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Very impressed with those tracks.

Next update please...

Years Ago:

When I was a budding scratch-builder I made the bogies for this monster. Having already been apprised pf how outlandishly over-sized it was I search around for a shortcut to make the over-sized road wheels.

So I have a complete set of bogies made out of a 5/8 inch dowel for the axle, a 7/8 inch OD ABS tube (I don't know where that came from) and I went to the dollar store and bought a couple of packets of felt tip markers,

http://i.imgur.com/xNljHtG.jpg


cut off the end plugs and beveled the inner vanes.

http://i.imgur.com/vHznqfW.jpg


and there you have it , 16 reasonably detailed road wheels with a minimum of effort and talent.

And there for some reason I let the project drop.

Had I used my head I should have noticed that even if the drive wheels were larger in diameter, they still had the same sized inner core. (I actually just noticed that as I type this.... Ha!)

Anyway that's where we are today; trying to see if we can't improve on that other fellow's work.


Next Reply Please

AAA get

Blackadder's 'Crown' Experiment

I love 'Eureka' moments, one came to me two nights back at 3:00 AM where for the few previous days I had been mulling how to produce the drive/idler wheels for the tracks. (The Blackadder has very little to occupy his mind these days.) anyway even though I have an even better way, I'll share this eureka moment with you as it is a more general way to make tank road tires.

BTW for those unfamiliar with "Eureka Moment" I enclose the following link:

https://www.google.com/search?q=apprised&oq=apprised&aqs=chrome..69i57&sourceid=chrome&es_sm=122&ie=UTF-8#q=archimedes+crown+experiment

I hate repetition and the thought of making 40 round tires with axles to make 16 bogie wheels and 4 drive wheel frustrates me and sends me into a state that inactivates me. Rather than wallow in my doldrums I usually just switch to another project which is better for my mental health. Therefor 5 years ago when stymied by the problem, I built Lucie the Warhound (and numerous other projects as well) instead.

So my eureka solution was this, rather than trying to cut round road wheelsof the proper thickness or sandwiching a half dozen or so thin disks together I took thin strips of styrene of proper width (in this case 1/4 inch) and wrapped it around the largest diameter styrene tube in my inventory 1/2 inch which coincidentally was just about the size of the axle needed.

Here we see the first of the eight road tires required already completed:

http://i.imgur.com/kjkte9R.jpg


I'll demonstrate how to make the next one;

Measuring the proper axle spacing I glued the end of the 0,25 MM styrene strip square on the 1/2 inch styrene tube, then when sufficiently dry I filed the end to a fine taper so a lump won't form when I wrap the strip around the axle.

http://i.imgur.com/FxfJVxP.jpg


When the strip is completely wrapped around I insured the wrapping was squared and tight and glued the free end to the wrap. I the proceeded to apply thinset styrene glue to the edges of the entire wrap and allowed to dry.

http://i.imgur.com/v3bSz1e.jpg


I used the milled jaws of the vernier calipers shown to true the wrap edges before applying the glue. (Engineers cringe)

Since the tires will be thicker than the one strip of styrene will achieve I wrapped a second around the first in the same manner. Now that the tire diameter is significantly larger than the 1/2 inch axle it was safe to use a thicker wrap, in this case I used 0,4 MM strip styrene.

http://i.imgur.com/w2F2RXF.jpg


Here we see the tire finished wrap with the vernier calipers in place to compress any spiraling edges so the strips aren't telescoped.

Next post please.

Nice idea on the wheels.

Carry on, carrying on...

The Mantle Of Lunacy:

Since I am so very often labeled "Crazy" I may as well don the appellation and adopt it for my very own to wit; last night I deemed the bogies too plain and spiffed them up a bit. with center axles and lugs.

http://i.imgur.com/YFEzXU7.jpg


After drilling close to 400 holes my placement became a tad erratic.

http://i.imgur.com/dhQX89Z.jpg


Since the skirting of the side armour eclipses half the road wheel I'm sure no one will see the discrepancies.

But I'll have to be more careful on the very prominent Idlers.

Time To Space the Road Wheels:

Well the new tread block seems to be just about perfect; the tire hubs appear slightly below the proposed fender skirting and the block sufficiently long enough to mount the outrage number of bogies. Yeah I'm guessing about all this; that's what comes of working without a plan boys and girls..........

http://i.imgur.com/plMUYT8.jpg


The next step will be to determine the best spacing taking into account the drive sprocket and nose idler wheel the hub of the nose idler being just under the leading edge of the fender.

