RC Tank Warfare community hobby forum

Latest update !!
We were unsure how to bend the main shape of the tank base and couldn't afford a bender so please have a laugh at our home made metal bending machine....Cheap and cheerful but does the job...
Just letting you know that we are having to make do with what we have. We are using one of the model lathes but have bought bigger chucks to use in it. Apart from that we have a small milling machine and general hand tools.

Hi Just goes to show the old saying nessacity is the mother of invention is true love the bending machine,I clamp two pieces of angle together with the bit htat needs bending between then hit it with an hammer.

regards pete

after a good afternoons work we have progressed a little further. We decided to add some strength by adding right angle segments down each side next to the bearing blocks. This also gives support to the base of the tank. The following photos show the underneath of the tank with the countersunk screws that hold the bearing blocks in place. The other photos show the bearing blocks part secured and the whole work up to date with 2 of the cogs and 3 of the suspension arms ready to fit. All 16 cogs are finished and shortly work on the road / bogey wheels will start. The tyres have been bought and each double wheel will be turned down from 1 block of aluminium bar.

Hello,did you guy's check out the link I posted? The how to section has a wealth of information.The bearing block are over built in a way,they could support many times the finale weight.What type of tension spring are you going to utilize? Are you also building the boogey wheels from aluminum? You have a very heavy duty hull,but you could have attached two bolt bearing to the inside of the hull to support your control arms and a smaller bearing block to support the end of the shaft.On the link I gave you their is a post on making spring that is inexpensive and something you guy's can easily do.I think you have done a great job,and obviously have machinist skills. http://home.earthlink.net/~bazillion/design.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; check this out for springs.Torsion type should work out with your BRG.Block design.I will also mention that with your skills you could make custom parts to offset the cost of the drive components and electronics.Just something for you to consider. Keep the pictures coming.and good luck.Blake

Hi All
Update time...I have posted in the general section with photos of ourselves so if you look please prepare yourselves...Its not pretty
As for the panzers it has been a lot of repetative works so although we have been busy we have had nothing much to show you folks...Anyway time marches on and at last we have a few new photos. We have been machining the roadwheels from 2 1/4 inch aluminium round bar. Each wheel has been drilled with a large hole and then machined on the end of the bar on the lathe to give a wheel effect. Although hard to see in the photo we then made an indent in the rim to allow the tyres to sit snugley on the wheel without falling off. We then cut the wheel off the bar at the correct width to form the wheel. The later photos show the wheels after an axel has been made. This is made out of a smaller diametre bar with 2 steps. The wheels are then forced onto the axel using a vice until they come up to the steps. The axel had already been drilled at 8mm to accept the bar which will be coming out of the suspension arms. I have just treated myself to a lathe from fleabay so I am a beginner with the tools but not much idea what to do with them.....Much learning here we come
Gonig to try one wheel with drill holes to make them look like the actual panzer III wheels. ill post a photo after this to keep you updated

This is an absolutely amazing build, keep the pics coming, I love this sort of thing.

Hi All
Time for the latest update
Much time has been spent completing the wheels and axels for both of the tanks. Along with spare wheels for the top of the tanks there is a total of 54 wheels and a total of 24 axels. As can be seen in the photos they are looking good though especially with the tyres on. Frank then moved on to make the bearing block holders for the main drive cogs which can be seen both on their own and also with the 2 drive cogs installed.Everything was looking great until we came to the first real disaster. When we placed the chain onto the cogs it didnt fit correctly
The heads of the nails under the links are just enough to raise the chain a fraction of an inch which is enough the throw the links out of sync with the cogs.....This means the many hours of inserting, cutting and hammering each nail to make a rivet has been totally wasted. As well as that wasted time we are now going to have to drill out all the fixings which is approx 320....The most difficult bit is now finding a way of attaching them back on without fouling the sprockets....Time to get thinking head on
if any of you peeps have any ideas we would gladly consider them......

EXCELLENT,How much for a 1/6 scale set of late model Tiger wheels? I'm serious you guy's have some skills and the right equipment.I think your control arm base support is strong enough for obstacals at speed.Have you considered the drive package? Great build keep the photos coming. Sax

great build, hope you find a way around the sprocket fouling
regards, ice

What an UP and DOWN day today....Firstly we found a way to rectify the problem with the track. It took a long time to drill out 640 rivets and then to deepen the countersink (2 per piece of track) so that it would accept a M3 nut. We found that by using M3 nuts and bolts that the head of the bolt would sink part way into the chain link so that it did not foul the teeth on the cogs as the rivets had done. I sat today reconnecting tank tracks slowly but surely whilst Frank was using the miller to take off every 2nd tooth on each of the 16 drive wheels cogs we had made. Each drive wheeel had taken many hours work as detailed previously when all of a sudden i hear much swearing and muttering from the other side of the garage.On finally quietening down Frank explains the cause for his anger...We found that the 8 slightly smaller rear cogs had an odd number of teeth so when we removed every second tooth it didnt work. Slowly the realisation sank in that 8 of the 16 cogs were due for the bin...AAAARRRRGGGGHHHH. Not only £45 ($65) to replace but approx 20 hours work to get back to the same stage..........So from being on a high to coming back to earth with a crash......Anyway have a look at the photos of the good bits. It shows a bit of completed track wrapped around a good cog. Next to them is a piec of track woth the nuts and bolts we are using and on the left is the underneath of the track to show how we are connecting using the new nuts and bolts. For info we will grind off the extra protruding bolt length before fitting the tracks.....

PLEASE NOTE THAT THE REST OF THE BUILD IS ON PAGE 2







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