# Wrong Color



## Oldmechthings (May 18, 2008)

After taking a year, the model Bucyrus steam shovel finally took it's display place in the showroom this weekend. I'm almost certain it is the wrong color, but at least it is photogenic. I would suspect that the originals were dull black or something like that, but I'm not worried because there are not too many people around that can remember that far back.
  Several days ago my little friend, Max, "Kactiguy's" 5 year old son, was here visiting. He told me that I should put pieces of candy and brass in the bucket, so when he came I could pull the trip rope and dump them out for him. Even at his age he knows that brass is good material to build neat things out of. Who said that the younger generation is not taking an interest in our hobby?

















  And yes I do have some candy and brass in the bucket for the next time Max comes to visit!
    Birk


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## PTsideshow (May 18, 2008)

Who cares if it is the wrong color, somebody once told me. I own the damn thing I will paint it any damn way I want! :big:
That is very very cool :bow: :bow: :bow:
glen


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## Mcgyver (May 18, 2008)

Birk, like all the stuff i've seen of yours, looks great!


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## chuck foster (May 18, 2008)

who cares if the color is right or wrong............that is one amazing model :bow: :bow:

OLDMECHTHINGS DOES IT AGAIN

CHUCK


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## shred (May 18, 2008)

Way cool. FWIW, the one I saw in Panama is (currently painted) a boring black, with some white lettering. This looks much nicer.


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## Kactiguy (May 18, 2008)

Wow! I can't believe it has been a year. It was a treat watching this beast come together, and extremely educational. You have got me hooked on this hobby and I'm guessing you might have hooked Max as well. Max and I will need to make another visit to see it on display. We will need to get some video of it in action, and of course, we'll need to get candy too...and brass.


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## CallMeAL (May 18, 2008)

I can't even imagine how you made some of the parts on this machine! ??? It is just fantastic!


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## Bogstandard (May 19, 2008)

Birk,

Absolutely stunning.

I wouldn't worry about the colour, it is the quality that counts.

I used to make model boats, and the last one was a German shrimper, and I painted it bright turquoise blue, rather than the usual black. 'Wrong colour' everyone said.
I told them to look at pictures of small fishing harbours. The captains weren't worried about what the colour of the boat was, it was whether the metal or wood was protected, and they would buy the cheapest paint from the chandlers that was on offer to do the job. If it turned out to be bright pink, the boat ended up that colour.
I am sure that steam shovel owners did the same sort of thing.

John


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## Cedge (May 19, 2008)

Birk
Color, schmolor. That is pure art in my book. I agree with John... besides...most were too soot blackened to tell what color they were anyway. 

Steve


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## Paolo (May 19, 2008)

Fantastic!!!! The colors are always colors... :big: :bow:
Paolo


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## zeusrekning (May 19, 2008)

Birk, Yet another work of art.Absolutely stunning :bow:.
Tim


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## Alphawolf45 (May 19, 2008)

Color...How would we know? The photographs and pictures reproduced in books were all black and white all them years ago..Moving pictures were black and white up til relatively recently..
.
 Looks fresh and new like it just come off the assembly line..I might rather build one that looks to have been run hard and abused and dirty around the edges but it appears that most model builders prefer a finer finish than was ever giver to an original working machine.Everything considered I'd say it was an earth moving success. :bow:


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## Harold Lee (May 19, 2008)

WOW!!!!! What a beautiful machine!!! Your workmanship and attention to detail make this a work of art. Thanks for sharing this with the group.
Harold


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## Kactiguy (May 19, 2008)

If anyone is interested, here is a link to photo's of the building process.
http://birkpetersens.blogspot.com/search/label/steam%20shovel


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## CrewCab (May 19, 2008)

Kactiguy .......... thanks for the link, that was a very enjoyable read.

Birk ........ the attention to detail in your Bucyrus steam shovel is brilliant, the workmanship is just first class as can be easily seen from looking at the gears and differential etc, ......... and the steam valves, the casting and everything else ;D but ......... I particularly enjoyed reading about how you do the rivetting, thanks for sharing that. I "served my time" in the drawing office of a Structural Engineering fabricator (late 60's) and rivetting using a jack hammer was commonplace then, but welding took over fairly quickly in the early 70's (thankfully .....for everyone's hearing). But, I always imagined rivet's in models to be set with a hammer .............. thanks for proving me wrong  ........ thankfully, using a press is a little easier on the ears than the jack hammer if I can progress that far 

As for the colour, imho you've earned the right to paint it whatever dam colour you want 

Dave 8)


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