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Post by crizal on Sept 20, 2009 14:42:49 GMT -5
Assemble the cab completely....top/bottom, and sides.
Assemble the interior...except the dashboard. Install the dashboard into the cab..and then install the inside door panels, and then insert, install the cab floor from the bottom..and then you are ready to mount the cab on the frame...works everytime.
Mike
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tiny
CDL Student Driver
"All Things Are Possible"
Posts: 591
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Post by tiny on Sept 21, 2009 14:28:16 GMT -5
Thanks Mike.
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Post by rabbit1212 on Dec 19, 2009 18:41:49 GMT -5
Tiny, I am glad you asked this question and I sure am glad I read all of these because I have the Ford AeroMAx 120 by Italeri and I will be extra careful with it now! Have any of you guys that have posted your tips built this particular truck and have any other advice? I don't want to do the throw and smash thing I did PLENTY of that with the AMT kits as a kid!
Paulie
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Post by crashalot2 on Aug 6, 2010 17:01:08 GMT -5
On the Revell Peterbilts do not mount the cab untill you put the hood on the frame. If the cab is mounted first the hood wont fit right.
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Post by slurrydog on Aug 8, 2010 11:41:57 GMT -5
Great tips from everybody, thanks all. Tiny thanks for starting this post, all the tips are very helpful to me. Dave
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Southgate
Local Delivery Truck Driver
Posts: 334
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Post by Southgate on Aug 18, 2010 3:11:05 GMT -5
Tiny, I hafta say i'm a little surprised to see this question come from you. When I received that Ford LTL from you, I thought the cab was glued together as well as can be expected. Was kinda glad someone already did the tedious part!
Paulie... I have built an Aeromax and a Western Star with good results, and heres one thing I strongly reccomend: One thing I like to do to assure the joints won't split later on is to add a about a quarter inch wide strip of .010 or .020 styrene to overlap the backs of the joints using liquid cement. This reinforces the joint to many times the strength of just gluing the joints. My models have withstood handling very well after doing this, whereas those joints used to be a weak point. And they would break at the worst possible time. (That's when they get thrown, right?!!) Do this during initial assembly.
On tops of cabs where the joint line can't be hidden body filler of choice is required. I use something called "Spot Lite" from automotive paint supplier. (Highly experienced model builder Herold Perry turned me on to this.) It sands and smooths nicely with styrene. It uses a hardener like epoxy rather than having to actually dry like puttys sold in hobby shops. (Hate 'em all!) Therefore, It cures quickly and does not shrink as it does so. You can be filing and sanding within about a half hour. Try that with air dry putties!
Hope this helps someone... Dan
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Post by loghauler70 on Aug 20, 2010 14:27:49 GMT -5
I just took a head count I have 47 built Italeri trucks I have at least 1 of every american truck they have realeased. I have multiples in some cases. I do like Jim said and start from the floor and work my way up. I use the floor to keep things lined up wile I assemble the cab. I have tried painting the cab pannels before I assemble the but it works better for me to assemble the cab then paint it. I do leave the back pannel off the cab for final assembly it makes it easier to put the glass and the dash and door pannels in.
Mark
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tiny
CDL Student Driver
"All Things Are Possible"
Posts: 591
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Post by tiny on Aug 21, 2010 14:05:36 GMT -5
Thanks for all the tips everybody, they'll help me as well as others. Dan, I must admit, the LTL cab was already assembled when I received the kit. I'm tackling a Italeri Volvo rebuild which I'll post pix of soon.
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Post by crackerboxkid on Nov 24, 2010 8:11:14 GMT -5
I was so excited when they FINALLY offered a kit of my all time favorite cabover... the White Freightliner... but was so disappointed when I opened the box and discovered all the kit's faults, like that @#$#@@ split roof, and my pet peeve... the overly thick casting around the windshield(s)... As it turns out, I never even ended up building one! I am gonna give it a shot now though.... One thing I'm gonna do is cut the roof sections off a donor kit and glue them together, filling and sanding that seam until it disappears. Then I'll replace all the rivet detail with real brass rivets, available from Scale Hardware. I'm removing the way-too-thick doors and "back-sanding" them until they're thin and more in-scale, then scratch building all the channeling along their inner edges. I'm planning to use that same back-sanding technique to the area behind the windshied, so the "glass" will fit flush against the weather stripping, instead of sitting a scale three inches back from the outer edge. It's gonna be a challenge, but I'm like thirty+ years overdue to have a Freightshaker on my shelf, so I'm goin' for it!
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mountaindewd
Local Delivery Truck Driver
IIIII GOTTA GET ME SOME!!!!
Posts: 276
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Post by mountaindewd on Nov 24, 2010 19:11:55 GMT -5
Cracker,
That is a good mindset to have. The worst that could happen is you'll end up with a box of spare parts and the knowledge of what to do/not to do next time.
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Post by towguy76 on May 26, 2012 23:03:25 GMT -5
Glad i read this since i have an Italeri Pete 378 kit that i plan to build into a 379 soon. I have built the Italeri Pete 377 many years ago and painted the panels before assembling the cab but never was happy with the outcome. I also built the Revell Ford Areomax an even longer time ago but dont remember how i built it. I have built the Italeri kit of the Volvo with the 48 ft trailer in the last couple of years but the truck was a quick build since i mainly wanted the trailer.
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Post by towguy76 on May 26, 2012 23:04:53 GMT -5
I also have the AMT Freightliner coe DD kit. Once i saw how the cab is cast, it went back into the box and back into the closet for when i am willing to deal with that headache.
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