# Building a replica of my Jeep



## Kenbo

Started in on a new build today and I'm not sure if I have bitten off more than I can chew or not. I've started building a replica of my Jeep. Hopefully it will all go well. Didn't get too much done today, but at least I got something done.


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## Chamfer

I'm sold.

Care to post of pic of the actual Jeep for us?


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## Allman27

This will be good! Doing a video of this as well?


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## Kenbo

Allman27 said:


> This will be good! Doing a video of this as well?


No video for this one. Way too many factors and way too many hours to try and whittle down to a show.


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## Kenbo

chamfer said:


> i'm sold.
> 
> Care to post of pic of the actual jeep for us?


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## Kenbo




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## Toolman50

Nooo! The woody's were all in the '40's! Ha ha


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## Burb

I'm sure this will be another great build.

Mark


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## woodchux

Hope you will continue to show us the progression of your "Jeep" project. Be safe.


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## Smith Brother

Are ya going to carve some ROCKS for it to climb over? You do have ROCKS up there, don't ya?

Dale in Indy


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## Mort

He could carve a snow berm. If you need a picture, I'll take one, we've got more than we can handle here.


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## Woodknut

Kenbo said:


> Started in on a new build today and I'm not sure if I have bitten off more than I can chew or not. I've started building a replica of my Jeep. Hopefully it will all go well. Didn't get too much done today, but at least I got something done.
> View attachment 209834
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> View attachment 209842
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> View attachment 209850
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> View attachment 209858
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> View attachment 209866


I don't mean to sound like a knuckle head but are you building a Jeep as in vehicle? Can't tell from the four pictures you have posted but maybe I am not seeing all that you posted since I am new to this site. If you are buildings a vehicle checkout mine in the gallery dated 1/29/2016. Woodknut


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## cranbrook2

Looking forward to seeing the progress pictures .
If anyone can build it is you !


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## Kenbo

Woodknut said:


> I don't mean to sound like a knuckle head but are you building a Jeep as in vehicle? Can't tell from the four pictures you have posted but maybe I am not seeing all that you posted since I am new to this site. If you are buildings a vehicle checkout mine in the gallery dated 1/29/2016. Woodknut


I already have the vehicle, now I'm building a miniature version of it out of wood. My builds usually take months a folks seem to enjoy them so I am posting this one on here. I hope you will join us for the build. It always looks like nothing at first and slowly comes together. By the way, those cars you built look awesome. Nicely done.


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## Kenbo

Well I was filming an episode of my show and working on another project today so I didn't get much done. I did get a little more of the underbody done though. The differentials are coming together nicely.


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## Kenbo




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## Woodknut

Kenbo, just saw all the other pictures...makes sense to me now. Looking forward to watching the build.


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## Travico

Nice Jeep!! What wood are you using?? You got more Patience than me!!


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## Kenbo

Travico said:


> Nice Jeep!! What wood are you using?? You got more Patience than me!!


My Jeep is black so the replica will be mostly walnut. Not black I know, but close enough for me.


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## Kenbo

Played around in the shop today and didn't have any other projects to complete or work on so I got to dedicate the whole day to the Jeep build. Got some progress done and it looks like next week, I will be starting in on the interior of the rig. This is where the fun stuff starts with customizing everything to match my own vehicle. Should be a good one.


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## Kenbo




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## Kenbo




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## Burb

It's coming along nicely...


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## croaker

Great job like always.


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## trentwilson43056

I've always like the walnut jeeps.And yea lets see some picts of the real one.


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## Kenbo

trentwilson43056 said:


> i've always like the walnut jeeps.and yea lets see some picts of the real one.


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## cranbrook2

Very nice work , love all the detail !


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## rayking49

Got my drink, and popcorn, looking forwaed to it. Watching your use build and this,woohoo!


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## BigJim

I don't think I could put something that nice in the mud or crawl rocks with it. You should see some of the crawlers around here. This is about 3 or so miles from our house:


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## Slootman

Keep it coming I like watching the progression!
Slootman


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## trentwilson43056

Sweet


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## Kenbo

BigJim said:


> I don't think I could put something that nice in the mud or crawl rocks with it. You should see some of the crawlers around here. This is about 3 or so miles from our house:
> 
> Aetna Mountain Hillclimb Highlights 1/28/12 - YouTube



I'm not as extreme as those guys. Our club does a lot of trails and some rock crawling and of course mud but extreme stuff like that is best left for the rigs that are built for it. Here's a little video from one of last year's adventures.


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## BigJim

That is no push over where you go, I wouldn't try it with my 4X4 yody. I have been up Aetna mountain with my 4X4 but there were so many ATVs I was afraid I was going to hit someone so I just eased on back down.

That is some pretty country where you go muddin and crawling.


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## rayking49

rayking49 said:


> Got my drink, and popcorn, looking forwaed to it. Watching your use build and this,woohoo!


 meant to say uke build


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## Kenbo

I worked for 6 hours on the build today. I had to rely on photos on my phone to come up with the design of the centre console. I still need to add the 4WD shifter and the stick shift but other than that, the console is pretty much complete. I was also able to cut and glue in the support pieces for the body panels so hopefully, tomorrow I will be able to start work on those.


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## Kenbo




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## mtairymd

Looks awesome so far. I definitely plan to follow this!


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## Kenbo

Spent another 7 1/2 hours today working on the rig. Cut the front quarter panels and also cut the grill. The secondary grill support (which also doubles as the rad) was a total nightmare to cut but I took my time and managed to cut it in one try. From there I worked on the hood. I had to hand rout the recess for the grill. There is no magical way to shape the hood on this project other than to do it by hand. It isn't a uniformly rounded surface so a round-over bit won't do. Hours of hand sanding saw the hood shaped. I think I'm going to shape it more once the rest of the cowl assembly is in place but for today, I'm done.


