B O R Posted February 16, 2014 Author Share Posted February 16, 2014 Ive visited a Caretaker yesterday, it was four hours away from me so i stayed over. I arrived at the farm at 11.45 and started measuring at 12, due to the extreme size and design of the machine i was still there at 5 o clock, i took some 110 photographs and sketched out 24 A4 size pages of every part of the machine front to back, im hope im right but i now believe i have all i need to proceed although technically it has already began in terms of research. My first step will be to convert all my sizes to 1/32 and then itll be hands on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B O R Posted February 16, 2014 Author Share Posted February 16, 2014 The project is huge but now after going round and under and over the machine and through it with a fine tooth comb i now understand it much better..A very important rule i follow is to NEVER TRY AND TAKE SUCH A MACHINE IN AS A UNIT.. Instead break it down, and by this policy i begin with the most important part which is the frame, i had to get under the machine and measure every bar and every position of every part on the frame.This machine is nothing more than a huge metal frame with all the individual components and units added to it, its far from simple and no doubt many problems will arise during the build but im quite looking forward to the more enjoyable bits as the framework is right up my street....The hopper will follow after the frame Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jordan_coe2012 Posted February 16, 2014 Share Posted February 16, 2014 That is some machine im looking forward to following you progress on this! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
altrac Posted February 18, 2014 Share Posted February 18, 2014 Some cracking models there Brian! I look forward to seeing your progress with the grader Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B O R Posted February 24, 2014 Author Share Posted February 24, 2014 3 x deutz fahr fh900 foragers now painted and being built up, these will be completed by the weekend...im slowly working on a few of my own new additions at the minute but my own stuff does take a back seat over orders unfortunately, but on the bright side im keeping a deutz fh900 and hoping a deutz dx range tractor will come in time to display it with... At this minute in time i have looming over me what will be my biggest challenge to date, the caretaker 1800 graders.. Its not that the builds make me nervous about whats lies ahead but more the thoughts of how many problems will arise during the build, my initial worries is the fact that this model must be built section by section and all painted individually thus allowing rollers and cleaners and belts and riddles to be fitted before final assembly. For many weeks ahead the model will look no more than a brass skeleton in which every measurement must be completely exact otherwise the sections wont fit together, some may wonder why im doing three but from my point of view theres been so much time spent studying and measuring the machine that its a shame to only have one model at the end, the information will be better used in three. When i build my models in batches i keep one slighly ahead of the rest and this means that when a mistake is made it can be quickly identified and corrected in that model rather than the same mistake made over all the models, so when my leading caretaker is being made its not as hard 2nd and 3rd time around as im simply copying the leader...it will be a long journey through the graders and no doubt much will be learned, i dont know if there is such a thing as a professional or expert model builder as every week i learn so much more that its hard to imagine ever knowing all there is to know, every build tests you,re mind but also learns you so much that its a long drawn out learning curve and for me now its 30 years since first tinkering with my beloved britains toys which has started it all, id never have imagined considering such a thing as a grader or even thought it could be done but they say god loves a trier..One very important thing here obviously is understanding the machine and what it does, also careful measuring of all parts to assist in the build, but you also need enthusiam, a driving force and for me its the mental picture i get firmly embedded in my head prior to the build beginning, the end product must be imagined and then pictured and engraved in your mind and i find this carries me the whole way through to the end, once the model has been built and you,re ready to paint its then i feel the battle has been won.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IAINH1973 Posted February 24, 2014 Share Posted February 24, 2014 I always find with my builds that the thought process and problem solving takes the most time and can become all consuming when trying to get the perfect model build. I am always amazed at the number and rate of production of your models. I read an article a while ago on altzimers that stated that modelling could help stave off the progression of this terrible condition. Not if our hobby drives us crazy first though!!! Keep up the good work Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B O R Posted February 28, 2014 Author Share Posted February 28, 2014 completed deutz fahr fh900s....one was requested on yellow wheels, one is for myself and the other is for sale... