alexb
Glue slinger 
Posts: 687 
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Post by alexb on Oct 13, 2018 4:59:27 GMT
Okay. So I've been bouncing back and forth on which of these two kits I'd actually do. I'm pretty sure I'll go with the Big Rig, but I'll include a starter picture of the BMW as well....just in case...as a precaution...because I have been known to change my mind a time or two...or more.
Anyway, the Truck is a Snap-Tite kit. I picked it up to do apost-apoc vehicle, back when I was fixated on that sort of thing. Plus the thing is pretty large so it got put up in the top of a closet for a while. I'll probably avoid building it OOB. I'll probably dechrome the chromed bits. Beyond that, I'm really playing this one my ear., but I am sure there will be liquid cement involved.
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Post by Paul B on Oct 13, 2018 6:38:11 GMT
Well I'm looking forward to the truck Alex  . Although the BMW would also be cool  |
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Post by Snipersmudge on Oct 13, 2018 10:13:37 GMT
Oh yes this looks interesting |
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Post by Boots on Oct 13, 2018 13:36:37 GMT
I`m in fella  |
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Post by JEFF on Oct 13, 2018 20:05:51 GMT
Which ever way you go, it'll be cool. I'm in.  |
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alexb
Glue slinger
Posts: 687
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Post by alexb on Oct 13, 2018 22:09:22 GMT
I started the truck. I am currently trying to remove the chrome from the chromed parts. Windex is taking its time. I might try something else to hasten the rest along.
This looks to be a quick build, even with any tweaks to it. I don't plan on making it one of those lavish pimped out rigs. It'll probably be low-key, maybe "murder it out" in all black and stainless steel. Tanker trailer may be a worm out mess.
Update coming soon.
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Post by Boots on Oct 13, 2018 22:31:59 GMT
I like that idea Alex .........and another truck in the mix |
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alexb
Glue slinger
Posts: 687
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Post by alexb on Oct 14, 2018 0:46:43 GMT
I had not planned on an update this quick. I was going to wait until after I had the chrome removed....but we'll get to that later.
I started with the suspension for the tractor. I left the rear/drive suspension assembly off for painting. I'm going to spray the undercarriage flat black.
See...painted black. In addition to the tractor frame and suspension, I tossed in the cab to nail the underside, and tires.
First bit out of de-chroming...note that this took two days. This batch includes the fuel tanks. The fit of one was horrible and required some sanding to get it to clamping mode. The other parts include the air tank for the tractor's air system and the engine air filter.
I had broken the de-chromization into three batches...the first being the fuel tanks. The second batch was soaking in Windex so I jumped ahead to the trailer. The trailer's wheels/suspension assembly is only 5 or 6 parts but it was a bit tricky. Instructions were vague and the whole thing needed some fiddling with to figure it out.
Bam!!! Gave it the black spray treatment.
With painted stuff drying and chrome stuff still soaking, I threw the tank together. Fit was pretty bad. There was much sanding and extraneous clamping...and there will still need filler.
So the de-chrome stuff really wasn't showing much progress so I hit up the house's cleaning supplies and found this little marvel. Clorox Clean-up. I tested it on some chromed sprue pieces and when I came back (45 mins) they were done. I tossed the planned third batch in and in under a minute the blue was showing through. The front grill/bumper and exhaust stack were chrome free in under 5 minutes. I pulled batch two out of the Windex bath and was done lickety split...I believe some sort of sorcery might have been involved. I found my new de-chrome solution.
So that's where I am. I got alot more done today than I had expected. I will try to get the tractor cab interior painted. There's not much in there, and the doors are molded shut. There's a sleeper in the rear but you really cannot see inside it. I'm not really sure where this build will go. I thought about having it being modified as a post-apoc hauler or something.
Anyway, we'll see where this goes.
