M1A1HA, 9/18/23 update. Delay of Game, two week penalty!

[BarryC]

Main components in their respective locations.









I have started on my plan for the primary On/Off switch. It will utilize a brass bar attached to the pintle hook. I will have a .125” push/pull throw at the hook. It will be a push on, pull off and will have a lockout devise to prevent inadvertent “push” when not in intended. It will be just a simple “Snap Pin” inserted in a hole in the bar between the pintle hook and tank hull preventing it from being pushed in with Snap Pin in place. I still have some details to work out but I am confident it will work and devised!



TAFN!
Barry

[greengiant]

Are you going to have to open the hull to charge the battery or have you picked spot that you can open to reach the charging plug?

I have broken off the pintle a few times until I make it rotatable. Take care when backing up.

[BarryC]

Are you going to have to open the hull to charge the battery or have you picked spot that you can open to reach the charging plug?

I have broken off the pintle a few times until I make it rotatable. Take care when backing up.

For now, I have planned to open hull. I had figured with all the warnings about charging LiPo batteries I needed to remove it and place it in my flame resistant pouch.

Is it considered safe to charge them while in the tank? I have ZERO experience with LiPo batteries to call upon.

I had thought about fabricating a pintle hook from brass so I would have a solid brass assembly. Reading you experience sounds like that will be the best idea!

Thanks,
Barry

[greengiant]

I to have no experience with lipo's and because of that I'll stick with the large capacity Nicads or NmH batteries that I have in all my tanks which all have charging plugs hidden somewhere on them.

Maybe someone with more experience with lipo's could tell you if its safe to charge them while in the tank as it seems they are the new greatest thing ever according to may users.

[BarryC]

Short update, I did some sketching an here is what I have come up with.

[greengiant]

That should work well. If you back into something that hits the pintle it won't shut down the tank.

[BarryC]

Quick update,

ON/OFF Switch mounted using styrene for the Push/Pull. Plan is to build one up using square brass tubing. I had to add a lot of additional blocking to keep styrene rod from flexing when operating the switch. This should not be needed except for a single guide once it is replaced with the brass tubing.



Now that I am starting to get ready to wire this monster up here is my "block diagram" and wiring schematic.

IF ANYONE SEES A PROBLEM PLEASE YELL OUT....this is my first. I do have a pretty solid background in advanced avionics and it's supporting wiring but beyond DCC used in Model Railroading this is a new venture!

TIA,
Barry

[BarryC]

Here are a couple of updates on the Main Power Switch Mount, the Inconspicuous Main Power Switch Lever, Lower Hull Magnet installation and solid brass Pental Hook. I have not been posting much but have been very busy!

Power Switch is mounted on a piece of 7075 T6 aluminum plate (hard as a rock) scrounged from the scrap barrel at work. I filed the “smoker” mounting tower recessed area flush and inserted 4-40 screws into the mounting holes from the bottom and secured them with a nut from the top. I secured the nuts with thin CA and filled the screw holes with J B Weld metal based epoxy. The mounting plate rest on top of the nuts then secured with nuts and lock washers. The allows for the removal of the mount and switch from top side, just in case!

I am still awaiting the arrival of the brass stock to fashion the piece that will attach the slider to the switch.



Next up is the “slider” control for the power switch. I am pretty proud of this solution and it should prove to sturdy enough to hold up over the “long haul”. I soldered a piece of .15625” sq. tubing inside a piece of .1875” sq. tubing. I potted (epoxied) them into the enlarged hole where the stock Pental Hook would mount using the J B Weld epoxy again, “tough” stuff. I then cut a length of .125” sq. tubing to function as the slider control “rod”. The sq. Tubing is from K & S Engineering and the three pieces are sized to “telescope” with each other.









More to follow

[BarryC]

Next,

Upper and Lower Hull mounting Magnets. “Lower”, I potted (epoxied) 2-56 blind nuts into the lower hull mount screw towers. I drilled through the towers using .250 drill and turned the base of the blind nuts down to fit. I sandwiched them between pieces of .250 styrene tubing with nut recessed to fit flush with the top of the tower. I filled the upper recess with J B Weld until flush with top of nut and tower. Once cured I filled everything flush to the top of tower. “Upper” I shortened the towers in the upper hull to account for the thickness of the aluminum angle x 2 and the thickness of a single layer of magnets.

I mounted the magnets to the upper surface of the lower hull angle with 4-40 counter sunk screws and nuts. The upper hull magnets are mounted to the “upper” surface of the angle with a thin layer of same epoxy compound. The angle will support the upper magnets eliminating the possibility they can pull away without pulling the angle mounting screws out. Right now they are actually only held in place with double sided tape.

[BarryC]

A great way to spend 10 hours!! Inside every brass bar resides a Pental Hook just waiting to be released!

Now for the solid brass Pental Hook, I fashioned it from a .5”x .250” brass bar stock. I have never “sculpted” something with this many facets from solid brass before. I assure you it will not break under any “normal” use! I still have some final shaping and detail work to do but it is 90% complete. I think it turned out pretty well. The sq. post on the base of the Pental Hook is sized to fit inside the .125” Sq. tube “slide rod”. Once everything is final fitted I will solder it into the tube then drill the hole for the “lockout” pin.















TAFN,
Barry