Re: S&M Trucking open for bizz nizz !!!
 

Looks great Mario and Sue! Where is the 'Clifford' show? I know you are up in Sault Ste Marie, which north of me, but is that a Canadian show, or US show? Just wondering cause nothing much ever happens around me.

Re: S&M Trucking open for bizz nizz !!!
 

Classy truck and trailer Sue! Nice work Mario.

Re: S&M Trucking open for bizz nizz !!!
 

I figured if we polish first, then I have to handle very carefully as I wire it? That's why I thought, wire it while its in a raw stage and then polish? Never done this and would love any input or suggestions on how to approach.:cool:

Thanks Nathan. We both love it! You know the old saying....happy wife, happy life ! ;):)
Or as Phil Robertson would say....." Everybody's happy, happy, happy " lol

Sorry dude, Clifford is quite a ways from Wisconsin :( It is about 2 hrs northwest of Toronto which means you have to go all the way around Lake Michigan and back up north.:eek:
It would be great if you could attend but that's quite a trip for a one day event:eek: Hope you plan on making it to the Indy show in August. It would be a pleasure meeting:)


Thanks Craig. I can say without a doubt, I have loved every minute of this build, this hobby, and all the friends and fun that come with it.:)

Once this is done, my next project arrived today.... A crawler crane with clam bucket.:D:D . Ohh, and I still have 3 other trailers that need lights! :eek: ....can't wait to open up my shop in the garage soon!:rolleyes:

Re: S&M Trucking open for bizz nizz !!!
 

I had my cattle trailer polished first then layed it on towels and rags and wired it. I didn't touch the outside. Usually just grabbed it by the little tabs on the inside or by the back bumper and the kingpin plate . Hope this helps :D

But I'm sure that I've got a few more lights on it my trailer than urs :D. Urs might be easier to polish than mine :eek::p:D

Re: S&M Trucking open for bizz nizz !!!
 

Thanks Keith. It does help. The one problem with my idea of polish after lights are installed is the light holes may fill up with polishing paste and then be a real nightmare to clean them out:eek:
I'm going to take your advice and polish, then wire.....I learned a lot from dealing with the cab on Sues truck, I can do this the same.;)

Thanks man.

Mario

Re: S&M Trucking open for bizz nizz !!!
 

trailer looks real good Izzy is da man!:D I would definitely polish first you will probably have to do some sanding to get that mirror finish.now y'all will have to work at Indy hauling some rubber;)

Re: S&M Trucking open for bizz nizz !!!
 

Thanks for the suggestion. We are just discussing it. Gotta make sure I have all my supplies. Guess there's no housework for me this weekend. LOL :)

Thanks. It's a Canadian show, Southern Ontario. You could always head up here and follow us. I'm sure there is room for more people, 1985 Kenworth could tell you more.


Thanks. Mario and Izzy get most of the credit, I just knew what I wanted and they have made it happen. ;)

Re: S&M Trucking open for bizz nizz !!!
 

News flash...Mario has it taken apart already....

Re: S&M Trucking open for bizz nizz !!!
 

Mama Sue - Mario - you very welcome - I am glad that it fulfills the request.
BTW - it was a treat to meet Ray - I like him a lot - reminds me of my dad - who also hauled around RV's LOL

Re: S&M Trucking open for bizz nizz !!!
 

Awesome looking combo!!! I told ya it would be worth the wait.LOL

Re: S&M Trucking open for bizz nizz !!!
 

hey you 2 nice combo unit you got there.its definetely going to be the show stopper :cool:...your whole fleet is pretty nifty there:D.and you said i need a bigger trailer;)

Re: S&M Trucking open for bizz nizz !!!
 

Thanks Dwayne...add a crane and a new forklift. Now for the shipyard. I now need a bigger box on my everyday truck or a hallmark trailer as there will be no room for luggage and a bigger house for play and storage...lol

Re: S&M Trucking open for bizz nizz !!!
 

It so was worth it! :)

Re: S&M Trucking open for bizz nizz !!!
 

Well, the S&M fleet is growing some more:D No, not a new rig:o just some support equipment.:)

my new crawler crane has arrived, ( same starter model that Oztruck has but no upgrades yet ) its too big for the kitchen table so its on the back burner for now. Will post pics soon.

