S.A.&A.P. Wrecking Crane No. X2...THE BIG HOOK!

Yeah, I chose not to go super safety on it. Now to decide how much to grease and rust her up.

 

I just finished putting the touch up coat of paint on the base. It will be dry tomorrow and can be worked on to completion. Then my attention will turn to the rest of the parts to paint them and complete this project. I have gotten an old Scotia Models 36' wood boom tender kit to go with the derrick. That should be fun to build and will be included with this thread. I will also make a water car to go along with the crane, which will be the last installment in this thread. I'm tossing up between another tank car, or do a flat car with an old tender body on it and pump mechanism. Decisions...decisions.

 

The base of the Big Hook is basically finished. Tomorrow the trucks will be permanently mounted, the couplers installed, and she'll be weathered and sealed. I'll be finishing the zinc chromate primer on the other parts and start painting some of them already primed, black.

Her base will get some rust and dirt. I think that will really set her off nicely. Here are some pics of the base and how it looks right now.

 

Yes, Sherrel, you can see some primer in the back of the cab still visible, but it is behind the boiler and will not be seen by anyone....

 

Great looking build Manny. I'm modeling the 70's and have several Athearns to modify as Frisco cranes, per a build on this forum. May have to add one of these to the fold also. LOL, keep adding projects and may never get layout built! Just time and money, but enjoying every minute of it.

 

Thanks Richard,

Yes, I'm enjoying building this little wrecker. I understand your dilemma with all cars and no track, time and money. You'll get there. As for me, track is right around the corner. I just ordered my benchwork of a major section from Sievers last night. That's for another thread. LOL...

 

I'm lost on this post ... over and out ???????

 

You have a knack at finding missed paint spots in photos...

 

Primed more parts. I'll be starting on decals for the base, weathering and then dull cote today.

 

Well,

I painted the boom, inside mechanism, and a bunch of small parts black about an hour or so ago. Soon they'll get a touch up and second coat.

In the mean time, I applied the decals to the base and the lettering on the cab. The decals have only had one or two coats of Solvaset so you'll still see some sheen. Now I'm off to paint some small detail parts their various colors. I hope to have this project completed by next Wednesday. The joy is going to be threading this thing.

Weathering won't start probably until Sunday, as I want to make sure that the Solvaset has had the time and chance to do its thing.

 

I just touched up the top side of the hoist assembly. I also painted the rest of the boom and some small accessories. I'm now painting the stack metallic silver, and the two hand wheels, red. My attention will then turn to the support walking boards. I don't know if I should leave them black or paint them a wood color and dirty them up. Decisions...

The decals previously applied got another shot of Solvaset.

I'm going to look back into the Model Railroad Hobbyist archives to find the article on making a cab curtain out of expressed tea bags.

More to come...

 

I have to go to Hobby Lobby and get some silver metallic thread for the wire. Then I'll grease it up. Frankly, I haven't even looked at how to thread this thing yet. It's a zoo of here, there, everywhere. I'll tackle it shortly, but all the other pieces need to be primed and painted. Yes, I will keep the cables taunt. A trick Jim, is to stretch the line and use very thin CA and "paint the wire" while taught. Then it will hold its shape when the CA hardens.

I've been poking at the dredging car. I need to scale out the photograph and get some of the parts laser cut.

 

Couldn't you use plain ole used Liptons tea bags? Fifer Hobby has an article as well (http://www.fiferhobby.com/html/n_scale_how_to_make_a_locomoti.html)

 

That's what the article was about. I'm doing just that.

 

Painted the tension wheels, one red, one green, to give a little different effect. I've painted the boiler stack flat aluminum. It will receive a dry brush of oily black and tarnished black, then some weathering powders of soot.

Time to boil some water for tea. Tea for two. Two curtains that is...

 

The boom and the underside of the hoist got painted this morning. I'll be able to work on them much later this afternoon.

I added the tarnished and the grimy black to the boilers exhaust stack. Only thing left is to powder it, but that will have to wait.

I'll be working on the tea bag canvas curtain today. Should be interesting. Here's the pics of the stack and the tension wheels.

 

I've been working on weathering and detailing the hoist this afternoon. I need to install a few more parts, then dull cote. I can then apply some rust powders, and soot. Here are the pics so far.



I have to paint the upper pulley assembly and attach it, and the boiler stay supports.

Next I will turn my attention to the big and little hooks.

LOL...Yes, I will tone down the tension wheels. They need a little dirt, rust, and oil.