STEP 1A & 1b
BUILDING A SOUTHERN TUXEDO GP7 by BOB HARPE
STEP 1A) CAREFULLY REMOVE THE CAB, LONG HOOD AND SHORT HOOD FROM THE WALKWAY.
STEP 1B) DRILL HOLES IN PILOT FACE WITH # 72 BIT AND FILL WITH .025
PLASTIC ROD. SEE PHOTO BELOW:
** YOU MAY SKIP THIS STEP IF YOU CHOOSE TO USE THE KIT DETAIL
PARTS. DO NOT ADD THESE PARTS YET.
STEP 1C) PLUG SLITS IN BOTH DOORS WITH .010 X .040 PLASTIC STRIP. SEE
PHOTO BELOW:
** THIS STEP IS NOT NECESSARY, BUT WILL IMPROVE THE LOOKS OF
YOUR MODEL.
STEP 1D) COVER ALL LIFT RING HOLES ( FROM INSIDE ) WITH .015 X .080
X .080 PLASTIC STRIPS. SEE PHOTO BELOW:
QUESTION:
WHY DID WE "COVER" THE EYEBOLT/LIFT RING HOLES WITH THE 015 STYRENE?
WAS IT TO GIVE SOMETHING TO DRILL INTO FOR THE WIRE ONES?
IF SO, THEN WE WEREN'T TO FILL THESE?
JUST CURIOUS.
EJOYING EVERY MINUTE OF THESE POSTINGS. ALTHOUGH I'M NOT MODELEING A GEEP,
I'M SURE A LOT OF THIS WILL BE APPLICABLE TO MY TWO SD-9'S WHEN I GET TO
START ON THEM....
ANSWER:
YES, THE .015 PLASTIC WAS GLUED OVER THE HOLES THAT HOLD THE FACTORY LIFT
RINGS, ROOF GRAB IRONS AND THE GRAB ON THE ENGINEER'S SIDE RIGHT BEHIND THE
CAB. I LIKE TO REPLACE THESE KIT SUPPLIED PARTS WITH DA AND DW PARTS AND
FILLING THESE HOLES AND REDRILLING THEM HELPS TO HOLD THE NEW PARTS IN PLACE
WHEN YOU FLIP THE MODEL OVER TO GLUE THEM IN. I DESPISE PLACING THESE TINY
DETAIL PARTS IN THEIR RESPECTIVE LOCATIONS AND THEN HAVING THEM FALL OUT WHEN
I TRY TO GLUE THEM IN.
THE P2K MODELS DO A SATISFACTORY JOB OF SUPPLYING US WITH DETAIL PARTS, BUT
I'VE SEEN TOO MANY NICE LOOKING MODELS WITH BROKEN OR MISSING LIFT RINGS,
BROKEN OR MISSING GRAB IRONS AND THESE DAMAGED PARTS SURE DO DETRACT FROM THE
OVERALL LOOKS OF AN OTHERWISE FINE MODEL. I MUCH PREFER TO REPLACE THESE
PARTS WITH WIRE PARTS AND HAVE THEM STAY IN PLACE EVEN AFTER HANDLING.
I APOLOGIZE FOR NOT MAKING THIS STEP COMPLETELY CLEAR. GOOD QUESTION THOUGH.
STEP 1E) CAREFULLY REMOVE RAIN GUTTER FROM CAB SIDES.
STEP 1F) FILL HOLES IN CAB ROOF AND SAND SMOOTH WHEN DRY.
STEP 1G) CAREFULLY TRIM ALL PLASTIC RODS FROM PILOT FACE AND SAND
SMOOTH. SEE PHOTO BELOW:
THIS CONCLUDES STEP 1.
STEP 2
QUESTION from MIKE GARBER
NOW IN STEP ONE, YOU MENTION "FILL HOLES IN CAB ROOF..." AND I'M CURIOUS
WHAT YOU USE OR SUGGEST AS FILLER. AND SECONDLY, ALSO WE ARE TO "REMOVE
THE RAIN GUTTER", AND ALSO CURIOUS WHAT TOOL YOU RECOMMEND. NOW THESE ARE
PRETTY BASIC QUESTIONS AND I HAVE A PRETTY GOOD IDEA WHAT I'M GONNA USE,
BUT PERHAPS IT WOULD BE GOOD TO OFFER THESE SUGGESTIONS OR "HERE'S WHAT I
USE" TO DO SOME OF THESE STEPS. THIS IS COMING FROM A BEGINNERS
PERSPECTIVE, WHICH I THINK THIS PROJECT CAN PROVIDE A GREAT SERVICE.
ANSWER FROM BOB HARPE
THESE ARE GOOD QUESTIONS THAT YOU ASK HERE AND I WILL ATTEMPT TO ANSWER THEM
FOR YOU.
FILLERS, TOOLS AND ADHESIVES ARE SUBJECTS THAT ARE MUCH OVERLOOKED IN DAILY
DISCUSSIONS OF OUR HOBBY, BUT ARE AS IMPORTANT AS THE PAINT AND DECALS THAT
WE USE.
