992C Bucket

We would like to thank all of our customers who emailed and called us with their concerns regarding the design of the 992C bucket.  We will revise the design of the bucket before moving forward with production.

992C Production Samples Have Arrived

The 992C production samples arrived and made their way into the photo room yesterday.  Only a few minor adjustments need to be made, and then they will be ready to display on your shelf.  Until then, enjoy the photos and take a look at the updated 992C page on the Classic Construction Models website to check out more details about these models by clicking this link: http://ccmodels.com/upcoming-992C.html.

Model Updates

385
Tooling is in production.

660
This model is running behind schedule.  We expect them to arrive in July and ship in August.

4600 "Ringer"
These are shipping from the manufacturer this week.  We expect them to arrive in the beginning of July and ship in mid-July.

5230
Drawings are in development.

637E
Drawings are in development.

769B
This model is running behind schedule.  We expect them to arrive in the beginning of July and ship in August.

992C
The first tooling sample is in the mail.

D7E
This model is running behind schedule.  We expect them to arrive in the beginning of July and ship in August.

D9H

This model is running behind schedule.  We expect them to arrive in the beginning of July and ship in August.

D9L Version Clarification

Our upcoming Caterpillar D9L will be available in three configurations: a push version with a cushion blade, a ripper version with a single-shank impact ripper, and a bladeless McAninch D9L with a 631E towed scraper.

D9L Impact Ripper

The standard version of our upcoming Caterpillar D9L Track-Type Tractor in 1:48 scale die-cast will be equipped with an impact ripper.  The Caterpillar D9L Impact Ripper featured a hydraulically actuated shank which delivered powerful impluses, fracturing the rock before penetrating and moving through it.

The cover of Caterpillar's D9L Impact Ripper brochure.

An illustration of the D9L Impact Ripper from the same brochure.

For more information on the D9L, visit its page on our website at http://ccmodels.com/upcoming-D9L.html

New mobile view now available

If you have ever tried to read the regular version of this blog on your smartphone's internet browser, you know it can be a challenge to navigate.  This is no longer an issue, as typing our URL into your phone will now automatically bring up the mobile version.

Try it out and let us know if you have any problems.

How we measured the 637E

High-quality scale models begin with an accurate 3D model of the real machine.  However, 3D models are not always available, and machine drawings don't always tell the whole tale.  This was the case for the 637E, so to fill in the gaps we visited a local contractor's yard to take measurements.

The Tools:
Camera - Taking photos of measurements is much easier than filling a notepad with numbers and descriptions of where the measurements were taken.
Tape Measure - When measuring large features of a machine, a tape measure gets small and hard to see in photos.  Rather than zooming in on the photo to read the tape, we mark every inch of it with a permanent marker so it's more visible.

The Process:
We start on the ground, walking around the machine and measuring the tires, grill, and anything else we can reach.

  After establishing a reference measurement, a number of detailed photos of the engine are taken.

Moving up the machine, the remainder of the exterior details are measured.

The operator cab is the final piece of the machine to be photographed.  Like the engine, after a few reference measurements are made we take detailed photographs of it.

After all the measurements have been taken, we take the photos to our office and start plugging them into Solidworks, the 3D software we use to make our models.  

Model Announcements

We are pleased to announce three new additions to our upcoming 1:48 scale die-cast models: the Caterpillar 637E Scraper, the Caterpillar D9L Track-Type Tractor, and the McAninch Caterpillar D9L Track-Type Tractor with a Caterpillar 631E towed scraper.

Currently, no additional configurations of these models are planned.  Progress photos, dimensional details, quantities, pricing and the delivery schedule will be posted on our website and blog when available.

You can find these models on our website at their respective links:

Caterpillar 637E Scraper http://ccmodels.com/upcoming-637E.html

Caterpillar D9L Track-Type Tractor http://ccmodels.com/upcoming-D9L.html

McAninch Caterpillar D9L w/ 631E Towed Scraper http://ccmodels.com/upcoming-McAninch-D9L.html

Should you have any questions, please feel free to e-mail or call us anytime.

Off to take some measurements...

Rob and Todd, CCM's design engineers, left this morning to take measurements of a Caterpillar machine that will soon be added to our upcoming model list.  Next week on this blog, we will reveal the model and give you an inside look into how we measure machines.

Despite the simplicity of the equipment used, the process is much more involved than one
may think - a single mismeasurement can cause a host of problems in the computer model.