tabmodels Posted March 24, 2017 Share Posted March 24, 2017 This is a commissioned model of an actual tractor and hedgecutter. The real TW30 lost it's transfer case and driveshaft as a result of free-wheeling down a road, and was converted to 2wd but still retained the 4wd front axle. This was an opportunity to fit a Hydrocut Giraffe hedgecutter since the transfer case no longer fouled the fitting beneath the tractor. The outfit was used for heavy hedge work despite not being fully completed, so this model will be finished as the real outfit was intended to be. Starting out with a Britains TW30, I binned the front axle in favour of a scratch built replacement. Driveshaft removed and weights chopped from skid unit. Front wheel centres scratch built with appropriate hubs and ten stud dish. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tabmodels Posted March 25, 2017 Author Share Posted March 25, 2017 Cab rear half window opened and frame painted silver, tractor rear end re-modelled (hydraulic arms were removed on the real tractor). Front axle detailed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JEP Posted March 25, 2017 Share Posted March 25, 2017 Excellent! including the best back window job I have seen on any Ford/County modifications. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Tractor Twitcher Posted March 25, 2017 Share Posted March 25, 2017 Fabulous work. Love that front axle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alf aphid Posted March 25, 2017 Share Posted March 25, 2017 Superb once again, you are into hedgecutters!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tabmodels Posted March 26, 2017 Author Share Posted March 26, 2017 On 25/03/2017 at 6:49 PM, alf aphid said: Superb once again, you are into hedgecutters!! Thanks! Yes very much so, our family contracting business specialised in hedge cutting, I've seen some weird and wonderful designs over the years! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tabmodels Posted March 26, 2017 Author Share Posted March 26, 2017 Here is the actual machine I'm modelling Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alf aphid Posted March 26, 2017 Share Posted March 26, 2017 Good grief that's a fair thing! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justy 46 Posted March 27, 2017 Share Posted March 27, 2017 That was a hell of a lot if power to put on a hedge cutter back then . Is it retired ?? Or still in use ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tabmodels Posted March 27, 2017 Author Share Posted March 27, 2017 4 hours ago, justy 46 said: That was a hell of a lot if power to put on a hedge cutter back then . Is it retired ?? Or still in use ? It was fitted to the TW30 about 15 years ago, the hedge cutter has a serious reach and with the heavy flail head attached it made things very unstable, it needed to be fitted to a big heavy tractor. It is still in use, it can saw branches where no other hedge cutter can even get close! The arm can swing over to work on the opposite side and if it was mounted to a smaller tractor, the flail can be placed across the front wheels to cut grass within the width of the tractor. Extremely versatile machine and amazing design. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justy 46 Posted March 27, 2017 Share Posted March 27, 2017 39 minutes ago, tabmodels said: It was fitted to the TW30 about 15 years ago, the hedge cutter has a serious reach and with the heavy flail head attached it made things very unstable, it needed to be fitted to a big heavy tractor. It is still in use, it can saw branches where no other hedge cutter can even get close! The arm can swing over to work on the opposite side and if it was mounted to a smaller tractor, the flail can be placed across the front wheels to cut grass within the width of the tractor. Extremely versatile machine and amazing design. Very good , It is a fair monster . Looking forward to seeing the model when done. Keep up the good work Ian. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tabmodels Posted March 28, 2017 Author Share Posted March 28, 2017 Will do, cheers Justin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mb86 Posted March 28, 2017 Share Posted March 28, 2017 Great work yet again Ian. Love the extra detailed axle and back end. The real machine is a fair tool, what is the reach on the cutter? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tabmodels Posted March 29, 2017 Author Share Posted March 29, 2017 21 hours ago, mb86 said: Great work yet again Ian. Love the extra detailed axle and back end. The real machine is a fair tool, what is the reach on the cutter? Thanks Martin, I've never measured the reach but it's close on 30ft from the ground, when fully up it's hard to actually see what you're doing! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tabmodels Posted March 29, 2017 Author Share Posted March 29, 2017 13 hours ago, MadMark said: A monster hedge cutter, nice you know how to keep people interested with you model making skills. keep up the good work mate Cheers Mark, I like to build things I've never seen modelled before, keeps things interesting for me too Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tabmodels Posted March 29, 2017 Author Share Posted March 29, 2017 Most of the modified parts done, rear wheels detailed with rebuilt hubs and cut down wheel weights, and front axle installed with that missing driveline Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tabmodels Posted June 7, 2017 Author Share Posted June 7, 2017 Wheels painted and detailed... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tabmodels Posted June 7, 2017 Author Share Posted June 7, 2017 Work started on Hydrocut Giraffe, main frame, PTO shaft and pump... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluegreen Posted June 9, 2017 Share Posted June 9, 2017 Brilliant work , looking very good, although I would be tempted to put a fresh set of the original TW30 decals on it as opposed to those crude black and white ones on the real machine. After all I suspect the black and white decals were put in place only because the originals had faded out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tabmodels Posted June 10, 2017 Author Share Posted June 10, 2017 10 hours ago, bluegreen said: Brilliant work , looking very good, although I would be tempted to put a fresh set of the original TW30 decals on it as opposed to those crude black and white ones on the real machine. After all I suspect the black and white decals were put in place only because the originals had faded out. Thank you, Yes I will be re-drawing the original decal again. The original decal on the real machine was in bad shape and it wasn't in my budget at the time to fork out silly money for a new one! It probably could have been achieved with layers of vinyl, but I went black with white lettering and there was an orange and red stripe above that like the gen 3 decals. It was and attempt to bring some colour to the tractor and bring it up to date on a budget (the vinyl lettering cost £20 and Ford were looking £130 for the decals!) but I would definitely go with the original white today. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tabmodels Posted June 10, 2017 Author Share Posted June 10, 2017 11 hours ago, bluegreen said: Brilliant work , looking very good, although I would be tempted to put a fresh set of the original TW30 decals on it as opposed to those crude black and white ones on the real machine. After all I suspect the black and white decals were put in place only because the originals had faded out. I did have even bigger plans to finish the hedge cutting machinery in its own livery, the tractors were going to have red skid units, black cab and bonnet, either yellow or gold wheels and rooftop, and the hedge cutters were to be finished in red to match the skid units. Advertisement logo and lettering on the tractors, and the Girraffe would be renamed the Hydrocut Scorpion for obvious reasons! Don't know how I would have got around the blue cab interior though! I'd like to build a model of it in this livery just to see how it might have turned out Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mb86 Posted June 10, 2017 Share Posted June 10, 2017 1 hour ago, tabmodels said: I did have even bigger plans to finish the hedge cutting machinery in its own livery, the tractors were going to have red skid units, black cab and bonnet, either yellow or gold wheels and rooftop, and the hedge cutters were to be finished in red to match the skid units. Advertisement logo and lettering on the tractors, and the Girraffe would be renamed the Hydrocut Scorpion for obvious reasons! Don't know how I would have got around the blue cab interior though! I'd like to build a model of it in this livery just to see how it might have turned out OMFG! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tabmodels Posted June 10, 2017 Author Share Posted June 10, 2017 52 minutes ago, mb86 said: OMFG! I had a funny feeling any Ford purists wouldn't like that idea! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tabmodels Posted September 4, 2017 Author Share Posted September 4, 2017 Finally getting back to this build for a short while, I've decided to have a fully working arm as this is proving to be a very tricky build and I may not make another one Lots of odd shapes and angles in the arm and I haven't even got to the head yet! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stabliofarmer Posted September 4, 2017 Share Posted September 4, 2017 As ever, astonishing work Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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