SCALE MODEL ASSEMBLY LINE

 Scania L 111 - Scale model (old pictures)

Ivan Gouveia[1]

The finished model

Pictures of the finished model

 

Assembly time

Pictures of the model - Assembly

 

 

The first chosen model

The first cab that I assembled is the L111 sleeper-cab, one of the most known Scania in the world. I adopted the Brazilian version that has a few differences from the European one. The window in the rear corner of the cab is larger, to begin with.

The project

I have been planning to make the Scania scale model for two years, but I scarcely have had time to do the common works. Now it is time to begin the Scania.

I, humbly, intended to represent some of the models usually seen on the roads all over the world in the past 70 years. The old models are those that I am an enthusiast.

I did not had access to the documentation concerning the models of brand and all that I have done about the old Scania models is based on the pictures that I have found in the internet. The angles and the curves are deceiving, specially seen on pictures. So, some details may not be as accurate as one should expect. Some are not as I expected too. This is the Scania Project “B”. In the Project “C” and son on, the improvements will be made.

I had to make the moulds in steel. When one has none but scarce means, the only way to do this project is by the hard work. I am talking about actually sculpt all the moulds in steel.

 

The actual project comprehends some of the most known Scania trucks. The scale is 1:25 and the scale models that I intend to make are:

• 02 L 36 Scania trucks;

• 02 L 55 Scania trucks;

• 02 LS 64 Scania trucks;

• 05 L 75 Scania trucks;

• 02 LS 85 Scania trucks;

• 05 L 111 day-cab Scania trucks;

• 15 L 111 sleeper-cab Scania trucks;

• 01 LS 111 sleeper-cab Scania truck.

• 01 LK 140 cab over engine

 

At least 36 cabs will be made.

 

Many questions have been made concerning this project. Some of them are: 

Why so many models at a time? Why duplicated?

There are any reasons why the thing came to be this way.

Reason 1: Since when I was working on the Brazilian FNM Truck Project (I called it FNM project A), about two years ago, the many fans of the Scania brand asked me for a Scania scale model. Only now I am taking the time to get things on the way.

Reason 2: When I make one model, I try to make as many cabs as I can. In the so rushed day by day work with computers it is difficult to stop and make a scale model from zero.

Reason 3: There are so many models because, sometimes, when I make only one type, people want other ones.

Reason 4: There are duplicated models because even though the main idea is not to sell any model, indeed I sell them. Sometimes, none remains in my hands. People usually say: “Sell it to me. You can make another one for yourself at any time.” I want to have in my collection one sample of each model a make. Then I assume that some of the Scania scale models are to be sold.

Reason 5: When researching some truck brand, a have a travel through its models releases and became very fond of each of them, specially the classic ones.

 

 

Moulds

I do not make prototypes out of clay because the way I am used to make them is somehow different from the way other people do. Instead, I prefer some types of plastic bumper filler.

Anyway it is better to take a whole month to make the moulds than doing the work only by hammer. Later, if I have to make the same model, I do not have to take care about its measures or shapes. Get better quality, not to mention that the time to complete the model is significantly reduced.

Quality here is something that must be explained. The models are craft work that must be good enough within their scope and should not be compared with the ones that come from an industrial assembly line.

 

Inside the cabs

Sometimes we have to use the experience and a bit of imagination to compound the parts inside the cab because of the lack of access to the documentation. The similarity between models has a big impact on the result. There are times when the result is not what we wanted it to be, but there is not too much to be done. Documentation is gold when trying to replicate something. I used to write to the brands asking some data about their models, but in general they do not care about it. After I had an insane job to make a Mercedes-Benz Axor 2640, there is, now, plenty of documentation on the MB site. I suppose that every scale modeler could do a better work with the right data. But I have to admit that if my Scania models do not look like a Scania, that is my fault. Let us let the builder alone in this case.

 

The first chosen model

The first cab that I assembled is the L111 sleeper-cab, one of the most known Scania in the world. I adopted the Brazilian version that has a few differences from the European one. The window in the rear corner of the Brazilian cab is larger, to begin with.

 

Scania L 111 Scale Model

 

 

 

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Considerações gerais do projeto

Como esse é um projeto artesanal, que implica o manuseio e o detalhamento de cada peça em separado, algumas preocupações foram constantes:

1 - Atingir um determinado padrão de qualidade;

2 - Obter peças bem resistentes;

3 - O material tinha de ser metal em pelo menos 80% das peças;

4 - As peças tinham de ser padronizadas e intercambiáveis;

5 - Reduzir o tempo de produção de cada peça sem alterar a qualidade.

 

Obrigado pela visita e até mais!

Este material ainda está incompleto, mais detalhes serão acrescentados assim que for possível.

Obrigado pela compreensão.

 

Considerations about the language

For I am not born under the English language, nor I have practiced it for a long time, many brutal errors may appear in my writings. I would be glad if those who detect such errors warned me about them. It is common that people make many mistakes when using a foreign language. So, if the way a used some word made it ridiculous, offensive or something like that, please let me know.

 

 

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