Thread: Slow build of a half track

I have just popped in from searching for a piece of wood, I have plenty of the same type of wood but trying to get a colour match to the rest. I thought I had prepared plenty but missed that this bonnet piece is wider than what I had planed.
I could have joined two together to get the right width but did not want the join line down the middle.

Originally Posted by Alexkara

Dalboy, I have come in late but that hasn't dissuaded me from being impressed. Great job and please keep it up. I am in the prep in building one of these puppies and hope I can do it anywhere near as good a justice as you have.

Alex

I enjoy doing the models out of wood and would like to see your build when you have something to show even if it is just the start of it. Have fun and as you have already seen I am doing the wheel jig write up in the evenings for it.

Originally Posted by crowie

Derek, I noticed a very very short pencil in photo number 7...
I hope you've got more??? ...
Cheers, Peter

I believe in getting my monies worth Peter. I do have others somewhere on the bench and they are nearly as long as this one.

Originally Posted by Alexkara

Dalboy, I have come in late but that hasn't dissuaded me from being impressed. Great job and please keep it up. I am in the prep in building one of these puppies and hope I can do it anywhere near as good a justice as you have.

Alex

Alex [ducky] You need some green wood for that build, me thinks.

Well I found some wood as near a match as I could find

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A close up of the piece all marked out ready to cut out the cut on the left and right are angle cuts. It took a little time as when this is assembled and glued to the two side panels the groove going across has to match with one on the side panels

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As you can see from the photo getting a match not only for colour but also finding a piece that has the greenish wood that is large enough for it, The two small pieces on the left are the pieces either side the bit I found I had to cut off the lighter wood.
Not easy to see but the other heartwood was not the right shade and I had to pull out a number of bits and plane them to see the true colour.

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Top Stuff Derek,

I reckon part of the joys of making models (or anything) is the research and chasing around and then the satisfaction of finding something that eventually suits your needs. Again top work Derek.

Regards

Keith

A slow start to the day I needed to cut the bonnet section out which I had cut the grooves in yesterday the best tool to do this was to use the table saw and mitre saw. So the mitre saw set up and all the angles cut at least I now had a shape to work with.
Then out came the table saw so that I could run this along the to longer edges leaving a 1/16" thick by 3/16" piece along them also by tilting the blade I was also able to cut a 1/16" X 1/16" lip along the back edge.

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A good clean up of tools and saw dust from this simple operation was next on the agenda along with going through all of the bits of wood I had been using and sort it out and store all the bits I no longer need at this time. Start to put this away and see another piece that will be useful for another part hang on should I not be clearing up.

This is the pile that I had along the side of the lathe and under the bed bars cleared most of the thicker stuff that as far as I could make out will not be wanted again as most is now thin pieces.

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Tidy up done time to glue up the bonnet to the cab side panels, I have a small engineers square which is idea to hold the parts at right angles to the bonnet.
The next three photo's are of it all assembled

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I decided to make the jerry cans only one shown on the plans the three handles are doweling just glued in place and I thought this would not look right so I bedded them into the body after cutting away a small section below where they sit. I am now glad I did as I believe it looks better then what is shown and for not much more effort.


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And to finish did a quick dry fit and have to say it is looking pretty good even if I do say so myself.



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Looking Great

Regards

Keith

Certainly coming together derek and looking good!! Peter

Nice job!
And way cool gas cans!

I don't know why but i never seem to get a lot done but still seem to be working on the half track for a long time.
Started to day by making the piece that runs along the floor and hold the steering column and gluing this to the floor. When that was dry enough I glued the seat console that I had previously made onto the floor as well as drill a hole for the last of the gear sticks.

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Time to add the braces to the lower side of the bonnet these needed a little fettling.

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I looked at the drawing for the steering wheel which showed them using a pre made one and modifying it not having one I went for a home made one but with the added darkwood grip and as you can see it is not too large and this alone took over 2 hours to make. It still needs a little touching up. May have gone a little OTT.

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The last three pictures show it in position but not yet glued 1 because it needs a little more work and 2 did not want to break it off while I did dry fits of the bonnet assembly as I progress with that section.
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Derek

Love your attention to detail. Don't think you can "go over the top" it just adds more to the build and self satisfaction - I reckon - Top Work

Regards

Keith

That's what we love about this build.
These are the kind if builds that help us all become better modelers, we see things that in our mind can't be done BEING done.
That steering wheel is my case in point.
Beautiful work and it's all falling into place.

Thank you Keith and HTL. I seem to always find something in a build to add to it and make it mine.

More cutting and measuring today they all are only smallish parts but seem to take forever. The first photo is the parts for the front grill and the second is for a ditch roller that is attached to the front bumper which aids the front to roll up a ditch instead of just digging in

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Managed to get the grill assembled and noticed that the front grills needed a little touch up with sandpaper(did not see it until I looked at the photo's) so that will be the first job tomorrow as I don't want any rough looking parts on this build I have invested too much time to get sloppy

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And the front grill just resting in place to give an idea how it looks.

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I have built this in sections and treated each as a separate project being mindful that it still needs to match the part next to it all these will be finally glued after applying the finish as this will make it easier to reach all of the parts.

I remember when this set of plans first came out I needed to ask what that roller on the front was for. [front bumper which aids the front to roll up a ditch]
Them fellows must have done a lot a drinking to need a ditch roller getter out of bumper. LOL