I have already shown photos of my 22' grain box and have them available for sale through Shapeways currently. Well the photos below illustrate what I had in mind to hold up that box.
This a model designed after a 379 Peterbilt truck. The frame was designed specifically for the grain box. It features a tandem axle, with a third lift axle in the rear. I designed it in the raised position. The single fuel tank is representative of a short haul or farm truck. The battery boxes, air tanks, and cab steps are all part of the frame and add to the integrity of the frame component. The cab is a separate shell for ease of painting and detailing. I designed the air filter canisters as separate details for the same reason. The grill and bumper were designed as a separate component again for that reason. If I want to swap out a custom grill or Texas style bumper for example, I can easily change that isolated piece. Also, the individual pieces should aide in the painting process and provide a much cleaner finish between part lines. The wheel and tire sets are similar to what I am using on my grain trailers. I put the little parts on a spruce for ease of handling.
You will notice that I have 2 cabs, with different style sunshades. This is yet another great feature of model design and 3D printing. I'm excited to get these to the paint shop. My plan is to make multiple configurations of axles, fuel tanks, sleeper options, and other options.
This model is fresh out of the box, so you are seeing it at the same time I am. I will have more feedback to offer once I clean the parts and test fit them together. The raw prints still have the waxy residue on them, which make them difficult to see in photos. Once these are soaked in heptane overnight, they will look like white styrene. I will cover my steps to finish these models in more detail in future postings.
Tell me what you think.
Thanks for all you are doing! Your creations just get better and better. I hope your AG theme continues.
ReplyDeleteJohn, really enjoying all your hard work on creating the modern trailers in N scale. Something that the hobby needs. I gonna be placing an order in the future for some equipment.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great addiction to have, and it benefits us all.
ReplyDeleteThank you John!!!
Very cool John! I can't wait to get home to open the box with my new trailers in them.
ReplyDeleteThanks,
Frank
Excellent choice. Any chance you'll do some older stuff, like a 281, GMC Crackerbox, or a mid-60s Ford N-series? We've got this flood of 60s and early 70s era trailers hitting the market but nothing really appropriate to haul them with.
ReplyDeletesince I am in the modern era, I'll likely stick to late models at first.
DeleteHey John, your 279 appears to have a third axle (which I'm assuming is supposed to be a drop axle since it's higher than the tandems), however the photo you show on Shapeways of the prototype shows the drop axle in front of the tandems where it should be especially on a rear dump configuration. Is this an error or is there another reason for it to be there? The only straight trucks I've seen with rear drop axles are garbage trucks.
ReplyDeleteThe proto photo was meant to provide an example of the aluminum box, but this is a common axle configuration as well. If you do an online search for grain trucks, you will find multiple configurations, including the lift axle on the rear like my 379 Pete model.
DeleteI did another search and discovered that indeed there are many configurations I hadn't noticed before since I was mainly focusing on tractor-trailer configs. Speaking of which, how soon before we can have a tractor to pull those grain trailers?
ReplyDeleteI just got one of your open-top Wilsons the other day and I am impressed--great work! I do have one suggestion that I have found helpful on my own wheels, if you could provide more of a separation between the tire and wheel, by means of the rim sticking out a little more it would make painting them much easier. I usually spray the entire model in white primer, including the wheels, then brush paint the tires.
A tractor version of the 379 Pete should be ready in a couple of weeks. I am also beginning work on a pair of kenworth tractors as well. As for the wheels, I know exactly what you mean about being able to keep a crisp line between the rim and tire. I used a silver sharpie on my first grain trailer and it turned out very well. I can however make a tweak to the rim and make it a bit more prominent, for this purpose. Thanks Jimmo, please share your model when it is done.
DeleteI will definitely post some pics of the finished trailer. If I wasn't so busy filling weekend orders, I would have worked on it today. Being out of town a couple of days will do that to ya. You mentioned soaking parts in heptane overnight to rid your models of the support goo. I tried out some Bestine (that was recommended on another forum) and it worked within minutes. Are there any negatives about it that you know of? I figured it turned the FUD white as you mentioned, so it must not be too different.
ReplyDeleteThanks for making the adjustment on the rims. Do they normally run aluminum wheels on the Wilsons?
I am looking forward to whatever is next, hopefully won't go broke buying truck and trailer kits from you.
So far, I only have one modern truck in my lineup, but it's a medium-duty International DuraStar. Currently it's a solid model but I'm getting close to releasing a hollow body version with interior. Let me know if you are interested in having any.