Grant

[NickDonitz]

So having played with the prototype box I started again as there was to much flex even with allowing for the outer bearings. A set of Mato boxes slightly altered gave me the height I needed for the right hand side gearbox to fit under the sponson, all the mouldings in the hull had to be removed to get it to sit low enough and its actually fitted at an angle so the sprocket shaft stays in the right place. The back of the boxes would have hit the HL battery box but as id already removed it just a little further trimming allowed them to sit flat on the bottom. The extension frames are made from old HL gearbox sides though new holes for the bearings had to be cut. Both sides had to be done and it was a case of very careful drilling and grinding to get the right fit. Im currently laid up with a broken leg so im allowed to go into my model room (to play) but not into my workshop and garages, so no lathe or pillar drill available and im to impatient to wait, doing it again id re make the whole gearboxes out of sheet steel. The outer bearing fits the 5mm shaft and the 8mm opening that is in the side of the HL hull is a gloriously tight fit and it firms up the assembly a treat. Because of the nature of the build I forgot to take pics of the work on the boxes but here are a couple showing it fitted with the basic transmission cover. Oh after fitting the boxes and testing them I poured resin into the base of the hull so it flowed under the angled gearboxes fully supporting them and adding some of the ridgidity back to the hull that had gone when I removed the battery box a couple of strengthening cross members should see the job right

[ALPHA]

Interesting NIck... not sure why you are needing to play with the gearboxes so much... seems with all the time spent on modifying them... probably purchasing a three piece transmission cover would be worth the expense.... because all I had to to was grind my inner bracket on each gearbox...and the transmission cover fit right over them with no problem

Plan to do one of these in the future ...I like what you are doing so far

ALPHA

[971wright]

Hi Nick ,Have an idea you could fit Tamiya Pershing gearboxes and final drive units ,this would remove an flex in the gear train,this should allow fitting the correct 3 piece tranny cover.

regards pete

[NickDonitz]

unfortunately the resin covers wrong though nicely made and the Pershing boxes are way to wide and still wouldn't allow a proper transmission cover to fit. but that resin cover is damn close

[NickDonitz]

Its hard to tell from the pictures but the centre of the shaft the sprocket sits on is beyond the front of the transmission case hence the bulges. I could get the resin one but id still have to cut it up to extend those bulges

[ALPHA]

unfortunately the resin covers wrong though nicely made and the Pershing boxes are way to wide and still wouldn't allow a proper transmission cover to fit. but that resin cover is damn close

Did you see the covers Woz made? They are much nicer than the resin one and required just about the same amount of work when he mounted them on his tank


ALPHA

[NickDonitz]

Yes 3 d printing is coming on leaps and bounds, its the death of modelling im affraid. As printers get more sophisticated the detail will become finer. The covers Woz made are really neat but alas wrong as anything made to fit over the standard boxes will be. His Priest build is fab

[ALPHA]

Yes 3 d printing is coming on leaps and bounds, its the death of modelling im affraid. As printers get more sophisticated the detail will become finer. The covers Woz made are really neat but alas wrong as anything made to fit over the standard boxes will be. His Priest build is fab

Really... I thought they looked great...close enough is good enough for me lol...I don't think 3D will kill modelling at all...perhaps open more doors for Privateers ...as the ability to Print models that aren't made... easier to fabricate...perhaps even those elusive parts that get broken...like the WSN suspension arm Woz made for himself ..and for this Grant.... a really good way to make the upper turret

To me a 3D printer is more of a tool... so when it comes to modelling...it's how you use it

ALPHA

[Woz]

Nick's right, the gearboxes get it the way of a proper three piece transmission cover. To get it to look real it'd take a lot more work and means moving the gearboxes back.

I just went for the easy chop and swop way.

[mcevoyi]

Ohh i will watch this build with interest and see how you build yours !