AEC Matador gun tractor 1/16 scratch build

[AlwynTurner]

Well after completing the Bedford MWD and while waiting for the resin to harden on my LCM, I figured I'd have a crack at the matador. Here is what I'm aiming for

Found a handy set of diagrams to use for scaling

Found some Lego technics wheels that are about the right scale but will need work, and did a prototype chassis

Amazingly found a donor chinese toy at £14 which is about the right dimensions, wasn't sure what was under the hood but what ho, lets give it a go!

Started to hack the donor to pieces and wouldn't you know it but this thing is ENGINEERED!

I managed to use the steering mechanism complete with just a few Technics bits substituted where necessary
I opened up the drive mechanism and lo and behold it even had a differential built in

Separated the battery box from the steering and worked on the chassis

And with a bit more fudging managed to make a working chassis which goes like stink and handles quite well

Now the fun part can begin (well after a bit of tidying up and fixing the battery box in properly.
Does anyone know of a supplier for nice small connectors as the chinese wiring is terrible and I'm losing count of the number of times I've had to re-solder the wires back to the circuit board, I need to make a nice box with proper connectors so this thing doesn't keep falling to bits and resulting in much foul language!

[jarndice]

Hallo Alwyn, all well I trust, If you really are after solderless connections then write this down- 10x8mm 2 pin straight connector solderless quick for 3528 single color led tape,Type that into the E-BAY search box, you get a pack of 10 for £3.50 with free postage, Basically it is a tiny plastic box with 2 flaps, inside are 2 metal channels upon which you lay the wire and then close the flaps, job done? well no, what I do is get some Conductive Silver from MAPLINS and paint the metal channel and the wire, the paint is also an adhesive, I lay the painted wire in the channel and close the flaps and that is job done, it sounds involved but you could probably do it quicker than reading this. I have used the dealer a number of times and they have never let me down, Go on sell your soldering iron you know it makes sense. shaun

[hawkeye3guns]

Hi
A man after my own heart, I followed your bedford built with great intrest, And now the Matador I like your work its really innovative.
I like your approuch to the drive systems why build it if something has already been built that with minor mods will do the job.
Great work
Regarding your connectors have you tried your local computer shop, quite often they have scrap boards that you can salvage the connectors and plugs from, to make up your connection on a bit of variboard (you know the copper faced board we use for scratch / prototype circuit building on ).
regards Denzil

[AlwynTurner]

Thanks Shaun and Denzil, thanks for advice. Shaun those connectors look great, I've ordered 2 lots. You're comments on the computer board sparked some ideas Denzil, I have a box of computer bits and I'm going to raid that, I don't know why I never thought of it before because computers are full of small connectors. Thabnks again.

[HERMAN BIX]

I had one of these in a Matchbox kit in the '70's !!
Outstanding foresight mate.
What are you going to do for the 5.5" gun that it tows ? !!

[HERMAN BIX]

Or the 17pdr !!?

[jarndice]

Or the two wheeled trailer or the four wheeled trailer or the four wheeled office trailer? this was a workhorse and it towed just about anything, generators, limbers you name it it towed it. shaun

[AlwynTurner]

Hi Guys, thanks for all the interest, re the guns, trailers etc is - probably build them, BUT in the meantime I have a newbie problem that is driving me nuts!!! I decided to replace all the crap wiring and started soldering things to the chinese pcb, but now the solder won't stick to the pcb! Please what am I doing wrong?? I've tried drilling a small hole to put the wire through and using new solder to flux the wire but it just won't stick to the pcb where I presume the copper inlay is.

HELP!

[jarndice]

Alwyn without seeing how you are doing it I cannot really help, I have been using a soldering iron since I was 17 and that was many years ago, a little while back I was looking at YOU TUBE and came across a series of HOW TO SOLDER, I learnt stuff from it and it might help you. Have you heard of "FRYOLUX PAINT? you paint the area that needs soldering, apply heat (I USE A BUTANE TORCH) and you get a really neat job, I doubt that soldering PCBs would work with it though.
Fryolux paint is available from
www.solderconnection.com shaun

[AlwynTurner]

Hi here's a picture of the disaster. You can see where the two wires need to go, and there should be copper of the pcb where the holes are, but the solder won't stick to them, any thoughts?


I'm going nuts with this!