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Making progress!  Here is a photo from the recent Paper Modeler's Convention in D.C.  For the record, this is 1/16 scale, all scratch built from scratch drawings.  But, I've had a lot of help along the way, from forum members, and Landis Zimmerman.  My thanks to them.

See if this link works:  http://www.papermodelers.com/forum/museums-air-shows-events-get-togethers/34549-2016-international-paper-model-convention-8.html?highlight=convention

Scroll down to Don Boose's post, image 11A and B

Pretty good model, although maybe a little off in detail.  It is molded resin, I believe.

I am still fiddling with some dimensions, and details, although I am getting close to putting it all together.  Unlike the molded parts that have many pieces combined into one, mine is being built from paper (cardstock, matt board,etc) and from many many pieces.  I'm not sure if I can post pictures these days, but when the time comes, I'll be sure to "show off" several year's work!  Might even make a kit available.  Jim

Just an update to let interested parties know that this project is still alive, and making some progress.  I have redrawn everything that was lost in the computer crash, plus some new drawings, thanks to some new info from Doug.  A lot of detail remains to be collected and added.  It is really difficult to tell accurately how parts fit together from photographs - mostly by trial and error...many errors...so far.
Jim

Well, this project has taken a big hit.... By December of last year I had almost all of the drawings done up to the transmission case and small parts such as levers and motor details.  Then, as I was working on the drawings, the power went off.  For 30 seconds.  It was back on before I had a chance to pull the plug on the computer, and a surge fryed the motherboard.  It appeared that all the data on the hard drive was intact.  And it was....all except the last half of last year's Drawingboard drawings.  Why only them, I have yet to determine.  I keep thinking they should be there somewhere, but although I have discussed it with several guru's, no luck.  Talk about closing the door after the horse is gone - I bought a back up hard drive along with the new motherboard.

So, until I work up the energy to restart this project (I will, sooner or later), it will be a while before I can report progress or fruits of the effort in a model.

Jim

Matt, I have a Maintenance Manual for Cletrac Model MG1 , and Ordnance Model Medium M2 - (United States War Department) which I got from  Landis Zimmerman (olivercletrac.com), to the tune of $51 including shipping.  My reason for getting is was to glean as many photos as possible that would help me build a scale model.  I have done that (although I am WAY behind in making the model).  It did not take any ink off of the pages!  So if you would like to have it for, say $30 plus postage, send me a note.  I think it weighs about a pound, but don't know where you are, so will have to figure out the postage.

Jim

I am pretty much at a stand still on my drawings right now because I have run out of photos and dimensions for the "innards".  There are a lot of photos on the internet, but most all of the outside.  And, thanks to Ol Paint and Waafast who have some photos of more hidden parts, as well as a bunch of dimensions, I am where I am now.  I have ordered a parts manual for the MG1/MG2, and hope I can get moving again on the drawings.

I decided to make this in 1/24 th for two reasons....one I have a couple of WWII models that were in 1/33 (Spitfire and a Mustang) , but I enlarged to 1/24th.  Easier to build, and add detail.  These are paper models, by the way.  Secondly, I don't think my fingers could put 40 spokes on a drive wheel in 1/33!  Even in 1/24th, the wheel is only 1" diameter! 

I will share the drawings in some format, probably some vector format, but it may be awhile!  Stay tuned!

Jim

Well, I have not given  up on my Cletrac Model!  Slow, but making progress.  Thanks to Ol Paint and Waafast, I have been able to get quite a bit done on the drawings.  But I've pretty well used up the dimensions, and gleaned all I can from the dozens of photos from the web.  Now I need to know the width of the main frame, how the side rails are attached to the frame, what the inside of a bogie wheel looks like, and what a bogie arm looks like....for starters!  I probably won't be able to duplicate all the little points, but would like to stay true to the prototype whenever I can.  If I can, I will post a photo of my progress so far.

G-Pete and Ol Paint, the drawing program I am using is "Drawingboard" by Ashlar.  It is pretty old, but I really like using it.  It does export to a .dfx file, but something is amiss about it, because I cannot open the exported file in Rhino.  I opened it in Winpro, vectorized it (although it was already a vectorized file), and then I could open it, but that is about all.  I am a klutz with Rhino.  Someday I may learn to use it...if I live to be 100.  For my purpose, the 2D files are all I need to build a model.  But getting all the drawings made is a real time consumer....especially since I am working from photos, and dimensions from Waafast and Ol Paint.  I hope to get to the Air Force Museum next month with ruler and camera, and get some more facts to work with.

It would be really cool to get some rapid prototype model made, but I don't know how you could swing that.  Pretty cost intesnsive stuff there!  In my working days I was a structural package designer and salesman, and my major customers were in the auto business.  I got to see a lot of that kind of thing at their places, and attended the SAE shows in Detroit where there are always several companys demonstrating rapid prototyping machines.  Boggles the mind!  I do hope, if I ever get enought together to make a Cletrac paper model kit, to have the parts cut out by some laser cutting outfit.  That is available on paper models from europe now.  Sure saves a lot of X-acto blades and frustration!  I will be glad to share some drawings - when I get them made - to either of you to see what you can do with them.
 
G-Pete, that is a fine P-38.  A Cletrac to pull it around would be perfect!  You are talking about a pretty big model.  But that would be a real attention grabber.

