45" truck trailer

[PNKFLOYD]

Have you ever had a modeling project that life got in the way whenever you waited for glue or paint to dry?
This is a 30 yo polyurethane kit from Alloy Forms with cast body parts. The cast parts have bubbles and pits that really show up in the assembled model.

I broke some parts while cutting them out and removing flash with sand paper. I did use ACC to glue things together, which helped straighten out the warped body sides.

The assembly instructions allow you to guess where to place several items including the wheels.
I may have placed them to far back

Even with 2 coats of paint, a clear coat and weathering, surface imperfections and rib pits are very evident in the photos.

I may go back later and try to darken the weathering along the body ribs. The flash on my phone really washs out the color.

From 5 feet this is not a bad looking model, but at 12", it looks beat up.
This is the second cast polyurethane kit I have assembled this year and I have have been disappointed in both results.
Could just be my modeling skills!

 

[santafewillie]

I have have been disappointed in both results.
Could just be my modeling skills!

No. Polyurethane models are all like that, bubbles, pits and warped parts. That could be the reason that most major model manufacturers have gotten away from it. Note that there is a reason that they included those three stiffeners in the kit!
Regarding the wheels; I have seen them in all positions on trailers that came in off the road over the years at our plant. I asked a few drivers why, and the answer was always "cause that's how I like them".

 

[logandsawman]

Mikey, the model I am working on now leaves the assembly order and many other details up to the modeler, all they included is the expanded schematic.

Funny thing, I generally do not follow the suggested order as I spray paint as much as possible before assembly with a rattle can. However, in this case I would have liked to have SOME guidance from the manufacturer and have the option to follow or not.

I am sure you will find a use for this one in some way, as we modelers are masters of adaption!

Dave LASM

 

[PNKFLOYD]

Mikey, the model I am working on now leaves the assembly order and many other details up to the modeler, all they included is the expanded schematic.

Funny thing, I generally do not follow the suggested order as I spray paint as much as possible before assembly with a rattle can. However, in this case I would have liked to have SOME guidance from the manufacturer and have the option to follow or not.

I am sure you will find a use for this one in some way, as we modelers are masters of adaption!

Dave LASM

Dave- I remember seeing some of your modeling, so I know your advice is accurate.
I commented my opinion mostly for new modelers to realize this is not a beginners kit and my thoughts on the quality of the kit.

Like you, I do not always follow printed instructions to the letter. I often inventory kit parts, cut out and clean components, decide if bracing or supports are needed for my own satisfaction. I like to paint and trial fit parts before applying glue. I prefer to use Aleen's glue for many applications since it is flexible when dry. I am a klutz and often bump partially assembled projects.
Thanks for your comments.

 

[kjd]

The tandems on the trailer slide to help with weight management. If there is too much weight on the trailer, slide them back, too much on the truck, slide them forward. Tandems, truck or trailer can have 34,000 lbs, steer axle 12,000 for a total of 80,000. Not moving the trailer wheels can overload the truck or trailer and get you a ticket even if you are under the maximum 80,000 lbs.

As far as molding and casting, it's not hard if you have the right equipment and materials and much more difficult if you don't. I don't think they used the right polyurathane to cast thin trailer sides. I've made lots of molds and castings for work and if something came out like the above, I'd probably not use it. So it's not your modeling skills.

Here is a thread from a couple years ago about making more Atlas dynamic brake hatches after they went unobtainium. Not a bubble to be seen:

Molding and casting resin

In another thread it was pointed out a C channel would be easier to mold and cast than an I beam. It is true that a C channel could be cast in an open face mold but a lot of things are not flat on one side. One of the best parts of model railroading is all the skills and knowledge about...

modelrailroadforums.com

 

[PNKFLOYD]

The tandems on the trailer slide to help with weight management. If there is too much weight on the trailer, slide them back, too much on the truck, slide them forward. Tandems, truck or trailer can have 34,000 lbs, steer axle 12,000 for a total of 80,000. Not moving the trailer wheels can overload the truck or trailer and get you a ticket even if you are under the maximum 80,000 lbs.

I did not know that.
And it is so logical!
Thanks for sharing your knowledge.

 

[Rico]

Paul beat me to it but that’s exactly how the slides work.
Back in the day different states or provinces had different axle weight and length allowances so you’d be sliding the damn things a few times every day! So much fun when they were rusted up!
If the combination was too long you’d have to slide the fifth wheel ahead which meant sliding the trailer bogie as well. This could easily put the steers overweight too, it was an art sometimes.
I’ve never had any form of success with that material in any way so you’ve done well!

