# Volvo FE 42R Truck Build Thread



## Longknife (Oct 25, 2010)

For quite some time I've been wanting to try to build a truck model. Kenbo's and Buggyman's build threads has been a great inspiration and I wanted to see what I could achive. Then I saw Diamondt's incredible build and I almost gave it all up. No way I would ever come near that standard. Oh well, I'll do my best and see were that takes me.

I've been thinking about this for a long time and how to approach a project like this. My initial thought was to build a model of the workhorse on the swedish roads, the Volvo FH16 long hauler:









When I considered this I realized there was some major problems. This rig is 25.25 metres long (83 feet). I wanted to build a model of a rather big scale so I could have some details on it. But in a scale of 1:12 this sucker would be over 2 metres (7 feet) long and even 1:24 would be 3.5 feet. Fun to build, but what would I do with the finished model? I would have to build a garage too. :laughing:

I decided to skip that plan and try to build a model of this one instead:









It's a Volvo FE 42R. 18 tons, 320 HP. Nothing spectacular at all but in a scale of 1:16 I think I'll be able to add some details to it. The length of the model will be around 600 mm (24").

I have no plans so I'll have to build it from pictures and some measurements from the the manufacturers brochure. I'll work on this on and off so the build will take some time. Don't expect any Kenbo-pace here.

Allright, enough talking, time to hit the workshop. I'll mainly use alder for this build with some parts in birch. For contrasting parts I would have loved some walnut but I have no access to that so I'll have to do with rowan for those parts.

I started with the frame and ripped two pieces of birch for that. The reason for that choise is that these parts has to be bent and birch bends very well. I pulled out my steamer and fired it up.









The old rule says steam 1 hour for every inch of wood thickness. The frame parts are 6 mm (1/4") so that gives 15 minutes.

I had to build a clamping jig so the steamed parts would have the desired curve. With steam bending there is always the problem of spring back so the shape of the jig is very much a guesswork. 









When the 15 minutes are gone it's a real hurry to get the pieces clamped, these thin parts cool off quickly.


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## Longknife (Oct 25, 2010)

When I unclamped the pieces I discovered to my surprise and content that they were very close to the desired shape.









Next step was to make and assemble the crossmembers.









This is were I am today. My plan is to start with the rear axle tomorrow. Welcome to watch then.


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## Ted Tolstad (Feb 20, 2011)

count me in....


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## buggyman1 (Nov 16, 2011)

Now this is gonna be great. No fair putting it in a bottle lol. I'm so glad to get to follow another one of your build threads, its already looking awesome.


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## Kenbo (Sep 16, 2008)

Definitely subscribed. Really looking forward to this one.


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## burkhome (Sep 5, 2010)

I love the models.


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## Phaedrus (Jan 18, 2012)

Woa, I am definitely tuning in for this one. Your marking gauge blew me away, so I can only imagine how your model work will end up. :thumbsup::thumbsup:


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## rayking49 (Nov 6, 2011)

I'm in Longknife!


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## MapleMoose (Sep 25, 2012)

Already looking cool and just the frame so far! I'm in!


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## johnnie52 (Feb 16, 2009)

I'm there already! Wouldn't miss this one for anything.


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## Longknife (Oct 25, 2010)

For the rear axle I started with turning a spindle with a "bump" in the middle. That bump will be the differential case.









As the rest of the axle is square and one side of the differential case is flat I took it off the lathe and shaped that by hand.

Then I set it up in the lathe again and turned the axle ends. I had good use for my homemade tenon turning tool.









Next was to turn the lid for the differential case.









The prop shaft is connected offset to the lid so that took some handshaping.









Here is the lid bolted on. I also made and installed the brake anchor plates and the air chambers









All in all I had a good day in the shop today and I'm satisfied with the result so far.


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## atmosplak (May 26, 2013)

Amazing! subscribed


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## Brian T. (Dec 19, 2012)

This is a model build I need to watch.

Give Volvo a phone call. Explain what you're doing. They might surprise you.

Good friend of mine did a frame up restoration of a 1972 Volvo P1800. Needed Volvo's help with something to do with the frame.
They sent him a whole pile of dimensions. He was able to buy a complete, factory fresh, chrome kit for the entire car.
The car is a daily driver. Many near accidents distracting lookers.


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## Kenbo (Sep 16, 2008)

Okay, I'm loving this so far. Very nice.


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## buggyman1 (Nov 16, 2011)

Wow!!! This truck is gonna be incredible. Nice job on the axle.


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## Longknife (Oct 25, 2010)

I managed to have some shoptime tonight so i decided to start with the wheels. I pulled out a piece of rowan that I resawed and planed.









Next was to figure out the size of the wheels. Piece of cake, I thought, that's written on the tires. Well, the numbers on these tires says 315/80 R 22.5. Now, whats that? Google to find out, turns out that 315 is tire width in mm, 80 is tire height in percent of width and 22.5 is rim diameter in inches. Mm, percent and inches, who was the drunken engineer who came up with that system? :laughing:

Ok, so the rims are 22.5", that's equal to 571.5 mm. Divided with 16 for the scale we get 35.7 mm. Yohoo, that means I can use a 35 mm drill bit for the rim holes. (No one will notice the 0.7 mm difference :no

So I drilled the holes and cut out the tire blanks on the bandsaw.









Then I turned a slightly conical mandrel and pressed on the blanks for turning









And the result is a stack of tires.









After that it was time for the rims. I tuned a dowel and made a jig for drilling holes. It was quite a challenge to get the holes equally spaced.


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## Longknife (Oct 25, 2010)

With the holes drilled I set up the rim blank in the lathe again and turned it to the exact diameter.









I also cut it to length.









Then I pressed on and glued the tires in place. (The rear axle has double tires). This, I can tell you, was not easy. I wanted a tight fit but with glue on the tires they were almost impossible to get on. With a bit of luck I managed to get them on and aligned and spaced correctly.