Today I wanted to post picks of the new forklift. Unlike the other forklift we have , this one is larger and can load the flatbed from ground level unlike the little one which is more of a dock lift truck.
Anyway, I forgot to take before pics but I know others will recognize it....

I didn't like the orange so I took it apart, grabbed some CAT yellow from work and did some detailing.....

Started with the steering wheel and dash lights, flat black floormat, etc

http://i1174.photobucket.com/albums/...se364ada5.jpeg

http://i1174.photobucket.com/albums/...s3c3a8394.jpeg

I didn't like how the antenna stuck out from the bottom so I repositioned , drilled a hole in the shell and cleaned up the look

http://i1174.photobucket.com/albums/...sb6f71ba6.jpeg

http://i1174.photobucket.com/albums/...sd0950a84.jpeg

http://i1174.photobucket.com/albums/...sf0085671.jpeg

http://i1174.photobucket.com/albums/...sf0085671.jpeg

http://i1174.photobucket.com/albums/...sf68a73de.jpeg

http://i1174.photobucket.com/albums/...s5038c311.jpeg

Just have the wheels to detail and some DOT tape, Mr Bruder is on order, and this two day mini project is done!:)


Thanks for looking, all comments welcome eh ! ;)

Mario

Re: S&M Trucking open for bizz nizz !!!
 

very NICE!! What no video of the dump trailer yet???? Cant wait to see it polished and lit up

Re: S&M Trucking open for bizz nizz !!!
 

A video with the dump trailer will come but life has kept me too busy this week to even start on the trailer, hopefully starting this weekend.

Re: S&M Trucking open for bizz nizz !!!
 

Well get off the couch and ya might get something done :D:p lol

Re: S&M Trucking open for bizz nizz !!!
 

Ummmm, you must be talkin to me Keith, right?....lol . I'm the one guilty of couch potatoe syndrome:o:rolleyes:
Susan is the type of person who cant sit long enough to warm the couch:) Me in the winter on the other hand... I wear out the couch:eek: lol

Mario

Re: S&M Trucking open for bizz nizz !!!
 

I am going so crazy waiting for spring, I suddenly had the idea to gather up our new S&M trucking, plastic fleet of equipment :o:p:rolleyes:
Like everyone else, I wish we could afford the real deal RC equipment but it doesn't mean we all have to miss out on the fun:)



http://i1174.photobucket.com/albums/...se5687014.jpeg

http://i1174.photobucket.com/albums/...s43392637.jpeg

http://i1174.photobucket.com/albums/...s2fac94e5.jpeg


and a quick video of them in action:D



http://youtu.be/3PAAUzVW488

thanks for looking :)

Mario

Re: S&M Trucking open for bizz nizz !!!
 

Those cranes are pretty cool. Did you buy that in Canada or did you order it online from somewhere? They may all be plastic but so what. As long as you're enjoying the hobby it doesn't matter....You and your main squeeze too!

Re: S&M Trucking open for bizz nizz !!!
 

Coming from a master of metal, thanks for the plastic thumbs up Reg....lol. :cool:

I found it on Ebay. From a guy in Michigan. I made a run across the border and picked it up for under 150. I've been talking with OZtruck and the upgrade costs are cheap, just gotta do the work and I'm sure I can turn this toy crane into a RC machine :);) it will serve multiple purpose, digging to load Sue's trailer and I want to use it to load my custom crates and cargo onto the flatbed and lowboy:D

Mario

Re: S&M Trucking open for bizz nizz !!!
 

Wish I knew what a couch was. LOL :rolleyes::):o;)

Re: S&M Trucking open for bizz nizz !!!
 

Coming along nicely yours and my fleet may have to partner up and corner the market in ontario :D.i got a 1/16 r/c tank for my lowboy that i will be bringing to clifford.i managed to get a contract to haul this tank so hopefully it will pan out:D

Re: S&M Trucking open for bizz nizz !!!
 

So I finally managed to get some time to work on my trailer. This is a first for me so if you have any advice please feel free to share. Thanks for looking.
Before
http://i1048.photobucket.com/albums/...nLowen/001.jpg
During the wet sanding
http://i1048.photobucket.com/albums/...nLowen/002.jpg
http://i1048.photobucket.com/albums/...nLowen/003.jpg
After polishing
http://i1048.photobucket.com/albums/...nLowen/004.jpg

Re: S&M Trucking open for bizz nizz !!!
 

