Fire Apparatus Model Forums

This is the newest project. Jacksonville, FL E-27. I've just started with some of the basics and will use the Trumpeter ALF kit for some of the good things that are there. The cab, however is being scratch built as it is a Pierce Enforcer cab. The grill has been carved from Renshape and the cab is being built using Evergreen sheet and strip stock. Here is where we are so far. This is the carved grill with some photoetch screen behind it. The cab corners are sections of PVC pipe that came from a hardware store. The top of the cab still has to be shaped for the windshield.
Still thinking about the best way to get the clear plastic stock to fit the windshield curves. I've bent it before under hot water but some plastic tends to kraze. I'm thinking a wood buck would be best and then vacu-form the windshield for a good fit.

I too think vacu forming would be the best way to get the windshield done. By the way, a very good start allready

I did some late night checking and found that the radius of the front corners is all wrong! Got to cut the front off and re-do it!

Chariots of Fire wrote: ↑

Mon Sep 21, 2020 1:31 pm

I did some late night checking and found that the radius of the front corners is all wrong! Got to cut the front off and re-do it!

really Hm and if you use the quarter round strips from evergreen? Maybe with them you get the correct angle

https://evergreenscalemodels.com/collec ... half-round

Not sure that Evergreen makes quarter round that big. I'm using 7/8" diameter tubing for the corners.

Moving forward on the Pierce cab, I've concentrated on getting the windshield to fit right. A lot of trying to get a vacu-formed windshield made ended in it not happening mostly because the buck was just to big to fit well in the machine. The plastic corners were not being fully pulled down as a result. So I went to plan B and that was to heat a piece of aluminum rod of the right diameter for the windshield corners and bend the clear sheet stock over it without warping or crazing. It took more than one try but it got done to where the windshield fits about as it should. I plan on a trim ring around it and have temporarily set one in place using 0.32mm bright solder wire. I think it will work fine once the windshield is secured in place with 2 part epoxy. That all won't happen until after painting is done. But at least the opportunity exists to make the fit nice and neat.

Looks great

I‘ve been also through a lot of trial and errors and your efforts seem to pay out; it‘s looking very good

Moving on. Been working on the interior tub with a Trumpeter ALF kit. The ALF interior is all different in the front but it fit well inside the basic cab. It has been modified a lot with a new dash and the sides were sanded down so that it would slide in without binding. The interior also will get some inside door panels as the Trumpeter kit never had any. A real missing piece of an otherwise nice kit. I made the panels so that I can sandwich the door glass in between the panel and the outside. The front grill is painted gloss black in anticipation of adding Alclad II chrome. I may switch to a bright blue base as it seems to brighten the otherwise dark tint of the chrome when it has a black base. The cab is sitting on the ALF chassis but it needs lengthening by about 12 scale inches.

Soak that in boys. "so that I can sandwich the door glass in between the panel and the outside". Wow.