With the tires on I drilled out the cavity in the rim.

















Now, were did I put that little allen key? :furious:
Obviously it's time to call it a day and do some clean up.
Thanks for watching.


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## mdntrdr (Dec 22, 2009)

Very cool the way you did the wheel! :thumbsup:


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## Masterofnone (Aug 24, 2010)

Okay, I saw the tires and that is way too cool!


sub'd!


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## croaker (Aug 11, 2012)

Very cool can't wait to see more.


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## johnnie52 (Feb 16, 2009)

That's a fine looking set of tires and the wheels are cool too (just a tiny bit too deep, but still very cool). :thumbsup: 

That missing wrench probably got sucked into the dust collector the last time you vacuumed.... That's where I finally found one that went missing in my shop last year..... :laughing:


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## rrbrown (Feb 15, 2009)

WOW! :thumbsup::thumbsup:

So do I hear triple build coming? :laughing:


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## Longknife (Oct 25, 2010)

It was good to start tonight in a cleaned shop, and yes, I found that allen key in the clutter (not in the DC :no I was able to do a little progress, first I assembled the axle and installed hubs and wheelbolts.
















Then I started on the mounting details for the axle on the frame. I used the sharp end of toothpicks to act as bolts.









Bolts are trimmed down









This truck has air suspension so I turned and installed the air bellows.


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## Longknife (Oct 25, 2010)

That's as far as I got tonight. I spent quite some time thinking about the axle mounting details and how to proceed. I think I have a plan for tomorrow, hope it works.

I've learned one thing when turning these small details and that is that the lathe is not a forgiving tool. The smallest mistake result in total failiure.


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## Chaincarver Steve (Jul 30, 2011)

What? Now YOU'RE doing a model build? Oh, I am SOOOOO in on this one. I have a soft spot in my heart for all of these model builds. And being allowed to follow along is something I love to experience. It's all looking excellent so far. I'm constantly blown away by the talent here.

I can't wait to see more.


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## Kenbo (Sep 16, 2008)

Loving this so far. I couldn't agree more with you on the unforgiving nature of the lathe. Or any other tool for that matter. The problem with working so small, is that every little imperfection shows and sticks out like a sore thumb. It's really quite an art and you, my friend, are a natural. I love the axel and the tires. Looking great!!!!!!!


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## johnnie52 (Feb 16, 2009)

Pretty much every tool I own is not at all forgiving and that includes the wrenches used on the machines and the truck. I can't even begin to tell you how many nuts and bolts I've had to remove using the fire wrench over the years.

I'm liking the suspension so far and the use of tooth picks shows good thinking. :thumbsup:


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## buggyman1 (Nov 16, 2011)

Man!!! I'm loving the detail you're putting in on this one, looking great.


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## Longknife (Oct 25, 2010)

Today I had a couple of odd shaped pieces to make. I had to do some compound cutting and I solved that by cutting one side first, tape the pieces back together, flip them over and then cut the other side.









And then, after a lot of filing and sanding, I've got this. Looks like a couple of snakes and can understand that you wonder what they are for. Well, I hope that will be clear in due time.









Then I went back to the lathe and turned the pistons that will fit in the air bellows and attached them to the "snakes"









Then I glued these assemblies to the axle. That's all I've got done today. Doesn't look much for one nights work.


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## MapleMoose (Sep 25, 2012)

Those wheels are cool! I really like how you made the holes in the rims.


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## Chaincarver Steve (Jul 30, 2011)

Nice rear end you have there. Yeah, I said it!


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## Kenbo (Sep 16, 2008)

Chaincarver Steve said:


> Nice rear end you have there. Yeah, I said it!



I bet you say that to all the men. :laughing:


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## Longknife (Oct 25, 2010)

Chaincarver Steve said:


> Nice rear end you have there. Yeah, I said it!


Oh, Steve :icon_redface:


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## johnnie52 (Feb 16, 2009)

Looking good. :thumbsup:

Is the photo showing the unit upside down? In the states the air bags are bolted to the frame and the hanger bars can go either above or below the axle depending on the application. On all the trailers I've pulled they went under the axles and on some of the tractors they were above the axles. Not sure how Volvo does it on European rigs.


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## Longknife (Oct 25, 2010)

johnnie52 said:


> Looking good. :thumbsup:
> 
> Is the photo showing the unit upside down? In the states the air bags are bolted to the frame and the hanger bars can go either above or below the axle depending on the application. On all the trailers I've pulled they went under the axles and on some of the tractors they were above the axles. Not sure how Volvo does it on European rigs.


Yes, it's upside down, so the hanger bars go under the axle.


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## Longknife (Oct 25, 2010)

I didn't do all that much in the shop tonight. I've been working out in the sun all day so I'm quite exhausted. It's 27 C here (80 F). Yeah, I know, it's a cool breeze for some of you but for us northerners it's quite hot. Cordless drill got so hot that the batteries wouldn't charge.

Anyway, I got some installements made. First I made and installed the plates were the shock absorbers will mount.









Then it was time to mount the whole axle assembly to the frame. This was a bit scary. Would it fit and align as it should? Yes, it did! Almost perfect. 
Note the Buggyman Clamp I'm using to hold down the frame. :yes:









This is how it looks for now. (Still upside down)


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## Kenbo (Sep 16, 2008)

Nicely done. I really want me some of those "Buggyman Clamps". You guys are soooooo lucky. Still on the hunt for some.


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## Chaincarver Steve (Jul 30, 2011)

Man, that is looking SWEEEET! I absolutely love it. Like seriously. I'd love to make a model like the ones 'you guys' have been doing. One day I'll have my project queue caught (yeah, like that's ever going to happen) enough to shoe-horn one into the mix. I know I could make some incredible stuff. Until then, I'll just admire from afar and decide which great ideas to steal from you guys :laughing:

Great work so far, Longknife. Great work.