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B O R Posted February 28, 2014 Author Share Posted February 28, 2014 ill get some better pics taken soon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B O R Posted March 2, 2014 Author Share Posted March 2, 2014 Deutz Fahr FH900 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B O R Posted March 2, 2014 Author Share Posted March 2, 2014 FH900 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B O R Posted March 2, 2014 Author Share Posted March 2, 2014 this fh900 is for sale Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B O R Posted March 2, 2014 Author Share Posted March 2, 2014 this HOWARD 90 inch HR40 rotavator is also for sale Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B O R Posted March 2, 2014 Author Share Posted March 2, 2014 NEW HOLLAND 717 SUPER for sale also Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B O R Posted March 2, 2014 Author Share Posted March 2, 2014 JF FC800 for sale Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B O R Posted March 2, 2014 Author Share Posted March 2, 2014 Taarup single chop with linkage to suit britains, this is the narrowest single chop and I had it displayed with a britains mf135 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B O R Posted March 2, 2014 Author Share Posted March 2, 2014 and finally a JF FCT 1050.. This model was ordered last year with a wider pick up reel from a fct1100, sadly after requesting all that the customer never returned so now im selling it, customers not returning after ordering has happened a few times but I now avoid this unpleasant experience by getting paid BEFORE model builds begin, ill always remember the customers who didn't come back after ordering and they wont be getting any future models built.....for details of any of the items for sale please pm me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B O R Posted March 2, 2014 Author Share Posted March 2, 2014 JF FCT1050 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B O R Posted March 3, 2014 Author Share Posted March 3, 2014 Deutz fahr fh900 and jf fc800 now sold Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B O R Posted March 3, 2014 Author Share Posted March 3, 2014 Taarup single chop sold Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B O R Posted March 4, 2014 Author Share Posted March 4, 2014 orange howard 90" rotavator and red howard 160" sold.......i only have a red 80"howard left for sale Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B O R Posted March 5, 2014 Author Share Posted March 5, 2014 this is my 2nd evening shift at the grader builds.. it would be fair to say the project has well and truly began. Last night was mainly decorating my model building room in all the pictures i took by 2 disposable cameras, i have also pics on my digital camera that will constantly be used during the builds, although i did get a start made last night on one of the main frames which are huge. My plan is to have a leading model and ill build this to a certain stage and then come along and build the other 2 behind it. For many weeks ahead it will be all brass framework and for me this is my most enjoyable part of any build, there is a immense amount of work in the main frame and a serious amount of lugs and mounting brackets which must be 100% in the correct places or my later stages will immediately be in danger of not working. Tonight after my shift when i was looking at the framework ive done so far which measures 17inches long i was thinking its a bit like a snooker player lining up all his balls to pocket and then when there all positioned exactly right he can zoom round and knock them in!! This early stage im at is one of complete trial and error but fortunately my research and measurements are see,ing me through very well so far with no errors yet being made. I like to have confidence in my build and for this i must first do my research and make sure every single measurement is correct and that i strictly follow every one of them, this eliminates any guesswork which would be too chancy in such a complex build. Its just starting to hit me what ive taken on but numbers are finalised, payments made, endless research including driving a total of 8 hours there and back to visit a real one, and loads of materials ordered so its now way to late to pull out. The fun is only just beginning, i wonder what month i can have photos of the end product here on this page, a rough guess would be early august but thats completely unimportant, the main goal is to get it right... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B O R Posted March 7, 2014 Author Share Posted March 7, 2014 another grader shift just finished and the confusion of working out my next moves are constantly revolving in my head, as there is no instructions in a scratchbuild to follow its always trial and error and very often later discovering there was in fact a simpler way to go about things, but thats part of learning and now that im fully involved in the grader builds and its very early stages it feels like there is a mountain to climb. My grader has began from the ground up and this is of course the massive mainframe and although its simple enough looking there is a huge amount of brass and making in it. I try not to take in too much more information at a time than i have to but tonight i looked at all there is above the mainframe on the real machine and instantly got overloaded with data, its very easy to get confused by taking in too much information at a time, it cant of course be avoided as you do have to be thinking of the next moves but i find it better not to get too far ahead especially when you,,re building it..