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Post by Paul B on Oct 14, 2018 6:23:53 GMT
Nice to know about the de-chroming method Alex . You're moving along very nicely despite the fit issues |
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Post by SteveM on Oct 14, 2018 8:07:11 GMT
Very cool idea matey, coming along nicely too  I used spray oven cleaner to remove chrome when I built cars and bikes, takes about 20mins to clear even Tamiya metals |
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Post by JEFF on Oct 14, 2018 9:17:44 GMT
Alex, I was going to suggest Clorox bleach, I use it all the time on my Car builds. See ya figured it though. Looking pretty sharp, Dude.  |
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mack
Glue Slinger
To be fair I've been left unsupervised for too long
Posts: 615
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Post by mack on Oct 14, 2018 10:02:42 GMT
This is an interesting build, with promise of a mad max twist.
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Post by Boots on Oct 14, 2018 17:04:14 GMT
Nice one Alex  |
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alexb
Glue slinger
Posts: 687
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Post by alexb on Oct 15, 2018 4:43:05 GMT
I tend to avoid chlorine bleach whenever possible, so I've never used it. The smell tends to bother me. I used to work for Avondale Mills and was working the night of the train derailment...for real. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graniteville_train_crashBut yeah there might be some MadMaxian style design coming up. I'm tempted to dump the tanker and make a armored vehicle like Dead Reckoning from Land of the Dead. Maybe work crews are beginning the modifications. We'll see how this one goes. |
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Post by Paul B on Oct 15, 2018 10:46:10 GMT
Holy cow Alex, we ex-military would say "that wasn't a good day out."
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Post by Boots on Oct 15, 2018 12:25:31 GMT
holy moly  |
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alexb
Glue slinger
Posts: 687
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Post by alexb on Oct 15, 2018 19:40:55 GMT
It's hard to describe but it was almost 3 hours of drowning. I'll just say that we were really lucky. It killed the town and was one of the factors that shut down Avondale Mills. Anyway, we were lucky that the death count wasn't higher. There was no official evacuation alarm and local emergency services refused to go in. We had to make our own way out. The phones had been knocked out when the train derailed, so there was no real communications. Everyone was on their own until that morning when Norfolk Southern, DHEC and the NTSB took charge. What was sad-sad about it was the whole derailment was caused by a track work crew not resetting a switch for a side track they were working on. So the train was traveling at max through-town speed when it suddenly swerved into the side track and derailed. It just shows how a simple oversight can really turn in to a disaster.
Oh yeah...I'm taking a brief break from the Tanker while I finish up a build I am doing for Model Geek. It's a Mars Colonist diorama. That should let me spend a bit of time to nail down what exactly I am going to do to the truck.
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Post by Marco on Oct 16, 2018 17:08:19 GMT
Great work so far Alex, despite all problems.
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Post by Robbo on Oct 16, 2018 18:44:34 GMT
Blimey fella
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alexb
Glue slinger
Posts: 687
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Post by alexb on Nov 15, 2018 0:45:08 GMT
Back to work. I've neglected this one and may have forgotten about it for a bit.
The cab interior is very basic. I wish the seats had been separate so I could have tried to do something with the interior. The doors are molded shut and you really cannot see inside it so I decided to not worry about it. I kind of like the blue, but I wanted to do a fleet vehicle and keep it simple.
Assembly done on the tractor chassis. Still need to paint over some of that pesky blue peeping through. It's like herding cats.
So white is...several coats of white on top of a coat of light gray primer. That blue kept showing through 
Cab placed. Some of the cab bits added. I hand-painted the MACK on the front before seeing the kit includes stickers for the logo...and I mean stickers, not decals. The MACK Bulldog ornament was missing from the part. I might have snipped it by accident. By the way, the masking tape was added to keep wear on the paint.
Most of the cab bits done.
Still some details to add that weren't included in the kit...air lines for the trailer, license plate for tractor rear, and fuel tank caps. I need to touch up a few bits. The sends stickers. I'll probably will use some of them. Some weathering and road wear.
I'm probably going to not build the tanker trailer. It just looks blah. Later on, I might try to use some of it to make a flatbed trailer or a low-boy.
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