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## Kenbo




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## Kenbo




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## Chamfer

That looks fantastic Kenbo. Awesome detail.

Can't wait to see more progress.


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## Kenbo

Today was a long process. Spent over 2 hours to make the front fenders and then started in on the front bumper. The wings of the bumper were a complete nightmare to figure out and cut but in the end, I got them done. I still need to do the final adjustments on both the fenders and bumper but that will be tomorrow. I've had enough for today after working on it for over 7 hours. I know, I know. NO DEDICATION.


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## Kenbo




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## Old Skhool

Really nice work Kenbo. 


In addition to your craftsmanship, your photos are excellent as well. The detailed and polished work show well on my monitor. What camera are you using?


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## Kenbo

Old Skhool said:


> Really nice work Kenbo.
> 
> 
> In addition to your craftsmanship, your photos are excellent as well. The detailed and polished work show well on my monitor. What camera are you using?


When I take pictures in the shop, I just use a Canon PowerShot SD780 IS. I've had it for years and have loved it since the day I bought it. Great little point and shoot.


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## Kenbo

I sometimes ask myself why I put myself through builds like this. I sit there for hours on end making tiny parts that are getting harder and harder for me to see as I get older and then I realize that doing this sort of thing is what I like to do. That being said, I spent another 7 hours in the shop today. I managed to get my winch made. There is a small disk on the driver's side of the winch that you can rotate to turn the drum of the winch. Kind of thought that it would be cool to have it functional. Not sure if I will be able to operate it once the bush bars get made and in place but that's another story. I also made the hood spacer and cowel and did the routing for the details on that, including the engine vent. Those were a pain in the butt I tell you but I managed to get them done in one shot with no mistake so I'm pretty pleased with that. I also made the hood tie down and the hood UFO's and hinges and got them installed. The seat mounting blocks were also cut and put in place and hopefully, next week I will start in on the seats and the dashboard. Still a lot more to come on this build.


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## Kenbo




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## Kenbo




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## chancey1483

No winch cable? lol


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## Kenbo

chancey1483 said:


> No winch cable? lol


It's not installed yet. But it will be there. :thumbsup:


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## Kenbo

Well, due to circumstance beyond my control, I didn't manage to get to the shop at all last week so that's why there was no update on the build. I put in a solid 7.5 hours working on the seats today. I managed to get all the seat completed and dry fit into place as well as starting in on the dashboard. I didn't like the original centre section of the back seat as it didn't look like the real thing at all. It didn't look half as uncomfortable and unwelcoming as my real Jeep does so I made sure to modify the centre section to match the real thing. I put the seats aside for now as they will only be getting in my way while working on the dash. They will be glued in at a later point in the build. Hopefully, there will be more to show tomorrow.


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## Kenbo




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## epicfail48

I'm gonna be really disappointed if there isn't a functional speedometer when you're done. 

Seriously though, this is fantastic


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## Kenbo

Another day, another 7 hours spent on the build. The progress was slow today as the parts were small and finicky. Got the dashboard finished and installed as well as the windshield frame. Also managed to turn the 4WD shifter and the stick shift. I have an eight ball for my shifter knob so I did my best to duplicate it on the lathe. Not an easy job I'll tell ya. I also got all the seats glued in to their final destination. I know it doesn't look like much was done, but the console in front of the driver's seat took over 2 hours to complete. All in all, I'm pretty pleased with the progress. More to come next week.


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## Kenbo




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## Kenbo




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## Kenbo




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## Allman27

Wow, that is simply amazing work!


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## mat 60

Realy nice work man..


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## Smith Brother

*Jeep*

Looking very nice, I know in the past you have shared the company name that sells the plan/drawings you have used, what about this piece?

What is the scale?

Thank You,

Dale in Indy


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## Kenbo

smithbrother said:


> Looking very nice, I know in the past you have shared the company name that sells the plan/drawings you have used, what about this piece?
> 
> What is the scale?
> 
> Thank You,
> 
> Dale in Indy


Not sure on the exact scale Dale. I'm running at about a 1/10th roughly. The "plans" are from Toys n Joys but I am only using them as a rough beginning. So far, the dash pieces, the bumper, the winch, the suspension, the drive shafts, the rear seats, the centre console, and the hood details have all been of my doing. The plans are nothing like my rig as I have modified my Jeep extensively but the plans do give me a good base to work with in order to duplicate my Jeep. There's a lot more to come. Thanks for checking out the build. I hope all is well at your end.


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## Smith Brother

I figured you were adjusting the plans to be MORE true to actual, GOOD for YOU.

All is fine here, keep on keeping on, my friend,

Dale in Indy


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## robertwsimpson

This project amazes me. Definitely following with much admiration of your skills!


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## Kenbo

Yesterday was Mrs Kenbo's birthday, so I spent the day with her. That's true love when you give up your shop day to be with your wife. Either way, I was back at it again today. Managed to get the steering wheel done as well as the sides of the rig, the front shocks and the rear wheel wells. Hmmmmm, now that I actually put it down in a post, it sure doesn't seem like much for 7 hours work. However, the build is coming along nicely.


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## Kenbo




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## Burb

That last photo makes me think your jeep was parked in the wrong neighborhood too long...


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## Kenbo

Burb said:


> That last photo makes me think your jeep was parked in the wrong neighborhood too long...


Nah. The winch is still on it. Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!! :blink:


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## Chamfer

Looking outstanding Kenbo. Can't wait to see more.


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## xmas

Wow!


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## Masterofnone

Ken,

I have always been fascinated by your builds and such incredible detail. I have tried a few builds myself but never get the detail to a level that you can obtain. 

Your console has such clean, crisp lines. Your wheel rotors are uniform. Even though you're using an open-pored wood, there's no gaps or sloppiness. 

