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Posted

Here's a Holmes 500 wrecker I've been working on for my Texaco station project. The white parts are scratchbuilt with Evergreen and Plastruct styrene. The dark parts are from the parts box or spare diecast parts.The Chevy (or will it be a GMC?) cab mockup shows where I'm going with this. Question: What should I use to rig this thing? Certainly not thread! Is there a product out there made for this kind of work?

Holmes5001_zps980dfaba.jpgHolmes500_zps619886f0.jpgHolmes5003_zps133b3f4f.jpgHolmes5002_zps06c032bc.jpgHolmes5005_zps3f02cbf8.jpgHolmes5004_zpsf9448a1a.jpg

Posted

If you have a Hobby Lobby nearby, you could probably find something that would work and look realistic.

That scratchbuilding is impressive (like all of your work Tom!), sure wish that wrecker was available in plastic!

Posted

Man that boom is great! and like others have said The jewery making department of most hobby/craft stores has some pretty good wire types that would make some great cable. Or small electronic wire. Strip the insulation off and then twist the wires and paint to look like cables.

Posted (edited)

model railroaders use black monofilament line for truss rods under flatcars. Clover House used to sell it. amazon has a variety, too.

Edited by southpier
Posted

After attempting some of the suggestions given, I decided to use music wire for the rigging. Even though it doesn't have the twisted strand quality, I couldn't stand having any sag, and using wire solves that problem, as long as I don't bend it. I've started on the dolly wheels. I've never driven a tow truck, so any diagrams or information on how the dolly looks and how it is mounted would be cool.

HolmesBoomPainted1_zps3ceb085a.jpgHolmesBoomPainted_zpsdd7de41d.jpgHolmesBoomPainted2_zps669c82d3.jpgHolmesBoomPainted3_zps74d15a45.jpg

Posted (edited)

Looks fantastic .

My late brother drove one for a few years , It was a Holmes 440 (If I remember correctly) mounted on a 78 Ford with a different style box than what you have here. The company that he worked for had a Chevy with that style bed but it was a Hydrolic lift.

http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=holmes+440+wrecker&qpvt=holmes+440+wrecker&FORM=IGRE#view=detail&id=9EA45856ADD0AB913AE630B2CB913BCBD4696C53&selectedIndex=39

Something like this.

http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=holmes+440+wrecker&qpvt=holmes+440+wrecker&FORM=IGRE#view=detail&id=6DDD6B50F16BBD033FB7D93753FCF2D130321BFA&selectedIndex=45

I am not saying your bed is wrong just saying these are different . The dollies were on the sides as the ones in the pictures I have found above no matter what bed they had. The guys did not like to use the dollies because of the extra time with a double hook up .

Edited by 1930fordpickup
  • 2 weeks later...
Posted

Very nice job, Interesting that first gear used elastic thread for there cables and that eliminate any slack. If my memory serves me the 500 was used placed on mid sized chassis as to the pick up style you have and the contemporary style body with a era style boom is different.

greg

  • 2 weeks later...
Posted

Very impressive build.I know from personal experience that rigging that complicated takes a lot of patience and extremely close measurements and cuts.I was going to suggest using twisted wire I just picked up at Hobby Lobby.I found it in their jewelry dept.sold as"German style"wire it comes in several colors and closely resembles twisted wire cable.

  • 3 weeks later...

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