The Little World

Well, that’s what it feels like as you sit at your bench with a kit of this type. You are working in the factory.

This same feeling was encountered years ago with a 1:24 scale kit of a Bedford fuel tanker made by Emhar. They obviously had an original vehicle to base the model upon, and probably unbolted every part to measure them. I do not know how far computer measurement or drawing entered into it then, but the experience of building the frame from rails and cross-members was just like assembling the real thing – in miniature.

Same here with the ZIS. The basic frame needed more than a half-dozen cross members to gain rigidity, but the fit of the smaller parts into the larger was perfect. I utilised the markings on my cutting board to make sure the geometry was square and correct. Oddly, this is the first time I have made use of what is a universal sort of measuring tool that we all have – but oft-times ignored. The cement chosen was the black-dyed Mr. Cement SPB – thin and visible against the tan of the plastic components. It takes a bit of courage to make a black mess as you work, but the effect is the same in the end.

The frame has a very scale-sized and complex suspension system. I looked at several parts of it and concluded that I might just beef it up with two scratch built links rather than depend upon scale parts in non-scale material. The colour will be dirty iron brown anyway. As I have decided to build the truck in modern from, there may be a little ride-pimping with engine colour…

The details of the engine are superb – but you can be surprised how small some of the components can be against the bulk of the block and crankcase. Still, this was a 20’s design and every pump and pipe was scaled for that period – you cannot look at it in the same light as a super-car or your own hatchback.

The bed was a small diversion from chassis work – here it paid to look carefully at the instruction drawing to separate the cross-pieces into their various functions.