How in the WORLD are you able to achieve such detail? What kind of sanding and machine techniques do you use? Perhaps you've said it before but if you have, I'd appreciate a recap!


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## Masterofnone

Perfect example: the seats and steering wheel. How are the lines so sharp yet the wood look sanded so smooth?


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## epicfail48

Masterofnone said:


> Perfect example: the seats and steering wheel. How are the lines so sharp yet the wood look sanded so smooth?


You didnt know? Kenbos a wizard, he doesnt even bother with machines. He just grows the trees into the right shape and strips the bark off


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## Kenbo

Masterofnone said:


> Ken,
> 
> I have always been fascinated by your builds and such incredible detail. I have tried a few builds myself but never get the detail to a level that you can obtain.
> 
> Your console has such clean, crisp lines. Your wheel rotors are uniform. Even though you're using an open-pored wood, there's no gaps or sloppiness.
> 
> How in the WORLD are you able to achieve such detail? What kind of sanding and machine techniques do you use? Perhaps you've said it before but if you have, I'd appreciate a recap!


It's not secret really. It just takes time. The piece on the left of the console with the "dial gauges", is approximately 2" long. It took over 2 hours to make that pieces. For round edges on the things like the seats, I sand by hand up to 220 grit. It takes forever. For anything with a crisp edge, I have a full sheet of sandpaper mounted onto a piece of 3/4" MDF using spray adhesive. The flat MDF allows me to sand without taking away the crisp edge of the pieces. It's all related to time. The best advice I can give to anyone who wants to become a better woodworker is this...............don't accept anything that is "good enough" and the day that you are in a rush to complete a piece, is the day that you will compromise the quality of that piece. The work will still be there tomorrow and if you take the extra time to make it right today, when you return to it tomorrow, the first thing you will see when you look at the project, is a project that you are proud of because you didn't compromise its quality in the name of getting it done faster. Thanks for the kind words on the build.


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## Masterofnone

Well that's quite a revelation! For whatever reason hand sanding hadn't occurred to me... keep up the awesome work ken and thanks for the advice


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## Kenbo

Masterofnone said:


> Well that's quite a revelation! For whatever reason hand sanding hadn't occurred to me... keep up the awesome work ken and thanks for the advice


Using any kind of power sander on a piece like this will just destroy any detail that you hope to obtain. I light touch is where it's at here.


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## Bob in St. Louis

"Subscribed".

Sir, I'm still in awe at your level of patience and detail.
Love your threads. Just love 'em.


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## Kenbo

Well, considering that Chamfer told me to quit messing around and get back to the Jeep build, I figured that I had better comply. I spent 7 1/2 hours working on the rig today and got a little done. Started the day off with the rear fenders of the rig, followed by the front doors. I had to go out to my Jeep and take some pics of the interior door skins because although I've seen the 1000 times, I couldn't remember what they looked like. LOL. Either way, I managed to get the front and rear doors and their skins made and glued together. Test fits were as far as I could go today because there will be quite a lot of adjust needed before I get them permanently mounted on the rig. I still have to design and make the hinges so there is no point in going much further with the adjustment until the hinges are cut and ready to go. Maybe by the end of the weekend, I will have working doors. Who knows?


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## Kenbo




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## Kenbo




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## Bob in St. Louis

Speechless. Just amazing craftsmanship. 
I am curious what your creations weigh when they're finished.
The crane, the backhoe, the Jeep..... Just curious.


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## Kenbo

Bob in St. Louis said:


> Speechless. Just amazing craftsmanship.
> I am curious what your creations weigh when they're finished.
> The crane, the backhoe, the Jeep..... Just curious.


I've never weighed them. I will have to do that. I know that the crane and the tank were the heaviest of the builds. Maybe tomorrow I will weigh some and let you know what the results are.
My guess? About 9 pounds (roughly) each.


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## Bob in St. Louis

A tank?
Hmm... I didn't catch that one. I'll have check that out.
Nine pounds though. That's pretty hefty. Not sure if I thought they'd be very heavy or very light.


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## Kenbo

Bob in St. Louis said:


> A tank?
> Hmm... I didn't catch that one. I'll have check that out.
> Nine pounds though. That's pretty hefty. Not sure if I thought they'd be very heavy or very light.


Yup. It was a while ago. But here's the link to the thread.
http://www.woodworkingtalk.com/f13/abrams-tank-build-39514/


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## Bob in St. Louis

My wife walked by while I was looking at the tank thread. She was so amazed, I had to "show you off" and show her the other builds you've done.
She has now officially labeled me as a slacker.


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## Carvel Loafer

Hey Ken, I can imagine how much you enjoy making this Jeep, and the other models, but I just want to say how much I enjoy the threads. Thanks!


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## Kenbo

Bob in St. Louis said:


> My wife walked by while I was looking at the tank thread. She was so amazed, I had to "show you off" and show her the other builds you've done.
> She has now officially labeled me as a slacker.


If it helps, you can lie and tell her that you taught me everything I know. :wink2:


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## Bob in St. Louis

Thanks, but she's smarter than that.


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## Kenbo

Another 7 1/2 hours in the shop today working on the rig. Started off the day with the windshield wipers. What a total pain in the butt to make. My hands were not meant to make something so ridiculously tiny but I managed. Also started in on the rear tailgate and all of the trim pieces for it. That was a time consuming process as well. From there, it was on to make the centre door supports and the sound console for the roll cage. I finished off the day by installing the front roll bars and the sound console and doing a dry fit of the doors again to see if they still fit. There is still quite a bit of adjustment for the doors before they can be installed in the rig but I'm getting to that part. I still have to design the mini hinges to make the doors work. That's going to be fun.