What are you using to polish? Buffing wheel or simply just using like mothers polish?

Re: S&M Trucking open for bizz nizz !!!
 

We are using " Autosol" as a polish compound and a polish pad on a half inch drill. So far so good, definitely has a mirror finish but a little haze when viewing from an angle. I think I need a finer buffing pad perhaps?
It's a team effort, sue is doing all the stages of wet sanding and leaves the power drill polish stage for me. :)

Re: S&M Trucking open for bizz nizz !!!
 

Yea all mine have some sort of haze at an angle too...... I follow up the wheel polishing with mothers it helps clean up some of that hazing but not all.... I found that black emery polish works awesome to get fine scratches out and gets a nice shine too!! I used to use the Tripoli and then follow that with the white but im liking the black more. I use a spiral wheel and now thanks to Steve I join up a spiral and a loose wheel together then polish with that gets really good results...

I think its looking good so far!

Re: S&M Trucking open for bizz nizz !!!
 

Thanks Aaron. I figured the haze from an angle was a natural effect, wasn't sure.
I thought that pics are better than words so heres what im using to polish...


http://i1174.photobucket.com/albums/...s1bd52f70.jpeg

and after a little use......

http://i1174.photobucket.com/albums/...s1a2e3064.jpeg

http://i1174.photobucket.com/albums/...s0a1e9c5a.jpeg

http://i1174.photobucket.com/albums/...s51e86ec5.jpeg


thanks for any input and suggestions in making the finish on this trailer as sweet as possible:D:D

mario

Re: S&M Trucking open for bizz nizz !!!
 

This is what I would use and do.. you'll love the results. Make sure you re apply polish every few mins and use a "rake" or something to get off metal particles.. Hope this helps
ALSO before you polish use 000 or 00 steel wool after the wet sanding for a more mirror like shine.


http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b1...psddbe69dd.jpg

Re: S&M Trucking open for bizz nizz !!!
 

See... I knew pictures work better :) thanks bud. I now see what you mean about needing a rake:eek: the buffer gets matted and I been counter rotating and holding in my hand ( wearing a latex glove ) and then it gives a better polish.
I need to figure what kind of rake to make which will clean and not destroy the buffing pad.
Thanks for the steel wool idea! Sue jumped in the truck and ran to the store to get some. :eek::D. It works great after sanding! You can see the difference.:cool:

Thanks for the help Aaron. ;):cool:

Mario

Re: S&M Trucking open for bizz nizz !!!
 

lookin good mario/sue!

when i worked up at Mik MAk we used autosol to cut, and we had a finishing polish we used after to get rid of that haze after. also, a good glass cleaner will pull alot of the impurities out of the pores of the aluminum after to polish it. we never wet sanded tho, im wondering if any minerals in the water may be affecting your shine. another thing to try if you have a garage or it isnt still 30 below up there in the sault, is brake clean... spray, then wipe with a clean rag, and dont use the rag too long, it'll start smearing after a while. we used to use it to prep old fuel tanks before welding repairs :D

keep up the good work :D

Re: S&M Trucking open for bizz nizz !!!
 

A strong wire brush works decent as a rake. you will see the buff pads shed some fibers but don't worry about it.

Re: S&M Trucking open for bizz nizz !!!
 

I kind of put the cart before the horse, I forgot to show off my work space.
http://i1048.photobucket.com/albums/...nLowen/006.jpg
http://i1048.photobucket.com/albums/...nLowen/005.jpg

Re: S&M Trucking open for bizz nizz !!!
 

small trailer polishing update.....

Sue and I agreed on the importance of having a perfect finish on the trailer and we scrapped using a 1/2" drill and cloth type polishing pads. It is time to gear up and use the right tools for the job! So,

I finally found a local supplier of felt polishing wheels and a buddy at work hooked me up with his homemade polishing tool:cool:
its a old dryer motor with a 5/8 shaft attached. The speed and power of it is perfect!:D

http://i1174.photobucket.com/albums/...s47811ad6.jpeg

http://i1174.photobucket.com/albums/...s5e3dac63.jpeg

Now all I need is warmer weather:eek::mad: it is 30F in the garage today! not ideal temps for polishing with a rouge that is hard as rock at room temp!:eek:
things look warmer this week, hope to post pics of a perfect polish soon:D;)

mario

Re: S&M Trucking open for bizz nizz !!!
 

