I MUST BE DAF(T)

I've had a few large scale truck kits on the go since Christmas, aiming to get the various chassis built at the dining room table during the winter evenings, while the main external bodywork can be attended to when the weather improves. Attempting high quality paint finishes, on larger objects, during winter isn't ideal; not in my workshop at least. It's case of working on a number of sub-assemblies for the moment....

This is one of the biggest, being a 1:24 scale Leyland/DAF 95 long wheelbase, rigid truck with a canvas rear - and it's proving to be an interesting challenge. Built from an Italeri kit, the parts have needed quite a bit of fettling before assembly, but the chassis is now complete and ready for painting. The engine has been treated separately and I've had great fun creating a chipped paint finish to the power plant, although it still needs quite a bit of work before it's ready for fitting permanently into the frames.

A set of superior resin wheels has been sourced and I'm about to make a start on converting the cab into a right-hand drive version. It seemed like a step too far to alter the working steering gear on the chassis, as the various parts are 'handed', meaning that some serious conversion/scratch-building would be in order. Yet much of the gear will be hidden once the cab is in place. Maybe that's something for another project.

The problem I find with large scale kits like these, is that it's so hard to resist adding as much extra detail as possible. I'm being restrained with this DAF, but I also have a Ford LTL9000 on the go and that is going to get the full super-detail treatment... watch this space.




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