philipat

No worries. Strmnd54 just did a working convoy light and brake light (http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/rc-t...l#post12019830). It looks like he used the basic HL/Taigen plastic parts and modified them. You should ask him if he can post a how-to. Might save you the cash of buying something. I've never tried to modify the HL part; so, I can't help there.

strmnd54

The working convoy lights was a mod. proposed by Ausf on this forum...
I basically followed his mod. with some minor modifications and posted the results on his thread....
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/rc-t...light-sbs.html

philipat

Thanks for that link. I didn't know they made SMDs that small. I'm going to archive that thread.

philipat

Got a little distracted and returned to something on the upper hull. After seeing KTRob’s great work on his fender hinges, I decided that I needed to something to correct HL’s rendition.

I started with making the fender springs with .4-mm copper strands from electrical wiring. I wrapped it tightly around a .95-mm brass rod. Note that you need to keep the coils close together because this was an expansion spring rather than a compression spring. The rods holding them to the hull are shortened sewing pins.

Before attaching the springs, I scribed the lines to represent the space between the flaps and the rest of the fender. They don’t go all the way through (flaps are not functional), but I’m hoping that a good pin wash will bring out the scribed lines and make it look like the gap is there. For the rear flaps, I rounded the scribed line on the flap side. I did this because the flap’s hinge was basically the end of the sheet metal rounded into a hinge.

I also cut out the rear hinge points and added the rounded hinge point for the main fender using 2-mm styrene rod. That represents the fender’s portion of the hinge.

The hinges on the front flaps were a bit tougher. I shaved off HL’s molded hinges with a hobby knife and sanded it all flat. Using the same widths of the HL’s hinges (5-mm), I created the hinge flats with .5-mm styrene sheet and cut them into 5x3.5-mm rectangles. I used plastic weld to attached them to each side of the scribed line. Then, I drilled the holes for the rivets (trimmed 1-mm rivets from www.scalehardware.com). File the edges of the flats at the scribe line with an angled file to create a seat for the rod that will create the hinge rounds. The rounds were made with 2-mm styrene rod bored out with a 1-mm drill. When I glued them to flats (using plastic weld again), I had a single, large paper clip pushed through both of them. This ensures that they stay aligned. After letting the weld harden overnight, I cut the hinge lines using a razor saw. They’re hard to see; but, again, I’m counting on a pin wash to bring them out. The hinge pin was made using a medium paper clip.

I also added some bolt heads to the rear bracket using 1.5-mm hex styrene rod.

Now the real question...I haven’t glued them in yet (again, not a functional flap). I’m trying to decide between leaving one hinge pin’s handle flipped on the fender while the other lays on the mud flap. Or, do I put them both on the mud flap for the symmetry?

MAUS45

Nice work philipat!!!

philipat

I started assembling the suspension. I’m using the Taigen metal return rollers since they have the rubber tires and are correct for an Ausf G. I tried a few different washers to sit between the supports and the rollers. Standard M3 washers from the hardware store will work, but were a little too wide for my preferences. They were too obvious. The HL washers are the ideal outer diameter (just hitting the diameter of the hub on the wheel), but you have to bore them out. They’re soft; so, they kept deforming on me. I’ll use the Taigen washers, which are somewhere in between and already bored out as M3 washers.


The metal supports look good. But, you can’t use screws with them because the support post they screw into had to be removed to fit the metal supports. So, you have to use the provide pins from Asiatam. Mine came with burring or ridges along the rod and a set of C/E-clips. The clips won’t fit because there’s no groove for them. Also, the head is too wide to fit the outer wheel (Taigen’s metal return rollers are press-fit together). So, I chucked them in a Dremel and used a file to reduce the diameter of the shaft head. Somehow, it came out uneven with one side filed more than the other. I’m not sure how that happened. I’m sure I’ve done this on nail heads a few years ago for a Pinewood Derby car. So, I had to clean it up manually.


