I have got to the stage with the Italeri Mercedes-Benz Actros MP4 kit where I can temporarily put the wheels on and see if I have built the chassis straight and flat - i.e. all the wheels sit on the ground.
The good thing is that they do which is a relief!
Next up is permanently attaching the wheels so that they still rotate as well as stay on the axels!
Did we really have a visitation from Darth Vader of Star Wars fame? Well despite having had some celebrities visit over the years, this was actually Steve who was fully PPE'd up to the eye balls (literally) whilst cleaning up the footplate of steam loco 1931. Oh well but may the force be with you Steve!
I was back in the Bone Yard on a mission of vegetational butchery and to rescue the water pipe that so many saplings had grown through trapping it from liberation.
Having cut all the saplings down it was possible to get the roll of pipe out of its resting place.
And then it moved onto a new resting place where it is at least visible so it may come in useful now we know we have it!
Hopefully next time I get a chance to clear some more saplings the view will be even better!
Much as people think that I move in a shadowy World, the types of shadow that I am talking about here are the ones that are created on a model to accentuate detail. The two wheels in the photo below are an example. On the right is the 'before' wheel where the detail of the wheel nuts and studs fades into the overall silver colour of the rest of the wheel. On the left is the wheel where some dilute black paint, in this case Nulin Oil from the Citadel range, has been pin pointed applied to create a shadow around the base of the nut which just adds that extra highlight. Look at things in real life and there is that shadow no matter how clean they are! Well that is what I tell Mrs. Woody when she questions me after I clean up the house!
I did all six wheels and then moved onto the chassis where the raised nuts and rivets on the chassis received a similar treatment as did parts of the engine which is now mounted in the chassis and connected to the drive axel by the propshaft.
Taking a closer look at the chassis the subtly but effectiveness of the shadow effect can be seen.
And even more so in this picture.
Now it is time for me to get back to my shadowy World!
With some warmer weather it was time to do some paint spraying. A lengthy session resulted in many of the parts for the Italeri Mercedes-Benz Actros MP4 receiving paint. The wheels are painted and ready to be assembled. The cab interior panels, seats and dashboard are in their base colour of dark grey and now require the details to be picked out in contrasting colours. The rear mudguards are ready to be fitted having been given a coat of black followed by some semi gloss varnish which was also used to give the chassis some sheen. The fuel tanks just need their attachment straps painted in chassis colour and they can then be fitted along with the catwalks. All in all a good amount of preparatory work for further progress!
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.
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! 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.
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!
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!
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!
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!
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.
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.
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.