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## Kenbo




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## Kenbo




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## Kenbo

Bob in St. Louis said:


> Speechless. Just amazing craftsmanship.
> I am curious what your creations weigh when they're finished.
> The crane, the backhoe, the Jeep..... Just curious.


For the record, I weighed the tank today and it weighed in at 12 pounds. A little heavier than I thought it was.


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## Bob in St. Louis

Wow, that's just a bit shy of a bowling ball!


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## mtairymd

I'm still amazed by this project and I really enjoy watching it progress. I'm curious what you plan to do with it once it's complete. I assume no kids will be touching it.


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## Kenbo

mtairymd said:


> I'm still amazed by this project and I really enjoy watching it progress. I'm curious what you plan to do with it once it's complete. I assume no kids will be touching it.


These things are spread all over my house in displayed in various areas. My house is somewhat of a museum of my work over the years. One of these days, I will just have to sell it all because I am running out of room to put my creations. Either that, or I have to buy a bigger house.


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## mrbc

Wow, looking good!. I followed the link to the Abrams build... holy cow! Incredible. What is your primary tool for making those cuts? Or is it whichever works best for the given part? The level in intricacy would seem to preclude big machines, but I guess you've devised some jigs to help...


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## Kenbo

mrbc said:


> Wow, looking good!. I followed the link to the Abrams build... holy cow! Incredible. What is your primary tool for making those cuts? Or is it whichever works best for the given part? The level in intricacy would seem to preclude big machines, but I guess you've devised some jigs to help...


I don't have a primary tool for these builds. I decided what tool to use as the parts present the problems as to how to cut them. I use everything from small hand saws, to scroll saws, disc sanders, tables saw, band saw etc. Whatever is able to make the part safely is how I do it.


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## Smith Brother

Kenbo,

Like I have said B4, YOU are going to fool around enough that soon YOU will think you know what you are doing. 

Let's see,,,,,,,,it's a jeep? Am I right?

Looking very good/cool, 

Dale in Indy 

P.S. I'm just wrapping up a scratch build of over 1100 hours, 10 months and counting. I may post it soon. 1925 Miller Indy car, that also ran on board/wooden tracks in the 20's.


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## Kenbo

smithbrother said:


> Kenbo,
> 
> Like I have said B4, YOU are going to fool around enough that soon YOU will think you know what you are doing.
> 
> Let's see,,,,,,,,it's a jeep? Am I right?
> 
> Looking very good/cool,
> 
> Dale in Indy
> 
> P.S. I'm just wrapping up a scratch build of over 1100 hours, 10 months and counting. I may post it soon. 1925 Miller Indy car, that also ran on board/wooden tracks in the 20's.




I'll probably never know what I'm doing.

What are you waiting for? Start that thread already.


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## Bob in St. Louis

Kenbo said:


> What are you waiting for? Start that thread already.


This. ^^^


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## Kenbo

Another busy day working on the model of my rig. Today was the day that I wanted to work on the tires. I probably won't install them on the model yet, but I just wanted a break from the body and other little details so I milled out a bunch of 5/16" thick walnut and went to town. I had to make a marking gauge to mark the tire treads and where I would cut them. I then had to cut out 20, 3/12" disks and mark all the treads. From there, I used a jig on the table saw to cut all the treads and did a test fit. 5 tires. 4 disks per tire. 30 treads per disk. 20 disks = 600 passes on the table saw. You have to really keep your wits about you when doing this. Repetitious work like this is when accidents happen so I had to take breaks from time to time just to keep alert. Either way, all the tires are cut. I still have to shape them, sand them, make the rims etc but for now, the hardest and most tedious part is done. 7 hours later........


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## Kenbo




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## Bob in St. Louis

Your level of incredible is, without question, nothing short of the textbook definition level of the word. Your creativity, imagination and skill level are fantastic. I've thought about how to do tires "correctly" and was stumped. But you Sir, hit a home run with this one.
And I thought the backhoe tires were cool. Huh....they got nothin' on these!


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## Kenbo

Bob in St. Louis said:


> Your level of incredible is, without question, nothing short of the textbook definition level of the word. Your creativity, imagination and skill level are fantastic. I've thought about how to do tires "correctly" and was stumped. But you Sir, hit a home run with this one.
> And I thought the backhoe tires were cool. Huh....they got nothin' on these!



Thanks for the kind words. There is still a lot to do on these tires. A ton of sanding and final shaping, not to mention the rims. Just to finish the rubber will probably take another day so here's hoping that by the end of my next shop day, I have a full set of shoes for the rig.


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## Bob in St. Louis

I was thinking a 1/16" spacer between the discs to spread out the tread blocks, as there is none with the current configuration.
It looks a bit "crowded" as is. Maybe run these through a sander to thin them out to facilitate the addition of some discs between the "tread discs", if needed??
Maybe a quarter inch smaller overall diameter that these to give those treads some "air".

Yea.... A couple cocktails into the evening, and I'm actually given Kenbo some advice on a project.
That won't happen very often.


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## Burb

Very cool! I was curious what you tire design was going to be. Good choice. I'm excited to see how they turn out. 



Bob in St. Louis said:


> Yea.... A couple cocktails into the evening, and I'm actually given Kenbo some advice on a project. That won't happen very often.


What won't happen very often? The cocktails or giving Kenbo advice?

Mark


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## Chamfer

Sand those lugs up before you glue the tires and that's going to look fantastic.


Those kind of repetitive cuts are the ones that can get you in trouble Kenbo. Keep the coffee flowing and stay safe brother.


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## croaker

That is really cool. I would never thought of doing 4 layers.
What are you using on your jig to hold your wheels on?
I just glue a dowel in a hole.


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## Kenbo

croaker said:


> That is really cool. I would never thought of doing 4 layers.
> What are you using on your jig to hold your wheels on?
> I just glue a dowel in a hole.


