1/48 scale fuel truck

[webenda]

The figure scales out at about 5'8". He has a mold sink in his "stomach". I may try to putty it up but that knocks out details that I probably can't carve back in.

They are holy men.

[rogruth]

Well bless their holes.

[webenda]

You really should look at the assembly instructions with an eye towards final assembly/painting. Some of the steps are a little off, aka there will be no way to apply the decal or a detail part as it's now behind/inside something else.

Thank you for the "Heads-Up" Chuck.

Microscale Decals has O-Scale decals for the gas station on the cover of the box (48-552.)


The two-sheet set has enough decals for other style Sinclair stations common from 1935-1960.


Edit 1: Eratta 1963-1960, Corrected 1935-1960

[webenda]

Lionel makes a somewhat abbreviated gas station with the rounded office style (6-84496.) It would be easy to change it to Sinclair with Microscale decals.


Edit 1: Added Lionel part number.

[webenda]

There is even an H-C decal that fits the shell sign.

[chuck]

Wayne, thanks for the research on the decals and structure. I'll be looking out for those as well.

For a 60 year old kit, this holds up pretty well. The standing guy looks pretty good with his gut patched up. I had to put a dollop on his back where an ejector pin left a bullseye. Working on the crouching guy. Mine had three smaller holes around his waist/crouch . . The decals are drying on the trailer. Only one part to attach on the trailer, the ladder (actually two as I glued these rear bumper and ladder together. The tailer chassis is finished. I was able to paint the gas tank (and the trailer ladder/bumper). The radiator and release for trailer and fuel tank have been added. I've started patterning out the cab windows. I need to find my Testor's canopy cement (or the tube of watch bezel cement). Haven't used either in a while so I'm not sure what tool box I stashed them in (I'm sure it seemed like a good idea at the time).

I found the critical part for the kitbash projects while looking for the glue and will post some photo's/hints on what comes next with the Menard's die cast trucks tomorrow.

[healey36]

The figure scales out at about 5'8". He has a mold sink in his "stomach". I may try to putty it up but that knocks out details that I probably can't carve back in.

They are holy men.

I’d fill those with a bit of green putty, sand it lightly, then paint as normal. Unless you plan to do some close-up photography, no one is likely to notice their shirts are not creased across the stomach. Otherwise, they look like nicely detailed figures, perfect for dipping or an ink wash.

[sarge]

Being a bit old school, my inclination would be to drill through the big holes for a tight fit with some Evergreen styrene rod, set with Plastruct liquid cement (which will fill the seam with melted styrene), then carve a little and paint.

I also (still) fill styrene forms with a putty made from shavings of the runners mixed with styrene solvent, as an alternative.

A sharpened pencil iron on a Variac or lighting dimmer switch is a great carver and filler (use the runner material like a solder stick) for styrene, btw. Fumes are probably a bit dodgey according to the health and safety wombles but I'm not dead yet. Your concern might vary, but we also melt 60/40 and flux quite cavalierly...

Over the years of working plastic models I've found molten styrene (chemically or thermally) the best fillers and most stable.

[healey36]

A method I've never tried, Sarge, but an interesting alternative. I've used stretched styrene sprue for many things, but never thought of it as a workable patching material. God knows, I've dissolved enough stuff over the years through careless use of liquid cement, it should have occurred to me. Thanks for the tip.

[chuck]

Stretched/shaped spue can be quite useful. When used in conjunction with Same Stuff/Tenex it makes an excellent filler. The sprue is the same material as the rest of the model and the "glue" is really a welding compound, not an adhesive. Stretched sprue an be used to fill long thing gaps in fuselage/hulls/tankage. Once set is can be treated like the rest of the plastic and it will "take" the paint like the rest of the plastic. Some of the fillers aren't quite as forgiving in that respect.

[healey36]

Unlike the modeling putty put out by Testors years ago, I've never had any problems with Squadron "Green Putty". Shapes well, doesn't contract too much, or at all, when drying, is durable, and has always taken paint well. At least that's been my experience. I've even used it as an adhesive when attaching wargame figures to bases. I once tried to use it to mold a few replacement parts, and that didn't work. Used epoxy instead, which worked well.

[chuck]

I used to use green putty but switched to Tamiya white polyester. Green putty seemed to be more porous and coarser grained? I have used automotive spot putty which is excellent BUT has a shorter shelf life and is harder to find in smaller (and less expensive) tubes.

I'm with Sarge in terms of larger "holes", fill with stretched or ground plastic, if possible from the sprues the part came from, and use a welding "glue" to melt the stuff right in. Use putty for touch up or situations where the welding "glue" will spread and cause more headaches than it solves (or dissolves).

[chuck]

Mostly done. The side view mirrors will not be installed until I decided where the truck will "go". They are too delicate for extended handling.







The door covers for the valve controls will need to be "reworked". They are too large to "press in" when the "shelf" is actually glued in. I chose to assemble the main tank parts to make painting "easier". This lead to issue with the piping under the chassis and now with the doors. I plan on using music wire and drilling into the back side of the doors. IMHO, The model looks better with the valve and extinguisher visible.

Some final notes on the kit. The horn locator pin hole on the cab roof and the horn itself are 180 degrees out of alignment. You will need to drill/ream out the hole to get the horn to fit. The windows were a real PITA to cut out and glue in, mainly the windshield. The butyrate plastic does not craze with CA the way styrene does, but it doesn't stick that well either. The Testor's canopy cement was worthless and I never figured out where I stashed the watch bezel cement. It may be in with the watch repair tools which I can't remember where I stashed them as they only are needed when I have to replace batteries (aka every two to three years). Stuffs in a box, on a shelf, somewhere in the house. Obviously EZPZ to find

Here is a shot of a Menards die cast truck.



Not great, but it seems to match up well in terms of tire size and width. A little long for my taste and I have started to kitbash one of these into a construction vehicle. Something like this:



I will use the kit parts to pattern a 1/48 scale version

While looking for the the watch bezel cement I found the easter egg toy I had stashed away for a project like this. I think it's going to work out fine.

[rogruth]

Chuck,
Gas truck looks great.
What's with the egg thing on the flatbed?

[chuck]

Egg thing on a flatbed will eventually become a cement mixer