In case you need it: AAA

Thanks I really appreciate that.

Looks Like a Plan:

With very little forethought and purely by accident everything is rosy, the bogies seem just the right size for the tread run. i need to space them about a millimeter apart as opposed to the present image but nothing critical.

The two nose tires which are at odds with standard 'Christie suspension'

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christie_suspension

conform nicely to the FW/GW design none the less so it's acceptable.

http://i.imgur.com/GbiwiJx.jpg


Even without the front idler the wheels look businesslike and seem adequate for the extra two hundred tons this tank has over the Baneblade

http://i.imgur.com/ZQhYR7R.jpg


With the body removed the clean installation is revealed so those who want to copy this design, feel free.

http://i.imgur.com/KfELvs0.jpg


Only please don't ask for plans, diagrams or templates; I regret to say there aren't any.

No Need To Rush:

Let this be a lesson, it doesn't pay to rush these projects. I was about to affix the road wheels to the wheel base but on seeing this I will have to wait until the drive and idler wheels are done. Otherwise the wheel placement would have to be redone.

http://i.imgur.com/CjK0qfR.jpg



Automatically Appended Next Post:
S*** can I get an AAA?

Here, have an AAA

Also, brilliant work!

thanks, I have significant improvements and I don't want them lost in appended posts.......

Smacks Forehead:

On re-examining the side armour fender skirting there's a grievous error in the rear cutout and only this image brought it to the fore:


http://i.imgur.com/CjK0qfR.jpg


My problem is that I was following the Armorcast Baneblade profile when I initially built this.

http://i.imgur.com/SRV3wxa.jpg


Where the cut out is significantly larger.

http://i.imgur.com/JK0IvrB.jpg


That's why the skirt access panel cutouts won't work out.

could just say the design was altered to give the tracks better protection as the track on a tank in real life is a weak point.

a weapon that may not be able to penetrate the hull can damage the tracks and a mobility kill is just a useful as a kill.
imobile there a sitting duck.

Okay; I promise, I'll have a production post readied later today but I have to address the above post......

Speaking of, "Immobile."

Wow; searched "Latest version of Baneblade" and found this:



Surely someone has a lot of talent and time on his hands.

Now I see (infer) at least eight crew members and half a dozen or so free roaming servitor skulls, a bin for spent small shell casings, a lot of skulls, icon, and altars and a tech priest but I see no live ammo magazine for the big guns and no perceivable engine; what am I missing?



Appended to; "What am I missing..........."

Well the upper tread run to be sure. The artist has acknowledged that he was aware of the necessity of the upper run of tread as he shows the tread cutoff end in the front of the tank fender but then he ignores the issue and has the sponson gun server (gunner?) and some abbreviated individual smack dab in the space where the tread should be.

Then there is the question of fuel. In my reading preparing to make my version of a Landkeuzer I referred a lot to the largest produced tank (to my knowledge) the German Panzerkampfwagen VIII 'Maus'. The spec's show it carried 710 US Gallons of fuel internally and 400 gallons of fuel in the external reserve and had a battlefield range of 39 miles. BTW that works out to 185.5 feet (56.5404meters ) of travel per gallon if you're interested and at top speed of 8.1 MPH. The big problem with the Maus was developing an engine powerful enough to move the tank and small enough to actually fit inside.

The artist here didn't address either the interior fuel storage 95 cubic feet or a reservoir cube size of 4.56 by 4.56 by 4.56 cu ft or appreciable space for any sort of propulsion unit.

Certainly the tiny barrels at the end of the fender couldn't carry enough fuel for more than a few miles at most. BTW note the surge baffles.........nice touch.

But it is a pretty picture......XD


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Crap!

Can I get an auto append? Please>

AAA! Please, continue.

It's about time!

Thanks.........

The Wheel Thing:

Every type of model has certain pieces that if done right no one notices but if done wrong ruins the model.

That's how I feel about the road and drive wheels on tanks.

seemingly insignificant, partially covered still if less than detailed they stand out like sore thumbs when it comes to displaying your work.

Witness this beautifully detailed effort that somehow just doesn't make the grade because of the painfully plain road wheels. (and fenderskirts but that's a different story......)



