RichO

This weekend was mounting the Trailer Skid Ramps... Painted and ready for install... The hole... The fill... Thanks for looking, next up is the "fifth wheel" Trailer Mount. Be Back soon..

Years of practice, no doubt. Nice paint job.

You Guys are great with comments, Thanks. Hey Everyone, The install of the Stow Box was easy enough. I had a bit of catching up to do to finalize everything for install, but all went well. So lets take a look... I had to finish the hinges in the front that folds down for the lock. I also toned down the rust color... Then I started with filling the Stow Box with stuff. Building the Key Ring was a bit much I must say. I had several layers of magnifying just to see these. Final install of the Stow Box... Building the little tool box was just about as small as I want to go. It was all good fun in the end (ouch), and I'll make more junk for the box as I go so I'll have something for RFI photos. Next up is the Trailer Hitch Ramp. Be back soon.

Hey Gus, Swear Box over flowing! This thing came apart several times before I got the message to string the spool when it was off the winch. Once I got the spool wound and glued back into place, the rest went easy enough altho very slow.

Hey All, A quick up date... A last look at the inside of the frame as I start covering all this up. I'll cover all this up starting with the Tool Box... I'll be back with the install of the Tool Box and the mounting to the frame. Later...

Hey All, I've had a real fun time here lately. Our local cable co. has updated their stuff and given us new equipment for the house. Nothing works quite right just yet so posting will be odd for a while. I have worked out all the aspects for the Winch and finally got the thing strung up by the cable. I still have to weather and install on to the frame, but at a good stopping point for now. Parts... Components... Starting the stringing process... A new Winch.. I now have to take some time to clean up the frame to accept the components. I have discovered that while I have been working on all the sub assemblies, that the frame has become a dust magnet and is need of serious cleaning before I start to mount the components. I'll have to make a clean shelter for it later. I'll post each mounting separatley so you can see all the various hook ups. Later Betty Dudes.

Hey Everyone, A short report for today. It's been a week or so, of running out of supplies, and brand new techniques, that didn't work out so well, and attempting things I've never done before. I started with the Winch this week, and progress has been slow. Trying to figure out how to build gears from styrene was a no go. I tried to cut the gears by hand, and it really looked like it. I tried to cut gears with a file, not good. I tried tracing around a gear pattern....no. I took a day or so, and then I thought, (which I don't usually do, because I just get into trouble), screw all this trying to build gears, I just went to my local RC shop and bought a bag or two of plastic gears for model airplanes. Problem solved. The parts for the cable guides... you can see the pile of gears I had to choose from. I just went with gears that fit the space and were the same diameter that I needed. The Transfer Case... The Cable Guides... As of today I have managed to build just the Transfer Case and the Cable Guides. I think the gears turned out just fine for this scale, and once I paint these and get everything weathered and worn they are going to look fine right were they are. The Cable Spool is next to build along with the two Cable Guides. Then of course I have to spool the cable around everything. Not looking forward to that. Bye Bye

Beautiful work.

Hello Ladies and Gentlemen, Thanks everyone for watching! Today's report is of the Fuel Tanks...I had a fun time building the Fuel Tanks. Just simple shapes and large size made this an easy mini build. I already had built the Fuel Tank Frame and relocated the Transmission Radiators, last chapter. To paint the frame, I will have a blending situation when I mount the fuel frame to the truck frame. Like the other components, I have painted this item before installing and then to match the paint job to all look the same. Matching the frame is easy enough. I'll just slop the paint on like the rest of the build. The main body panels are to be painted with a different technique. Because the body is right out in the open, as apposed to the frame being buried under everything, I will be using the "Hairspray Technique" to paint the layers for the cab and body panels. However that is still quite sometime away, so back to the current situation. Frame painting, You know my style... After shoehorning this thing into place, I finally got everything to fit,...so far This is the space to squeeze the frame into... Preping the Transmission Radiator... The Tanks... the parts... I did my wood core technique here... Two New Fuel Tanks... The tanks are now ready for the paint shop. However the paint shop is not ready for the parts. Payday is Friday, so new supplies until then. I think I will move now to the Winch sometime today. I'll be back when I figure how I'm going to make gears. Later All, Thanks for looking.

