Pocher Volvo F12 Build

[larchiefeng]

Very nice build Neil! This kit is the ultimate truck kit for semi truck fans. Very cool.

[rjfk2002]

Fun with Clam Shells

 

Pocher went nuts with clam shell style parts for this kit.  The rear differential, the muffler, the fuel tank, the 4 air tanks and the entire engine are two piece moldings with giant seam lines.  The below is a shot of the air tank sprue.  

 

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I have found the seams to vary wildly depending on the quality of the part mold.  Some fit with very little gap, while others have a visible channel.  I have been trying out some different techniques to make this line invisible.  For the "better" parts I have been able to sand the seam smooth, seal with Mr Surfacer 500 and sand again to get the seam invisible under primer.  The bigger gaps have required putty.  I used Tamiya white putty and have discovered it's not the best for 1/8.  I find that it dries with air pockets or "weak spots" that scratch when sanded.  Some other builders use Bondo, an automotive grade putty, without this issue.  I plan to switch over.  I have had to fill in spots again or used Mr Surfacer.  It works but has slowed things down a bit.  

 

 

Edited August 27, 2017 by rjfk2002
Add photos

[Dr. Fiat]

Keep at it!  I'm looking forward to this build!!!

 

Darin

[rjfk2002]

Diverting off the Path

 

I decided to take a quick diversion from the frame to show some work I'm doing on a sub assembly - the tool box.  The box isn't very complicated, literally a plastic box with a shelve insert and a door.  Unfortunately Pocher's quality control made this a tad bit more complicated.  The box had huge sink marks - almost channels -  along the edges.  Cleaning up these marks proved to be a real pain.  My first attempt was to use putty as you can see below.  I was concerned about making too much of a mess so I used tape along the edges so I could peel away the excess.  

 

 

This was a mistake.  The putty didn't feather into the plastic and ended up looking "gummy" after painting.  The pic below illustrates the problem. 

 

 

Needless to say I wasn't happy with this result, so I sanded down and started again.  This time I didn't use tape and instead covered the back 1/3 of the box with putty.  Then I sanded... sanded a lot.  I basically planed the surface of the box.  From the marks in the plastic you can see how uneven the original part was.

 

 

When painted this came out perfect.  It was a good learning experience.  I was worried about making a mess and tried to be too neat with the putty.  Turns out I needed to go wild with the putty and sanding.  Also it's a nice reminder that this is all just plastic.  If you make a mistake you can always just sand down and try again.

 

 

 

Edited August 27, 2017 by rjfk2002

[Roy vd M.]

On 11/6/2016 at 8:27 PM, rjfk2002 said:

Fun with Clam Shells

 

Pocher went nuts with clam shell style parts for this kit.  The rear differential, the muffler, the fuel tank, the 4 air tanks and the entire engine are two piece moldings with giant seam lines.  The below is a shot of the air tank sprue.  

 

 

I have been trying out some different techniques to make this line invisible.  

 

 

For my Krupp Titan I did this:

 

1. Dryfit the tank halves and see if they fit well. If not, sand them flat (unless too much sanding would be required, in which case I'd use CA glue as a filler).

 

Then apply Humbrol liquid poly (plastic cement) to two diesel tank halves. Wait 10 seconds and apply again. Then put both halves together strongly. This ensures that you won't have to fill any large gaps later. Don't touch the softened plastic with your finger. 

 

2. When it's completely dry (couple of hours) sand the thing using a curvature sander:



3. See here a partly sanded tank. Note how ugly the seam was.



4. If there are any hairline cracks, fill them with Mr Surfacer 500 using a brush; finish should be clean. Alternatively, fill using CA glue. 



5. Dry sand using 1,000 grid and then 2,000 grid. If you used CA, first use a modeling file. Beware, the surrounding plastic is softer than the CA. 



