But, the fun in this kit began to take off when I started the building process. For example, picture 1 shows 33 parts (each wheel is 2 halves) are required to make one complete “truck” assembly. Pictures 2 & 3 show the fragility of the outer torsion bars. Photos of the real thing seem to prove they hold up under pressure. Pictures 4 & 5 are two views of the completed “truck”. Some filling & sanding were necessary to fill gaps, but it looks good when finished. I need to build two more “trucks” & they will be ready for paint.
While I waited for the putty to dry on the “trucks” I moved on to the cab. The kit does not come with clear parts so if you want windows you must improvise. I had some Taco Bell nachos for lunch one day & noticed the recycle symbol on the clear lid was a 2. I tested it with some plastic cement (Testors) & it worked. The clear lid is actually slightly cloudy, but I like the way it looks (pictures 6-8). Pictures 9 thru 13 show progress made on the cab & tractor chassis. The cab is void of any detail other than the steering wheel & instrument panel. So I decided to practice scratch-building. Picture 10 shows my novice attempt to add pedals & shift levers. The levers are sewing pins (the heads are too big for 1/32 scale, but I like it). The pedals are styrene sheet & rod. I hand painted the cab (gimme a break, the first time in years I’ve put paint to plastic). Do you see the pin mark on the steering column & the cloudiness of the windows? Bonus, picture 14 just taken prior to this posting showing the 3 complete “trucks”. Stay tuned for Part 3 of the Mace WIP.
