love it.

I agree, wow...

[Danno]

Oh, those pesky wheels!

Well, tool boxes were a personal kind of thing anyway. Either way would be justifiable. So, disregard my last and leave it as you have it.

I was working from memory of the one in the museum. My reference pix are divided: about half have no toolbox at all in the rear, some have them on the other side, most have the hasps and locks to the interior with the hinges nearer the wheels, some have them mounted the way you have yours, and at least one even has the hasps/locks on the front end.

[Harry P.]

The kit hood is two pieces, hinged down the middle with little plastic molded-in pins on each half of the hood acting as the hinges. The real thing had a piano hinge along the hood from firewall to "grille," which is missing on the kit parts. So I scratchbuilt a fake piano hinge (I didn't have any small piano hinges "in stock" and didn't feel like going out and buying one). I just added the hinge "leaves" made of strip styrene, the rivet heads are brass hull planking nails, and the barrel of the hinge is aluminum tube with the hinge segments just faked by rolling the tube under a sharp X-acto blade (without cutting through the tubing!). The hinge barrel will be glued to only one side of the hinge, and that side of the hood will have the molded in hinge pins removed and some thin brass wire run through the hinge barrel to act as the new hinge pins for that half of the hood... the other half of the hood will keep the molded-in hinge pins. That way it'll look like the hood has a real piano hinge, and both sides of the hood will still open.

In this photo you can see the molded-in hinge pins. The side of the hood that gets the hinge barrel glued to it will lose those plastic pins, the other half of the hood will keep them. I've done one side of the hinge "leaves" here, the other side will be identical:

BTW... those light lines on the hood panels are Bondo. I had to fill the slight gap where the separate hood panels glue together.

Here's a better look at my faked piano hinge barrel:

[Harry P.]

There are two kerosene fireman's lanterns in the kit... they hang on hooks on the sides of the boiler. They are each molded in halves, in white plastic, with clear plastic "glass" globes also molded in halves. I painted the lanterns Rustoleum Metallic Brass, blackwashed them for a more "old timey" look, and added the kerosene adjuster knobs (they are more of my soon-to-be-famous leftover brass planking nails from a model ship kit). There was no way to hide the seam where the clear globes are glued together, but a coat of Future helps to hide it a little. The wires that hold the glass globes in place were molded into the clear parts, so I had to hand paint them black with a very tiny brush. That's a dime in the photo for a scale reference.

[The70judgeman]

I believe that is referred to as "Armstrong Steering"....in reference to the huge steering wheel. This model is really coming along beautifully Harry. Love the "antiquing" of the brass work. Very realistic.

Edited December 28, 2013 by The70judgeman

[Harry P.]

I believe that is referred to as "Armstrong Steering"....in reference to the huge steering wheel.

Yeah, I guess you really did need strong arms to muscle this rig around!

[Danno]

Ozzum.

[Harry P.]

For those of you who have stuck with me all this time, the final payoff is close! A few more details have been added. Front fenders installed:

The guard on the flywheel wasn't in the kit, so I scratchbuilt one from thin aluminum sheet (cut from a pie pan!). This shot also gives you a good look at the front end, with that massive horn between the acetylene headlights, and the fake "grille" (remember, the radiator is in back, behind and below the driver):

In this view of the back end you can see one of the hanging lanterns and the scratchbuilt wooden tool box. I added that "loop" to the end of the left frame rail to keep the fire tools in place. Without it, they would be flopping all over the place. Also in this shot you can see the door at the bottom of the boiler (just below the rear axle) through which the coal was shoveled into the fire, to keep that pumper pumpin'!

Also, you can see the very faintly engraved "trap door" in the floor of the coal box, right in front of the boiler's door. This door was there so it could be opened and the coal box swept and cleaned out every so often (Ok... I'm guessing here, but why else would there be a door in the floor of the coal box?).

I finally got around to gluing the chimney cap into place. I added some "soot" around the opening; the chimney grille was cut from a piece of fiberglass window screen:

Once I get the hood decaled, it's on to Under Glass!

[Edsel-Dan]

http://s82.photobucket.com/user/harrypri/media/1911%20Christie/christie5_zps5d8f3cc4.jpg.html

I think this was a "Knox-Martin"

I have one of the Reader's Digest Miniatures that looks like this and that is the Name on it.

"1914 Knox-Martin"

1999 Reader's Digest Association Inc.

Here:

I love this.

I had one of the MPC kits years ago.

Almost lost it to a Fire!

Traded it off a few years later.

Edited December 29, 2013 by Edsel-Dan

[Harry P.]

Knox-Martin it is! One of Christie's competitors.

[Danno]

Spectacular, Harry!

[Bennyg]

Very nice work on the hinges.

Ben

[sjordan2]

This just gets better and better. I've often toyed with the concept of how you're doing the piano hinge, but haven't yet figured out the best way of attaching and gluing it. Can you show more detailed photos when they're done? Thanks.

[Harry P.]

Ok... here's what I did. Look at the photos in post #86. You can see those two little "pockets," one on top of the dash/firewall and one on top of the grille... those pockets accept the plastic pins that are molded into each half of the hood. But there was no external hinge detail on the hoode; the real thing has a piano hinge along the length of the hood. So I just faked a hinge by adding the "leaves" of the hinge to each half of the hood. Then I cut the molded-in hinge pins off of one of the hood halves and left the pins on the other half. I glued the fake hinge barrel (made of aluminum tube) onto the half of the hood that I removed the plastic hinge pins from. Those missing hinge pins will be replaced by new hinge pins created by sliding a thin brass rod into my fake hinge barrel:

So when the hood is closed, it looks like a real piano hinge, but actually it's only fake... yet both halves of the hood still open.

[peteski]

Excellent model and writeup Harry!

If you still have that model, I would like to ask you for a favor. Could you give me its dimensions? Extreme height, width and length.

I have that kit and someday I'll build it. But I now have a chance to have a custom display case made for it. I want to make sure I have accurate dimensions, so the model will fit inside it.

Thanks!

Peteski

[Harry P.]

Excellent model and writeup Harry!

If you still have that model, I would like to ask you for a favor. Could you give me its dimensions? Extreme height, width and length.

I have that kit and someday I'll build it. But I now have a chance to have a custom display case made for it. I want to make sure I have accurate dimensions, so the model will fit inside it.

Thanks!

Peteski

Sure, no problem. I'll measure it and get back to you.

[Harry P.]

About 6.5" at widest point, 9.25" to top of smokestack, and overall length a hair under 18".

[peteski]

About 6.5" at widest point, 9.25" to top of smokestack, and overall length a hair under 18".

Thanks Harry!

[DonW]

(yes, that's Jay Leno at the wheel )...

Are you planning on building a miniature Jay Leno behind the wheel? I've never seen him look so worried, by the way!

I'm enjoying this thread.

Edited October 10, 2014 by DonW

[Harry P.]

No, no mini-Jay!

[DonW]

Thank the Lord for small mercies!

[Harry P.]

Thank the Lord for small mercies!