New arrival

[HERMAN BIX]

Another wise guide .
Happy new ho-ho-ho to your good self as well Sir

[SgtMalarky]

Thanks Shaun, thanks for the advice. The Aber solution looks the business. I am sorting the Air cleaner seems as you instructed and it's working well.
Question please, as the pipes need to come on and off to remove the upper hull, do they stand up to that?
Also mate, what do you think about track and barrel recoil as this one has both. I've looked at video of the a Tiger firing and in real life there was virtually no hull movement.
Having said that quests what my next question is gonna be

[SgtMalarky]

Hi Steelbird
Yes it's the metal, luckily because of that the old would struggle to lift it! Mind you I thought I heard her on the phone to a local scrap dealer. . .

[HERMAN BIX]

Hows its said on 'Band of Brothers' ?
Yo Malark......................you are SO going to get a full blown electronics package mate !!
To get rid of the track recoil there are a few options, but the best is to get new control hardware.
The ASP (I think) unit from rctanks Australia can/does stop the track recoil, but if you want great sounds & effects as well as proper recoil, a full blown change is the way.

[SgtMalarky]

Hi Herman
You have just talked me into spending on the new electrics - you smooth talker, you!!
It has to be done though.

[jarndice]

Sarge, The Air cleaner plastic pipes on the HENG LONG Body are held in place by clamps that can be unscrewed by carefully unscrewing the Phillip headed screws in the clamp tops, They are tiny and don't look real but they are.
If the Taigen Clamps are the same then just loosen the clamps and you can work the pipes free, they are not glued in place. If the clamps can be unscrewed do take great care not to round off the soft metal headed screws as you do it,
If the Clamps are glued in place then gently I SAID GENTLY work the pipes loose,
If you are happy taking the body off of the Hull then I would recommend you use a debonder to remove the glue on the clamps bases on the inside of the Tank body and replace the plastic clamps with metal ones which you can tap a thread on, and then its just a case of loosening the nuts when you need to remove the pipes in future.
The replacement clamps cost pennies, although I made my own using some threaded 1mm rod and some off cut 2mm plasti-card cut to shape.
The Pipes and the shafts that holds them are very tough and you have no need to worry about breaking them.
Something that might start you swearing is that the inner plastic pipes are not the same length as the outer ones,
Shaun.

[SgtMalarky]

Hi Shaun
The clamps are glued in place. I like your idea of making them yourself, the engineer in me says that's the way to go. My brother is a master RC aeromodeller so I have access to a small lathe and milling machine. By making/using screws if there is any issues they are replaceable. Typically the first couple of days the upper hull comes off frequently, which I think diminishes from now on, do you think?

[jarndice]

I mistakenly said 1mm threaded rod when in fact it was 2mm Brass threaded rod which I bought along with the Nuts from ---
http://www.prime-miniatures.co.uk
A truly excellent supplier of model engineering bits and pieces who are fast and trustworthy.
Some years ago I bought a "ROLSON" Tap and Die set from "Amazon" along side a "Draper" Tap and Die set so I am able to cover the whole range of thread sizes that we work with,
I prefer to bolt things into place rather than use Superglue.
Another useful supplier is ---
www.modelfixings.co.uk
Shaun.

[SgtMalarky]

What i am thinking of doing is remove current plastic ones, install threaded insert into the hull then fit threaded studding into these. Then make strip clamp that will slide onto studding. Do the nuts up to hold in place. Looking at the current size M2 as Shaun stated is right for function and scale.
Will get the Aber kit on order, I like the shape of these.

[jarndice]

I pretty much did what you are describing and this is my version,
I carefully removed the plastic clamps,
Using a Pin Vise I drilled a pair of holes with a 1.2mm Drill Bit where the clamps had been ,
Then using a "Rolson" Tap I put a pair of 2mm threads through those holes into the Tank Body, The plastic body is sturdy enough to take a thread.
Then I screwed a length of 2mm threaded brass rod into place and put a nut on the underside which I painted with threadlock,and repeated for the second hole,
Next I made up a thin gasket of 1mm plasti -card which I drilled with 2 holes and ensuring these holes lined up with the holes holding the threaded rods I slid this gasket down the threaded rods to provide a support, then I chased a nut down each thread to hold everything stiff, I placed the now "ABER" wrapped Plastic pipe in position and placed over it a 2 holed clamp made from 2mm plasti -card that would be the top clamp,
I drove a nut into place to hold the clamp over the Pipe in position and then wound down the thread a "Rolson" Die,
I clipped off the balance of the thread above the DIE and then using the DIE to repair the thread slowly spun it up the thread and off, Then all over again for the clamp on the other side.
It sounds a lot harder than it is,
Shaun.