sponges challenger 2 build

[spongehoobtank82]

So the scratch building continues! Always fancied articulating the gun travel lock, had alot of trouble finding any close up detailed shots of it so this is my interpretation /guess work
First off remove it, chop it through at the mid point and remove the moulded in locking mechanism /plate, no pictures of this but it's pretty self explanatory I think so after this on one side of the two half's I dremmeled a groove for the brass hinge to sit in, chopped 3 pieces of brass pipe (2 for on side and 1 for the other) and glued them to each half


Then used abit of solder to hinge it as could not find any wire the right size! Had to dremmel the internal diameter out abit to so the barrel would fit

Sent from my SM-G955F using Tapatalk

Also drilled holes in the end of the bottom mount to attach hinge (cut from end of servo horn) so I can attach to deck.
Next was the clamp mechanism, no idea how it works in the real one but am going for a wire hook/clamp thing so fabricated all the bits from plasticard

Well my handle/ clamp mechanism is not the best (should of gone with screw thread/clamp) but I think it will work, am never actually going to use it!

[HERMAN BIX]

Gee wizz mate, for a step up & have a go solution, I reckon you did a great job.
In lieu of pictures of a real one, yours works, and looks like a version that would be if practical use in real life.
These modern thingo’s have so many facets to think of, & many that are not as well documented as machines from 70 years ago !

[spongehoobtank82]

Yeah am guessing as there still used in the military they don't want any close up pictures in case they enemy finds a weakness in the travel lock but thanks Herman got loads more scratch building done so will post more later

Sent from my SM-G955F using Tapatalk

[spongehoobtank82]

Well not pretty but I think it will work

Sent from my SM-G955F using Tapatalk
Mounted! She works!

[spongehoobtank82]

So next job was commanders back up sight thing, sight doors and a wiper for front cupola view port (there are 8 view ports and they all have view ports, one day I may make wipers for them all) and clamp for loaders gpmg mount and grab handle, here goes...

Bits for wiper and gun sight cut to shape
And mounted
Wish I could straighten that piece of glass but it's glued in tight

Sent from my SM-G955F using Tapatalk


Next was gpmg clamp cut and shaped


Glued and mounted the grab handle is just and m2 screw wrapped in electrical tape then cut to make a wrapped pattern

[spongehoobtank82]

So more scratch building, first off the TOGS door, I used dolls house hinges but never really liked the look so made a new hinge more in keeping with the original!
Fabricated a hinge from some 3mm copper pipe and old drill bit, shaped some plasticard and drill

Sent from my SM-G955F using Tapatalk

And glued on!



Splash of olive drab and hey presto!

Next decided to do abit of detail on the commanders hatch interior, pretty easy really, cut up an old inner tube and cut to shape for the padding, bit of solder bent and flattened at end for handle then some thin plasticard for the late and a bolt on each


Will weather the padding up abit at some point

[spongehoobtank82]

And got the Tarr smoker installed, turns out it's alot easier to just plumb it in, let it dangle from the upper Hull and care fully slot between gearboxes, when mounted in lower hul was just to much hassle having to connect/ disconnect every time I wanted to open Hull


Smoke nearly as much as me now I tried the Tarr in my tiger 1 that runs an ibu2 base on a 7.4v and the smoke was ok however in the chally with the ibu2 Pro on an 11.1v I had to wind in back, Its almost as good as the diesel on the manifold smoke screen on the real one! Would be nice to have a switch to flick the Tarr to full power to do that, hint hint, nudge nudge for those with the influence

[spongehoobtank82]

https://youtu.be/dJVjjKHGYVA link to the chally and smoker in action

Sent from my SM-G955F using Tapatalk

[spongehoobtank82]

Well today's update! Magnets arrived finally thanks to royal snail! So 8x3 magnets with an m3 countersunk hole, the current upper Hull screw post are fine for an m3 screw as long as your careful they bite firmly, I had set the magnets in the lower Hull flush with the top of the screw post
Sorry for the crap picture!
So the upper Hull posts needed grinding down the by the depth of the magnets (3mm) plus about 2mm as the upper posts go into the lower ones a couple mil but I had set the magnets flush so had to compensate so that's 5mm off the upper posts and I added another mil so I had some adjustment


4 magnets hole the hull relatively well but could prob do with 6 but I deleted all the other scew posts ages ago I may at some point do the magnet trick to the turret, I don't actually need too, but I have considered placing the ibu2/battery in the turret and speaker in the hull, that way I can gain access to the battery ibu2 and not deal with any wires between hull/turret, but that's a major project for another day/lock down

So while I was busy I decided to resolder my nice volume pot I got from rctankelectronics ages ago, the wire is only thin and I botched soldered it when it came loose ages ago! So time for a better job

[spongehoobtank82]

Decided to fit some actual spare track links to the back plate finally, no idea what the mounts look like as can't find a picture so went with my simple approximation
Just cut some plasticard for the end plates and drilled some holes the same diameter and spacing as the track pins and a base plate to attach them to the rear plate

Scratched up the hull where I was glueing them for abit of extra stick



Then stuck em on


One day I will fix that tow hook