Oh, are you using plans for this build?



Kenbo said:


> Nicely done. I really want me some of those "Buggyman Clamps". You guys are soooooo lucky. Still on the hunt for some.


I have a couple hundred pounds of power transformers I use when in need of Buggyman Clamps.


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## johnnie52 (Feb 16, 2009)

Now that right there is really nice! Did you bend the U bolts or cut and shape them? Either way, they fit perfectly.


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## Masterofnone (Aug 24, 2010)

How did you make the U bolts?!


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## Longknife (Oct 25, 2010)

Chaincarver Steve said:


> Oh, are you using plans for this build?
> .


No plans. I'm building it from pictures.



johnnie52 said:


> Now that right there is really nice! Did you bend the U bolts or cut and shape them? Either way, they fit perfectly.





Masterofnone said:


> How did you make the U bolts?!


The U-bolts are made of rattan. (wood from a palmtree) It bends very well after it has ben soaked in hot water for a while.

Just a small update today. I made the shock absorbers and mounted them. That was far more difficult than it looks like and I had to do several tries before I got two useable ones. It's very difficult and frustrating to turn these small objects. My lathe isn't exactly a precision instrument either.























And a couple of pictures of it turned the right way


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## Chaincarver Steve (Jul 30, 2011)

Looking awesome. I'm impressed by the tiny shock absorbers you turned. 

Rattan, huh? Great idea! I can see that actually being the ideal solution to parts like that, as well as wooden houses and belts. :thumbsup:


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## MapleMoose (Sep 25, 2012)

All of those details are amazing! I especially like the air bellows - are the pistons free to slide in and out, or are they glued in place?


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## diamondt (Feb 16, 2013)

What you are doing is the hard way building without plans & only from photos but you have to study every photo and & think about every part you make but boy you will make a beautiful model.i think its the only way to build.Its like watching myself build the model I am watching every move and loving it cant wait for the next post fantastic work.

Mel.


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## Smith Brother (Dec 9, 2012)

I agree, I too build without plans, only a photo, and usually just one photo.

I find that often while studying a photo I see things I hadn't seen before, that makes it interesting. I can't tell you all the times I have discovered something new in a photo. 

Not to say plans aren't the way to go, I just prefer going without. It's a personal thing to me. 

I never walk away thinking, I CAN'T DO THAT, at least I give it a try. 

Dale in Indy


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## Longknife (Oct 25, 2010)

Chaincarver Steve said:


> Rattan, huh? Great idea! I can see that actually being the ideal solution to parts like that, as well as wooden houses and belts. :thumbsup:


Yes, somewhere down the line there will be hoses and other stuff like that to build on this model so i decided to give this a try. I had to buy a whole bundle though (1.5 kg :laughing. I'll be supplied for the rest of my life. 



MapleMoose said:


> All of those details are amazing! I especially like the air bellows - are the pistons free to slide in and out, or are they glued in place?


Well, at first I made them sliding. My thought was this would be a way to enable the model to stand on all four feet when finished. That was a good idea until I mounted the shock absorbers. Since they are made in one piece they obstruct the movement (should have thougt of that :laughing.
Anyway I realize now that the model will have a considerable weight when finished so all the strength I can get will be needed. To answer your question - they are glued in.


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## Kenbo (Sep 16, 2008)

Wow. This build is looking awesome. I feel your pain with the small parts. Some days, you break so many of them that you have to wonder why you put yourself through this torture. This is a fantastic piece and I have to say that I am really enjoying your build.


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## johnnie52 (Feb 16, 2009)

Having driven many rigs with air ride I must say that you have created one that looks surprisingly like the full sized Rockwell suspension I remember having on a Kenworth. Only difference is the Kenworth was a twin screw rather than a single, but the suspension was very much like yours. Very impressive indeed. :thumbsup:


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## Smith Brother (Dec 9, 2012)

Firestone makes a lot of those air bags, just up the street in Noblesville, In. 

Great build decision, and SUPER QUALITY. What good INSPIRATION for us all.

I don't mind for one second the superior workmanship of others. Good for you, 

Dale in Indy


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## Chris Curl (Jan 1, 2013)

no way ... that is too realistic. :notworthy:


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## Longknife (Oct 25, 2010)

I have made some progress on the build so here is an update. I've also ran into some problems that I need advice on, more on that later.

I started on the front axle and there are some challenges there. I made the tires the same way as the rear ones. but the rims are made somewhat different. The front wheels are turned the other way so to say, with the rim bottoms facing outwards. I made the rims the same way as before but I drilled out a more shallow recess on the outside and also a recess on the inside.









Then I turned another part to make the rim bottom.

















And here are the complete wheels


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## Longknife (Oct 25, 2010)

Next I made the front axle. Don't ask me how many hours I put into that one. I had to make two attempts, too.









Next I made the axle ends with steering linkage details and brake air chambers.









And here are these parts installed on the wheels.









The complete axle dry fitted to see how it looks. 









Now to my problem:

My thougt was to have the steering working. I however realize now that the steering linkage details will be too delicate to work in reality. The pins will be no more than 1 mm so i belive they will brake when I try to operate the steering. I think I have two options here (well, maybe three).

# 1. Working steering but use a couple of brass brads on the tie rod ends. 

# 2. The truck made of wood only but no working steering.

# 3. Try to do it working with all wood (don't belive in that myself)

What do you say, is it like cursing in church to use a couple of brads?


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## Kenbo (Sep 16, 2008)

This looks unbelievable. What a great job. As for the steering....who says you can't make it out of wood? My thought would be to invest the time and make the entire steering out of wood and if it should break, then add the steel rods. Using a hard maple, long grain should help. I say go for it. Even if you fail, there is something to be learned. Great job so far.


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## Chaincarver Steve (Jul 30, 2011)

VERY nice progress! The wheels are awesome. Axel, brakes... all look awesome. I'm loving this build.

