Models will be shipped in order of receipt of payment, so, if you haven’t already, make sure to call in and take care of payment at your earliest convenience.

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The post Cat<sup class='superscript'>®</sup> 983B Track-Type Loader Models Have Arrived at CCM appeared first on Classic Construction Models.

We are so excited about our 1:48 scale Cat 349E L model that we couldn’t help but share some images of the project’s progress. Here is a rare look at the first test castings out of the tooling, commonly known as the first shot.

Important to keep in mind is that these pieces have not yet been cleaned and polished for painting or had any prep for assembly. Most are still on the mold trees, which are the channels through which the molten metal or plastic runs when the parts are cast. These parts will be assembled into the test shot models that will allow us to see how the finished product will look and move. It’s never perfect on the first go, and changes and adjustments will usually be made.

We know you wait patiently for our models to come to completion, but we feel sharing some of the process will make the wait worth all the more.

The post Behind the Scenes – Cat 349E L first shot parts appeared first on Classic Construction Models.

Although many collectors know there is a difference in the alloys used to make brass and die-cast models the differences in the processes of making these two types of models is sometimes subtle and sometimes drastic.

When Classic Construction Models opened for business almost 25 years ago, its founder Bob Peterson, was an aficionado of vintage toys and models, including highly-detailed brass model locomotives. These replicas, outside of the running gear, were made of cast, etched and sheet formed brass. Its strength, malleability, ability to capture small details when cast and ease of joining allowed for the creation of models that approach being part-for-part recreations of an actual machine. These attributes were a key part of why our first model was made from brass.

Die casting has been used to make toys and miniatures for almost a hundred years. The basic process of forcing molten metal under pressure into a mold cavity made of hardened steel has remained relatively constant while the process of making the dies is the beneficiary of numerous high tech changes that have improved the ability to capture details. As the upfront cost of tooling is extremely expensive it is practical for only long production runs that allow the cost to be amortized over a large number of models.

When creating a model in either material, the driving factor is the level of detail in the drawings provided by the designer to the manufacturer. Simply stated, a model is never better than the drawings from which it is created.  With the advent of 3D drafting, it has become easier to share designs but again, poor drawings equal poor models.

From the drawings, the next step for every model is a hand sample, and it is this hand sample that guides the process of making molds for a die cast model or the components that will be cast, etched and formed for a brass model. For a brass model, making the parts is a laborious one-at-a-time process as they are literally made piece-by-piece. Given the qualities of brass, there are virtually no limitations as to design features and duplicating the original construction of a machine with sheet metal for sheet metal, castings for castings, and machined parts when appropriate.

For a die-cast model, the parts can be made faster in higher volume but because of the limitations of injection molding, with less detail. This means the designer must allow for “draft” so parts can be removed from a mold, as well as maintaining minimum thicknesses and part sizes. An example of where this is apparent is with cab walls and engine covers that will always be thick and bulky compared to a brass part. It’s also important to note that brass itself is far more expensive than the aluminum and zinc alloy used for die casting, so the cost per “finished pound” will always be higher.

Our first scale model, the Manitowoc 4100 Crawler Crane, was constructed of brass for a number of reasons – the most important being high detail and a small production run. This model was a game changer for construction model collectors as making it from brass allowed for details such as movable metal tracks – not “rubber bands” as found on other models – and a lattice boom that looked more realistic than anything previously offered. Given the information for its construction was transmitted virtually all by fax, it’s a testimony to the level of effort required to produce it.

We released our first die-cast construction model in 1995, and we have been pushing the envelope in this arena ever since. With features such as a finely detailed grill, accurate cab interior and individually-linked metal tracks it was declared “the best die-cast construction model ever” when it was introduced. As the industry has grown those features are now expected by collectors in every model they purchase. We are proud to be part of introducing more detail and accuracy that collectors now demand.

CCM will continue to make both brass and die-cast models as each has its own qualities and features for collectors. Just in case there was ever any doubt, we will also continue our quest to make the very best of both types.

