Re: Volvo EC300D
 

Nasty weather kept me from working today so I put a little time into the Volvo again. I finished the hydraulic tank and started doing some detail in the cab. I'm cheating and using some wood inside the cab but I just don't have the patients to build the controls out of alum. I hope to have it painted soon... I want to start something else...

Reg

Re: Volvo EC300D
 

I see a cup holder:D Way to go Reg! Look's great!
Cheer's, Neil.

Re: Volvo EC300D
 

If it was the real deal I would have to put my rhum and coke somewhere...now if they only came with an icemaker...:eek:

A very minor update...

Reg

Re: Volvo EC300D
 

Looks great Reg

greg

Re: Volvo EC300D
 

Looks great and the wood is a great medium for the interior. I have seen a lot of scratch tractor builds in German forums that use wood for that.

Re: Volvo EC300D
 

I put in a few hours on the Volvo today. It doesn't look I did anything but the hours went somewhere:confused:. Finished painting the interior and started on the cab. Hopefully I can get it all painted by the end of the weekend! With all these other excavator builds starting, I've got to get moving again!

Reg

Re: Volvo EC300D
 

Great job. I really like this build, I've been watching silently and envious of your skills.

Re: Volvo EC300D
 

Wow!! Cab detail is awesome !!:D

Re: Volvo EC300D
 

Thanks guys. Does anyone dislike painting as much as I do? Anyway, I got a bit more done today but I hate waiting for paint to dry:mad: especially when the paint looks the sh!$# and you have to redo it! The paint on the bucket looks great... figures that it would turn out and the cab looks like poop. Maybe tomorrow...

Reg

Re: Volvo EC300D
 

Reg I don't see a darn thing wrong with the paint. Just use the fifty foot rule and if anyone gets closer you know what to do!!!!
Sometimes it's frustrating when you try real hard and with paint there ain't no golden rules to follow. Just keep trying till your satisfied!!!
Rob

Re: Volvo EC300D
 

I don't want to try anymore Rob! Haha... I still hate painting... I hate waitin for it to dry even more! Hopefully by tomorrow it will be done and I can move on...

Reg

Re: Volvo EC300D
 

looks better everytime I look, keep it up.

Re: Volvo EC300D
 

If you hate painting that much, I've sent you a message to cheer you up.
Rob

Re: Volvo EC300D
 

Rob,
Spain you say?...

Even though the wife's car died at her work last night and my painting skills are $h!t, that made my morning... it might make my afternoon as well:)

Have you tried that recipe I sent you??

Reg

Re: Volvo EC300D
 

Looks great! And love the detail work. Awesome job
Scott

Re: Volvo EC300D
 

Reg. The pasta was great, but the appetizers were even better!!!
Rob

Re: Volvo EC300D
 

HAHA I though you may enjoy that one... It looked tasty to me. I don't if I could get all of that on my plate at once though.;)

Re: Volvo EC300D
 

I'm still having very little success with the yellow color and I've tried 3 different brands of paint now! The last stuff I bought sprays OK but after 14 hours in front of a heater it's still tacky:mad: The greyish color is fine and looks good enough(kinda) for a machine that hopefully get banged up with use.

Reg

Keep the "travel photo's" coming Rob :D

Re: Volvo EC300D
 

Hey Reg, I like the Cat yellow spray paint, it goes on thick! Would wet sanding the cab help it look better? Keep up the great work, I can't paint either!
Cheer's, Neil.

Re: Volvo EC300D
 

The Cat yellow does paint nice... even when it's not Cat brand. When I painted my 955 I used old cat yellow from Can/tire and it worked great! This bright stuff is a pain! My shop isn't super warm so maybe that doesn't help but it is heated so I don't know... The painted parts are now in the house beside the woodstove stinking up the place.

I finished the undercarriage and boom today so at least that is back together. I just put the "final" coat of yellow on the main chunk of the house so hopefully tomorrow I can mask it and finish off the rest of it.

Re: Volvo EC300D
 

Good progress Reg

I am doing some painting as well, not a good time of year, its nice when the weather is warm and painting can be done outside...

Re: Volvo EC300D
 

Looks good to me. I tell people these are not show pieces, they are construction models made for working. I agree with you though, painting is a pain. I painted my truck with the wrong paint and it didn't dry so I had to clean that sticky mess off and start over :eek:. Great model you have going though!!

Re: Volvo EC300D
 

I remember reading about your paint not drying. Your truck looks great now though! I think it has a lot to do with the weather right now and the fact that I'm an idiot and don't leave each coat long enough. The shop has heat but it's more for humidity control and when it's snowing outside it's probably only 50 or so degrees inside.

