1/35 Gecko models Skid Steer Loader.

[outrunner]

Yes, I know it is a military based model but I am going to do it as a civilian type.
Sprues.

This will be quite a small model with loads of small detail parts.

A very nice glossy instructioon book.

This will not be a fast build as my wanting it to be in civilian colours means most of it will have to be painted before very careful assembly.


Andy.

 

[papa 695]

Ooo I'm glad this one won Andy, looking forward to the build.

 

[Tim Marlow]

Looks a complex little item Andy. Forgive my ignorance, but why are they called “skid steer”?

 

[Jakko]

Because that’s how they steer They have no steering mechanism, the vehicle is steered by slowing down the wheels on one side.

 

[Dave Ward]

In the early 00's JCB lent us one of their Robot Skid Steerers, so we could trial fit our new engine. I had to redesign some mounting brackets, but nothing serious. These things work all by hydraulics, the engine drives a pump, and as well as the hydraulic rams for the bucket, hydraulic motors on each wheel. It worked very well, we were running performance trials - until one of the front wheels fell off! We had a real problem recovering the three wheeler from our test area. JCB were amazed - we'd only had it a week & we'd broken it! All we could say was that maybe their testing regime wasn't as rigorous as ours!
Dave

 

[outrunner]

Nicely explained by Dave, a handy machine in confined spaces, but the short wheelbase and narrow track can make them a bit unstable on less than reasonably flat ground.

Andy.

 

[adt70hk]

Looking forward to this coming together.

Dave, Jakko, thanks for the info.

Andrew

 

[Tim Marlow]

Cheers lads, now I know

 

[Dave Ward]

As a follow up skid steerers have no suspension - the tyres are the only thing that softens the ride! They are all top heavy, and can tip over easily - why they all have strong roll cages & the operator usually has a 4-point safety belt

this wasn't the JCB, but was another make ( Manitou, I think ) that I designed the engine mounts for! The driver was an applications technician called Roger Brain - a real maestro ( he broke the JCB ). I was there at the filming, I'm somewhere behind the camera! Lister-Petter no longer exist, but I'd been head hunted by another company before then........
Dave

 

[minitnkr]

There is an amazing u-tube showing how you can load & unload (drive-on/drive-off) one from a dump truck bed.

 

[outrunner]

Progress to date on what will be a small model, one side lift arm 1/2 built.

Front bucket opening ram before assembly.

The door catches were so small that I resorted to leaving them on the bit of spue so I could hold them in place until the glue set and left them to harden fully when I will cut the sprue off and do any tidying up if needed. The catches are the vertical parts, the 2 parts with bolt heads are moulded into the door frame.

One thing that I did not like was the plastic coated wire given for the hydraulic hoses, on the left of the picture as it looked to me to be far too small for scale, luckily I have a lot of larger tubing left over from the loader kit so I will use that.

Andy.

 

[Jim R]

Hi Andy
An amazing little vehicle. I'm sure that it is useful in many situations. Looks a fiddly kit.
Jim

 

[outrunner]

Hi Andy
Looks a fiddly kit.
Jim

It certainly is Jim, Gecko, MiniArt and Mirror models are just another way to spell fiddly but I like them.

Andy.

 

[outrunner]

Not a good day, thinking I that there was enough paint in the Tamiya aerosol that I used on the rally car I set about painting the side frames and lift arms, and you've guessed it, the tin started to run out covering things with splatters all over the place. I decided that 4 days was too long to wait for a delivery so I went to Halfords and got a rattle can of yellow and after a bit of a clean up I think I got away with it.

The panel at the top looks to be a bit darker but it must be the light in my workshop as they are all the same, honest!
Inside of the cab done, not that any of it will be seen when it's built.

I now find after a test fit that the PE side window guards will not slide in to the inside of the roof as the inner panel is a tad too wide but that can be fixed............tomorrow.

Andy.

 

[JR]

That's nice detail to include the vehicle plate in the cab Andy. Coming on well .

 

[papa 695]

Coming along very nicely.

 

[outrunner]

I reckon it must have taken the best part of 3 hours to build and paint the bucket for this model. Looking at the instructions I thought, Oh good, it's a 4 in 1 bucket but unfortunately it is not a working 4 in 1 bucket, which was a bit of a downer considering there are 18 parts needed to make it.

I have to say that this is probably the most complicated model I have built so far but I am enjoying putting it together, but don't hold your breath as there are more complex/ fiddly bits yet to do.

Andy.

 

[Tim Marlow]

That looks great Andy. Well worth the time and effort.

 

[adt70hk]

Coming on nicely Andy.

18 parts is more than some of my the 1/72 quick build kits Junior and I build!!!

Keep up the great work.

Andrew

 

[Jim R]

Hi Andy
Lots of parts = more time spent = value for money!! Well maybe not
Looks great so far. Lovely details.
Jim