I was going to try to create a groove for the clips, but that experience made me question my ability to get an even cut. So, as a last resort, I email Dominique at rctank.de (where I bought them) and asked if I got the wrong parts since I had clips but no grooves. He basically said that there were two versions - one with grooves and no ridging along it and another with no grooves and ridging. The latter stays in place with friction, I suppose. I prefer the pins to ensure nothing gets pulled out...and I made the holes large enough that they slip too easily anyways. He is sending me a set of axles with the grooves. Awesome customer support! Love working with rctank.de and Dominique!


I also have a set of R-clips standing by so that I can play with options.


Oh, for those taking notes: I used a #30 drill for the axle’s hole in the hull side, but that leaves a little bit of wobble. A #31 seems a bit more snug. Might want to go smaller if using the burred version and need a friction fit.

Next step was to install the bogies. I basically used strmnd54's mod to bring the wheels closer together and give compression on the spring. Only thing I haven’t done yet is to solder the back. I’ll do that when I’m convinced everything else is right. Here’s his mod: https://www.rctankwarfare.co.uk/foru...p?f=38&t=12864 or www.rcuniverse.com/forum/rc-tanks-369/11604422-winter-project.html. I also installed one .5-mm thick M3 washer behind the bogie to give it some stand-off from the hull and facilitate it’s movement.


Note: bogies have full swing without hitting each other.


While test-fitting the suspension parts, it appears that road wheels and return rollers line up well enough. But, they don’t seem to line up with the sprocket. The centerline of the sprocket is approximately 21 mm from the hull. This means that the bogies probably need to be pushed about 2 mm from the full. So, I’ll probably end up using 1.5-mm styrene cut and glued to the hull as a shim with a single .5-mm washer between the hull and the bogie. I’ll probably have to move the return rollers further out by 1-2 mm as well. All of that said, I couldn’t test it for certain because the idler adjusters that I got from Tank Modellbau didn’t work. Their axles were too narrow for the 5-mm bearings on the Taigen idlers.


So, I contacted Tank Modellbau and they offered to update the part with axles that have a 5-mm diameter. They’re in the mail and hopefully gets through customs. But, I’ll have to hold off on finishing the suspension and doing any shims until I get the new parts. Another great vendor...really enjoy working with Tank Modellbau, too.

strmnd54

I've used a set of 3:1 steel gearboxes mounted on the original posts on my tank....

Are you sure that your brass gearboxes are not putting the sprockets too far from the chassis ???

Airbrushler

the one i did had to have some spacing inbetween the gear boxes and the frame it had the black steel gear boxes

Airbrushler

maybe shorter drive shafts are needed on yours

philipat

Hmmm...not sure. I'm using the HL nubs to set the 5:1 gearboxes into place. I'll have to look at it with the transmission covers in place. Someone else who did the same build with the same metal suspension parts mentioned having to do this, too. I assumed based upon their experience that it was normal. Not so sure now...I'll relook at it.

Part of my goal is to raise everything a few mm so that it is more correct.

Airbrushler, is that a PzIV or PzIII? Looks like it has torsion suspension in a metal hull...hadn't seen that for the PzIV.

Thanks for the input. I'll let you know how it goes.

Airbrushler

yes it is a Panzer III sorry the IV is probably different with this one someone drilled the mounting holes which gave it too much play so i had to shim the gearbox to keep it from shifting

philipat

Airbrushler, no worries. If that's the metal hull, it should have had a metal mounting plate designed for that gearbox. It would have made that a lot easier. The PzIII and IV hulls are different. The IV hull is narrower than the III hull. That was a surprise to me. I thought they'd be the same when I got started. But, then I couldn't fit my 5:1s with a Speed400 motor in the IV (it does barely fit in the III). So, I went investigating.

philipat

I can't tell from your picture if yours is the same; but, when I put the transmission covers over the axles they basically cover the entire axle. That seems like it was how the stock axle were, too. Might be that the Taigen sprockets are a little different from the stock HL sprockets.