THE FILLER OF CHOICE FOR ME IS BONDO GLAZING & SPOT PUTTY, PRODUCT NUMBER
907. THIS PUTTY CAN BE FOUND AT YOUR LOCAL K-MART OR WAL-MART STORES IN THE
AUTOMOTIVE SECTION. IT DRIES FAST AND IS VERY EASY TO SAND WHEN DRY. I USE
400 AND 600 WET OR DRY SANDPAPER TO SAND THE PUTTY, BEGINNING WITH 400 AND
FINISHING WITH 600. ALWAYS SAND USING SMALL AMOUNTS OF WATER WITH YOUR SAND
PAPER TOO AS THIS WILL HELP PREVENT SCRATCHES ON THE SANDED SURFACES.
MY FAVORITE TOOL IS THE X-ACTO # 11 HANDLE AND BLADE. I PURCHASE THESE BLADES
BY THE HUNDRED PACK AND DON'T HESITATE TO CHANGE A BLADE IF IT APPEARS TO BE
DULL. THIS IS WHAT I USED TO REMOVE THE RAIN GUTTERS ON THE GP-7 CAB. JUST
REMEMBER TO WORK SLOWLY AND WATCH BOTH ENDS OF THE BLADE SO AS NOT TO GOUGE
THE PLASTIC (WHICH CAN BE DONE ). ;-) SAND VERY CAREFULLY WITH 400 AND 600
GRADES OF PAPER AFTER YOU'VE REMOVED THE GUTTERS.
I KEEP THREE NO. 11 BLADES ON MY BENCH AT ALL TIMES. ONE IS MARKED RED AND IS
ALWAYS A NEW BLADE. THE NEXT ONE IS MARKED YELLOW AND IS A USED BLADE THAT
CAN BE USE FOR SCRAPING OR WORK THAT DOES NOT REQUIRE A SHARP EDGE. THE THIRD
HANDLE IS MARKED GREEN AND THE TIP IS USUALLY BROKEN AND GETS USED QUITE
OFTEN TO REMOVE THE BOTTOMS OF KATO TRUCKS SO I CAN REMOVE THE SIDEFRAMES.
ANOTHER GOOD TOOL TO HAVE IS A CHISEL BLADE AND YOU NEED TO KEEP IT SHARP
TOO. USING A DULL BLADE IS ASKING FOR TROUBLE.
ADHESIVES. HERE IS WHERE I GET A LOT OF QUESTIONS. MY CHOICE OF PLASTIC
CEMENT IS PURE OLD LAQUER THINNER, USED SPARINGLY. IT'S CHEAP AND WORKS GREAT ON PLASTIC.
MOST MODELERS DON'T TAKE THE TIME TO UNDERSTAND HOW ADHESIVES WORK AND OFTEN
USE THE WRONG TYPE FOR WHAT THEY ARE TRYING TO DO. LAQUER THINNER WILL
ACTUALLY ATTACK PLASTIC AND WILL DESTROY IT IF USED INCORRECTLY, BUT IF USED
AS IT SHOULD BE, WILL MAKE AN ACTUAL PLASTIC TO PLASTIC JOINT RATHER THAN A
PLASTIC TO GLUE TO PLASTIC JOINT. SOME GUYS PREFER TO USE MODEL AIRPLANE GLUE
WHICH CONTAINS ACETONE AND THAT IS FINE TOO, BUT I DON'T THINK IT MAKES AS
STRONG OF A JOINT AS PURE LAQUER THINNER.
LAQUER THINNER CAN DISTORT PLASTIC SO I USE A # 10 BRUSH WITH ABOUT HALF OF
THE HAIRS REMOVED. JUST DID THE TIP INTO THE BOTTLE AND APPLY SPARINGLY TO
THE PARTS YOU WANT TO JOIN TOGETHER. YOU WILL FIND THAT IT TAKES SOME
PRACTICE TO USE LAQUER THINNER, BUT ONCE MASTERED WILL PROVIDE EXCELLENT
RESULTS FOR YOU.
MY CHOICE OF AN ACC TYPE ADHESIVE IS CYANOPOXY. THIS PRODUCT LEAVES ALL OTHER
ACC TYPE ADHESIVES IN IT'S WAKE. THIS IS THE FIRST ADHESIVE THAT I'VE USED
THAT ACTUALLY BONDS DELRIN DETAIL PARTS AND WORKS GREAT ON MIXES OF DIFFERENT
TYPES OF MATERIALS, PLASTIC TO METAL, METAL TO GLASS, PLASTIC TO GLASS, ETC.
I THINK IF YOU'LL TRY IT, YOU'LL NOT GO BACK TO OTHER ACC PRODUCTS.
I DO NOT RECOMMEND USING ACC OR CYANOPOXY WHEN JOINING PLASTIC TO PLASTIC
MATERIALS. THIS ADHESIVE WILL BOND THE TWO PIECES OF PLASTIC FOR SURE, BUT
HAS NO LATERAL STRENGTH WHICH MEANS THE PIECES CAN BE SLIGHTLY TWISTED AND
THEY WILL BREAK APART. WHEN USING ACC, YOU ARE FORMING A PLASTIC TO GLUE TO
PLASTIC JOINT AND NOT THE PLASTIC TO PLASTIC JOINT THAT YOU REALLY WANT.
IF I MISSED SOMETHING HERE, FEEL FREE TO SEND YOUR QUESTIONS TO THE GROUP.
© Bob Harpe 2003
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