Working steering would be extra cool. I do agree that wood would likely be too delicate. Brass would probably look cool. But do you want to breach the "integrity" of the all-wooden project? Hmm, that's a tough call. There is no rule saying it has to be made strictly of wood. But there's that cool factor of all-wooden projects that's hard to argue with.

I have no advice either way. I'm just glad I'm not in your shoes, 'cause that would be a tough call to make.


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## johnnie52 (Feb 16, 2009)

I guess I'll be the Devil's Advocate" this go around. With something that small I would go with the brads not only for strength but for the peening factor. A little careful peening to round over the ends like a rivet and they would not fall out or fail in a tight turn.

I'm amazed by how you guys can do such detailed work at such a small scale. :thumbsup: Those wheels look ready for chrome!


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## buggyman1 (Nov 16, 2011)

First of all, the wheels and axle looks fantastic. I love the detail you put in your stuff. I think i would have to at least try the wooden pins, you can always switch to brass if they don't work. I don't think you'll be able to see them anyway. Again, great job so far, this is going to be a sweet-looking truck.


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## craigwbryant (Jan 22, 2012)

Wow, I really am loving all these miniature truck builds. I am writing my thesis on heavy vehicle driver behavior so tractor trailers have a near and dear place to my heart, I wish I had the skills to build something like this!


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## Longknife (Oct 25, 2010)

Well, I haven't decided yet. I agree there is a cool factor to consider here. An all wooden truck is cool, an all wooden truck with working steering is very cool and a steering that breaks when you operate it isn't cool at all. Of course I could hide the brass pins so they won't be visable, but how fun would that be?
Tough problem. Time to react like a dog here. When a dog faces a situation he doesn't know how to react to he will just ignore the problem and start with something else, like scratching himself. I think I will start on some suspension details.



craigwbryant said:


> I am writing my thesis on heavy vehicle driver behavior....


So, what have you discovered about the behavior of truck drivers?


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## johnnie52 (Feb 16, 2009)

Longknife said:


> Well, I haven't decided yet. I agree there is a cool factor to consider here. An all wooden truck is cool, an all wooden truck with working steering is very cool and a steering that breaks when you operate it isn't cool at all. Of course I could hide the brass pins so they won't be visable, but how fun would that be?
> Tough problem. Time to react like a dog here. When a dog faces a situation he doesn't know how to react to he will just ignore the problem and start with something else, like scratching himself. I think I will start on some suspension details.


Sounds like a plan to me :thumbsup:




> So, what have you discovered about the behavior of truck drivers?



Yeah.. I'd like to know how much has changed from my days behind the wheel as far as behavior goes. I know how I behaved (but we won't talk about that here)....


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## Chaincarver Steve (Jul 30, 2011)

I think that if the options were: no working steering, overly delicate steering linkage, or brass rods as steering components, I certainly wouldn't fault you for using the metal. Sometimes it's more sensible to do what actually works. You could certainly do it in such a way that it looks really cool. You knows, it may even enhance the project in pleasant ways.

Though I do know that wooden parts would look cool too. Perhaps a really dense, color-contrasted wood, such as rosewood or purple heart. Though, those woods may be too brittle at that small scale. :confused1:



Longknife said:


> ...
> 
> So, what have you discovered about the behavior of truck drivers?


Probably that they prefer their steering components to be made of steel.


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## craigwbryant (Jan 22, 2012)

Longknife said:


> So, what have you discovered about the behavior of truck drivers?


Well keep in mind, when I say behavior, we're referring to their driving behavior on the road (whatever they're doing when they're not behind the wheel isn't really our business or concern LOL). The majority of traffic engineering calculations (signal timings, speed limits, radius of curves, etc) are based on passenger cars. Obviously tractor trailers behave very different from passenger cars, for a number of reasons. What we are researching right now is the nature of stopping behavior for tractor trailers at high-speed signalized intersections. Yellow lights present a concept known as a dilemma zone for drivers, a dilemma zone is basically defined as that point where you can't stop before the light turns from yellow to red and you also can't clear the intersection before the light turns from yellow to red. Due to the fact that the braking characteristics of tractor trailers are massively different from the braking characteristics of passenger cars we are trying to determine how to model the dilemma zone for truck drivers so that we can re-work signal timings in order to avoid placing truckers in the dilemma zone. The whole idea is to reduce accidents as accidents involving large commercial vehicles (we're also doing research on buses as well) tend to lead to much more property damage and injury. We have a truck simulator that we use, we have drivers come in and we put them through a couple of different scenarios with electronic recording equipment keeping track of what is going on. Looking to be done with data collection in the next 6-8 weeks, then I have to finish writing and defending my thesis before graduating in December.


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## johnnie52 (Feb 16, 2009)

Does your research include the guy in the car who slams on the brakes the second the light turns and then actually stops before it goes red? That has happened more than once to me personally in several cities around the country. Lucky for them I was able to either stop or get around them without an accident. The best laid out highway planning will never over come the idiot who doesn't know how to drive.


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## craigwbryant (Jan 22, 2012)

johnnie52 said:


> Does your research include the guy in the car who slams on the brakes the second the light turns and then actually stops before it goes red? That has happened more than once to me personally in several cities around the country. Lucky for them I was able to either stop or get around them without an accident. The best laid out highway planning will never over come the idiot who doesn't know how to drive.


I don't want to hijack a thread about a really cool build with talking too much about traffic engineering, but for this particular study, no we're not mixing in traffic. We're doing this for a mixture of reasons (1) research is progressive, so for this first project we're just looking to model the behavior of commercial vehicle drivers, in subsequent studies we (or I should say some poor grad student who comes along after me) will progress with the research and move from the simulator over to our testbed road and then eventually mix-in traffic. This allows us to isolate the different variables that go into things to develop a more comprehensive method of modeling things. (2) When we were doing pilot testing, with me as the driver, we had two instances of traffic accidents. Neither of which was I at fault, in one someone rear-ended me, in another someone tried to drive under the trailer a la "The Fast & the Furious", these accidents shut the simulator down and for those of us who work with the simulator regularly this isn't a big deal but we didn't want to have to mess with situations like this when we had participants driving so we opted to disable the autonomous traffic for this study, like I said, it will be turned on in a future study. 