6. To airbrush I glued the diesel tank cap to a piece of sprue. Because there were still minimal signs of hairline cracks I airbrushed four layers of Mr Surfacer 1500 (2/3 thinner, 1/3 Surfacer). 



7. Wet-sanded using grid 1,000 and then 2,000.



8. Finally it's smooth. 



9. Don't forget about front and back of tank.



10. Two layers of primer -> previous separation is invisible. Compare to picture 2.



It took me 5 hours to do this. 

 

Not saying this is the best method, but it's a method. Good luck on the diesel tank work!

[larchiefeng]

Wow, that is one seriously bad casting on the toolbox! I can see why you had no other choice than to skim t the entire side and sand flat from there. Sometimes that's just what you need to do. 

You reminded us that, in the end it's only plastic and it can be fixed, painted or scratch built again. 

Roy, that's a good primer on how to correct, fill seams and sand curved objects. The "curvature " file that I have is sold by Micromark, for one, and there's a lot of different grits available to slip over the end of the metal frame. It's a handy little tool for sanding not only curves but, awkward and hard to reach places.

Good recovery on the toolbox and I'm sure that as you go through the rest of the "clamshell " parts they will get easier.

[rjfk2002]

Thanks for sharing Roy. That is a really helpful step-by-step guide. I have not seen that the flexi file before. I will have to add it to my real life tool box ha

 

Thanks Wayne. I figured so far I have only shown the good stuff so far. It was time to shown a blown play and the effort to save. 

[rjfk2002]

Forward Progress

 

It has been a while since my last post but I have made some progress.  The front axle has been attached to the frame.  

 

I like the brass wheel axles, they were nicely cast and allow the wheels to fit snugly.  Unfortunately they will never been seen once the wheels go on.  In the background you can see the beginning of the rear axle.  The two plastic halves were glued together, puttied, primed and shot semi-gloss black.  The rear leaf springs were built up spring by spring similar to the front set.  They are too short out of the box and require some uncurling with pliers.  It was a bit tedious but they came out nice and even.  Here are all the components

 

And now built up and on the frame

 

Next up will be the wheels and rear cap on the frame (covers those gray areas above)

Edited August 27, 2017 by rjfk2002

[silver911]

My god that's a beast!....wouldn't want to drop that on ya foot....great progress and so glad your keeping us informed on how it's going.

[Codger]

Pour on the coffee (or bourbon) and keep us informed! You're showing us the only He-Man Pocher compared to our lily-livered, sissy classics... 

[CrazyCrank]

It begins to look like a truck enormous !

 

[rjfk2002]

Haha thanks guys. While it certainly is huge, I can tell you it is not nearly as detailed as the Roller or Bugatti but it will do a number on your foot of dropped...

[rjfk2002]

The Wheels on the Bus errr Truck...

 

Wanted to give a quick update on the wheels.  The wheels consist of three plastic pieces - a large circular piece for the center (the rubber tire goes around the edge) and two rings to form the rims.  There are six wheels in total.  The rear wheels stack up to form a large double wheel assembly.  This is fortunate as the combination of poor casting and age has taken a toll on some of the wheels.  The first pic shows some of the raw parts.  The second pic shows the set up I used to paint these parts.  I borrowed the skewer idea that Roy suggested earlier in the build.  I needed to move the part to get at all the different surfaces and angles so I taped two skewers together so I could grab the part at either end.

 

Here is an example of the final assembly.  I used Tamiya Silver Leaf spray and like how it came out.  All those little bolts are screwed in and are part of the kit.  They are one (if not the only) Volvo specific fastener in the kit, everything else is borrowed from the other Pocher classics.  One item of note - getting the tires on the wheels was a huge pain.  They are not very flexible and required a lot of twisting/force to get on and seated properly.  Unfortunately Motel Motor Car doesn't make any replacements.  Their soft rubber classic tires are light years better than the kit in feel, appearance, quality, ease of use...

