HexNutRacing

Ok so finished up that bruiser build but I am real excited to get this build going. So an individual approached me to build them a Toyota Bruiser body. They also said the magic words "tell me what you want to do". Well I have been batting around a few ideas recently and this will give me the excuse to do one of them sooooooo

Tamiya Toyota Hilux Libyan Technical Pickup Build!

Toyota Hilux bodies have been modded so much but I don't think I have seen anything like this before so I am excited to do it. For those of you that don't know, during the Libyan war (or any African war) you will see a ton of Toyota's and other pickups modified to have mounted machine guns on them. They are common place in today's battle field. Recently with the Libyan war you saw them all over the place. As a vet and a history buff I love building pieces that tell a story. So here are some pics of the design I am going to go for:

This is a dodge but the idea is the same



Here is a Toyota all loaded up



Here is a scale 1/35 model that is made my Meng



Going to have all sorts of markings and the Libyan flag on it but really weathered to look like it was hand painted.

Now of course the machine gun. Well it wouldn't be a Technical without one so I am going to scratch build an SG43 Russian Heavy Machine gun into the pickup bed.



Going to be a lot of fun!

HexNutRacing

Ok so right now just waiting for the body and lights to come in, but that doesnt mean we have time to sit around. Lots of custom stuff on this build so we need to get a design together to strat measuring and ordering material.

To do custom build I like to follow this work flow.

1. Gather reference materials and measurments
2. Create rough decal designs from photos
3. Create rough scratch design from photos
4. Mockup in 3D
5. Layout parts for schematics
6. By required materials
7. Create paterns for scratch parts
8. Assemble

Why so much? I follow this method because it keeps waste down. Also I can save the paterns that I make incase I want to recreate the next scratch build. The next time will always be faster. If you do the old eye ball and sand method, which trust me you will be doing enough of already you run the chance of wasting material and if you want to make the same thing again you are starting over.

So I already have a premade 1:1 scale layout of a Bruiser body minus the rear sleeper. Not sure if I will use it or not right now.

So I layout my graphic decals in Adobe illustrator in 1:1 so I can just print them onto water slide paper.

I don't know what any of it means, its from an Arab phrases font. Hopefully doesnt get me in trouble lol. If someone reads arabic and they see something crazy please tell me

Also stuck in some grafiti USA, like one of our boys spray painted it on there, had to give a little nod to the red white and blue! ;-)



if you are wondering what the Blue door is, I am going to make one door a diffrent color like it was replaced.

Also I take my photo reference of the SG43 so that I can begin a trace



This doesnt have to be perfect, we want it simple. The tracing should give the major shape and be done using simple shapes that can be passed to any cad program or right onto paper. If you make the tracing over complicated it will not scale well. I make all of my plans 1:1 in scale.

That way if I want to measure something I can just hold it up to the paper.

Tomorrow I should have the 3D muck up done hopefully. Stay tuned.

HexNutRacing

Ok next part is to make our model a 3D mockup. Now some people are thinking, "This doesn't help me I don't own CAD or 3d software" So two things, you don't need to do this part, you can easily go old school and just use your schematics, and you can make schematics in any illustration program. Yes it will take longer, or you can get a simple CAD program for pretty cheap.

I have the tools available to me so I use them, the 3D mockup lets me see how everything fits together. Does it even look right? When comparing it to my photos did I make my scale assumptions generally correct. The 3D part lets me quickly verify this before I begin building and doing layouts.

So taking my vector sketches I basically extrude the components in the 3D app. For my work I use Autodesk Inventor, but it is down to what you are used to. Try to keep details to a minimum, you are just looking for glaring issues with proportions and scale. It should take you an hour or less if you are used to the app, if it is taking longer than that you are getting to detailed and your layouts and patterns will be to difficult to use.

So this is how the SG43 turned out



Now an isometric view of the SG43



So we kept it pretty simple, using broad geometric shapes that we can easily trace to plastic from our plans later. I see some errors on the trigger I will fix but the proportions look good especially since the only reference material I used was a photo and Overall length and barrel length. Without schematics we are always guessing a bit, just because it says Barrel length is X doesn't mean that is the visible Barrel length. Also many weapons have multiple variations and overall length may listed in Wikipedia or somewhere else may include a butt stock. So its all educated guessing.