I use a 1/4-20X2" bolt with 2, 1/4" fender washers and a 1/4-20 jig knob. When doing this many repetitive cuts, I prefer to set the blank in its proper position, tighten the jig knob and completely remove my left hand (which is my shaky one) from the equation. I then push my mitre fence through to complete the cut with my right hand ONLY. Once the cut is complete and I am completely clear of the blade, I release the tension on the jig knob and start the process all over again. With my left hand never involved in holding anything and my right hand always on the handle of my mitre fence, there is never an opportunity for me to become complacent and allow my hand near the blade. I don't care if I have a Sawstop or not.....I have it in case my left hand decides to do its own thing, not so that I can tempt fate and take risks by having to hold the blank in place while cutting the treads.


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## Smith Brother

*Jeep*

You are going to fab a MUD HOLE/PUDDLE for it to be displayed in AREN'T you? I know YOU are Mr. Clean, but there are exceptions to every rule, huh?

Sure is looking good!

Dale in Indy


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## Bob in St. Louis

Burb said:


> What won't happen very often? The cocktails or giving Kenbo advice?
> 
> Mark


Uhhhh... "Yes". ha ha!!


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## Kenbo

Well it was another 7 1/2 hours in the shop today. I started off the day by hand sanding each section of the tires and then used my pen mandrel to align them and glue them together. I then used a combination of the router table and the lathe to shape each one of the tires. From there, I managed to make 5 pieces of custom cut kindling as my centre holes for the rim pieces were slightly off and screwed things up. Ended up scrapping them and making 5 more. All in all, I got the wheels done and temporarily mounted on the rig. It's starting to look like something now. Hopefully, next week I can figure out the hinges and get the doors and wheels mounted. From there, I can concentrate on a few details of the build.


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## Kenbo




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## Burb

I can't wait until you get the remote control electronics hooked up. I wanna see that wheel!!!


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## Chamfer

If he doesn't mind I'm going to be linking this to a RC forum I'm a member of when he's done. They would love this.


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## Kenbo

Chamfer said:


> If he doesn't mind I'm going to be linking this to a RC forum I'm a member of when he's done. They would love this.


I don't mind at all. By all mean, link away. Why bother waiting until I'm done? They might like to see the progress as well.


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## Smith Brother

Kenbo,

PROGRESS, what PROGRESS, are you OK??????

Been nearly a week, and not a PEEK!

Grandma was SLOW, but she was 80 and expecting, what's your excuse, huh????

Mis seeing PROGRESS, hehehe

Dale in Indy


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## Kenbo

Sometimes, I am amazed at how long things take. I know that I shouldn't be because after all, this isn't my first rodeo but I always am a little shocked. Today's venture saw me make some hubs and mount all 4 tires. I broke quite a few of the hubs trying to get some useable ones but that's just par for the course. I also make up 8 tiny hinges and and started mounting the doors. Although I got all 4 doors mounted, there is still a bit of fine tuning to get them working correctly. Either way, that was my day.


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## Kenbo




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## Kenbo




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## Kenbo

smithbrother said:


> Kenbo,
> 
> PROGRESS, what PROGRESS, are you OK??????
> 
> Been nearly a week, and not a PEEK!
> 
> Grandma was SLOW, but she was 80 and expecting, what's your excuse, huh????
> 
> Mis seeing PROGRESS, hehehe
> 
> Dale in Indy




I can only work on the weekends Dale. Once the weather gets better, I will be able to work in the evenings. We were supposed to be in spring but then the weather turned cold and nasty. Mother natures is a little temperamental this year.


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## Smith Brother

I can imagine the FUN of mounting the doors, but SOMETHING tells me YOU will figure it out.

Next can't wait to see the WORKING door key locks.

Maybe you have said, but what finish is going on the JEEP?

Glad YOU are 'ok', and not expecting, that WOULD be history making,

Dale in Indy


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## Kenbo

smithbrother said:


> I can imagine the FUN of mounting the doors, but SOMETHING tells me YOU will figure it out.
> 
> Next can't wait to see the WORKING door key locks.
> 
> Maybe you have said, but what finish is going on the JEEP?
> 
> Glad YOU are 'ok', and not expecting, that WOULD be history making,
> 
> Dale in Indy


Haven't decided on the finish as of yet. Still contemplating my options.


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## Chamfer

Looking great Kenbo. 

I'm wondering, what are you going to do for the top? Cloth like your actual Jeep or hard top? Also that spare tire, is there going to be some kick butt swing out bar on the back? Are you going to add your light bar and accessory lights?

Am I asking to much and will just have to wait?


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## Smith Brother

Test, Test, and Test, cause ONCE it's on,,,,,, it would be a bitch to change, sure couldn't sand it off. 

Every test I have done, and I have done MANY, darkens walnut, and leaving it unfinished, well in time makes it look dirty.

Just another saga of model/woodworking, huh!

I chose 10 coats of Watco Light oil, applied over 10 days. I wanted it to dry B4 another coat. I flooded it in the same oil each day, picked up the super fine walnut dust on the paper and sanded up to 1200 grit. I used a very large THROW AWAY aluminum roaster pan, each day I covered it with clear wrap. Sanding in the oil with walnut dust, really closed the OPEN grain of walnut. Close your eyes, RUB, and you would think you are rubbing a high end automobile finish. Very low luster, perfect for my piece, but it took time. 

Dale in Indy


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## Kenbo

Chamfer said:


> Looking great Kenbo.
> 
> I'm wondering, what are you going to do for the top? Cloth like your actual Jeep or hard top? Also that spare tire, is there going to be some kick butt swing out bar on the back? Are you going to add your light bar and accessory lights?
> 
> Am I asking to much and will just have to wait?