 

Thanks for following along.  Next up will be mounting the wheels, mud flaps and rear light assemblies.

Edited August 27, 2017 by rjfk2002

[Dr. Fiat]

That wheel looks like a 1:1.  Nice work!!

[silver911]

Just love this beast...looking forward to seeing the next update.

As a matter of interest...what's the engine detail like?

[CrazyCrank]

Hi Rjfk2002

To get easily the tires on the wheel, there is a very simple technic:

- put  a tire into a bowl of water, and cover it with water

- put the bowl in your microwave oven

- Maw power during 1 or two minutes (it depends on the size of tires)

- When ringing, you'll can distort your tires and fit them on the wheels as easily than if it was marshmallow

 

I've done it for my Bug, the advice was found on the forum, don't remember  which thread and contributor

[Codger]

Very little sympathy from me about assembling 6 wheels of 3 parts! How about 5 wheels with 81 parts each?  The party will be over when you start your RR or Alfa builds....

 

But I like your pajama trouser bottoms...

Edited December 6, 2016 by Codger

[rjfk2002]

Thanks gents.  The microwave tip is very good. That would saved me some sweat and tears haha. The funny thing is the kit tires went on my Bugatti without too much trouble. The Volvo was just really stubborn...

 

sadly the engine detail is fairly weak. Looking at the other pocher kits, the truck engine definitely occupies the cellar along with the 911 engine (tho that one looks much worse). In pocher's defense it is a truck engine and they aren't nearly as interesting as car engines IMHO

 

I thought I heard a tiny violin playing across the east river, now I know where it came from Mr C .  Kidding aside I wasn't trying to elicit sympathy as much as plug Marvin's wonderful tires. If you own a classic, F40 and/or Aventador do yourself a favor and look into those tires...  and those handsome trousers are in fact the kitchen towels. I commandeered the stove top to dry all the parts one afternoon

 

Rich

[Codger]

10 hours ago, rjfk2002 said:

I thought I heard a tiny violin playing across the east river, now I know where it came from Mr C .  Kidding aside I wasn't trying to elicit sympathy as much as plug Marvin's wonderful tires. If you own a classic, F40 and/or Aventador do yourself a favor and look into those tires...  and those handsome trousers are in fact the kitchen towels. I commandeered the stove top to dry all the parts one afternoon

 

Rich

   Stove top is risky place for plastic - and I'm not buying the kitchen towel story...

 

Do be careful about the microwave; Easy to overheat unless you know yours well. I prefer the pot of heated water and frequent dipping and checking...But heat definitely makes them pliable.

[rjfk2002]

The Beast Rises...

 

The wheels are now on the frame and the truck is standing.  Everything appears to be level  too.  Next up were the mud guards.  To make sure these fit properly I had to attach the cab floor and some of the body work as the flaps tuck in.  

 

 

While working on the flaps I made a bit of a misstep.  I decided to paint the rods before test fitting everything.  The problem is the braces that hold the flap to the rod are way too tight.  As I moved the mud flaps around, the braces badly scratched the paint on the rods when I moved the flaps around.  I had to remove the rods, strip them and repaint.  I also widened the braces a bit to better fit the rod.  If I were to do it again I'd have saved the painting until after I determined the right placement of the flaps on the rod.  

 

Edited August 27, 2017 by rjfk2002

[rjfk2002]

Tail Lights

 

After getting the mudguards fitted the next step was the tail lights.  I used bare metal foil to create a reflective surface behind the lens.  The lens were all molded clear and needed painting.  I first tried dipping the parts in Tamiya acrylic paints.  Unfortunately the paint didn't apply very evenly given the size of the piece and some imperfections in the surface.  I turned to the Tamiya spray versions and that worked well.  One word of warning - the orange paint first applies with a yellow tint and then turns to orange after a few minutes so don't freak out like I did

 

Edited August 27, 2017 by rjfk2002

[Maximum warp]

On 9 december 2016 at 4:05 AM, rjfk2002 said:

Thanks gents.  The microwave tip is very good. That would saved me some sweat and tears haha. The funny thing is the kit tires went on my Bugatti without too much trouble. The Volvo was just really stubborn...