Now the real test to see if it looks OK on the truck, we are going to slap it onto a bruiser mockup I have from another project. Also I am going to use this as an opportunity to set my mount height. I haven't been able to find a reference to that besides photos so we will have to wing it.

Side View


Isometric view



So I am pretty confident by our mockup I can begin the gun layout for the parts. Some edits will have to by made but I think the scale is right on. I had to guess the width of the SG43 but I was able to eye ball it based on the barrel profile and assuming diameter. So detailed plans and patterns as well as a shopping list is up next. By the way I will start proofreading my posts a bit more, damn I have some terrible spelling and grammar

suchap69

hi hexnutracing.... nice project u have here....

just an input regarding the decals... the phrases on the blue door and also on the rear side panel are 'Allah' which is the muslim's god's name... i think it would not be appropriate to have that on as it can be deem disrespectful... the flag is nice... i don't know bout the other phrases...

sorry, if u are offended but these militants normally use religion as a tool to justify their acts and to gain followings....

regarding the gun... how bout using those rc tanks gun so that u can shoot BB bullets... would be nice eh?

HexNutRacing

Thanks man, no problem, I have gotten a few comments about this build, some good and some bad ha ha , so I will see if I can find an alternative. As for the gun maybe next time, this time its just static I think I set the bar hi already!

HexNutRacing

SG43 Layout Drawings!

Now we move on to the layout, but before that I made a slight change to the decals.



Now since we created our 3D model we can pretty easily create our layouts. When I make my laout drawings I try to add as many dimensions as I can without clutering it up to much. Also since we are working in 1:10 scale you should print your drawings out at the size you are making the model. That way you can just check sizes on the plans.

Isometric View



Top View



Side View



Handle Detail



I will have to make some on the fly changes to the handle, but the layout is pretty solid. No not all details are there. That's not the point. The point is to make something that generally looks like an SG43. All the details and fine tuning will be added in the finishing stage.

You won't find styrene in exact sizes for this build so we will be making a bunch of custom pieces, but that's the fun. Those parts have been ordered so just waiting for them to come in, but I have plenty to do besides the SG43.

The Tamiya Bruiser Body, and lights have arrived so while I wait for the Styrene, I can start on that. This build will be dirrrrty! Lots of weathering, but the weathering has to be more desert than dirt so more oxidization and dust. Not much rust. Hopefully some pics soon.

HexNutRacing

So let's get the build part of this started, no more planning fort the time being.

First up we have a standard Tamiya Bruiser 2012 Toyota Hilux. Nothing special to see here. This beginning part is going to be pretty basic.



I bolt the body together but also put a bit of CA in there to keep the fit tight and reduce the rattling.



This body is going to fit the default mount points on the bruiser so no crazy putty work this time.

Make some clean snips of the molding material



Then we start the sanding process and get all those nasty mold lines off this great body



Finally I use some rubber bands to squeeze the bumper separation and then this time I am using ProWeld to plastic weld the joint together. Should make for some non putty seems



Still getting used to using the welding solvent with the touch and flow applicator. But after using it I may be hooked. The applicator may be slightly a mute point with 1:10 scale but it may be a god send for 1/35 and 1/72 stuff I like to do.

Ok more pics soon, sorry but every build begins with the basics!

HexNutRacing

Ok so body is all cleaned up, now to begin the painting. Yes I know the body is all white, but we all know that if you don't paint it, it always looks like plastic. Sooooo I airbrushed it a flat white.

Man airbrushing on white to white can be a pain to ensure you have good coverage, but I didn't want to use a different color primer and risk that bleeding into the white. I guess we will know if I made the right decision based on the result.



Now we aren't going to use chrome wheels so we have to get rid of that. The body is going to end up mounted on a bruiser. It is going to look crazy MadMax with those 2.2's. But I will also mock it up on standard 1,9's for a more scale look

I have seen a million methods for stripping chrome but for me Super Clean De Greaser from Walmart works great.



