RichO

An other brief report today. I have been working all over the build with a bunch of small stuff, but I thought I would show the stirrings of the cab build... I really wanted to know how big the cab would be, and also what the final chapter will entail. So I started with the basic cab layout... The parts... This is the basic frame of the cab. I will work out the details of the finished skin along the way. Always with the test fitting.... Doesn't look like much now, but it will soon look somewhat like a Maz cab. That's it for now, be back soon...

Hey Guys, I have been working on the hood locks the last few days. I just thought I would show a failed attempt. I have twelve hood locks to build. Because I built the hoods to be opened and closed, I needed working hood locks. I'm not so sure about the first attempt. I first built an original and then cast the twelve sets of parts. An unfortunate arrangement of parts in the mold... Then it took forever to get everything separated and cleaned. Once I got all that taken care of, it was time to put the parts together... I drilled out the centers of the lock flanges to accept the wire for the lock. I think this is a fail because this is about as small as I can build with the styrene, but still looks way to big for the parts... I really like the shape and how this turned out. Just a bit to big for me tho. Plan-B will be an attempt to make the locks out of card. I can cut very much smaller with less weight to the stock. Also I can superglue the paper which turns the paper very stiff and rigid. More attempts to come, Later.............

Very nice finish, great details!

Hey All, A short report for today. The last couple of days were spent on the Mufflers. Not to complicated, but with some rod bending. Parts.... I just need some connecting pipe now.... Two new, old rusted Mufflers... I get to mount these under the Running Boards, up under the engine. Only the exhaust tips of the mufflers will be seen from the outside. That's it for now. The next report will be on the all the hood locks. Stayed Tuned.........

I got it sorted guys, Thanks! Hey All, Good to be back. I'm still trying to get a grip on ImageShack, so I hope all this works out ok. I can't seem to see my images on their site. However.... I left off with needing to add the details to the engine cover. This all went well but slow. More hinges... A lot of test fitting... Grab Handles... A last look before the great cover up... At this point it was off to the Paint Dept. for a rough job... Fresh back from the paint shop... GusMac, wanted to know how much Betty weighs these days... She's getting hefty now! I have so much extraneous stuff to build, that I will be working all over for a while. Fuel cans, Oxy bottles, Grab handles, Clamps...just a bunch of small stuff. I'm also working on the Cab structure. I have plenty of things to work on, but I'll take photos of all the small stuff. Until next time..........

Thanks Guys, I'll check it out next posting. After I find a scale big enough to weigh this thing.

Hey All, I just received a notice from our friends at PB, that my account is being closed. Even tho I have already paid up until June. I think they can't stand the idea of me "getting away" with my account as is, so I've been shut down. I do not know when they will scratch the photos, but I will be back when I find a new host. The building of the Engine Covers continues with the hinges for the hoods. I have spent the last week or so cutting parts and assembling the hinges and I will take photos of everything so I'll have plenty to show when I get back. Thanks All.

Very nice surface details, nice chipping.

Now that's an interesting question. I'll be back..............

Thanks Everyone! The skinning continues... Now I get to add the details.........Later All.

Hey Guys, I have finished with the basic cage around the engine. Now it's just finish skinning everything and adding the details. Be Back Later All.

Hey, I've been spending the last couple of days making louvers for the engine covers. 18 in all for the top side vents. I just thought you might like to know how I make mine. flat geometry... Then the curling process...I start with the main body. Here, I am using a round file for the bending. Then I use the tip of the file to bend the ends of the geometry into a sort of bowl shape. A little bit of clean up at the corners and..... I'll be back when I get all this secured to the engine covers. Thanks All..........

I moved my model shop very last of all, to avoid getting everything lost. Good luck with the move.

Hey All, The build of the Engine Covers continues. I have reached a point were I needed to start building the cab. The back wall of the cab supports the end of the cage for the covers. The build progress dose not look that impressive as far as how much was built, but the new elements are tricky, and getting everything to fit properly is an exercise in compromising. The state of the build to date. The cage is sort of flimsy at this stage of the build. I have realized how easy it is to get this out of square, so I try to introduce the body panels as soon as the cage is built to keep thing together. The build is as usual...The cage... I got to this point and realized I haven't test fitted this yet... Looks good so far... Be Back Later All........

I'm feeling great lately and getting back to work. Thanks everybody for your nice comments. I managed to do more work in one day today, than any day in the past three weeks. I got the fuel tank covers finished... Starting the engine covers next...Thanks All.

Very nice work!

Hey All, I have had one serious time trying to get my mojo back after the bout dealing with the this cold. Actually I'm past the flew now, but I have had to force myself to get to back to work, and also I was not enjoying my current state of affairs. When I left off, I was building the cage and hoods for the fuel tanks. That build continues... I had to start with the skeleton for the cage. More with trimming the thin cage frame and adding the stiffening elements... Time to go 3D... Once I got the cage together, it was time to add the details... Test fit... I now have to build the other side. Be Back Sooner...

Thanks All for following along! It's been a while since my last report. I was dealing with a bad flew. However, it's back to work...slowly. I did manage to build the frames for the engine bay, and that's about it for two weeks work. So after a couple of weeks, it's back to work on the engine bay covers. Be Back soon. Thanks All

Hey All, The last week or so has been fun with family and model building, and in this part of the build, I got to try a new thing for me. I had to make my own "piano hinge" for the hood of the winch. This always go slower than expected, and I had a few days off with family, but I got to a point where I should show what the heck I did. Building the cover for the winch was a combo of straight sheets, with the first of many curved surfaces and the hinges. I first built the basic frame that this cover hangs on. You can see that this is made of thin strips... Test fit onto the winch once I got the size correct, then I had to build up the sides to get everything level for the hoods... testing, testing... Next was making the hoods. These were simple to make, just some bending to do... Once I got all the pieces to fit relatively well, I started adding the details. Making the piano hinge was easy enough, just very tedious with all the small cutting to do. more testing and fitting... So, it's off to the paint shop, and back again... I'm going to live with it like this for a bit. I still have hardware to install. At the moment I'm excited to see the frame work for the Fuel Tank Cage and the sheet work for that part of the build. I'll be back with more exciting "stuff" later. Thanks All!

Are you building the 1/32 scale, or 1/48 ? I have heard that the Zoukei Mura's are a bit like WNW kits, in that they seem to be engineered to the max. I have seen this kit in photos that look, outstanding. I know your build is going to be cool.

This is coming together very nicely now. I like the details you're building on the inside were no one can see them. I do that a lot on my builds. Can't wait to see how you build the wings and engines.

Cees, I am using some good patterns produced by Model-Kom for this build. As long as I consider the thickness of the styrene as I build, I'm not having to much trouble at all. I just take my time and cut clean and file square.

I'm just calling this "sheet metal" because the body panels are different than "nuts & bolts" for the rest of the build. It's still just sheet styrene tho.

Hey All, So my first adventures into sheet metal land went well. However I have a confession to make. I wimped out with the first try. I built the running boards for the sides of the truck. Just straight sheet metal with no bends or curves. It looks cool tho. The running boards start to make the whole thing look enormous. The build...I started with the mounts that hold all this together... Then the Sheet Metal...just basic cut outs and shapes... rusting process started... back fresh from the paint shop... Betty's getting some girth at this point... with tires... She's getting to be a big girl, and still growing. Once I get all the side boards attached final. I'm going to try my first curved pieces with the Winch cover. We'll see how that goes when I return, Later..........

Very like.