 

sadly the engine detail is fairly weak. Looking at the other pocher kits, the truck engine definitely occupies the cellar along with the 911 engine (tho that one looks much worse). In pocher's defense it is a truck engine and they aren't nearly as interesting as car engines IMHO

 

I thought I heard a tiny violin playing across the east river, now I know where it came from Mr C .  Kidding aside I wasn't trying to elicit sympathy as much as plug Marvin's wonderful tires. If you own a classic, F40 and/or Aventador do yourself a favor and look into those tires...  and those handsome trousers are in fact the kitchen towels. I commandeered the stove top to dry all the parts one afternoon

 

Rich

 

Hey Rich, "the engine is fairly weak"; well I wholeheartedly agree with you and I would even dare to say that that is an understatement. I started a duobuild of two of these engines a few months ago and I'm about halfway through. Now, I happen to work at Volvo Trucks so I know a thing or two about these. First off, I assume Pocher initially produced the F16. Later they released the F12 with the same moulds, they didn't bother to change the engine so it is totally inaccurate. For example the pipework is wrong and the airfilter is in the wrong place for a 12 liter engine.

Other than that I have also encountered the numerous sinkmarks and the rough seamlines. But the worst has to be the amount of parts that only have the outward facing half moulded, the backside just being hollow. If you never plan to lift the cab of the truck, then that's probably fine. But I'm building the standalone engine kits (which are the same sprues as the ones in the truck kit) and then it's quite ridiculous; if you assemble this OOB, it looks like a toy. Shame on you pocher... 

I've been doing a lot of changes to the parts, most notably the turbocharger which is quite frankly ridiculous. It's almost twice as long as it should be and the wastegate actuator (on the front facing side) looks like a friggin' coffee cup. 

I have spent quite some time to enhance the turbo and I added a scratch-built wastegate valve. I also added injector pipes (which took three tries to find the right material and get them in the right shape) and I will use aluminium tube instead of the styrene inlet pipe.

Right now the build is stalled due to other builds taking priority, but I'm planning to continue with these soon. Let me know if you need some info or tips.

 

Edited December 23, 2016 by Maximum warp
Typo correction

[Pouln]

MW, maybe you could post a WIP and explain in there what is wrong, not optimal or need improvement.

That would help those who have the engine kit in their stash.

Maybe you can also post some links to online resources for the engine and the truck.

 

[Maximum warp]

1 hour ago, Pouln said:

MW, maybe you could post a WIP and explain in there what is wrong, not optimal or need improvement.

That would help those who have the engine kit in their stash.

Maybe you can also post some links to online resources for the engine and the truck.

 

 

Hello Poul, I'll try to do that. Up till now I haven't posted WIP's here on BM yet as I find it a bit cumbersome with not being able to upload pics to the forum server (I do most of my updates from an iPad).

I recently got a photobucket account that I'm still getting to grips with, but I'll try to put some effort in it. I have quite some text and pics to catch up here then.

Regarding online resources, it's actually quite simple: there are almost none. The only stuff I could find was a few sites from dealers of second hand engines and gearboxes. Not easy to find the right pics as there have been dozens of different versions of this engine, given that it was produced during at least 20 years if not more.

 

Cheers,

Erik

Edited December 23, 2016 by Maximum warp
Added some text

[rjfk2002]

Erik thanks for joining the thread! Your insight will be very welcome. Fee free to post things here or create your own thread. I am really curious to see what you have done so far! I have done some work on the engine but haven't posted yet. I am struggling with ideas to improve it beyond adding some oil lines here and there. Some of the molded detail would look better if a separate part but I am not sure if the effort to do so would compromise the original part too much