Wow - kool thinking on the dryer motor ...... probably has a great duty cycle and take a lugging - except since I know nothing technical about polishing.......

Re: S&M Trucking open for bizz nizz !!!
 

Well, spring is finally here! the polish work on Sues trailer has begun and the results so far is like a chrome finish:D . Needless to say, I will not be opening any kind of polishing buisness:eek:... there is definitely an art and proper equipment to do this stuff proper:eek:

Anyway, no pics of the progress on that because its all in pieces right now. The main purpose of this post is to celebrate the beginning of spring and the re-opening of the S&M workshop / man cave :D

73F today and the yard is all dried up so it was time to clean up the garage and move the fleet back into the shop area

I know I've posted pics of my work areas before.....I'm just so happy to get settled back in again, I couldn't help myself and had to post more again:D

http://i1174.photobucket.com/albums/...sbba88aae.jpeg

I use the bench in the garage for metal work, drilling, cutting, etc and the more detailed work is done in my man cave you can see through the door on the right..

http://i1174.photobucket.com/albums/...sdf8c0001.jpeg

http://i1174.photobucket.com/albums/...saa494886.jpeg

http://i1174.photobucket.com/albums/...s4cac6477.jpeg

and heres the fleet of trailers and equipment......

http://i1174.photobucket.com/albums/...see0a1e94.jpeg

ohh yes.... and the daughters touch on my fridge...lol

http://i1174.photobucket.com/albums/...s4f7ad268.jpeg



the other big announcement is the fact I got the loader outside for the first time since I bought it way back when!:jaw:

Please excuse my operating. this is the first moments in the outdoors! no practice, raw footage:eek::o:o:rolleyes:

http://youtu.be/CCzopXQ3Hco

got bored with leaves real quick so why not try hardpacked gravel path? lol

http://youtu.be/668pVpWzOfM


Thanks for looking, :)

Mario

Re: S&M Trucking open for bizz nizz !!!
 

Finally got the fleet out today and Susan ran Black Passion outside for the first time! Heres a few pics .....

http://i1174.photobucket.com/albums/...s6c78cac0.jpeg

http://i1174.photobucket.com/albums/...sfc11cedb.jpeg

http://i1174.photobucket.com/albums/...s5c569361.jpeg


http://i1174.photobucket.com/albums/...sb0eefc13.jpeg

Then I thought...OMG, I have to pull the Wedico out of winter storage and get some pics of " the 3 Kings " :D;)

http://i1174.photobucket.com/albums/...sb9f00337.jpeg

http://i1174.photobucket.com/albums/...sc6af24c5.jpeg

http://i1174.photobucket.com/albums/...s23dfbe87.jpeg

http://i1174.photobucket.com/albums/...sc4a6236d.jpeg


http://i1174.photobucket.com/albums/...s5e2ac26c.jpeg

http://i1174.photobucket.com/albums/...sc5aeb9f6.jpeg

http://i1174.photobucket.com/albums/...sd05b0b2f.jpeg


and now the video of mama Sue driving her pride and joy :D

http://youtu.be/EULxZvNQa7c

http://youtu.be/zKaGJIKg1Gs


thanks for looking, hope you enjoyed:)

Mario

Re: S&M Trucking open for bizz nizz !!!
 

yes they do and sue looks very natural driving her baby as if she has always had it:D

Re: S&M Trucking open for bizz nizz !!!
 

Thanks guys. The funny part is after dinner we went for a walk in the neighborhood and found out that my truck is still faster than Marios', my battery lasts longer than Marios' and my everyday truck can come to Mario's rescue when his battery runs out of juice...LMAO..:)

Re: S&M Trucking open for bizz nizz !!!
 

Thanks guys. We sure got a lot of attention from people in the neighbourhood.:) there were people coming out of their house as they saw us go by twice on our journey! Taking pics and asking questions, it was great :)
I think I have one guy interested in the hobby.He owned lots of Rc racers etc. didn't know about the rigs and loves the trucks, Ill make sure we go by his house more often. Lol

However, the fact my battery died on me and I didn't pack a spare in my pocket was embarrassing for sure:o. Susan sure got a good laugh as she kept on trucking! :D


Mario