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B O R Posted April 13, 2014 Author Share Posted April 13, 2014 As work on the graders progresses slowly but surely so too does my working out of problems along the way. The difference in these builds and many previous ones is that the whole model must be built in such a way that the belts, riddles and rollers can be fitted after painting, this means that im building it in individual sections and to date ive 129 hours accumulated over the 3 models. Im keeping a catalogue of pictures along the way and will have it as a subject at the end or an article for a magazine is also in my mind at this point...It is incredibly frustrating at times and theres a lot of thinking involved, i dont think ive ever before gone through as much brass and solder in such a short time, the mainframes are all brass and is progressing nicely and the reception hoppers are brass framed and plasticard and brass sheeting and these are also 90% constructed at present. I knew it would be slow work but all in all im pleased so far although quite a few minor mistakes were made and then corrected, thats the beauty of brass, is something is wrong then it can simply be sliced open and then joined again by means of a smaller box section inserted and then resoldered, a job like this will always bring trial and error and thats just part of it and i do learn from my mistakes as it costs me time correcting them. Ive actually burned out 2x soldering iron tips so far and am now on my 3rd reflecting just how much solder work there is. Its a job thats impossible to rush and its better realising that when i begin and this way at least i can slow my mind down to actually enjoying the build rather than getting worked up about it, ive found that i must be in the right frame of mind when dealing with problems as it takes the thinking cap on at all times...To process things slower in the head is much better than rushing in and realising afterwards that there was a better way of doing it, and to process things slower you must take a machines every single section and break it down in the head so as you better understand what you,re doing, easier said than done of course.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B O R Posted April 23, 2014 Author Share Posted April 23, 2014 nearly ten days on and things are looking good.There has been late nights and much studying of pics and indeed minor errors along the way, its impossible to rush a job such as the graders as a mistake on one section will lead to the next or the previous section not working in conjuction with it, the sections are from the rear first 1) the reception hopper (now 90% built) 2) the small flat elevator 3) the scotts evolution unit 4) the easy-grade unit ( now 90%) built) 5) the inspection tables 6) the elevators (now 90% built) and of course the mainframe is the biggest single piece and its now 75% built and the 4 step units will be built at the end. the frames are very complex indeed and are all brass with a lot of soldering involved...The potato set up requires a hell of a lot of machinery which has been mentioned in last edition of model farmer magazine and the items that are mentioned as being unavailable have nearly all been covered now by myself. But as many know i have absolutely no interest in building models that ive already built a batch of, i prefer to stick to very small batches of around 5 or less and never repeat them again. I find it much more interesting to be moving along with new projects and learning all the time... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B O R Posted April 23, 2014 Author Share Posted April 23, 2014 Ive decided that im going to have no more yearly plans or lists, instead just decide as i go along what will be next and then build a small number of them. I have found it difficult working with customers who order and then never come back or get you started with a small deposit and then having to chase after the rest and this is of course no good at all, the costs of brass building is immense and its constantly outgoing and then time on top, a lot of other things in life have to suffer because of the commitment to model building which requires huge amounts of hours from start to finish. Ive decided to cut down from here on regarding models to sell and no model will be built on a promise nor a small deposit, nothing can be pre-ordered without payment first. From here on i wont be repeating any previous models but instead carefully picking out widely used and local machinery mostly from yesteryear, machinery that ive desired to have in 1/32 and along with one for myself ill be building a small number alongside, as the models will be decided as i go along i will be posting up my plans just prior to each batch beginning anf this way the customer can have from start date to completion to pay which is fair all round.. The very long hours can be stressfull when holding down a 5 day week day job and when its awkward complex building such a the graders it pushes the mind to the limits regarding working out and how things are going to work, so im planning on easing off a bit regarding orders.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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