I put the wheels in a Chinese food Wonton Soup container with the Super Clean covering them.



Then 15 minutes later all naked!



After that I wash them in a good bath of Dawn dish soap to remove all the residue. All done for now. Next up the windshield treatment.

HexNutRacing

Ok now moving from the body for one second lets take a look at that windshield. If we are going to get the right effect then we have to weather the wind shield.

First step we have to measure the windshield base.



The using my other bruiser body I measure out the location of the windshield wipers



Using those measurements I use adobe illustrator and make a template that reflects the proper arc with the windshield. I use that to make a paper template.



That paper template I then transfer to a frisket film that is placed on the windshield



Now I start the airbrushing first. Really light misting of the tan over everything



BRB have to do something and I will post the other half

HexNutRacing

Ok so continuing, you want to do some light passes with the pressure low to get the sand effect



Now to make it more realistic of a finish I need to add a different texture. Sand and mud is not uniform.

So I put a paint brush into one of my jars and sop it up a bit.



Then I pull back the brissles so the paint gets a light splattering. But this paint is going to be thicker and provide us a different texture.



Then when you are done and everything is dried, you peal the mask off



A once clean windshield now looks properly dirty.

More posts tomorrow!

HexNutRacing

Flat body has been sprayed and windshield done, so now lets get back to some of the body details.

First lets get those Red Yota letters going



Not my neatest work, should have gone slower, but I will touch it up later plus I think the weathering will correct my poor O's

Now I wanted to add one blue door so that it looked like the door had been replaced. I am using the same Tamiya blue as the bruiser to highlight this trucks roots ha ha. So I mask the area off and use shopping bags to keep the over-spray down. I might have been paranoid but it is a white body so any over-spray would be obvious



I made sure that I didn't do a great job of the airbrushing so the tones were uneven. That way the paint look pretty battered. The result looks great even before more of the weathering.



Now a full shot to show the Yota and door, and the black handle and grills



A little closeup of the door



Its just starting to come together now.

HexNutRacing

Quick detour now to the interior.

I am going to do the same interior mod that I did in the last bruiser build. insetting the main dashboard. Using care go and cut out the dash



The carefully cut out and begin to glue the a new dash board from a piece of styrene.



If you have an gaps after adding it, you can fill it in with classic green putty and sand afterword.



Now for the floor of the interior, in my last build I used modeling flock to give it a carpeted look. This time I am using my imagination and thinking a modified fighting vehicle is probably taking a pretty decent beating. So it calls for a diamond plating floor.



I airbrush this guy silver and then get ready to mount it into the interior after painting.



More pics soon of the interior, I also have my decal sheets printed and ready so almost decal time.

HexNutRacing

Ok so dashboard work is complete. I painted it a nice Matte black and then mounted the diamond plating



Then I put the decals on, and can you believe it I mounted the stinkin console upside down again. I think at this rate it is going to be my trademark



I also tried to add a decal that was the Arabic word freedom in red spray paint, but with a clear decal sheet the red just didn't pop



Might mask and spray it

HexNutRacing

So looking back diamond plate may have been a bit to nice for a technical, but I don't want to rip it out.

So to complete the interior I finished up the steering wheel in all black



Then I used a tan acrylic paint mixed in with water to begin a brown wash



After letting it dry the interior had a muddy water effect

HexNutRacing

Quick detour now to the interior.

I am going to do the same interior mod that I did in the last bruiser build. insetting the main dashboard. Using care go and cut out the dash



The carefully cut out and begin to glue the a new dash board from a piece of styrene.



If you have an gaps after adding it, you can fill it in with classic green putty and sand afterword.



Now for the floor of the interior, in my last build I used modeling flock to give it a carpeted look. This time I am using my imagination and thinking a modified fighting vehicle is probably taking a pretty decent beating. So it calls for a diamond plating floor.



I airbrush this guy silver and then get ready to mount it into the interior after painting.



More pics soon of the interior, I also have my decal sheets printed and ready so almost decal time.