Hey Gus, To bad the way forward is backwards. But I knew when I started this build that it would involve bouncing around from item to location. Luckily the fit issues are very minor so far, just a hassle to rework things. But Betty is looking used and abused, just what I'm after. Thanks, Rich

Hey All, I have come to a point where I have painted myself into a corner. I have done about all I can do with the engine at this time. I still have a ton of water lines to add, but here's the sticking point. I can no longer work on the engine bay without building the radiator system. I can't build the radiator system until I finish the fuel tank system. The radiators and fuel tanks mount to the back of the cab. I cant build the fuel system without painting to a finished state. And I can't finish the radiators until I build the cab. I don't want to build the cab at this time. I thought about it this morning and I have decided to halt the engine bay for now (which works out great for me, a natural break point), and go back to the rear end of the frame and build the components that attach to the frame and work my way forward once again. I have to build the wench winch system, then the fuel tanks, then the radiators and then I get to the cab. All of witch happens after I relocate some components so things fit ok. So here are some photos of my current predicament. This first photo shows how the engine's drive section, butts right up against the frame of the fuel tanks. This space was previously occupied by the cooling radiators for the Transmission. In this photo I have relocated the Transmission Radiators to the inside wall of the fuel tank frame. This actually only scoots the radiators back the depth of said radiators. But that's just enough for me to clear any hurdles to the rear. When I moved to the front, I had clearance issues because I added the water lines where none of the kits had patterns that allowed for the construction and fit of these parts. I had to remove the water pump and relocate more to the rear, because this particular part was hitting the front axle. So I had to shave the axle, move the pump, repaint and reinstall. Here is where I'm at right now... I have made a styrene moch up of the cab's back wall and floor pan. I am using this place holder to check clearances up front. All the Air handling equipment that is used for the engine is attached to the back wall of the cab. So for now, I guess it's back to the fuel tanks. I have to build and paint to the final color before I can install and move forward to the engine bay and the radiators. My big plans might change in the next 5 minutes, but here I go... Rich

Hello Betty Watchers... I have come to a bit of a slow down for the moment. I spent some time last week getting placement marks for the various items to be placed onto the frame. The new marks are the final install positions. I really can not move these locators or I wont be able to fit the cab into place. The problem has arisen because I have decided to build this project using a combination of several sources and patterns that did not allow for all the extra added junk I have built. As a result, the tolerances are very tight, to non existent, and I have had to relocate some items, which adds to the build time of course. So enough whinning for now. Let me show whats been happenin' the last few days... I have been plumbing the engine and just adding more stuff. I have added some of the major plumbing the last few days and had a real good time bending the styrene rods with out breaking 'em. pins, balsa, and hot air... Water pipes... More water piping... laying in the spark lines... This is where I'm at as of tonight... Still a lot more stuff to add before I can secure this to the frame. The build continues............Later

Hey Guys, More stuff... The exhaust headers... Air intake headers... parts painted up and ready for install... with the radiator frame set around the engine, I discovered that the fit was a little wonky... I took a whole day to fine tune the fitting and get things marked on the frame for final fitting... I still have a ton of stuff to add to the engine, I just need to check the fit issues as I go, to make sure the radiator cage stays square and level. More later...Rich

Just a tease guys... ' could take another week to apply all the dirt... Later...........

Gus, what are doing surfing in the middle of the night?

Thanks you guys for watching. It's been a busy 10 days or so. I have been working on the small stuff that is mounted to the engine block. The photos I have to share are a random assortment of things I mostly forgot to take photos of because I got in the groove from time to time. I'm to the point now where I really have to paint the engine block. Just about everything is built that needs to be mounted to the engine. The photos are odds and ends of various items for mounting. Like so...in no order at all... This is the only photo i managed to take of the water pump... I managed to take just this shot of the water distributer... The only known photo of the Exhaust Headers... The starter motor and generator... I did manage to take more photos of the gear box at the front of the engine... These are the twenty four mounting flanges for the air intake and the exhaust headers...two days just for these little things... So with all that, it's now time to paint and assemble... I'm sure I'll discover something I missed along the way, but for now everything is off to the paint shop. When I get all this back, I'll start the assembly, with more photos. Later All.........