I spoke to my father inlaw last night and he said that he would have the cylinders done this week and hopefully get started on the pumps and valves as well... I'm a little excited:D:D:D:D:D... I hope he has the time.

Thanks Reg

Re: Volvo EC300D
 

Wooo-Hooo some of the paint is dry! I still have a lot of painting to do but I couldn't resist putting the pieces together... some of them may still be tacky but.... Oh ya, I know you guys love the couch but it's not for sale!lol

Re: Volvo EC300D
 

wow looking good, and it is big :D

Re: Volvo EC300D
 

Reg, you got a couch and carpeted floors in your shop!! That's way too cool!!
Honestly the yellow turned out just fine. Well done!
Rob

Re: Volvo EC300D
 

Looks like the real deal Reg, BUT that is one ( Big Couch )

greg

Re: Volvo EC300D
 

Thank guys, I'm not happy with one of the panels so I guess I will re-spray that before I paint the rest of the grey-black on the body and counter balance. It's snowing like crazy this morning so I may end up in the shop instead of working today.

It is big! I know it didn't grow by painting it but as soon as I painted the bucket I was like... Holy $h!t this thing is big! Now that the whole thing has some color it looks even larger.

How big is your hoe chucker Greg? This one is 55 1/2" from the bucket teeth to the counter balance. I may have to drive the truck to the shows this year instead of my car.:)

Re: Volvo EC300D
 

Looking better with each picture-should make a great model. I really like the scratch builds. I have to chuckle a bit when I read about someone who has bought a kit and has to drill out some holes and complainng about how much trouble they are having getting it put together. If they only knew how much work goes into a scratch build. Oh well, I guess it's good that kits are available for those who don't want to build.

Re: Volvo EC300D
 

Thanks

There really is a huge amount of work that goes into these scratch builds. I started my first scratch build about 12 months ago and I couldn't tell you how many hundreds of hours I've put in on the four machines and their detail isn't even that great compaired to most. Building these models has helped get me through the worst period of my life too. I really like the build process so I would and will, buy more equipment to make the job easier for the next one. I don't have anything against kits I just have been raised by "do it yourselfers" if you will and enjoy the challenge of making something from nothing!

Thanks again to anyone who appreciates the effort:)

Re: Volvo EC300D
 

Spent another day waiting for paint to dry and snow to melt... not really but it seems that way! I built and painted the walkway or whatever ya call it today and threw another(final) coat of yellow on the last piece of the body. Hopefully when I mask and spray the other color on it doesn't F-up this time. There isn't too much left that I want to do on this machine now until my father inlaw completes the hydraulics so I'm starting to plan my next build. The only problem is I can't decide what to try to make next.

Thanks for lookin!

Re: Volvo EC300D
 

A Northwest shovel would look right at home loading your truck.


http://www.nuqq.com/images/histPics/largePic5.jpg

Re: Volvo EC300D
 

Hey That's a great picture! I think I'm going to stay away from anything with tracks this time though! lol

Re: Volvo EC300D
 

Yahoo, The yellow finally dried so I finished up the rest. Time to cut the windows, make a grab rail and call it bad enough until the hydraulics are done. I know that there will be a bit of detail missing but I think mirrors and stuff will get knocked off in transport.

Reg

I know I know... It's a sweet couch but it's not for sale:p

Re: Volvo EC300D
 

It's looking sharp! How much does it weigh as it is right now?

Mirrors and lights and any other relatively flimsy appendages have a way of getting knocked out, off, and around if it spends any time in the brush. Or if they have to be taken off for transport to keep things narrow often they never get put back on.

Re: Volvo EC300D
 

Hey Reg ,this excavator is top notch all the way!!Paint job looks great!Looking forward to the next update:D

Re: Volvo EC300D
 

Thanks guys,

The paint looks good from about ten feet away!LOL It reminds me of a 40 year old machine that has had a few "5 gallon overhauls" if ya know what I mean. It will have to do though, hopefully it will be banged up from use one day soon.

I'm not to sure how much it weighs just yet but as it sits now(static) I would say that it's less than 20lbs. It will gain some fat though when all the hydraulics and batteries are installed.

Re: Volvo EC300D
 

Hey Reg it turned out great.
How close are the hydro's to being finished, And I bet it won't be on that couch full of oil.
Don't forget next weekend is the Campbell River Museum show. Jan 28 & 29th noon till five.
Rob

Re: Volvo EC300D
 

Thanks Rob, I'm not sure how long it will be before the hydro's are finished. My father inlaw is workin on it when he can and has a little of everything started but nothing finished just yet. I think it will be a while so I'm gathering specs on my next project...:D

Reg

Re: Volvo EC300D
 

Great work. Very speedy. I have a hard time getting Into the shop with work and honey do list. Keep it up. Love these builds.