Just starting a 1/4 t34-85

[Mr Whippy]

Hi,

Just a brief one. I’m just starting a build of a ¼ scale T34-85 for just mucking about with as I’m up in Aberdeen Scotland and I’m not aware of any model tank related activities locally.

I’m always liked this tank having done a few plastic kits and most of my sizes are coming from a tamiya one. Main construction will be plywood with working metal suspension and the normal conveyor belt track construction. I was originally going to use electric motors but it seems far cheaper to use a petrol kart engine and there is a 6.5 bhp one for only £150 which seems ideal. I’ve been looking though all of Tankman 101’s videos on youtube and mine will be very similar mechanically as I love his cleaver solutions, you never know if I like building this one I might try building a ½ scale one next!

Outside of tanks I’ve been building and restoring cars for over 25 years and been into rc stuff for much longer so the tank isn’t very hard. I’ve also just finished a purple Toylander for my two daughters, I can't see them wanting to drive the tank sadly.

Any suggestions or advice would be much appreciated.

Cheers, Scott

[ALPHA]

1/4th?????????????? That's a Huge undertaking....good luck

ALPHA

[Firebird]

Hi Mr whippy, I'm on a similar "track" building a 1/4 Tiger but it's for the Grandchildren too drive around in, I have to made one for each of them so I made a mould for the basic body and I've been asked for one by someone to fit his RC equipment in and he can finish it as he want to, I think my next one will be a King tiger as its a bit bigger and it just so happens that it would be big enough for me

Good luck with yours, I hope you have got plenty of time on your hands,

[Mr Whippy]

hi

1/4 isn't so big with this tank as it was quite small in real life, a tiger is a lot bigger and much more complex.

So far I have all the 20 wheels, the ply wood and polyurethane suspension bushes, next task is to draw out the hull sides and make the jig for making the suspension the trailing arms, I have a mig so their easy to make. I'll also start building up the foam internal mould for the grp turret.

cheers, Scott

[ALPHA]

PICTURES PLEASE

ALPHA

[Mr Whippy]

will do once there is something worth posting, unless your into big piles of wheels

anyone used car window winders as large servo's? they seem perfect for the job and I have a few nissan ones kicking about. I've seen windscreen motors being used but nothing inbetween.

[RobW]

Not sure how powerful they are. Having blown the gears on a couple (inside the car doors) you might be better with starter motors?

[Mr Whippy]

Hi,

The electric motors are cheap, I've seen some at 500w for £50 but add to that the two speed controllers plus the couple of leasure batteries and the price rapidly goes up, the equivelent for my kids toylander the system cost around £600. The 6.5 bhp engine I’m looking at is equivalent to almost 4800w so vastly more power, plus if I build in a separate fuel tank I can have very long run times compared to electric versions. I've even been looking into a charging system to top up the servo batterys from the engine. I'll be very lucky to get the weight near 200kg, the toylander is 180kg and is much simplier.

The track clutch system I have in mind is very like tankmans and is very easy to make and operate, I don't have a metal lathe so everything has to be fabricated. There woun't be any gears but as I’m going to limit it to about 10mph it’ll have plenty of torque for climbing.

Cheers, Scott

[edpanzer]

Nice I shall be following this one!!

[edpanzer]

Is it wrong to ask Mr whippy for an ice cream?