Gunmetal grey!

The instructions for the Italeri Mercedes-Benz Actros MP4 kit suggest a gunmetal grey colour for the chassis. Normally the types and era of truck that I model call for a traditional solid colour to complement the cab so I was not too sure about this gunmetal but I thought I would give it a try and see how it came out.

Being a metallic colour, the gunmetal paint is best applied over a black undercoat so that it reflects. The chassis was given that black undercoat and then the Vallejo paint was applied. At first I thought that it was a disaster as it looked washed out but it just needed three applications to build up some depth to the colour.

Now I have got used to the colour I think it looks good. The chassis needs a number of parts painted in different colours, such as black for the rubber airbags in the rear suspension, so that will take some time but at least it looks more like a truck chassis!

It can steer!

It can steer! Well to the right anyway! The steering beam axel has now been fitted to the main chassis of the Italeri Mercedes-Benz Actros MP4 kit. The linkages have been added as per the instructions and the stub axels turn to the right but not the left! The design of the parts just does not allow the axels to steer to he left but this is something I have come across on Italeri kits truck kits before so I am not overly surprised. The important thing is that it turns in one direction at least!

The chassis is just about ready for paint. I just need some warmer weather!

The cab interior takes shape!

 With the underside of the cab sorted, my attention now turned the the upper side cab interior of the Italeri Mercedes-Benz Actros MP4. Temporarily putting the parts together I can get an idea of what needs painting and what is the best way of doing that.

As truck cabs go in the UK, this cab is rather spacious for the driver hence, no doubt, why Mercedes term it as a Giga cab.

The moulding for the bunk has that strange hollow pillow from underneath! A thin piece of plastic card will solve that though.

Just need to wait for the glue to dry before cutting it to size around the original moulding.

Its 'wheely' great to get the wheels started on the Italeri Mercedes-Benz Actros MP4!

Its 'wheely' great to get the wheels started on the Italeri Mercedes-Benz Actros MP4! These are slightly different to the wheels which usually come in these kits in that the drive hub is a separate part which actually is a lot better for detail and painting.

So far I have just assembled the wheel rims which are now ready for the paint shop.

Also getting ready for paint is the cab starting with the cab base.

Whilst the upper side is nicely detailed, the underside suffers from both ejector pin marks and holes where there should be a solid base. The ejector pin marks were filled with a plastic filler and smoothed off.

The holes were 'plated' over with some thin plastic card which will at least prevent the 1/25th scale drivers belongings falling on the engine when he puts them in the storage lockers above!

Given the current state of the loco, the cosmetic surgeons are going to have their skills well and truly tested!

Things are getting back to normal, if indeed there is a normal, after the Christmas and New Year break at the Rocks By rail Museum.

This pallet load of loco parts has appeared in the Exhibition Hall which apparently are part of steam loco Uppingham.

Uppingham will be subject of a cosmetic restoration this year.

Given the current state of the loco, the cosmetic surgeons are going to have their skills well and truly tested!

Meanwhile, in the restoration shed, things are moving on with steam loco 1931with more cosmetic work being done whilst the return of the retubed and ready to go boiler are awaited.

Andy, shares the secret of his cosmetic skills or he is trying to live up to the Gunk name with its ultimate performance!

Cosmetically challenged I went onto continue my clearance of the Bone Yard with Sammy Strimmer and also assisted by Alex. The finds were less than in previous sessions but we have just about freed this length of water pipe.

We also found this metal racking support which may come in useful if we find the rest of the racking or it may become something completely different like a fence post or it may just go in the scrap bin!

We did however make a major breakthrough - literally! We have got through to the far side of the undergrowth and can now see the rear of the cafe!

It was raining by this time and I think that Alex was trying to tell me that having achieved this monumental moment it was time to pack up and get in the dry!

As we sought some dry undercover shelter I di look back and think that it may still look a mess but over the past few weeks there has been  a lot of vegetational butchery and a lot of junk treasure uncovered!

Not sure when it will happen but I am going for this year which only leaves me eleven and a half months!

I had a break from building the Mercedes MP4 kit,. Not that I am fed up with it just that something and I am not even sure what, jolted my mind into thinking about 0n30 which is not some form of code but is the notation for 7mm scale stock running on 00 gauge track. I have talked about it on the blog before as in this post and also this post. In addition to those two items I also have this....

I have to admit, I do have a very soft spot for this loco and indeed the others I have in this scale.. They are just so characterful! 

So having got this out again what id the plan? Well, they have been in their boxes for far too long. Because of their physical size though, they will not go around my 00 gauge layout especially over the viaducts.  However. I really need to build something for them to run on so I can enjoy the spectacle, even if it is just an oval of track on  a plain board.  So that is a job for me to do on my [personal chore list rather then the one Mrs. Woody has drawn up and updates or me! Not sure when it will happen but I am going for this year which only leaves me eleven and a half months!

Power plant altogether now!

The power plan to the Italeri Mercedes-Benz Actros MP4 kit is now altogether and splendid it looks too! Well I would say that as I built it!

 I think that looks quite realistic too, especially from this angle. The addition of the cooling fan and radiator certainly add to the illusion

It even fits into the chassis frame. Just temporarily for now as I still need to finish the chassis build and paint it.

Things are moving on!

A bit of colour!

Time to bring some life and interest to the Italeri Mercedes-Benz Actros MP4 power plant in the form of some detail painting. The fan is in light grey with a black centre and the various hoses and fan belts are mainly black with a few red parts. I have no idea why they are red apart from the instructions and online photos of real engines show them in that colour! I will be putting a coat of varnish over the various parts before gluing them together.

Painted in aluminium and very shiny it looks too!

The engine block and gearbox are now painted in aluminium and very shiny it looks too! Once the paint has dried it will be time to paint some of the detail such as the fan belts and hoses which will bring a bit of contrast to it.

Looking sinisterly almost somewhat mushroom in shape I can only presume that it is a man made cloud from a fire or similar or as Mrs. W enquired, did I leave the cooker on?

With things a little warmer and the Man cave warmed with the heater on it was time to add some paint to the Italeri Mercedes-Benz Actros MP4 engine and gearbox as well as the other associated parts. As described before a black undercoat was applied. Once dry, this will be the ideal colour to overpaint with the required aluminium coloured paint.

Whilst I am waiting for the undercoat to dry I got back to some kit construction with the front steering beam axle. 

Not too complex, just a few fiddly parts and I had to watch where the glue went as the stub axles turn so you can pose the wheels. As you can imagine, once this kit is built I will be sitting on the floor pushing it along going 'broom, broom' so steering is important! Now that would draw a comment from Mrs. Woody!

What did bring comment from Mrs. W. was the rather strange looking sky as we drove back from the Rocks By rail Members Day. 

Looking sinisterly almost somewhat mushroom in shape I can only presume that it is a man made cloud from a fire or similar or as Mrs. W enquired, did I leave the cooker on?