1/32 Volvo FH Tridem with Houghton Parkhouse Platinum Tri Deck Livestock Body

[Stabliofarmer]

I'd asked for help with this one a little while ago, so thought I'd share the progress so far. This is my evening project while I'm in the caravan on the farm I'm working on. 

The real deal I'm working from

The start point for this build was working out the body, so that's what gets drawn up, I have the length of the body from the owner, the rest of the figures are an educated guess based on things like where do the vents line up with the donor cab, or does that look right at 5mm wide, or does 4mm look more correct. I've always drawn a lot and I think the understanding of perspective that I've developed while drawing really helps with guessing the dimensions.

So to start it's just a big blank canvas, in this case 1mm styrene (from Station Road Baseboards, the cheapest supplier of large A3 sheets of styrene I've found, and great service/speedy delivery). 

The drawing is transfered from my paper sketch onto the plastic, making any adjustments as I go. Cutting is with my trusty 18mm snap off knife. I think most modelers would find this knife abut too bulk and restrictive, but so much of my work is made up of long straight cuts it works perfectly. I've used x-acto knifes but find they snap the sharp end too often and are difficult to pull straight lines with. A Swan scalpel is one tool I keep meaning to try, most old school modellers that I look up to seem to swear by them. 

When drawing up the bodies, whether it's a Livestock trailer, silage trailer, or anything else for that matter I'm thinking in layers. These are based of the common material thicknesses I use, 0.5mm,1mm and 1.25mm, with the occasional 0.25mm thrown in. As I'm drawing I'm breaking the model down into these layers and each detail sits on a different layer. Very fine details are scored in with a pointed tool. 

The first layer is the structural one, all that was needed here was to cut the apertures for the vents. 

With this model there is only two layers, the 1mm structural one, and a 0.5mm detailing layer, this layer has some additional detail scribed in to represent panel lines etc. 

The main beams, and vent shutters make up the 0.5mm layer, extrusion patterns, panel lines, or rivet/bolts are represented by scribing them in the plastic. 

The sides are joined together with the internal skeleton. In this case the internal detail won't be very visible so simple squares of plasticard can be used to make up the internals. For full interiors plastruct profiles are used to create a strong but narrow internal skeleton. 

[Stabliofarmer]

The next consideration is the cab. In this case there is a relatively close cab readily available, the Welly Volvo FH is the chosen donor, a Marge would be abit too pricy to cut about like this from a customer point of view. 

So the two main changes are to drop to roof height, and to add Volvos 'construction' bumper. 

The cab lowering is nice and simple, cut it off! The cab is stripped of all other parts, plastics, windows etc. Then marked at the point I want to cut and cut with a hacksaw in a vice. A dremel is probably a faster tool for this but I like the control you get with a hand tool. 

A new roof is added using plasticard, the curves are filed and sanded in, with some filler to plug any gaps. 

The new roof design is then built up in plastic. It was surprisingly hard to find any shots of the roof of this low style cab. Luckily there is a 1:50th scale model available and some photos of those show the roof. 

Air deflector next, whenever there's curves involved I normally reach for the card. Its faster to cut, and therefore faster to layer up to make thick layers, it's also quicker to sand. The air deflector is mount board sides layered up, with cereal card for the curves. 

The basic shape 

After sanding and sealing. Card doesn't mix well with spray paint, it's absorbent properties mean it sucks it all up rather than letting it sit on top. This is only on the edges, or on the non printed side of cereal card, and just the edges of mount board. To overcome this I use very thin cheap pound shop superglue, the sort you get in a pack of three 10g bottles. Apply, let it soak in and set (takes seconds), then sand back, gives a smooth and non-pouros finish to the card. 

Next job was the construction bumper, this was abit of head scratching and when my thinking caps on I usually forget to pick up the camera! Basically I built it up from layers of plastic, and some parts cut to the contour of the curve of the original bumper. 

 

[Stabliofarmer]

The final piece for now is where my original query is solved, the vents! I tried my original idea of using a thin aluminium foil container and scribing the pattern in. I couldn't keep the lines looking regimented and consistent, even with a stencil. 

So back to the drawing board, I've been talking with CutLaserCut about thinner materials than acrylic for another bigger project (a 4 deck artic version of this trailer, with the same vents) and we've come to the conclusion that laser cut 0.5mm HIPS, basically plasticard, is the best option. The four deck is a huge project, with lots of money being spent, so experimentation was possible, this wouldn't have been the case for an order the size of this build. But I've been able to sneak a set of grills for this build onto the cut list and look forward to receiving them. For now I just have the photo of the test cut, I've gone with the bottom option for cutting. 

 

[jmd]

interesting seeing how you work james thanks for posting up

[Fenside MF]

those adjustments you did to alter the cab specification are brilliant James

[Valley Axe Man]

Good to see James, like your silage trailer thread its an insight as to what goes into a build from start to finish. Well done and keep it up 

 

[Stabliofarmer]

The chassis is next on the agenda, I usually start with 6.4mm Plastruct U channel, not necessarily scale accurate, but its a compromise I make for the strength it provides. 

At the rear end the bumper is fabricated from various sheet material and some 3.2mm round bar.