Mine too.

have any of you heard that photobucket is no longer allowing photos to be used with third party forums unless you pay $400. a year for this service?

Gus, It took me several attempts to figure how to do this. The tin solder is just 1mm thick, I had to use tiny finger drills to get the .06 holes to mount the .08 bolts. I tore through several inches of solder to figure out how to hold the thin material. it seems to be an ok job. Looks fine. Thanks Cool!

Hello Everyone, thanks for following along. Today's report is a report about random stuff. I have a few mini builds to do that attach to the engine block, so I'm just randomly choosing things to build. I have added more details to the engine block itself and started with the added exterior components. I can build individual components to add to the block later, but it's just about time to paint the main block. If I add anything I need to have the background all painted and weathered before I do the add on's. However, plenty of more small stuff to build and add. A few more items added to the block, both ends...front... Back end... As I'm randomly building the add on's. I'm starting with items that are located on the block directly. I need to get the engine block painted so all is finished behind the added components. With that in mind, I started with the Distributor. You can see the distributor at the front end here. I had to build this with all the little bolts and leads in a small circular pattern and find some easily bendable wire for the leads. I used a soft solder wire to make these, however I might redo the wires if i can find something thinner. But for now I'll keep things as is. After I cut the styrene into the small circles that I needed, I next had to tap the holes for the 12 bolts. Then I used the solder wire and flattened the ends and drilled holes to match the plastic. After cleaning up the ends of the wires I mounted the bolts through the wire and then through the plastic and secured everything into place... In this photo you can see I have bent the wiring into place and I have also added the Injector sockets onto the top. I have also started with the fresh air intake manifold, added to the top. Just placed for now... I have so many random items to add that, as you can see, I'm just picking whatever to build. Until next time.. RichO

Hey All, I have finished building the Valve Covers. I only had two of these to build but I spent a week building 'em. I added some more details to the engine block and the engine bottom side. All this new stuff is small, so things took a bit of time to get right. A quick look at the bottom side of the engine block. The flat drain pan for the oil. Working on the block. I have added all the bolts, the stiffening fins between the bolts, and the ratchet grooves for the bolts. To be continued... The valve covers were a pain...a lot of small stuff. I try to do all the boring stuff first when I start manufacturing new parts. I built the valve cover base, by rapping styrene around a wood shape. Beginning the bolt down process. The maintenance covers... What a bunch of bull "this"... I next have have to detail the Heads, and some more details on the block. Thanks for looking All. Later

Hey Guys, Slightly slower build this week so far. I have managed to get the heads onto the engine block. The heads are basic rectangles, to size and mounted on top of the bottom end of the engine (if that makes sense). This is the final basic engine. Now I have to build all the details that are mounted to this . I have to pay the devil his dues, because that's were the details are. I'll be back with more details soon. Thanks, Rich

I just got this little beauty a couple of weeks ago.

Thanks Everyone for following along. Hey, This is starting to get a bit fidgety. I have only managed to build the support frame for the water radiators. I wanted to get an idea of the size and location of things as I build. The Radiator rack is a flimsy frame that supports the water radiators and cages the engine. I got so involved with building this and doing the measerments as I went along, that I managed to get just one photo under construction. I did build a very basic engine place holder. I think this will be the engines bottom end. All placed on the frame so I can see what is actually going on. The Engine build continues. Thanks All...

Hey Everyone, So this build has been getting scarrier as I proceede with all the items to construct And this morning I awoke to find that my nightmare is just starting with this build. It's time to move to the engine bay...If the Transmission was a world unto itself, Then I have just discovered a new universe... and all the support systems...here are a few...I need to finish plumbing the oil cooler.. Fuel lines... Air filters... Water cooling... This is just scratching the surface, sure don't ya know..it seem to go on for ever... I have to start at the very bottom of things, so the first thing is the mounting braces from the engine block the the main frame. I first need to build a basic engine block to use as a place holder while I get thing spaced properly. I'll be back sometime shortly with the start. Rich