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Although they might seem inconsequential at first glance, the markings and paint on a scale model are like icing on a cake.  When they are right, they enhance the enjoyment of the final product. When they are wrong, they can have a negative impact disproportionate to their size. At CCM we seek the most realism we can achieve in our models and that includes these tiny details. In this Behind the Scenes installment we will look at some of the challenges in this part of our process.

Model numbers, company logos, warning labels, and safety callouts—all are markings commonly seen on the real machines. For modern equipment, the placement and specifications for these are usually straightforward and easy to come by, as manufacturers such as Caterpillar have digital artwork that we can reduce to the proper scale.

A Cat 777 Haul Truck on location where we conducted our machine survey. Not many markings left on this one.

Vintage machines are the real challenge. Construction and agricultural equipment sees hard use, and over the course of forty or fifty years warning labels face a life of abrasion, fading from the sun, and other abuse. If an old machine gets repainted, those factory-adhered labels are almost never re-applied. Most often it is only the machine numbers that find their way back on a fresh coat of paint. For this reason, the amount of research we have to do to find accurate references for a piece of vintage equipment can be substantial. Old brochures, antique photos, and surveys of existing machines are all necessary.

In the case of our model of the Caterpillar No.12 motor grader, we were lucky to be able to refer to our vast in-house archives of vintage product brochures and sales sheets. Cross referencing this with our machine survey and other photos, we were able to create accurate markings for a machine that is well over sixty years old.

We were lucky to find a rare original label on this old No.12 for reference.

Markings are applied to the surface of our models with a process known as pad printing, often called “Tampo” printing after the leading manufacturer of the equipment. A soft silicone pad stamps a layer of paint on the model in a precise movement, as well as fine registration. This allows for a very crisp graphic that can wrap over a curved surface. Here is a link to examples of various Tampo techniques.

A paint and Tampo guide provided to our manufacturer for our upcoming Cat 16M Motor Grader cab interior.

Before the markings are placed, however, the model first needs a coat of paint matched to the manufacturer’s standard. Next to the company logo, there is nothing more they want to see properly executed on a scale model of their machines. Company colors are an integral part of their brand and manufacturers hold us to a very high standard for proper matches which includes their final approval for both current and vintage colors on our models.

As many enthusiasts know, Caterpillar yellow has changed over the years. The original “Hi-way Yellow” introduced in the 1930’s needed to change to meet the growing environmental requirements introduced in the 1970’s. In 1979 Caterpillar made the decision to modify the color that had been famous for over 47 years to the current Caterpillar “honey yellow”. Although the new paint color is strictly controlled, there was often some variation in the old Hiway Yellow from year to year, manufacturing locations, and paint formulations.

We hope this information is helpful and gives you a better understanding of the process we follow to create the world-class scale models our collectors treasure so highly.

The post CCM Behind the Scenes: Markings and Paint appeared first on Classic Construction Models.

When our 3D files are sent to the manufacturer they must complete the tedious and time consuming process of reviewing the files and making revisions. This can take up to a month as they must ensure the drawings represent parts that can be made in the next step of production which is tooling.

Once the drawings are  reviewed and approved they are used to make the tooling and from that tooling comes our first hand sample. Depending on the end product, that sample could be a resin rapid prototype printed on a 3D printer, a “first shot” in die-cast metal or a completed model in brass. At this stage the sample is usually not painted to allow us a closer examination of the overall quality. At this point, we check to make sure pistons hold position, wheels or tracks turn smoothly and the overall appearance of the model is correct.

Given the complexity of our models, it’s not uncommon to find that something has been overlooked or misinterpreted at this time. Above is a photo of the 992C Wheel Loader hand sample. You’ll notice the first version of the handrails in plastic that were later changed to metal because they didn’t meet our standards. If you look closely you’ll also see the winged foot in the Good Year logo on the tires is missing. When our review is complete we send our comments back to the manufacturer and wait for them to make the changes and send us another sample.