 

[PNKFLOYD]

Paul beat me to it but that’s exactly how the slides work.

I am constantly amazed at the the variety of information this forum comes up with.
It just goes to show what a diverse background the members have that model railroading brings together. And people are willing to share in a casual manner.

I have about decided that I will not be doing anymore cast polyurethane kits. The results are too unpredictable for me.

 

[kjd]

I'm not even a truck driver, just have wanted to be one since I was 4.

As far as polyurathane kits, they can be good if they start with a good master and the caster knows what they are doing. Mikey's was not a good kit. Look again at the part that came from my mold, all the grill fins are there and no bumps, bubbles and barely even a part line. (The one in the photo is already primed, but looking at a raw casting now and it would take less than a minute to clean the part line).

 

[ctclibby]

I'm not even a truck driver, just have wanted to be one since I was 4.

As far as polyurathane kits, they can be good if they start with a good master and the caster knows what they are doing. Mikey's was not a good kit. Look again at the part that came from my mold, all the grill fins are there and no bumps, bubbles and barely even a part line. (The one in the photo is already primed, but looking at a raw casting now and it would take less than a minute to clean the part line).

Paul: Somewhat like you, I always loved the smell of diesel. Used to follow busses through town just for that. They seemed to emit more than tractor/trailers for some reason. Anyway, if you would have told me 10 years ago that I would be a truck driver I would have told you that you are off your rocker. Welp, 10 years later I/we have 1.5M miles in a truck. Been everywhere; every Interstate and every State except RI. Dinky little thing and easy to miss.

States still have bridge laws. CA for instance requires that the king pin to the trailer tandem center is 40ft, go over that and ticket. The idea behind sliding the tandems is to balance your load. Most of the time when OTR you get a consistent load of the same stuff so it all is pretty easy and you can slide the tandems back or forward to get the weight balanced. When doing a load split from 2 ( or more ) shippers is where the fun starts. Dispatch was *supposed* to get the heavier stuff 1st in the front of the trailer, then work toward the back. Ya, most of the time. When the trailer front sitting on the drives was over 34K, you can slide the tandems forward which transfers some of the weight to the rear. When the rear is over 34K, then the tandems get slid back. This is where the bridge laws come into effect and you better not be over weight anywhere. If so, back to the shipper(s) and reload.

Example of a consistent load - picked pallets of banana's at Port Hueneme CA @42K. Those guys knew that if they loaded double ( 2 pallets side-by-side) , single then doubles all the way back, you would stay out of the scales and you could slide your tandems if needed. You would be hitting 76K Gross which left room for fuel, both refer and tractor. The actual weight of the banana's depended on the current humidity and how 'fresh' they were. The greener the heavier. Our 'wet' weight is somewhere around 34K with us and our stuff in the tractor; full of fuel, def and other fluids, and of course the trailer MT with full refer tank.

Bad load: We picked a trailer of Potatoes ( 40K on the BoL ) at our yard in Louisville. My strain gauge was abnormally high ( drive weight ) and I took it to the nearest scale. We were at 42K on the drives and there was no way sliding the tandems would do anything; well if I could have slid them in front of the steers - maybe. Took it back to the yard as it was a Michigan bound load with 5 or 6 scales on the way up. Did not want to play. Opened the trailer and found that the shipper in Tucumcari had double stacked the potato sacks in the front of the trailer. DumbSh,.ts We have no idea of how that load got from there to Louisville without going over scales.

One caveat was winter with snow/ice. Now you can slide the tandems back to get weight on the drives for better traction. I have never seen anybody get a ticket for overweight drives in this case. The DOT guys knew what you were doing and would rather have trucks moving down the road instead of spinning on some hill somewhere.

I only had to slide the 5th wheel once. We were last leaving the shipper on a Friday, they closed and we were looking at a 3 day weekend. Nope, lets play with this. Ended up with 18K on the steers but not over gross. Found out at that time I had steers that were rated for that and DOT would complain, although would let us go when shown the scale ticket and the xplain'n got done.

Fun, fun

Later

 

[Rico]

Oh we could have a whole thread just on this topic!
Don’t get us started on bulk loads and axle weights and crooked scales!!