Kenworth 850 Off Highway

[RCP57]

Well I feel like I just had one of those moments when everything you were worried about came together just fine. Kinda like every episode of The "A" Team! It's a bit more difficult for me without being able to weld things together as I go but scotch tape is doing it's best to hold things together for now. Anyway my happiness comes from forming the hood in one piece in one shot. I don't have any tools for rolling so it was just me, my 6" vice, two pieces of 1/2" pipe and a plastic hammer. I think it turned out OK and it's starting to look like a KW.

Thanks for lookin...









Reg

[RCLogger]

Looking good Reg

Thanks for the posts.

greg

[chaseracer]

Body coming together nicely .... Gifted hands beautiful work !!!!!!!

[Exile Trucking]

I think the hood looks better then ok. Wish I had some of the metal working skills you have.

[cyanide]

The hood looks great! My mate almost always has troubles with his hoods, for me it is shaping roofs that in my nemesis. Sometimes first attempt works, sometime it takes 3 or 4 attempts.

[RCP57]

Thanks guys! I spent the whole day in town today running errands so I didn't get any work done on the KW but I was able to find a bottle of Argon so I can get back at it tomorrow. Locally there is some sort of bottle shortage in the 9 and 15 liter sizes so the distrubutors aren't being supplied with full ones. Today was this weeks delivery day on the south island and I was able to phone around and locate just 1 bottle of Argon. Luckily enough the truck had just arrived at the last place I could get one from so I was able to pick up the only bottle they received for the week. I don't really understand how there can be a shortage of empties but appearently the company that fills them sent most of them to Alberta leaving the outlets with a very limited supply for the last few weeks. It sucks for them as they have no gas to sell and a bunch of unhappy customers.

[buzzy16]

Truck is looking good, I really like the shape of it.

[dabears]

Looking great!!! You'll beable to ride it around once its done. Looks like it should be sturdy and dependable

[sparkycuda]

Wow! Can't get over the quality of the metal work. Being able to weld aluminum is a great plus, especially when done by such a skilled craftsman. The truck looks great.

Ken

[Espeefan]

This build is awesome. I admire your metal fab skills, and wish I had this kind of talent! I can kind of machine parts with a manual mill, but I don't think I could scratchbuild a cab out of aluminum, and weld it together! The hood looks really good on there, and I like your spring hangers for the front axle. This truck is going to be a beast! I like that it's in 1/10 scale too. It's got to be huge! It will match really well with your skidder. You probably have a lowboy in the works, even if it's just an idea in your head, so the skidder can be hauled around with this truck, right?

[RCP57]

Thanks very much guys. It's coming together quickly and it's also becoming my second favorite build. Actually I don't know if it's really coming together quickly as I've spent somewhere between 50-60 hours on it so far... I do have a plan in mind to build a lowboy for it as well as a logging trailer. I don't have the tires needed to build any trailers yet though so it may be a while. I managed to pick up 6 of the 10 truck tires used so I'm hoping that I can do the same for the trailers(hint hint). Buying 16 more at the local hobby shop would be nearly $300 plus they don't have them anyway. I was out in the shop this morning long before breakfast. I gained a little headway on the front suspension and axle. I had just enough 1/2" banding to make the front springs so I need to find some more before I can do the rear. My goal is to have the front end finished by the end of the weekend so that I can start swearing at myself while trying to make the rear diffs.









As always, Thanks for taking the time to look!
Reg

[tracksntreadslou]

wow Reg your moving right along ..A beast for sure .I like the way the front hubs turned out ..very difficult to make and i had trouble with mine ...took a few times..Once the lugs are nuts are on that will give it the finishng touch ...Good work Buddy

[RCP57]

It took me most of the day but I almost have steering...well at least the two wheels are connected! The pieces aren't all that pretty but it should be strong once it's all put together properly. I don't know how many times I moved the pieces in the vice and changed the tooling but I'm happy that it's almost done and they don't look like square blocks any more.











Reg

[dabears]

Nice!! They dont look too bad. I think they look good!

[ihbuilder]

you show off now I gotta remake my mack front axle JK GRRRRRRATE job Reg

[9W Monighan]

Great job so far. He sure works fast, don't he Stevie

[Exile Trucking]

Good job on the nuckles. Two ?s how big of a block did the nuckle start as and do u have a 2 or 3 way vise for the mill. And please don't tell me you do all that great work with a regular vise. It would just put me to shame

[RCP57]

Originally Posted by Exile Trucking

Good job on the nuckles. Two ?s how big of a block did the nuckle start as and do u have a 2 or 3 way vise for the mill. And please don't tell me you do all that great work with a regular vise. It would just put me to shame

I have a Soba 4" vice. It has swivel base(I've yet to use it) and some V notches in one jaw. That's it, nothing too fancy unfortunately.

The spindles started out as one block about 2"x1 1/4"x1 1/2".

Lunch is over....back to work! Should have the front finished in a couple hours.

Reg

[RCP57]

Well I took a short break because the sun was out and I was feeling guilty for spending the whole afternoon in the shop but after that I got it working. I had to move the servo mount up from where I had originally planned to put it but as it turns out it is now mounted where the steering box is on the real truck making it look more realistic. The truck is starting to look like a real 40 year old truck. Every day I build something and weld it on only to cut it of and weld it on somewhere else the next day! I still need to add another leaf to the pack(there is 12 and should be 13) and then make fake U bolts but I'm happy with my progress.

Thanks for lookin...












http://youtu.be/9WI4r7hD1YQ

[Espeefan]

Very nice! Now the front end is really coming together! I'm guessing you are going to add the torque / radius arms as soon as you finish making them? I think you did a great job.