M41 Gorilla
- wibblywobbly
- Major
- Posts: 6398
- Joined: Fri Oct 17, 2008 9:30 am
- Location: South Wales Valley
- Contact:
M41 Gorilla
I held back on putting up this build as I wasn't totally confident that my massacre of a Bulldog lower hull was going to work, or whether the upper hull was going to work out ok. It looks as though it will all go together ok, so here we go..an M41 Gorilla.
http://www.primeportal.net/artillery/da ... 155mm_hmc/
The Bulldog hull is rwd, the Gorilla is fwd. I couldn't just reverse the lower hull as the suspension arms would point the wrong way. I had two choices. Slice off each side and swap them over, or slice off the front and back and swap those, I opted for the second one as that was easier. If you look at the way the Gorilla ones are mounted, the rear two will still be wrong, but at least it will work on the model.
I then had to re-attach them, and make them both square and rock solid, and fill in all of the gaps.
Once I had done this I knew the length that I needed for the upper hull. This was a pain to do as the Gorilla is narrower than the HL Bulldog so I had to use blueprints as a guide, but stretch the design across the new hull dimensions.
So far it's turning out ok, still much glueing, filling and sanding to do, as well as a lot of printing and designing, but its getting there.
http://www.primeportal.net/artillery/da ... 155mm_hmc/
The Bulldog hull is rwd, the Gorilla is fwd. I couldn't just reverse the lower hull as the suspension arms would point the wrong way. I had two choices. Slice off each side and swap them over, or slice off the front and back and swap those, I opted for the second one as that was easier. If you look at the way the Gorilla ones are mounted, the rear two will still be wrong, but at least it will work on the model.
I then had to re-attach them, and make them both square and rock solid, and fill in all of the gaps.
Once I had done this I knew the length that I needed for the upper hull. This was a pain to do as the Gorilla is narrower than the HL Bulldog so I had to use blueprints as a guide, but stretch the design across the new hull dimensions.
So far it's turning out ok, still much glueing, filling and sanding to do, as well as a lot of printing and designing, but its getting there.
Tiger 1 Late
Panther G
King Tiger
M36 B1
Panther G
King Tiger
M36 B1
- c.rainford73
- Major
- Posts: 6104
- Joined: Thu Aug 25, 2016 7:34 pm
- Location: Connecticut USA
Re: M41 Gorilla
You've got a very unique build in work and doing a great job!
The finished piece will be quite the talk of the town.
I had never even seen or heard of this machine until now.
Barry
The finished piece will be quite the talk of the town.
I had never even seen or heard of this machine until now.
Barry
"Details make perfection, and perfection is not a detail."
Leonardo Da Vinci
Leonardo Da Vinci
- Cruiser133
- Private
- Posts: 94
- Joined: Sat Feb 23, 2013 11:17 pm
- Location: USA
Re: M41 Gorilla
I love these unusual builds, great work and I admire your drive to do something different!
Re: M41 Gorilla
Very impressive. Would it have been possible to chop two sets of road wheels & reverse that section? I'm interested in the hull bracing too - any pics before you glue/fit the upper hull?
- wibblywobbly
- Major
- Posts: 6398
- Joined: Fri Oct 17, 2008 9:30 am
- Location: South Wales Valley
- Contact:
Re: M41 Gorilla
Yup, I didn't notice that about the opposing suspension units, I was too busy looking at the fwd problem. If I was doing this again I would chop out two roadwheels and turn that section around. I would really need a bandsaw to do that and keep everything square, but it would definitely be the way to get it right. Then of course I would have been able to narrow the hull by 9mm (max in view of the gearbox/motors width. However seeing as I don't have a bandsaw...
Did the 10 hour print of the two halves of the gun deck, they turned out quite nicely, but they do show up how oversize this is on the width. The same problem exists with the Bulldog, hull too wide, same with tracks. In reality the Gorilla has narrow Sherman style tracks, but these won't fit the Bulldog so Bulldog tracks it is.
No bracing in the lower as yet. I will hot glue a 3mm base plate in to mount electrics. That usually works.
Pics are a bit blurry...will try harder next time...
Did the 10 hour print of the two halves of the gun deck, they turned out quite nicely, but they do show up how oversize this is on the width. The same problem exists with the Bulldog, hull too wide, same with tracks. In reality the Gorilla has narrow Sherman style tracks, but these won't fit the Bulldog so Bulldog tracks it is.
No bracing in the lower as yet. I will hot glue a 3mm base plate in to mount electrics. That usually works.
Pics are a bit blurry...will try harder next time...
- Attachments
-
- IMG_20170516_231554.jpg (90.34 KiB) Viewed 5816 times
-
- IMG_20170516_231324.jpg (58.7 KiB) Viewed 5816 times
-
- IMG_20170516_231307.jpg (55.71 KiB) Viewed 5816 times
-
- IMG_20170516_231252.jpg (63.62 KiB) Viewed 5816 times
Tiger 1 Late
Panther G
King Tiger
M36 B1
Panther G
King Tiger
M36 B1
Re: M41 Gorilla
Hi,
With extreme patience, it is technically possible to disassemble the track links, cut out a few millimetres in the middle of each link, glue the two halves back together with epoxy, put back the pin and cut to the right lengtt. This allows for the hull to have the proper width.
I started the process 5 years ago on my M41...
With extreme patience, it is technically possible to disassemble the track links, cut out a few millimetres in the middle of each link, glue the two halves back together with epoxy, put back the pin and cut to the right lengtt. This allows for the hull to have the proper width.
I started the process 5 years ago on my M41...
- c.rainford73
- Major
- Posts: 6104
- Joined: Thu Aug 25, 2016 7:34 pm
- Location: Connecticut USA
Re: M41 Gorilla
Hi Mr Wibbly following along with great interest. I too was unaware of this machine until you decided to build one. A credit to your determination with these builds keep up the great work
Tanks alot....
Re: M41 Gorilla
Thanks. A mitre block might do it and use box styrene to rejoin the sections; not easy but would increase the tolerances. It's a shame there aren't any inline worm drive gear boxes as that would be ideal for narrow hulls.
Good luck, looks excellent so far.
Good luck, looks excellent so far.
- wibblywobbly
- Major
- Posts: 6398
- Joined: Fri Oct 17, 2008 9:30 am
- Location: South Wales Valley
- Contact:
Re: M41 Gorilla
I have metal tracks...lmcq11 wrote:Hi,
With extreme patience, it is technically possible to disassemble the track links, cut out a few millimetres in the middle of each link, glue the two halves back together with epoxy, put back the pin and cut to the right lengtt. This allows for the hull to have the proper width.
I started the process 5 years ago on my M41...
Tiger 1 Late
Panther G
King Tiger
M36 B1
Panther G
King Tiger
M36 B1