The situation you are presenting is exactly the reason why we are conducting this research, we are still gathering numbers, but right now it looks like heavy vehicles are over-represented in accidents at intersections and the majority of them are either (a) a rear-end type collision which is produced by the scenario you describe where the car can stop but due to the difference in braking characteristics the truck cannot or (b) right-angle collisions where a truck is unable to stop prior to red and when the light turns green for crossing traffic some other vehicle enters the intersection and gets hit by the truck. We're not looking to alleviate the responsibility of drivers for safe operation, but we are looking to help make it such that drivers aren't forced into risky situations.


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## Longknife (Oct 25, 2010)

I made a little progress on the front axle suspension

















And this is how it looks turned the right way. I was very happy to find that it stands firmly on all four feet.









I'm still indesicive about the steering linkage. I think I will try the wooden pins but I've not figured out how yet. Mean while I have to figure ot how to make the tie rod that have to be bent in a rather complicated shape.


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## Chris Curl (Jan 1, 2013)

Longknife, this is so impressive that it is depressing (in that I am sure I will never get even close to the quality level you are showing here).

I would LOVE to make a model of my 1967 Ford Fairlane convertible, but I don't even have any idea where I would start.

I am curious though ... do you have photos or a real truck or something that you are referencing for all the intricate components that are not readily visible to a casual onlooker?


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## Burb (Nov 30, 2012)

Chris Curl said:


> Longknife, this is so impressive that it is depressing (in that I am sure I will never get even close to the quality level you are showing here).
> 
> I would LOVE to make a model of my 1967 Ford Fairlane convertible, but I don't even have any idea where I would start.
> 
> I am curious though ... do you have photos or a real truck or something that you are referencing for all the intricate components that are not readily visible to a casual onlooker?


Ditto.

I know that I have a lot to learn when it comes to woodworking. Some day I hope to make a model of this caliber.

Mark


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## Longknife (Oct 25, 2010)

Chris Curl said:


> I am curious though ... do you have photos or a real truck or something that you are referencing for all the intricate components that are not readily visible to a casual onlooker?


I mainly work from pictures, but I also have access to the "real thing" (the truck in post #1) so I can have a closer look at details.


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## johnnie52 (Feb 16, 2009)

Very nice job on the front air ride. I don't remember ever seeing a rig with that here in the states. Our trucks pretty much all have leaf springs on the steering axle.

Why have you not made the front cross member? Our rigs have two, one that includes the motor mount and another that has the radiator mount. Are your rigs different or are you waiting to make the engine first?


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## Longknife (Oct 25, 2010)

johnnie52 said:


> Very nice job on the front air ride. I don't remember ever seeing a rig with that here in the states. Our trucks pretty much all have leaf springs on the steering axle.
> 
> Why have you not made the front cross member? Our rigs have two, one that includes the motor mount and another that has the radiator mount. Are your rigs different or are you waiting to make the engine first?


Quite common here with air suspension on all axles. The advantages are a smooth ride, the truck is self levelling and you can raise or lower the axles individually to level the truck or adapt to different loading dock heights. I guess a reason for this is that the most common combination here is a rigid truck towing a 4-axle trailer (or a dolly with a semi-trailer). On a tractor these properties are less useful.

I'm waiting with the front crossmembers until I have an engine to put in.


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## Longknife (Oct 25, 2010)

I couldn't delay the steering linkage any more so I started to do some experiments. I really wanted to see if it would be possible to make it all out of wood. I tried with different woods and I soon learned that hard is brittle and soft is, well, soft. I didn't find anything I felt I could trust for this.

Then I came to think about how they made pins for hayrakes in the old days. They were made of juniper. Must have been a reason for that. Luckily I had some juniper wood in the back of the shop that I pulled out. That wood is hard as a rock but when I made some very thin pieces it also was very flexible. As a bonus it smells very good.

I needed absolutely straight grain so I rived out the blanks and whittled the very small pins.

























When they were installed they worked very well and I'm confident in that they will hold up. I will make the linkage for the steering arm the same way.


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## johnnie52 (Feb 16, 2009)

Excellent solution :thumbsup:


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## Smith Brother (Dec 9, 2012)

Do you ever use WEEPING WILLOW wood? I know nothing about it, well, remember Mom used WEEPING WILLOW switches to keep me in line, hehehe. 

Looking so REAL. I love your CLOSE up photo's toooooooooo.

Dale in Indy


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## Kenbo (Sep 16, 2008)

Told you it would work. :laughing:
Fantastic stuff.
You sir, are an inspiration.


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## Longknife (Oct 25, 2010)

I've been working on the steering gear and that meant producing a number of small details.









Steering gear complete with the steering arm.









When working with these small details I often find it practical to do as much work as possible from a larger piece of wood and cut the detail off when it's finished.









Some of the tools I use. Dremel with various assesories, exacto knifes, a small handheld drill and a set of needle files.


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## Art Rafael (Apr 17, 2013)

Incredible detail. :thumbsup: Your tool assortment very closely resembles mine. We discover what works and go with it. Great job! Ralph


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## Chaincarver Steve (Jul 30, 2011)

I love seeing all of these miniature parts come together like magic. It looks beautiful. I can't believe you're going with working steering. This is going to be way beyond awesome. :thumbsup:


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## Longknife (Oct 25, 2010)

Started on the engine. Still a lot to do on it, but it's a beginning.


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## Smith Brother (Dec 9, 2012)

It's a GOOD BEGINNING, IMO.

