Walt's Puffer Too T-Bucket Altered

[10thumbs]

Oh Brad, I read you loud and clear....tweezers popping and away it goes.  Wait till you get on a few years.  Geez, I lost a hub that I'd cast in metal, the thing is big enough to see from 10 feet too.  The new motor I'm working on, metal front plate....all gone.

@Joe, man what you doin' with a night light in your hobby room?  I thought they were in the hallway when kids and old folks are around.   lol.

[Nytrozilla]

Oh Brad, I read you loud and clear....tweezers popping and away it goes.  Wait till you get on a few years.  Geez, I lost a hub that I'd cast in metal, the thing is big enough to see from 10 feet too.  The new motor I'm working on, metal front plate....all gone.

@Joe, man what you doin' with a night light in your hobby room?  I thought they were in the hallway when kids and old folks are around.   lol.

There ARE old folks around. ME!

[gasser59]

Finally some pictures although the newly made part on the front axle is the one that went flying across the room. It needed to be remade anyway but I could have used the bold and rod end off of it.

I'll need to put a splice in the rod length so it will be able to go on after the body is attached.

More to follow.

[Nytrozilla]

That's looking really, really awesome Brad.

I see elements in my front axle I'm using from yours. Speaking of which, I've made good progress on it today. A ton of little tweaks needed to be made to mount the wheels. I also have my axle length now and I'm headed for assembly after I fabricate some radius rod mounts. And now, back to your build.

That's looking really, really awesome Brad.

[gasser59]

Thanks Joe. Looking forward to seeing your straight axle progress so post some pics, will ya?

[gasser59]

A bunch of bench time today and this was mostly spent getting to know my soldering iron and the silver solder. The subframe is complete and I'm amazed how it came out. I was expecting a battle or two but it went together really well. I kinda like this soldering stuff.  

Here's a couple of pictures.

Now to figure out how it would have been attached to the frame. When studying the earlier posted frame pictures, I couldn't see any tell-tale signs of this or any mounting places or hardware. This frame holds the push bars and the parachute so it would have been mounted directly to the frame.

Comments welcome.

[Nytrozilla]

Thanks Joe. Looking forward to seeing your straight axle progress so post some pics, will ya?

Soon Dude, hopefully tomorrow. Stupid NHRA Finals. Going to be very sad to see Mike Dunn go from the broadcasts. Gotta say I'm not pleased with Fox's choice of Tony Pedregon.

I hope you find some way to mount that pretty piece.

[Codi]

Wow Brad...your build is really moving along rapidly now.  And for someones first attempt or 100th attempt at soldering, I'd say whatever you're doing, just keep doing it.  I'm going to have to get in touch to learn how to make my joints as impressive as yours.  Great job !!   cheers, Tim

[gasser59]

Me teach you??? Now that's a good one Tim. You're funny.

[Danno]

That looks great, Brad!!   Keep this up, and we're going to have to start calling  you the Brassmaster!     

[10thumbs]

Oh no!  Folks, another guy is getting hooked.

Brad, now you're really cooking.

Wanna bet?  No lookin' back now.

Congrats upon your achievement.

Edited November 15, 2015 by 10thumbs

[gasser59]

I don't know about being 'hooked' but it was fun and won't hesitate to do it again if the situation calls for it.

[gasser59]

Hope to get some time in over the next few days so please stay tuned. I know this is taking a long time, no one knows it more than me.  

[gasser59]

Well fellas, I had to send the rear wheels and tires back to MicroNitro. I tried to drill out the lug nut holes and botched them up. I should leave these things to the professionals who have the right tools. I sent the tires so he could make the new four slot rimes fit the tires better. If you recall, I had to add a layer of printing plate around the diameter of the rim to take up some slack and also had to cut off some of the rim from the back because it was too wide. I'm kind of stalled until then, at least that's my excuse anyway. I could make the parachute and a few other small details I suppose.

A while ago I came to realize the final assembly will be for the finished body to go on and then the rear subframe after that. That took some small engineering so the subframe would mount in the proper place.

I did get the subframe shot with gloss black and then shot with Alclad so I haven't been a complete slacker.

Stay tuned....same channel, same station.

Edited December 1, 2015 by gasser59

[Nytrozilla]

I feel ya' Brad. I shook like a leaf as I hand drilled my rear wheels. Now I have to match it with the rear hub. I might get a small drill press from Harbor Freight today. We'll see.

[gasser59]

Well??  Did you get the drill press? I'd like to hear how you like it.

[10thumbs]

Drill press guys.  Get one!

Until recently I've done all steps per hand.  Drilling holes in metal for lug nuts is not fun.  Doing these in styrene is even less fun, my opinion.  The round burs I have smear up so much the hole ends up being twice as large.  With lots of trial and error I've found a way to do it successfully.

I can do milling, been doing it for a long time.  I just personally want to keep things for my models as I do them now.

Since we're doing metal, and lots of the assemblies are out of aluminum or brass sheet, there is no better way to drill holes than with a drill press.  With the correct bits for drilling holes, not a round bur, the result overwhelms.  Even styrene gets better results.

Here's my drill press, recently acquired as I finally grasped that it has to get better;

Here's the handpiece that fits in there;

Foot pedal hooked up and you're set to go.  Do it.

Michael

[Nytrozilla]

I got it Brother. I hit Home Depot and picked up a Ryobi for $129.00.

With any luck, I'll actually take it out of the box tomorrow.

See my Nomad post for a pic.

[mustang1989]

The detail........Jeez!!! Just can't get over all the detail! 

Edited December 3, 2015 by mustang1989

[gasser59]

Thanks Joe. Waiting on the rear rims that are getting redone before I continue.

[gasser59]

Rear wheels are back and are they ever nice but with the craziness of the holidays probably won't get any bench time until after Christmas. Too cold around here to do any painting of the body too. It was 36 this morning in NW Phoenix. A bit chilly for us desert dwellers.

[Danno]

Yep.  Icicles on Saguaros is just wrong!

[gasser59]

First coat of paint on the body today. Sprayed in the garage and the spray can was warmed in my armpit. I know, sounds gross but I did have a shirt on.

Edited January 2, 2016 by gasser59

[Nytrozilla]

As long as you don't confuse your can of paint with a can of deodorant, I guess that's okay.

Cut to scene: 2016 Desert Scale Classic. "Brad, that's a bad to the bone gasser, but, um, why does it smell spring time fresh?"

[gasser59]

Maybe that will sway the judges in their final decision.