1/2"-Scale Lumber Stacker

[Ken Hamilton]

This project has been in the "Mental Planning" stages.....



...but what pushed me over the edge to get started was the photo
Rick Marty posted.  What a great looking piece of home-built equipment!



To start with, I like the steel wheels in the first photo, even on a self-propelled stacker, and
the best thing I could come up with for the rim was the center spool from a roll of Scotch Tape:



Long story short:



The chassis will be built around the front clip from an AMT "Beverly Hillbillies" truck, using the motor,
front axle and the front of the frame.  The rest will be built using Evergreen channel stock.



BTW, the lumber stacks in the first photo?
I just ordered 10,000 wooden coffee stirrers on-line.
Stayed tuned for project updates.

[Chuck Doan]

Ii had a feeling that truck mounted thing was going to be irresistable!

[LeOn3]

I just ordered 10,000 wooden coffee stirrers on-line.
[/quote]

You are a real coffeedrinker? 

Leon

[finescalerr]

Fasten your seatbelts; here he goes again! -- Russ

[NORCALLOGGER]

Hi Ken,
I have a set of 40 pictures showing all details and measurerments of that critter if your interested in a copy send me your mailing address and I will shoot you a CD of it.
Later
Rick Marty

[Ken Hamilton]

Oh, yeah.....that would be WAY cool, Rick.  I'll send you a PM (your e-mail is "hidden").
Thanks bunch,
Ken

[MrBrownstone]

You are a genius Ken...

This build is going to be a pleasure to witness... thanks... 

Mike

[Ken Hamilton]

Just as a little added detail that most likely won't be seen: the kit transmission casting had an
open flywheel and ring gear.  I spruced it up a little by hollowing out the bell housing and adding
a watch-gear flywheel and an old parts-box cannister air cleaner for the clutch housing (the blue piece):



Here's the first mock-up.  The solid platform was built before I decided
to mount the tower on a truck chassis. I may not use the deck and mount
the legs to the open frame to show all the running gear detail:



This gives a rough idea of how tall it will be - just about 12-actual-inches in 1/2" scale



It might actually be a little shorter.  Right now the tower legs are sitting on the deck. 
They'll eventually spread open more, sit down over the sides and bolt to the chassis.

[Ken Hamilton]

Here's the FUN part. 
Note the stacks & stacks of lumber in the first photo, which really
need to be there for the pending Stacker Diorama to be effective.

This oughta do it...........



10,000 wooden coffee stirrers (....they're cheaper if you buy a lot....) that scale out to 1X4 in
1/2" scale.  They're 11-scale-feet long - not what I would've preferred, but the effect will be there.

Now I just need a 55-gallon drum of white glue.

[MrBrownstone]

Hey Ken,

Yeah.. I liked how the rig was attacthed to the chasis of the truck showing the drive line too.

BTW: Ken do you have any books published on your working with styrene techniques?(or any for that mater)

please excuse my ignorance if you have...    thanks for the update...

Mike

[Ray Dunakin]

Wow, you're off to a great start already!

[Mr Potato Head]

do you need any coffee? 
I am just asking, do you know how lumber is stacked or as it's called "sticked" for drying. If you dont, every row has a "stick" or "sticking" ( lathe size 1/4" x 2") so that air can pass between the lumber to speed up the air drying. I started in a wood window plant and we would get our stock once a month and have to restack it and restick it until it had the right humidity. To say it was fun to have to stick all that stock,well was an understatement
I modeled a stack of sticked lumber once and made the front and two sides detailed and the middle was hollow. good luck but so far it looks fantastic.
Gil
ex- sash and door man

[chester]

Hey Ken,

Yeah.. I liked how the rig was attacthed to the chasis of the truck showing the drive line too.

BTW: Ken do you have any books published on your working with styrene techniques?(or any for that mater)

please excuse my ignorance if you have...    thanks for the update...

Mike

Mike,
   I can speak to that since I am the proud owner of Ken's book "How to Build Creative Dioramas" which has some but not a lot in the way of styrene techniques and is really  (as the sub title reads) "for your scale auto models" displaying. The book does however give some excellent weathering techniques, diorama base construction, figure modification and finishing and addresses composition of a scene. There is much useful information about different materials used in modeling and what's appropriate for construction and finishing each. Nice glossy color photos of Ken's work and humorous text. I can't attest to it's availability anymore however. Grab one if you can find it.
   Now the lumber stacker. I'm pretty sure we'll be treated to some of Ken's humorous wit and see a figure or two in the finished build (consider that an official request Ken). Oh and I'm not surprised to see details in this build already that probably won't ever be noticed.

[NORCALLOGGER]

Hey Ken,
Looks like your off to a flying start.
You'll have the build done before I even get the pictures to you .
By the way they will go out to you tomorrow.
Later
Rick Marty

[MrBrownstone]

Hey Chester,

Thank you for that info on the book...

Mike