Andy T's Italeri 1/24 "Australian Truck"

[Gern]

I found some Mr Muscle oven cleaner under the sink. After submitting the relevant permission forms I was allowed to borrow it, and it has kinda worked.

9 hours and many repeat applications and it's starting to strip the chrome. I'm beginning to wish I hadn't bothered and just smothered any ugly seam lines in mud afterwards! :smiling5:


[ATTACH=CONFIG]n1206143[/ATTACH]I've used thick bleach to strip chrome from Italeri kits. Worked a treat and only took minutes - you could see the chrome dissolving.

[Guest]

Thanks Allen but I think you are mistaken. You may drive on the right side of the road, but we drive on the correct one :smiling5:

The blob

[ATTACH=CONFIG]n1208008[/ATTACH]

The interior painting didn't go so well as I'm still a bit rubbish at brushing larger areas, but with his chunky fluffy blanky the driver should have a comfy nights sleep.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]n1208009[/ATTACH]
Yes it's over scale, but once the sleeper is closed up and attached to the cab you'll struggle to even see it.

Don't worry about the blanket being overscale, I used to have a king size 13.5tog quilt folded in half on the bunk, three duck down pillows and then another 17tog quilt on top and I would not get out of bed untill the night heater had warmed the cab and the coffee had brewed....
Great build by the way.

[Andy T]

Thanks Mike, sounds like my kind of bedding!

I've not been looking forward to the fuel tanks so made them today's mission. I reckon they'd be fiddly enough OOB but with me wanting blue tanks with chrome straps & steps it made it that bit harder.

I'd pre-chromed the brackets & steps in case there were areas I couldn't reach later, so after scraping paint from all the mating surfaces I wrestled this lot into position. With a lack of really positive mounting point and several small pieces to line up in one go it was like wrestling an octopus but I got there eventually.

I then masked up the blue, which in itself was a bit of a task



A coat of gloss black was followed after a time by Alclad chrome



Then I carefully peeled off the tape



The came fitting. Trying to line up 2 tanks and the flimsy toolbox step on each side was again a challenge but it's all close enough if you squint a bit.

The air filter stacks and screen visor were added as well whilst other stuff was drying.

[Ian M]

Nice idea Ian, I may just take you up on that.

So I shouldn't try tempt you by telling you that the 1/16 scale samba bus from Revelle builds well... lol

[Guest]

Really good Andy.
You certainly have patience and a lot of skill.

[peterairfix]

That is absolutely beautiful keep up the good work

[Nicko]

Looking very sharp indeed Andy...

Nick

[Andy T]

Thanks all.

Well, much like a sky diver may experience ground rush, all of a sudden this is almost complete :flushed:

I kept adding bits here & there and suddenly I ran out of parts! Almost lol

I found the rear light units still on a sprue I'd put for stripping & recycling, so they've had a drop of paint and I'll put the licence plate decals on tomorrow. I've decided against any weathering. In the future if I have the money & space to add trailers I'll do it then.

[peterairfix]

Drop dead gorgeous

[Jim R]

Superb stuff going on. Well done indeed.

[Stefee]

Super job, especially the paintwork.

[stillp]

That's a thing of beauty, and I don't usually like trucks.
Pete

[Andy T]

Thanks gents.

Sorry if I never seem to thank you all individually but I really do run out of things to say!

Just know that all of your positive comments and reactions are very gratefully received.

[Ian M]

The bit that goes AWAL. For me it was the pins that fix the cab to the chassis... Good with lots of sprue laying around lol.

It just keeps getting better and better...

[Andy T]

Thanks Ian.

And yes, I preserved those bits like they were the crown jewels, with their own little box on my parts shelf. I'm so bad for putting things down and losing them instantly (like the cap I took off that bottle seconds ago...) that they were either on the model or in the box.