It is interesting how much we all have in common with these "things" such as rust, Cletracs, RC models, other models, and things like the Oshkosh air show, etc.  I've done RC - have a RC 1/4 scale Varga Kachina (about half built now) from self drawn plans - have been to Oshkosh about 10 times, had old trucks, worked in highway construction where I got a chance to play with bulldozers, drove a 20 ton Euclid for a summer (ah, youth),etc.  My firetruck buddy once said "its a sickness, you know!" It is reassuring to know that I'm not the only one!

Jim

Un-believable! That seems to be more work than restoring an actual MG-1. How many hours do you anticipate this project taking? Or maybe a better question would be "how many hours do you have in just that one part"?

I would say it took me about two-three hours to cut out the parts and assemble the wheel. But it took another, probably three, hours to figure out and make the jig to put them together.  The real time consumer was doing the drawings for the parts.....many refinements along the way, redrawing parts so I could make them (!) etc.  That was eight, ten hours at least.  But I won't have to do that again for the drive wheel, and the jig is made, so the next one should be a little over two hours.

But, from the posts I have seen, I will have this finished loooong before the restorations are done.  But I would be willing to trade mine for one of the real ones - even-steven, maybe?  Doubt it!

That is phenomenal. What is the process after doing the drawings to product those pieces?

Here is the simple explaniatin.  I print the parts on heavy paper, cut them out, and glue them together.  

What is not so simple is the time and patience it takes to get it all together correctly!  The spokes are a double thickness of paper (this is made of cardstock, about .03 thick). Then after everything is cut out, I put the inner wheel and part (for lack of a better word) where the spokes attach into a jig I made to help line everything up. I put the inner rim into the jig and proceed to glue the 20 spokes I've cut out (with an x-acto knife) to the inner and outer pieces with white glue. When that is dry, I glue on the outer rim, then Imake the other side.  The sprocket wheel is 4 thickness of paper, cut out and sandwiched between the two wheel halves.  Then the shaft end was cut out of about 5 thicknesses of paper.  And there you have it.  The rest of the model will be built the same way, using cut and assembly methods.  Most will be to scale (as I can determine), although some of the hidden parts will be glossed over.  As with most models, some things are not exactly as the original, but a representation as best as possible.

Thank you for your appreciation!

Well, I've decided that I can make a paper model of a MG-1 at 1/24 th scale.  But it will take alot of time, and a lot more drawing.  I am thinking I should order up a manual to help figure out the details.  And call on Oil Paint and Waafast again for more information.  However, for now, I have a couple of models under construction that I want to finish up for the Paper Modelers Convention in DC in Oct.  So, I am putting the Cletrac aside until then.  Not quiting by any means....I'm pretty fired up to make this.  Here are a couple of photos of the Drive Wheel at 1/24th....1" in dia.!

It has been awhile since I started on working up a model of the Cletrac M1(2), but slowly but surely making progress.  Here is a copy of my drive wheel drawing (in bitmap form, not the vector it is drawn in).  And I'm making up a part from this, which I'll post a little later...assuming I can make it.  Talk about a lot of fiddlie parts!  And don't forget, the wheel is only 1" in dia. at 1/24th.  Thanks for the help getting this far.  I will be asking for more soon.   Jim

Ol Paint and Waafast, I must say you guys are certainly knowledgeable, and sure willing to help a newcomer to this forum!  

The photos and scan of the Manual are great helps, as well as the ground/fender measurements.  I have noticed the nose high attitude in photos.  I kinda of like thatââ,¬Â¦makes it look like itââ,¬â,,¢s ready to tackle something.

Douglas, your photos remind me of earlier days when I had some antique firetrucks.  A friend had one that was mostly rust, at least it seemed to me.  He said it ââ,¬Å"just needs a little waxââ,¬Â.  Another friend suggested that if I wanted one, I should get it already in good shape.  That is what I did, and while my friend was rebuilding (waxing) his, I was playing with mine.  In the end, however, his made mine look like a well-used car!  So, good luck with the restoration, and I bet it is all worth it one of these days.

Jim,  there is a site that sells old plastic kits, and the B-24 with a ââ,¬Å"ground tractorââ,¬Â is listed at $155!  And there is one on Ebay right now that is around $26 plus $10 shipping.  So your model is pretty valuable!

Thanks again for your help, and Iââ,¬â,,¢ll keep reporting progressââ,¬Â¦..as (when) it happens.

Jim

Thank you,  Ol Paint.  And I've gotten this far thanks to waafast.  By the way, can either of  you give me a measurement from the ground to the top of the fender....I am guessing at that, judging from photos.

I'm doing this with a 2D program, Ashlar Vellum Drawing Board.  I hope to get some skills together enough to do a 3D in Rhino, but that is a big order.  The 2D will do enough for what I want, and that is to build a model, from paper, to go with my paper airplanes.  

I have mined enough photos from the internet to have a pretty good idea of what most of the CLetrac looks like, and the measurements make it possible to draw something up.  I am still missing some info on the underbelly of the machine, such as what holds the track "beams", for lack of a better term, to the main frame.  I talked to Mr. Zimmerman today, and he may have something helpful.  Will work on that. I don't need a whole manual, for which would cost about $45!  

Will post as I go.

Hello Waayfast (and others),

I've put together a few lines toward a working plan for a MG1 model, thanks to Waayfast's kind provision of a whole bunch of dimensions.  So, here is a beginning.  Think this will work?  I'll keep you posted, but it will be a pretty slo go for a time.  Be patient.