Items

• Stock - Item - Price
• 35453 - Sheepfoot Roller Single - $24.95
• 35454 - Sheepfoot Roller Double - $44.95

L.Z. Models from Ireland provide high quality resin models and accessories. These kits represent sheepfoot rollers manufactured by R.G. LeTourneau, whose machines represented nearly 70 percent of the earthmoving equipment and engineering vehicles used during World War II. The sheepsfoot roller is a flat head tamping roller, which employs tapered box heads, or ‘feet’ to compact dirt when towed behind a tractor or dozer.

L.Z. has produced both single and double width units as separate kits. These appeared to be simple little kits, until I noticed that there are 100+ resin parts, and over 200 in the double roller kit. Each of the feet are individual pieces that need to be adhered to the large roller drum. All but nine of the hundred plus parts are the individual feet.

The resin parts are molded in gray and ivory resin. The parts have casting blocks attached, and some flash typical of resin parts. One of the frame members was warped but was easily straightened in hot water. There were only a few bubbles observed in the parts. The comb that clears out dirt between the feet is a very thinly cast piece of resin and is packed separately. The parts have very good detail and even have some weld lines molded in the casting. The instructions are simple diagrams of the assemblies.

The individual feet can be snapped off the pour block, and can be cleaned up with a few swipes of a sanding stick.. The feet fit snugly enough in the roller to hold them in place while still allowing some movement to get them aligned properly. A drop of super glue holds the feet together. There are many extra feet provided in the kits.

The rest of the frame and tongue go together quickly. Make sure to get the cross members oriented correctly as the brackets on the channels need to fit into each other.

The completed kit builds into a nice accessory for any of the current dozer kits. Thanks to L.Z. Models for producing these unique accessories, and to Stevens International for providing the review samples.