As for the top, I was going to make the hard top but decided not to have a top at all. My favourite way to run my rig is with the top down so it shall remain topless. There is still a lot to go on this rig. Back deck enclosure, rear bumper, running boards, spare tire carrier, light bar, A-pillar lights, bush bars, roll bars, fairlead, door handles, etc etc etc. It doesn't look quite like my rig yet, but it will (hopefully) when I'm done. 

p.s., you can never ask too many questions. Ask away.


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## hwebb99

Kenbo said:


> Well it was another 7 1/2 hours in the shop today. I started off the day by hand sanding each section of the tires and then used my pen mandrel to align them and glue them together. I then used a combination of the router table and the lathe to shape each one of the tires. From there, I managed to make 5 pieces of custom cut kindling as my centre holes for the rim pieces were slightly off and screwed things up. Ended up scrapping them and making 5 more. All in all, I got the wheels done and temporarily mounted on the rig. It's starting to look like something now. Hopefully, next week I can figure out the hinges and get the doors and wheels mounted. From there, I can concentrate on a few details of the build.


 You had to make new wheels or rims? That is what separates you from the rest of us. "Me" uhh, who will notice the tread is a little deeper on one side?


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## Kenbo

hwebb99 said:


> You had to make new wheels or rims? That is what separates you from the rest of us. "Me" uhh, who will notice the tread is a little deeper on one side?


It was the first section of the rims. My drilling was a little bit off centre so one side of the rim was larger than the other once I turned it on the lathe. Most people say that it's good enough. I say it's never good enough. There is always something that I don't like about a project and I can point out flaws in every project that I make. The day that I don't see any flaws is the day that I am done with woodworking because at that point, I will have nothing else to learn. That day, will never come and that's a good thing.


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## mtairymd

After reading/watching your progress, it reminded me of a project I saw this last year at National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian. Long, lost relative of yours?  

http://airandspace.si.edu/explore-and-learn/multimedia/detail.cfm?id=3852


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## Kenbo

mtairymd said:


> After reading/watching your progress, it reminded me of a project I saw this last year at National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian. Long, lost relative of yours?
> 
> http://airandspace.si.edu/explore-and-learn/multimedia/detail.cfm?id=3852


No relative of mine, but I'd love to be able to make a model like that. That thing is awesome. Thanks for posting it.


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## rayking49

I'm loving this thread, I've only got one eye that works. And it's blurry at times. So I envy your ability to make such fine detail, keep up your awesome work,


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## Kenbo

Managed to get a full 8 hours in the shop today and I got a lot of custom pieces made. After finishing the roll bars and cross bars, I started making the rear deck enclosure of my rig. I think it turned out okay and has the same function as the real one with a pull out and lift up motion. I then finished off the day by starting the rear bumper. Again, another pain in the butt because I'm not sure how to go about making the water tanks that are in my bumper. I'm sure that I will figure out something and I am hoping for another 8 hours in the shop tomorrow.


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## Kenbo




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## Bob in St. Louis

Spectacular!


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## Smith Brother

I would like to set up a RACE against this BEAUTIFUL JEEP, of course on an 'OVAL SMOOTH SURFACE' track, no mud pits, no rivers/streams, or rocks, sand dunes, etc.

I think that's a fair race, don't YOU?

Winner gets the losers piece, hehe. I have a spot in my arty room just right for a JEEP.

Dale in Indy


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## Kenbo

smithbrother said:


> I would like to set up a RACE against this BEAUTIFUL JEEP, of course on an 'OVAL SMOOTH SURFACE' track, no mud pits, no rivers/streams, or rocks, sand dunes, etc.
> 
> I think that's a fair race, don't YOU?
> 
> Winner gets the losers piece, hehe. I have a spot in my arty room just right for a JEEP.
> 
> Dale in Indy



Let's race in the mud. After all, seeing that you challenged me, I should at least get to choose the venue. :wink2:


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## BigJim

How long is your Jeep? That is absolutely beautiful craftsmanship.


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## Kenbo

BigJim said:


> How long is your Jeep? That is absolutely beautiful craftsmanship.


I'm not sure of the exact length, but it's around 17 or 18" long. I will try my best to remember to measure it tomorrow when I am working on it. Thanks for the kind words. These are the type of projects that will either drive you nuts or make you hang up your tools. Thank goodness I was already nuts and I only hang up my tools when I put them away for the day.


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## BigJim

Thanks Ken, it is hard to tell the size where there is nothing to compare it to.


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## Kenbo

BigJim said:


> Thanks Ken, it is hard to tell the size where there is nothing to compare it to.


If I make it to the shop today, I will try and take a picture of it next to a pop can or something like that so you can get an idea of scale.


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## Smith Brother

17 - 18 inches is a nice size, with that said, going up to a model approx. 30+ inches long, REALLY MAKES A STATEMENT. Several that have seen my model have said something, like, "CAN I SEE YOUR MODEL", expecting to see something 8-10" long, then when they see it, their interest really changes. None were expecting it to be a 1/5th scale piece.

I am about ready to show the INSPIRATION for my next model. It will be no smaller than a 1/4 scale, my largest piece, so expect it to be 37-40 inches long, and weigh around 30 pounds.

Hint: GOLDEN SUBMARINE. water NOT needed, hehe. 

It will be painted in automotive high quality paints, the reason,,,,,,,,,it is KNOWN for its color. 

Dale in Indy


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## Bob in St. Louis

Kenbo said:


> If I make it to the shop today, I will try and take a picture of it next to a pop can or something like that so you can get an idea of scale.


You could just use a Bic lighter too. Maybe a blue one.


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## mtairymd

*Scale*

I posted a project on Imgur which used a pencil for scale. I started getting multiple banana comments. I had no idea that it was a inside joke - see links

http://imgur.com/gallery/Jrmlt
http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/banana-for-scale

BTW, I'm ok with the lighter 



Bob in St. Louis said:


> You could just use a Bic lighter too. Maybe a blue one.