Dale in Indy


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## Chaincarver Steve (Jul 30, 2011)

You're off to a great start on that engine 'block'. :thumbsup:


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## buggyman1 (Nov 16, 2011)

If he squeezes that in a bottle, i quit...lol. Great job Longknife. That motor is gonna be sweet.


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## Longknife (Oct 25, 2010)

Some installments made on the engine.

























Next to do will be the clutch housing, gearbox and the radiator. I'm a bit undecisive on how to make the radiator and all the hoses. It can be a challenge to mount a radiator hose on a real engine but here I have to deal with unflexible wooden hoses :laughing:. I'm not sure yet if it will be best to attach the radiator at this stage and then install the whole assembly in the frame or install the engine first. Some experiments will be needed.
Thanks for watching.


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## Chaincarver Steve (Jul 30, 2011)

Wow, that is looking awesome! I don't know how you made all those parts. They sure look great though. I have to ask, what is the flat belt made from?


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## Kenbo (Sep 16, 2008)

Holy crap!!! You disappear for a while and then come back with this. I'm officially blown away. Gorgeous. I'm not even worthy to be posting on this thread.


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## Smith Brother (Dec 9, 2012)

When you start it, will it sound like a mitre saw, lathe, router, band saw, dremel, or WHAT? I guess very find saw dust will blow out the exhaust, huh......

Great stuff,

Dale


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## GROOVY (Apr 27, 2008)

I am taken aback... and awed


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## Longknife (Oct 25, 2010)

Chaincarver Steve said:


> . I have to ask, what is the flat belt made from?


The drive belts are made of paper.


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## Longknife (Oct 25, 2010)

Chaincarver Steve said:


> I have to ask, what is the flat belt made from?


The drive belts are made of paper


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## Smith Brother (Dec 9, 2012)

Heavy brown paper, I would guess. 

Very nice, to say the LEAST.

Dale in Indy


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## rayking49 (Nov 6, 2011)

This is an awesome and humbling build. I don't think I'd ever have that much patience, and I KNOW I'll never have that much talent. Every picture just wows me. Thanks so much for doing this, I'm so enjoying it.


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## MapleMoose (Sep 25, 2012)

WOW! That is just incredible!


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## Chris Curl (Jan 1, 2013)

amazing.


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## Longknife (Oct 25, 2010)

I was able to do some work on the truck this weekend so I made and installed the gearbox.


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## Chaincarver Steve (Jul 30, 2011)

Very cool.


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## Kenbo (Sep 16, 2008)

Wow. I don't know what else to say other than WOW!!!!!


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## Smith Brother (Dec 9, 2012)

I know WHAT MORE TO SAY, just when will you be sending the finished piece, MY WAY?

As good as they get, THIS PIECE. 

Dale in Indy


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## ryan50hrl (Jun 30, 2012)

That's amazing.....I'm speechless...


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## diamondt (Feb 16, 2013)

Beautiful work Longknife looks like I will have to lift my game


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## johnnie52 (Feb 16, 2009)

Great work! I stopped being impressed by the detail and skill all of our model builders show. I've learned to simply bask in the radiance of your light. :laughing:

Do they really hang the turbo on that side? I thought you guys drove on the right side of the road in Sweden. Doesn't having a red hot turbo right under your feet get uncomfortable on a long run?


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## Gilgaron (Mar 16, 2012)

I clicked this thread expecting a model car, not this! Amazing work! It's like opening up a thread about a face carving and finding Grey's Anatomy redone in wood.


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## buggyman1 (Nov 16, 2011)

Nice job Longknife, the motor is perfect!!!


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## Longknife (Oct 25, 2010)

johnnie52 said:


> Do they really hang the turbo on that side? I thought you guys drove on the right side of the road in Sweden. Doesn't having a red hot turbo right under your feet get uncomfortable on a long run?


Yup, it's on the correct side. And it's more under your a$$ too :laughing:.
Never any problems with that though. They must have succeded with the airflow around the engine and there is a 3" radiator hose to the intercooler too.


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## johnnie52 (Feb 16, 2009)

Longknife said:


> Yup, it's on the correct side. And it's more under your a$$ too :laughing:.
> Never any problems with that though. They must have succeded with the airflow around the engine and there is a 3" radiator hose to the intercooler too.



I learned on an LJ Mack back in the early 60's. The only cab heater was a collector box built around the turbo that ducted the heat into the cab. Kept things nice and toasty during the winter (as long as the engine was running at full speed) and broiling hot all summer.

The engine work and transmission is really accurate. Well done :thumbsup::thumbsup:


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## Stephens (Aug 5, 2013)

WOW, Those tires(tyres) and wheels are really cool. Great Job.


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## Longknife (Oct 25, 2010)

It has been a while since I last posted in this thread and some may have thought I gave up on the project. No way, I've just had other things in my life to deal with. I've been able to squeeze in some time to work on it here and there, but nothing worth while posting at the time, so here is a summary of what I've accomplished so far.

As some may remember I left out the front crossmember when I assembled the frame so now it was time for that. (second pic with frame upside down)
















I also made and installed the fan and the front engine mount.


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## Longknife (Oct 25, 2010)

I also made the parts for the radiator and assembled them.
















And here is the engine assembly dry fitted in the frame to check if everything is lining up (and it does :yes.

Next will be to make and install the radiator hoses. (You can see the start of that in the foreground)

Thanks for watching.


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## Chaincarver Steve (Jul 30, 2011)

I didn't think you'd forgotten (I couldn't even accept that as a remote possibility... nope :no. I understand all about the 'life getting in the way' situation. I, too, have had all kinds of things going on lately. I've been able to check on on the projects of others but haven't posted much of my own stuff lately. But I, too, am working on things and will have more to post before too much longer.

I really am glad to see more progress on this Volvo truck though. I sure am amazed and impressed by how accurate and detailed this is so far. I don't know that I'm capable of creating such incredible parts. So I am in awe at your work on this project.