So now I shall attempt to detail the drive and idler wheels on the Landkreuzer and also fix the fender skirt doors on this and my Titan Hunter. It's about time since I shelved it more than six years ago.

http://i.imgur.com/gNnpaRB.jpg


In the images above and below we see the tools required to make the wells in the wheels for the final detailing. Now that the blanks are fully formed the rest should be easy.

http://i.imgur.com/nhl8Fjb.jpg


The procedure came to me on the long drive to Florida last week and I was aching to see if it would work and it did.

Now why was I so confounded by such a laughingly simple process?


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Damn!

another AAA please.......

As for the engine, I think on these it's housed in the lump at the back (with the exhausts on). In the future the engine doesn't have to take up a lot of space.

Likewise the fuel (being promethium or whatever they call it) can be explained as being far more energy dense than diesel and, coupled with the smaller and more efficient engine, not as much volume is required.

Keep up the good work.

Thanks for the interrupt.........Wow 5000+ posts, I'm a piker!

As for efficiency, no engine can exceed 25% efficiency according to thermodynamics physics.

Disc Making:

There are a lotta ways to make small discs but this is the easiest way I've found to do it without a lot of special tools and compasses, trammel points, and expensive disc cutting dies.

I glue scraps of plasticard (in this case 1,0 MM) to the ends of styrene tubing by simply dipping the very tip of the tube into the glue vial.

and allow to dry for a few minutes..........

http://i.imgur.com/hQ8B0Hd.jpg


Once dry take your standard household scissors and trim off the rough excess.
(upper end of the medium length tube)

then take your sanding block and fine sand off the rough edges until the disc is flush with the side of the tube; usually takes a few seconds.
(lower end of medium length tube)

Once shaped take your utility knife and slice off the rounded end cap.

http://i.imgur.com/rZtG4W6.jpg


Walla! a relatively perfect disc in a few minutes with no special tools and if you need a larger disc than a half inch use a bit of plastic gel cement and an appropriate sized metal washer same procedure.

http://i.imgur.com/GNZNLpr.jpg


Yeah I know it's Voila but I sometimes post on a French site and it drives 'em crazy........Ha!

The Never Ending Process:

More and More this track manufacture seems interminable. The more I do there is even more left to do..........

I'm trying to make a reasonable facsimile of the FW Superheavy suspension and track.

Below see the beginning of both front and drive wheels marked for detail drilling for boltholes and reinforcement strapping.

http://i.imgur.com/8r5G86G.jpg


And please don't tell me just to buy them from some other tank kit.

No one has captured the pure artistry of the FW original Baneblade.

http://i.imgur.com/1YkXBvR.jpg


The GW Baneblade runs a poor second.

AAA, top work mate

Thanks for the bump......

Playin' the Odds:

Well I have four chances to produce two acceptable outer drive wheels of the eight sides I have to work with. The others I can hide on the inner track where they won't be seen (Whom I kidding? I could never accept that...........)

http://i.imgur.com/SD6Xkgk.jpg


Anyway the one on the lower right seems to be acceptable so now I have a one in three chance of duplicating that effort.

The inability to calculating odds is one of the reasonsThe Blackadder does not gamble

I am fairly certain that you are literally insane

That assessment isn't exactly new..........

Mindless Tedium:

Only 48 more of these little b*st*rds to go............

http://i.imgur.com/qBZ4CFl.jpg


This is a good job to do while you're watching the telly; it goes faster that way.

The Blackadder isn't an Englishman but he plays one on the internet.....


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Can I get an AAA Please?

AAA

Prognosis Negative:

This is where we separate the suspicion of mental instability from outright clinical insanity.

Why I subject myself to this form of torture when I would give anything to say "good enough" is becoming of great concern to me.

Gluing these little batons on the drive wheels is bad enough but folding them down to unify the diagonal reinforcements stretches credulity.

http://i.imgur.com/Mw772tZ.jpg


The closeup reveals the fraction of a millimeter variance that had me annoyed.

http://i.imgur.com/uomMeQw.jpg


Checking into a clinic on the morrow............


Another update on the tails of this one; thanks for the AAA

AAA

TYVM

What a Difference a Day Makes:

Well two days but there's no title that mentions two days.......

If someone told me that these would come out like this I would have looked at him suspiciously

http://i.imgur.com/lhQ5KF1.jpg


But here we have left to right the various stages to completion and the first end result and I thought the envelope was sealed.

Very nice work replicating the drive wheel.

 The_Blackadder wrote:



Appended to; "What am I missing..........."

It looks like the treads swing down low underneath the sponson (if you look at left headlights you can see they swing underneath)

This is an amazing piece of work, and I'm excited to see the result! I love the titan in the background as well!