My Abrams

Meter rat
Staff Sergeant
Posts: 912
Joined: Wed Aug 05, 2020 7:33 pm
Location: By the sea in Argyle and Bute

Re: My Abrams

Post by Meter rat »

Jaundice. Being a Scot and sometimes very careful with my money, I just cut two more teeth in the Heng Long turret ring and bought a slip ring. All seemed to work when tested.
Barry C, than you for the pictures.
Meter rat
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Posts: 912
Joined: Wed Aug 05, 2020 7:33 pm
Location: By the sea in Argyle and Bute

Re: My Abrams a beginners attempt at detailing

Post by Meter rat »

After spending much time, reducing plastic and brass to fillings, this is where I am at. It’s not perfect, but I am very happy so far. Some things I have remade numerous times, I have dropped parts on the floor, never to be seen again, I have messed things up and had to start again, but it is all good learning. The mantel closing plate got broken, due to my own kack handedness, so I had to make new hinges. They are a bit over scale, but it still works. I am now waiting on some parts to come from the US of A. I need to remake the bars around the turret stowage as the are, to be honest a bit rubbish. The air soft mechanism has bee removed, and a gun smoke and flash have been installed, this is all removed at the moment. All part are just temporarily fitted to check process.
Hopefully an air brush will be in my stocking so I can practice wasting paint. If not, it will be rattle can paint. Upgrades to the tracks and wheels will have to wait until the new year. In fact lots of things will have to wait, as we will be moving to a new house. This is good as it has 1 hectare of woodland and a beach on the Clyde a five minute walk away.
Tow rope hangers made.
Tow rope hangers made.
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Handles installed.
Handles installed.
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Mud guard springs fitted.
Mud guard springs fitted.
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Hatch detailing. Just realised I have fitted the latch to hold the hatch open the wrong way around.
Hatch detailing. Just realised I have fitted the latch to hold the hatch open the wrong way around.
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Bussel rack made and telephone box fitted
Bussel rack made and telephone box fitted
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My model as it stand now.
My model as it stand now.
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Again, thank you for the advice.
Regard Ian
Meter rat
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Joined: Wed Aug 05, 2020 7:33 pm
Location: By the sea in Argyle and Bute

Re: My Abrams

Post by Meter rat »

Today my tracks and metal road wheels arrived from RCtank.de. The tracks make a big difference to the grip available with the rubber pads, over the standard metal HL tracks. It now positively squats at the rear, and nose dives under braking. The wheels are a different story. They do not fit. I think they are made for Mato suspension not HL. Hopefully Dominique will be able to advise. I have also managed to brake a suspension arm. Told you I am kack handed. One step forward the two back. Never mind, its all learning.
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BarryC
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Re: My Abrams

Post by BarryC »

Hi Sir,

Were you able to sort out the issue with the metal wheels?

Do you have metal suspension arms? I do not think you can install metal wheels on the plastic suspension arms.

Barry
"Details make perfection, and perfection is not a detail."
Leonardo Da Vinci
Meter rat
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Location: By the sea in Argyle and Bute

Re: My Abrams

Post by Meter rat »

Good morning Barry.
The swing arms are metal. The problem is the metal arms are 5mm and the inside measurement of the bearing is 7mm. I am waiting a new set of swing arms from Germany, which will hopefully solve the problem. If not we have a bearing factor down the road who may be a to help.
Regards Ian
Meter rat
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Re: My Abrams

Post by Meter rat »

F34E5974-1E63-4827-A9D7-5DDA88198C3F.jpeg
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As you can see there is a 2mm difference.
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BarryC
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Re: My Abrams

Post by BarryC »

Interesting!

I had an issue with the differences in the axle shafts of the gearboxes but not with the road wheels. I also found out that there are two different Metal Idler Wheels and only the HL Idler Wheels will fit Henntec Idler assembly. :O

Barry
"Details make perfection, and perfection is not a detail."
Leonardo Da Vinci
Meter rat
Staff Sergeant
Posts: 912
Joined: Wed Aug 05, 2020 7:33 pm
Location: By the sea in Argyle and Bute

Re: My Abrams

Post by Meter rat »

Thanks to Dominique at RC Tank.design the problems with the wheels has been resolved. Turns out the wheels will fit older models with metal and also the plastic suspension, but not the newer tanks. This has now been updated on the site to reflect this. Good service and response to customers information and feed back.
I now need to strip down the wheels for paint.
Meter rat
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Posts: 912
Joined: Wed Aug 05, 2020 7:33 pm
Location: By the sea in Argyle and Bute

Re: My Abrams

Post by Meter rat »

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I am really rather pleased at how this has turned out. Made a lot of mistakes, made, re-made and made parts again. Most frustrating part though was the 50cal machine gun from Tamiya and Aber PE parts. Took me three nights. Decided today was going to be the first drive, no video sorry, only have my phone, so took it up our back garden to overlook the River Clyde from Dunoon. Between doing two houses things are going to get busy. I still have a few bits to finish on this which will hopefully be done by the end of the month.
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Herr Dr. Professor
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Re: My Abrams

Post by Herr Dr. Professor »

You should be pleased and proud of the improvements you made to the Abrams! Six+ years ago (maybe more, I cannot remember) I weathered a HL Abrams (complete with its original crystals :{ ) as if it was in the desert. Later I gave it to a Vietnam veteran who had admired it. Compared to your work, I only got one thing right--the cooler! :haha:
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