Take your time. Just know that - with every update - I and many others are going to come running to see how it's going. Because this is way too awesome to miss a single moment of.

This latest updates look incredible. Some of the parts boggle my mind. I can't imagine how to even begin creating them.


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## Burb (Nov 30, 2012)

Glad to see this thread come back to life. I always look forward to what you have to post. Awesome work.

Mark


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## johnnie52 (Feb 16, 2009)

As always, I'm left wanting much more! Loving the radiator hoses. Gonna have to try bending a couple of hoses myself. Maybe I'll try boiling them.


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## Kenbo (Sep 16, 2008)

Again, I'm speechless.


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## burkhome (Sep 5, 2010)

Good to see the progress. Glad you have found the time to relax in the shop.


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## Longknife (Oct 25, 2010)

Made some progress on the engine the last few days. I made and installed a waterpipe that will be connected to the radiator with a hose. 
Next was to make the air channel from the air filter. This I can tell you was a real PITA. It has a very irregular shape and I had to whittle, file, sand, try for fit, find out it doesn't fit, throw away and start over, whittle, file, sand........
I also had to remake the oil filler tube and cap since I found out that the tube was too short.









Then I mounted the engine and the radiator in the frame and installed the radiator hoses.









And a picture from below.


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## Kenbo (Sep 16, 2008)

Your attention to detail and your skill level at this point in time is blowing my mind. I'm going to burn all my tools tomorrow and start over. :laughing:
Just amazing stuff.


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## Longknife (Oct 25, 2010)

I forgot to mention that before I installed the engine I gave it a coat of BLO. That would be very difficult to do once it is installed. On the other hand I must be very careful not to put any oil to parts were there will be other details glued on. I also took the opportunity to take a few more pictures since I realize that some details will be difficult to see later as the build progresses.

So, take a close look at this picture, there may be details on the engine that never will be seen again :laughing:.








Next in line to be made is the prop shaft. Here are all the parts of that before assembly.









Parts for a u-joint. I turned the yokes on the lathe and shaped them by filing and sanding. A 3/16" chainsaw file was perfect to shape the curved bottom of the yokes. The yokes are then glued on to the shafts and pinned with a dowel. The spiders are made of square blocks with four holes drilled in them. The arms are dowels (aka toothpicks) of the same dimension as the holes in the yokes.









Assembled joint









And finally the complete prop shaft installed on the truck.


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## Repliconics (Sep 9, 2013)

"Brilliant" it's that simple!


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## johnnie52 (Feb 16, 2009)

Much better than the ones I made. :thumbsup: This truck is really showing off your love of not only woodworking, but of your truck as well.


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## Chaincarver Steve (Jul 30, 2011)

This is shaping up to be seriously awesome. I love all the details. Very precise. And impressive.


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## burkhome (Sep 5, 2010)

simply beautiful


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## buggyman1 (Nov 16, 2011)

OK, now you're just showing off!!! Please continue!!! Wow, i'm speechless. That is some mighty fine work right there my friend..Sweet!


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## Chaincarver Steve (Jul 30, 2011)

I swear, the more I look at this the more blown away I am. Last time I was viewing on my phone. But on a larger screen it only gets better and better. This is some really fine work, Sir. :thumbsup: I'm loving all the articulated parts.


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## Smith Brother (Dec 9, 2012)

Are you PLANNING on a LIFT OFF BODY AND BOX? That would be cool, IMO. The driver would have to be careful going around corners, so as to not allow the cab or box to fall over, hehehe. 

That would allow for folks to see the detail, at least most of it.

Very nice work, YOU have to be ENJOYING the build,,,,,,,,WE ARE!

Dale in Indy


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## Longknife (Oct 25, 2010)

Here comes a summary of what I have accomplished lately. I was thinking of starting with the cab but as there are quite a few challenges with that I decided to make some details on the frame first. I quickly realized that there was challenges with that too....

First out was the muffler, not so difficult.....








.... but then came the external exhaust pipe. There is no way to bend any wood in that shape, so it had to be sawn, whittled, filed and sanded to shape. I drilled the hole first and shaped the pice around it.








Next to make was a bracket for the muffler to sit in.








An other challenge was the exhaust pipe. It goes from the turbo, bends over the frame and down to the muffler. A very complicated shape.
I started with sawing it out roughly on the band saw......








.....and then started the whittling.


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## Longknife (Oct 25, 2010)

Finally I got it right and here is the compete exhaust system mounted.















Then I made the battery box.








Two air tanks are mounted under the battery box.








Complete assembly mounted on the frame.


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## Longknife (Oct 25, 2010)

Then I started on the air dryer. I mounted the air hoses.....








....and mounted the whole assembly on the side of the battery box.






.

Finally a couple of wiews from below.















Well, that's what I've done so far. Thanks for watching


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## Smith Brother (Dec 9, 2012)

I am wondering, 'JUST WHEN WILL YOU MAKE IT LOOK REAL'? Just kidding, WOW, such detail. 

Love it,

Dale in Indy


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## Kenbo (Sep 16, 2008)

I'm am still blown away by the amount of detail and talent that is being displayed here. Way to set the bar to an unreal level. Fantastic work.


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## johnnie52 (Feb 16, 2009)

This just keeps getting better and better. :thumbsup:

I LOVE IT!!!

Makes my coach look like a toy!


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## calcnerd (Dec 7, 2012)

Unbelievable work. I'm blown away.


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## Repliconics (Sep 9, 2013)

*Words fail me!*


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## wood shavings (Mar 20, 2009)

*welcome*

Rep They fail me as well. Everyone that does some sort of build brings their own dynamics to the showcase.

Jerry


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## rayking49 (Nov 6, 2011)

Beautiful !


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## Phaedrus (Jan 18, 2012)

To be clear--this is not a competition. That said, you are in a class of your own with your precision, craftsmanship, and dedication to accuracy. Thanks for the hard work and entertainment!

