Back to the roots !

[Bill76]

thanks guys for your kind words. Here are some more shots of the right side of the John Deere. More details on the side through the hydraulic valves and controls close to the steering wheel and the optionnal hydraulic line.

Get some fun to paint the exhaust pipe with Dust and Rust Lifecolor set : primer, black, rust with sponge (yes again, ...), pigments (rust, brown, and black smoke). Maybe some more mud on wheels. Why not ?

So, this first part of the project is reaching the end and it's time to find a conclusion. Despite this ''low-tech'' technique, the sponge is not the best way for a complete project but I was so confident and scared during the process. Some steps have to be ''ajust'' when, for example, I put too much acrylic paint. The other paint is the fact that the main frame is quite heavy compare to the added Evergreen parts. Quite hard to handle, need a glove to paint, ... First time in using oil filters and pigments. In fact, a real first huge stuff !!

Otherwise, not easy to cope with the real tractor on some details : it's hard to find 1/32 kits or parts representing real parts so you need to built everything. Especially when you don't get the goods tools to realize hydraulic valves, pedals, ...

I'm glad that you appreciate it.
This king of modeling and painting is new in France and there's no way to follow for learning for the moment. I get some inspiration from your topics so keep them detailled with pictures !!! We're just two or three for the whole country.

For the second part, the forthcoming pictures will show you the manure spreader building process. it's gonna be longer because it's a real ''100 % hand-made model''.

... to be continued ...

[Bill76]

The indication lights on the fenders were paint in aluminium silver / Prince August and a coat of Clear Orange from Tamiya.

[Bill76]

For the next rusty projects, I will try to give more texture to the rust and chipping paint. I've got to work on this. Georges

[Malachi Constant]

Wonderful job with the detailing and new painting techniques!  The "realistic" photo colors are definitely much better for your (model) tractors.    -- Dallas

[JohnTolcher]

Hi Bill76, this is very nice, the weathering and extra details you have added have breathed life into it. I think you have captured the character of the real subject, and a subject that is well used always has more character.

In my opinion the sponge effect has worked better here than hairspray. The hairspray technique gives a scratched effect as by mechanical damage, where as the sponge used here replicates rust breaking through paint deteriated by age. I hope you don't mind but my only suggetsion would be, I think a little dried mud on the tyres would look even better.

Marvelous!

Cheers

[Bill76]

Maybe, you're right John. The sponge technique has given a good result. It might because it was the only thing that I was able to do !!!!

Now, I'm gonna show the building of the spearder and this one is a 100% hand made except the wheels.

It's based on the spreader I used to work with during several years. It's about 5 tonnes loading capacity ans is made to be pulled with a 50 / 60 hp tractor.
Compared to oldest units, it's all steel (bed and dropsides) and completely welded in one part. Before the bed and the sides were made with wood.

So, the main frame has a V shape made with two long U rails and smaller size U rails to join these two rails. This building gives a good rigidity even loaded.

The model is made with Evergreen styrene sheets and rods.

[Bill76]

The axle takes place below the V frame and needs some reinforcements. On the real spreader, every part is welded but on the model, I've to reinforce many assemblies to give some strenght.

The brakes are added with the cables (electric wire) and the handle. Two pices od metal will allowed the lights cable to wind up when parked in the shed. The front ring is brass rod.

[Bill76]

Here is the spreader on its wheels with a rotating parking jack under the drawbar that can cope with rugged gravel roads. No major difficulties for this first part of the process. Just need to be sure of the good gluing operations.

Netx step : the flat bed structure.

Georges.

[Bill76]

I start the trailer base with the flat bed and the sides with two long rails and six rails that will be fitted at right angles to strengh the whole assembly.
Two decks are made with the same rail shape that will hold the V frame. Some reinforcements will be added to make just one solid part.

I use "board and Batten 4543" Evergreen sheet for each side and it's give some goods details.

Three posts are glued as on the real model to avoid any bending in the middle when the spreader is fully loaded. On the front side, the post is taller than the other because a front grille will be fitted. This wire netting (mesh ?) prevents any discharge of manure on the tractor when the beater is turning while spreading. It's about one meter higher than the base side. The sides could have been done with wood because it was quite common for manumacturers to use wood before using iron sheets.

[Bill76]

Bed and sides are ready for assembly operation.

[Bill76]

The flat bed is around 3,6 meters long and by 1,80 meter large. Below the apron, two shafts take place in the front and at the back. The tractor needs a PTO that provides power to the rear gear drive though a long driveline shaft. The rear shaft is controled by the gear drive. This one transfers torque to sprockets fitted on each side of the shaft. the log chain links fit into these sprockets. The manure is pulled from the front to the back and needs a lot of power when the manure is heavy and wet. The chain links are made fro heavy duty conditions. The front shaft is ''free'' and works as a guite for the two log chains.

Not easy to built these very small sprockets. Every part needs to be drilled to fix each detail.

[Bill76]

The rear side is made with two beaters : the upper one is for the main work and the smaller one is to spread the manure going under the upper drum and the apron.

The axle drum is about 5 inches and the "teeth" are 9 inches. The steel teeth are welded on the drum as a screw starting in the middle to each side. That's allowed more efficiency and constant torque.
I start the building with the central drum and ad the teeth. Long and ''weak'' assemble so be careful when handled. The whole parts are Evergreen styrene.
This king of beater shape was very common in the 70' to compe with the 45 / 55 hp tractors. Soonly, drums have to be heavy to give some more torque when spreading strawy, hay-laced and packed manure.

The little beater was able to deal with the remaining manure and prevented from splashed packs.

[Bill76]

The beaters need some reinforcements on the last teeth to avoid any kinds of damage when the chain conveyor loads the manure out. Nowadays, all the speaders have conic box and not rectangular so when the manure is going to the back, the normal flow is not obstructed.

[Bill76]

The spreading system is equipped by a third part : the upper rake. This provides more uniform spreading of extra loads of strawy manure. It prevents large chunks from being carried over the main beater.

Otherwise, this rake prevents from stone drops when loaded by accident. That's why the tines are not on the same line.

[Malachi Constant]

Wow!  Neat construction of some complicated little bits (the attachments or tools) ... and the trailer looks good too!    -- Dallas