Edit: I installed the stock gearboxes and they stick out about 1 mm less than the 5:1s. So, I'll have to wait and see what happens with the idlers when the adjusters get here. But, for now, I'm thinking that shimming the bogies and return rollers has less risk of me messing it up than trying to reposition the gearboxes.

philipat

So, while I’m waiting for my new idler adjusters, I turned my attention to finding a way to secure the upper and lower hulls. Magnets seem to be en vogue. So, I went with that. There are 6-mm square rare earth magnets in each corner and disc magnets in the two remaining posts in the lower hull. (I forget their size, but they fit perfectly.) Large nails in styrene tubing were epoxied in placed in the rear corners and smaller nails were put into the corresponding mid-line posts in the upper hull. I had to use the same disc magnets in the front corners. I tried just using some sheet metal from soup cans, but they didn’t hold. My upper hull has some serious flex and distortion in the upper hull that raises the front corners about 3-6 mm from the lower hull. So, I need enough magnetism to pull them together. That required two magnets on each hull.


I also installed some aluminum tubing for wire runs under the fenders. These protect the headlight and convoy light wiring from the tracks and guide it into the hull. That requires cutting and filing a few notches in the lower hull to allow the conduits to pass through, but very easy overall.

ausf

Excellent work, as expected.

You have the only other Hakko I've seen, but I guess they're probably more popular in your neck of the woods. Best unit I've had since I sold my resistance setup.

philipat

Thanks.

I love my Hakko. Until I got it, I had been using the $20 Wal-Mart/Radio Shack/etc jobbies and couldn't make it work. Admittedly, I'm still learning to solder. But, this thing has made it much easier to solder and get better at it.

Max-U52

Philip, stick one of the sprockets on a dual ratio gearbox and see how much of the flat sticks out past the back of the sprocket. You should be able to see a bit of the flat that goes past the edge of the sprocket, and if that's the case, you don't have to shift the gearboxes or shim the bogies and return rollers. Just remove the axle shafts from the gearboxes and mill a millimeter off the end. That will move the sprocket in 1mm towards the hull. The sprocket locates on the end of the shaft for position, so if you make the shaft a millimeter shorter if will move the sprocket a millimeter. You shouldn't have to shorten the bolt that holds the sprocket in, as they should have more than 1mm clearance in the bottom of the hole.

philipat

Not following...what do you mean by "how much of the flat sticks out past the back of the sprocket"? The sprocket is flush against the axle. Do you mean the plastic transmission cover that hides most of the drive shaft?

The pictures from a few posts back were taken using the dual ratio gearbox.

Gary, that's an interesting idea. Unfortunately, I'm mostly limited to hand tools and don't have access to the machinery necessary for milling off a some of the drive shaft's length. I may have to reach out to you for help if I need that done.

But, it will have to wait until I get my idler adjusters back. Looks like they've finally made their way through German customs and are en route to Tank Modellbau...progress!

strmnd54

I choose a different approach for the wiring of my lights...
I used 30 AWG magnet wire for the head light:

And I just used copper strens from an extension cord glued on the hull for the convoy and rear lights:

Max-U52

I'll make a quick video tonight to show you what I mean about the flat on the shaft.

Max-U52

This should explain what I meant

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UrtWyHRjTVM&feature=youtu.be

philipat

Gary, nice vid. Thanks for the explanation. There's about 5 mm between the sprocket and the end of the flat part of the drive shaft. I also screwed in the sprocket bolt without the sprocket and it threads all the way to the head of the bolt. I figure the metal on the sprocket is 1-2 mm thick. So, there should be plenty of room to mill off 1 mm if it comes to that. I may take you up on the offer to mill it. Priority Mail gets stuff there and about in about 7-10 days (each way). But, I need to get the idler adjusters here to see what is really needed and what isn't.

Strmnd54, nice pointers...I didn't even know what "magnet wire" is until your post. I had to look it up. Is it solid core or multi-strand? I like the flexibility of the smaller gauge. The magnet wire looks like it would be pretty flexible.

ausf

Magnet wire is solid core, but enamel coated, so the insulation is there, but very thin. I first saw it used as LED wiring harnesses for Ultra Micro AC. It's my go to wire now for any LED work where the wire doesn't have to move. The only downsides are it's usually one color (red or green) so you have to keep track for polarity and the coating is tough to get off for soldering. You either burn it off or scrape and sand.

philipat

Good to know. Thanks.

philipat

I worked out the wiring for the upper hull. Lights and hull machine gun are hard-wired. The turret rotation motor is plugged in. The other plugs will go into the turret or come from the main board in the lower hull.