Sent from my DROID RAZR MAXX using Woodworking Talk


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## Longknife (Oct 25, 2010)

It's -10C outdoors, snowing (will go on all weekend) and and a steady wind. Indoors the shop is cosy (well, at least 15C).
In other words, perfect conditions for woodworking.

I decided to do some more work on the model. I tend to work on it periodically. I do some work on it and then I let it sit for a while and do other things. It gives me time to think about the next step and how to get around problems that comes up. I just realized that I've allready put in 6 months in the build and that there will be many more. I just hope you all won't be bored to death before it's finished.

Anyway, I started this session by making and installing another air tank. This one is hanging in brackets on the frame.



















Tomorrow I'll start on the diesel tank. I hope to come back with a report on the progress of that.


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## Longknife (Oct 25, 2010)

Still snowing so I spent most of the day in the shop.
I started on the diesel tank and installed holding brackets and straps on it....









...made and installed the cap and then glued the whole assembly to the frame.









Then I moved on to the AdBlue tank
















That ends the work for this weekend, thanks for watching.


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## buggyman1 (Nov 16, 2011)

I love the detail you're putting in this build. I know how hard it is to make tiny parts look real (and scale) and yours looks perfect. Nice job. Can't wait to see what you do next to make this truck come alive.


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## johnnie52 (Feb 16, 2009)

Perfect detail :thumbsup:

What is an Adblue tank for? Can't say as I remember anything like that on an American rig.


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## Chaincarver Steve (Jul 30, 2011)

Dang, it's COLD there!



Longknife said:


> I tend to work on it periodically. I do some work on it and then I let it sit for a while and do other things. It gives me time to think about the next step and how to get around problems that comes up.




Welcome to my world. I do that way too often.



Longknife said:


> I just hope you all won't be bored to death before it's finished.


Don't worry about that. We're far from bored. Every update is as cool or cooler than the last. No complaints here.

You've put in some incredible detail into this model so far. All the hoses and tubing is really cool. So far this build is beyond words. I'm highly impressed. :yes:


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## Longknife (Oct 25, 2010)

johnnie52 said:


> What is an Adblue tank for? Can't say as I remember anything like that on an American rig.


Be glad you didn't have to deal with that. I belive AdBlue is known in the US as DEF (Diesel Exhaust Fluid). It's injected into the exhaust system with the purpose of reducing emissions. (We have to meet the European Emission Standards).
A real pain in the butt though. The stuff is very corrosive and it freezes at -11C (12F) so the tank has to be heated.


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## ryan50hrl (Jun 30, 2012)

The level of detail boggles my mind.


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## Smith Brother (Dec 9, 2012)

Just wonder why your photo's are kind of YELLOW? I'm not a camera guy, is it a filter on your lens?

Just wondered,

Dale in Indy 

No need for me to compliment your work, IT STANDS UP SO PROUD ALL BY ITSELF.


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## landman (Sep 1, 2013)

Smith Brother said:


> Just wonder why your photo's are kind of YELLOW? I'm not a camera guy, is it a filter on your lens?
> 
> Just wondered,
> 
> ...


 I think he uses no flash with ambient incandescent lighting. Gives an orangy tint.


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## Chaincarver Steve (Jul 30, 2011)

*Johnnie*, I too have never heard of an AdBlue tank. But I looked it up and learned that it's a brand name of diesel exhaust fluid, which only baffled be more. Wikipedia has a more in-depth explanation (than Longknife gave): 
_
_


Wikipedia said:


> _*Diesel Exhaust Fluid* (DEF), commonly referred to as *AdBlue* in Europe and standardised as *ISO 22241*[1] is an *Aqueous Urea Solution* made with 32.5% high-purity urea (*AUS 32*) and 67.5% deionized water. DEF is used as a consumable in selective catalytic reduction (SCR) in order to lower NOx concentration in the diesel exhaust emissions from diesel engines.[2]_
> _The German Association of the Automotive Industry (VDA) controls the "AdBlue" trademark and uses it to ensure quality standards are maintained in accordance with DIN 70070 and ISO 22241 specifications._


*Longknife*, thanks for making me learn something new that I would have never guessed even exists. Diesel Exhaust Fluid: Who knew? Besides all the millions of truckers - and others - who do. It's one of those things I would have sworn was a joke, much like "blinker fluid" and "snipe hunts". You know, the proverbial fool's errand.



landman said:


> I think he uses no flash with ambient incandescent lighting. Gives an orangy tint.


I agree. With one of my cameras, I can take the same shot from slightly different angles and get two different results. I sometimes have to make several attempts to get the camera to properly adjust to the lighting and give me the whiter, brighter result instead of a darker, yellow-orange tint.


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## Longknife (Oct 25, 2010)

Smith Brother said:


> Just wonder why your photo's are kind of YELLOW? I'm not a camera guy, is it a filter on your lens?
> .


I think there are three reasons for my poor pictures - operator, equipment and environment.

Operator - well, that's me. I'm no photo guy.
Equipment - a crappy cell phone camera.
Environment - a shop with incandescent lightning.

I've tried different techniques, with or without flash but not much result.


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## mdntrdr (Dec 22, 2009)

Longknife said:


> Operator - well, that's me. I'm no photo guy.



Your pics are fine. Keep em commin!

Awesome build! :thumbsup:


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## Smith Brother (Dec 9, 2012)

I wasn't complaining, just wondered, sure maybe clearer photo's might compliment your great work, but that's up to you. 

Enjoying,

Dale in Indy


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## johnnie52 (Feb 16, 2009)

Thanks for explaining the Adblue stuff. I knew that Germany had much stricter emissions standards than what we have here, but was not aware that those standards had seeped into the rest of Europe.

Last I knew the trucks here went from being high rev, low torque engines to being low rev, high torque to lower emissions. So as long as I was driving, we never used that stuff and I have not seen any extra tanks on our rigs to hold anything except fuel.


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