In the picture above you can see how the cylinders were painted along with the rest of the machine. Obviously not acceptable. Other changes required on these models included adjusting the hinge mechanisms on the bucket and filling a hole on the stick of the front shovel that was in the drawings but not on the real machine.

When the second sample arrives we again conduct a very rigorous and thorough inspection. This model will have full paint and markings which must be inspected and reviewed and at this point little things like the silver paint on the model above get noted and corrected. At this time, we typically receive a sample of the packaging to ensure it meets the required standards.

We understand the time line for the completion of a model is a long one—up to year in most cases—and although we wish it could be shorter, the reality of the work required to make a high-quality, limited edition model is always going to be laborious. Despite the challenges, we are addicted to the reward that comes when you tell us all our work was worth the effort as you simply love your CCM models.

In our next “Behind the Scenes” we’ll take a look at getting the machine markings on the models

The post CCM Behind the Scenes: Model Samples appeared first on Classic Construction Models.

Once we’ve collected all the research materials that we’ll use to develop our next model of a construction machine—including diagrams, photos, manufacturer’s CAD files, and our model survey measurements—our product designers begin work on the 3D model. This is a computer-rendered, three dimensional file that will be used by our manufacturers to produce the tooling necessary for casting the production models.

Depending on the complexity of the machine, the design of the 3D model can take a month or more. A company such as Caterpillar will usually have CAD plans of their current equipment that we can use as a base. These are often incredibly complex, containing plans for wiring, hydraulics and every last bolt. We carefully strip away everything until we have just the amount of detail that will survive the transition to a 1:24, 1:48 or 1:87 scale model.

If it’s a vintage machine, such as our Cat 992C, the 3D model is painstakingly developed from scratch. This is where our survey comes in really handy. What does the bottom of that transfer case look like? Good thing we like to get under the real equipment to find out!

During this process we also determine important things like how the doors will hinge, tracks and booms will function, and even where we’ll hide the screws. We design in a program called SolidWorks, which helps our product developers to simulate materials, fasteners, and moving parts—all before we send the plans out for tooling to be made.

When our 3D model is finished we’ll all review it along with the equipment engineers for inconsistencies with the real machine. We’ll also have historians expert in construction equipment take a look to see if there might be something we overlooked. It’s all in the details, after all.

A physical mockup of the scale model might be done at this point on our rapid-prototyping 3D printer in resin. This allows for function testing and more fine adjustments to be made to the parts before we send the plans to the manufacturer.

Next, we await the tooling sample.

The post CCM Behind the Scenes: Designing the 3D Model appeared first on Classic Construction Models.

For many of our models of modern machines we are able to acquire the 3-D computer plans of the actual equipment directly from the manufacturer, such as Caterpillar, and heavily modify it for production as a die-cast or brass scale-model. Yet there are many times when computer models of the machine do not exist – such as for our vintage pieces – and that means we have to build our CAD (computer aided design) model from scratch.

In addition to using any reference materials we can get our hands on, such as brochures, photos and plans, we will often go directly to the real machine to conduct what we call the model survey.

For our Cat 5230 front shovel model we traveled to a site in Hibbing, Minnesota to survey this giant, which is rather hard to find in the United States. This machine was having work done to it in the field and provided us with a great opportunity to don our hardhats and grab our measuring tapes to document every detail.

Reference photos will only take you so far in designing a scale model with the detail we demand. Therefore, each major component has to be measured and photographed to assure we have our dimensions just right.

 

It’s easy to forget just how massive some of this equipment is. When we reduce it down to a size like 1/87th scale we attempt to portray every detail possible. One of our great challenges is not deciding how much detail we will put into a model, but what we must leave out because of manufacturing concerns, complexity, or because it would just be too small to see.

After we are done rolling around in the mud, we head back home to sort out the information we gathered and start the next step of translating it into a 3-D computer model!

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