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## Bob in St. Louis

Interesting about the banana, I didn't know.
I'll have to use that with my teenagers, just to show them how cool an hip I am. hahaha!


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## Kenbo

Another day, another 8 hours on the build. I am just over 120 hours on this one so far and I still have a ways to go. I worked on the rear bumper again today and completed the water tanks and the tire carrier. The water tanks were a complete nightmare to complete. Because I was asked about a size reference, I took a picture with a pop can for a size reference, plus I measured it and it is 17" long from the tip of the front bumper to the spare tire. I also worked on the running boards and got them installed. I still have a ways to go on this one and I was actually surprised at how long the rear bumper actually took. My head hurts after all that thinking of how to make it.
Hopefully more to come next week.


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## Kenbo




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## Kenbo




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## Kenbo

Bob in St. Louis said:


> You could just use a Bic lighter too. Maybe a blue one.


:yes:


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## Chamfer

Amazing as usual. She's really coming together now.

I am in awe every time I check this thread. How are you initially cutting the pieces like the roll bar and tire carrier? 

Interesting about the measurements, about what I thought they'd be. Sounds like it's somewhere between 1/10 and 1/8 scale.


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## Kenbo

Chamfer said:


> Amazing as usual. She's really coming together now.
> 
> I am in awe every time I check this thread. How are you initially cutting the pieces like the roll bar and tire carrier?
> 
> Interesting about the measurements, about what I thought they'd be. Sounds like it's somewhere between 1/10 and 1/8 scale.


The roll bars are 3/8" dowels that I cut on the router table and then metered them at 22 1/2 degrees to fit and glue together. Once they were dry, I sanded them up. The tire carrier however, was cut on the scroll saw and then sanded and shaped by hand. It took quite a bit of sanding to get it rounded like that but I think it was well worth the effort.


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## BigJim

Thanks Ken for the pictures, that does put it in perspective, it is larger than I thought it would be. Beautiful!


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## Kenbo

Well tomorrow is May 1st and where I come from, that is the opening day for wheeling season!!!!! :w00t:

I spent the majority of the day working on the rig to get her ready for the trails next weekend. The club that I am with is taking a group of newbies out for a day of off-roading to get their feet wet and see if we can't get another generation into the sport so I needed to get my rig tuned up. I was only 120 kilometres away from needing an oil change so I took care of that. Dropped my skid plates and inspected the underbody. Greased my from driveshaft. Anti-seized my skid plate hardware and reinstalled them. Checked the brakes. Tested the air compressor and pneumatic differential locks. Removed the winter winch hook and fairlead and installed the summer fairlead and Factor 55 Prolink shackle mount. Washed the winch rope and rewound the winch spool. Tested the winch by rewinding. Checked all fluids. Polished the rims and of course..........wait for it.................vacuumed out my rig. :grin:

I still need to remove the hard top and get the rag top on her and then, I think she will be ready for some mud next weekend. I was hoping to detail the rig today, but I just didn't have the time. Oh well, I'll do that after next weekend considering that I will have to clean her up anyway.

I was going to detail it tomorrow, but I think I will take the day in the shop to work on the replica so you can look for another update tomorrow if you are interested. :thumbsup:


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## Bob in St. Louis

Kenbo said:


> Removed the winter winch hook


What... !??!?!?


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## Kenbo

Bob in St. Louis said:


> What... !??!?!?


In the winter, I have a safety hook on the end of my winch rope for recovery purposes. I don't use the hook in the summer wheeling months. I use a Factor 55 Prolink connection for wheeling. A little more low profile and a much greater breaking strength to pull my rig out of whatever mess I get it into.


Winch hook for winter









Factor 55 Prolink for summer


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## Bob in St. Louis

So temp make a difference on the metal you use?
Is it a "cold" thing?


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## epicfail48

Bob in St. Louis said:


> So temp make a difference on the metal you use?
> Is it a "cold" thing?


Fun fact, though completely unrelated to the topic: Metals actually do get more brittle in the cold. Steel in particular is affected, which is rather troublesome when it comes to something like a knife, which you really dont want to snap on you. Mind you, this is more brittle under really freaking cold conditions, -20 and below i believe, but still, fun to know


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## Kenbo

Bob in St. Louis said:


> So temp make a difference on the metal you use?
> Is it a "cold" thing?


No, it has nothing to do with the cold for me. In the city, they use a lot of salt to keep the roads clear and the salt reeks havoc on my aluminum fairlead and Factor 55 so I have an old fairlead and hook that I use in the winter because I don't really care what they look like. I save my more expensive one for the nice, salt free weather. They take enough abuse in wheeling season so why subject them to extra abuse from the salt?


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## Kenbo

Well, today was a day for measuring, calculating and marking out parts and every one was tiny and finicky. The door handles on the rig are a fussy little piece and I managed to get all 5 done with only 2 broken ones. That's actually not bad for a small part like this. I also added the gas tank fill cover and managed to turn my ball and spring mount for the CB antenna. The tail lights were also cut and added and an antenna was put in place. Finally, I made and assembled the side mirrors and installed them on the rig along with the trail rated emblem on the driver's quarter panel. Doesn't look like much, but it consumed an entire 7 hours. I'm in the home stretch now and I can see the light at the end of the tunnel.........I just hope it's not a freight train coming my way.


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## Kenbo




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## croaker

looking great! love all the details.


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## BigJim

Good grief, you should have been a brain surgeon, where do you find tools to make such small details.


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## Burb

Amazing, absolutely amazing...


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## Kenbo

BigJim said:


> Good grief, you should have been a brain surgeon, where do you find tools to make such small details.