At the front is a steering axle, constructed from sheet and 4.8mm square bar. 

And the same at the rear, the suspension for the two driven axles is relatively simple, the detail would never be seen, and strength is far more important in my eyes. Its always at the back of your mind that the model is going in a box and through the postal system once its finished. 

Chassis accessories are up next, fuel tanks are made from mount board and plasticard sheet. 

The back door is simplified from the real thing in that the details are just scribed in for the smaller opening door. Lots of plasticard sheet and abit of section for this. 

Eventually got my hands on the laser cut vents, they spent 2 months lost in the postal system. 

Fitted straight in and look spot on, slightly over scaled if you got a measure over them, but sometimes you need to go with what looks right perspectively rather than what the maths says. 

[Stabliofarmer]

Paint goes on next. For paint I use Halfords/hycote when I can get away with it in rattle cans. When it gets abit more complicated or specific I use the local car body supply shop. In this case the customer knew the paint code for the blue so they mixed it up in a rattle can, and the red was just Halford toolbox red. 

Quick test for to make sure it all goes together

The steering axles are held on with small pins, never wracking to fit as if the superglue runs it gets in the entire steering mechanism and seizes the lot! 

The mudguards are made from a deodorant can, the tin is abit thicker and more rigid than food/drinks cans. I'd like to say I left this job till now to check they fitted properly. It was I fact, as so often happens, I completely forgot they where there. This is where checking over photos often comes in handy. 

Mudguards in place

 

[Stabliofarmer]

For decals I was quite lucky, the customer had all the images from his sign writer, so I only have some modification, colour matching and resizing to do. This is done using Microsoft Office Publisher and Paint.Net. A view of my decal document just before printing. 

I then test print to check colour roughly (it will look different when printed in full quality on gloss decal paper), and more critically that the size is correct. 

These are printed on white water slide decal paper, as clear would not show up against the dark blue background. 

The construction bumper painted and ready to go on, I'm very pleased with how this particular part has come out! 

RHD dashboard, forgot to take any photos while building, its largely mount board, plasticard and abit of aluminium foil. Then moulded and cast in resin. 

[Stabliofarmer]

A brief interlude for the lightbars. 

These start life as 8mm rhinstones/diamontes/gems. 

I cut the edges off to make them slightly rectangular. I have had a number of comments in the past about them looking abit tacky, so tried something new with these. I have sanded them down to remove the cut stone shaping, and then bought back the smoothness with finer sand paper. Starting at 220,moving to 400,then 1200 finishing on 3000.

I needed 10 for this particular vehicle. 

For the body of the bars I use 2mm Aluminium wire, this is real malleable making it easy to shape. I straighten a section out in a vice to start with. 

Then use a small set of pliers to bend and manipulate it. Using the cab to check fitment and shape. 

Now somewhere to mount the lights is needed, so I use some plasticard cut to size and glued to the aluminium. 

I'm missing photos for the next steps, but basically they're primed and painted in chrome effect paint. This is left to set for a good few days before the lights are then glued on. The air horns are some 4.8mm tube sanded to conical shape and glued to some cut pieces of 1mm sheet. 

Some black paint finishes off the final details for these. 

[Stabliofarmer]

This brings me up to final assembly, always a nervous time, steady hand with the glue required before hours of paint work is ruined! 

And the final piece comes out as below. I have to say I'm chuffed to bits with this one, was very sad to see it leave my shed. 

[Fenside MF]

absolutely fantastic model you have made again James,Im sure the blue is a genuine volvo colour as I have seen that on volvo fm's and fl's

[sipher172]

Great model and once again a fantastic description of your building process.  Really shows off your precision craftsmanship. 

[844john]

Stunning James!

[Stabliofarmer]

Thanks for the feedback guys, I am very pleased with how this has turned out. 

[Stabliofarmer]

19 hours ago, Fenside MF said:

absolutely fantastic model you have made again James,Im sure the blue is a genuine volvo colour as I have seen that on volvo fm's and fl's

Yes it seems that Volvo and Scania share the colour it's Pacific Blue but has a Volvo and Scania paint code allocation. Thankfully the customer had the info to hand as its a lovely colour and nice to have it an exact match to the real thing. 

[jmd]

brilliant james

[Valley Axe Man]

Nice work there James , very similar colours to A.J Knowles of Clitheroe, Alan seems to be keen on his Volvo's of late, could be up to a pair of artics and a wagon and drag now

[Stabliofarmer]

Cheers chaps. 

A Knowles one is a high contender for my own collection, Paul. They have a Platinum 4 Deck which looks very tidy, and which I'm in the process of developing as a model kit. 

[Valley Axe Man]

25 minutes ago, Stabliofarmer said:

Cheers chaps. 

A Knowles one is a high contender for my own collection, Paul. They have a Platinum 4 Deck which looks very tidy, and which I'm in the process of developing as a model kit. 

Look forward to seeing that progress then James 

[JD1968]

Very nice James

[Stabliofarmer]

10 hours ago, JD1968 said:

Very nice James

Thank you Lee

[Dusty Dan]

Wonderful craftsmanship!