I use whatever tools will allow me to do it safely. I cut the door handles on a scroll saw but had to make a zero clearance insert for it. To do that, I just taped an old business card over the blade entry hole and pushed the blade through it. Instant temporary ZC for the scroll saw. For smaller square cuts, I have a small mitre box and a razor saw which serves me pretty well. The lathe work.......well, that's a little dicey but I make it work. There is also a lot of hand shaping and sanding that would drive the normal person absolutely nuts. I guess it's a good thing that I'm not normal.


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## MatthewEOD

Looking great Kenbo, can't wait to see it all finished.


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## Bob in St. Louis

That antenna base is crazy. Looks like a little grenade. You're raising the "bar" of detail to whole new heights.

Also, thanks for the explanation about the different parts for summer and winter due to salt.
We use a bunch of salt here too, and it just destroys cars.


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## Kenbo

No update this week. Went off-roading with the real rig yesterday. After 18+ hours behind the wheel, I'm a little too tired to play with toys that can remove fingers. Next weekend however, is a different story!!!!!


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## Smith Brother

That's NOT a GOOD excuse, man oh man, the crowd is AWAITING, 

Dale in Indy


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## Kenbo

smithbrother said:


> That's NOT a GOOD excuse, man oh man, the crowd is AWAITING,
> 
> Dale in Indy


You're right, it's not a GOOD excuse, it's a GREAT excuse!!!!!!


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## MatthewEOD

I would always be happy to see more of those off road pics instead.


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## Bob in St. Louis

That's a hobby I've always wanted to get into. Love seeing the pics!


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## Kenbo

Bob in St. Louis said:


> That's a hobby I've always wanted to get into. Love seeing the pics!




Maybe I will start an off-roading picture thread in the off topic area


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## Bob in St. Louis

Please do! (assuming you have time)


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## Kenbo

Definitely in the home stretch now. Made the light bar and the A pillar lights today as well as the rear floods, headlights, winch plate, fair lead and bush bar. There really isn't much more to do and then I have to apply the finish. Almost done.


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## Kenbo




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## Bob in St. Louis

Your craft continues to grow and evolve. The level is intricacy leaves me speechless.
I look at some of these little pieces and realize how frustrating it would be just to make a few of them.
But alas, you're building much more than a couple little difficult pieces.
My hat's off to you Sir. You are the definition of a craftsmen.


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## Mort

I bet you could probably slice a piece of wood so thin as to be transparent, to use as the windshield. 

Challenge laid down.


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## Kenbo

Mort said:


> I bet you could probably slice a piece of wood so thin as to be transparent, to use as the windshield.
> 
> Challenge laid down.


I will have to decline the challenge......after all, I don't want to show off.


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## Bob in St. Louis

Mmmm... veneering a micro thin piece of pine to some plexiglass so the light could shine through.....


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## Smith Brother

I've already done that, just slice it super thin, soak it in water, and BINGO, transparent. 

I still say it WON'T be a Jeep until it gets DOWN and DIRTY, but until then, it's just a cool piece. 

Dale in Indy


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## Kenbo

The day started of with some tiny parts for the front tow points for the bumper. I also made the front shackles and the hitch receiver. There comes a point in every build when you just know when you are done and this particular one is done. I will post more photos when the finished is applied and dry. For those who are wondering......150 hours and 4 months.


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## Kenbo




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## Burb

Saying job well done seems so understand stated. Thanks for taking us along for the ride!!


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## Bob in St. Louis

Agreed ^^^
A pat on the back is so anti-climatic. 

I'm in awe and amazed at your talent. No doubt your builds are inspiring.
So what did you use for a finish?


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## Kenbo

Bob in St. Louis said:


> Agreed ^^^
> A pat on the back is so anti-climatic.
> 
> I'm in awe and amazed at your talent. No doubt your builds are inspiring.
> So what did you use for a finish?


I haven't done the finish yet. I'm thinking maybe a spray shellac. There is no way that a hand finish can be applied. It's way to delicate. Maybe a first thin coat of shellac brushed on and then spray coats from there. It's a tough call. I can't wait to see it come alive with the finish when the natural colour of the wood comes out. There is some pretty spectacular grain in this piece.


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## Bob in St. Louis

Nothing yet!?!?!
Seems darker than before. Lighting I suppose.


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## Kenbo

Bob in St. Louis said:


> Nothing yet!?!?!
> Seems darker than before. Lighting I suppose.


It's some real nice walnut. I can't wait to see how dark it goes when the finish is applied.


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## Bob in St. Louis

Indeed! You've got some nice contrast to the pieces chosen. I thought the last few photos looked great, but after hearing they weren't even "finished", I'm very much looking forward to seeing them.


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## was2ndlast

That is incredible Kenbo...as always.


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## MatthewEOD

Amazing build Kenbo.


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## Kenbo

Getting one step closer. The oil has been applied and the natural colours of the wood really popped. Now I just have to mask out everything but the body panels and then I will apply a high gloss clear coat.


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## Bob in St. Louis

Spectacular!!


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## Kenbo

*The Final Pictures*

Well, these are the final shots of the project. I wound the "cable" on the winch and took the final shots this afternoon. I'm calling this one done.


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## Kenbo




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## Bob in St. Louis

Yup. Simply astounding. Spectacular. Amazing. 
And a whole bunch of other cool descriptive words that aren't in my vocabulary.


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## m.n.j.chell

I've got three things to say about this.
1) I am not into wooden models ... so I wouldn't do anything like this.

2) Oh, my god! That is a lot of work, and wonderfully done. I am amazed at the artistry presented in that Jeep.

3) Amazing detail. I am glad you left the wood exposed. Even in wood color, it looks real, sitting in the greenery. If it was painted in authentic colors ... except for scale of the leaves, I don't think anyone would be able to tell is wasn't real.


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## croaker

great job that is some really nice looking walnut.


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